Meet Stanley and Velin

Tonight, Oct 15, we will meet with Stanley and Velin. The 18th is Velin’s birthday. He will be 24. We will be traveling so tonight we will take them out to dinner at the pizza place down the block. The place we go isn’t important; the time together is.

Stanley and Velin are the two gypsy boys (now young men) that we “adopted” about 7 years ago. At the time Stanley was 16 & Velin 17. They were students at an orphan’s training school run by some friends of ours who were trying to help them (and other gypsy orphans) learn a trade so they could support themselves when they turned 18. Under the Bulgarian system, orphans were put out of the orphanage at 18. Most had no skills and, as a result, many turned to crime of various kinds. Our friends were trying to help the kids avoid that fate, while teaching them about the love of the Lord.

Both Stanley and Velin are very gifted artists and we have their art all over our home. Every time we see them, they always have another painting for us. They call Pat their American Mom. She is the one who reached out to them first.

When we were first getting to know them, one day we invited them over to see us at Casa Farrari. They came and were talking to Pat. (Conversations with them are always fun; their English is a struggle and, of course we speak no Bulgarian at all.) Anyway, they were talking and I was sitting over in a chair doing something on my computer, as usual. They looked over at me and Velin said to Pat, “He your secretary?” Of course we cracked up! Ever since then, that memory is a standing joke between us but now, they know me too.

Stanley is now in the university studying social work and Velin has a job with a supermarket chain. They use their art to make extra money. We always look forward to our visits with our “sons” when we come to Sofia.