Bowling and Conference in Kiev

soup's on!

Last week on Thursday we planned a bowling excursion with the students. Suisha, Luda's daughter from the girls' house was teaching computer use that morning, and we planned a slightly shorter school day and I invited the students in for soup and bread at 11:30 so we could leave by noon for Zaporosia.

We were off to pick up Suisha, who was going with us and the students and were on the highway by 12:05 in Victor's van.

Getting instruction from the guy at the Bowling Palace

The students really enjoyed bowling and it was pretty inexpensive, so we will definitely do it again. Everybody will be used to going on escalators hopefully, for some of the students it was their first time to ride one at the mall, and bowling was on the third floor. A cleaning lady helped Nastya get on the first one with her, because she was scared.

I got a couple photos before the guy told me no photos...

Maria spent the night and at 5 am we picked up Luda and Suisha to go to a conference in Kiev for people working with orphans, mentors and group home parents. Ira, from the boys home went on the train with the group from Zaporosia, the night before.


Maria translated for Garry and I and Jessica, an American who works in Zaporosia, although her Russian is pretty good. The welcome was in Ukrainian and then they switched to Russian so everyone could understand!

Far right- Luda and Suisha after lunch with Sasha and Vera from Zaporosia

One of the ladies sitting at our table was trying to get Jessica to date her son
She had photos, and he would like an American wife, I guess.

The hotel was not hard to find, right on the Kiev Odessa highway and was attached to the mall, the meetings and lunches were upstairs at the mall. We skipped the final dinner and drove home, getting back to the village around 11 pm Saturday night.

Looking down the escalators at the mall

The Zaporosia/ Nikoliapolia New Hope group