Greetings!
My return trip from Ukraine was very long, but uneventful. I'm glad to be home.
Yes, there is a swine flu quarantine in Ukraine. Depending on who you talk to, the number of deaths in western Ukraine is either 55 or 155. The government ordered all schools and children's centers, including Project Sasha, closed for three weeks. We only heard of one case of Swine Flu in Crimea. The outbreak seems to be confined to Western Ukraine, a long way from Crimea. Still, everyone is being cautious. In one of the larger retail stores last Tuesday evening, all of the employees and several customers were wearing masks. The same was true of airport employees. Although, many of the employees wore the mask around their neck. I relied on liberal amounts of hand sanitizer and prayer.
My Introduction to Business classes still met as scheduled. There were nine students and all wanted to continue. We had thirteen three-hour classes in fifteen days. The students were very bright. Conversational English abilities varied but their grammar was better than mine. They corrected me more than once. I now have a new appreciation for teachers. This was not easy.
Below are updates from visits with Mulberry's ministries.
Don't grow weary,
Charles |
|
Dyetski Dom
The Chernov apartment is complete! Well, they still have to install kitchen cabinets and appliances, but the construction crews are finishing their touch-up. The family is ready to move in. They've crowded eight children and two parents into two rooms for several weeks. The pictures here show the kitchen and the family room. The other rooms look just as good. You are all invited to stop by for tea.   |
Luba's Girls
Luba's new apartment is now home for three girls. This is our second transitional living home. The girls are 17 or 18 years old. At that age, orphans are no longer allowed to live in orphanages. All three girls are still in school. This is Luba (left) with Olya. |
Sasha at Project Sasha
If you've been reading these updates for a while, you may remember Sasha. In March of 2008, Hoyt Castle and I met her when she visited the Project Sasha house. She was very pregnant. In fact, she delivered her baby girl that night. Sasha said she very much wanted to keep her baby, but she was an orphan with no where to go. The staff found a home for young mothers with babies in nearby Sevastopol. After two months, Sasha took her baby and left. Before long, she left her baby and a bottle of milk with a train station attendant.
Last week, she was at Project Sasha again. She had her eleven day old son, Maxim, with her. She really wants to keep him but she has no where to go. The staff has found a local home for young mothers with babies. Sasha is seventeen. |
