After an almost 3 hour delay in Denver, which made us come very close to missing a connection in Minneapolis, the trip has gone pretty smoothly.
We arrived on time Friday afternoon and spent Friday evening checking into the hotel, eating dinner and getting much needed sleep.
Saturday was a full day with our train ride to Vladimir. Then a quick check in at the hotel and lunch, then off to the ministry center. Don spoke to the grads about forgiveness and why it's so important in healing relationships as well as allowing ourselves to heal from hurt so we can go on with our lives.
We spent a lot of free time with the kids, catching up on what has been going on in our lives. Several of the "kids" are no longer kids. Nastya K had a daughter this year and she and her husband are doing well. Dima E's wife is pregnant. Klara B. had been with her boyfriend for three years and they recently purchased their own apartment.
It was great to see Sergei, who I have not seen since he left the orphanage about five years ago. He was an average sized kid at that time. He is now pursuing MMA competition and is huge. His voice is like Sylvester Stalone and when he got green paint on him, he looked like the Hulk.
On Sunday, some of us went to the Orthodox church with five of the boys. We didn't have time to talk with them as we went straight to the Wesleyan Church for services. Two of the boys joined us there.
Many of the kids joined us for a Burger King lunch and then we went to a local festival of paint throwing. The event seemed like a concert designed only to sell a lot of high priced powdered "paint," but the kids had a lot of fun. Adam and Justin got involved. I even got myself painted in the end.
Back to the ministry center for more social time/games and a skit about God's love for us through the story of Noah and then off to dinner at Globus. The day went too fast and soon we were leaving our grads and wishing them well.
Monday's ride to the orphanage was surprisingly smooth and we arrived in Pokrov even earlier than planned. The English lesson was a hit, and I made a new friend. Alina, who has been in the orphanage about 3 months, attached herself to me because she knows a little English and wanted to practice. I helped her with her t-shirt at craft time. She's 11.
Much of the rest of the day was spent in free time getting to know the kids. Today begins more formal time. The week has some fun in store with more English lessons, a skit, a relay race, a talent show and I'm sure surprise events planned by the orphanage staff.
Overall, the age of the kids at the orphanage is lower and the numbers fewer. The good news is that the orphanage staff is doing a good job of getting kids placed in homes. The orphanage staff is also now involved in training foster parents and preparing them for the challenges of bringing orphans into their families. While this means fewer children for us to meet and to minister to, it is great for the kids to have families and help as they develop family relationships.
