April 19, 2008
Vapnarka, Vapnarka! A few days ago I was being walked home by two of the older boys at the Children’s Center. When we passed by the outdoor market we smelled something awful. “Vapnarka, Vapnarka!” he said, as he passed by covering his nose with his hand and a grin on his face. The other boy chuckled a little and repeated the phrase, “Vapnarka, Vapnarka!”. Vapnarka is a small town or a villiage. It is not large and many of the street are made of mud and stones. Taking a short walk on a rainy day, one will find his shoes caked with mud. This town is divided in half by the railroad stations. It is the railroad station that makes Vapnarka- Vapnarka. North, South, East, or West, it doesn’t matter which way you are traveling, if you are traveling across Ukraine chances are you will make a stop in Vapnarka. With at least 15 tracks across, trains come in to switch direction throughout the day and night. All trains traveling between Kiev and Odessa, two of the largest cities in Ukraine, must come through Vapnarka. Currently there is one bridge for people to walk across the tracks and one road to drive to the other side.
This past week I took my first venture to the other side of the tracks to see the new children’s center. Currently there are 17 children here in Vapnarka living in an old, renovated, home. Two years ago, the Mayor of Vapnarka gave an old Kindergarten building and the grounds around it to the children’s home. It had been abandoned for 8 years and was in much need of repair. It is currently in the process of being renovated for use as a children’s home. It will hold at least 100 children, many more than the current facility. They also plan to have a library, work out area, and game room for the children to use. Thursday we toured the building to see the work being done. Due to funding they were unable to begin the process until last year. It is amazing to see the progress that they have made so far and to see the vision they have to create a place where children can call home.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Tiffany
Just thinking of you brings tears to my eyes not because I worry for you but because I miss you so much. Not being able to see you on Sundays or even talk to you via phone has made me miss you so much more. Sat today by your sis at church today and we talked about how you were doing. Be encouraged for you are doing great and mighty things. You are blessed - and we look forward to your posts so much. Fuel is going well as we prepare for the 30 hour famine. I will definitely take pictures and post them to facebook so you can see them. I hope you are doing well - and by all means if you need more Bath & Body for those days you cant get that shower let me know because I am always there - if you dont believe me ask Michael Shaffer he can attest to that. I would love to be able to send you anything.
Miss you more than words can express
Post a Comment