Home for the Elderly




	The home for the elderly had had very little maintenance work for many years. The wooden floor had been stepped through... The smell was uncomfortable for us... The weeds had taken over the yard... The water had eroded the sidewalk and the road... There was cleaning to be done.... And, there were things to be fixed. There were these strange floors... the more we swept them the more dirt there was... They were dirt floors. The brooms were made from branches from the trees in the yard, and twine. There were 5 residents and some staff people, and 45 of us, and more and more children who came to see what we were doing. We... Replaced a bathtub and sink Replaced the wooden floor with a concrete one Cut the grass (with a cycle and by hand) Pulled weeds Handed out candy and treats Leveled dirt floors and covered them with linoleum Cleaned paint from the floor Handed out wordless bracelets Cleaned and repaired light fixtures Leveled the sidewalk and street Moved rocks Enlarged the front porch Listened to the stories from the elderly (in Russian) Played with the children Painted some rooms Re-set and straightened the fence Loved the children We were enriched by our visit. We worked hard and were sore. The children greatly encouraged us. We played with them laughed with them and left them our message: *Hay-soos Krees-tos Lewbit Vaas* (which means *Jesus Christ Loves You)*