Monday Oct 19 09
Quite cold in our apartment due to little or no heat; it seems that “someone” who has the authority, only turns the heat on when THEY feel cold. The silly thing is that there is hot water and the heat for the apartments comes from the same central heating plant. The other thing that bugs the tenants is that they still pay for heat in October.
Well we have the gas stove burners on that warm up the kitchen, so at least we eat in comfort.
We started out, as usual, by buying food for a baby orphanage in the city that we have visited many times. They only get enough funding to buy the very basic baby foods with no meat products. We brought sliced bread and bologna and watched them eat it up like it was the tastiest steak. They are very well looked after but there are a fair number of mentally handicapped children among them.
We then went to a large market to see if we could get any good deals on winter coats for the children in Lopartin. We struck it good with a store owner and were able to get 25 coats for an average of 200Rhivney each. That is $27.00Cdn. each, We thought that was pretty good. We got 3 other smaller ones for 150R.from another stall. This was not enough for all the children but certainly would help.
Before we left the market, Flo met this old lady begging and was really touched with her story and so decided she would help her Tuesday with some produce.
Tuesday. October 20th
Off to the Supermarket again to get produce for the beggar and two other families in need in a village.
We found the address of the beggar but it was an empty apartment being renovated. No one seemed to know who we were looking for. Flo doesn’t know what to think; either she is suffering a little dementure and gave a wrong address or she is a con woman, we may never know.
We headed off into the pouring rain, heading for Lopartin. I wish you could have seen the reception the kids gave us when we arrived. The usual confusion with the sizing and distribution of coats and more shoes and we were done. Every one given away but still half of the children not fitted with a good coat.
We really don’t have any more funds to spend on this orphanage as there are many more that have pressing needs too.
We were taken for tea by the deputy Administrator and her assistant. This proved to be one of the highlights of the day. We had been listening as they told us what they got for a salary, a mere 1,000R per month for teachers. That is $138.00Cdn. or $124US. Not much for a professional is it? I then asked what they thought the most important thing was in life ? They said it was good health. This then opened the subject of assurance of being in Heaven. We had a good conversation for over half an hour, it was very rewarding.
Off in the rain again for the village of Krasne, where a slightly simple lady lives in a large house alone, since her mother died a year ago. She seems to be managing but is very lonely. We had a talk about salvation and the left a food package.
In the same village live a family we have visited often, where grandparents are raising to lovely teenagers since their mother died of cancer and their father was killed by a train.
The girl Nadia, has the same problem with her kidneys that her mother died of but they think they may have it under control. She is very confident of being in Heaven as she has trusted Jesus to forgive her sins, she told us.
Her brother Volodia is attending a college in a close by town and is a lovely bright boy; however he does not profess to be saved yet. After a good conversation with Grandpa and Grandma we left in the pouring rain for home.
Everyone was very weary when we returned but Flo made a good fish dinner, so we are well fed and ready for bed.
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