Monday at Hope Center

Well today started off with breakfast and then we all hit it running. Lots of project going on from building a new back ground for the stage and making the stage larger to re-doing some more floors in the rooms in one of the halls, removing old things that have been hanging on the walls that don't work any longer (heaters, etc), still scrapping walls for the painters to come in September, pouring some more new concrete and getting other areas ready to pour later in the week. Preparing the Riverside room for a new paint job and still cleaning out flower beds of all the weeds, etc.
Tanya, Andre, Dave and I got the opportunity today to go and deliver some food to some elders people living in town. we really were not sure what we were doing but it turned out to be a great couple of hours. Each year during the week of May 1-9 everyone person should do something special for their elderly parents or grandparents. Well many of the elderly in Ukraine do not have family living near by or still alive. So the government has asked several organizations to help with this and Global Action does this. So we went to visit with 5 people today, some married some single. It was really neat yet sad when we met with these folks as many of them were in their mid to late 80's and no one was looking after them. They were so happy to see us and very appreciative of our small gift of food. Just a couple of quick stories:
One man was so old that he wanted to stand up to thank us and we had to help him out of his chair but then he looked at us thanking us and shook our hand for coming and doing this and as he said for just remembering them. The next lady was 84 and as Tanya was translating for us as the lady was speaking I noticed something different in the answer she was giving and I thought to myself that is not Tanya translating for the lady it was the lady herself as she started speaking perfect English to us. We were a bit taken back by this then she told us that she had been teaching English in the Ukraine for over 40 years and had many of her students now living and working in the U.S. She would hardly let us leave as she wanted to talk more with us. she was very weak yet very excited for us to be their and very appreciative as well. The next lady was very feeble and walked very slowly with a cane. She invited us in to her flat and asked us to sit down as she wanted to share something with us. She started crying as she told us about the men on the street who recently attacked her and stole her purse and goods and then as others who have been coming up to her flat and trying to knock her door down. She has been to the police and mayor's office and asked for help but none has come. It was sad to listen to her story as she kept asking us why do they pick on me this weak and poor woman. What a sad world we live in. We were able to pray with her and ask God to protect her. She wanted to give us a gift as we left for coming and bringing the food to her we said no thank you but she insisted and gave us some candy. The last little lady we went to see thanked us for the food but asked if we would give it to someone else as she said that there were more needy people than she was. What a sweet heart but we insisted that she keep the food.
What a blessing it was for us to be able to bring a little hope to some dear sweet elderly people today, just simple acts of kindness goes a long way.
Later today about 10 ladies came back to share and have prayer with our ladies from the meeting the other night. Great time of sharing and praying for their families. i guess that is all for Monday more of the same tomorrow. We will be going to the Internot a large government run orphanage where we will see one of the drug programs that Global Action is involved with the young people there. Please continue to pray for everyone. We are all doing well and the weather is still just great. More later. John