Ukraine...in a nutshell.

Our TEAM!

I will say I love these girls, and that Gregg is missing from the picture. He was in charge of building all the equipment while we were there and did an awesome job.

We are home from Ukraine! Praise the Lord!
The children we worked with were amazing and sweet. A little of my heart is still there with them.

There was a volcano in Iceland (like you didn't already know that).
I dislike volcano's a lot!
We flew around the world to come home due to the ash plumes (plume was the funniest word to us, and a word we kept saying while traveling...haha) from Kiev to Dubai to Sydney to LA to Denver to Tulsa. It was around 35 hours of fly time. Insane. We talked about some crazy ways of getting home, one involved driving to Spain, another riding a train to Rome, another involved a ferry to Istanbul, Turkey. Every time we discussed a new plan, I would have a new stomach pain! The travels involved in this trip were definitely a test of faith for me!

Back to the children in Ukraine. Our work was well received, and caregivers and parents lined up to listen and learn how to better the lives of children with special needs there. I got to hold and love on so many children. I especially loved holding the children at the orphanages. I didn't want to do therapy, I just wanted to sit and hold them or play! :) I hope this is the first of many trips that I get to participate in, but right now I am so thankful to be home. God was definitely guiding us and our travels. I know HE is the only way we were able to see that many children, educate so many receptive minds, and get home as quickly as we did. Even going the long way around the globe!

The world seems a little smaller to me now!

I plan on blogging about each day of the trip with more details about the kids we got to meet and the whole Ukrainian experience. But I'm going to take a mental time out for a few days!
Kati managing two walkers in the Chicago airport!
On the way. We got lots of looks and questions regarding the walkers. The kids faces who got up and walked in those walkers once we got there, made carrying them through airports SO SO SO worth it.

TEAM SPEECH! :)

Kiev

Emirates Airline was amazing. I had to take a picture of my screen at my seat! I'm a dork.
This is how concerned we all were that we missed our connection in LA and that our plane had a mechanical issue in Sydney....so concerned we all 3 fell asleep! :)

Tulsa Airport! Yay!! This is what we look like after 35 hours of flying.

Here we go!

We are off to Ukraine in the morning. We continue to ask you to keep our trip in your prayers. We should arrive in Ukraine around 3:00pm Sunday afternoon (Ukraine time). We will be blogging from our new Teamworks Ukraine blog. Specifically prayer for favor with the airlines and that all of our luggage and supplies are able to be delivered to children who need them in Ukraine.

The past couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity. We packed, re-packed, prayed, weighed luggage, and re-packed some more. :) The kind words and generosity of friends and family has been overwhelming. Definitely has pushed me to tears several times over the past 24 hours. It's so nice to see people give of their time and money to help children so far away. I hope God uses each of us going on the trip to touch the lives of the children there.

Count Down to Ukraine- 5 days

We leave for our big trip to Ukraine in 5 days. In some ways, it's hard to believe it's here...in other ways...it's been a long time coming! Just some last minute information.

Donations:
We are still collecting monetary donations for our trip. You can donate here at 99 Balloons. (don't worry, you don't have to specify the money is for Teamworks Ukraine when you donate, it will get to us) We will be using this money to purchase materials/supplies needed once we reach Ukraine.

Prayer Requests:
We would love to have as much prayer support as we can get. Specifically for safe travels for our group, that our information is well received, that we reach as many children as possible while there, that our recommendations for the children are carried out once we leave, that we show God's love to everyone we meet, and that HE works through us with each child we touch.

Here's are tentative schedule. Can we say busy?

Saturday, April 10

Fly out of NWA heading to Donetsk Ukraine

Sunday, April 11

P.M. - Arrive in Donetsk, transfer by car to Kramatorsk

Monday, April 12

A.M.- Orphanage

- meet with director- see special needs children in rooms

- have "clinic" for each special needs child

- go to infirmary

P.M.- Kramatorsk Children's Hospital

- meet with hospital director and staff

- tour hospital- tour NICU- present materials on NICU

- demonstrate protocol in NICU

- visit orphan ward children and staff

Night

- develop plan for each child at orphanage

Tuesday, April 13

A.M. - Kramatorsk Children's Hospital

- have a "clinic" with special needs children and their parents

P.M.- Kramatorsk Children's Hospital

- have a "clinic" with special needs children and their parents

Night

- create charts for each child at Hospital

- develop plans for each child at Hospital

Wednesday, April 14

A.M. - Orphanage

- present personalized programs

- present new materials & demonstrations of therapy in group setting

P.M. - Rehabilitation Clinic

- meet with director and staff

- have clinic with special needs children and staff

Night

- create charts for each child at Rehabilitation Clinic

- develop plans for each child at Rehabilitation Clinic

Thursday, April 15

A.M. - Orphanage

- deliver equipment, donations

- wrap up with directors and staff

Kramatorsk Children's Hospital

- deliver equipment, donations

- deliver personalized programs

- wrap up with directors and staff

P.M. - Rehabilitation Clinic

- deliver plans for special needs children

- present materials and do demonstrations of therapy

- wrap up with director and staff

Night

- travel to Kharkiv by van (5 hours)

Friday, April 16

A.M. - a new orphanage

- meet with director

- see special needs children in rooms

- have "clinic" for each special needs child

P.M. - new orphanage

- present materials along with demonstrations of therapy

- wrap up with director and staff

Saturday, April 17

A.M. - new orphanage

- deliver donations & visit with children in rooms

P.M.

-Travel to Kyiv by train (5 hours)

Sunday April, 18

-Depart Kyiv and head home

WOWEEE. :)