After-school special

Last week was the first week of a new program here at the Hope Center.  For lack of creativity, we call it "After School Program"... ingenious isn't it?  This program reaches out to children in disadvantaged or troubled families.  The kids start trickling in between 12 and 2pm depending on when they get out of school.  Usually they play games indoors, unless the weather permits otherwise, they are then served a hearty Ukrainian lunch of soup, bread, salad, meat, and potatoes and some hot beverage.  For some, this is the first meal of the day.  From 2:30 to 4 homework is worked on along with playtime and/or English lessons.  At 4pm we finish up with craft time and/or a large group English lesson/game.  At 5pm they grab one last snack and then head home, excited to come back the next day.  

We started with 10 kids the first day.  Although we weren't quite sure what we were doing, they LOVED it.  In fact, Jenya got a phone call from one of the girls asking if her friend could come the next day.  We ended up with 13 the second day, 18 the third day, and 22 by the fourth day.  It looks like we will have 30 total by the start of February... phew!  

They are great kids and I can already tell I'm going to be hurting when they leave in May.  Crafts have been a big hit, and they are very excited to learn English.  I've also upped the wowie factor with my mad basketball skills.  In a non-basketball culture my junior high school training can go a long way!  They found Around the World to be a fascinating game.  

The last couple of days I've been so lucky to have Sergey IceCreamakov (that's what we lovingly call him since his last name resembles the Russian word for ice cream) come translate for me and help with lesson planning.  He has been a HUGE help!

We will be starting Bible lessons soon.  We  have a few nervous families so we will be inviting them to see that we won't be doing any crazy blood rituals and/or sacrifices.  You can be praying that it goes over well.  

It's somewhat difficult trying to figure out Campbell's sleep schedule and which one of us will be able to help with the program, but we are having a great time with it.  I wish Campbell could spend more time with them, but we tried skipping the afternoon nap and we were not a happy family that day.  

Here are a few pictures.  We'll try to keep you updated as we get further into it.  Feel free to give any ideas on games, crafts, and activities.  I've taught them thumbs up 7up so far.  What was your favorite game as a kid?

Finally, some perspective!

I haven't said anything about the historic few days that have started this week (MLK, inauguration) mainly because I don't trust myself to get into it without getting longwinded, preachy, and unproductively cynical.

Today Carlos Whittaker does a better job than I think I could have.  He's an Obama guy who actually brings a bit of reality and perspective the inauguration.  Check it out.

A serious God moment

I thought you should all be blessed by this....

Last night I experienced a miracle.  It was unarguably a moment where the Lord stepped into the physical realm and made his presence known.

Yesterday Cam didn't take a nap and by about 7pm is was fairly obvious.  He wasn't actually making this face.... 

...but that was pretty much his attitude.

He was whining a bit and when I tried to joke with him a little to distract him,  he proceeded to hit me in temple with Thomas the Tank Engine or one of his equally solid cohorts.  I don't mean a tap; he gave me the business.

As though in a dream, I watched myself from above as I calmly stood up, and in a firm but controlled fashion took him to his room where he received a reasoned explanation for the spanking he would receive.  I gave him two solid swats and gave him a hug.

What is that!?!  I have felt like breaking my own finger in anger and frustration for far less egregious things.  After I came back in, Sarah said she was shocked how calm I was and I think even Campbell was a little worried about the silence.  I don't mean to say that I'm an angry person but I certainly don't have it within myself to react like this.

Anyway, maybe the point is that I'm trying to make is that the Lord can be found in so many places if you're willing to look and realize how much he helps us deal with our fallen nature.

Warning!!!

This post is not appropriate for vegans, pacifists, sensitive children and certain beloved older sisters!  Hunting-related (though not gratuitous) images will follow.

OK, I feel like I've done my part to give ample warning regarding the below content.  As many of you know, I hunted this weekend.  I had a great time and made good friends with Roman and his father Gregory.  They supplied all that I needed in the way of firearms and were very generous with anything else they felt I needed.  

These are 2 of the shotguns we used.  The over-under in the background is a handmade 12 gauge that probably cost a few shekels.  I didn't use that one at all and only used the side-by-side 16 gauge (pictured) for half the day Saturday - using an over-under 16 the rest of the time.  As you can see, this one has external hammers (a new thing for me) and both are uniquely and intricately engraved.

Here is Roman with his pheasant and the gun I used most of weekend.

You may be catching the pattern here...  Roman is awesome.  This is his male pheasant from today.  In all he took 2 rabbits and 3 pheasant in just under a day and a half.

This is me and Gregory hamming it up after I got my rabbit - I know you were all wondering if I was batting .000.  This was all I was able to get but I had a great time and was pleased with the results.

I don't want to be the guy who blames his failings on his equipment but I must explain that this both my first time with this style of shotgun and my first time hunting either of these species.  It was a lot for me to learn on the first try.  I had a horrible time getting my reflexes around the double trigger set-up.  I just couldn't transition from the first barrel to the second smoothly.  In fact, I never even attempted a follow-up shot.  I'd like to think that I would have made a better accounting of myself had I had the ol' 870 pumper with me on this one.

Gotta tell someone...

Do you ever have those moments where something funny happens but there isn't anyone around to tell?  Lucky I have a blog and an audience of nearly double figures with which to share this one.

If you have facebook you'll know immediately what I'm talking about here.  When you're on a page, there is always an advertisement column on the right that says something like:

"Do you know about MC Hammer?  One of your friends is a fan.  Would you like to become a fan?"

So today I noticed one for "Sereness Skies" and I thought the name sounded familiar.  I thought about it for a bit and it came to me...  "Isn't that the name of the facility where the doctor who delivered Campbell worked?"  What a weird thing to be a facebook fan of!

As it turns out, Sereness Skies is a band of some stripe, the name of the facility is "Blue Skies" and I had just mentally superimposed the sereneness.

He he... I'm so childish.