Yesterday the Ukrainian team members arrived by over night bus from Kiev to Riga, a 19 hour journey added to the over night journey of the previous day by train from Simferopol to Kiev. The team includes Captain Ruslan and Marina Zuyev and their daughter Anna (Sven recruited Ruslan as a teenager to join the SA in Kiev shortly after he and his wife opened fire in Ukraine) Both Ruslan and his wife hail from Kiev. Travelling with them is a fine young cornetist, Ilya Rubin, from the Yalta Corps (The Yalta Corps was planted by Sven while serving as the Reional Commander, Ukraine-Moldova). Marina is gifted with a very fine soprano voice and both Zuyevs speak excellent English and will serve as translators in addition to their other responsibilities. The two young people will assist our chief brass instructor, Lauren Harry, Wrexham Corps, UK.
Today our return volunteer from Edinburgh Gorgie Corps, Ann Grigor arrived to act as the resident nurse, not only for our campers but for the general population in the two villages where we are working. In fact, her nursing skills were called on in mid air today as the Ryan Air flight cabin attendant made a call for help, asking if there was a nurse or doctor on board. A passenger experienced breathing difficulties due to traveling too soon following surgery. Ann has a wealth of experience of working with campers in that she was a staff nurse at Star Lake Camp for many summers, and while living in the New York area was a faithful soldier of Sven’s Mid-Manhattan New York Central Corps.
In yesterday’s blog you met Kira from Samara, Russia. Today we introduce you to Natasha, a photojournalist residing in Moscow, Russia and who only recently returned from an 8-month photo mission in Kenya and South Africa. Natasha will be conducting two daily photo workshops for approximately 50 children with each receiving a free camera the result of donations received in the UK. Natasha too came to the Army as a result of Sven’s serving in Eastern Europe and in this instance, Moscow, Russia. Natasha was one of several dozen teens who were recruited and enrolled within months of the Army re-opening its work in Moscow by Sven and his then wife, Kathie. Interestingly, it was Sven’s grandparents who first opened-fire in Russia’s capital some 7 decades earlier.
Our activities today included introducing the village young people to the tambourine, vocal harmony and playing brass instruments for the very first time with more than 50 young people changing their outerwear into the camp provided polo shirts. Although the two villages are less than an hour apart and the only Salvation Army Corps within a 100 miles they have never met in common. However, Glad and Sven have worked with these young people now for four years and our week long rehearsals will culminate in a concert where the groups will share in some mass numbers and individual contributions. The team, which is also comprised of some very fine Salvation Army musicians, will travel to Riga on Saturday to participate in the weekly service at the Riga II Corps, the Russian speaking Corps in Riga. (Photo’s will follow)Each session concludes with an illustrated Bible story with active participation by all the children. The childrens' Friends of Jesus' club is led by Major Kay Delamere, Winford, Corps, UK.
We told you about our photojournalist Natasha above, here is her photo. 
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