One of the hardest thing to do at House of Mercy is to say goodbye...
Camp fire closing night
At the end of the night, we also have camp fire and singing and testimony time before we close the night and this year's STM.
House of Mercy talent night
As the end the end of the Ukraine STM, we close with a talent night and life skills show for House of Mercy.
Canadian Team Chinese dinner at House of Mercy
It was a busy yet exciting day for the Friday at House of Mercy. As the discipleship program wraps up, we works on our Chinese dinner pulling. All hands on deck to make this happen.To cook for a big group of people, we basically start cooking at around 1:00 pm until 7:00pm for the dinner.
We had a great time sharing our Canadian Chinese food with our friends in Ukraine.
Packing day redux - Thoughts
It's time to pack again, as the title says. This time, it's to pack to return to Canada.There are some trivial similarities. Same bags, almost the same people, clothes, items, etcetera. We're having fun (which seems to be, excitably, the norm, whenever both teams are together), and we've got music playing in the background - though this time, it's Crystal's "older" music instead of VBS songs.
It feels somewhat lonelier, though.
Coming here, I was nervous, not too certain about how the experience would be, how I would help, who would help me. I was excited, eager to apply what gifts God has given me in his service.
Now that our time here is coming to an end (for this year), having gone through these two weeks with people I have just met and come to know, I've built bonds. Bonds which my other team members here have had for several years. I think I can understand why they love to keep coming back.
Before I began taking part in STM preparation back in early spring, I was told that even though we come every year intending to give of ourselves to Ukraine, God is so generous that He gives back to us even more than what we first gave in our time here. We end up going back home not just having blessed others, but, through God's will, being blessed ourselves as well. It was something that I thought was strange at the time, and perhaps even a bit confusing to expect out of a mission trip. On reflection now, though, it feels very natural, and I am nothing but thankful for it.
And what more can I say? Though there are certainly many details, I will refrain from recounting them here, so that what I have already written can stand for itself. Let this post for now be testament to God being at work in Ukraine.
The night before the Canadian Team Chinese Dinner
Keeping the tradition and highly anticipated STM Team Canada Chinese Dinner, we have to work hard together the night before. Actually, the planning of this Team Canada dinner started way back in Canada as part of the Ukraine STM planning.We brought along a few items from Canada, looked for some local food items while we are here and started our preparation work Thursday night....here are some snap shots of our preparation work.
Even though the pictures may not included everyone there, but everyone helped out including some of the teens in House of Mercy. This is truly a Team effort.
House of Mercy Staff Retreat Day 2
In Day 2 of House of Mercy staff retreat. We focused on the reflection time and vision casting for the next few years.We reviewed the stop, start, continue list from last year and assessed how they are doing with the action list. Then reassess the mission and goals for the next five years. We also reviewed the STM and future ministries opportunities. There was lots of open discussion among the House of Mercy staff. For sure we have an exciting and meaningful day at the retreat.
Of course we also have praise and worship time, devotion and team building exercise.
It was a great day at the conference centre even we have a few people are not feeling well. We thank God for His mercy and grace.
Can you guess what the model clay animal is?
House of Mercy - Staff Retreat Day 1 (afternoon)
After a nice lunch at the conference centre, we continued with the HOM staff retreat. The afternoon was focused on Teens mentorship and how to address teenagers problems including many topics.Also dealing with with ways to better communicate and how to help teenagers at the centre and family home.
Ukraine STM prayer items
The weather is very hot in Ukraine these last few days. Today's temperature is over 43 C under the shade. Over 70 C under the sun. Some of us are struggling with insect bites... Some of us are struggling with the heat and heat exhaustion ....some of us are struggling with some illness (flu or cold or coughing)...some of us are struggling with the stomach bug, vomiting and diarrhea....also lack of sleep or can not sleep well....Actually, a lot of children at House of Mercy are sick with stomach bugs. When I talk to Vasya and Valeria, many children are not feeling well with vomiting and stomach issues or diarrhea.
Please pray for our team members, staff, helpers and all the children at House of Mercy....the next few days forecast will be continue with high temperature and hot weather.
House of Mercy snap shots
Daniel, Pauline and Tiffany got hair cut done by Oksana...great job!
House of Mercy - Staff Retreat Day 1 morning
Today we have the House of Mercy staff retreat at a conference centre: Praha while House of Mercy team continuing with the discipleship program at the children centre.This morning we have Praise and Worship time, Devotion, team building exercise and a time of reflection....
Roma Camp Day 2
The Day 2 of the Roma Camp was at a different location where there were a mix of Roma people and Ukrainian poor families. We partnered with a location church that had been working with House of Mercy for some children meal once a week.Usually, there are about 50 children attending, but today we have more children showing up as singing started. At the end we have over 100 children at the day camp. It is amazing to see children coming in to the back yard as the program goes by.
We learnt from yesterday's program and added different crafts for different age groups. Thank God for materials provided by the House of Mercy team, we can provide additional crafts for these children.
We started off with their singing and praise and worship. Then we introduce our team along with Vasya, our local helpers Lera and Andriana. Also special helps from Solveig and Annette (Norway friends from KPK). We have singing, prayer time, Andrew's testimony, passion play drama, altar call and craft time, etc.
We thank God for about 25 to 30 children raised their hands to accept Jesus Christ. May God bless these children as they need to continue to grow in Him.
Here are some photos our Day 2 Roma Camp....
Discipleship Day 2, Visitations & Hair cuts!
Today we finished our 2nd day of discipleship. In the younger kids class, we talked about how God is just & always fair. In the teens discipleship class, we talked about dating & relationships. In the afternoon, the teens were able to ask a panel of married couples (Valera/Anja, Vova/Lisa, Colin/Tiffany) questions about dating. We were very impressed by the questions that the teens asked as it showed the real issues they are facing. In the afternoon, the House of Mercy kids also did a sand art appreciation for the staff, led by Pauline. The result is a beautiful piece of art for display that the staff can keep. Each layer represents a child who had a word of thanks for a staff member. Late afternoon, we split into 2 groups. One group went for visitations & were able to see some of the kids that came to our camp last week. It seemed that the kids were very happy to see us! We were able to give out more of Elijah's coloring books & Band-Aids to lots of the kids. You can see in the pictures that the kids have been very happy to receive them.
The second group (Dan, Pauline & Tiffany) was able to get their hair cut by Oksana, one of the teens from House of Mercy that now has a stable job as a hairdresser. She did an amazing job for all of us & we're so proud of what she has been able to achieve & the person that she has become. She is very talented & did her very best for all of us. Below we included a picture of Oksana cutting Dan's hair. We know a few of you in Canada would be very proud of what she was able to do for him!
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Team devotion
Our team devotion time Monday morning ...Psalm 29 1Ascribe to the LORD, you gods, * ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his Name; * worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; * the LORD is upon the mighty waters. 4The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; * the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor. 5The voice of the LORD breaks the cedar trees; * the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon; 6He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, * and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox. 7The voice of the LORD splits the flames of fire; the voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; * the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 8The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe * and strips the forests bare. 9And in the temple of the LORD * all are crying, "Glory!" 10The LORD sits enthroned above the flood; * the LORD sits enthroned as King for evermore. 11The LORD shall give strength to his people; * the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace.
Praying for The Young PeopleGod our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Discipleship Day 1/ Visitations
Ukraine STM 2nd week day 1 snap shots
Here are some snap shots of our week 2 day 1 (Monday) in Ukraine...
Roma Day Camp 1 continued
Continued with Roma Day camp and visitation photos...
Roma Day camp 1
Andrew will be posting a more proper Roma day camp blog soon.I will just share with you some photos...
We visited some of the Roma teens today along with running a Roma settlement day camp with around 120 to 150 kids and children. It was quite busy trying to keep them busy and interested about the day camp. Weather was quite hot. We ran our program under the hot sun for a few hours... It was quite exhausted with the weather situation.
We had singing, drama, testimony sharing and craft time with many children. Then we arrange some lunches for them before we clean up and heads back to the children centre.
In the afternoon, we also visited some Roma settlement, see the progress of a church building project and visited some needy families.
In the evening, we also went out to visit some village children and poor families.
It was a long a busy day for all of us...some of us are getting a bit "ill"Please pray for our health as we have a busy day tomorrow.
Monday Daycamp
We're now onto one-day daycamps for the Roma, where we visit individual Roma camps and host a single VBS session of crafts, music, witnessing and food!Playing the Prodigal Son, spending all his money, at the Roma Camp for Andrew, Misha, and Sasha.
Bin sharing his testimony with Roma Kids
Day 5 (final) Roma Camp Photos
Late, but only because of uploading difficulties. Many thanks to Tomson, Lisa, and Bin; Tomson mostly for editing, everyone else for their support with the blog!It was at the campfire on day 4 that we did the altar call. Eight to ten kids came to accept the Lord that day, and we also did a re-commitment for kids that came last year and that returned this year.
We decided to keep day 5 casual and familiar, so we took them out for a hike to a nearby lake.
Hiking prep. Everybody needs water, and the Ukranian diet prefers lots of sugary snacks!
The lakeside around which we hiked. Unfortunately, we don't have many other clear shots, because there are so many trees and bushes along the trail.
We encounter on our hike an actual goat herder; further emphasis on the agricultural focus of the local region.
We in North America don't touch fruit or berry bushes/trees because of potential pesticides that might be sprayed on them, or because they might belong to somebody. In Ukraine, public services pretty much never spray pesticides, and owners are very lax about fruits and berries being picked and eaten by passer-bys. Our kids demolish a blackberry bush's offspring that we encountered during the walk.
After the hike, we performed a closing ceremony with some final words from the leaders and translators. We also gave some gifts both in general to everybody and to best performing kids who listened, lead, performed as groups, kept clean rooms, etc.
Bin catches the kids attention with a magic trick before the closing ceremony begins.
Now that we cleaned up the hut and are leaving it, it feels kinda lonely looking.
