Newsletter September 2013
“The good a man is carrying out into the world, never gets lost.” – Albert Schweitzer
After 12 weeks of very busy summer holidays , I want to give you some impressions of all the things, which have happened during that time. We are very thankful to those people, who have supported us during the past months by spending their time with us, contributing with their ideas and help, praying and donating for our ministry. Thank you very much!
We started in June with a seminar for 30 teenagers in Satoka. the seminar was on the topic “How to build strong and healthy lasting relationships”. Sergey Rodidyal and his wife Olga from Moldova were able to teach important facts about relationships in a competent but also very sensitive way. Those days were a fantastic possibility to spend some time with our “older children” which was very fruitful and empowering for both sides.
We continued with our summer camp for 65 participants. This time we had rented a small Christian resort 40 kilometers eastward from Odessa to spend an intensiv, funny and powerful week together. Within our main subject “The five senses” we explored every day in a new way, how wonderful we are created as human beings and what we are able to do with that. Outdoor activities, camp games, theatre-evenings, singing, swimming and eating together and especially the campfire at the last evening were the unforgettable highlights of this time together. We were supported by Nora and Lennart, our German volunteers, and Mirjam, who spent some time with us doing an internship for her studies as special pedagogue at Berlin university. Furthermore Darija from Zurich and Jana from Kempten helped us during these days.
In July the “All Nations Church of Luxembourg”, a Christian community which is supporting us since 2010, visited us. A team of four young men prepared a four days program for the day camp in our center. The absolute highlight for the kids was the visit of the dolphinarium. In Petrovka, where our third center is built up, the power and energy of these young men, who worked together with our teenagers, was very useful. In one day they removed such a huge amount of rubbish from the rooms that we were exceedingly surprised and thankful.
In the first two weeks of August we organized an international youth exchange for 12 Italian and 10 Ukrainian youngsters. Together we had time to explore Odessa and its surroundings, to find out the similarities and differences of Italian and Ukrainian culture and to be creative in many ways. One day we also worked together in Petrovka. The project was financed by the EU’s program “Youth in Action”. For us as leaders it was a useful experience. The creativity of our young people is always fascinating! Some results of these projects (a photo-show and a short video) will be published on our website www.hope4kids.com.ua soon.
Another highlight in August was the visit of 8 people from Free Christian Church from Zwickau. Over the last 12 years a deep friendship has grown with many members of this community. Like every time, when people from there come to visit us we are blessed not only with a fantastic program during our day camp, including Baseball training, backing, making jewelry yourself and building useful constructions for the new center, but also with a great help in many practical things. We want to say a big “THANKS” to everybody who has spend his holidays this year helping and supporting us here in Odessa! You were such a blessing!
At the moment my parents from Germany are visiting us and especially Rebekka and Sarah enjoy it very much, because they normally see their grandparents only twice a year.
Recently the new school year has started, the new volunteers from Italy and Germany arrived and we have sent out 7 young Ukrainians to other countries for a voluntary service. The reconstruction of our third center in Petrovka will soon be finished and the regular work there is planned to start in October. But about all this I will inform you in the upcoming newsletter.As for today we wish you God’s blessings and thank you for all your interest, support and help in words and deeds!
Yours,
Nicole, Slavik, Rebekka and Sarah together with all the kids and youngsters & the team from Living Hope Odessa
