North Shore

So this weekend I am up on the North Shore enjoying company with girlfriends and celebrating 40th birthdays (3 of the 5 of us are turning 40 this year - Amy and Sara last week and Kristin later this year in Nov). Gail and I have already had the pleasure of that milestone birthday.

This is the view from our cabin. Most of the snow that was here in January when Tom and I were here is now gone. This taken yesterday when we arrived now looks like someone sprinkled powdered sugar on it. Although the light snow is pretty today it is pretty gray out. We are enjoying the fireplace, having had to call for more wood twice already! (So nice they deliver it to the door!) Playing cards and watching good chick flick movies our husbands just roll their eyes at (but we love them just the same!). Later this morning we will venture out for a bit to Two Harbors to visit the gift shoppes and maybe - weather depending venture up to Gooseberry Falls. There is plenty of water going over the falls this time of year so it would be a sight to see, but having run out for a couple pictures this morning it is a bit chilly out for a hike.

I hope you all are having as a delightful weekend as I am!

Recipe Swap

This is my first ever recipe swap. I am excited to get this one back (due to arrive soon) to have a selection to not only show off to my customers, but to get all the yummy recipes my SA Sisters are sharing! I am not sure whose idea it was to do all the cutting out of the chef x2 and the little "burgers" but I am certain it was putzy.
Now the grilled burger recipe has been in the family for years and years, but we really cannot take any credit for it. My parents have been married for 45 years and my mom or Nana got the recipe out of the newspaper before then. Some of my friends dubbed them Lisa Burgers, but I cannot take the credit for this yummy recipe at all. I do have to say that this is the first thing I made for my now husband. :) I hope my SA Sisters enjoy them as much as we do all summer long.

Simply Scrappin'

Circles cut using the Circle Scissor Plus and the Scallop Big Shot Die.

Simply Scrappin' Kits are just what they say! Due to my jet lagged brain and well, really I can't use that as the excuse...I booked a scrap demo before leaving on my trip that was scheduled for just 2 days after getting home and I neglected to prepare for it. Okay - well I at least had an idea about what materials I was going to use because I did get them ordered before leaving.

So the night before my demo I opened my Simply Scrappin' Kit - Sunshine Garden and tossed together in just a very short time these few layouts. No stamping here at all, just the kit, some ribbon and a couple of buttons. I think they turned out pretty cute for a quick project!

Goodbye to Kherson

Monday morning is goodbye to Kherson and our interpreters. We have come to love them as a part of our family this week and there are many tears and hugs and lots of laughs too. The interpreters join us for breakfast today and we toast to each of them. I can say with my heart I hope each of them has an opportunity to work with the Gain teams in the future, their help and friendship was valuable and appreciated.

This photo is of the whole team, interpreters included. :) Our week has grown us all closer together and closer to God.

Sunday in Kherson

Sunday in Kherson. Our last full day here is spent with our interpreters first at church services and then to their homes afterward to share a meal and meet their families. Today is also a special holiday in Ukraine, International Women's Day (March 8th). This a holdover holiday of the former soviet union, honors all women. At church the women in our group were honored right along with the rest of the congregation with a gift of a porcelain mug made in Ukraine with pretty blue flowers painted on one side.

We had a bit of time for sightseeing this morning and a brief walk through a market too. Church did not begin until 1pm.

Olga was a gracious hostess and her husband Sergey helped with the kitchen chores (in honor of Women's Day). :) We ate yummy borsch and another dumpling dish filled with pork. She made homemade bread for us too! And you can never say no to the chocolates over there, these dark chocolate with hazelnuts.

Saturday's Ministry

Today we are working with House of Hope, reaching out to the neediest in the area delivering clothing and food donated by Gain. Each small group (5 groups today using all of our interpreters) and a representative from HofH will visit 3 families. We were able to spend a little time at each place just visiting and sharing the love of Chirst with them while delivering the aid.
Their stories vary from having a single parent with a small income that doesn't meet medical and food bills with a disabled child (whom does not receive a government disablity check becasue she has not yet be classified as to what is specifically wrong with her), to one working for the railroad and not knowing if she will have a job much longer to another who's job has not paid them in 3 months - they keep working though because there is a hope they will get paid vs not having a job and for certain not getting paid.
Our first and second families were in the same building. No elevator, walking up to the 3rd and 4th floors. Then into a common area shared by 5 families - one kitchen, one bathroom, shared by these 5 families and the rooms off the common area being 10x14 for two twin beds that are shared and everything they own crammed into this space. Both of these families have 3 children at home. The second family we learned has a son who was at a boarding house (sanitorium) for mentally disabled young that we had visited this week.
Dasha and her one brother Vitaly road in the mini bus with us back towards the HofH kids center after our visit so they could have some lunch.
The 3rd family we visited has 4 children and one of them diabled. The mama works very hard to keep her family well and together, but it is hard for her having to stay at home to care for her disabled daughter. The two youngest kids 11 & 12 made a card for each of us - which is really special to me since it is one of my hobbies. Before leaving I was honored to be able to hold one of their new puppies! I would say just about 4 weeks old with eyes just open, but not yet walking or weaned from mama dog.
Please keep House of Hope in your prayers. The community outreach and compassion they have is outstanding and my prayer is for provision to them so they can continue loving people for Christ.

Friday's Ministry Sites

Well now the week is winding down, but we still have 2 sites today and a special ministry day tomorrow.

Two more boarding schools today. The first site a delight to share with the younger children here. Their biggest need here is food. A lot of the things we see at these sites have been donated from one ministry or another. The beds in this dormatory were donated from another group. This is a typical dormatory room. This site had a small office in the middle from the hall with a room off to either side of that office. One for girls, the other for the boys.

Our afternoon site we visit a group of kids a lot of whom have been brought here from the streets. House of Hope has been an influence on these kids to a great extent and many of them have already heard the message of salvation and could recite it to us. We were able to reinforce what they have already learned. They were excited about the carepacks of school supplies and children's bibles.

Thursday's Ministry Sites

We start today at an Elderly home. Here the folks are unable to care for themselves without assistance and have no family to care for them. Unlike here in the states, most elderly family is cared for in the homes of other family members.

These folks were happy to see our young faces and smiled huge smiles as we sang to them. We shared the gospel, talked and gave hygiene carepacks to each of them.

Yelaina was a dear sweet lady, 89 years old whose story broke my heart. During presumably WWII, her baby daughter was killed in her arms by bomb shrapnel and while fleeing from those bombs she had to bury her in the woods without a priest or funeral. As you can imagine even after all this time she cried while telling the story, demonstrating with her arms how she was holding her dear little girl.

A home connection was also made at this site. When I announced that I was from Minnesota one of the staff had family in Duluth and has been to Minnesota herself. She talked about the lake (Superior) and the lift bridge.

This afternoon's boarding school we tried shoes sent from Gain on the children. We saw two groups here - the older children were split into 3 groups and then we all saw the younger children in one larger group. When talking about who we are and where we are from we use one of these cloth maps. On the reverse side is the United States so they can see closer up the states (regions) we each came from.

This guy here was in the back corner of the class and when given anything from the team he kissed and then hugged each and every item.

Tonight at dinner we are joined by Andrew, Galina and Natasha (not the one pictured with the interpreters) from House of Hope. Andrew spoke to us about his testimony and life and about House of Hope and how it started with Galina and Natasha trying to provide a safe place to get the kids off the streets and either into homes or into boarding schools where they would be fed, clothed and educated rather than prostituted. The ministry has grown and has a kids center when the kids can come for recreation, meals and a community outreach for the needy.

Wednesday' Ministry Sites

Wednesday morning we were off and running beginning at a hospital. We split into two groups, one headed for a unit for children being cared for before being placed in a baby house or orphanage and the other group to the Opthamology department. There we saw many who were being treated as outpatients, so with their families with them for their appointments. I had the opportunity to share one on one the gospel message with a young lady named Katya (Kate). After praying the salvation prayer, Sergey who interpreted for me commented that he could really see in her eyes that she meant it, that she accepted the gift of Christ. We praise the Lord and pray the seeds we plant are grown to maturity in a personal relationship with Christ.

At the hospital site we meet with Father Sergey, an Orthodox Priest whom we are partnering with here. Dave and Fr Sergey look through the clothing aid boxes while Fr Sergey gets a smile out of placing his hat on Dave. His church is the chapel on the hospital grounds. He works alongside other Pastors in the area doing community outreach, together regardlets of demonination.

Another boarding school in the afternoon. This one we all cram into a classroom for a group presentation. As you can see we don't have much room in here to move around! After presenting the gospel and passing out carepacks and bibles the team heads to a play room where we put out the bears for the children to receive later.

On our way back to Kherson we stopped at a beach on the Black Sea. A popular spot in the summer months to escape the heat of the indoors without air conditioning.

Our interpreters from left to right: Natasha, Alla, Sergey, Irina, Natasha from House of Hope and Olga.

Tonight we had a free night. Before dinner we tried to get into an internet cafe and arrived to find out they closed in just minutes. Most of the team ate dinner at Nobel in Kherson. A few went for pizza (which most of the rest of us will do later in the week). It was a nice evening of fellowship with each other and our interpreters.

Tuesday's Ministry Sites

Our first boarding school this morning no photos were allowed. The children here were physically handicapped to many different degrees. A lot in wheelchairs and using walkers or crutches. We met many of the children in an auditorium where we were able to greet them and share the gospel. The team handed out carepacks, bears and childrens bibles. We received a tour of their crafts classroom and were thanked at the end of our visit by the director and each of us received an art piece that the students had done.

The afternoon site was further out in the country. There my group met with children from 7 and up to 13. We enjoyed sharing with them about America and ourselves and they sang a couple of songs for us. We gave backpacks with carepack inside, children's bibles, and the always popular bears. One of this sites biggest needs was food, especially fresh fruit for the kids.

Tuesday evening at dinner we were joined by Father Sergey and his wife. We will be working with Father Sergey at the hospital where his chapel is on Wednesday morning. He shared with us his community ministry outreach that teams with pastors from other churches in the area to help meet the needs of the people there.

Baby House & Children's Shelter

Our first day of ministry got off to an easy start with a visit to a baby house where the children are kept until their fourth year. Sergey’s (one of our interpreters) youngest sister had been adopted by his parents from this orphanage, and he knew the director and the facility. We were treated very hospitably and the children were a delight to visit. The GAiN boxes and wheel chairs were out on display and many thanks were relayed to us for this aid. We split into smaller groups and soon many of the children were being held. My team headed for the "special needs" children. The children were in play time so we were able to get down on the floor with them to play and interact. Nazar and Vanya have downs and were such fun tossing balls. A few we saw were in cribs, some with CP and some blind, or blind and deaf. Alina captured my heart. She was aprox 14 months old, blind, loved to suck on her little fingers and had such a sweet smile when talked to or held. We gave gifts of teddy bears to the infants and gospel explanations to the care givers. Later we were treated to chai in fine china cups and cookies. Karla experienced another joy in the kitchen as all four cooks prayed the prayer of repentance. Then it was back to the bus for our sack lunch, but the bus would not start. So we had time to eat our lunch without the usual bumpy jostling.
I should explain that years ago it was put on the heart of one of our dear sisters to not forget about those giving care behind the scenes. The apron ministry was born - the aprons have pockets in the colors of the gospel bead bracelets and each pocket is an explanation of the color. We designate a team member to visit all the kitchens to share our praise for their care of the children and to share the love of Christ who died for them as well as us.
One group got on a “mastruka” or mini bus to collect supplies at House of Hope and then visit a hospital. They limited us to a small number to the rest of us enjoyed a stop at a park while waiting to meet back up for the last site of the day.
The last site was a shelter. Due to an outbreak of chicken pox, only those of us who had contracted chicken pox previously were allowed to go into the youth shelter. These children are temporarily cared for at state expense until one parent is again able to resume custody. The children are not at fault, but simply victims of parental indiscretion. Often it is a single mother who has received a short jail term and thus no other care is available for the child. There were older siblings here taking on the role of guardian for younger ones. I have never had chicken pox, so this one I had to sit out on the bus. During the visit one of our team spoke to a young lady Lila. In their conversation, when asked what she wanted to become, Lila replied that she wanted to go to school to join the police force so that she could protect children from abuse. I am certain there are reasons unspoken for her passion to pursue this career at 13 years old. I pray she can fulfill her dream.
The bus thankfully worked well the remainder of the trip.

Ukraine Notes

We are experiencing some connectivity issues today so we'll see how far I get.

Mar 1
The road to Kherson
After eating breakfast in Odessa we boarded our transportation for the week and headed out for Kherson. Our driver this week is Ura. Along the way we came upon a mile or more convoy of trucks parked along side the road. We learned later they were parked there in protest of the rising fuel costs and the previous weeks protest was in the capital city Kiev and there they blocked traffic.
During the bus ride we gathered in our small groups. In my group Bill and Adelle have been many times to Ukraine and for Marilyn this is her first time. This is my 2nd trip to Ukraine and my 4th trip with Gain. We arrived in Kherson to the Frigat Hotel, overlooking the Dnieper River. We stashed our stuff in our rooms and then after lunch met our interpreters for the time in Kherson. Olga, Natasha, Alla and Sergi. Our bus guide, Irina and our ministry partner representative from House of Hope, Natasha joined us the following morning.

First I will pass on my bit of understanding and I may be not completely accurate, but the general idea is this – the following are all orphanages, but for different ages: Baby House 0-3 years, Kindergarten 4-6 years and Boarding House 7-16 years. The children live, eat etc and attend classes all on one site. Some are orphaned due to having no living parents, some have been removed from parental custody and some have been abandoned or custody voluntarily relinquished.
Although the sites have been pre-arranged for our visits and delivery of aid, things are ALWAYS subject to change, thus the theme word for all of the trips is “Flex”. We have a general plan of how we would like to interact with the children, but some site directors have their own ideas and we do whatever we can with the circumstances we encounter when we arrive. And unfortunately, sometimes we are not allowed to come, even after all the preparations – and thus too the reasons vary.

Travel and Arrival

Feb 27 started early. Before ya'll were even thinking of getting out of bed I was awake and on my way to the airport. And in good Minnesota fashion, it had to snow the evening before leaving, which stranded fellow travelers Bill and Adelle at our lovely airport for the night. They were coming from CA and missed their connecting flight in MN enroute to NY. With the wind and the travel time required they stayed at the airport and I stayed home (albeit only for a few more hours) until I had to head that way for my own flight.

Now as a result of the wind and snow my first flight from MSP to Atlanta was delayed in taking off for de-icing. Tick tock...arrive in Atlanta running for the connecting flight - changing terminals to of course the one farthest from where I landed...get to the gate and am hurried onto the plane. I said "thanks for waiting" to the gate agent and was told we were waiting for a crew member before taking off and otherwise I would have missed the flight. The weather had delayed the original flight crew and the one on the plane was called in at the last minute. By God's design of course!

The group all met up together at JFK in NY and our journey together began. We flew on Czech Air through Prague to Odessa, Ukraine. After the long flight and a layover for a few hours in the Prague airport we arrived safely, tired and all but one bag in tow. Gratefully, the one bag arrive later in the week and was even delivered to the hotel in Kherson.

We spent the remainder of the arrival day in Odessa at the Black Sea Hotel, had dinner and blissfully slept.

Now I know you want more than the travel blah, blah, blah and there will be more to come later when I get a chance to get back online. The photo is out of our room window in Odessa. The traditional onion dome of the churches. This one now under some renonvation. I have the same view from 3 years ago too!

Home from Ukraine

I am now home, safe and sound, bags in tow. A bit jet-lagged, but not too bad. Landing at 11:30pm helps with that, you get home and get to go to bed right away for the whole night and hopefully changing to the correct time zone transition will be easier.
I am looking forward to sharing with you my stories from Ukraine - please be patient as I adjust to my regular life and spend some much missed time with Tom.
Thank you all for your prayers.

Ukraine

Privet from Kherson!
We have been having a wonderful experience here in Ukraine, so sorry we have not been able to get to an internet cafe before now. We tried the other evening and they were closing in just a few minutes and I was not able to get posted.
So in a nutshell, we all arrived safely, only one piece of baggage did not leave NY, but has just today arrived in Kherson. The team of 14, plus intrepreters, bus guide and of course Oksana are all well and a very cohesive team. We have been at two ministry sites a day all week and tomorrow we will be partnering with House of Hope here in Kherson to make deliveries of aid to some peoples homes. Sunday we will church with our interpreters and join them in their homes for dinner.
Thank you all so much for your prayers. We can feel them here and are so blessed to have this opportunity. I cannot wait to get home and tell you more about each day and share a few photos too. There is just too much to say here right now and we have still to have dinner - tonight Olga (my interpreter) is taking Rhonda and I to a pizza place for dinner.
Love, Lisa