Our lovely friends, volunteers of Burren Chernobyl Project – you may be far away, but you’re still very close and like a family now!

We thank you for this wonderful year! We lived it from arrivals to departure of your groups, greetings and farewells, joys and tears.

Thanks to you we heard the children's laughter more often, saw more light in their eyes, and their hearts were filled with happy anticipation of fairy tales and miracles that came along with all of your visits.

It is impossible to single someone out - you're all amazing: those, who worked in the orphanages, and those, who stayed with the children during their vacation in Minsk, and those, who worked hard in Ireland, collecting money and humanitarian aid. Million thanks to all of you!!!

 What was more remarkable? For us it was Social service Committee - Department - Customs - Airport-Baranovichi - Airport, Cherven sometimes ... We laughed with Irina that we spent more time at the airport as at our kitchen ...

Shumsky’s "Hallo", which made me celebrate his birthday 4 times this year and taught me a lot of new brands of cigarettes.

Liosha, shouting from the door of Group  4: "Arkadevna, come in, I'll sing a new song for you!"

New boy Vanya, who held my hand, looking straight into my eyes, begging to take him home with me.

Girls from Group 4... Listening to them, you will have your heart broken. I wanted to cry, but instead I laughed, I told them that we would meet again, hurried out of the group, hiding my tears from them.

Vasya. He never complained, neither when lying in the cast, nor when we visited him with the volunteers in the hospital, nor when ordering shoes.

Elevator did not work and we had to help Vasya up the stairs and down along the corridor. Drenched in sweat, with his pale face, Vasya would reply that all was well and it did not hurt.

Perhaps over the years of witnessing constant pain, we become rougher, but their open and sincere little hearts are able to penetrate into the depths of the soul and bring out the light, faith and love. Thanks to them!!!

 And now from the 8^th to the 15th of January, thanks to you, we will bring again a group of children to Minsk from Gorodische orphanage.

We’ve already bought tickets to the circus. We believe that everything will work out, and the guys will be back "signing in for vacations." Irina "controls all" and keeps a list of children wishing to come - Anyone who can speak at least a little bit, or can explain their request somehow, would be dying to be on that list.

Hopefully, thanks to your efforts, everyone will have a chance to come to Minsk.

And on the 22 January 2017, we are meeting a new group of volunteers.

The Wheel of Life keeps rolling; it seems to me that does it faster than ever. The year starts again and goes on. So let the Wheel of Life not roll in vain.

 We wish you a bright and merry Christmas, Peace and love to you, your families and your lovely country!

See you in the New Year.

Tamara Buhteeva

And all in "Dobra tut"

Translated by Alena Martsyanava