Easter Party!

This past weekend we had an Easter party at ChildRescue!

We had a puppet show AND a spectacular!  (play)

We had a good turnout and invited children from our community.  Some were familiar faces, some were new!

 

Afterwards, we had Easter bread and candy!

 

And then before the children left, they each received a Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child shoebox.  Okay, it's Easter, but it's like a two for one holiday gift!

 

I was able to read and translate the letter this boy found in his shoebox from the people who sent it.  Thank you to everyone who packs a shoebox.  These children were blessed and thrilled with them!

Christmas Time At The Day Center!

 

Christmas just isn't Christmas without a party for our Young Family Club at the Day Center.  Grandfather Frost and the Snow maiden showed up to make sure everyone had a good time.

 

 

 

Why do boys this age find this face the most exciting one to make when they get their photo taken?!

 

 

Obligatory photos with Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden for every family!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

New Center

After ten years, ChildRescue has had to move it's Rehabilitation Center across town. It now is going to be officially called, "The Social Center." Usually this kind of move means moving into a space that is run down and needs a lot of remodeling work. I visited our new Center this week and even though it's about half the space of our old Center, it does not need as much work as I thought it would and we will soon be ready to officially reopen.

We had a leader's meeting while the boys helped move things around. Then it was time for an Ukrainian lunch of salo, veggies and hard boiled eggs.

With watermelon for dessert! It was super good too!

Yum!

Too Much Fun

ChildRescue has an humanitarian center that distributes clothes. While the Moms went through the boxes of clothes this week, the little ones got into everything and had a great time trying on hats, shoes, or playing with whatever they could find.

This guy kept holding up yarn or strings and I couldn't figure out what that was all about until I was going through the photos at home and noticed his shirt. "Spiderman!" He's holding up his webs! Spiderman does seem to be the super hero of choice around here.

This was my favorite photo of the day! Babies crashing anywhere, toddlers welding metal poles that they should not be playing with and boys wearing winter hats in 100% humidity. It was time to wrap it up and go home! (The pole was removed from this little one's hands before anyone got hurt and the other little one was promptly picked up and put in his stroller where he proceeded to take a much needed nap!)

The Past And The Future

Monday was a holiday so ChildRescue had a party to celebrate our ministry to at risk children. We invited children whom we have worked with who are now adults and also children which we have placed in families. It was an emotional day and everyone had fun seeing each other again.

We had a good turn out but this group does not reflect how many children ChildRescue has worked with in the last ten years. The number is in the hundreds.

I was at the Day Center the day this little girl's mother came to visit us and started to learn about how we could possibly help her. The mother's situation was heartbreaking and unfortunately she was unable to continue to take care of her little girl. The little girl came to live in our Rehabilitation Center until we could find her in a new home. It was a tremendous blessing to see her again with her new family and to see her healthy and happy.

Of course there was an Ukrainian feast!

The day was a time of reflection and shared testimonies on how our lives have been blessed but it was also a time to look forward to the future. I realized that we are not only ministering to children, but also to their parents, the community and to each of us who work together to help at risk children. God has a plan and future for all of us who trust in him.