Greetings!
I hope that you all are doing well and have had a good week!? I am very thankful it’s the weekend.
It feels like it has been weeks since I’ve sent out an update e-mail..Things have been very busy here, as I am sure they are in your lives as well..
I believe the last time I wrote was right before Karen Jones from ANDORC/Lifelinemissions came into town. She was here for 10 days and kept busy with meetings and organizing some details for her summer team that is coming in June.
Let me share about what is going on at the orphanage and with my kids..:) Two weeks ago on Monday one of my girls came back from Hospice ! Ana has been doing well since she has been home although she has had some kind of an allergic reaction to some cream the nurse put on her forehead. I will attach a picture and you will be able to see the green cream they continued to use on her. But I am very glad she is back with us, I just love her and her smileJ Our other sweet girl has not returned yet from hospice but word is she will be coming back this week! I wrote a few weeksago about one of m y boys having issues with this legs and in constant pain, all last week he cried. It seemed almost every afternoon when he would return from his classes downstairs he would begin to cry which would lead into screaming..This week has been a little better. One of the Doctors comes in when he returns from class and wraps his legs together with a hard –form pillow..Vanja seems to like it but the problem is that they put him in bed and they want him to stay in bed, so it means all this week I have been feeding him lunch in bed. I pull him up and put pillows behind him, but Vanja can feed himself when he is sitting in his chair not when he is in bed. So the more he is fed in bed the more lazy be becomes with feeding himself…I gave him a mirror this week, and he loves it. He lays in bed and just smiles at himself. It is so precious! (I will attach a picture of him enjoying his reflection)
Last weekend I went a circus that is put on by disabled children…These children would be the example the orphans who have been ‘labeled’ disabled but by our standards are just a little slower. It was a great performance. All the profit goes towards the disabled centers here in the center of the city. The organization that the German volunteers are here through are also part of the circus. IT was a fun evening with a lot of the German volunteer and one French volunteer plus an American and a lot of Russians.
This week I took Helena to the airport on Monday- she went to the Dominican Republic for a 2 week Holiday!She is having a great time and really needed a break from things here. She has accepted Christ!! I think I mentioned something about taking her to anAlpha course my church here started a few weeks ago for unbelievers or new Christians. She has been enjoying it and growing! She is reading her bible and asking questions about things she doesn’t understand..She only has a new testament bible so I am on the hunt for a old testament bible in German for her before she returns. Since she has been gone things have been going well at the orphanage. Both the kids and myself miss her, but we ( meaning our room ) got a new ‘’Paragog” this week. She is a lady who helps in the room and makes sure things are being done right and im still figuring out what she is suppose to do..So she started on Tuesday and has never worked with kids let alone disabled children. So I have been training her all week.It has been neat because I am able to train a Russian how to care for the kids way an American would, also putting into practice my nursing skills..:) The first few days were more stressful thing anything because she was really afraid to work with some of the kids due to their delicate little bodies so itwas constantly “ Katya, can you do this, Katya, how do I do this again) Which was fine and now she is really doing well. She is so great with the kids and really cares about doing things the right way, which makes me thrilled! We had a 2 an half hour meeting on Wednesday concerning one of my girls health plan. The meeting consisted of her Doctor, PT, teacher, myself, the new paragog, and her coordinator at the orphanage. The girl we were discussing is blind and has been fed all her life through her nose. We are now trying to teach her to eat. It is quite heard since she also can only lie on her back. She cannot sit up unless in her chair and does not like sitting in the chair. She has a sense of security in her bed and she doesn’t like it when she leaves.. Although the last 3 weeks she has been in her chair everyday from anywhere for 20 minutes to even an hour!! So we are making process with her! After the long meeting I attended another meeting related to how to play or do some activities with children who are severely disabled. So Wednesday consisted of being at the orphanage for 9 hours and then heading straight to Global grounds ( café in the city), to help with English club.Thursday was very similar in the sense of staying late and then going to the Alpha course-which I took a French volunteer with me this time and she is just yearning to know more about Christ and how so many Christians she has met have a joy that she has never seen before. She and another German I work with are coming to church with me in the morning, which is exciting! Yesterday I was able to take some children outside which was so lovely! Due to the business in the room there had not been time and the first two days of the week were to cold. The boys I took out just love being outside. One of the guys has not beenhis self the last week.. I do not think he is getting enough to eat. Every time his food is gone he just keeps his mouth open and when he receives no more be begins to cry and scream. He too is blind; he has such a handsome face and just loves music though! But be praying for him please! I have spoken with those I need to in regards to him getting more food, but it’s a hard situation because each child is given the same amount of food!!
I was talking with my parents this week and some friends I described my time here is as no longer in the honeymoon stage! I am feeling very worn out and tired a lot of the time..Its hard seeing how some things are done and not being able to change them but having to in a sense look the other way. . I am thrilled and so honored that the C&MA team here has welcomed me into their outreaches as well as other ministry opportunities with the Germans and French volunteer-but every day after I get back into the city I always have something to go to..I don’t think I would have it any other way though I am thankful the Lord has me here, and is now allowing me to stay longer. I am grateful for all the opportunities to minister in and outside of the city! Although this weekend I haven’t done really anything! Friday night I stayed in and skyped and went to bed early and slept in this morning. Today I went with some friends to indoor ‘rock climbing gym’,It was so much fun and now I’m feeling pretty weak and tired.We also walked around the city. It was beautiful day here today! I came home to take a short nap this evening which turned into 2 hours! I forced myself to get up to type a much needed update letter! So I am thankful for a much slower pace weekend to rejuvenate me!! The Lord is always so great with giving us what we need, when we need it! I am thankful for his care and giving me rest this weekend!
I am thankful for all the support that is coming in from you all to extend my stay here! I am hunting for a new place to live! I have been offered a couple places. One apartment is closer to the orphanage but further away from everything else I do. It would be an apartment to myself though!! I’m not sure I would know what to do with a space to myself… Its small but nice and I would have my own toilet!! Haha..It’s the simple things I look at these days! The other place is further away from the orphanage but iscloser to the other outreaches..( Not as good as where I am now as far as location goes),but its better then the first one. I am praying and trying to see which one would be best. The second one I would have 2 roommates, one is an American teacher who teaches at the International school and the other one is a Russian teacher..I am waiting to hear back what the rent is a month for both places. Pray that the Lord will show me which one is best for me right now. Living in my current flat has been full of all kinds of experiences and has been an adventure, and although I love the location and the monthly rent I am looking forward to some of my own space among other thingsJ
I meet with a couple and their 3 girls last week who are here through C&MA to start Envision form here in St.Pete. It was such a great time of getting to know a really cool family. I had homemade pizza and they are in a very nice new flat which made me feel very much back in the west. Their first year is language learning and getting plugged into a church as well as settling into their new home and city. I am looking forward to what they are going to bring to the café as well as to the city with Envision form..To give a simple example of what envision form is, it’s a program through the Christian Mission alliance to take people / groups ( usually high school grads or college students) on short term missions or to place them in a country from 6 months to a year working with missionaries to learn about ‘real life’ work in the mission field.Those of you who attend Newlife Church as Dennis and he will give you a much better definition/ example!
So a funny story for you all before I end this e-mail. I always feel like I go on and on, but once I start talking about the kids and the volunteers I can’t seem to stop. So the funny story.. In Pavlosk i have to take the train from there into the city to get the metro. At this train station there are two platforms. Well this was one of the days I had been at the orphanage late and I was running on little sleep-let’s just say I really wasn’t engaging the brain much..I stopped at a stand to get a cabbage and ham roll, I was eating my roll went and check the time on the board for the next train then went to platform 1. Swiped my card and went onto the platform…Well once I got on the platform i saw the time of the next train and then the light bulb went off! I wasn’t on the right platform, I forgot to look at that while checking the time on the board. Meanwhile a lady is yelling at me, “ girl, girl, you can’t be here, you are on the wrong platform. Come here’.I am laughing inside and feeling a little on the stupid side. So I of course go back out and towards the right platform. When I head to the next platform and swipe my card it won’t work, because it registered it at the other one….finally after seeing the dates on my card that it was still good, the lady finally let me through.. Just a great way to exit Pavlosk for the day!
Thank you again for all the prayers and support! When I am feeling worn out and tired I can feel the prayers from you all and lifts my spirits, so thank you for your faithfulness!! I miss and love you all dearly:)
God Bless you all!
Katherine
About the pics..
A picture of the group from English café at Global grounds. A picture of my, Helena, Russian friend Sasha attending a Russian orphans play at her orphanage this past week.( Nastya is a really good little actor!) A view from the train as I am heading into Pavlosk this week. a snap shot of one of the parks I walk through on my way to the orphanage. Right after a fresh snow fall (which most of you don’t care to see: ))
