Thanks for the gifts!

The Alberta team left the students some brand new warm Canadian socks as gifts, and it was cold the day they got them so they were happy to get them. The students really enjoyed working with the team and were sad to see them go home. They can't wait to work with the new teams next week.

We had some other visitors the Friday the team was here, a Ukrainian lady we know who has lived in Canada for 15 years was in Dnepro with her daughters visiting family and wanted to give the orphans something, so they went shopping with Victor and brought kolbasa, macaroni, buckwheat, oatmeal,oil, tea and even toothbrushes and shampoo.

 I used them in my English lesson on the following Wednesday... and then told them that they were gifts for them from our visitors. The students were thrilled to receive bags of food.  The boys carried their two bags home, and Garry gave the girls a ride home. They discussed how they wouldn't have to pay for food that week as they were leaving school. Thank you from the students P!

working on the new house

what a difference a week makes

If you follow my moo-oosings blog, you know that we had a work team here to renovate the new group home. While they were here, the students were not in class, but were involved in the work. They also had lunch with the team from Alberta at our house since it was colder than we'd hoped.

 Here are some photos I took of the students working with the team last week.







 The team got so much done, even though the weather  turned cold and wet. The new roof is on, the floor heat is installed, the insulation is on the outside, ready to be stuccoing.
The Steinbach team arrives on the 15th to build the inside walls.


Valeria climbing up onto the roof to help with the steel



Sasha, the team said he never stopped talking in Russian.
Even if they couldn't understand what he said!

Valera, the team nicknamed him Elvis, because of the sunglasses
With the boy from down the street

Nicolai/ Kolya cleaning up on the last day

the ladies called Nastya Smiley

Sasha from Reni posing with Karina



Valeria, step using my camera to take photos !

 

going to church

For the last two months, Garry has invited the students to come to church with us in Dnepropetrovsk. The first week was when I was in the hospital (see the other blog if you missed my bout with mononucleosis ) and they stopped in to see me on the way. Last week when the team was here, it was raining and no one came. The students  walk the kilometer from their houses to our house on Sundays before we leave. As long as they don't have to work, and get here on time.

The first Sunday I was feeling better, only Nastya came, but most weeks there's three or even four crowded into the back seat, like in this photo. That is Nastya, Kolya, Sasha and Julia back there, our most likely passengers, although Valera and the other Sasha has come, too. Julia came for the first time three weeks ago, they rearranged the work schedule because she wanted to go. Most of the students go to the youth meetings on Sunday evening at the village church.  The two girls are excited about going to the Easter service next week. Here in Ukraine, we follow the Orthodox calendar, so it's not on the same week as at home.

Garry tries to get the students to New Hope Center Church in Zaporozhe for the monthly young life meeting on Saturday night, some of them end up sitting in the very back of the 5 seat van. Last week with Garry sick, a couple of the guys from the building team drove them, in the rain. (see more about the work on the house on the other blog). Good thing, with the cold rain, the police weren't stopping many cars, they mostly stay near the building, the Canadians had no problems with 8 or 9 people in the van. They did have to change a flat tire in the rain on the way home, after the music, message, and playing pingpong there and getting Big Macs at the drive thru. It is hard to see all the potholes on a dark and stormy night!

We hope to be able to get a full size van when we have more students next year, for getting the students to this and other outings. Most months we work around Victor's schedule and he drives us in his van.

This Saturday all the students took the bus from the village to Zaporozhe so we could go bowling. All the students were able to knock down more pins this time, and seemed to enjoy the outing, which included lunch at the mall. Most of them took advantage of some free time in the city before taking the bus back. Some of the boys spent their money on seeing the new Fast and the Furious movie. We try to do something as a group every month, and invite the group home parents.