Thursday, July 28, 2011
And We're off!
We leave Hope Center in a few minutes 12:00 noon Ukraine time. We will be going to a pizza place in Kerch for lunch and then heading off to Simferopol. We will eat dinner at Simferopol at McDonald's and then head to the Airport. Our team Team Fly's out of Simferopol at 8:35 pm and fly into Keiv at 10:00pm Then we walk a few blocks to the hotel. Were we get a couple hours sleep then head back to the airport at about 3:30 to make our 5:35am flight to Frankfurt. We then have a 5 1/2 hour lay over in Frankfurt then leave at 12:55pm (which will feel like 1:55 to us) and arrive in Phillidelphia at 4:pm (But this will feel like 11 pm our time) we have a 2 hour and 15 minute lay over...which is just enough time for customs usually. Then we leave at 6:15pm and get into Minneapolis at 8:26 pm (which will feel like 4:30 am Saturday morning) by the time we get our luggage and travel home, It will feel like 6:00 am Saturday morning...but It will only be about 10 pm on Friday. So if we don't call and say to everyone Hi we are home, you will know why. Please pray for safe travels. Thanks
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Day 9
The kids left today. Most just after breakfast. A few a little later, a little less at about 4 and the rest at midnight. So today was a day to just hang out with them.
The team went on a little excursion to down town. We went to the metradat and walked around the ruins that look roman by the pillars but with out a tour guide I'm not sure. There also was the memorial about the world war and the 420 steps to go down. I have gone up in past years but in 95-100 degree heat that wasn't about to happen :o). After that we did a little shopping and came back home.
We had Shashlik (kind of like shish-kabob but way better - meat is marinated for 24-48 hours then wood is chopped and set on fire. Wait till you just have coals. Sprinkle with water and salt to make more smoke and then very slowly cook the meat, so tender and so tasty) We learned from the counselors some of the stories of the kids. I'll try to send that later to you. And we shared Smores with them. A treat as they don't really have marshmallows here and can't do that.
A few highlights that I have heard over and over again. Is that the kids love this camp. They go to a lot of camps but non christian, and this stands out to them as very different. They love that people actually pay attention to them, and are nice and don't cuss, and have interesting games for them to play. Many begged to stay for another camp. Others called their counselors less than an hour after they left and said how much they still miss it.
Also I told you I would tell you more if I knew of more kids that gave their lives to Christ. This camp seamed to have a good number of kids with some Christian Background. Some said they have prayed the prayer of salvation before. But all of our ward 4 boys prayed with us (the youngest in the group). Also 1 boy had hurt himself after a game. He was limping for days. In the day before the salvation message, he still limped. But in the evening after the skit he was jumping around and doing cartwheels. Wondering about the miraculous healing one team member asked and he said he was healed after giving his life to Christ.
Please pray as these kids go home that God continues to work in their lives and protects them from all hard things in their lives or gives them the strength to get through it!
And tomorrow we start home at noon, I most likely won't be posting before then so please pray for safety on the bus ride and 4 planes and (walking to the hotel between our 1st and 2nd plan in Keiv at 10:30 at night)
Naomi
The team went on a little excursion to down town. We went to the metradat and walked around the ruins that look roman by the pillars but with out a tour guide I'm not sure. There also was the memorial about the world war and the 420 steps to go down. I have gone up in past years but in 95-100 degree heat that wasn't about to happen :o). After that we did a little shopping and came back home.
We had Shashlik (kind of like shish-kabob but way better - meat is marinated for 24-48 hours then wood is chopped and set on fire. Wait till you just have coals. Sprinkle with water and salt to make more smoke and then very slowly cook the meat, so tender and so tasty) We learned from the counselors some of the stories of the kids. I'll try to send that later to you. And we shared Smores with them. A treat as they don't really have marshmallows here and can't do that.
A few highlights that I have heard over and over again. Is that the kids love this camp. They go to a lot of camps but non christian, and this stands out to them as very different. They love that people actually pay attention to them, and are nice and don't cuss, and have interesting games for them to play. Many begged to stay for another camp. Others called their counselors less than an hour after they left and said how much they still miss it.
Also I told you I would tell you more if I knew of more kids that gave their lives to Christ. This camp seamed to have a good number of kids with some Christian Background. Some said they have prayed the prayer of salvation before. But all of our ward 4 boys prayed with us (the youngest in the group). Also 1 boy had hurt himself after a game. He was limping for days. In the day before the salvation message, he still limped. But in the evening after the skit he was jumping around and doing cartwheels. Wondering about the miraculous healing one team member asked and he said he was healed after giving his life to Christ.
Please pray as these kids go home that God continues to work in their lives and protects them from all hard things in their lives or gives them the strength to get through it!
And tomorrow we start home at noon, I most likely won't be posting before then so please pray for safety on the bus ride and 4 planes and (walking to the hotel between our 1st and 2nd plan in Keiv at 10:30 at night)
Naomi
Day 8
Today is the last full day of camp. The morning started as usual. Hair, Exercises, Breakfast, Bible Lesson Sea.
The Bible lesson was called I'm ready. It was about making sure the kids can take the tools with them that they need to continue their faith when they leave this place. Encouragement (through phone & letters of friends here at camp, Bible, Prayer for strength, remembrance of our forgiveness and that we are loved by God. And most important of all that we need to bring Jesus with us. It was my lesson, but Many team members helped me out with skits that went with the story.
At the sea we did relay games. It was like 95+ degrees out and high humidity, so the doctor said that I needed to include a lot of games that got the kids wet. We did a sponge relay were the kids have to get a team member wet with a sponge. We did a run to a team member 20 feet in the water and then make a basket using a balloon instead of a ball and their arms for the hoop. And last we did tug of war in the water. It was fun.
The afternoon we did the closing ceremony/talent show. Each ward did or 2 things. The counselors did a song and we had very funny MC's. The international team did a skit that we thought was hilarious... and for the second time in my 21 camps her the kids also thought is was hilarious. It was about a couple at a movie theater that couldn't sit next to each other. So they had to pass their affection down the line. Which was Boy, Girl, Boy, Boy, Girl, Boy Girl, Girl. So you can imagine how awkward and hilarious we got as this affection was passed down the line. First an arm on the shoulder, then a head on the shoulder, then a tickle, then a hand on the knee, then a kiss on the cheek, but when the kiss on the lips was about to happen everyone in the middle moved.
After Supper we did the last craft (draw your own puzzle). Then the Bonfire (on a 95+ high humidity day) as 6 ft tall bonfire looses its appeal. But we did it anyway as it is tradition. (Not to mention the mosquitos were out!) We sang all the songs of camp then the kids were able to come say thanks, then we prayed for the kids and they prayed for us. The evening ended with a slide show.
For the younger kids bedtime stories was just good night and prayers. We went to the older kids and had almost the whole time. In my group Nicole (a team member from colorado) made chocolate cookies with the girls and we had them this night. This is a big deal as they don't have brown sugar here in Ukraine or chocolate chips. We brought some but since our luggage was still lost (yes we have been here 9 days and we still don't have our CARRY ON) - although it came later this night!!!...but the chocolate chips were now in one big block! So they just used regular chocolate chopped up.
Did I mention that we got our luggage today! So excited! I don't know if we mentioned the story. They made Darren Check his carry on in Frankfort. It got lost. We took almost an Hour just to report it. Then after calling them when we got to camp they told us that we would get it on the morning of Day 2 of camp. Better yet they delivered it on then end of Day 1... but it wasn't our bag. So they have no idea where our bag is! So a few days later they said they found it and that it would be delivered on Day 5 or 6 of camp. So when we didn't get it that day we called. They said they thought they knew where it was, but they did not. Again they have no idea where it is. We called a few more time and still no information. Then as I was going to craft time on Day 8 they deliver the bag, yes it was ours and the only thing they took out of it was almonds. I assume that it was because they thought they were seeds to plant.
The Bible lesson was called I'm ready. It was about making sure the kids can take the tools with them that they need to continue their faith when they leave this place. Encouragement (through phone & letters of friends here at camp, Bible, Prayer for strength, remembrance of our forgiveness and that we are loved by God. And most important of all that we need to bring Jesus with us. It was my lesson, but Many team members helped me out with skits that went with the story.
At the sea we did relay games. It was like 95+ degrees out and high humidity, so the doctor said that I needed to include a lot of games that got the kids wet. We did a sponge relay were the kids have to get a team member wet with a sponge. We did a run to a team member 20 feet in the water and then make a basket using a balloon instead of a ball and their arms for the hoop. And last we did tug of war in the water. It was fun.
The afternoon we did the closing ceremony/talent show. Each ward did or 2 things. The counselors did a song and we had very funny MC's. The international team did a skit that we thought was hilarious... and for the second time in my 21 camps her the kids also thought is was hilarious. It was about a couple at a movie theater that couldn't sit next to each other. So they had to pass their affection down the line. Which was Boy, Girl, Boy, Boy, Girl, Boy Girl, Girl. So you can imagine how awkward and hilarious we got as this affection was passed down the line. First an arm on the shoulder, then a head on the shoulder, then a tickle, then a hand on the knee, then a kiss on the cheek, but when the kiss on the lips was about to happen everyone in the middle moved.
After Supper we did the last craft (draw your own puzzle). Then the Bonfire (on a 95+ high humidity day) as 6 ft tall bonfire looses its appeal. But we did it anyway as it is tradition. (Not to mention the mosquitos were out!) We sang all the songs of camp then the kids were able to come say thanks, then we prayed for the kids and they prayed for us. The evening ended with a slide show.
For the younger kids bedtime stories was just good night and prayers. We went to the older kids and had almost the whole time. In my group Nicole (a team member from colorado) made chocolate cookies with the girls and we had them this night. This is a big deal as they don't have brown sugar here in Ukraine or chocolate chips. We brought some but since our luggage was still lost (yes we have been here 9 days and we still don't have our CARRY ON) - although it came later this night!!!...but the chocolate chips were now in one big block! So they just used regular chocolate chopped up.
Did I mention that we got our luggage today! So excited! I don't know if we mentioned the story. They made Darren Check his carry on in Frankfort. It got lost. We took almost an Hour just to report it. Then after calling them when we got to camp they told us that we would get it on the morning of Day 2 of camp. Better yet they delivered it on then end of Day 1... but it wasn't our bag. So they have no idea where our bag is! So a few days later they said they found it and that it would be delivered on Day 5 or 6 of camp. So when we didn't get it that day we called. They said they thought they knew where it was, but they did not. Again they have no idea where it is. We called a few more time and still no information. Then as I was going to craft time on Day 8 they deliver the bag, yes it was ours and the only thing they took out of it was almonds. I assume that it was because they thought they were seeds to plant.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Day 7
Today the general schedule was the same as usual.
The morning Bible lesson was about how the Angels Celebrate when we give our lives to Christ, a follow up from yesterday (Each kid was given a noise maker - and wow did they erupt in excitement and joy) and about how the only thing that will satisfy us is Jesus. We will keep looking until we find that one thing that fills the hole in our hearts.
At the Sea we did bubbles and kites. In the afternoon we practiced for the closing ceremony tomorrow and played another round of Biffer. The craft was bead crosses and then the kids watched a Russian Film about a soccer team. They seemed to love it.
Sorry the blog gets shorter, but our days are getting longer and with less rest time in the middle.
Please pray for continued physical strength and emotional strength as tomorrow is the last day.
The morning Bible lesson was about how the Angels Celebrate when we give our lives to Christ, a follow up from yesterday (Each kid was given a noise maker - and wow did they erupt in excitement and joy) and about how the only thing that will satisfy us is Jesus. We will keep looking until we find that one thing that fills the hole in our hearts.
At the Sea we did bubbles and kites. In the afternoon we practiced for the closing ceremony tomorrow and played another round of Biffer. The craft was bead crosses and then the kids watched a Russian Film about a soccer team. They seemed to love it.
Sorry the blog gets shorter, but our days are getting longer and with less rest time in the middle.
Please pray for continued physical strength and emotional strength as tomorrow is the last day.
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