Hugs and Blessings to Everyone,
Sorry I have not written for a while, I was getting very home sick so I told Bill that he had to write and for a few days I just did not feel like writing. Please accept my apologies.
I am going to give you a look at a normal day:
5:45 Bill wakes up (Karen sleeps)
6:00 Bill attempts to wake boys
6:15 Most boys up, Bill attempts to wake the rest
6:45 Bill tells whoever is still sleeping he is leaving in 15 minutes
7:00 Bill leaves for Colleges & Universities with whoever is in the van
7:00 - 8:30 Karen gets her lazy butt out of bed
7:45 Bill gets home from dropping off boys
7:45-9:00 Bill and Karen quiet time to drink coffee, talk and read Bibles
9:00 -2:00ish We run errands, look around, have a leisurely breakfast. Help make soup or borsch
2:00-3:00 Hang with boys
3:00 Bill goes and get kids for English class
3:20-4:20 English
4:20-5:15 Bill runs English kids to bus stop, Karen starts cooking with one of the boys.
5:15-6:00 We all hang out
6:00-9:00ish Depending on the day the boys are at; Friends Club, Youth Church, Prayer meeting or regular church.
If we take the boys to their function, Bill and I will go eat, or just grab a drink until it is time to pick up the boys.
If Andrey takes the boys, we might go out to eat or we watch some T.V shows that we downloaded.
This is the basics of what happens each day, what I did not put in here is all the other stuff that happens. Someone needs to go to the Doctor, a special meal needs to be prepared, a meeting no one told us about until that day etc....... There are so many numerous things that can happen in a day at a moments notice, it becomes exhausting.
So, some thoughts that I have been having.
Before Bill and I got to the Ukraine I had all the wonderful ideas that we would be able come here and help all the boys and the house parents to..........I guess to become more Americanized. But, since we have been here I keep waffling back and forth. Do they really need to be like us if they are happy with the way things are for them now.
We (U.S. people) think that everyone should eat like us. The way we hold our silverware to the way we drink liquids. Everyone here, which includes adults and younger people; slurping soup, tea, anything liquid and the slurping is not just a little bit like we would do when something is hot, it is down and out loud, loud slurping. Can you imagine how it is at a table with 7 people that slurp everything? It kind of grates on the nerves. We have been trying to get the boys to not slurp, but holy cow they just do not get it. Then when houseparent Andrey is eating with us, he slurps as well and we do not have the right to tell him in front of the boys to not slurp. One thing I do not know is if the girls slurp also. If so, why do they need to change?
Most people that we have seen eat with their fork in the left hand, knife in the right. But the silverware is upside-down from the way we hold it. We talked to the boys about holding the silverware our way, but when we go out to eat we see that everyone seems to eat this way. Do they need to change?
I am having a hard time getting my deep thoughts down. I will keep trying. The boys are understanding the changes of regular house routine (cleaning, cooking etc..) but the mental change is very hard. It seems that a lot of the orphans and poor people have the attitude that there is nothing better for them, so they will just accept things while everything is good, and when it gets bad - well that is what was going to happen anyway. I would love for them to understand that if they have a smile on their face and work hard they can advance.
I think the reason that most of the boys have bad grades at the Colleges and Universities is that they don't think there is any hope for a future in that field anyway, so why try? I do not think all the boys are stupid just because they are getting bad grades. They just have no drive. So how do you instill drive into boys that are 16-21? Unfortunately a lot of the orphans are very lazy due to the fact that they never had to do anything for themselves during the learning years. This is a very hard habit to break. They are also very, very manipulative. If you have ever had a family member that was a drug addict or alcoholic you will understand the kind of manipulation that is going on. They are sweet and smiley, but this is how they get what they want.
We have learned that people here can advance in a job just by skill alone. They do not necessarily need a degree. So if we can encourage a natural skill in each child, could they not find a small job in that field that could possibly lead to more opportunities? Something to think about.
It is hard to get across to the boys that they are valuable no matter what society says. Very, very frustrating.
We're leaving for Odessa tomorrow. Bill and I are ready for a break. We'll try to write from there.
God Bless,
Karen
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Friday
Greetings. I was informed by my bride that it is my turn to write a blog. So, I guess I'll share my Friday with you.
I first woke up at 1:45 a.m., to doors slamming and loud voices. Out of bed, and downstairs, I find 3 of the boys eating "dinner". They had gone to the Russian Sauna with Andrey and Steve (with Hearts for Orphans). This is often done when someone of importance is visiting. The Ukrainians view it as a real treat.
Anyhow, back to bed until 5:50 a.m. when my alarm went off. At 6:00 I woke 2 of the boys. They both protested a bit, but I chalked it up to the fact that they only had 4 hours of sleep. As it turns out, none of the boys had school Friday (for some unknown reason), so we all could have slept in if someone had just told me.
It snowed about 6 inches during the night, so we shoveled snow. The challenge with this is that they don't have a snow shovel.... just a regular pointed shovel, and a broom. What a huge pain in the butt!
One of the boys wanted to go shopping for boots, so I loaded two of them up and off we went. We got there at 8:15, and the store doesn't open until 9:00, so I decided to drive to the hardware store to look for a snow shovel. I have my doubts about finding one in this country, since I saw a lot of home made shovels being used - a piece of plywood (12"x 24" +/-), attached to a wooden handle. So off we go. The challenge here is finding the store. I followed the boy's directions for 40 minutes, driving around in circles, until I finally gave up in frustration. I then drove them until they told me to stop, and off they went.
Now I realized that I had no idea where I was, or what direction the house, or any familiar landmarks, may be. Have you ever been alone, behind the wheel, in a foreign country, without a phone, unable to speak the language, and completely lost? I made it home at 10:30 - 2 1/2 hours after leaving the house to drop off the boys.
Fortunately, the rest of the day was much more enjoyable. We went to Oskars for lunch, ran a few errands, and relaxed at home for awhile.
I have been craving onion dip, so I made a batch from some cottage cheese that we bought from a woman in the bazaar, and the closest thing they have here to cream cheese. I was sooo excited to eat something normal! Unfortunately, the cottage cheese here doesn't taste like the cottage cheese in the States, and the cream cheese here is nothing like our cream cheese (I'd give $100 for a bar of Philadelphia cream cheese right now). So long story short, it SUCKED! One bite and I was done.
The fun part of this experience (always looking for the silver lining) was that Karen decided to make the potato chips - from whole potatoes. In addition to snow shovels, and a million other things, there are no unflavored potato chips here. You can buy fish flavored, cheese flavored, tomato flavored, onion flavored, etc....., but no regular chips (I'd give another $100 for a bag of Lays chips right now). The home made chips were wonderful. In fact, they ended up being our dinner.
We were in bed at 9:30, and watched Dexter (season 2) until 11:30, when it was time to call it a day. Sleep well everyone!
God Bless,
Bill
Check this out - http://youtu.be/s80BUIllkCE
I first woke up at 1:45 a.m., to doors slamming and loud voices. Out of bed, and downstairs, I find 3 of the boys eating "dinner". They had gone to the Russian Sauna with Andrey and Steve (with Hearts for Orphans). This is often done when someone of importance is visiting. The Ukrainians view it as a real treat.
Anyhow, back to bed until 5:50 a.m. when my alarm went off. At 6:00 I woke 2 of the boys. They both protested a bit, but I chalked it up to the fact that they only had 4 hours of sleep. As it turns out, none of the boys had school Friday (for some unknown reason), so we all could have slept in if someone had just told me.
It snowed about 6 inches during the night, so we shoveled snow. The challenge with this is that they don't have a snow shovel.... just a regular pointed shovel, and a broom. What a huge pain in the butt!
One of the boys wanted to go shopping for boots, so I loaded two of them up and off we went. We got there at 8:15, and the store doesn't open until 9:00, so I decided to drive to the hardware store to look for a snow shovel. I have my doubts about finding one in this country, since I saw a lot of home made shovels being used - a piece of plywood (12"x 24" +/-), attached to a wooden handle. So off we go. The challenge here is finding the store. I followed the boy's directions for 40 minutes, driving around in circles, until I finally gave up in frustration. I then drove them until they told me to stop, and off they went.
Now I realized that I had no idea where I was, or what direction the house, or any familiar landmarks, may be. Have you ever been alone, behind the wheel, in a foreign country, without a phone, unable to speak the language, and completely lost? I made it home at 10:30 - 2 1/2 hours after leaving the house to drop off the boys.
Fortunately, the rest of the day was much more enjoyable. We went to Oskars for lunch, ran a few errands, and relaxed at home for awhile.
I have been craving onion dip, so I made a batch from some cottage cheese that we bought from a woman in the bazaar, and the closest thing they have here to cream cheese. I was sooo excited to eat something normal! Unfortunately, the cottage cheese here doesn't taste like the cottage cheese in the States, and the cream cheese here is nothing like our cream cheese (I'd give $100 for a bar of Philadelphia cream cheese right now). So long story short, it SUCKED! One bite and I was done.
The fun part of this experience (always looking for the silver lining) was that Karen decided to make the potato chips - from whole potatoes. In addition to snow shovels, and a million other things, there are no unflavored potato chips here. You can buy fish flavored, cheese flavored, tomato flavored, onion flavored, etc....., but no regular chips (I'd give another $100 for a bag of Lays chips right now). The home made chips were wonderful. In fact, they ended up being our dinner.
We were in bed at 9:30, and watched Dexter (season 2) until 11:30, when it was time to call it a day. Sleep well everyone!
God Bless,
Bill
Check this out - http://youtu.be/s80BUIllkCE
Heart for Orphans Visit
We had a great dinner and visit with Nancy and Steve from Hearts for Orphans. We got to hear their adoption stories; it was much different 10 years ago. Back then you got to decided when you were going to come to Ukraine, you did not have to wait for an appointment. The kids were personally brought in one by one, for lack of a better word, to audition. They would sing, recite poetry etc... whatever would make them look desirable.
Before Nancy and Steve saw the kids they prayed that God would lead them to the child that they were supposed to adopt. There was one girl in particular that the orphanage was trying to get Nancy and Steve to take. She was cute, had a beautiful smile, and did a great song and dance. But, they ended adopting a sweet, shy, 9 year old that everyone in the States mistook for a boy because her hair was so short. After they chose her, it was a whirlwind getting the paperwork in order and the child and the child to Poland for her Visa. I cannot remember the exact number of days that they were here, but it was something like 9 days. When they got to the States people were asking them what is she like and they had to answer that they had no idea.
At some point this girl said that she wanted Nancy and Steve to adopt her friend. Well, by August the next year they had two girls. The whole story as Nancy tells it is quite amazing, especially knowing how hard and time consuming it is now. I would love it if Nancy would post her story. The prayers that were answered for their family are amazing to hear.
I am so proud of myself for preparing the dinner that I made for Nancy and Steve. I made homemade bread and rolls - from scratch; we made butter and whipped cream by shaking liquid whipping cream in a jar; I made key lime pie from scratch. I am feeling like a real cook.
It is amazing how we take so many pre-packed things for granted when we cook. Being thrown into a situation where so many of the things we have at home are not available makes one stretch their abilities. The boys really like it when I make a dessert. It is probably their favorite part of the meal.
Today, Friday, we woke up to 5-6 inches of snow. It is okay because that means it is warmer. Another thing that we take for granted - snow shovels. Bill and the boys were out early this morning sweeping the driveway. Bill broke one broom.
Yesterday, even though it was a nice day, I was really struggling with back pain. Sometimes when it comes on I have no idea why. My Father-in-law worked really hard a couple of days before we left getting me some Percocet. I am grateful every time I need one. I ended up staying in my room most of the afternoon and all evening. Thank goodness we downloaded some movies and I have plenty of books.
I am hoping we can get on the road and visit some of the other centers. Right now Andrey is doing it and leaving us in charge of the Joshua house. I am very glad that he is trusting us to get the things done that need to be done.
We still get very confused about the boy's schedules. It seems like each day they go to school at a different time, or they do not have school at all. Or, they might decided to not go to school. We need to have a talk with Alona to figure some of this out. We never know if they are taking advantage of us or not. If we know they are supposed to be in school at a certain time, and they ask us to take them to the store, at least we know when to say no.
Bill and I are looking forward to going to the orphanage tomorrow. We bought some beads because we heard that they like making necklaces and bracelets. We are also going to take Uno and Phase One (Thank you Terry and Linda). Apparently they do know how to play both games. Bill and I are going to have to play tonight because both of us forget how to play Uno and we have never played Phase One. It should be a good day.
We still need to figure out something fun to do with the family on Sunday. I want to figure out fun things to do that don't cost a lot of money. We could probably go sledding using plastic bags if the snow stays and we can find a small hill. Who knows.... we will keep thinking.
Well that's all for now.
Hugs and Blessings
Karen and Bill
Before Nancy and Steve saw the kids they prayed that God would lead them to the child that they were supposed to adopt. There was one girl in particular that the orphanage was trying to get Nancy and Steve to take. She was cute, had a beautiful smile, and did a great song and dance. But, they ended adopting a sweet, shy, 9 year old that everyone in the States mistook for a boy because her hair was so short. After they chose her, it was a whirlwind getting the paperwork in order and the child and the child to Poland for her Visa. I cannot remember the exact number of days that they were here, but it was something like 9 days. When they got to the States people were asking them what is she like and they had to answer that they had no idea.
At some point this girl said that she wanted Nancy and Steve to adopt her friend. Well, by August the next year they had two girls. The whole story as Nancy tells it is quite amazing, especially knowing how hard and time consuming it is now. I would love it if Nancy would post her story. The prayers that were answered for their family are amazing to hear.
I am so proud of myself for preparing the dinner that I made for Nancy and Steve. I made homemade bread and rolls - from scratch; we made butter and whipped cream by shaking liquid whipping cream in a jar; I made key lime pie from scratch. I am feeling like a real cook.
It is amazing how we take so many pre-packed things for granted when we cook. Being thrown into a situation where so many of the things we have at home are not available makes one stretch their abilities. The boys really like it when I make a dessert. It is probably their favorite part of the meal.
Today, Friday, we woke up to 5-6 inches of snow. It is okay because that means it is warmer. Another thing that we take for granted - snow shovels. Bill and the boys were out early this morning sweeping the driveway. Bill broke one broom.
Yesterday, even though it was a nice day, I was really struggling with back pain. Sometimes when it comes on I have no idea why. My Father-in-law worked really hard a couple of days before we left getting me some Percocet. I am grateful every time I need one. I ended up staying in my room most of the afternoon and all evening. Thank goodness we downloaded some movies and I have plenty of books.
I am hoping we can get on the road and visit some of the other centers. Right now Andrey is doing it and leaving us in charge of the Joshua house. I am very glad that he is trusting us to get the things done that need to be done.
We still get very confused about the boy's schedules. It seems like each day they go to school at a different time, or they do not have school at all. Or, they might decided to not go to school. We need to have a talk with Alona to figure some of this out. We never know if they are taking advantage of us or not. If we know they are supposed to be in school at a certain time, and they ask us to take them to the store, at least we know when to say no.
Bill and I are looking forward to going to the orphanage tomorrow. We bought some beads because we heard that they like making necklaces and bracelets. We are also going to take Uno and Phase One (Thank you Terry and Linda). Apparently they do know how to play both games. Bill and I are going to have to play tonight because both of us forget how to play Uno and we have never played Phase One. It should be a good day.
We still need to figure out something fun to do with the family on Sunday. I want to figure out fun things to do that don't cost a lot of money. We could probably go sledding using plastic bags if the snow stays and we can find a small hill. Who knows.... we will keep thinking.
Well that's all for now.
Hugs and Blessings
Karen and Bill
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Family Fun Day
On Sunday we told Andrey and Alona that we would love to do a family fun day. After church we all went to Oskars and treated everyone to lunch. It was interesting to see the things that each person ordered. I realize now that all the boys really like mushrooms. There are some things that are unrecognizable for Bill and me so we stay away from them.
After lunch we were planning on going bowling, but when we got there all the time slots were taken until 7:00p.m. That was okay. We all went home and most of the boys, including Bill, took naps.
We got to bowling and WOW!!! what an experience. We had no idea that only three of the boys had done any bowling (one other time). Even Andrey or Alona had never been bowling. Can you imagine growing up and never bowling? I remember on the cold days in Colorado, when the kids were small, taking them bowling because it was one thing we could all do.
We had two lanes, the boys on one and the parents on the other. I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time. All of them would go up to the line with their ball, bend over, swing their arm with the ball back and forth a few times, then send the ball rolling. At the beginning most of the balls ended up in the gutter. None of them knew that you take two rolls per turn and on the 10th frame we had to stand and watch each bowler in case they got a strike or spare and had to roll again.
We would cringe when they would send the ball rolling when there was a ball stuck in the gutter, or pins had accidentally fallen down. When you sign up to bowl you pay per hour and when the hour is up everything just shuts down, even if you are in the middle of a game.
It was so great watching everyone laughing, especially house parent Andrey. He was like a little boy in the van afterward, giggling and talking with excitement. I wished at that point that I really could understand the language. We went home and it stayed a pleasant atmosphere and I think everyone slept well that night.
To Change Topics!!!
Before we left home, our small group - Terry & Linda Nichols, Bob & Judy Butcher, Dave & Susie Werber and Jerry and Linda Campbell - blessed us with money to use for the centers in whatever way we thought best.
When we were here in October Alex (Agape) told us that they needed pillows, sheets, blankets etc... Well, when we got here we learned that they had enough of these things. I asked Alona what the centers needed; I chose her because she and Andrey were the house parents at Mel's house for two years before coming to Joshua house in August of 2011. She thought about it for a couple of days and made a list. We went shopping yesterday (Tuesday). We were at a kitchen store for three hours picking out everything. Pans, plates, cups, glasses, serving bowls, silverware, buckets, tea pots, sharp knives etc... you name it we bought it. As we shopped the cashier kept a total going for us and occasionally Alona would ask her how much we had spent and when she heard the total she would get excited because she was able to get more. This happened about 8 times. I think we got everything on the list, plus. Bill took a video of all the stuff while it was laid out on the table to be separated for the centers.
http://youtu.be/XFpdGqQTZx8
Small Group, we cannot express in this blog the joy and excitement that Alona showed, while shopping and afterward. Alona and Andrey left this morning to make deliveries to a couple of the centers. Alona told me the other centers are going to be very happy and surprised with all the things that you got for them.
Mel's house has 12 boys at the moment and they never had a pot big enough to make soup for all. Well we got a huge pot. It is bigger than a canning pot. This is one of the items that she did not think she was going to be able to get, and when we were able to I thought she was going to jump up and down and squeal like a little girl. It was so much fun to watch.
Another topic:
Nancy from Hearts for Orphans has been in Ukraine for a few days now visiting all the centers, and she will be in Kherson today. We (the boys and us) will be making an American dinner to share with her. The boys all talk very excitedly about Nancy, so it should be a great visit. I will update you all tomorrow. Until then, God Bless you all.
Karen
After lunch we were planning on going bowling, but when we got there all the time slots were taken until 7:00p.m. That was okay. We all went home and most of the boys, including Bill, took naps.
We got to bowling and WOW!!! what an experience. We had no idea that only three of the boys had done any bowling (one other time). Even Andrey or Alona had never been bowling. Can you imagine growing up and never bowling? I remember on the cold days in Colorado, when the kids were small, taking them bowling because it was one thing we could all do.
We had two lanes, the boys on one and the parents on the other. I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time. All of them would go up to the line with their ball, bend over, swing their arm with the ball back and forth a few times, then send the ball rolling. At the beginning most of the balls ended up in the gutter. None of them knew that you take two rolls per turn and on the 10th frame we had to stand and watch each bowler in case they got a strike or spare and had to roll again.
We would cringe when they would send the ball rolling when there was a ball stuck in the gutter, or pins had accidentally fallen down. When you sign up to bowl you pay per hour and when the hour is up everything just shuts down, even if you are in the middle of a game.
It was so great watching everyone laughing, especially house parent Andrey. He was like a little boy in the van afterward, giggling and talking with excitement. I wished at that point that I really could understand the language. We went home and it stayed a pleasant atmosphere and I think everyone slept well that night.
To Change Topics!!!
Before we left home, our small group - Terry & Linda Nichols, Bob & Judy Butcher, Dave & Susie Werber and Jerry and Linda Campbell - blessed us with money to use for the centers in whatever way we thought best.
When we were here in October Alex (Agape) told us that they needed pillows, sheets, blankets etc... Well, when we got here we learned that they had enough of these things. I asked Alona what the centers needed; I chose her because she and Andrey were the house parents at Mel's house for two years before coming to Joshua house in August of 2011. She thought about it for a couple of days and made a list. We went shopping yesterday (Tuesday). We were at a kitchen store for three hours picking out everything. Pans, plates, cups, glasses, serving bowls, silverware, buckets, tea pots, sharp knives etc... you name it we bought it. As we shopped the cashier kept a total going for us and occasionally Alona would ask her how much we had spent and when she heard the total she would get excited because she was able to get more. This happened about 8 times. I think we got everything on the list, plus. Bill took a video of all the stuff while it was laid out on the table to be separated for the centers.
http://youtu.be/XFpdGqQTZx8
Small Group, we cannot express in this blog the joy and excitement that Alona showed, while shopping and afterward. Alona and Andrey left this morning to make deliveries to a couple of the centers. Alona told me the other centers are going to be very happy and surprised with all the things that you got for them.
Mel's house has 12 boys at the moment and they never had a pot big enough to make soup for all. Well we got a huge pot. It is bigger than a canning pot. This is one of the items that she did not think she was going to be able to get, and when we were able to I thought she was going to jump up and down and squeal like a little girl. It was so much fun to watch.
Another topic:
Nancy from Hearts for Orphans has been in Ukraine for a few days now visiting all the centers, and she will be in Kherson today. We (the boys and us) will be making an American dinner to share with her. The boys all talk very excitedly about Nancy, so it should be a great visit. I will update you all tomorrow. Until then, God Bless you all.
Karen
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Reality
I'm sitting here at the kitchen table, alone for the first time in 2+ weeks. Karen is out buying supplies for the other transition homes, and the boys are all playing indoor soccer.
If you've been keeping up with our face book posts you've seen videos of us bowling with the boys, and leg wrestling with the orphans. But as I reflect on the last couple of weeks I realize that, while we're trying hard to make the best of the situation here, the reality is that life here in Ukraine is very bleak compared to the unbelievable blessings we are accustomed to.
The boys that we have come to love so much are getting a lousy education because they are orphans. The sad truth is that orphans get the worst teachers, in the worst schools. That's just the reality here. Once they graduate, the chances of them actually getting a job are slim. at best. Why? Because they've been poorly educated, and are earmarked as orphans.
While we've been posting the videos that show us all having fun, what you haven't seen are the old, old men that we pass on the roads, dragging firewood behind them to heat their homes with. Or the old, old women that stand outside in the freezing cold all day long selling their wares. Or the younger women that stand in a restaurant with their young child, watching you eat, hoping that you'll give them a couple of grivna (25 cents) or a scrap of food.
Life here is very harsh. If you'll go to the you tube address below you'll see what I mean. This was taken this afternoon, at the local dump.
http://youtu.be/4hFHVEolRRo
I hope you'll continue to pray for us, to know what we've been called to do here. But I also hope you'll pray for the Ukrainians that won't be "going home soon"; to a warm house, multiple cars, a refrigerator full of food..... The reality is that, unlike us, they have very little to look forward to.
God Bless,
Bill
If you've been keeping up with our face book posts you've seen videos of us bowling with the boys, and leg wrestling with the orphans. But as I reflect on the last couple of weeks I realize that, while we're trying hard to make the best of the situation here, the reality is that life here in Ukraine is very bleak compared to the unbelievable blessings we are accustomed to.
The boys that we have come to love so much are getting a lousy education because they are orphans. The sad truth is that orphans get the worst teachers, in the worst schools. That's just the reality here. Once they graduate, the chances of them actually getting a job are slim. at best. Why? Because they've been poorly educated, and are earmarked as orphans.
While we've been posting the videos that show us all having fun, what you haven't seen are the old, old men that we pass on the roads, dragging firewood behind them to heat their homes with. Or the old, old women that stand outside in the freezing cold all day long selling their wares. Or the younger women that stand in a restaurant with their young child, watching you eat, hoping that you'll give them a couple of grivna (25 cents) or a scrap of food.
Life here is very harsh. If you'll go to the you tube address below you'll see what I mean. This was taken this afternoon, at the local dump.
http://youtu.be/4hFHVEolRRo
I hope you'll continue to pray for us, to know what we've been called to do here. But I also hope you'll pray for the Ukrainians that won't be "going home soon"; to a warm house, multiple cars, a refrigerator full of food..... The reality is that, unlike us, they have very little to look forward to.
God Bless,
Bill
Monday, February 13, 2012
Fun With Kids
We had a fantastic weekend! We have many videos we are going to attach to the blog, but if for some reason they do not play, we are going to attach them to our Facebook pages also.
Saturday, American Andrey took us to the Kherson Orphanage. We were on the family floor and we got to play with 10-12 kids. It was so amazing. First of all, when they saw Andrey they were beside themselves with joy. They could not get close enough to him and were hanging all over him. Andrey is an amazing person himself. He takes his days off and goes to the orphanages each week. How many 19 or 20 year old young men do that? He is a great Christian doing God's work. Before we went, Andrey told us it is a good idea to bring some fruit for the kids, so that is what we did. The nanny for the day will cut it up and give it to the kids.
We started our time playing a Ukrainian game. We all stood in a circle with our hands not holding but in a position so the person on your left can take their right hand and clap over to their left hand, which your right hand is in and they clap it. The kids sing a song and at the end they say a number (we only know up to 19). We then clap around the circle until that number is reached and the person next to the one saying the number tries to get their hand out of the way of the clap. If the clapper misses they are out. If the clapper gets the next person's hand that person is out. Are you confused yet? Needless to say both Bill and I were not very good at the game. The kids say the number so quickly that we don't really hear it. Lots of laughs.
We then played thumb war. Everyone knows what that one is. I showed them how to do the leg war. Bill and I were doing it, and Bill had a hold of my pants pocket and guess what? He ripped a big hole in my pants! Thank goodness I had some long johns on underneath. One of the girls offered to take my pants and sew them, but I wanted her to stay and play so I declined, and I figured I could sew them later. All the kids had fun playing leg war. We even went up against the little ones and it was so much fun letting them win and rolling us over.
The girls spent a lot of time teaching me clapping games and the boys had a blast wrestling and hanging on Bill. I was surprised that Bill could walk. With all the playing around we were all getting hot and if any of you know Bill well, he sweats. Doma and Victoria thought it was so funny watching Bill comb his wet hair. Bill flicked his comb at them and that became a game of wiping Bills sweat onto who ever they could. Then they went to the bathroom and wet down their hair like Bills and came back modeling and showing that they look like Bill. They kept smoothing their hair back with their hands and laughing. It was fun watching them make fun of us.
As we (the old people) were tired, I got my iPad out and of course it was a big hit. One of the girls kept saying "present" and then laughing. She even sat on it as we were leaving, trying to hide it. We let them know we would bring it again. We are going to find some small games, toy cars etc... that we can bring each week to entertain them. If anyone has any ideas about fun games for kids 6-12 let us know.
One thing we learned about the family floor is if you want to adopt a particular child, you have to adopt the whole family. I think that makes it harder for the kids to get adopted. There was a girl six years old, that is such a sweetie, we thought of Jamie and Tiffany over here looking for that age. Then we found out about the whole family thing. If anyone out there wants a couple of siblings, let us know. We will find them for you.
We still have not been able to start the greenhouse. It is amazing to be here and see the sun shining, but the ground, including the streets and sidewalks, are all covered in ice. The sunshine does not melt things like in Colorado. This week we are excited. It is supposed to snow, which means it will be warmer.
Saturday is our day off from cooking and running boys around, but on our way to town (we live in the country) all the boys needed to get their hair cut. We did not have the van because Alex and Andrey were traveling for a night. We crammed 7 people into a tiny car, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla. I was in the front passenger seat with it all the way up. I felt like my head was in the windshield. But the boys in the back were on top of each other. Of course we did not think to take a picture. Oh well. There were a lot of laughs on the way to town.
I forgot to say that American Andrey's friend (maybe girlfriend) Natasha was at the orphanage with us also, she is a very nice girl. When we left the orphanage Andrey and Natasha took us to the bazaar again to try and find Bill a fur coat. We got some of the weirdest looks from people. Men do not buy full length fur coats. We ended up not buying anything.
After we dropped Andrey and Natasha off at a pizza place, Bill and I were off to be alone. We thought about it and realized that we are together all the time, but the only time we are alone is when we are sleeping. We walked along a walking mall (like the 16th street mall, but much shorter). We were looking for a place to eat and we found a sushi place. Hallelujah. It was so good, although we had a hard time ordering some skewers. On my iPad I have some words that I can press in english and the russian words come up. I pushed all of them and the waitress shook her head no. So we just pointed and got what we got. Then I started thinking and remembered some beef jerkey looking stuff at the grocery store that turned out to be horse meat. So I said to Bill, "what if it is horse"? He said "we will never know, so we might as well enjoy it". After a little moaning and groaning on my part I ate it, and it was good - but tough. I just had to not think of our horses at home.
After that we drove around a bit. Kherson is so much bigger than I realized at first. It just keeps going. We then went to the city center to walk around, but that does not last very long. It's just too cold. We ended up at a coffee shop to warm up and they had a mini bar. Wow!! At Joshua house the boys are taught that drinking is a sin, so Bill and I refrain from any kind of drinking. So it was nice to have a couple of drinks. We ended up staying there about three hours playing backgammon on my iPad. It was nice to feel a little normalcy. We did get some stares because I am a bit loud when I win a game; especially against Bill. One thing that was funny.... Bill ordered a shot of rum and a Coke. Well the rum came and it was a full rocks glass full. We just sat there and laughed. Bill was unable to finish it.
Things we cannot find:
Pepperoni (lots of sausage)
A steak house
Soft toilet paper
Hot sauce
Saturday, American Andrey took us to the Kherson Orphanage. We were on the family floor and we got to play with 10-12 kids. It was so amazing. First of all, when they saw Andrey they were beside themselves with joy. They could not get close enough to him and were hanging all over him. Andrey is an amazing person himself. He takes his days off and goes to the orphanages each week. How many 19 or 20 year old young men do that? He is a great Christian doing God's work. Before we went, Andrey told us it is a good idea to bring some fruit for the kids, so that is what we did. The nanny for the day will cut it up and give it to the kids.
We started our time playing a Ukrainian game. We all stood in a circle with our hands not holding but in a position so the person on your left can take their right hand and clap over to their left hand, which your right hand is in and they clap it. The kids sing a song and at the end they say a number (we only know up to 19). We then clap around the circle until that number is reached and the person next to the one saying the number tries to get their hand out of the way of the clap. If the clapper misses they are out. If the clapper gets the next person's hand that person is out. Are you confused yet? Needless to say both Bill and I were not very good at the game. The kids say the number so quickly that we don't really hear it. Lots of laughs.
We then played thumb war. Everyone knows what that one is. I showed them how to do the leg war. Bill and I were doing it, and Bill had a hold of my pants pocket and guess what? He ripped a big hole in my pants! Thank goodness I had some long johns on underneath. One of the girls offered to take my pants and sew them, but I wanted her to stay and play so I declined, and I figured I could sew them later. All the kids had fun playing leg war. We even went up against the little ones and it was so much fun letting them win and rolling us over.
The girls spent a lot of time teaching me clapping games and the boys had a blast wrestling and hanging on Bill. I was surprised that Bill could walk. With all the playing around we were all getting hot and if any of you know Bill well, he sweats. Doma and Victoria thought it was so funny watching Bill comb his wet hair. Bill flicked his comb at them and that became a game of wiping Bills sweat onto who ever they could. Then they went to the bathroom and wet down their hair like Bills and came back modeling and showing that they look like Bill. They kept smoothing their hair back with their hands and laughing. It was fun watching them make fun of us.
As we (the old people) were tired, I got my iPad out and of course it was a big hit. One of the girls kept saying "present" and then laughing. She even sat on it as we were leaving, trying to hide it. We let them know we would bring it again. We are going to find some small games, toy cars etc... that we can bring each week to entertain them. If anyone has any ideas about fun games for kids 6-12 let us know.
One thing we learned about the family floor is if you want to adopt a particular child, you have to adopt the whole family. I think that makes it harder for the kids to get adopted. There was a girl six years old, that is such a sweetie, we thought of Jamie and Tiffany over here looking for that age. Then we found out about the whole family thing. If anyone out there wants a couple of siblings, let us know. We will find them for you.
We still have not been able to start the greenhouse. It is amazing to be here and see the sun shining, but the ground, including the streets and sidewalks, are all covered in ice. The sunshine does not melt things like in Colorado. This week we are excited. It is supposed to snow, which means it will be warmer.
Saturday is our day off from cooking and running boys around, but on our way to town (we live in the country) all the boys needed to get their hair cut. We did not have the van because Alex and Andrey were traveling for a night. We crammed 7 people into a tiny car, equivalent to a Toyota Corolla. I was in the front passenger seat with it all the way up. I felt like my head was in the windshield. But the boys in the back were on top of each other. Of course we did not think to take a picture. Oh well. There were a lot of laughs on the way to town.
I forgot to say that American Andrey's friend (maybe girlfriend) Natasha was at the orphanage with us also, she is a very nice girl. When we left the orphanage Andrey and Natasha took us to the bazaar again to try and find Bill a fur coat. We got some of the weirdest looks from people. Men do not buy full length fur coats. We ended up not buying anything.
After we dropped Andrey and Natasha off at a pizza place, Bill and I were off to be alone. We thought about it and realized that we are together all the time, but the only time we are alone is when we are sleeping. We walked along a walking mall (like the 16th street mall, but much shorter). We were looking for a place to eat and we found a sushi place. Hallelujah. It was so good, although we had a hard time ordering some skewers. On my iPad I have some words that I can press in english and the russian words come up. I pushed all of them and the waitress shook her head no. So we just pointed and got what we got. Then I started thinking and remembered some beef jerkey looking stuff at the grocery store that turned out to be horse meat. So I said to Bill, "what if it is horse"? He said "we will never know, so we might as well enjoy it". After a little moaning and groaning on my part I ate it, and it was good - but tough. I just had to not think of our horses at home.
After that we drove around a bit. Kherson is so much bigger than I realized at first. It just keeps going. We then went to the city center to walk around, but that does not last very long. It's just too cold. We ended up at a coffee shop to warm up and they had a mini bar. Wow!! At Joshua house the boys are taught that drinking is a sin, so Bill and I refrain from any kind of drinking. So it was nice to have a couple of drinks. We ended up staying there about three hours playing backgammon on my iPad. It was nice to feel a little normalcy. We did get some stares because I am a bit loud when I win a game; especially against Bill. One thing that was funny.... Bill ordered a shot of rum and a Coke. Well the rum came and it was a full rocks glass full. We just sat there and laughed. Bill was unable to finish it.
It was now time for dinner. Andrey told us about a pizza place that was the best. He took Felix there when he was here. We found it and had a fantastic meal again. I had a chicken salad and Bill had pizza. We got a waiter that spoke a bit of English, which is very nice. After dinner we went home and to bed. What a wonderful day.
Things we cannot find:
Pepperoni (lots of sausage)
A steak house
Soft toilet paper
Hot sauce
Friday, February 10, 2012
Straight Hair
Well, I know why all Ukranian women have straight hair. It is because they have a stocking cap on their head all the time. There is no reason to spend time curling and such. At least we all kind of look the same.
Yesterday we had to take Sasha to the hospital. They go to the hospital for all Doctor appointments. We were 10 minutes late so they would not see him. If we were only 6-7 minutes late it would be okay, but not 10, so he had to reschedule the appointment. Their hospitals are not like ours. They are very cold and uninviting. Sasha told us the smell of the hospital, especially the stairway, makes him want to throw up.
Since Sasha was with us we had him take us to the bazaar because I wanted to get a full length fur coat. A lot of women wear them here, and they look so warm. It was an interesting experience going to the bazaar and having a boy that did not speak english help us. Sasha taught us how to say left, right and straight in Russian so we would understand where he wanted us to drive. He said he was teaching us Russian like we teach them English. At one point I was driving and Sasha made the speeding sound, then the police siren sound, and then he started to laugh. It really was pretty comical.
We got to the bazaar and Sasha knew exactly what we wanted. He talked to a couple of the shop owners and then took us right to the area that they have women's clothing. It was so cold to take off my nice warm coat and try on a cold, cold coat. Bill asked me if it was warm and I told him I was not sure because the inside of it was so cold. I hesitated to buy it, so we looked around for a bit. I could see Sasha shaking his head, in my mind he was thinking "What a Crazy Woman". We went back and bought the first coat I had tried on. Later Sasha kept giving me the thumbs up for the way I looked in the coat.
I think I look like a big mama bear, but it is oh so warm. I wore the coat to church that night and the only thing cold on me was my nose and toes. My hands were warm and I did not have gloves on. Bill was so jealous. I have to tell you they do not heat the area where we go to church. Everyone keeps their coat, hat, mittens, scarfs, etc.... on and you are still cold.
Today Alona took Bill and me, plus two boys (Dima & Egor) to Oskars to do some grocery shopping. It is important for us to see the items that she buys on a regular basis so we can stay in budget. Bill really, really tapped into his inner child at the store. He was teaching Dima and Egor how to run then ride on the carts, and how to spin the cart (these carts go forward and sideways). Alona kept rolling her eyes. I kept getting on Bill, but did any of the boys listen? No! They had so much fun. Dima kept watching Alona and trying to do the same thing as Bill without getting caught.
Alona and I have gotten into a routine of cooking every other day. So far the boys, Alona, and Andre all like my cooking. Everyone is supposed to eat soup everyday, so I have been creative. I take a basic recipe that I know and add things that I never would at home. It has been a little challenging, but a great experience.
Tonight is a Bible study here, then tomorrow is our day off. We are going to try and find Bill a fur coat with American Andrey, then take the rest of the day for ourselves. Even though we are with each other everyday, we are never alone.
It seems that every day we are looking for something that can't be found here in Kherson. We thought we'd share this list with you each day, just for fun. It may also make you realize just how good we have things "back home".
Pam Spray Bagels
Artichokes Cheddar Cheese
Celery Boxed Dinners (Mac & Cheese)
Ice Cream sauces Microwave Dinners (We found microwave popcorn, yummy)
Plain Potato Chips Chalk Board (we found chalk - no board)
Corn Chips Maple Syrup
Shortening (Crisco) Baking Powder
Brown Sugar Cake Mixes
God Bless,
Karen
Yesterday we had to take Sasha to the hospital. They go to the hospital for all Doctor appointments. We were 10 minutes late so they would not see him. If we were only 6-7 minutes late it would be okay, but not 10, so he had to reschedule the appointment. Their hospitals are not like ours. They are very cold and uninviting. Sasha told us the smell of the hospital, especially the stairway, makes him want to throw up.
Since Sasha was with us we had him take us to the bazaar because I wanted to get a full length fur coat. A lot of women wear them here, and they look so warm. It was an interesting experience going to the bazaar and having a boy that did not speak english help us. Sasha taught us how to say left, right and straight in Russian so we would understand where he wanted us to drive. He said he was teaching us Russian like we teach them English. At one point I was driving and Sasha made the speeding sound, then the police siren sound, and then he started to laugh. It really was pretty comical.
We got to the bazaar and Sasha knew exactly what we wanted. He talked to a couple of the shop owners and then took us right to the area that they have women's clothing. It was so cold to take off my nice warm coat and try on a cold, cold coat. Bill asked me if it was warm and I told him I was not sure because the inside of it was so cold. I hesitated to buy it, so we looked around for a bit. I could see Sasha shaking his head, in my mind he was thinking "What a Crazy Woman". We went back and bought the first coat I had tried on. Later Sasha kept giving me the thumbs up for the way I looked in the coat.
I think I look like a big mama bear, but it is oh so warm. I wore the coat to church that night and the only thing cold on me was my nose and toes. My hands were warm and I did not have gloves on. Bill was so jealous. I have to tell you they do not heat the area where we go to church. Everyone keeps their coat, hat, mittens, scarfs, etc.... on and you are still cold.
Today Alona took Bill and me, plus two boys (Dima & Egor) to Oskars to do some grocery shopping. It is important for us to see the items that she buys on a regular basis so we can stay in budget. Bill really, really tapped into his inner child at the store. He was teaching Dima and Egor how to run then ride on the carts, and how to spin the cart (these carts go forward and sideways). Alona kept rolling her eyes. I kept getting on Bill, but did any of the boys listen? No! They had so much fun. Dima kept watching Alona and trying to do the same thing as Bill without getting caught.
Alona and I have gotten into a routine of cooking every other day. So far the boys, Alona, and Andre all like my cooking. Everyone is supposed to eat soup everyday, so I have been creative. I take a basic recipe that I know and add things that I never would at home. It has been a little challenging, but a great experience.
Tonight is a Bible study here, then tomorrow is our day off. We are going to try and find Bill a fur coat with American Andrey, then take the rest of the day for ourselves. Even though we are with each other everyday, we are never alone.
It seems that every day we are looking for something that can't be found here in Kherson. We thought we'd share this list with you each day, just for fun. It may also make you realize just how good we have things "back home".
Pam Spray Bagels
Artichokes Cheddar Cheese
Celery Boxed Dinners (Mac & Cheese)
Ice Cream sauces Microwave Dinners (We found microwave popcorn, yummy)
Plain Potato Chips Chalk Board (we found chalk - no board)
Corn Chips Maple Syrup
Shortening (Crisco) Baking Powder
Brown Sugar Cake Mixes
God Bless,
Karen
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Bill's Birthday
February 8, 2012
Hi Everyone,
What a wonderful day we had today. I felt like I was a stay at home Mom again. I spent the whole day cooking a real American dinner for Bill's birthday. I even made a lentil soup for the boys for their after school snack, and they all liked it. Actually not all of them like lentils, but they liked everything else in it and the flavor.
For dinner we had baked chicken, potato salad, green salad with dressing, bread and a cake from a cake mix that I brought over from the States. We learned that in Ukraine, when there is a celebration dinner, it is usually a 12 course meal, with many different potato and cabbage dishes. Alex (Agape) asked the boys how they liked the American meal and to compare it to the 12 course meal, and they were all in agreement that they liked the American way. Alex was thinking that it is probably easier on the stomach to have only a few different flavors in your stomach rather then a lot. Something to think about.
The house parents and the boys bought Bill a cup with Happy Birthday Bill written on it and a lion made out of fire. Very cool. It will be a nice thing for Bill to bring home for the memories. Alex and Vera also got Bill a present, but as of this writing he has not opened it. I on the other hand got Bill nothing. I told him his present from me was the dinner.
We have been trying hard to find just plain old potato chips. There is every flavor here that you can imagine. Tonight we opened a bag that was mushroom flavored. Not good, and I like mushrooms! I decided that they have so many different flavors because they eat so many potatoes anyway that they don't want just plain chips.
It has been real fun watching the boys and girls learn english. Bill has been teaching his group the ABC song and we hear all the boys at times singing the words out loud and humming it to themselves; fun, fun, fun. Sometimes one of them will approach one of us and ask us to help them finish because they are stuck at a certain spot. Bill has one girl (Nadia), that apparently loves to talk during the lessons. All I know is he maintains control because my group is never interrupted.
My group learned the "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" song today. We had just a whole bunch of laughs. Alona's English is getting better each day. Even when we are not in class I am working with her on her sentences and I make her tell me or ask me in English rather then getting someone to translate. She did tell me at the beginning that she wanted me to be hard on her. I tell her all the time how proud of her I am.
Today while cooking at various times Alona or one of the boys would ask me what I was doing and the name of the ingredients. I think they had fun watching things come together. I thought the boys would just devour the chicken because they do not get whole pieces of meat. Yes, they ate the chicken, but wow! they loved the lettuce salad. For seconds they would heap the lettuce onto their plates. Some of them were so full that they had a hard time eating cake. It was fun to see their excited faces.
A funny for the day: Yesterday while getting ingredients I found corn meal (so I thought). I was really excited to be able to make corn bread. When I was about to make it Alona asked me if I was going to boil the corn meal, and I said no. From that comment I decided to taste the corn meal. It was not powdery, it was crunchy. Oh My, I have no idea how to make bread from that. But, I remembered seeing what looked like real corn meal at the store. So, Bill was out and about and I asked him to go get it for me. Bill has Sasha with him and Alona told Sasha also what I was looking for. Well, they came home with corn beads or something that I definitely do not know how to cook. Alona said it was okay, she would show me what to do.
We are finally breaking through to Antone. He is the boy that has only been here about two weeks. He got here just before we did. I try and hug him and there is no way he wants me to do it, but today he was comfortable enough to tell me he did not want any hugs. He will let me touch his arm or pat his back and he will talk with me and smile and laugh and want me to help him with things, so I think that is progress. Bill on the other had can put his arm around his shoulders and give him a hug that way and he is okay. Still progress.
Sasha and Dima are our go to guys. When we are trying to talk those two are the ones that usually figure out what we want. And if one of the other boys wants to tell us something it is Sasha or Dima that can usually get across to us what they want. Dima is better at the English talking and Sasha is better at the charades and typing on the translator.
We have not been able to do anything with the greenhouse yet. The ground is so frozen we can not dig and it is so cold it would be dangerous to work outside breathing the cold air. Last night the wind was horrible and there was a metal clanging outside. Bill went out twice and could not figure it out. There was no way he was going out a third time - it was that cold.
The boys are funny. They like being warm, but some of them don't wear stocking caps because they don't like the way they feel on their head. Some don't like the way the gloves feel on their hands, so they will spend time putting on the gloves then taking them off.
It is so great to be able to laugh so much with the boys and the house parents. Even when we tell one of the boys no about something (usually drinking from a bottle instead of using a cup) it ends up in laughter.
Sorry, I just re-read what I wrote and I see that I jumped around from topic to topic a little bit. Bill will tell you it is okay that is how I talk too.
Blessings,
Karen
O.K., it's my turn. I just have one memorable thought to share.
I was asked this evening to sum up my 55 years of life in just a few words, and the words that immediately came to mind were "God has blessed me." As I sit here reflecting on those words I realize just how true they are.
I was blessed to be brought into this world by two of the most incredible, smart, loving role models a child could ever ask for. They provided me with everything I ever needed, and many many things that I just wanted. They also taught me how to work hard, treat people fairly, be honest, and treat my family and friends with respect.
I have a terrific family! Karen and I have now been married for 17 years, and I love her more every day. How many men have a wife that will leave all of the comforts of home and go to Ukraine in the middle of the winter? The kids have all grown up and are learning the ups and downs of life. Each of them has a great heart, and I am proud of all of them. I pray that I have passed along to them the characteristics that my parents taught me. And we have grand-babies! Words can not express how wonderful that is.
I have the best friends any man could have. There isn't a day that goes bye that I don't thank God for my friends.
I am a member of a FANTASTIC church, where the people and Pastor's really care for me. Never before have I felt such an abundance of love in one place. Thank you Grace Place.
And finally, I have a God that knows me, and loves me. A God that cares for me and provides for me. A God that has honored us by allowing us to do His work, in Ukraine and at home.
As you can see, God really has blessed me, and I thank Him for those blessings.
Bill
Hi Everyone,
What a wonderful day we had today. I felt like I was a stay at home Mom again. I spent the whole day cooking a real American dinner for Bill's birthday. I even made a lentil soup for the boys for their after school snack, and they all liked it. Actually not all of them like lentils, but they liked everything else in it and the flavor.
For dinner we had baked chicken, potato salad, green salad with dressing, bread and a cake from a cake mix that I brought over from the States. We learned that in Ukraine, when there is a celebration dinner, it is usually a 12 course meal, with many different potato and cabbage dishes. Alex (Agape) asked the boys how they liked the American meal and to compare it to the 12 course meal, and they were all in agreement that they liked the American way. Alex was thinking that it is probably easier on the stomach to have only a few different flavors in your stomach rather then a lot. Something to think about.
The house parents and the boys bought Bill a cup with Happy Birthday Bill written on it and a lion made out of fire. Very cool. It will be a nice thing for Bill to bring home for the memories. Alex and Vera also got Bill a present, but as of this writing he has not opened it. I on the other hand got Bill nothing. I told him his present from me was the dinner.
We have been trying hard to find just plain old potato chips. There is every flavor here that you can imagine. Tonight we opened a bag that was mushroom flavored. Not good, and I like mushrooms! I decided that they have so many different flavors because they eat so many potatoes anyway that they don't want just plain chips.
It has been real fun watching the boys and girls learn english. Bill has been teaching his group the ABC song and we hear all the boys at times singing the words out loud and humming it to themselves; fun, fun, fun. Sometimes one of them will approach one of us and ask us to help them finish because they are stuck at a certain spot. Bill has one girl (Nadia), that apparently loves to talk during the lessons. All I know is he maintains control because my group is never interrupted.
My group learned the "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" song today. We had just a whole bunch of laughs. Alona's English is getting better each day. Even when we are not in class I am working with her on her sentences and I make her tell me or ask me in English rather then getting someone to translate. She did tell me at the beginning that she wanted me to be hard on her. I tell her all the time how proud of her I am.
Today while cooking at various times Alona or one of the boys would ask me what I was doing and the name of the ingredients. I think they had fun watching things come together. I thought the boys would just devour the chicken because they do not get whole pieces of meat. Yes, they ate the chicken, but wow! they loved the lettuce salad. For seconds they would heap the lettuce onto their plates. Some of them were so full that they had a hard time eating cake. It was fun to see their excited faces.
A funny for the day: Yesterday while getting ingredients I found corn meal (so I thought). I was really excited to be able to make corn bread. When I was about to make it Alona asked me if I was going to boil the corn meal, and I said no. From that comment I decided to taste the corn meal. It was not powdery, it was crunchy. Oh My, I have no idea how to make bread from that. But, I remembered seeing what looked like real corn meal at the store. So, Bill was out and about and I asked him to go get it for me. Bill has Sasha with him and Alona told Sasha also what I was looking for. Well, they came home with corn beads or something that I definitely do not know how to cook. Alona said it was okay, she would show me what to do.
We are finally breaking through to Antone. He is the boy that has only been here about two weeks. He got here just before we did. I try and hug him and there is no way he wants me to do it, but today he was comfortable enough to tell me he did not want any hugs. He will let me touch his arm or pat his back and he will talk with me and smile and laugh and want me to help him with things, so I think that is progress. Bill on the other had can put his arm around his shoulders and give him a hug that way and he is okay. Still progress.
Sasha and Dima are our go to guys. When we are trying to talk those two are the ones that usually figure out what we want. And if one of the other boys wants to tell us something it is Sasha or Dima that can usually get across to us what they want. Dima is better at the English talking and Sasha is better at the charades and typing on the translator.
We have not been able to do anything with the greenhouse yet. The ground is so frozen we can not dig and it is so cold it would be dangerous to work outside breathing the cold air. Last night the wind was horrible and there was a metal clanging outside. Bill went out twice and could not figure it out. There was no way he was going out a third time - it was that cold.
The boys are funny. They like being warm, but some of them don't wear stocking caps because they don't like the way they feel on their head. Some don't like the way the gloves feel on their hands, so they will spend time putting on the gloves then taking them off.
It is so great to be able to laugh so much with the boys and the house parents. Even when we tell one of the boys no about something (usually drinking from a bottle instead of using a cup) it ends up in laughter.
Sorry, I just re-read what I wrote and I see that I jumped around from topic to topic a little bit. Bill will tell you it is okay that is how I talk too.
Blessings,
Karen
O.K., it's my turn. I just have one memorable thought to share.
I was asked this evening to sum up my 55 years of life in just a few words, and the words that immediately came to mind were "God has blessed me." As I sit here reflecting on those words I realize just how true they are.
I was blessed to be brought into this world by two of the most incredible, smart, loving role models a child could ever ask for. They provided me with everything I ever needed, and many many things that I just wanted. They also taught me how to work hard, treat people fairly, be honest, and treat my family and friends with respect.
I have a terrific family! Karen and I have now been married for 17 years, and I love her more every day. How many men have a wife that will leave all of the comforts of home and go to Ukraine in the middle of the winter? The kids have all grown up and are learning the ups and downs of life. Each of them has a great heart, and I am proud of all of them. I pray that I have passed along to them the characteristics that my parents taught me. And we have grand-babies! Words can not express how wonderful that is.
I have the best friends any man could have. There isn't a day that goes bye that I don't thank God for my friends.
I am a member of a FANTASTIC church, where the people and Pastor's really care for me. Never before have I felt such an abundance of love in one place. Thank you Grace Place.
And finally, I have a God that knows me, and loves me. A God that cares for me and provides for me. A God that has honored us by allowing us to do His work, in Ukraine and at home.
As you can see, God really has blessed me, and I thank Him for those blessings.
Bill
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Another Routine Day (or two)
Today is Tuesday so I will go back a couple of days.
Sunday we got everyone loaded into the van and were off to church. It was a day that they did communion. It is done very differently here than at Grace Place. They do a prayer over the bread, which is three round, flat loaves. Three men break up the bread onto plates, then they bring them into the audience and pass it around. Then they do a prayer over three cups of wine and the men bring the cups into the audience and we all share sipping out of the cups.
Pastor Richard was talking to us while we were in Israel and mentioned the significance of numbers; 3 being one of them. I was wondering during the communion if they had three plates and cups for a specific reason.
Since we do not understand anything that is being said during the service Bill and I are starting with Matthew and SOAPing during service. We decided that is a good way for us to get a lesson for the day.
After Church we went to the grocery store (Oskars). While we were shopping all the lights in the building went out so we just left our cart in the middle of an isle (that is what they do and someone will come by later and put it all away). We went to another grocery store which is a little bit more expensive but Bill and I were in heaven. There were items that we recognized and items that we were not able to get at Oskars. It is a very good experience for the boys to go shopping so they see where to buy certain items and see how much money it takes to buy the them.
We came home and had dinner, then we were off to a surprise birthday party at Alex and Vera's home. The party was for a man that was one of the first boys to live at the Joshua House when the house was not completely built. We forget how many boys were here at the time, but while the house was being finished they lived in a tiny mother-in-law quarters behind the house. There were three men at the party that were among the first boys here, and it was so nice to see how well adjusted they were. They're married, and one couple now has a baby.
Yesterday (Monday) schools were back in session. That means that Bill has to get up early and get the boys to the bus stop. By the time I woke up he had been up for three hours. With the boys being gone the house is much quieter. Bill and I went to Oskars and had breakfast and then ran some errands. We like to investigate and figure out where stores are that we might need to go to.
At three we held our first English lesson. Only the boys were here. It went slow and all we got through was the alphabet. After one hour everyones brain was full. I did take a picture, but now we realize that the card from my camera does not fit Bill's computer, so from now on we need to take pictures with the iPhone or iPad. So for today we are going to put some pictures of the boys playing with the photo booth app on the iPad.
Wednesday (Today)
While the boys were at school we had American Andrey take us to the bazaar to try and find some ingredient for Bill's birthday dinner tomorrow. It was so, so, so cold we all started wondering why we were out walking around. But we did find many things. We even found some regular lettuce. Yipee! We get to have a lettuce salad instead of cabbage.
Today we held two English classes; one for the beginners (the girls and Dima) and one for intermediate (Alona and Alosha). Everyone did very well. Alona is good at reading the words but she does not always understand what the word is. Alosha has the same problem but he is more inhibited to say the English words. I think this might work out.
Tonight we take the boys to a youth prayer meeting. They will be there for two hours learning about the Bible and God. Actually there is only one night during the week that they are not doing some sort of Christian learning.
It is 5:00 p.m. and we finally got all the electronics working (iPad, iPhone and Computer) this is going to make it much easier for communicating because now we can use our translators. It helps with English also.
We hope everyone back home is doing well. We're praying for all of you every day!
God Bless,
Karen
Sunday we got everyone loaded into the van and were off to church. It was a day that they did communion. It is done very differently here than at Grace Place. They do a prayer over the bread, which is three round, flat loaves. Three men break up the bread onto plates, then they bring them into the audience and pass it around. Then they do a prayer over three cups of wine and the men bring the cups into the audience and we all share sipping out of the cups.
Pastor Richard was talking to us while we were in Israel and mentioned the significance of numbers; 3 being one of them. I was wondering during the communion if they had three plates and cups for a specific reason.
Since we do not understand anything that is being said during the service Bill and I are starting with Matthew and SOAPing during service. We decided that is a good way for us to get a lesson for the day.
After Church we went to the grocery store (Oskars). While we were shopping all the lights in the building went out so we just left our cart in the middle of an isle (that is what they do and someone will come by later and put it all away). We went to another grocery store which is a little bit more expensive but Bill and I were in heaven. There were items that we recognized and items that we were not able to get at Oskars. It is a very good experience for the boys to go shopping so they see where to buy certain items and see how much money it takes to buy the them.
We came home and had dinner, then we were off to a surprise birthday party at Alex and Vera's home. The party was for a man that was one of the first boys to live at the Joshua House when the house was not completely built. We forget how many boys were here at the time, but while the house was being finished they lived in a tiny mother-in-law quarters behind the house. There were three men at the party that were among the first boys here, and it was so nice to see how well adjusted they were. They're married, and one couple now has a baby.
Yesterday (Monday) schools were back in session. That means that Bill has to get up early and get the boys to the bus stop. By the time I woke up he had been up for three hours. With the boys being gone the house is much quieter. Bill and I went to Oskars and had breakfast and then ran some errands. We like to investigate and figure out where stores are that we might need to go to.
At three we held our first English lesson. Only the boys were here. It went slow and all we got through was the alphabet. After one hour everyones brain was full. I did take a picture, but now we realize that the card from my camera does not fit Bill's computer, so from now on we need to take pictures with the iPhone or iPad. So for today we are going to put some pictures of the boys playing with the photo booth app on the iPad.
Wednesday (Today)
While the boys were at school we had American Andrey take us to the bazaar to try and find some ingredient for Bill's birthday dinner tomorrow. It was so, so, so cold we all started wondering why we were out walking around. But we did find many things. We even found some regular lettuce. Yipee! We get to have a lettuce salad instead of cabbage.
Today we held two English classes; one for the beginners (the girls and Dima) and one for intermediate (Alona and Alosha). Everyone did very well. Alona is good at reading the words but she does not always understand what the word is. Alosha has the same problem but he is more inhibited to say the English words. I think this might work out.
Tonight we take the boys to a youth prayer meeting. They will be there for two hours learning about the Bible and God. Actually there is only one night during the week that they are not doing some sort of Christian learning.
It is 5:00 p.m. and we finally got all the electronics working (iPad, iPhone and Computer) this is going to make it much easier for communicating because now we can use our translators. It helps with English also.
We hope everyone back home is doing well. We're praying for all of you every day!
God Bless,
Saturday, February 4, 2012
More Fun
This is my third attempt to get this blog out. We have been having some internet problems. My iPad will open a window but when I try to do other things it will not respond. I have now realized that I need to write everything directly onto Bills computer.
It has been so cold here lately (I think that you have all heard) we have had problems with the van starting. So a couple of nights ago a gentleman from Agape came over and between him and Bill they were able to get it started. At first we were disappointed that we did not have a van because we were not able to run some errands, but we soon realized what a blessing it was because we got to spend a lot of time reconnecting with the kids that we got to know in September, and we were able to become friends with the new kids.
Yesterday morning I spent about two hours with Alona and three of the kids learning english. At the moment the teaching is a bit scattered until we are able to buy a copier and print copies for homework. We sat around learning until everyone's brain's were full.
We have a a little more time with the kids during the day then we normally will, since all the schools are closed because of the cold. Most of the schools do not have very good heat.
At one point one of the boys remembered the jigsaw puzzle that we bought for them in October, that was about half done when we left, and they wanted us to help them get it started again (Bill had the bright idea of getting a 1,500 piece one and I think it is a bit overwhelming for them at times). I was at the puzzle with a couple of the girls and a couple of the boys and Bill spent most of the night with Sasha being....for lack of a better word... MEN!!!
We have a better understanding of why some of the boys are no longer in the Joshua House (where we're living). Before Andrey and Alona became the house parents there was a different couple here that apparently had no rules, and all of the boys basically did whatever they wanted. This does not go along with what Agape is trying to accomplish at the transitional centers. Agape is trying to give the boys and girls a sense of family that works together in a household, while teaching them Christian values. This means chores, schedules, rules, etc... Some of the boys decided that they liked being able to do what they wanted, so they they have chosen to live on their own. We are happy to say they are all still going to Friends Club, a Christian club that has praise and worship along with life building/Christian building skills.
The above was written yesterday; the below is today's story:
Today we woke up and ran errands. Agape was given some carpets for the house, and we had to run into town to have the ends sewn so they would not unravel. Sasha, Vadim, Anton, Alona, Bill and I all went. We were in the open air market MAZE. I am so very thankful that Bill and I did not have to try and do this alone, as we would have been lost for sure. Wow!!!
I know we were a spectacle. Each one of us had a roll of carpet and people in the shops kept making comment and kind of giggling at us. Can you imagine five people in small, narrow, winding paths with roll's of carpet on their shoulder's making their way to the carpet store? Very, very funny.
While Alona waited for the carpets to be sewn the boys took us shopping. Bill wanted an official Russian fur hat. He decided that he looks very Russian now. Afterward we took the boys and Alona to McDonalds in the next town about 30 minutes away. I wish Bill and I were better at bringing our camera everywhere. After grabbing a table, Bill worked with the boys trying to order. Most of them have never ordered at a fast food restaurant before AND most of them ordered two sandwiches. After we ate we all had ice-cream. I wish, I wish I had a picture to show you the smiles that were on their faces and the wonderful full bellies. They all fell asleep in the van on the way home. God is working!
We got home and everyone took some quiet time in their rooms until dinner. Bill and I watched a movie (yeah english).
It is now after dinner, and we are sitting around doing puzzles and playing with the iPad's photo booth. We will hopefully figure out how to attach some of the photo's.
We are also attaching a picture of the INSIDE of the front door; crazy. That's ice you see! Did we mention that it's cold here?
Bill and I bought six pairs of gloves yesterday (thank you small group). The boys and Andrey were so excited they were wearing them around in the house. Today they came to great use.
Thats it for now. Tomorrow is church and whatever God wants us to do.
Karen & Bill
It has been so cold here lately (I think that you have all heard) we have had problems with the van starting. So a couple of nights ago a gentleman from Agape came over and between him and Bill they were able to get it started. At first we were disappointed that we did not have a van because we were not able to run some errands, but we soon realized what a blessing it was because we got to spend a lot of time reconnecting with the kids that we got to know in September, and we were able to become friends with the new kids.
Yesterday morning I spent about two hours with Alona and three of the kids learning english. At the moment the teaching is a bit scattered until we are able to buy a copier and print copies for homework. We sat around learning until everyone's brain's were full.
We have a a little more time with the kids during the day then we normally will, since all the schools are closed because of the cold. Most of the schools do not have very good heat.
At one point one of the boys remembered the jigsaw puzzle that we bought for them in October, that was about half done when we left, and they wanted us to help them get it started again (Bill had the bright idea of getting a 1,500 piece one and I think it is a bit overwhelming for them at times). I was at the puzzle with a couple of the girls and a couple of the boys and Bill spent most of the night with Sasha being....for lack of a better word... MEN!!!
We have a better understanding of why some of the boys are no longer in the Joshua House (where we're living). Before Andrey and Alona became the house parents there was a different couple here that apparently had no rules, and all of the boys basically did whatever they wanted. This does not go along with what Agape is trying to accomplish at the transitional centers. Agape is trying to give the boys and girls a sense of family that works together in a household, while teaching them Christian values. This means chores, schedules, rules, etc... Some of the boys decided that they liked being able to do what they wanted, so they they have chosen to live on their own. We are happy to say they are all still going to Friends Club, a Christian club that has praise and worship along with life building/Christian building skills.
The above was written yesterday; the below is today's story:
Today we woke up and ran errands. Agape was given some carpets for the house, and we had to run into town to have the ends sewn so they would not unravel. Sasha, Vadim, Anton, Alona, Bill and I all went. We were in the open air market MAZE. I am so very thankful that Bill and I did not have to try and do this alone, as we would have been lost for sure. Wow!!!
I know we were a spectacle. Each one of us had a roll of carpet and people in the shops kept making comment and kind of giggling at us. Can you imagine five people in small, narrow, winding paths with roll's of carpet on their shoulder's making their way to the carpet store? Very, very funny.
While Alona waited for the carpets to be sewn the boys took us shopping. Bill wanted an official Russian fur hat. He decided that he looks very Russian now. Afterward we took the boys and Alona to McDonalds in the next town about 30 minutes away. I wish Bill and I were better at bringing our camera everywhere. After grabbing a table, Bill worked with the boys trying to order. Most of them have never ordered at a fast food restaurant before AND most of them ordered two sandwiches. After we ate we all had ice-cream. I wish, I wish I had a picture to show you the smiles that were on their faces and the wonderful full bellies. They all fell asleep in the van on the way home. God is working!
We got home and everyone took some quiet time in their rooms until dinner. Bill and I watched a movie (yeah english).
It is now after dinner, and we are sitting around doing puzzles and playing with the iPad's photo booth. We will hopefully figure out how to attach some of the photo's.
We are also attaching a picture of the INSIDE of the front door; crazy. That's ice you see! Did we mention that it's cold here?
Bill and I bought six pairs of gloves yesterday (thank you small group). The boys and Andrey were so excited they were wearing them around in the house. Today they came to great use.
Thats it for now. Tomorrow is church and whatever God wants us to do.
Karen & Bill
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Day One
Feb 1, 2012 (Day One in Kherson)
It took us three days but we finally made it to Kherson. We left Colorado on Sunday the 29th and arrived in Kiev on the 30th. From the airport we took a cab to our wonderful friend Karen Springs’ uncles home. We informed her that if she was to show up at Grace Place, most of the members would know her because of the hospitality she has shown all of us. We met her cousins, three very smart, well behaved and friendly children, and had a lot of fun talking with them.
After resting up, and having lunch in Kiev with Karen, we took the 9:45 p.m. train to Kherson. We didn’t have any trouble finding the right train and the right car, but imagine if you can Bill taking two 50# suitcases, at the same time, down a hallway that barely fits one. Oh my. I think it was a bit frustrating, but we kept thinking of Kris Stoesz‘ comment about their giggles on the trains, and that helped. We had many giggles of our own, and a few outbursts of laughter.
We’ve heard many stories about the “shake and bake”, most of them not pleasant, but for me it wasn’t bad at all. First, I like being warm, and I think the rocking of the train put me to sleep. I got into bed, said good night to Bill, and was sound asleep for the night.
Bill, on the other hand, was sweating so much he took the duct tape and taped off the heating vents. The rocking motion woke him up rather than putting him to sleep.
I know God was really watching out for us since we ended up in a train car where no one was smoking so we didn’t need to tape the door shut. Speaking of smoking; do you remember when Coloradans were allowed to smoke in restaurants? When we had lunch with Karen Springs I kept looking for the non-smoking area. It was right next to the smoking area. Funny how we forget...
Wednesday morning, now the first of February, Andre’ (the Kherson house parent) met us at the train station and waited for Alex Fedorchuk with us. It was FREEZING COLD! One degree above zero, and very humid and windy. Welcome to Ukraine!
We arrived at the Joshua House with lots of hugs waiting for us. We’re sad to learn that about half of the boys we lived with in October have moved out, but there are others that have moved in that we will get to love on.
One of the new girls need a lot of hugs. She is not quite sure what to do when I hug her but she is friendly and we started to talk (neither of us speaks the other’s language) and hang out a bit in the evening.
Everyone worked hard prior to our return. Our bedroom and bathroom are very clean and we have curtains in the windows. They have been turning the house into a home, by hanging pictures on the walls and putting plants on the window sills. It really looks great.
The kids seem happy and healthy, and we are excited to start doing God’s work in their lives.
God Bless you all,
Karen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)