Orphan work blooming in Central Ukraine

We visited a new orphanage for us - for those visual handicaps in a near by town of Svetlavoldsk.

Above is Sasha, Olya and Ksusha getting ready to hand out some candy that was bought by Buddy Baker (An American) who helps these kids all the time.
Same girls as above, me and Max behind me at the home. Smile Max!
On our way home from Svetlavoldsk we stopped at this Kosak monument to take some fun pictures!
Later in the day, we went to a rehabilitian center that Buddy also helps out. It was a really touching place to be and see the great work that they are doing!

I had more pictures here, of the orphans, but then I remembered that we were asked by the orphanages, NOT to put pictures on the internet of them, because unscrupulous people use the pictures in a wrong way! Terrible, right?

Last week on Tuesday, Feb.20th, we visited the above places. Buddy Baker has been helping orphans and children in Ukraine for at least 6 years. There are 8 facilities that he serves in a 30 mile radius of Kremenchuk. Locally, the work is done through the Church of Christ that I attend. So we visited a couple of these homes with him. There are over 1400 kids in these 8 facilities. 6 years ago, none of them would let Bible be taught in them and now 6 are open to allowing the Bible to be taught because of the love and sharing that has been brought to them by this great brother and his work! We were already working with one of the orphanages and now will take part in teaching in a second one - the one in Svetlavoldsk. Our young people are very excited about having the opportunity to teach these kids and share with them the gospel of Christ! The 4 that are pictured above are just a few of our young people that love to teach others and I am sure we will have a very successful ministry here!

Journal for Feb 1-15 2007 and some pictures

Tishik's 10th Birthday - Natalie's 16th birthday below.
Brother and sister!

Last night, Feb. 15, I put my had through this window as I was trying to close it! I just one cut on my wrist and not too bad!

Thursday, February 1, 2007
I picked up Anya D. at her house at 8:30am and went to the clinic for exam about my coughing. We spent until 12 there seeing 3 Drs., ekg and getting 2 x-rays. Then we went and bought meds. Yes, I have bronchitis again – I had it this time of year 3 years ago. Everything cost me about $32. In the US without insurance this would have cost maybe $700 plus. Here it cost about ¼ months income for the average worker. I was told I may be contagious so I need to stay in, rest and not have anyone around me for 4 days at least. Great! Canceling and moving classes again!! The Thursday Bible study was held at Kelli’s house tonight and James started teaching on Hebrews.
Friday, February 2 – Sunday, February 4 – Janessa’s (my youngest daughter) Birthday!
Stayed in and tried to get well – pretty sick Friday and Saturday. Sunday I was feeling better. Called Janessa a couple of times and wished her happy birthday! My internet is used up and I haven’t been able to put money on it – frustrating! People have brought me food and cooked for me. I am well loved and cared for! I worked on things like newsletters, Bible studies – personal studies, etc. But it has been hard to do a lot of deep thinking – I just don’t feel good. By Sunday evening I decided to go out to evening services. We had 14 for this service. Afterwards Kelli and I went out and ate together. Overall, I felt I did pretty good, but when I got home, I had nearly a continuous coughing spell and didn’t get to sleep until almost midnight.
Monday, February 05
I woke up at 4am coughing. I got some hot tea and that helped, but couldn’t go back to sleep. I am writing this journal now and will try to work on a Bible study today for my class in the village. I don’t know if I should go or not. Oh, I need to go! But physically, I just don’t know!?!?! I continued to cough badly, so canceled the classes again today. I just know that if I was the teachers, parents, etc. I would not want someone coming to my child’s class and coughing like I am. I studied all morning and rested much of the rest of the day. I am tired or resting – I want to be well! Is there any impatience in that? Yes, I am afraid so. Kelli and Gregory ran some errands for me today of which I am VERY thankful for!
Tuesday, February 6
Personal study, reading, studying, trying to be still and recover. People did come here for singing and we had 19. We did a split devo tonight with Alina leading the girl’s study and I the guys. We sang for about a ½ and studied for about ½ hour. After singing we had meeting about reviewing what we are doing and planning for the future. That lasted until about 8:30pm.
Wed. and Thurs. 7 & 8
Mostly just trying to get well. We did have our Thursday night study with 11 people and James led it. We studied Heb. 1:2,3 and James did a real good job. I am feeling better and I am going to get out tomorrow! I am going stir crazy!
Friday, February 9
I spent much of the morning in study and preparation for the village and other things. Artem went with Oksana and I to the village for our class with the 5-7th graders. Again, the classes were out really early at 12 and we got there at 2:30 – our scheduled time! Still 8 kids waited for us and we had a good class! We had a good study and a lot of fun! At 6 back in Kremenchuk it was our Fun Night and we had 2 come plus me! We have several ill and 6 went to Kiev for the weekend. But still, more should have come!
Saturday, February 10
Bible Clubs again today – we missed last week because I was ill. We had 8 for our Adult/Univ. Bible Club. Then the other 2 were pitiful as far as numbers are concerned. We had 1 for our Beginners Club, but that allowed Angelina, 9th grade, and I to start again our personal Bible study. We are studying the plan of salvation for her life. Then I went to the Church discussion and back to the last Bible Club at 6pm. Just 2 girls came, both long time comers, but not Christians, even though 1 thinks she is. We talked a lot and then played a couple of card games together. It was time well spent!
Sunday, February 11
Attendance at church was ok, but only a few of our young people. We had only 5 help us make sandwiches afterwards. Again, several were ill and out of town. Then I fixed hot tuna sandwiches, which even Kelli liked – she doesn’t normally like fish of any kind! We had 14 for our evening service at the Church building. I spoke on the Blood of Christ and what’s purpose is and what it does for us.
Monday, February 12
In the morning we (Yulya to translate) went once more to school #9 to talk to the Director. No change, so we got our books, talked to the 9th graders and 6th graders. We asked the 6th graders if we could find a room at the Palace of Culture, would they come. About 10 said that they would. So we went to the Palace of Culture in that part of town (there are about 5 of them in Kremenchuk) and talked to their director and we can rent a fair sized room for 2 hours, 2 days a week for 250 Grievnas a month. Then I tried to write an sms to a brother at the church that can help me get the necessary papers to finish this up and it wouldn’t go through. Oksana is ill and I couldn’t get a translator, so we postponed going to the village until Wed. We were going to go to school 11 today to visit classes, but it was too late and we didn’t get to go. Ksusha, Alina and I went to study with the Orphan family and had a really good study and we got home around 9pm.
Tuesday, February 13
We found out last night at the Bible Study that all schools in Kremenchuk have been put under quarantine through the rest of this week and no school at classes until maybe next Monday. They might extend it more next week. They do that often. We had 16 for singing/devo tonight and then we celebrated Natalie and her brother Tishik’s birthday tonight. Their birthdays were both last week, but this was the first time we had to come and celebrate them.
Wednesday, February 14
The main highlight of this day is that Serge and I (Oksana is still ill, but better) went to the village in the afternoon and had a real good study with all 5 of our girls there. They seem so interested and it is fun to be with them and they seem to think that this is mutual. We studied about how to make a choice between God and the world/Satan. It is the 2nd of such studies and they really seemed to appreciate it. It is a good study to prepare and will be useful for studying with others in the future. I got home a little after 5 and spent the rest of this day of love by myself.
Thursday, February 15
I did a lot of personal study and some shopping. I am really enjoying reading an excellent book called, “God’s Love Bank” by Dr. Tony Roach, a preacher in the Church. It takes a lot of thought, but is well written, well scriptural documented and a wonderful approach of how we as Christians should leave our old selves of sin and walk and live in the new self that Jesus intended for us to do. I bought a new headset for the computer that has a mike on it that makes it a lot easier to hear on the computer when talking by phone/internet. I tried it yesterday and it was a big help. We had a good Bible Study in Hebrews in the evening with 14 there and 10 stayed to share in our valentine’s party afterwards. It was a nice evening! I should take a moment to note that my bronchitis is better, but I am still coughing some – more than I want, but I do believe I am improving. Thank you for those of you that had been praying for me!

Journal Time!

Making Sandwiches for the boy's prion work in my kitchen.
All wrapped and ready to go!
The hard workers this Sunday afternoon!

There has been problems with this blog sight - I couldn't get on, but now that I can, here is my latest journal for the 2nd half of January. Also, I have bronchitis right now and ask for your prayers. Thanks!

Saturday, January 13, 2007 – Zhenya’s 22 birthday!
We started our Bible Clubs up again and they went real well. People were excited to be back again and studying again – and that is pretty good when you think about kids – they are not always excited about studying! The Church discussion went well and we had a good fellowship too! We had a good time celebrating Zhenya’s birthday today.
Sunday, January 14 – Old Ukrainian New Year
Actually this is the last of the holiday season’s celebration. This went by the old Orthodox calendar and is when their new year used to be centuries ago. We made sandwiches for the boy’s prison today. We still haven’t started back to the Orphanages yet as most of the kids aren’t back. Some stay, of course, all the time. We had 8 on our Sunday evening service. Yura’s 19th birthday was last Thursday, but we celebrated it tonight.
Monday, January 15
We will start back to the village next Monday. It’s a rainy day, but Gregory and I had planned this day to go and look at villages for the possibility of buying land cheep to build our own Bible Camp closer to home. Kelli, Max and Olya went with us too. We did go one village about 25 miles away and looked at a little land. We could buy a house (old and small probably) and land – about 1 ½ acres or so for about $500 to $600. If we did this, we would want to try and buy 2 – 4 such places that would be side by side. Then later in the day, Max told us that his family has a place in another village. So we went and looked at this. It was a 3 story house in not a bad location. We wouldn’t buy this one, just clean it up, furnish it and use it for 5 to 7 years, rent free. There would still be some money in fixing it up. I don’t think we would want to use as summer camp, but it would be good for retreats – maybe even year around! By the end of the day, we were all real tired!
Tuesday, January 16
When we went to School 9 today, we were told we couldn’t have classes and that we needed to talk to the new Director tomorrow. We had 17 for singing tonight. We celebrated the twins birthday tonight after singing. They were 14 last Dec. 30th, but we didn’t know about it, so we wanted to celebrate with them today.
Wednesday, January 17
Veronika and I went to talk to the Director at #9. Basically she told us, politely, that we couldn’t teach there any more. She told us that we had to go and get permission through the school board. I went to our Director and long time supporter at #11 for advice. She told us that if went to the school board we would probably not be allowed in any schools, because they would ask us for a teaching certificate, which of course we don’t have. She said that we can stay at her school and others that allow us by exchange type programs, but not teaching. It was good advice, but really hard to take because we had been at school #9 for over 3 years! Later in the day we went to the private school at 5pm and taught a couple of classes. They WANT us to come!
Thursday, January 18
I’m not really talking about much the other classes at schools that we have going on that I personally am not teaching. Kelli is getting her 5-7th grade classes going again at School #1 and #10 and of course doing a great job! Kelli is also doing a good job of working with our young women and building some strong ties with them. We started our evening Bible classes again tonight and had 22 present! We also celebrated Veronika’s 19th birthday tonight which was on the 10th, but she had no time to celebrate it earlier. Many birthdays this month!
Friday, January 19
We started our classes in Bugkivka with the younger kids today and had 4. The 5th and 6th grades got really early today and waited for us for 2 hours, but finally went home. We were scheduled to come at 2:30, which we did and found only 4 7th grade girls waiting for us, so we had a class with them. We had a good fun night. James Vaughn returned to Kremenchuk tonight with his fiancé Anya. Anya had left on the 5th to go and be with James in England the last 2 weeks before he returned. They will get married in England on March 24th!
Saturday, January 20
Bible Clubs continue to go well and we had 25 in our 3 Clubs today. James and Anya are resting up and we are looking forward to seeing them tomorrow at church services!
Sunday, January 21
Attendance was good today. I preached. 7 of us had breakfast burritos at my house for lunch time as I had gotten some burritos from Patty from West Fayetteville in a package. Thanks Patty! I also got a package this week from Ben and Erica! Thanks to you 2, too! We had 22 at our evening worship service tonight.
Monday, January 22
Finally we got to go to our older class at the village and we had 3 girls – ½ of what is normal. Yulya also went with us. We studied on making choices. The girls said that they didn’t have enough information about how to make a choice for God we will study in more detail next week.
Tuesday, January 23
It was a hard day as this is the day we usually have classes at #9. I did compensate in a physical way by having a new bookcase delivered and set up today! With the help of Max, we had ordered the bookcase a week ago – we had it made to what we wanted. We had 17 at singing tonight.
Wednesday, January 24
Had a real good meeting with James and Kelli this morning on the future plans of the work including the present classes at schools, at home, at church. About the future of moving all classes to the church building, about a month long VBS in June and summer camp the first 2 weeks in July at the Sea. We realize that taking kids to the Black Sea is a real draw for us. It has always created a great way to teach and reach kids that we would never have had to the chance to do any other way! It does look like the Bible College will be moving into their new facilities in Feb. and we will be able to incorporate all our classes and work more directly through the work of the local church. Our classes will be more specifically a work of the Church. They always have been, but now more directly since we won’t be working very much out of an apartment.
Thursday, January 25
I had most of the day off. I spent the afternoon in study and preparations for the evening class. We had 14 for our class tonight. The weather started turning colder today. Down below the freezing line for the first time in a long time. We had a new student brought to us by her father. She is in the 5th grade. He speaks some English, too. They both like our class tonight. Her name is Sasha and his is Oleg.
Friday, January 26
We were all set to go to the village this afternoon, but we were called and told that no kids would be there because they are practicing for a program they will have in the evening. We had our fun night with 10. Sasha and Oleg were with us again. I started coming down with cold and am fighting it!
Saturday, January 27
My Mom would have had her birthday today. She has been gone almost 2 years. I miss her a lot! Well we had good clubs again today – 27 all together and a good church discussion. It was hard for me, though because my cold has greatly worsened and I didn’t sleep much last night. By 8 or 8:30 I was really crashing! Sasha and Oleg were in our classes again today.
Sunday, January 28
I stayed in all day – first time I have missed services in a long time. Ksusha and Sasha guy came, got money and went and bought stuff for sandwiches. 7 came and made sandwiches. I mostly closed myself off in the living room and let them have the rest of the house. It is really a lot colder today and snowing. 4 of young friends brought me communion and shared with me after the Sunday evening services. I am pretty sick today, with a cough developing in my chest – I fear bronchitis that I had 3 years ago.
Monday, January 29
I am still quiet ill with the cough worse. Kelli brought me some of her movies and that helped pass the time. I talked and chatted with my son Ben, from Japan, for awhile in the evening. He called and then we chatted on the Yahoo Messenger. I had a really bad headache all day.
Tuesday, January 30
I woke up early feeling some better. Ben and I made an appointment at 7:30am to chat again on Yahoo. No headache today and I spent time catching up on this journal. It is now 8:45 and I am pretty tired and weak and starting to cough again, so I think I will stop for awhile. I need to work on my Feb. newsletter, but I don’t think that I am up to it right now. My health continues to be questionable right now. I am still taking it pretty easy. We did have singing night here with 17, but I couldn’t really sing. When I tried to sing, I would start coughing.
Wednesday, January 31
I am supposed to be well today, but I am not! I am coughing more and when I try to sleep (slept 4 hours last night) the wheeze and rattle in my chest keeps me awake. I did finish my bi-monthly newsletter and emailed it out and finished up my local weekly newsletter as well. In the afternoon, I got hold of a friend, one of my former students, and she helped me get a Dr.’s appointment tomorrow morning at 9 at a good clinic here in town. I did go to the internot private school today and teach 2 classes with Nastya translating. Olya and Kelli also taught 2 classes. We had pizza afterwards. By the time I got home, I was all in. It is really hard to get the things done that you want to do when you are ill! I know you will pray for me. Thanks!