“Pay It Forward,” the popular movie starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt, tells the story of young boy who, stirred by the words of an adult mentor, decides he wants to change the world, one person at a time. Here we have a real life account of a young man–Rosen– who was rescued from a Bulgarian orphanage and has dedicated his life to rescuing others. We at JFY are proud to partner with Rosen in his efforts.
Rosen writes:
“I was born in Bulgaria. I was born with a double cleft palate. When I was one month old or younger my parents left me in a baby orphanage. When I was five years old I asked myself some questions:
“Where is my mom and dad?”
“Other children outside the orphanage have parents why don’t we have parents in this home?”
I asked my teachers at the orphanage the same question:
“Where are my parents ?”
They never answered my question.
Then I saw some kids going home during the weekends and around forty of us didn’t go home. Every Friday after school I cried to go home. After crying many weeks and months one of the teachers said stop crying your parents are not coming for you. Then I stopped and asked her
“Why aren’t they coming to get me?”
She didn’t answer. I asked other teachers to tell and they didn’t tell me.
Then I asked the director of the orphanage. She said
“They are not coming to get you so stop crying!”
She claimed she didn’t know either.
So I started to guess why my parents weren’t coming to get me. At the age five I found out it was my cleft palate. At this age I started to drink and started to get into trouble like fighting and pick-pocketing. I started to be a slave giving massages to the older kids. I got beaten by the older kids. At the orphanage we all tried to survive by stealing from each other beating each other.
Others got sexually abused. I didn’t get sexually abused because I massaged the older kids and gave them all my allowances and things that I got from pick-pocketing and the food that I stole.
In lots of ways I was spared but not every way. Every year we to summer camps so the tea the teachers have time off or repairs could be made to the orphanage. But it was just time off for the teachers. I hated the orphanage every orphan hates the institutional place. No family. No family. Many kids crammed together, all trying to survive.
From age five to ten I was doing the same things: drinking, pick-pocketing, stealing from stores food and fighting. Then at the age of ten I was at camp I decided to commit suicide.
At that time I prayed and I asked if there is God please provide me a family who would love me and care for me. Then I felt in my heart that I should not commit suicide. I decided to wait.
A couple of months later an adoption agency came to see us. They asked for me and when they saw me they said “what would you like us to do?” I told them all I need is a family who would love me and care for me. They gave me no promises but said they would do their best. A year went by and then a lawyer came to the orphanage and asked for me and she said to me that there is a family interested and they are teachers in Thailand. So I felt excited and had hope for the first time in my life.
I hated the orphanage we were not treated well. When we told lies they put diesel fuel on our heads then they shaved our hair. I got beaten and got all my stuff stolen except my clothes. Couple of months later after the lawyer came she came back and showed me a whole album full of pictures of my family that wanted to adopt me.
I jumped up and down with excitement and I said to all my friends in the orphanage, “I am going and getting out of here!” I was so happy and overjoyed. Some teachers were excited for me but some teachers told me I shouldn’t go because they were worried that my family would sell me or sell my body parts. So I was really confused, Should I leave or stay back?
The lawyer came to see me every week and she said “You have to go this family they are great people they really want to have you.” She told me not to listen to the teachers, that it was not good for me to stay in Bulgaria. So I had to decide at the court system. I decided to be adopted.
After a year and half of paper work I was finally with my family. My parents were missionaries in Thailand twenty one years and in Israel for two years. They had morning and evening devotions. I really fell in love with the songs and bible studies at home. My parents never pushed me to know God. I came to Him myself.
Our house burned down the second day I was there. I lost everything I had. I needed Jesus in my life. When I was thirteen I had a dream that I would work with orphans and children youth in need and would bring justice to those who needed justice. Then God spoke to me
“If I gave you hope how can you not give the hope to others that I gave to you?”
I also had a dream that I would be working with orphans and children youth in need. God gave hope and a future so he calls us to give it to those who don’t have it. For nine years now I have been working with youth and I have a heart to help orphans and “at risk” children and youth. My life pursuit and passion is to work with these marginalized young people because I can relate to them. I know how it feels. Networking with JFY and Not For Sale to help bring awareness of human trafficking and to fight for justice for youth worldwide.”
