Thoughts Concerning My Trip
to the A Glance into the Wonderful World of Tomorrow by Ken Zahora
July 12, 2008
Two years ago I retired from being an elementary teacher of 33 years.
I have wondered a few times what God would have me to do with my remaining time. I’ve had a painting business since 1978 and am doing that at the present.
Vasyl and Irina Polichko
operate a mission in Vinogradov, Ukraine, to help the street children in
the area. They have dedicated their lives to this worthwhile cause.
All people around the world have four basic needs: shelter, food,
clothing and love. The Polichkos provide all four in a caring way. With the help and
encouragement of Mr. Victor Kubik, three volunteers and I went to
Vinogradov on an experience much like what we all will experience in the
Wonderful World of Tomorrow. We cared for the needs of less fortunate
human beings. Our main goal was to teach English and love the 30-35
students in the summer camp. The children ate up the
attention given to them and their responsiveness increased positively
throughout the duration of the camp experience. They wanted to be with
us every waking moment and wanted to know if anything was wrong when one
of their teachers wasn’t with them for any length of time. We used a program called
Genki English to teach English. Some of the subjects covered were:
What’s Your Name, How Are You, Left and Right, and What’s the Weather
Like, to name a few. For each lesson the vocabulary was introduced and
reviewed with gestures. Then the song was taught without music.
Finally the song was sung with plenty of gestures. The children
especially enjoyed the singing. We hope they will remember the words
much longer through the songs. Seven of the children
live in a house outside of Vinogradov in the country. They were street
children until a young couple named Maria and Vasyl adopted them. I
named them the Magnificent Seven, because of the changes they’ve made in
their lives and will continue to make. Some of the children are
very good at mushroom hunting. Some mornings they would come home with
a shirt full of mushrooms. They are quite good at knowing which are
poisonous or good to eat. We enjoyed their pickings in many of our
meals. I’m still here after eating them daily, so I’m sure they know
which are edible. Many afternoons were
spent swimming for an hour or so. One trusting girl, Diana, swam out to
me and I didn’t break that trust. She was rewarded with a ride on my
back or she would stand on my shoulders and jump off, which delighted
her immensely. Another Diana was one of the hardest workers at the camp. She was always helping. She would help serve the food, get more food when needed, help mop the floors and get the hall ready for Sabbath services. She also made sure the boys followed directions. She was one tough little gal.
Two important lessons
from this experience were: 1) Children need love in order to grow
mentally and emotionally, and 2) Satan is still around and bombards both
children and adults. We must stay very close to God to combat this
bombardment and win this war. People everywhere have
unique talents as well as negative traits to overcome because of their
nature and environment. Life Nets can help by
continuing their support of the mission in Vinogradov. The two week
camp could be expanded to two, two-week camps with two adults for each
session. This would greatly expand the children’s knowledge of English. I would definitely consider going back again. Teaching in this setting gives one the opportunity to begin practicing what we will be doing for 1000 years. For those who cannot make such a trip, do not be discouraged. You can help with your steadfast prayers for this effort. In addition, any financial contribution you can make for this worthwhile effort, spearheaded by Vasyl and Irina Polichko, is much appreciated! |
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Group picture at the top of an old ruins in Vinogradov before a rain storm.
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