A Brief Update From Aquila

Aquila: What have we been up to?

This past month was a very exciting time for Aquila. God has blessed us greatly. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Interns

Six social work students from the local university interned with Aquila for one month. During this time they visited the homes of children with disabilities and their families, visited a nursing home for the elderly, visited a local orphanage for the mentally handicapped, and helped sort and distribute humanitarian aid to flood victims and low income families. It was a very busy month with great success. This past week the students interning with Aquila presented their work before their fellow students and professors. Their presentation was their final exam. They passed with highest marks. To help communicate what they learned during their practicum they showed a slide show photos and explained the work they participated in. They also passed out bells to their fellow students, and led the class in a performance as a bell choir, one of the many techniques they learned to use with their special needs students.

Cinema

Aquila ministry has been blessed by the partnership of a local cinema, wanting to help the families we work with by opening their doors for a movie day. The privately owned cinema is a place where local residents can rent a room for a party and a movie. The owners have offered to donate their time and facilities for Club Pearl participants on a regular basis. Saturday October 31, almost thirty families attended one of two showing of the movie “Open Season”. Going to a movie theater is a new experience for many of these children. The owners not only opened their facilities but their hearts as they actively participated in conversation and built relationships with the families they were serving. The party did not stop with the movie. Pizza, juice, and cake was provided by the cinema. Moms and children alike laughed out loud at the film. Their hearts were filled with joy. The movie party was more than fun, it was a great blessing to all those participating. Aquila is very thankful for the new partnership with this cinema and look forward to working with them in the future.

Beauty

If you are a woman, you understand how important it is to feel beautiful. This is often a great struggle for the mothers of disabled children in a culture that is constantly ridiculing or ignoring them.
Aquila currently has an American volunteer who will be working with them part time in Chernovtsy. From October 26th through November 1st four of her family and friends joined our team. As part of their service here two of them, hair stylists visited the homes of many of our families offering hair cut and color. Many others came to the apartment the family was staying in to have their hair done or to get a manicure. In one week, two girls were able to visit and encourage over twenty families.

While two girls were visiting families and cutting hair, the other two visitors and the volunteer worked on beautifying the apartment offices and meeting place for Aquila. They were able to paint and make minor repairs to make the space functional. At the end of the week the moms met in the newly renovated space for tea, fellowship, and a small devotion about beauty.