Snippets

Spring is upon us! 

I took these on Saturday and it's already greener. Tulips are blooming and the fresh produce at the markets is amazing!!

GREENERY to one side out our kitchen window

View of the tower to the other side out of our kitchen window

There are some +30 degree days in the forecast but they're a few weeks away and bound to change before then but we do expect them by the end of May for sure. 

 Saturday was warm - bordering on HOT. Instead of going to Menyezh with the youth we went out to Rainbow park (we don't know the real name but it has a huge rainbow in it!) and played baseball for over 3 hours. Most of them had never played before so there was an overview first and then batting lessons as the game went on. 

Oleg and Steve discussing calls

Waiting to bat (to clarify - the pregnant lady in pink is Oleg's wife and she was merely observing!)

Batting tutorial

Showing them how it's done

I played once just to bat and run around the bases and I had a good chuckle when I got to first base - a Ukrainian girl who had never played baseball before yelled to me from across the field about the next hitter: "Okay now when she hits the ball, you run to the next base!" Um, thanks - I would have never known because I've never played baseball before either! 

Bobi and I enjoying the sun. 

 Justin and Bobi both play guitar so we borrowed one for them to use. 

 Both boys get a kick out of watching Justin play.

 One of the classes we teach at school 25 is a very musical class and they requested that we play them some songs on Friday at our next class. We do realize that this will escalate us to "band" status and everywhere we go we will be asked to perform for more and more people....that's the experience we had the first time here with our Trek team - singing in every church service and every school class and everywhere else possible to sing. We're just thankful that we are all somewhat musical and that it won't be a complete and utter train wreck every time....although I can let you know after Friday's class. 

Random:

On the back of Dezmond's craft from Sunday School at New Hope:

 HOMEMADE peanut butter. Desperate times call for desperate cooking measures. 

P.S. It's amazing. 

Schedule: We have a ridiculously busy end of the week starting tomorrow - depending on the weather we are going to be painting the playground right beside our apartment building. We've invited some of the youth who we see at school 25/Young Life/Monday drop-in night at New Hope/sports afternoons (there are several who we see at all events) to come and help out so we hope they do. Thursday we have numerous Russian lessons, Friday there is an all-day soccer tournament happening at Menyezh that Steve is helping with, school for English class, our Russian speaking class and Young Life. Saturday - Steve has some Young Life leader training class, baseball in the afternoon with the youth and then we're doing a boat cruise around Khortitza island (and going through the dam)!! We have a one week break from being super busy (although I'm sure that will change) and then Steve and Justin are going away for 4 days on a hike with Young Life to Simferopol, which is in Crimea (southern Ukraine). The busy season is upon us so pray for energy for all of us. 

Team Stuff: Justin has decided to stay with us and help with our ministry for 6-9 months and Bobi will stay until June, go home and then possibly return mid-summer. We've already inquired about applying for visas for him while within the country and while we've discovered that it's impossible, we have learned that we can travel to any country around Ukraine and apply for and receive a visa in one day at the Ukrainian consulate! That is great news to know for us reapplying for visas in the future and we're glad it seems like an easy enough process....hopefully it turns out to be so simple when we actually go and do it! 

That's all for now! Thank-you so much for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!