work and play today

We finally got chance to do some work for the orphanage today. We swept out and removed trash from a filthy basement room. I don't think they really got the picture about us whating to work because there were woman all over the grounds today painting had white washing the curbs and building and trees etc. and there we were just sweeping a basement floor.

We brought all of the soccer balls and volleyballs today while riding the "mashutka". I'm sure we were sight with all of our stuff. After we got moving in the morning and found Olga and got on to the mashutka we were safe and rode a different way to the orphanage.

Once we got there we were greeted by many of the kids whom we had talked to and while we were working they watched and or helped.

Lisa got to cut hair today because it was haircut day and they had poeple in to do the kids hair so Lisa volunteered to "fix" the kids hair. I think she had a ball. You'll have to read her post to see.

While she did that, the rest of us cleaned the basement room.

We then ate at the grocery store again. Evidently people don't sit and eat at the grocery store so Slava just told us people will think we are just stupied Americans. We were Ok with that and sat right down to eat for the second day in a row.

Vanya's stomach was a little upset so he didn't eat much but the rest of had a very good lunch and then it was back to the orphanage.

I had to run around find out what happened to the suitcases that the backpacks were in and then try to find the balls we were going to use to evangelize with. That was a like and easter egg hunt only no one knew where the eggs were hidden. We did finally get that squared away and in the meantime everyone else was out cleaning up the field with the broken glass and trash and such. There was so much glass in places that it was impossible to get it picked up. At least there is a little less than there was before.

We were ready for a worship band to come at 5:00pm but in typical Ukrainian style they showed up at 6:30 just in time for most of the kids to get ready to go in and eat. Before that time we were all going around trying to get the names and pictures of as many kids as posible. It was fun to use the littel printer Rob got for us for the trip. I hope we have labeled them correctly in order to tell who is who.

We have committed to pray for these kids and also write to them. I hope it will not be difficult to fullfill that promise. Rob continued to play with all the boys in Yuri's group and got quite the workout I think. The boys looked like littel dirtballs most of the day but who's looking At least they got a haircut from Miss Lisa! Yes, I sent them up with Keely to get in line for a haircut right along with all the other kids who belong there.

They turned out great and I'm glad we had that done since they were really looking a little shaggy.
Many of the girls we knew from last year started to warm up and we got a chance to talk with most of them too. I didn't really see most of my own kids most of the day. I could see them but I'm glad they weren't hanging on me.
This was Andre's last day a the orphanage as he will leave for good tomorrow and go to trade school to become a doctor. I pray he gets in and makes something of himself. We did make sure he had a few things he needed to have for starting school and tomorrow we will take groups of kids over the buy shoes and an outfit for the first day of school. We'll see how far the money goes.
We will get to take groups of kids we have been hanging out over with us to pick ut their own stuff so it fits and such.
Busy busy busy. But God is good all the time.
Bye for now,
Laura
don't forget to read the other posts for today