Projects workshop in Lithuania

How many ways can you say Salvation army
The hall in Klaipedia - situated next to a pizza shop
Spring is sprung everywhere - we enjoyed a luch break walk theough the gardens
The tourist own is situated on a canal leading out to the baltic sea



The bridge in the centre of town is a focal point for weddings. the bridal party come and the bride & groom place a lock on the bridge and throw the key into the water - signifying they are locked together forever

The hall is decorated to signify the local area - cross and pulpit from wood recovered from the beach. A lovely and very practical setup we rent from the Lutheran church.

we found a beach

One thing we have not been able to do since coming to Moscow is visit the ocean. Well finally we made it - on a cold blustery day we stood on the edge of the Baltic sea. We could have been on any beach at home.
The purpose of our visit was to attend a 2 days projects workshop in the town of Klaipedia in Lithuania. But on the final afternoon we had a little time to spare and went for a wander.

some pics from Ukraine visit

During the first week of may Ron & I traveled to Ukraine for a projects visit. we started in Kiev and traveled North then south before ending up at Yalta down on the Black Sea(below). in this photo we managed just and hour off for some sight seeing - we visited a famous castle - now a museum - famous as it is remembered as the place where Churchill Roosevelt and Stalin signed the peace pact that ended the war in Europe. This is the garden area where they sat and a famous picture was taken. Well a not so famous trio sat on this day as we ended a busy week of travel and observation. 7 days - with 4 overnight train trips - it was a challenge but well worth the experience.

The presence of Orthodox Churches remains a part of the landscape. this is a famous cathedral in the centre of Kiev - part of a large monastry.
Everywhere we traveled we found the blossoms coming into full bloom and the tulips in full bud. It was great to see the colours of spring as we traveled. There are many common space areas , public gardens where people gathered all hours of the day and night. Particularly in the cities as people escape the high rise apartments and gather in the parks.
The purpose of our visit was to visit corps and to also look at projects that we have been involved in. we traveled with the Ukranian Project Officer - an american officer serving in the territory who is very fluent in russian and served us well with the translation needs.
We visited schools for physically disabled & deaf children, orphanages for cerebral palsy and downs children & young adults. this young man has developed a skill for beading and displayed some very intricate and decorative work.
We met with dedicated staff working in difficult and often less than adequate surrounds. we looked at places where people have donated equipment and funded a range of development projects.
Feeding is a big part of our work in Eastern europe. here the cooks in Kirovograd prepare for a celebration on victory day when over 100 people were to attend a lunch
This lady is over 90 and proudly displays her medals for Victory day. she worked on the front line as a radio operator during the War. Once they gave her the mike it was difficult to stop her from telling her stories.



Statues are everywhere you travel - big and small Memory statues from the various periods of war are prominant. famous people are remembered usually with statues - the more famous the bigger and more in number. The people are also superstitious - and occasionally you find a part of a statue that is frequently touched as a sign of good luck - in this case it is the big toe - as people pass - they reach up and give it a rub.In the many parks you also find some beautiful water fountains. they are emptied during the winter months as the pipes freeze - but now with spring they flow freely.


Victory Day - may 9 is a big day - a public holiday and the crowds are out. Flags are unfurled.
We visited a number of corps and as many of the buildings are rented we sometimes are limited in what we can do to make it our own.
But in some places where you cannot paint - the use of drapes adds colour and variety to what could be a fairly drab room



Here is a sample of the work done at a school for intellectually disabled kids - working with fairly basic and aged equipment - they still turned out some excellent work

We visited a number of corps and met with the officers. it was good to go out into the coal face and see the work as it is happening. it brings a reality to the paper work we do from our desk in moscow.

visiting ukraine

May 1 was the start of changed roles for Ron & I. We separate our roles and I take on a new position. Ron will take over project and child sponsorship on his own whilst I move into the resource public relations role for the Territory. This is a new challenge at an interesting time in the development of the territory. I began the new role with a two day public relations workshop in Kiev Ukraine and followed this up with a 7 day visit to Ukraine. Ron & I travelled with the Ukraine projects officer in visiting a number of Corps undertaking a variety of projects. This meant a fairly extensive trip across half of the Ukraine. 4 of our 7 nights were spent on overnight trains. Fortunately we had sleepers so with full day programs we were on the move. Ukraine is a country that has the potential to be independent – it has industry, horticulture but unfortunately the political system and corruption hold it back and the people are suffering. The financial crisis is greatly impacting this country and its people. Also because ‘credit’ has been introduced this has added greatly to the financial burden of the people. (unlike Moldova which is more of a cash society). The reduced opportunities for work and the constant threat of no work for those who have it weigh heavily on the minds of the people. Increased prices and reduced income is a daily reality. The army is beginning to establish itself in the communities where it is. In particular Corps some excellent community connections and programs are under way. In Kirovograd we went to the Corps that is connecting in the community in a variety of ways. We visited childrens centres that we partner with and were astounded at the work being done to care for disabled children. In Kharkov we sat with local officers preparing for a new social program and were blessed to see the God focussed and deliberate intentions for this program. In Simferopal we saw the enthusiasm and possibilities of an energetic officer. In Yalta we saw what can be done when an officer is prepared to roll up his sleeves and get busy to get the job done. In Donetsk we met in the home of the officers and walked the streets of this mining town and realised that the uniqueness of this community needs officers prepared to work under difficult community settings. We journeyed with the project Officer and met with the divisional Commander and affirmed that God is at work here with these faithful people. There are many challenges. The need for finance being one of the biggest issues, but still the faithfulness of all to get on with the job was most evident. We returned to Moscow tired but refreshed in the challenges that are before us and hopefully with a better understanding of the cultural needs when working in the place.