BUCKWHEAT!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Wow! I can’t believe I only have two weeks left here in Ukraine. Some of my friends are just about to start their mission in Ukraine, and we will finish up at the same time, August 10^th. Please pray for the Alexis Baptist Church mission team who will travel tomorrow to Ukraine for their work in Truskavets.

It is hard to believe the week of camp is already halfway over! There were more kids today than yesterday—we thought we may not have enough flip-flops for their craft—but we did! I think today’s blog will be mainly photos that I’ve gotten today, because they are more interesting than reading my words!

I will say that today was a special day—it is Vasya’s father, Ivan’s, birthday today, so we had a dinner with several guests outside. We also celebrated the birthdays of Zhenna, Olya, and Joma, who had birthdays earlier this week. The girls received chocolates and flowers, Ivan received chocolate (and a pair of flip-flops from the Canadian team!) and Joma received a remote-controlled car. He was so happy about it but the batteries we found were not strong enough! So he will get some batteries for it tomorrow.

Another highlight of the night was going upstairs to see the kids’ rooms—they are so nice and the kids were so welcoming of us! OK, time for pictures:

Group singing

Intense footprint decorating

All the footprints making a path

I knew I couldn't come to Ukraine and escape buckwheat...so close though!!

Vasya's handiwork

Group wrap-up

Giving instructions for the rock, paper, scissors game

Yana, Vasya's daughter, on the left

Poor Vasya (not the same one with a daughter-ha!) wrecked his bike and got a concussion the other day...has to stay inside and be calm for awhile

Sweeping the water into a drain

Presenting Ivan with flip-flops on his birthday

Joma :)

Joma playing with his new toy

Fish face!

Ukrainian sunset

Girls' room--so cute! I love the Disney curtains!

Boys' room

Another girls' room

Kenny was so excited to be able to hold her finally!

Joseph showing us his well-read Bible...he's such a good kid.

What is your name!!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

            Today was much like Monday, as far as the setup of the camp. Today the “secret ingredient” of the camp was “give happily to God,” so the activities were centered on giving to others. In crafts, the kids made gift boxes that they could use to give to someone, or to keep things in that they would like to share with others. I was so impressed by some of their creative designs! In games, we played a collaborative game where the goal was to “share” water with each other—pour it into the next person’s cup and keep working together to get the water to the front of the line and poured into a bottle. In discovery, the kids made trail mix to share with a friend or family member—some had a little difficulty grasping the idea of giving it to someone else! I did see several who shared theirs with others, though. It was another rainy day—thank goodness for the shelter made yesterday! It was raining even harder than yesterday, so it’s good that we have plenty of space under it to fit everyone comfortably. The kids are awesome—they are all so loving and sweet—most of the time! Some are trying to teach me Ukrainian words; it’s working a little. Very little…We played a group game near the end of camp—each age group divided up on either side of a plastic tablecloth and squatted down. Then each side selects a representative to sit just behind the tablecloth…when the cloth is dropped, you have to be the first to shout out the name of the person on the other side. It was quite hilarious and one of the funniest moments was when the curtain was dropped and a little boy, in a moment of panic, screams out—Як тебе звати!! (Yak tebe zvaty=What is your name!!) So funny…

 I was so glad tonight that I was able to turn my brain off long enough to take a nap before dinner—almost missed dinner because of it, but it was worth it. Tonight before the kids went to bed I came and watched TV with them—it was a show about a bear and a little girl—a little amusing. Even though she spoke in Russian, there was not much dialogue anyway and there was no translation needed, really. Interesting…

My sweet group!

Careful pouring that water...

I thought it was safe to jump on...then five more kids piled on! Good news--it still didn't break!

Trail mix--yum!

WHAT IS YOUR NAME!!

Anette playing around with Andriy

Finishing touches on their bedazzled boxes

First day of Camp!

Monday, July 25, 2011

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

            Today was the first day of camp here; I was helping with the younger group. In crafts they made little aprons, because the theme of the camp is “Shake it Up Café.” The Bible lessons use a lot of food analogies and during discovery time the kids are able to make food. We sang a few songs with the kids; they were able to learn “Father I Adore You” in English and tried singing it in rounds. We broke them up into three groups of 20-25 and went through the rotations with them; it was a little difficult getting the younger kids to stay in line and somewhat quiet towards the end of the day! During discovery time, the kids were able to make a cucumber dip to eat with pita triangles. The pita bread symbolized the unleavened bread the Israelites ate; our theme was “Be ready for God” and if they had to wait for yeast to rise, they wouldn’t “Be ready for God.” During games, the kids did relays with kitchen utensils—hearing Calvin try to explain how to use a turkey baster was quite amusing! It was raining in the morning, so some Ukrainian helpers started to construct—something…we weren’t quite sure what it was at first but then we realized they were extended the shelter for the kids to play under and stay dry! This was all finished in a matter of hours. Now we have a shelter in case of rain tomorrow and even if it’s bright and sunny, it will provide shade! The kids had bananas, juice, and wafers for snack—all I can say is how much I will miss the juice when I leave. I am like a child, I love juice so much—and you can’t imagine how much better it is here than home! Like real, thick, pulpy fruit juice---yum! And all flavors! If only I could bring some home with me…altogether it has been a good day—busy, but good.

Kids wearing their aprons they made in crafts

Vasya's son, Timothy, and his wife, Olya

Lunchtime! Cabbage rolls--yum!

"So, where we come from, we have these HUGE birds..."

Stirring the dip during discovery time.

Makeshift shelter from the rain!

I'm sure there are too many people on that swing...haha

Sunday, 7-24-11

“All of my life, in every season, you are still God…I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship.” –Desert Song

            This morning we attended church at the house of prayer here in Uzhgorod. It is so strange that when I was 8 years old, my parents were here in Ukraine for the first time, helping to build this very church. Now I am 23 and here in Ukraine on my own, and speaking in the church—only for a few minutes, but nerve-wracking nonetheless! I relayed messages from my parents of well wishes and how much they wished to be here, and Vasya said that many people from the church commented on how much I looked like my dad…

            After church we had some lunch here at HOM and then a planning meeting with the team and our Ukrainian helpers. It will be a busy week here but sure to be a fun week! We all traveled to the supermarket for groceries…next year I will know not to bring American snacks…I keep buying Ukrainian ones instead!

            We had a little down time after returning from the market; we have been trying to stay updated on the attacks in Norway. Annette is very upset about it, as everyone is—so uncharacteristic of Norway. It is a terrible tragedy and very scary to imagine.

            Later tonight, Vasya took Annette and me to a gypsy settlement to show me a house they are building for a family of five that is currently living in a tiny house made of scrap materials. When I say tiny, I mean some of you have closets bigger than this family’s entire house. The conditions of living in this settlement are so terrible, and my shoes were caked with mud when we returned, but the people in this place still smiled and were very friendly to us. I had my camera with me, and the kids, like everywhere else I have been so far, LOVE having their picture taken! Many of the mothers were asking us for a printed copy of the pictures—I think it would be a nice thing to do for them. A few women invited Annette and me in their homes—one had a newborn she wanted me to take pictures of, and another was telling us about how her husband has tuberculosis and cannot work. Their roof is leaking and she has no good shoes for her four year old. All of these situations are very sad. Most of the kids do not go to school because they are not accepted in the community, so it is almost as if there is no way out once you are born into this culture. It is heartbreaking, but I am thankful that there are people here who aren’t afraid to reach out to them and help. Next week we will work more in this area, and I am looking forward to learning more about these people.

Joma, the boy I posted about yesterday who lived in a dark shed most of his life.

Small house for a family of five. The girl holding the umbrella is Annette.

Moses, the son of the woman whose husband has TB.

Some children standing outside the first house mentioned.

A New Day!

Saturday, 7-23-11

            Today the Nixon team left and I traveled to Uzhgorod, my next work location. I will be here for two weeks and we will do a children’s camp here at the House of Mercy as well as a camp in the gypsy settlement in Uzhgorod. I enjoyed a beautiful ride to this town, right through the Trans-Carpathian region, and very near where we had camp last year. It was so gorgeous! Once we arrived in Uzhgorod, we were fed Borscht (yum!) and then I went with some of the teenage girls here to a youth meeting at church. There is Anette,19, from Norway—her mother is the president of the Norwegian organization that supports House of Mercy (HOM). Lera, 18, will be one of our translators. There were two other girls who live here, Tanya, 17, and Oksana, 16, who also came with us. Once we came back and got settled, we waited for the arrival of the Canadian team I will be working with. Vasya showed me around HOM; there are about 20 kids living here now. Some are orphans, and the rest have parents but have been removed from those homes because of terrible living conditions, or because they were given up by their parents. One boy was living in a dark shed with his brother and fed by the neighborhood because his mother didn’t care for them. He was brought to HOM after his brother finally died, and is severely underdeveloped and still recovering from those conditions. He appears to have scoliosis, and has a little more difficulty in movement than other kids. It is such an awesome thing that HOM is here and that these kids are provided a home to live until they find a permanent home. The facilities are so nice and the kids are so loved here; once a child finds a home there is room for more kids.

            When the Canadian team arrived, we had some dinner and everyone was so tired we soon went to bed. So far, I love it here. I am looking forward very much to find out what is in store here for everyone involved. Excited about the next two weeks!

Scenery on the way to Uzhgorod

Fields of sunflowers... :)

Happy 39th Anniversary today to my parents, Jim and Jane Shaw!!

July 23rd, 1972

Wish I could be home with you both but be sure to do something special. Love you!

Friday, 7-22-11

            Today was our last day at the orphanage—difficult to leave. I made sure to hug as many kids as possible while we were still there. Today the kids got new shoes and socks and goodie bags. They were so ecstatic about the shoes. Ruslan, one of the team favorites, got a pair of light-up spiderman shoes. You couldn’t believe how happy he was about this—he stomped his feet as much as possible to make them light up! In the younger group there were two girls who were sisters, Olena and Masha. I suspect that more of them were siblings, because there were several who looked alike and stuck together. So many sweet kids in this place—I so wish it was easier to find homes for them. Even people who desperately want to adopt have a difficult time adopting from Ukraine. There are so many hoops to jump through and the regulations are so tight that it takes years to finalize everything. As we were leaving it started to rain, but we still tried to squeeze in as many hugs and pictures as possible--I gave Oksana a big hug before I had to get on the bus to keep the kids from seeing my tears. When we were pulling away they stood out in the rain to wave goodbye to us. Hard day.

            This evening was filled with the chaos of packing once we returned and saying goodbye to our Ukrainian friends—I was just glad that I didn’t have to say goodbye for good. I’ll be back in just a couple of weeks. During devotion, each person was given a chance to say what he or she has learned from this experience, and I said that, being given the chance to stay here in Ukraine for an extended trip and traveling to new places, I have been able to see so many new things. I have had the pleasure of experiencing the fact that God is doing great things in all parts of Ukraine, and all parts of the world. There is still much to be done, but there are many soldiers of Christ hard at work. I was glad to have the opportunity to meet Jim Clark and hear about his orphan ministry, and I am excited to go to Uzhgorod and find even more amazing things there.

            After devotion the youth team members and Ukrainians went to Stepan’s pond for swimming—I only watched! It was still fun to be around everyone having a lot of fun on their last night here. I wish the Nixon team safe travels and continued blessings in their ministry here.

Sisters Masha (right) and Olena (left)



Ruslan






Alli putting on Ruslan's fancy new shoes



Just before we left

Oksana modeling her new shoes

Thursday, 7-21-11

            Today was a day that I have been looking forward to and dreading at the same time for quite a while. We went to see the orphans from Dobromyl, who we worked with the first and second years I came, and I knew that I would probably see some familiar faces. While it is always nice to see people again who you know, I would never hope that I would see the same orphans in the same orphanage six years later. When we arrived after a two and a half hour drive, we immediately recognized familiar faces. In particular I was happy/sad to see a girl named Oksana who was just a tiny girl when we were there previously. She has Down’s syndrome and you cannot find a happier girl. When we saw her today she immediately came and gave hugs to everyone. Many of the other kids remembered the Americans who have visited them before.

            In crafts, we made the friendship bracelets—I was amazed at their skill in braiding such nice braids. Some didn’t even know how to braid, but once Nadya taught them, they caught on immediately and made beautiful bracelets. While the other kids all week have not cared whether or not they keep the little plastic bag the kits came in, these kids treasured them as something to keep up with what little belongings they have.

            After rotations were complete, we built a fire and had S’mores with the kids, but we had to cut it short because the orphanage was being inspected that day and we shouldn’t have had outside food to give them. At least all the kids were able to get at least one. We also had bubbles for them to blow, although we had to hold the bottles for them—not enough to let every child have one. It is amazing the joy they get from such simple pleasures like S’mores and bubbles.



            One small victory for me today was that I have been humbled enough that I used the restroom at the orphanage. This is such a small thing, and while it may seem strange that I’m blogging about this—gross!—five or six years ago when we were here I could not bring myself to use the toilet that these kids have to use every day of their lives. I will not say it was a pleasant experience, but when I couldn’t even walk into the restroom a few years ago, it was something I could never forget—who am I to say I’m too good for a bathroom? Thank you, God, for helping me to grow in such a simple but important way.

Helping to tie on a friendship bracelet

Simple joys--this boy was here six years ago. Just a tiny child--the cutest. Still there.

Oksana waving goodbye as we drove away

Wednesday, 7-20-11

            Today was our last day at the specialized school and Stebnik. At the school, we gave out shoes and socks and painted toenails for girls. Their faces were glowing when they tried on their new shoes. Every kid loves new shoes, but I’m sure these kids appreciate it so much more. I am not as distraught to leave these kids as much as I am in other places because I know that here they are well taken care of, and at home they are cared for. I thank God for that reassurance.

            At Stebnik, we had even more kids than yesterday; Bogdan was there to collect the names and telephone numbers of kids who came in order to invite them in the fall to church and to a kids program that they plan to start. It was a little more chaotic than yesterday because of the number of kids, and I even watched as one boy tried to hide a soccer ball in a tree to retrieve later for himself, but some team members mentioned that it made it easier to deal with the kids in their groups with the knowledge of what kind of backgrounds these kids come from. They are obviously troubled, and these are the kids who need to be shown God’s love the most.

            This evening, we went to Stepan and Tanya’s house for tea and dessert—it was so much fun hanging out with them again. I am so looking forward to staying with them in a couple of weeks when I return to Borislav. We had devotion there at the house, led by Jim. He led from the book of Nehemiah, which he says is basically just a story of a mission trip, encouraging us all to read it and take lessons from Nehemiah. It was such a great night of fellowship with old friends.

Painting Olya's toenails

Cutie--some kids shy away from having their picture taken, but this boy would just smile so sweetly and let me take his picture anytime. He wrote "I love you" on the sidewalk with chalk.