Elena is in the USA!

Thursday and Friday

That's right, Elena Antropyanskaya Hibbler arrived in North Carolina on Thursday June 24th. Craig Miller, Desana Board Member and Russia Team Director, picked her up in Charlotte and drove to Winston Salem. It was a late night and an even earlier morning when Craig and Elena headed out to a morning Christian breakfast meeting with the New Canaan Society of Winston Salem.  NCS is a gathering of men who want to experience life-changing relationships with each other under the umbrella of a friendship with Jesus.  "Life-changing relationships" ..... that was a good fit for Elena to meet a few people and tell her story. From all reports so far, it was worth getting up early!

The rest of the day continued to be a whirl wind of meetings with groups and individuals. Craig and Elena were given many opportunities to tell the Desana story to people that shared our same mission - to improve and enrich the lives of the children of poverty.  I know it was a very busy day to for both Craig and Elena. Watch for a report with more details when Elena gets a chance to catch her breath.

Saturday

The big event will be held Sunday evening when many interested people will attend one of Elena's famous Russian Dinners.  If you are going to cook something good, you better do the shopping yourself..... From the looks of the shopping cart, this is going to some dinner!  If you are reading this in the Winston-Salem area and are interested in learning more about the Desana Russian Projects, contact us here. We can get information pertaining to the Russian Dinner and the Desana Russian Projects to you.


Elena first contacted us in 2006 through a mutual friend, David Ray (Desana Board Member and Russia Team) and asked for assistance for an orphanage project she was running in her home town of Nizhny Tagil, Russia. When Elena returned home she found out that a children's shelter that had been funded by the Swiss had lost it's funding. She asked Desana if she could use the money to get this shelter back on it's feet. Of course Desana said OK and the Kind Heart Shelter Project was born.  From that first $3,000 and this project Desana started to grow in Russia. Desana now has 5 active projects and numerous temporary projects. Elena is responsible for overseeing all of the work in Russia. Elena does all of this, plus teach school ---- and her Desana work is all volunteer! We hope to update Elena's profile to share some of her many accomplishments. She truley has improved and enriched the lives of the children she has touched in Russia.

We will try to keep posting information on Elena's US visit..... from here she will head to Michigan, then Texas, then California, and most likely back to Texas before she heads back to Russia.  If you would like to ask Elena anything about what she does or has accomplished, click here.