Yesterday the windows started to be placed. A bit of clarity for the location of a few was required today, so Maxim and I went out to Darivka and did so. They're pretty, and it was good again to see that the men who are putting them in are specialists in this specific part of the project. They don't claim to know how to do everything well, They know how to put in windows well. This was a challenge with those workers out at the worksite this past year as they claimed to know how to do everything well. 

God is good and he is faithful, and I am so very grateful for his continued provision.

Something you can be in prayer for, Pasha, one of the two co-owners is the proud papa of a new little baby girl as of this morning, simply pray for he and his wife 

as they begin to raise this new life.

We made these back bedroom windows accessible for the guys to open by creating a lower latch for them to lift up on. All of the bedroom windows will give them this new freedom.

March 25th

God is always full of surprises

this little one is for my sister Wendy, with love

a sweet reminder of the childrens book by Beatrix Potter of the sweet little hedgehog

This is my new assistant, Sasha, and this particular sunny day we were heading out to work in the garden at Stephen's house, we took a detour...

...and found this cute little roll on the property for Naomi's house, a fun & sweet delight.

TO WORK!

We worked hard and got about a third of the trees ready for spring. Removal of all the leaves that served as insulation around the base of the trees from the winter was the first thing to get accomplished. The three small evergreen trees all developed some kind of fungus so we sprayed and watered them with nutrients to hopefully help. All the trees received a form of root nutrient and the glue to keep ants carrying aphid eggs and also snails off the trees was applied. 

end of the day results, quite a bit tidier

There's still a lot of construction in the yard to be done. Rain water wells need to be dug and the grapevine arbor needs to be set in place. Once the plumbing system is in then these others will be worked on and then, maybe? some more possible clean up and flowers could go in before it gets too hot, just maybe.

I worked out at the site today, it was a warm day and felt so good to be out 

at the Stephen's home plot.

There's clean up that needed to happen after this winter. 

What was amazing to me, after our last work crew that could have cared less, this one actually had already started to organize, clean and clear out the house. 

They are getting ready to do the flooring and all that that entails in the next couple 

weeks, so wood was stacked outside neatly...

... back behind the plumbing trench out to the sewage tank, that circular green top

other wood leftovers were nicely arranged

This is the trench being dug for the water source into the house 

from the city water pipeline and

by the end of the week the trench went all the way to water meter. (below)

Here's the start of all that's going below the floor:

utility room drain for a washer/dryer & utility garden sink

two bathrooms at the far end of the house for

the guest room and exercise room 

piping from the house parents quarters joining the main line

two bathrooms back to back for the young men in this back area

finished by the end of the week (below)

the main pipe through the house is ready to be buried, 

sand goes on after the cement sets

kitchen sink #1

this one will be accessible for those in wheelchairs

kitchen sink #2

this main sink will be used by the mother of the home, most days

perspective 2 on kitchen sink #2

from the kitchen looking into the entryway on the left 

and the main hall, center

March 20th

It was a wonderful day spent with Oksana, sharing with her as we drove out to Kahovka. She was really glad to be back as she has a good friend there now. We spent time with them sharing a meal at a local cafe and talking together. The staff there at the institution were nice yesterday and had been helpful in allowing Oksana more space on her side of the room she shares, an answer to prayer. 
The Lord went with us.

Also, majority of the windows arrived yesterday at the building site for the house. The ones we are still waiting on will take a bit longer to be made. In the main hall we ordered a cherry wood-like look finish for the framing of the 3 windows on the interior portion of the windows.

these are bathroom and bedroom windows

The past few days a lot of drilling through the foundation has taken place for the plumbing pipes that will go in very soon.

The daylight seen in the hole above is the last hole to be drilled, 

it will be a airduct for the fireplace 

soon to be built here in the foreground of the photo above.

Again the main plumbing trench, 

the foundation hole made from the outdoor garden back into the house.

This trench will exit out the other side of the house behind where I am standing.

Maxim working with our builder, Pasha, who's team of men are doing excellent work.

The metal of the back fence was being installed today. I was there for the start of the work as Tolic, the specialist in ironworks, was getting ready to put it up into the brick framework.

A couple other photos from the days showing progress

one piece at a time

The temporary old coming down and the new going up

ventilation chimney stacks

Okay, so this is what progress looks like!!!

March 16th 

Almost one year to date from our initial start date a year ago on March 19th, 2016.

~ a walk through the house ~

This is the start of the plumbing trench from the furthest point from the septic tank. Two bathrooms will sit back to back here at this end of the house.

the trench goes through the hall and outside to the garden court

a well will sit in one corner here to give cleaning access if needed

back inside again the trench crosses the floor

of the main hall where two other trenches join the main one...

... here at the far end of the hall

this trench joins from the main two bathrooms the boys will use 

between their bedrooms

After exiting the main hall it heads further underground out to the septic tank.

We've figured out a better system for the ventilation

putting it into action has taken some effort, but it will all be in the attic space.

This is our very own 

fresh air - intake - ventilation fan system 

for bringing in fresh air from outside.

the experts at work

and below, the soon to be expert at work

Maxim is actually doing a great job, trying to learn as much as he can,

having come into the middle of a project. Pasha, here, is directing us with the placement of the interior walls along this corridor that will soon become sleeping quarters for these young men. The placement of the walls were marked off today.

ANYONE WITH INSIGHT ON TREES

I noticed the evergreens have made it through the winter, but this is a first that I've the blackened lower limbs. These two trees we planted last fall right before the first frost and seem to be doing well, but this doesn't look good. The white stuff is doggie poop, our security dogs doing. Could he be the cause for the branches to also go bad if he's using these two trees?

sad, they've been doing so well

March 9th 

A day of clarity

Having now officially owned the plot of ground that is

our therapy garden for a month now, we had it officially surveyed

to make sure we understand where the plot marks are.

Our neighbor lady who sold us the plot has been highly contentious, especially this last spring. After she asked for a fence to be put up along the back boundary line between each of the plots, she just had a fit about the survey markers location because her cabbage plants were in the way.

This survey helped to clarify both the plot line along her garden, but revealed that we own a meter on the other side of the fence, with the neighbor behind the house, along the left of the garden plot. This gentleman neighbor even more contentious, 

so we'll simply have to wait, if we do anything. 😏

This corner where we've put in a temporary wood storage shelter abuts two other neighbors plots and our marker is on the other side of the fence here too, 

though about a foot, not a meter.

These are the pieces of

THE GRAPE ARBOR

that will be painted and go in soon

___________________________

February 27 ~ a morning with the guys in Nedpriana 
who will call Stephen's home their own

Stass trying his first time at the game Farkel

Such fun!

Keeping the dice on the table was a challenge...

...but we managed after several tries and had fun.

Sasha on the left - has cerebral palsy, and my new co-worker Sasha next to him. Vitya in the navy plaid also has cerebral palsy. Next to him is Maxim, m project manager/director and Stass, not from Tsurypinsk, but planned to join the home. Artome, is on the right end, much older than all the others and was at Tsurypinsk, but before I began working there, a potential candidate, but we have so many. Ura down front with Phyllis, my co-worker, will be in the home as well. He is very much a child in his thinking and demeanor, a sweet heart.