UPDATE FROM PRZEMYŚL, POLAND #8
+ Dear Friends,
We send our greetings your way as summer settles in and the weather gracefully adds extra warmth to the welcome which we continue to extend to the people of Ukraine, with the precious help of the funds which you provided us with.
In our reception centers, we try to create an atmosphere of togetherness, to make them as close to a real home as possible. Our guests and volunteers share meals, exercise together („A sound mind in a sound body,” as we often say in Poland to stress the importance of physical activity) and often relax together, whether watching videos, going for a walk (some with Bella, the German shepherd dog introduced to you in our previous update) or roasting sausages over a campfire.
A very pleasant outing took place last week. The departure point was Polana, the participants were our guests accompanied by volunteers, including the volunteer physician Dr. May currently on duty there, as well as her husband, and the destination was a nearby extraordinary rock formation.
Campfire evenings have a long tradition in Poland. They used to be vastly popular especially among scouts and youth groups, and also today they are a common way to celebrate together, sitting in a circle around the fire, enjoying the proximity of nature as well as good food. Campfires in the Bieszczady mountains are an indispensable element of their atmosphere, so we make sure that our guests get a taste of that, too.
Campfires in the Bieszczady mountains are an indispensable element of their atmosphere, so we make sure that our guests get a taste of that, too.
Meanwhile, back in Polana, those who were staying indoors showed just how creative one can get, given some fruit and a lot of determination to have fun with it! This is what it looked like in the making:
Some of our guests staying in the Przemyśl center were preparing for their trip to France where they found a new home. Their transport was managed by one of our drivers, Łukasz, who made sure that the trip itself would be unforgettable: their stops in Germany included visiting Nuremberg and other places, so they arrived at their destination richer in good memories.
In Przemyśl, some meals can also be an outdoor event when the weather permits. The inhabitants, the volunteers… and among them our new group coming again all the way from the United States! Father Marek joins the company whenever he can, using this time to talk with the adults but also with the little ones 😃
After mealtime, the inhabitants of the Przemyśl reception center work together…
…and some, not minding their own condition, help those around them, the old and the young alike. This brave lady, battling cancer, took it upon herself to assist another inhabitant of the house by taking him for a walk, something he could not do on his own, being blind. She also finds time to walk with one of our youngsters!
One more summer day in Polana started with exercise…
…and continued with a group outing in the area, to conclude with some evening fun.
Another visit from our French volunteers brought more gifts (some perhaps slightly too large for those who wanted to handle them ) Przemyśl was on their agenda too, and there was even time for a photo together.
To finish off this little report with a smile, we share a photo taken by our American volunteers as they drove by a bus stop. Instead of a bus, they came upon a scene which is still fairly common in the countryside: 😉
