Tues night the guys finished up the cement work, even working after dark, but not as late as they thought. So for our trip, cement is done, and plumbing seems to be fixed. Lucas has decided to stay and extra week, and they have several projects that he will be good at. But he will miss the rest of the team giving him "flack".
The other project we really want to finish is painting the Dream Project Building 5. Paint here comes in white and it takes a paint expert to get just the right color, using an old plastic cup for exact measuring of the colorant. Randy is amazing and the color is just right. Here are a few photos to show the progress. All the guys are working on this.
One of the best parts of coming back is seeing friends from before. One of our friends is Igor, who Barry and I met 4 years ago as a Vocational student at Hope Center. Now he is married to Natasha, a cook from summer camps, and has little Dennis. Rachel and I have enjoyed so much playing with Dennis, as Mama and Papa are both working here this week. They come back when work teams are here. Typical 2 yr old, he gets into lots of mischief! I gave them a quilt from Riverside as we had a couple extra ones.
Today I have been interviewing the Dream Project girls, and will write their stories when back in US, Pray for these girls as they pursue God and a future.
A cultural treat is to go to Anya's parent's for a barbecue / sauna night. I didn't try it myself, figuring 800 degrees might trigger a headache! But most of the team tried it, in and out, in and out. Then we were fed the most wonderful meat from Sergey's grill. Sergey is also a dentist so right after supper he put Barry the Brit into his dental chair, and within a couple minutes was shooting novacaine and pulling teeth! After that we looked at his coin collection from historic times and then say his oil paintings! What a talented man! But he serves God as a dentist to the prison, sharing Christ with all he meets. These pictures may shock you!
I think I mentioned that we are working hard and are tired.
Glomos is pastoral training that happens here once a month, 3 days for a total of 30 day course. There are tests along the way, and it is quite intense. Yesterday 62 Glomos Students arrived, 15 are women, and they are so excited to be here, and to learn to minister more effectively.
We will pack and be home in a couple days. But first my friend Tanya from Kiev will prepare us apple struddle Russian version. Then we have a bonfire tonight will all the Dream Project girls, then we speak tonight to the Glomos students. We are loving Hope Center and our old and new friends.
