Hey friends,
We started the day with breakfast with the Ukrainian team and then the campers starting arriving both new and those that were here last year. Many of the campers were here last year and it was exciting to see their smiles when they recognized me and I felt such joy in my heart that I could be with them again.
We played a game where we hold a parachute and then place balls on top of it. The kids shake the shute to make the balls bounce. So simple but the kids loved it! We then split into our groups. Natalie and I are in the same group along with leaders Nadia, Zhenya, Oksana, Anton, Heazer and interpreter Maryna. We have 8 campers in our group ages 16-22. All 8 are mentally disabled, as opposed to physically so they appear younger than their ages.
We came up with the name "Smileeki" for our group which means "smiles". The kids are very sweet and smart considering their disabilities but they temporarily forgot that I can't speak Ukrainian. It is funny how they just ran up to me and started "rattling off"! I love these kids!
The rest of the day was good but we are all very very tired and ready to go to bed to try to catch up on some much needed sleep. Please keep us in your prayers. Also, our luggage is still not here so pray that it arrives soon. Most of all, I ask for your prayers that the campers and their mothers hearts will soften because many are not open to help from Americans.
I love you all,
Ashley
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Arrived Safely But No Luggage
Wow, what a long flight but I finished the last Harry Potter book. Thank goodness for books because it made the long flight tolerable as planes are so uncomfortable. I only got an hour and half of sleep.
When we arrived in Kiev our groups luggage was not on the plane. We ended up being stuck in the airport for 5 hours filling out paperwork and trying to figure out where our luggage was and when it would arrive. We did have fun talking and goofing around with each other during the wait. We then left the airport without our luggage and 3 1/2 hours later arrived at the camp.
When we arrived at our camp we were greeted by the Ukrainian team and Barry Rodrigues. It was exciting seeing old friends from last year and getting warm hugs! We talked, sang songs together and had tea with bread and cheese. We are all exhausted from the travel and so many hours without sleep. We are so thankful to have gotten here safely and we thank God for this opportunity. I want to again thank all of you for your love and support. Please continue to pray for the kids, our group and also that our luggage will arrive.
Love,
Ashley
When we arrived in Kiev our groups luggage was not on the plane. We ended up being stuck in the airport for 5 hours filling out paperwork and trying to figure out where our luggage was and when it would arrive. We did have fun talking and goofing around with each other during the wait. We then left the airport without our luggage and 3 1/2 hours later arrived at the camp.
When we arrived at our camp we were greeted by the Ukrainian team and Barry Rodrigues. It was exciting seeing old friends from last year and getting warm hugs! We talked, sang songs together and had tea with bread and cheese. We are all exhausted from the travel and so many hours without sleep. We are so thankful to have gotten here safely and we thank God for this opportunity. I want to again thank all of you for your love and support. Please continue to pray for the kids, our group and also that our luggage will arrive.
Love,
Ashley
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Departing
Hey All!
I will be leaving for Ukraine in about 5 hours! I am so excited! When I am in Ukraine i will not have computer access, so i will be texting my dad everything i want to post on the blog, and he will be posting it for me! I know it's kind of nuts, but i really wanted to be able to post for you guys so that you can follow my trip!
Thank you for all your support! Your prayers mean the world! And although I am still a couple hundred dollars short, all of you who financially supported me have been a blessing!
Alright, well i should get packing... but thank you all again for being absolutely AMAZING! Thank you for all the prayers... and please continue praying for our teams safety and also for the kids that we will be caring for!
-Ashley (:
I will be leaving for Ukraine in about 5 hours! I am so excited! When I am in Ukraine i will not have computer access, so i will be texting my dad everything i want to post on the blog, and he will be posting it for me! I know it's kind of nuts, but i really wanted to be able to post for you guys so that you can follow my trip!
Thank you for all your support! Your prayers mean the world! And although I am still a couple hundred dollars short, all of you who financially supported me have been a blessing!
Alright, well i should get packing... but thank you all again for being absolutely AMAZING! Thank you for all the prayers... and please continue praying for our teams safety and also for the kids that we will be caring for!
-Ashley (:
Friday, June 11, 2010
preparing for the trip
Family and Friends -
there is less than a month until my second trip to Ukraine and i am already so excited! lots of things still need to be planned but the trip is starting to form into an amazing one! I know everyone who is going on the trip this year (unlike last year) and let me tell you, we have an AWESOME team!
thanks to all of you who have supported me financially. you have been a true blessing! i know that things have been hard for all of us this year and your support means the world to me! thank you for all of your prayers! and keep praying! i still have about $1000 to go and prayer would be much appreciated!
anyway, i cannot wait for this trip! i know it will be completely different than last years trip and i am so excited to see how God works this year! i will keep you updated!
In His Service,
Ashley (:
there is less than a month until my second trip to Ukraine and i am already so excited! lots of things still need to be planned but the trip is starting to form into an amazing one! I know everyone who is going on the trip this year (unlike last year) and let me tell you, we have an AWESOME team!
thanks to all of you who have supported me financially. you have been a true blessing! i know that things have been hard for all of us this year and your support means the world to me! thank you for all of your prayers! and keep praying! i still have about $1000 to go and prayer would be much appreciated!
anyway, i cannot wait for this trip! i know it will be completely different than last years trip and i am so excited to see how God works this year! i will keep you updated!
In His Service,
Ashley (:
Thursday, July 16, 2009
From Kiev
Hey all!
This will be my last post while in the Ukraine. We spent the day in Kiev doing some tourist things and tonight we had a really nice dinner and now we room to ourselves (two to a room). After dinner we all talked about the trip for a little over an hour. It was really cool to hear what others in our group experienced while here in the Ukraine. Jon, or leader, had given us some blue sheets of paper before the trip and we wrote down our expectations for the trip. Tonight we read them aloud and said whether our expectations had been met or not. My expectations were that the trip would be an incredible way to help the kids and reach out to their families, that our team would grow into a "family" and that I would be humbled in a way I have never been before. I am very proud so say that each one of my expectations were met above and beyond what I ever imagined!
The trip has been an awesome experience and the memories and impact will last a lifetime. Thanks again to all of you who have supported me and have been praying for me. I love you all!!!
Ashley
This will be my last post while in the Ukraine. We spent the day in Kiev doing some tourist things and tonight we had a really nice dinner and now we room to ourselves (two to a room). After dinner we all talked about the trip for a little over an hour. It was really cool to hear what others in our group experienced while here in the Ukraine. Jon, or leader, had given us some blue sheets of paper before the trip and we wrote down our expectations for the trip. Tonight we read them aloud and said whether our expectations had been met or not. My expectations were that the trip would be an incredible way to help the kids and reach out to their families, that our team would grow into a "family" and that I would be humbled in a way I have never been before. I am very proud so say that each one of my expectations were met above and beyond what I ever imagined!
The trip has been an awesome experience and the memories and impact will last a lifetime. Thanks again to all of you who have supported me and have been praying for me. I love you all!!!
Ashley
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Saying Goodbye
Good morning,
We just left the camp and I was right...... it was so much harder to say goodbye this morning when we actually knew it was the last time. The Ukrainian team came out and stood by the bus and some of the kids (the ones who hadn't left the camp yet). It was the hardest thing I have ever done. There is so much more to say but no time right now. We are off to Kiev!
This all has been so amazing..... the kids, the experiences, the feelings and seeing what God has done and is doing here are all something I will never forget!
Love,
Ashley
We just left the camp and I was right...... it was so much harder to say goodbye this morning when we actually knew it was the last time. The Ukrainian team came out and stood by the bus and some of the kids (the ones who hadn't left the camp yet). It was the hardest thing I have ever done. There is so much more to say but no time right now. We are off to Kiev!
This all has been so amazing..... the kids, the experiences, the feelings and seeing what God has done and is doing here are all something I will never forget!
Love,
Ashley
Last Day at Camp
Hey everyone,
Today was the last day at our camp..... Obviously, starting this morning it was very emotional for me, Vicka and Lindsey. All day was tough but also very fun. Saying goodbye to the kids was so hard. None of us want to leave. Even though today was hard, I think tomorrow morning when we officially leave the camp will be the hardest. First because I have to say goodbye to Vicka and second because it has been so amazing here and we wish we had more time. Well it is late and I still have to pack. Tomorrow we go to Kiev for some sight seeing and maybe some shopping before heading home.
Love you all,
Ashley
Today was the last day at our camp..... Obviously, starting this morning it was very emotional for me, Vicka and Lindsey. All day was tough but also very fun. Saying goodbye to the kids was so hard. None of us want to leave. Even though today was hard, I think tomorrow morning when we officially leave the camp will be the hardest. First because I have to say goodbye to Vicka and second because it has been so amazing here and we wish we had more time. Well it is late and I still have to pack. Tomorrow we go to Kiev for some sight seeing and maybe some shopping before heading home.
Love you all,
Ashley
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