"a bowl of cherries"

Cherry season is in full swing. Small fruit, sweet and tasty, we are presented with bags and even buckets full!

Sidewalks stained with overripe, fallen mulberries remind us of the former silkworm industry.

On nearly every street in town we see former Mennonite buildings. We stop to stare and a helpful passerby assures us "yes that was a 'nemetsky' (German) structure". To think that our great grandparents walked these streets, worked in these factories, planted, harvested, contibuted to the society and worshipped here continues to give us a sense of being "at home". Much is still not well in the present day Ukraine: lack of water in many homes, potholes everywhere, manhole covers still disappear, over-flowing trash receptacles, poverty continues, especially among the elderly. Hope continues too-- natural gas has come to town. Bright yellow overland pipes indicate those homes that are scrimping and saving to "connect".

People face challenges, as we heard again today. Nina(on a fixed pension), from Kutuzovla church has just paid for the appendix surgery and medications for her 14 year old grandson. Her savings are depleted, she has already borrowed and needs more. We can help some.

Our day to day work involves requests: partner with the local Kindergarten in doing some much needed repairs, aid a school with their museum project, support the Lab at the hospital with necessary chemicals for analysis, help the Orphanage send its swim team to the Special Olympics. We are grateful for the FOMCU board who give direction in decision-making.

The Respite rooms at the hospital continue to serve the patients with food and medications paid for by MC. Our worker, Valya cooks and does laundry for this much appreciated service.

Success in our task:

With anticipation we await the arrival of our newly hired administrator, Slava Kuprianov and his wife Natasha. He recently graduated from Odessa Baptist Seminary and will continue his Law studies as an off campus student. They plan to move here June 20th. We will give him initial training, but he will continue learning on the job with our bookkeeper and the staff.

Your prayers and support are essential. Thank you .



Al and Peggy