Now Mark is preparing to visit America.
He will go in April 2009. He is taking pictures and short videos of his ministries. We have been visiting Emmaus Club, the massage clinic, and the Rehabilitation Center in Illichevsk. It’s very nice to see people there who can tell us about the positive changes that are taking place.
Two days ago we visited the Rehabilitation center, a city government facility. There is a very difficult situation with the legal documentation of the Center. Our government authorities are not sure who the director of it is at this time. There are three possible candidates. One is doing the actual work. Despite these problems, everybody who comes to the center may find himself in the atmosphere of kindness, hospitality and children’s laughter.
I remember when the director of one of the organizations for the disabled, Ludmila, was dreaming about a rehabilitation center in Illichevsk. She wanted parents who have children with disabilities to have a place in Illichevsk where they could bring their children. She wanted the parents to have the freedom to go to their work, or have some rest while the caretakers played with their children or helped them with some exercises.
Her dream has been fulfilled. Today this center exists and gets a lot of use from children with disabilities and their parents. At the center, children can not only play, but can do some craft work and learn to sing. Every day they have a tasty lunch. It was so pleasant for me to speak to some of the mothers. They seemed to be calm and satisfied, quite contrary to their anguish of previous years. I think the center is the place where they can find peace, by themselves, or with other mothers.
Of course the center has some more potential, but because of the documentation problems it doesn’t function as it should. Ludmila hopes that soon the children can come to the center and have some medical and rehabilitation treatment also. I pray for her wish to be fulfilled.
Until next time,
Ira
