Heather Jorge
with an introduction from Jeanne Dorr

Heather’s Journey

Jeanne Dorr, is a member of the Board of Directors of Lithuanian Orphan Care, a branch of the Human Services Council of the Lithuanian American Community, Inc. She is also a Social Studies teacher in New Jersey.

Heather Jorge (background) and Aldona Stanton during their trip to Lithuania. Photo: Valstiečių Laikraštis

It is always my greatest pleasure to turn this column over to a young writer. Last winter I learned that Heather Jorge, who at that time was a senior at Lemon Bay High School in Englewood, Florida, would be making a trip to Lithuania in June. I thought it would be a marvelous opportunity to learn what an American teenager who is not of Lithuanian descent thought about the people and the country. I asked Heather to keep a diary and to share it with the BRIDGES readers. This is not sugarcoated but it is written through the eyes of this talented young writer. Because of space I have had to condense it, but I am sure you will be delighted to share Heather’s thoughts about her journey.

Now permit me to introduce you to Heather. She was a resident of Massachusetts until eight years ago when she moved to Florida. Heather is the youngest of five children and lives with her mother who is her inspiration because of a kind heart and unyielding love.

In her freshman year she took French with Aldona Stanton who was born in Lithuania. Aldona is the sponsor of a club called CARE (Children Are Reason Enough), which has done a tremendous amount of charity work locally, throughout the US., and abroad. The students also sponsor a child through Lithuanian Orphan Care. In her junior and senior years Heather was elected president of the club. Her praises for the other club members and especially for Aldona, who is referred to as Madame (because she is a French teacher), throughout her diary are unending.

When Aldona suggested to Heather that she join her on a "working" trip to Lithuania, Heather was delighted but she simply did not have the money to go. They sought the help of the principal, Mr. Strickland, and he suggested they approach the Sunrise Rotary for help. The Rotary paid some of Heather’s costs, as did the Key Insurance Agency. The faculty of Lemon Bay High School gave hundreds of dollars, and Bay Harbor Ford matched the funds that were already raised. They went over their goal to buy a ticket for Heather, and the excess funds were given to needy Lithuanian families.

Heather specifically asked that the donors be publicly thanked for their trust in her. She is especially grateful to Aldona Stanton for making it all possible. She is currently a student at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Her anticipated major is French with a Masters in Education.

Jeanne Dorr

June 5, 1999

As I sit on my bed the day before my flight leaves, I wonder what the approaching week is going to bring. I know that it is going to change my outlook on life, but I just can’t seem to brace myself for the pain I‘m about to see. Sure, I’ve seen pictures of these places, but when I see it first hand it’s going to hit me like a ton of bricks.

June 6, 1999

Well, I’m at my "lay over" at Kennedy Airport. I’ve been here for over an hour and I still have more than one hour to go. It’s very hard not to speak the same language as a lot of people I’m sitting around, but I’m about to spend a week like this. Despite the language barrier, I am sure that I will understand and learn a lot about life in Lithuania. I just hope that I can convey to the children how much CARE loves them and, to the adults taking care of them, how grateful the word is for their love and kindness.

June 7, 1999

Well, I’m in Lithuania! Although I’m very tired, it is still really interesting. Luckily, I didn’t have any problems with changing planes or with customs, otherwise I would have cried. When I first arrived, Mrs. Stanton, her niece, her cousin, and her friend greeted me with roses. They told me that it is a Lithuanian custom to do this for visitors.

The countryside is very beautiful. There are miles and miles of big trees, rolling hills, and old, historic, beautiful, little houses. They are all painted pastel colors and it reminds me of a make believe street in a Disney movie because they are so cute. We’ve driven and walked over cobblestone streets and walked through Lithuanian gates used to keep people protected during times of war.

After we dropped my luggage at the hotel we met with Laima from a local shelter for children. We visited her home and did it ever touch me. I want to be rich so I can give these children everything. They were so adorable. Laima and other adults take care of the twelve beautiful children. Less than five years ago the bottom floor of the building was "donated" to them and they remodeled the whole thing. They painted, put up walls, put in plumbing, and changed one large hall into a living space. Sure, the rooms are very small but it was certainly home.

Each child did something special for us because we were their "aunties." Some sang songs, while others recited poems. When we gave them each a pack of gum and a lollipop, they said thank-you and sang a song together. I want to take them home. When we were leaving, they said they wanted us to stay and so did I because I’m missing their innocence.

When they finally dragged me away from the beautiful children, we went to Sts. Peter and Paul’s Church. It was like no church I’ve ever seen before. There wasn’t a one-foot square without some intricate architectural design. It was amazing.

Traveling from the church to the soup kitchen Laima told us about the children at Laiknos Vaikų Globos Namai, or the temporary children’s house. She said that a lot of these children were from families where the parents died, couldn’t take care of them, or just put them on the streets. I can’t imagine how anyone could have done that to these wonderful children.

Although the children wore slippers as shoes and lived in a "house" not big enough for a family of four, they felt as if they were rich and had it all. I now know that they do because they have the love of each other and many people like CARE around the world.

The soup kitchen was a place that fed about 60 people each day and also provided many other services. The building had an exercise room, a room for tea or coffee for the elderly, a doctor’s office, and many other facilities. (Heather is referring to the kitchen run by the Lutheran Evangelical Church in Vilnius.)

Mr. Kiauka, our guide and head gentleman, was very kind about telling us about it. He said that Diakonija Vilniaus Sandora raises funds through their clothing store and outside eating area, but they can never make enough to support the program. It was very enlightening to see a different place that CARE helps to support.

Our third visit that day was to visit Tremtinių Grižimo Fondas. It is a group dedicated to those exiled from Siberia. They usually close at 2 PM but they waited until after 4 PM just to see us. Because it was so late, we didn’t get to see much but the ladies were so very kind. Even if I didn’t understand a word of what they said, they hugged me and smiled the whole time we were there.

June 8, 1999

Aldona (left) and Heather (middle) visit with several girls in a group home. Photo: Valstiečių Laikraštis

Today was a very interesting day. We went to lots of interesting places by car and then we walked around Vilnius.

Our first stop of the day was the Lithuanian Press Building that was first occupied by the Russians. We visited Valstiečių laikraštis (newspaper). The editor’s wife showed us around for the day. She is the lady in charge of Kaimo Vaikai (Countryside Children’s Fund). Regina Svoba took us around to some of the local areas as they distributed clothing and other things.

Our first stop was a school of about 150 children from first grade through high school. With Madame Stanton as a translator, I told them a little about what CARE does and how we do it. Then we distributed Jolly Ranchers, gum, and lollipops. I felt like Mrs. Claus giving out Christmas toys. They were all smiling and a lot of the kids impressed me by saying thank you.

The school was in good shape as were the children. Some wore old clothes and slippers as shoes but it wasn’t bad because Countryside Children’s Fund helps them a lot. As we were leaving the children gathered in the hall to say goodbye. Some of the teachers were also there. It was all so wonderful. The director and art teacher insisted that we take some beautiful clay things they had made for us. We thanked them and went on to our next stop.

Our next visit was to another distribution area, but this time to families, often with five or six or even twelve children.

Regina told them that they will give them all the aid possible unless they find out that the items or money are being spent on liquor. If that is the case, the newspapers will humiliate them and all help will be stopped.

We met a lady whose son drowned in a lake one week ago. She still had eleven children and she cried and cried. Regina gave her clothes and peanut butter and I gave her $20.

Each registered family received a bag of clothes likely to fit their children, peanut butter for the family, and donated toys they could pick out of boxes. Their faces beamed as they received their bags. We also gave $20 to a gentleman and his two children who just lost their mother due to trauma to her head.

Next we drove to another family’s house. The mother was bombed out of her mind, half clothed and a nasty woman. She was yelling at Regina because she was unannounced and kept screaming to take the clothes away. She kept saying she wasn’t a beggar. Regina whispered to one of the children to take the bag in the back and to quickly take out what they needed. The child knew enough to hide the clothing. The children were wearing filthy clothes, no shoes, and looked undernourished. I felt so bad for them. I wish I could take them home with me.

Aldona (second right) and Heather (upper left corner) visit the Sereika family. Photo: Valstiečių Laikraštis

Our final stop was at another school. The fifty or so children that were there met us outside and then took us inside to the cafeteria that was set up for us. It was filled with plates of fresh fruits and breads. We sat and talked about Lithuanian and American customs and what the children are learning. They make their own curtains and clothing, and they also know how to knit. The boys learn carpentry and how to work with tractors. Everyone learns practical things that will help him or her get a job.

They showed us around their living quarters and classrooms. They gave me a doll, a crosstitched angel, and a pair of Lithuanian socks. I gave each child a dollar bill. A girl about my age wanted me to sign her dollar for her. I signed my name and wrote, "We love you" on it. She said she would never spend it and so I gave her another dollar.

All the children came to say goodbye to us. It was an unforgettable day.

June 9, 1999

Today was a day of new experiences and surprises. Bernardas Saknys, the journalist who traveled with us, was fun. We stopped and picked up a photographer from the newspaper. Our first stop was at a beekeeper’s house. The man had recently lost his wife and Bernardas had written an article about him. He brought the man some bread and wanted to check to see how he was doing. We took a lot of photos of his picturesque farm.

We piled back in the van and headed for our first school. The director showed us their archaeological and historical museum. They had thousands of things that had been dug up through the years. They had a war room that had guns, hats, cannon shells, and other items from World War I and II.

The director fed us so much. I ate rye bread (it tasted like oatmeal), porridge, sausage, and drank water. It is a Lithuanian tradition to feed visitors—so wherever we went, we ate!

Our next stop was to visit the little girl CARE sponsors through Lithuanian Orphan Care. The school is named Daugeliškis. We left Christina some candy, a photo frame, and $10 for her and her sister to share. Christina wasn’t there so we gave the gifts to her sister.

We then visited more schools. The Lithuanian schools were very hospitable and kind. They all showed us around.

The Russian school was very interesting. The curtains were all embroidered and were obviously new. They even had an auditorium with velvet curtains. They had the guts to ask us if they could speak to us in Russian. They teach their classes in Russian and their library had communist books and newspapers. They even asked madame if we would buy them a computer. Madame told them to go to Russia if that’s what they wanted so badly.

After that we went and prayed at Bernardas’ parent’s graves. They said Lithuanian prayers as we all knelt by the graves.

Our final stop was Father Tunaitis’ church. It was so beautiful; a local had painted and decorated it. We all knelt and he blessed each of us.

Then we headed back. I’m ok—every place except the Russian school gave us food and cookies. It was so sweet of them.

June 10, 1999

Today was the most amazing day. I visited a camp and the memories I have will be forever remembered. Father Ramašauskas and Thomas picked us up. Thomas is a wonderful gentleman, a little older than I, studying to be a priest. He said he spoke a little English but his English was actually very good. Father was such a happy person. I could tell as the day went by that he loved being at the camp with the children and giving spiritual guidance to so many.

Father showed us the cabins where the older children stay with the younger ones, so they can take care of them. We walked along the river, and then Thomas drove us to some lakes and rivers that were his favorite fishing spots. The places were all so peaceful. There was a river and a waterfall that flowed between two banks of flowers. We went to another lake that looked exactly like a place in Massachusetts. The trees, breaks between the forest where the river passed—everything was the same. I wanted to cry because it was so much like it.

We returned to camp for lunch, and the children all stood around the table and held hands while they said grace. It was so very moving. Madame, Father, Thomas, and I all sat at the same table. They tried to get me to speak Lithuanian but I was too shy. We ate delicious soup, rice, meat, and a beet salad. In America camp food never tasted so good

Later we went to Mass with all of the children. The chapel was in a small room with a table and a few chairs for guests. Father said the Mass was in honor of his guests, but I think it should have been for the children and him and all the adults for having us there. When he asked the children for everyone to pray for what they wanted, their responses were so heart felt and innocent that Madame almost cried.

After Mass we sang songs and played games. Later all the adults went down to the river to meet with the soon to be priests who had just returned from a few days of river boating. I couldn’t believe it when they tossed me, and everyone else within reach, into the water. We had so much fun. We sat around a bonfire so that everyone could get dry. Later we went for a walk and I petted a cow. The cow just stared at me like it was thinking, "Hey, American girl, do you like petting cows?" It had an inquisitive look. Oh, yes, I also fed and petted a goat.

We ate some meat that was cooked over the ashes of the bonfire, and Madame and I thought it the best meat we ever ate.

Then it was time to leave the camp. We sang the entire way home. At the hotel we waved goodbye and my amazing day ended. As I’m writing this, I’m wondering if it was a dream because it was too perfect! But it was real, and I loved it.

June 11, 1999

Today was a really fun day. Madame, her niece (Sevile), her cousin (Brigita), and their friend (Severas) drove us to Trakai for the day. Before leaving, Sevile surprised me with a cute cow, a candle house, a book on Lithuania, a book on Trakai, and a beautiful amber bracelet. I felt so honored and special that I wanted to cry. One day I will repay her for such a wonderful time.

Trakai is a big beautiful castle in the countryside filled with historical artifacts. Each room had a different type that Sevile explained to me. There were probably over fifty rooms filled with artifacts. It is amazing how much history such a small country can have. It is wonderful and refreshing to see how much pride Lithuanians have in their heritage.

We rented a rowboat and Sevile, Severas, and I went out on the lake by the castle. Brigita bought us some delicious hot sandwiches and drinks so we rowed to an island and had a picnic. It was all so peaceful.

After we left Trakai, we visited an historical village. Each village had a different type of house. Some had thatched roofs, clay floors, and some were wooden. These were real houses that had been restored. They were really cool to see.

After our visit I visited Sevile’s house. They fed me delicious pancakes for dinner and we sat and talked. The house was just as I imagined Lithuanian houses to be—very welcoming. I felt I could sit here and relax like it was my house.

Later we went to the Cathedral. We walked around inside and some little old woman yelled at Sevile because she was "naked." She was wearing a dress that was just above her knees and she was totally covered up. Oh, well. We looked at the side rooms in this very beautiful church.

Later we walked around Old Town and up to the castle. Long walk! Madame said I conquered it! From the top I could see most of Vilnius and I felt like I was the Queen of Lithuania watching over everyone. And so another day in Lithuania comes to an end.

June 12, 1999

Today was another day full of surprises. Madame, Sevile, Brigita, and Severas went for a visit to the Baltic Sea. On the way, we stopped in Raseiniai to a children’s home called Likimas (destiny). The place was wonderful. Of course, they had us sit for some coffee. We talked a lot with Aldona, the "Mom" of the house, about its history.

She and her husband started it from an old building that was used as a junkyard about five years ago. People took what they needed and no one took responsibility for the upkeep. She asked the government if she could have it and they said yes. The government did not and does not give them any help, so they had to beg for paint and other items to fix it up. Now the government brings people there all the time to say, "Look at our beautiful shelter"—even though they offer no help.

We went outside and saw the flower garden that had every flower known to mankind growing. There were bunnies, a cockatiel, and a hamster, which the children loved. They also had two mean watchdogs and one nice mutt. The kids were all asleep when we got there but by the time we left they were outside playing with the animals and running around. We took some photos and then left for the seashore.

When we reached Palanga, a seashore village, we headed for the women’s beach where most of the ladies were naked. Madame and I were shocked; we just weren’t used to this. We kept walking quickly until we reached the family beach where most were clothed.

We walked to a bridge and sat on the end for a while. It was really nice just to sit and watch the people go by. After a half-hour we walked into town and had a lunch of delicious dumplings.

After lunch we toured the Amber Museum. Lithuanians are very proud of their amber, so the museum is large and beautiful. I learned a lot and they really enjoyed telling me about it...Lithuanian pride.

After the museum we stopped by the sea. Brigita and Sevile went in the water, while Madame searched for amber and I sat with the bags. Sevile found me three pieces of amber and a shell that I will save forever.

Once in Vilnius, we drove by the gates of Vilnius with the statue of Mary above, but they were redoing her so we couldn’t see much. Madame, Sevile, and I went to McDonald’s where I treated them to dinner. Then it was back to the hotel where I packed, called home in America, and wrote. Good night, for the last night in Lithuania.

Heather Jorge

Jeanne Dorr