Our 12 Foundation Stones Graduate

One of the things that keeps us busy here is our teaching of the 12 Foundation Stones. This is a course on leadership and life improvement. It is based on the Bible and teaches the basic foundations of Christian faith. Some of the classes are on topics such as prayer, bible knowledge, overcoming obstacles, working with others, etc.

Many of our students, were first met while out Activating (as explained earlier), and recently one of our most faithful students graduated!

We had celebration for here with a beautiful dinner prepared by Olivia and Christy (volunteers), and then some songs, games and chilly time together.

Oksana (graduate) bring presented with certificate
by Gio one of her teachers

She has now started on the next set of classes, 12 Bridges, and is already making great head way!

We have also started meeting more and more people who want to start on the 12 Foundations Stones and we are looking forward to them doing so. We have definitely seen the this course has helped the students we already have to improve and change and just generally have happier lives, so we want to see more people beable to do the same.

Message from Jesus

The Dutch

Sorry, I haven’t been posting as faithfully as I should be. Our internet has been down for more than two weeks now, so that is one reason I haven’t been posting.

Well, what has been happening here? One major thing that happened here recently is we had some surprise visitors. Three guys from Holland came to visit Kiev. They have a foundation call “Life Build”, which works to invest money in a building for social benefit, such as fixing up run down orphanages, schools, and hospitals. As this was there first time in Kiev, being on a “scouting mission” to find a project they could work on here, they asked if we would work together with them, first of all helping them to find what place needed the most help. We gladly took up this offer and started to look around for a building that really needed help.

The day after our Dutch friends arrived our project manager, Larisa, had a very bad pain in her stomach which we thought was appendicitis. She was taken to the hospital and the doctors didn’t know what was wrong with her, but told her that she needed to stay in hospital for a few days. She was one of the main ones who was going to be working with the Dutch during the short week that they were to be here, so it looked bad on all fronts.

But “all things work together for good” (Romans.8:28, KJV), and while she was there she found what she called, “the worst situation she had seen in Ukraine”. The was a hospice building on hospital grounds that was in terrible condition. Walls were falling apart, only one bathroom in working order, broken pipes sticking out of the walls, and the list goes on. Some of those who went to see it said that the smell made them sick. More than sixty old people live in this building. They are not only old people who have a hard time taking care of themselves, but most of them are handicapped or deformed, basically the rejects of society. It was such a sad situation to see.

We are glad that we have found it and our friends are hoping to be able to fix it up when they come back in the summer.

We have also been able to send a team to sing for them and pray with them. They were so happy to see us, and even though there conditions are so bad their hearts are so sweet.

Cool Quote

What are the four things that make a pioneer?—First of all vision! Because of the vision you have the faith. Because you have the faith, that gives you the courage and therefore with the courage you take the initiative, and you pioneer and make progress!

-- David Brant Berg

New Year

Okay, it is a bit late to be talking about New Year, but I have to put up something about it. It was one of my best New Year's celebrations ever!
Well, it started with a party on New Year's Eve, as is a international tradition now days. We had somekaraoke and dancing, which is always a good was to celebrate. Then we had a bonfire out in the snow! That is where we had the count down and broke out the champagne!

Our bonfire

The next day was celebrated Russian style (forget the international stuff... :D). What the Russians do is they have a dinner of what they call "Many Salads". Of course these are not any old salads, as during winter they don't have what we westerners would normally use in salad. Russian, or even Ukrainian, salads are made with things that we would never even think went in a salad!

At our table of many salads

(Left to Right) Phil, Pedro, Gio, Me, Sonia, and Larisa

There are beet root salads and all kinds of things that I can't even start to tell you about! During this time of year there are only certain kinds of vegetables available so one has to be inventive. But, I must say, they did a very good job!

This one is called a Pomegranate Bracelet

This one is a Winter Salad with Herring

As a cook, my thing has always been salads, but I never got to enjoy so many different kinds.
So that was the short version of our New Year.

Can't remember what this one was called, but isn't it beautiful? Tastes good, too! Ha!