HALONEN.CA

Ok… I’m tired of hearing (already) people complaining about the snow. It’s Canada. It snows in the winter. Why complain? Just make the best of it!

This weekend, we went skiing as a family – all six of us – on both Saturday and Sunday. It was the first time on groomed trails for both Kira and Kiana. We live a whole 16 km (10 miles) away from Hardwood, so it doesn’t take us long to get to the ski trails.

Kiana – first time on the trails…

Kira after skiing.

I took the photo below a few weeks ago in our living room… Another reason we hope we get a LOT of snow!

Yes, we’re still alive…

Gradually, we’re trying to settle in to life back in Canada, trying to get enough work, and trying to figure out what’s next.

The kids are getting involved in various activities. Kai is playing hockey again after being away from it for three years (no hockey rinks in Krivoy Rog). Petra is skating… Kira will be taking ski lessons (once we get snow).

Canada is still like it was – but everything looks and feels different after our experiences. That’s something we’re still trying to process!

I just realized that it’s been a while since I updated this site. It is now the end of July, and my last posting was in April. Sorry!

Anyway, there have been a few small changes in our life. We are now back in Canada (we flew back May 4th), and are currently living in Barrie, Ontario.

We still own a house in Ukraine, and our friends Roma and Natasha are living there (along with their son Andrey). They are continuing to work with the orphans…

As for us, it’s been a bit of a culture shock coming back to Canada. We brought our dog and cat back with us from Ukraine as well. They seem to like Canada!

If anybody out there is interested in knowing more about our work with the orphans, about what it’s like to live in Ukraine, or anything else, just ask!

A very long time since I updated this site… Why? Well, to put it simply, we have been busy.

Between trying to do things to help the kids here, trying to help some of our local friends get things up and running so they can start to help, a quick trip to Sweden in February (partly necessitated by new Ukrainian Visa rules),  and our decision to move back to Canada within the next month, it has been a busy time.

Yes, we are heading back to Canada. Fortunately, there are people here now who actually care about these kids in the orphanages, and they are doing a great job. A better job in many ways than we can do… And we know that we need to get back to Canada for the sake of our own kids (although we did seriously consider moving to Finland instead).

I will try to post some photos from the last few months when I get a chance – but realistically that might happen once we’re already back in Canada!

In December, I provided transportation for some people from our church to a village outside the city. We visited a home for handicapped women. The conditions there are unbelievable… The building in the above photo was built in 1910. Not much has changed since then. Yes, that is a current photo!
We had a party for the residents. They had a blast!

This lady loved the sparkler we gave her!

Anya helping people get their bananas.

A view of some of the property…

This is the only “washroom” they have – for approximately 70 residents plus workers.

This is one of the two “holes” that serve as toilets. And no, there is no heat in the outhouse…

We end up doing all kinds of things here… Kai and I helped some of our friends record a music video – in the weeds between the river and our house.

It was cold, but we got it done just as the sun was setting. Hopefully, I can post a clip of the video here once we get it ready.

The renovations around our house(s) continue. The “other” house is starting to look a lot better. The bathroom in the back part is now functional, and the main “living” room is completely renovated.

Our house is getting upgrades as well, with a new front door and new steps (with a roof). Roma is sure keeping himself busy here!

One of the reasons we went to Finland was to get a chance to see one of my all time favourite bands, Stryper, in concert. I did see Michael Sweet playing some of his own stuff, as well as Stryper songs, at a concert in Niagara Falls, New York a few years ago. Tracy Ferrie (the current bass player in Stryper) was also with Michael at the time.

Kai and I had to stand in line for 1 1/2 hours just to get a ticket for the concert. When we finally got our tickets, there were only about 40 tickets left, and hundreds of people still standing in line hoping to get one!

It was worth it. Opening for Stryper was a Finnish band, “The Rain”, who did a great job as well.