And the birthdays continue…

And the season continues…Nastia turned 12 yrs old this week and thoroughly enjoyed celebrating her very special day! The day was a national holiday here so we took all the children to the zoo. I wish you could have heard all the ooo’s and ahhh’s and oh wow’s. They were so amazed at the size [...]

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Celebrating life!

We have much to celebrate right now! Maxim celebrated his 14th birthday, 7 new children at the Ark and more on the way. We are celebrating life! The new children are adjusting to life with us and seem to be enjoying their time here. They still have many emotional wounds and much pain to work [...]

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Heating up? Not!

So now that everyone has been required to pay the huge increase in heat costs, what is the latest move by the powers that be? It’s turn down the temperature on the heat by nearly 12 degrees. Our heat system is based on hot water sent by the local boiler facility that is, of course, [...]

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3 Parties in 3 Countries – That’s celebrating!

Last Spring I planned or dreamed about having 3 birthday parties in 3 different countries with 3 different groups of friends. Today I am happy to report – Mission Accomplished! I feel blessed beyond measure and rich in love. There was a party in Ft Lauderdale which was  TOTAL surprise! Nevertheless, it was a wonderful [...]

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Birthdays, birthdays, birthdays…

October is birthday month or so it feels like it is anyway! Oleg is now a teenager. Lord help us…another teenager. Actually he is a really good kid! Maybe you saw the photo of him digging out a tree stump this summer. He is always looking for something to do and wants to help. It’s hard [...]

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Another young boy all grown up…almost

Izim turned 18! Where has the time gone?! First Igor and now Izim – 2 young men. I stand amazed at the marvelous changes in their lives and yet I know there are hurdles for them yet to overcome. Izim wants to be an archeologist and traveling evangelist. Interesting combination you might say but he [...]

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I can’t believe Igor is 18!!

Do you ever feel like time is just absolutely flying by? I do! It seems like just yesterday Igor came walking up to me on the street in Kiev and asked me if I “knew where a kid could get a good night’s sleep.” He was a mere 11 years old then and now he [...]

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Maxim is a teenager!

Birthdays at the Ark are a very special time! Kids get to choose what kind of cake they want and either Barbara or I bake them), we decorate the dining hall, the birthday person has balloons taped to their chair, and then there’s the friendship arch they pass thru as they enter the dining room. It’s a [...]

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