Quiet Time

Since I have a bit of quiet time this week I thought I'd do an update while I can. Things were pretty busy up until the end of the school year with continued visits to Svitanok Boarding school, the Rehab Centre and the social dorms. I also went with the team one day to a public school to be part of an English class. The kids had a LOT of questions about Canada. Although, with our multiculturalism some questions are hard to answer such as: "What is Canada's national dish, or national dress?" I always get a laugh at their surprise when I tell them we like perogies, holubsti (cabbage rolls) and other Ukrainian foods.

A couple of weeks ago I visited Boorie Ooglie (Brown Coals) disabled home taking a couple of cases of bananas with me. It was great to reconnect with the guys. This past weekend was busy with Shelter Plus having a pre-opening of the stadium they bought for their Penuel Christian Football Club and with City Day which is the birthday of the city of Kryvyi Rih. This week things have slowed down until the next wave of activities giving my body a chance to catch up; but, I would have liked to have had some more activities lined up. It seems that Canada Revenue is prolonging processing my tax return...such a pain. Hopefully soon my refund will be released and I can get busier.

So that's my goings on for now. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for seeing my heart. Until next time...я люблю вас!!

Craft time at the social dorms

At Boorie Ooglie

again at Boorie Ooglie

Computer class at the Rehab Centre.  This lab was sponsored with donations through Loads of Love and Dasha (standing on the right) conducts the classes.

English class at the school

Penuel Christian Football Club's new stadium

Another Summer Has Started

I've been in Kryvyy Rih about a week and a half now and things are going great. My travel to Ukraine went really well except for a boarding pass issue in Halifax with Air Canada which was resolved by Turkish Airlines in Montreal. It seemed a fast flight across the Atlantic and on arriving in Kyiv I was able to get to the train station in time to get the night train to Kryvyy Rih. I was totally not expecting that since my flight was arriving in the evening and I had previously read an article saying about road construction delays between the airport and the city that never materialised. I had expected to spend the next day in Kyiv. There was not only no construction but also no traffic. The bus made it to the train station 10 minutes early and the train was leaving in 35 minutes.

So I'm running into the train station to get a ticket, then a fast run to the other end of the station (which is over a block long) to get to the bank machine for Ukrainian money and to top up my phone. Then it was a run down to the train, all of this while dragging my luggage. I made it with 10 minutes to spare. When on the train I called my friends to tell them I was on the way I was still panting. Since I didn't need to spend the night in Kyiv I was able to get home 18 hours earlier than I had originally expected.

Since I arrived it's been nice to have some summer weather. Ukraine has been having an unusually warm spring this year. Temperatures have been in the high 20's although the last few days it's gotten down to a bone chilling 10 to 15 degrees at night. ;) I've been pretty busy with settling in, getting supplies and tagging along with some of the Loads of Love team visiting Svitanok boarding school, the children's rehab centre and the social dorms. It's been great to reconnect with some of the kids I met last year as well as my friends.

Now I'm in the process of trying to get some plans in place for the summer. I hope to get some projects underway to bless those who need to be blessed. So far it's a no frills budget and I'm still praying for miracles to happen.

If you would like to be part of a miracle to bless others with some happiness and some dignity please click the "donate now" button to give an on line gift. (Please remember to click Blair Haverstock / Blair's Life in the drop down menu.) For other giving options you can click the "ways to donate" tab at the top of the page. Every dollar helps and so many will appreciate it. Thanks so much.

Thank you for seeing my heart. Till next time...я люблю вас!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and the Moms at heart out there.

Games at the social dorms, Ukraine's version of public housing

At Svitanok (Sunrise) Boarding School.  Boarding schools here are for kids from the outlying villages that have no school who are often also from disadvantaged families.

At the children's rehab centre.  This is the 1st stop for kids who are taken from their families by the state if it sees that home life is not fit for them.

Headed Out Again

After a busy weekend volunteering for World Vision at Stars on Ice and the Harlem Globetrotters I'm headed out today again to Ukraine for the summer. If everything goes well I'll be in Kryvyy Rih around midnight Thursday Ukraine time (around 6pm AT).

Please keep me in your prayers that my travel will go great and that everything will go well this summer.

I still need some help in providing some activities and projects to bless those who really need to be blessed. Would you please consider helping me to do that? It would be appreciated by so many.

To help out you can click the "donate now" button on the right side of this page to give on line. (Please remember to click Blair Haverstock/Blair's Life in the drop down menu.) For other giving options you can click the "ways to donate" tab at the top of the page. Thanks so much.

Stayed tuned for updates and photos of my goings on.

Thank you for seeing my heart. Till next time...я дюблю вас!

Our World Vision volunteers for Stars on Ice

Meeting a celebrity while I'm having a bad hair day...oy!