Weekend Activities

We had a great weekend full of worship, classes, and game night. Our high school and college age girls are doing an intensive study called "Breaking Free" which involves daily homework. We reward those who do their homework with chocolate and we also had a fondue party after class on Saturday.

For game night we had an evening or tournaments; games included "Paper, Scissors, Rock," "Thumb War," ping pong, air hockey, Mario Cart Racing, etc. We had a worship set led by Pasha, Leanna, and Ignat. It was an evening of food, fun, and fellowship, enjoyed by all.

Gifts for the Children at Hope Orphanage

Today we took duffel bags loaded with flip flops, a large towel (one kid said, "Wow, it is so big."), a package of underwear, a toothbrush and plastic case, toothpaste, and soap with a plastic case. The kids will all attend camp this summer and this was a great start for their packing. The kids were all excited and could not hide their smiles. It was a little heartbreaking to see them so excited about towels; my kids take towels for granted. Thanks to our sponsors who generously share each month so that the children can have these blessings. It was quite humbling to see the kids so excited about these basic items and it reminded us that Jesus was right when he said it is blessed to serve "the least of these." One girl, who is not yet sponsored, asked us, "Will everyone receive a bag, or is it just for these children?" That was heartbreaking. We still need 25 more sponsors. If you have friends who might be willing to sponsor a child, why not ask them and share your joy to be a sponsor with them.

Neighborhood Clean-up

For the past week the weather has been wonderful in Gorlovka and we have made good use of it. We have removed old bricks from the garden, hauled them off and replaced them with three hundred new ones. We also spread eight tons of topsoil in the garden area and created a new flower bed. We moved eight tons of sand to create a volleyball court in the area adjacant to the playground and fill up the playground sandbox. We hauled and spread twenty tons of gravel all over the premises and tonight another twenty tons was delivered. We have our work cut out for us tomorrow. Thankfully there are a lot of neighbors and church members who help out with these projects. Also our teens and every little kid in the neighborhood help as well. Sometimes we have to be patient with the little ones, but it is important that they learn the value of serving in the name of Jesus.

Sparrow's Hope Store

Yesterday we restocked the Sparrow's Hope store at Hope Orphanage. The kids can shop at the store several times a month using the credits they earn from doing their chores and other work. Several of the kids helped us haul all the supplies to the store which is on the fourth floor of the orphanage. They all hung around to watch as we filled the shelves. They also asked for a "sneak peak" of the new items so that they would know in advance what they may want to purchase. It has been fun for us to shop for items to go in the store. Every time we go shopping we are on the hunt for good things for the kids. It is also fun to see the kids shop at the store - they are so grateful for the opportunity. Thanks to all our sponsors who make it all possible.