Estonia, Lighthouse Update, Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Wednesday at Lighthouse, Estonia
Today we got to the Lighthouse early so that Mall, the director could take us to a discount store to buy chocolate and coffee. Delores, Jan, and I rode in the car to the store. Mallś husband drove us, because Mall doesn´t like to drive. I can see why, itś crazy! When we returned to the Lighthouse, the children began arriving, and we did the "Cha Cha Slide", "Alice the Camel", and played musical chairs. They loved playing musical chairs while I played the piano. I would pick very abrupt places to stop!

We did music again, and added the paper plates and chopsticks activity, which was pretty wild!! Delores helped me pass out plates and chopsticks, and also took pictures. (She really "loves" on the kids", Her "grandma" approach seems to be working well with the kids.) We needed the interupter to say " Do it together, and don´t hit your neighbor with your plates!!! All of these kids seems to have a very good sense of beat, and when directed, can do well following the boomwhacker and bell charts that I brought. We practiced our other songs, since tomorrow we will perform for all of the adults before the children go to see "Shrek" in Russian and Estonaian (two different times for shows). It is their special treat since they just finished school. Wouldn´t it be funny to see "Shrek" in Russian"? We won´t be able to do that tomorrow, as Mall has other plans for us.

We used the puppets today, and they sang to some recordings that Jan brought. The little boys are pretty wild! Tina told us that three of them come from a home of 7 children, and the mother couldn´t remember how many kids she had! The mother is probably on drugs, and the children are on their own. It is survival mode for them. I noticed one child with bruises on his face, so it is as we knew, that these children come from very difficult homes, where abuse and neglect are likely.

Wayne and Dave have painted the first coat on a large room. They are putting the second coat on tomorrow, and also plan to paint the very high stair well. They are using a very tall ladder to reach this area. Wayne arm-wrestled a boy today. He could have wiped him out in two seconds, but he played along for quite a while, and finally let him win.

Jan and Delores are in the kitchen making chili with spaghetti for the kids tomorrow. We are making an "American" meal for them. Dave insisted that chili over spaghetti is the way people eat this in Oklahoma. Jan and I were discussing this, and she said that Dave likes his chili this way. I am guessing that the children may like it with pasta, too.

Last evening, we went to eat supper at a place called "Texas". It was very interesting Tex-Mex. I ordered tostados that were tortillas with chicken, zuchinni, and red peppers, with a Holandaise like sauce with dill in it. The chips also had a fruity dip. No salsa for us! It was very tasty, but we decided that it was definitely Estonian Tex-Mex.

Tomorrow is our last day at the Lighthouse, and then we go down south and will visit two churches. Wayne is speaking on Sunday, and I will be playing the piano. When Mall talked with the minister he said that his parishiners were sick of him, and they would like to here someone else.! He wants me to play before during and after the service, so I guess I will be "faking" it a bit!

Hopefully I will send one more email tomorrow. I am uncertain whether we will have email when we go south.

Thanks for your prayers and support,
Judy and Wayne