Elaina and the tree tunnel to camp

When the bus left the home for men, the driver stopped for directions to our next site which was a camp for kids who lived in boarding schools. We were in the foothills of the Carpathians and the air was fabulous. It wasn't far from the men's home but the roads were narrow and lined with little houses all which had beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. Many of the houses boasted new windows and new decorative fences. It was like going back in time as we crept down the dirt and gravel roads that lead to a final turn to the camp. The driver barely made the corner and stopped because the bus literally could not go any farther. Camp was about a kilometer away and we would have to walk. Normally this would not be a big deal but we had hundreds of books and other gifts that would have to be carried. Our wonderful team didn't miss a beat and each person took their share to carry to the waiting children.

We started our trek to camp and quickly came to a marvelous wonder (pictured above). It was a tree tunnel that we had to walk through to get to the camp. The deeply rutted and rocky road went steeply up at the end of the tunnel. When we got to the other side we walked down a little lane of the village lined with lovely houses and gardens; passed a village church and finally to the gates of the camp. Once the children saw us we were swarmed and greeted with inquisitive smiles. They knew guests were coming and were excited to see us.

Tony spoke to the director and we quickly broke into 5 groups to meet with the kids. Since we only had 4 small groups, Tony and I had to make our own group and we met with the 14,15 & 16 year old kids. It was sprinkling lightly so we all huddled into a wooden gazebo to get acquainted. Tony shared his pictures of family and told them about his hobby of bicycling. I shared the story of Dave, a troubled youth who surrendered his life to Christ and made a radical change of direction. The kids listened intently as I shared before and after pictures of Dave and told how God has completely changed his life from despair to hope. They especially liked the wedding picture of Dave and his wife Alison. We talked about how God can take any willing person and transform them. Tony shared the Gospel message with the group and many of them prayed with him to receive Christ into their hearts and lives.

Side note: There will be follow up for all of the locations we visited by a woman named Masha and her team who have been ministering to these kids for 11 years as well as all the other locations we visited.

After we talked with the kids it was time to play! Tony organized two teams and had a relay race by passing beach balls back and forth. After we wore that game out I pulled out the colorful parachute. It only took a few seconds for them to catch on to this new game and within a couple of minutes they were experts at bouncing the two beach balls high into the air with cooperative effort. The other groups who had finished meeting all gathered around the parachute to eagerly wait their turn to play a new and fun game. It was so great to see the smiles and hear the joyous laughter of these kids.

I was anxious to hear some of their stories so I pulled out the big smiley face stickers and started handing them out to our group. I don't know what it is about smiley face stickers but they are always a huge hit with children and adults. One needs no interpreter when handing out smileys!

One of the boys in our group named Igor had taught himself to do flips. He proudly demonstrated front and back flips along with flips off of a bench and a running series of front and back flips. I asked him where he learned to do flips and he said he just taught himself! Anya took a video of Igor and I will try to post it on the blog when I figure out how to do that!

There is always one child that grabs your heart and this time was no exception. A sweet young lady named Elaina wanted to talk to me. She had a lovely face with sad eyes and my heart melted as she began to unfold her story. Her picture with me is above, she is the one to the right of me with the reddish hair wearing a navy blue jacket. Elaina was put in the boarding school because her grandmother could not care for her. I asked where her parents were and she responded, "I don't know." She has a younger brother who also lives in a boarding school. Elaina is 16 years old which means she will soon be leaving the boarding school to make it on her own. I wanted to wrap her up and take her home with me. Elaina's story is all too common. These precious children are warehoused, given marginal education and then turned out on the streets at age 16. Many of the girls become prostitutes because they have no skills with which to get jobs. My heart aches at the thought of the future of this lovely young lady. Please pray for Elaina and the all the other children who face the same situation.

All too soon it was time to leave and as we started our trek back to the bus the older children accompanied us. Elaina and a few of her friends walked down the path with me and when we got to the tree tunnel she extended her hand as if to say goodbye. I tried to shake her hand but what she wanted was to hold my arm and help me down the steep, rutted road under the tree tunnel. She seemed delighted that we could walk together and after we made our way through the ruts onto the level road I continued to hold her arm. Elaina knew a little bit of English so with my little bit of Russian we continued our conversation sans the interpreter. As we came to the end of the road where the bus was waiting, Elaina hugged and kissed me and I hugged and kissed her back and told her that I loved her and that God loved her. All of the kids that walked with us wanted their pictures taken with us.

A little bit of my heart broke off and stayed with Elaina. Anya got the address of the orphanage where she lives so I will send the picture and attempt to write her a letter. The rest is in God's hands.

July 15th - Cows in the front yard!

Tuesday brought a welcome rain accompanied by cooler temperatures. The Yellow Bus traveled over rolling hills past breathtaking countryside before arriving at the place where147 men call home. As we pulled into the gravel drive and glanced across the front lawn, 40 cows and a few young calves greeted us with a quick look and then immediately went back to grazing on the luscious green grass. One small man was in charge of the herd and carried a small piece of wood about the size of a yard stick to encourage any strays back to the group.

Tony and I got off the bus to see if we could find the director and came across a man working on the engine of a car. After we told him who we were looking for, he pulled out a cell phone and made a quick call. He told us the director would be there in a few minutes. Meanwhile on the bus there were 15 Americans who had traveled an hour on full stomachs needing to find a rest room. Small droplets of rain began to fall from the sky as we patiently waited for the director. One at a time, some of the residents made their way to the bus and to the place we were waiting under the trees. The residents were dressed in ragged clothes and their feet were muddy because of the rain. Most of them wore some kind of slipper/sandals with out socks. They were peaceful men and quite friendly although our interpreter couldn't understand much of anything they said. As we stood there, I began to hear a sweet melody coming from the bus; our team was singing praise songs. The residents stood at the doors of the bus to hear the voices of those who traveled from the other side of the earth just to bring the Light and hope of Christ to them.

This home for mentally impaired men was a place of refuge for some and a prison for others. When the director finally arrived we were all escorted to a new building, still under construction, to use the toilets. Welcome relief was found in shining new squatties! (A squattie potty is one where you stand or squat over an opening. There is usually a way to flush but sometimes it is just a hole in the floor that drops into a pit.) These were porcelain squatties with the ability to flush, we felt honored to be able to use them. The alternative was probably an outhouse so you can see why this was a privilege!

On the way back to the meeting hall we passed an older building where there were men locked in rooms with bars on the windows. Their arms were hanging out of the barred windows and they called to us as we passed by. Later, Anya went over to speak to them and they asked her to go to town and buy them bread. They offered her money and said they were hungry. Anya felt so bad she gave them her lunch which consisted of a sub sandwich an orange and a candy bar. Had any of the rest of us known what was going on they all would have gotten lunches but we didn't realize what had transpired until later.

The other item of interest besides the cows grazing on the front lawn was an unusual statue (pictured above) of Lenin and Stalin. This is the first time I've seen anything like it so that is why I included a picture. Evidently this institution was quite proud of the monument because it was well cared for and in a prominent location. AS time goes on you see fewer of these kinds of statues but some still hold to the ideals of socialism and dream of the past.

A good number of the men were working in the garden that day along with others who were building a "pig house" for the 100 pigs that they care for. The director told me the garden, cows and pigs were the main source of income and sustenance for the home. They get some help from the government but not enough. It was evident by the shabby clothes of the residents there wasn't enough to go around.

Most of our group met in a meeting hall with the men who were not working. They shared with them, sang to them and of course did a Gospel presentation. I went with Dan's group to the dormitory. There were some care givers on the second floor who gave us a tour. A few men were watching TV in a room and kept turning up the volume. The building was very old but it was clean and the rooms were sparse but tidy. Sharyn shared the Gospel message with the ladies who seemed very interested. We passed by one room where we could see a man lying in bed. I asked if we could go in and pray for him, the caregiver didn't think that would be a good idea so we stood in the hall right outside his room and Dan prayed for him. As we walked down the hall, there were a few men in a common area, one sitting in the corner looking out the window that appeared to have Down's Syndrome and the other was stretched out on a row of chairs sleeping.

This was a dark and depressing place. It didn't appear that there was much if any kind of activity for the men who didn't work. They just walked around aimlessly. After we finished our "tour" of the dormitory, we were sent back to the hall where the other groups were meeting. The men seemed happy to have visitors and were quite pleased with the gifts we brought. For the first time in a number of years some of the institutions we plan to visit, asked for food. This is one of them that requested food along with soap, shampoo, toothpaste and socks.

By the time we left the cows were being hearded to the barn for milking. The residents who participated in the group presentation were standing around the bus shaking hands and giving hugs to our team. There was not one overweight person we saw and it was difficult to leave knowing the men in lock up were probably not the only ones who didn't have enough to eat.

"Sad Gora" Hospital for children with TB

There are 31 Americans on the Ukraine summer team. We are divided into two bus groups, the Chocolate Bus and the Sonshine Bus. Dan and I are on the Sonshine Bus also known as the Yellow Bus. Tony Fritz is our captain and yours truly is the Co-Captain for this voyage. We have 16 American participants and 6 Ukrainian assistants helping us communicate our message where ever we go. Our dear friend and long time ministry partner, Anya Yezhova, is with us as a tour guide. Anya has been an interpreter and project coordinator many times in the past so she is very familiar with our procedures and is quite passionate about the ministry. We feel very blessed to have these dedicated young people who put themselves aside and serve us all day long in whatever capacity we need. They are wonderful servants with huge hearts. The commitment level of these young believers is an inspiration to all of us. They stay in our hearts for ever and have a lasting impact on our lives.

"Sad Gora" is the second site we went to on July 14Th. It is a hospital of sorts. Sad Gora is a place for children who have TB, are recovering from TB or at high risk to get TB come to live for a relatively short period of time. They receive treatment especially for their immune systems to help their bodies fight off infection. TB is at epidemic proportions in the former Soviet Union as is HIV and other STDs. TB is the number three cause of death in the world. The top two causes of death are Aids and malaria. So you can see why these kind of institutions are important to help keep the population healthy. A few years ago, the statistics indicated only 10% of all babies born in the FSU were considered healthy.

Our group was asked to bring sports equipment for this hospital so we took up a collection among the Yellow Bus participants and purchased soccer balls, bad-mitten sets, various kinds of balls, Frisbees and small bowling sets for the younger children. There are children here from age 3 - 18. Along with the sports equipment we brought other kinds of gifts like care packs (school supplies) beanie babies, hats for the little ones and of course Bibles and other Christian literature.

When we arrived the kids were outside and a number of the older boys came running to the bus to greet us and helped carry the gifts to the hospital. All of the children were outside waiting for us and they had prepared a program for us. Two young ladies dressed in traditional Ukrainian costumes sang several traditional Ukrainian songs and recited poetry. Their picture is above on the left. The kids were then divided into four groups and Dan was assigned to the smallest children. I joined his group because I love to talk to the little ones.

It always amazes me how obedient the Ukrainian children are. The kids were asked to sit on two benches all squeezed together and listen to us put on our little presentation. We started by asking them to tell us their names. I squatted in front of each child, asked their name and gave them a smiley face sticker when they answered. This small act makes each child feel important and recognized. We pulled out our big colorful world map and showed them where we came from and where Ukraine is located. Then we pulled out some hand puppets of farm animals to play a favorite game that goes something like this: In America, the dog says "woof woof" what do Ukrainian dogs say? The kids always laugh and say "guff guff". We then proceed to the cat, the pig, the chicken and finally the cow. In Ukrainian, all the animals except for the cow say something different than American animals. When we get to the cow and say moo, the kids are always surprised because the other animal sounds are so different. We usually agree that American cows must speak Ukrainian since they also say moo like the cows in Ukraine.

We then passed out the gospel bead bracelets and Dan did a fine job of explaining the Gospel to the children using a giant gospel bead bracelet. Each child also received a hat, as seen in the photo on the right, and a beanie baby as well as a children's Bible story book. The kids were so good and sat still to listen for a long time so we pulled out the parachute and started to play games with them. They all wanted to hold on whether there was a handle available or not and we put a beach ball in the center so they could toss it up in the air. Jennifer taught us some other parachute games and the kids had a few twists like throwing the beanie babies up in the air on the parachute while some of them ran underneath. We all had a wonderful time until the children were completely worn out and it was time for us to go.

The goal we have in coming to an institution like this is to bring joy to these children and to introduce them to Jesus Christ. The gifts we give will only last a short time but we believe the seeds of faith that are planted will be nurtured and eventually harvested in due time. We always pray for the children and the care givers when we get back on the bus trusting that God will continue working in each of their lives.

Monday July 14 - Visit to baby home

Our first day of ministry was very hot. We roasted in the hotel and on the bus but when we got to the Baby home, the heat didn't matter. For those of you who are new, a baby home is an institution where infants from newborn to about 4 years old live. These children have been abandoned at birth or taken from unfit parents. Many of them are adoptable but not all of them find families so they are put into the system and live in boarding schools / orphanages.

Dan volunteered our group to go and see the disabled children who rarely get visitors. We were lead up a winding flight of concrete stairs to a locked door. The doctor rang the bell several times before a caretaker answered. As Dan, Sharyn, Jennifer and I entered, we were asked to remove our shoes so we could go in the play room. The children had just eaten and before we even got in the room, they came scampering around the corner, laughing and smiling, throwing their little arms in the air begging for attention. Some could walk, others scooted on bent, lifeless limbs. We had a wonderful time sitting on the floor playing with them, giving gifts of beanie babies and Bible story books. All were hungry to be noticed and climbed into our arms and laps seeking to be loved. Although Olga our interpreter was with us, we needed no interpretation because most of these little angels could not communicate verbally. However they fully understood our hugs, kisses and embraces.

After we had been playing with the children for a while, the doctor asked if anyone wanted to see the children who were immobile. Sharyn and I immediately said yes and were taken to another room with four severely disabled children who were lying on the floor on pallets of blankets. I knelt down next to a little angel named Irena whose legs were very stiff. Her face was expressionless until I took her tiny hand and began to gently rub her arm. A huge smile spread across her face and she turned her head in my direction. The doctor said Irena's smile is the only response she is able to give to any kind of stimulation. My eyes filled with tears as I thought about this little life whose only response is a smile. She didn't cry or speak, only smiled. I continued to rub her hands, legs and feet and to speak gently to her. She seemed to relax a little and enjoyed the stimulation. The doctor said Irena is 4 years old but she is the size of a one year old. He said they would keep her in this facility as long as possible so she will receive good care.

Next we were invited to go outside to play with the other children. Many of our group were already out there handing out little hats. One affectionate little girl literally ran over to me and demanded to be picked up! Her name was Marina and she was adorable. The picture above is of me holding Marina. We rubbed noses, played patty cake and horsey ride until I was worn out! I tried to get her to go down the slide with some other children but she absolutely refused to leave my arms. I knew leaving would be difficult so I got one of the little hats we had brought and put it on her. She seemed happy to have it but it was not enough of a distraction for me to slip away. As soon as she saw me walking away she started to sob, my heart was sobbing as well as tears splashed down my hot cheeks. I silently prayed that the Lord would send her an adoptive family very soon.

The last part of the visit was a trip to the kitchen to give the cooks our special gift of aprons that tell the gospel story. Frank Sladko and his wife Mary started the gospel apron ministry a number of years ago. Mary recently died but Frank was with us on this trip. Frank and I went to the kitchen and found four precious ladies who were cooking for the children. Frank explained what the aprons were for and said his wife had made them. All of the ladies were looking at me as if I was the wife, then suddenly they started hugging and kissing me! We had to explain I was NOT his wife but they didn't seem to care and kept hugging and kissing me. As always, the ladies were so appreciative that someone had thought about them and brought gifts for them. We took photos of the ladies with their aprons on and talked to them about a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Three divine encounters at one location - God blessed me far more than I could imagine.

Ukraine Summer Trip

For the first time in 10 years I experienced Ukraine in the summer. As an extra blessing my dear husband, Dan, came with me for his first visit to this delightful country. What a treat to drink in the beauty and majesty of God's awesome creation while the flowers are blooming, crops are growing and people are out in their gardens working. L'viv and Chernivtsi are the two main cities we visited in Western Ukraine. We flew into L'viv, spent the night there and then drove in a bus for seven hours to Chernivtsi which is close to the border of Romania. From Chernivtsi, we went out each day into the country side and into the Carpathian foothills to visit children in camps, hospitals, homes for disabled and homes for elderly. Our days were so long I was not able to get to the Internet cafe to send stories. These entries will give you the overall flavor of each day we spent in beautiful Ukraine.

Since my first trip in 1999 the changes in Ukraine are staggering. I remember how difficult it was to get anyone to smile, including children. We had to work hard to see the corners of little mouths turn upward or even to laugh a little. When you walked down the sidewalk no one would look at you or acknowledge your presence. Seventeen years of freedom have bloomed into smiling faces, friendly hellos from strangers, and the precious sound of laughter can be heard. I will never forget the time on my first trip when our team walked a long distance to a McDonald's where we had a small taste of home and sat around tables laughing and talking. A Ukrainian man in the restaurant stopped us on the way out and was very angry because of our loud talking and laughing. Now you can go into a restaurant and hear people having a good time, celebrating and enjoying life. Freedom has come full bloom to the people of Ukraine and they are loving it.

Some new things I saw this trip were huge shopping centers similar to Home Depot and Super Wal-Mart. One of the shopping centers in Chernivtsi was like a Costco that also included a car dealership! There is renovation going on everywhere. The majority of houses we saw in the villages had new windows and many varieties of new fences. Buildings in cities are receiving face lifts and the hotels have improved so much I hardly feel like I am in a developing country any more. There is an abundance of nice cars such as Mercedes, Lexus and Toyota just to name a few. We even saw limos carrying wedding parties on Saturday. What a contrast from the early days after the Soviets lost power. Yes, freedom is showing in Ukraine and I feel very blessed to have witnessed the Light that has come to these incredibly strong, intelligent people.

Best of all is that the Ukrainians are ministering to their own people. This is the ultimate goal of missions and witnessing the results of years of work is deeply rewarding. Many Americans and Canadians as well as other Europeans have come to minister to the Ukrainian people and teach them how to minister. They are quick learners and have picked up the mantle. We worked with one such woman named Masha who I will tell you about in another post. God is moving in Ukraine among the people and it shows!