Newsletter April 2013
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out.” – V?clav Havel
Dear friends and supporters,
since one week springtime has finally come to Odessa. At warm summery temperatures the kids already spend lots of time playing outside. Every ever so long and uncomfortable winter is followed by enjoyable spring days that bring out new life in nature. This fact also describes what we have experienced the past three months.
After well-attended and very familial Christmas celebrations on 12th of January we adhered to our tradition to visit the inhabitants of a home for elderly this year, too. Moved and thankful the audience of about 80 people listened to our children’s program. The along brought gifts were admired and especially the bedridden patients were glad that some of the boys and girls visited them in their rooms. Also on International Women’s Day on 8th of March we took the opportunity to congratulate the women there.
On 24th of February we put an idea into practice which has been on our hearts for a long time. Over the past 12 years we have been working with children and young people in our district we have no or rather infrequent contact to some of those today already grown-up who earlier have been regularly attendants of our day care centers. However, we think about those young people’s destiny and so we organized our first meeting of former attendees. It was a really blessed afternoon on which we remembered nice moments in the past watching old photos and enjoying coffee and biscuits. It was important for us to tell the young people that our doors are always open and they are always welcomed no matter what happens. 
Moreover, we are thankful that after this day three of them are searching again for closer contact and attend our youth group on Friday. Furthermore, we can provide a young mother who is staying in hospital for a longer time with food, medicines and visits. Also this relationship has intensified thanks to this afternoon.
A special event expected by our kids longingly was our traditional “bazaar” on 27th of March. All kids up to the age of 16 attending our center can earn scores helping with everyday tasks (wash the dishes, hoover, cook etc.), doing homework without special support and of good quality and attend our center frequently. Three to four times a year they have the chance to change these scores into goods sold at our “bazaar”. Particular popular this year were footballs but also games, clothes and sweets and many more things.
Of course we are very busy with the development and organization of the new center during these months. We plan to open it on 1st of September with the beginning of the new school year in Petrovka, a place 60km north-east from Odessa. We dared this step since the need and hopelessness as well as the openness of the local public authorities and young people at this place impress us so much. A long time we have desired to extend our work to the rural areas. As coworkers of the regional administration addressed us it was like a starting signal. We already concluded a contract at the symbolic price of 10 ct. a year for 15 years and organized several meetings with young people and authorities in the local school. We aim to involve the inhabitants of Petrovka and especially young people and children into our work right from the beginning.
Together with our youngsters from Odessa we organized a community cleaning day in our rooms and made a “subotnik”. Honestly, just money is lacking now to make the rooms useable. Therefore, we hope for the support by Ukrainians as well as friends from other countries who would like to help to change something on this forgotten place. Any help is very welcomed!
For summer one week of vacation camp at the sea and continuous holiday program for the kids of both day care centers is planned. Many friends and also former volunteers are coming to join us. We will tell you about this in the following newsletter.
We would like to say thank you for all support in word and deed and wish you God’s blessings!
Slavik, Nicole, Rebekka and Sarah with the children and co-workers from Living Hope
Contact: Nicole’s phone: 0038 067 4851620, borisuk@web.de
