Sunday 17 February 2013

Busy Busy Busy


Well it’s been another busy week and time is going even faster now before I’m on the run again.  This week Igor K. and I took a quick trip to Kiev so that “jet lagged” me a little bit spending 2 nights on the train.  After getting back I have been going pretty much non stop.

On Valentine’s Day I went to the celebrations at Sunshine Orphanage for which I was able to sponsor some drinks and things for the party.  They did a presentation on the history of Valentine’s Day, had a few party games and of course treats.

On Saturday I helped Igor again at Shelter Plus’ kid’s programme.  Igor’s group is 6 to 8 year olds and he teaches them some English (that’s where my help comes in…as well as crowd control) and he does various games and activities with them.

Then later I went to the theatre with some of the folks from Boorie Ooglie.  A couple of weeks ago Ira K. took some of the folks to the theatre for an outing.  It was such a thrill for them to get dressed up and go out for the evening.  Some of the men had never been dressed up and had never worn ties before.  Ira said that one man was so happy to get this opportunity that he was crying through the whole performance.  The theatre manager also gave them all free tickets for that performance and invited everyone back again for free. 

So this trip was the night they went back.  I was able to sponsor the van for them and Lena T. and I met them at the theatre.  It was such a thrill for me to see them dressed up in an opulent setting and having the dignity they sooo deserve.  This was the 1st time in over a year that I wore a tie – and yes, I still hate ties…lol, but it was nice to do that in their honour.  It was also quite interesting for me to see a musical comedy in Russian.  It was also funny that I was able to understand a few things and when Lena went to translate I would say: “I got that.”  The play also had a little bit of French dialogue in it and I was translating some of it for Lena.

Then today Lena brought some of the girls from Sunshine to church again and I bought them some snacks afterwards in the church café so that we could spend some quality time together.  I am enjoying every opportunity I have to be with the kids of Sunshine while I can.  As I mentioned in my last blog entry there will be no Sunshine Orphanage when I come back in June.  The orphanage closes June 1st and I arrive back in Krivoy Rog around the 8th...sigh.

So that’s my goings on for this week.  This coming week will be the tying up of loose ends and getting myself ready and packed to go.  I can’t even get motivated to start that yet but I have to soon get on it.

Again, if you would like to help with my support or to help me to sponsor some activities and projects please click the LinK 127 donations link at the right side of the blog to donate on line.  You can also mail a donation to the address below.  Please remember to specify that your donation is for me.  You can also arrange a monthly sponsorship.  Canadian donations are tax deductible and every dollar counts towards showing love to those that need to see love in action. 

I can't say it enough - thank you for your continued prayers and support and thank you for seeing my heart.  Till next time… Я люблю тебя!

LinK 127
34 Wynn Castle Dr.
Lower Sackville,NS
Canada B4E 2H5

Igor at the Holodomor memorial in Kyiv.  Holodomor was a man made famine created by Stalin where millions of Ukrainians died in the early 1930's.  The building behind is shaped like a candle and contains displays and records of those who died.

Valentine's Day



The kids gave me a valentine

The theatre lobby




Sunday 10 February 2013

Time is Going Fast



Well the time is ticking down fast before I’m on the move again.  In just over 2 weeks (February 26th) I’ll be landing in Halifax after being away for 14 months.  It seems like a long but yet so short of a time.  I’m still making my plans and still hoping that while I’m in Hammonds Plains during March that the transportation issue will work out.  Also, if you are interested in me coming to visit your church, community group, or house full of friends I’d be happy to come and share my experiences of “life on the road.”  Just let me know and we can arrange it.

This past week has been a busy one for me.  Anya and I went to the kids rehab centre to spend some time with the younger group between classes.  We did a craft and played a game with them and of course I had my candy bag with me. There is a whole new batch of 40 kids there now.  Some of them arrived empty handed so I was able to buy some school supplies for them as well. 

I also tagged along with Anya to Sunshine Orphanage this week to help her with the birthday party for those with birthdays in January and February sponsored by Loads of Love.  Afterwards it struck me with a bit of sadness that this is the last birthday party I will have helped at in Sunshine Orphanage.  Before I come back to Krivoy Rog in June the Orphanage will have been closed down and will be converted into some kind of physiotherapy/rehab centre.  Many of the kids have already been transferred to other orphanages or have been adopted over this past year, 10 are graduating out of the orphanage this spring and then the remaining will be transferred.  So it’ll be the end of an era there.  I will sure miss that but I hope to visit the kids wherever they are transferred to.  Perhaps I will be able to visit there in a different capacity as well.

I was also able to get to Boorie Ooglie again this week with my candy bag to say hello to the folks there.  The room where they normally lock in the “runners” is under renovation and the men were crammed into what is basically a fenced off stairwell.  I wasn’t impressed with that, of how dirty, smelly and cramped it is.  I hope the renovations are done quickly.

So that’s my news for this week.  If you would like to help with my support or to help me to sponsor some activities and projects please click the LinK 127 donations link at the right side of the blog to donate on line.  You can also mail a donation to the address below.  Please remember to specify that your donation is for me.  You can also arrange a monthly sponsorship.  Canadian donations are tax deductible and every dollar counts towards showing love to those that need to see love in action. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support and thank you for seeing my heart.  Till next time… Я люблю тебя!

LinK 127
34 Wynn Castle Dr.
Lower Sackville, NS
Canada B4E 2H5

The assistant director of the Kids Rehab Centre and I with new school supplies.








I was finally able to find a craft that involves just paper and glue. 

The squiggles represent flying birds.
 
It was hard to get a group shot of the kids with their craft.  We were all getting pretty silly at that point.  (I promise the glue didn't have any fumes.)
This is the blind object game where you pick put an object from the bag while blindfolded and wearing gloves, then trying to guess what it is.

At Sunshine Orphanage
 
Anya is on the right wearing red.

At Boorie Ooglie


Sunday 3 February 2013

News From the Other Home



This past week in Krivoy Rog has been more of the same as the previous week.  Lena, Turat and I went to spend time with the girls at Sunshine Orphanage again yesterday.  As it happened Turat and I were both a bit early which gave us some time to spend with some of the boys who were around.  It was a nice mild day and the snow had gotten to the right consistency that I was able to show some of them how to make a good snowball…ahem...Okay, so you know where this is going…lol.  Now if I had my gloves with me it would have been a longer “lesson” but we went until our fingers couldn’t move any longer and the boys learned how fast I can really move.  It was a good day.

I also got some good news this week from Kyrgyzstan.  John and Tanya both sent me some new photos of coal delivery and distribution.  If you remember from my November posts enough money was raised to buy 10 tonnes of coal that will help to keep around 15 families warm through the winter.  At that time the first 5 tonnes were delivered and now the second 5 tonnes has been delivered.  This has been a HUGE blessing to the village of Iskra.  In a Kyrgyzstan winter staying warm can mean the difference between life and death…literally.  I just can’t say it enough - thank you so much to those who sponsored this.  You have blessed a lot of lives.

Other than that there’s nothing different to tell.  I’m still trying to work out some details for my visit to Canada and continuing on with my activities.  If you would like to help with my support or to help me to sponsor some more activities please click the LinK 127 donations link at the right side of the blog to donate on line.  You can also mail a donation to the address below.  Please remember to specify that your donation is for me.  You can also arrange a monthly sponsorship.  Canadian donations are tax deductible and every dollar counts towards showing love to those that need to see love in action. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support and thank you for seeing my heart.  Till next time… Я люблю тебя!

LinK 127
34 Wynn Castle Dr.
Lower Sackville, NS
Canada B4E 2H5


I love that they are also getting a goody bag to take home from Tanya who is on the right.  She and her mother and grandmother oversee where the coal is distributed.  This is but one of many things these amazing women do for their community.  (Some of the Halifax folk will notice that Tanya looks a lot like our Amanda G.)



Oh Yeah...I also had a little time one day to do some sight seeing around town.  This is Victory Square.

The Theatre

A different looking church than you usually see in Ukraine.

Yet another war memorial.  There's a LOT in this city.

Some boat house thingy.  This is in the area of the 1st settlement of Krivoy Rog.