On Wednesday, October 27, 2010, Archimandrite Zacchaeus, Representative of the Orthodox Church in America to the Moscow Patriarchate received Mrs. Joyce Sterkel, the Founder and Executive Director of the Ranch for Kids, a home in Eureka, Montana dedicated to assisting children adopted primarily from Russia who are afflicted with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) rehabilitate themselves for normal life in society. Accompany Mrs. Sterkel was Mrs. Laurie Jarvis, who also works with children suffering from FASD, and other staff members from the Ranch for Kids.
While at St Catherine the Martyr Church the guests asked Father Zacchaeus to baptize a recently adopted girl from Russia, Lilia who will now depart with her adoptive mother. After being assured that the girl will be raised in the Orthodox Church, Father Zacchaeus agreed to baptize the child.
Following the baptism, Archimandrite Zacchaeus together with the Executive Director and staff from the Ranch for Kids departed to the Saint Dimitry Orphanage, a children’s home under the direction of the Russian Orthodox Church, to learn more about the work being done by the Church in Russia with orphans and in helping arrange for the children to be adopted by worthy parents.
More information about the work being accomplished at the Ranch for Kids can be found on their official website at ranchforkids.org.
