Youth and Children’s Activities Continue
This past Saturday, pastor Ruslan joined Vika R. at the Bible study for internally displaced children from eastern Ukraine. The children meet with us weekly. They listened to the Bible stories we shared and colored some pictures. Pastor Ruslan played a ball game with them, which they enjoyed. Then Vika played Molecules, and a rousing game of Simon Says to develop their mobility, attentiveness, and concentration. The children practiced a vocal warm-up for singing and learned the Happy Family song. At the end of their time together, they all received gifts (colored ribbons). The activities were filled with many smiles and laughter. Pastor Ruslan and Vika prayed together for the children and their families.
Later Saturday afternoon, Vika R. and Yuri A. organized a picnic for the Youth Club and autistic children. They brought them together to cultivate patience and love for one another and God. Everyone participated in the games being played, sang songs, and snacked on delicious sandwiches, cookies, and ice cream. They finished the picnic with prayers and blessings. The children and their parents had great fun and were grateful to be distracted from the many attacks happening in Kyiv recently. Everyone thanked Vika and Yuri for the wonderful time as they left.
Every Thursday, Valentyna S. and Vika R. take the subway to the orphan boarding school №22 to meet with children and have music and a Bible study together. These precious children have special emotional and behavioral needs. To make things worse, they are very traumatized by the war happening around them. They view Valentyna and Vika as their friends and look forward to them visiting each week.
Vika teaches them how to sing to develop articulation and coordination of their hearing and voice. Together they work on rhythm and musical inflection, play bells, and learn songs with coordinated movement. The kids especially like Bible study Valentyna leads each time, which is an essential component of their lessons. On this occasion, Vika was showing them the violin and explaining how to play it.
In the photo, all the kids are wearing vyshyvankas (traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts) because it was Vyshyvanka Day on May 18. Ukrainians agree; wearing the special shirts lifts their spirits. Even Greg got in on the vyshyvanka action with them at the office in Altamonte Springs to show support.
