First, I want to give you some background information on Joseph that I should have mentioned several days ago; he has the soup kitchen for the street kids. This man is so passionate about his ministry and feels an urgency about getting the message to the children. He was a former policeman and would hunt the street kids down and break their fingers if they wouldn't tell him where others were hidden. He lost his wife and child because of the person he had become. Then he turned his life over to God, got his family back and created this ministry to save the very children he used to persecute. Joseph is in the picture on August 17th, far left.

Second, the hotel is back in business after Susan and I were told that the plug we unplugged in our room was actually to the outdoor light for the hotel sign.

Now onto our day:
Dr. Yuri Yurovish Demjan, orthopedic surgeon at the Regional Children's Hospital, and good friend to Florian, picked us up and drove us to the hospital in Mukachevo. The hospital administrator, Dr. Elizabeth Birok, came in from her day off to give us a tour of the facilities and what has been accomplished in the last few years. They have added a neonatal unit, added a hydro theraphy swimming pool, reburished a new building within a complex, and are adding a modern laundry facility. One more note. We were told that the hospital can't refuse children so the gypies will make their children sick, bring them to the hospital then pick them up after winter. Some have no contact with their family for months.

Next stop was an orphanage in Slavyava where the director, Dr. Viktor Tarasov, gave us a tour. There are quite alot of abandoned babies. Families can drop off their babies for up to two years if they have found jobs outside the country. The mother has to visit at least once every six months or she loses her rights to the child.

Next stop was Leroy's for pizza, Ukrainian style, then shopping in downtown Mukachevo. Yuri's son, Yuri Jr., gave us a wonderful tour. After 2 1/2 hours, we took a 20 minute walk to Yuri's home for dinner. It was more of an outdoor feast.
1st course: Borsht (hearty vegetable soup)
Next: smoked bacon, ham, and cheese and bread
Next: cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplant from the garden
Next: grilled pork ribs and sheep kabobs with potatoes cooked with onions and bacon
Next: Urkranian ice cream with pineapple and chocolate wafers and also fresh plums from
the garden
After all that Yuri apololized for not having roasted baby sweet corn.

After rest and wonderful conversation we were driven back to the hotel.