Among the projects that teams are working on this week are several apartments in desperate need of repair and cleaning. The families that call these rooms home are quite obviously needy, and one place held a most difficult and shocking reality of poverty. What used to be white walls, were now yellow from years of abuse, neglect and filth. The single mom and four children that live here in this small space (which is not much larger than a semi trailer) greeted our team with an excitement that could not be contained. The enthusiasm this mom displayed upon seeing the group of American, Irish and Polish workers who had come to serve her and her family was contageous. The team worked in her house the entire day - moving furniture, cleaning walls, and scraping off wallpaper that was literally held on by grease. Things are improving.
In another location, a team worked to repaint hand railings and caution stripes along a staircase in the city.
Yet another team worked for hours beautifying the beach front at the lake, and also spent time scraping off the safety rails so a new and fresh coat can be applied later in the week. In the process, their efforts were observed by the local media. The film crew shot some scenes of their progress, and also interviewed team members as to the purpose of our projects and why we are here this week. This kind of media coverage is great for sharing the message of Hope, which we are excited to share not only through our actions, but also through the conversations that our actions inspire.
Along with various other work projects, today also saw the start of the children's day camp we are hosting this whole week. We have been able to coordinate with Social Services here in the city, and they brought over 60 children (age 6-12 or so) this morning from homes of domestic violence. Some of these children were accompanied by parents and grandparents. We played games, created fun crafts, painted faces, and did other exciting things with the kids. It has been an incredible opportunity to reach out not only to the children, but to the parents as well. 
Each day brings new opportunities to serve and be involved in the lives of the people here in Ostroda. We look forward to tomorrow...