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.

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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

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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.

Day of Worship

Today is a day of worship for the team and House of Mercy.We get up early and eat ready for breakfast. Then headed out to church for worship. Today is The Lord's supper. Thus, we had a chance to part take communion with out Ukrainian brothers a sisters.

After worship, we headed back to House of Mercy children centre to have lunch. Then team meeting and some relaxation and of course the tradition of a friendly football game. (In Ukraine and most parts of the world, we call this football)

Football is the most important sport in Ukraine. Basically, everyone plays football since they were kids like hockey in Canada. You can imagine the intensity of such a game among Ukraine children. Winning the game is important to some of the youth and even adult players.

We had a very busy game. It was good that we split the Canadian team into both side. Otherwise, we will have a tough time to catch up with them. At the end, we tied the game and went into sudden death penalty shoot out. But still tied the game. Thus, like what Vasya said at the end of the game.....friendship won.

My muscles are quite sore after the game. Tomorrow I will see how my muscle's situation.For me, I feel like I have more exercise in two weeks stay in Ukraine than the whole year in Canada. ;)

Tomorrow, we will be starting a busy day at both Roma day camp and visitation and also House of Mercy discipleship program. Both teams were busy preparing and getting ready for another busy week.....

Please continue to pray for us and our team work to keep up with the mission and program.

Some of us are quite tired physically. Thus, we really need your prayers to sustain us all.Here is quite summary for next week:

1. House of Mercy discipleship program for full week.2. Roma day camp for Monday and Tuesday ( say around 150 to 200 children in total)3. Visitation for both Roma and House of Mercy team4. House of Mercy staff retreat for Wednesday and Thursday.5. Mission team cooking dinner for everyone for Friday dinner.6. Talent night on Friday.7. Departure on Sat. to Budapest. Overnight stay in Budapest.8. Early morning flight on August 11, 2013 Sunday morning from Budapest to Amsterdam to Calgary.

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House of Mercy's new kitchen

There has been many improvements each time we come back to House of Mercy. Over the last year, they have been renovating the kitchen and building a new kitchen.This new kitchen is bigger. it has the six stove commercial range tops with two ovens along giant freezers and fridge, big counter tops and many upgrades.

Now they can prepare food without worrying about the oven fuse will burnt or over heated...nor that the kitchen will be or crowded.

They are also improving the playground for the children. A Sweden company donated the playground equipment. They are in the process of building this playground for them.

Ukraine team reunion

After the week long program, both House of Mercy and Roma teams united again last night.

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Roma Camp - Our incredible translators and helpers....

In order to run the Roma camp, not only we need lots of prayers but also many translators and helpers to support the whole ministry.Thus, we like to salute all our helpers no translators from Ukraine. We could not do this without their dedications and inputs.

So...our Big thank you to Lera, Joshua, Andriana, Mark, Sasha and Joshua. They are the one who translates for us with the Roma teens. Without them, this Roma Camp will not be possible.

We thank God for their faithful ministry. By the way, Lera took the time to help us during her critical time of law school entrance exam. And Andriana had to spend her birthday in the Roma Camp instead spending time with her family. Joshua, a missionary pastor son from Korea, spent his time at Roma Camp and missed his sister, Esther's birthday. He is on fire for God and is one of the most mature spiritually 15 years old I met.

Of course, we are thankful for Mark and Sasha's multi talents. Sasha, our super power hero that can drag most of the firewood in one go up the hill all the way to the camp fire pit. He can carry three large pieces of luggage up the house of mercy stairs with ease, knit and be a handy man.Mark can sing, dance, translate, play guitar and knit.....They made our Camp so much more meaningful and fun.

We are truly grateful for all of them.

Picture time:Lera enjoying the card craft timeMark and Sasha both excel in their multi talents including knitting......Mark and Sasha checking out the quality of the craft materials....Andriana spent her special birthday with us in the Roma Camp.Joshua trying the guitar.....

Roma Camp Day Four Campfire!

You want a real campfire? Come to Ukraine.We Canadians have sissy campfires that only come up to our hips at best. Ukrainian campfires though...

That kid in the background is Zhenya, the smallest kid at the camp coming up to no higher than my shoulder - so four and some feet? Whatever. Big Brother Campfire looms over him.

Uncle Tomson isn't in the picture, but he and Sasha have just stepped back from lighting it. The branches piled in the campfire come up to their heads easily. Here's Sasha checking the tinder before the campfire gets lit:

And once the fire gets going?

Firebird Suite time; heh heh heh...

Here, have some more pictures of us preparing and enjoying the campfire.

Roma Camp - Prodigal son special

Here is the trailer screen shots of the Roma camp version of the prodigal son.

Day Four Pictures Continued

Presentations were incredible. In addition to music presentations, we also had skits about the Prodigal Son and about the Passion.

Roma camp - Day 4 (Action hero - Bin Wang)

Day 4 ... More pictures of Bin in action.Bin is alone without the teens.....Bin is proud showing off the workmanship of the wooden tool boxes.Bin is helping teens with their craft project.Bin is doing a solo act on the message of the crossBin is starting a fire for the Camp fire (but later had to stop due to not meeting the Ukrainian's bonfire specifications)Bin is in a drama with the Roma teens.

Roma Camp - Day 4 (part 1)

Roma camp day 4 pictures.Lisa was our main teacher today where she focus on heroes help others. The craft was a blast even our helpers are amazed and excited of all the craft materials Lisa provided.

Roma camp girls evening fellowship

We have Roma Camp bedside fellowship for boys and girls. For Wednesday night, we have girls outdoor fellowship.Also a picture of one of the boys bedside fellowship.

Roma Camp - Day 3 continued.

It is another busy day in the Roma camp. Morning was great. Weather has cooled off a bit, but still can feel the strong heat under the sun. Like what Andrew was saying...it is truly amazing to see the Roma teenagers catching with the worship songs. Not only the worship songs, but also the drama that they will be presenting for prodigal son and passion play.Life skill workshop has good success with the wooden tool box where all the boys learned about making measurements, cutting, sawing, pre drilling and setting screws for the wooden box.

Some even decorate the box with fancy colors and cool design. A couple of girls seems to mastering the knitting skills while most of them are still in learning mode.

Here are a few pictures to give you a glimpse of today's Roma camp actions...

An Unforgettable Opportunity

In addition to our lessons on the life of David, we want to give the kids a chance to be leaders, so we've been training them for drama and music. The opportunity comes this week and next - the kids will be performing skits and worship music to each other, and then to their camps. And we hope that when we're done, they can do this without us guiding them, making them true leaders and heroes.Under the tutelage of Bin and Tomson, the groups have been making progress doing skits about the Prodigal Son parable and on the Passion of Christ. Uncle Tomson can tell you more about how they are doing so far.

With Aunty Lisa and I, we've been training the kids to be worship leaders. Retaining the theory (really, just principals of worship leadership) has been a bit harder than expected, but the practical aspects of actually singing and presenting music to others has been much easier. These guys have been surprising me with how quickly they get better with music - and how much energy and fun they have from worship. Rowdiness is more a feature than a disadvantage with them.

On a great side-note, thanks to our interpreters being our go-between with the kids and us, we've had the side effect of also training our interpreters into becoming great dramatists and worship leaders as well - complete without expecting or planning for it at all. To me, it's just another little way that God is moving in the short term mission He's assigned to us, producing more good than even we expected, and rewarding both his servants and those who receive his message incredibly.

...And now I have to go. I think the kids are running around in towels and little else after their evening shower. Discipline in the camp is great, but only after we talk to them about the "rrrrrrrrrrrules!"

Roma Camp - Day 3 (part 1)

Roma team updateThe morning of the Day 3 we have awesome time together with our Roma teens. Andrew led our worship time and taught them new song.

Then we had some bible lesson on David. Heroes do what is right.

Day 3: Today's lesson

Thank you Uncle Tomson for clarifying what was going on yesterday!You may or may not know by now, but our lessons focus on the life of David spread out over the camp's week, using him as an example to inspire our kids to be leaders and heroes in their own Roma communities.

Day 1 was going over how David was chosen to be king of Israel through the prophet Samuel, and how God's gifts to us help us become heroes.

Day 2 - which was where those pictures with no explanation were - was the duel between David and Goliath, telling us how heroes trust in God. (Bin looks like he's having so much fun, by the way, showing how David's sling struck down "Goliath"-Sasha)

Day 3, today's lesson, will focus on how David chose not to kill King Saul when David was fleeing for his life, and how heroes know what the right thing to do is because they listen to God's word.

Wow, it's almost 2 over here! That means carpentry for boys and knitting for girls is about to start! I'll best be leaving now, before I arrive late and have to do push ups!

Look forward to pictures and more logs tonight!

Day 3 - Roma team prayer items

Prayers are key to our mission....What do you do if there are teenagers who believe they don't have God in their lives but only devil?

What do you do if there are no hope in their lives but miseries?.... We PRAY....

Please pray for our Roma teensPray for their salvation (Jesus is the Way, the Truth)Pray for hope and deliverance (only by the power of the Holy Spirit)Pray the Roma team and helpers (our coordination and team work)Pray for the strength and wisdom for all of us here...

Roma Day 2 - part 3

Just a few more pictures for Roma Camp...please pray for our Roma teens by name.

Roma Camp Day 2 - part 2

Day 2 Roma Camp summaryWe thank God for the weather for 2nd day. It was a lot cooler with overcast and occasional sun. We were grateful for the weather as it allows us to stay focus more. First day was tough to get all the teens focus. In the morning, we prayed during the the team devotion time.

In singing time, we decided to add the Ukrainian sounds to the English song to help the teens to get to sing better with the song.

God answered our prayers and worked among the teens. They were a lot more focus and into the program. Today we continue to learn about David and his life through drama, play and singing.

Bin did a great as our main teacher today. Andrew continued his wonderful song leading with the teens. We had to reinforce a lot of the rules as there were teenagers wants to test the boundaries.

In life skill project, girls learnt about knitting and boys learnt about wood work. We had a great time together.

In leadership training, they continue to learn song leading and drama. Here are some more snap shots...for the second day...