Air hug

We woke up to snow in Kirov this morning! Stephanie  was so excited she squealed and flailed about in the hallway.

We started our day with a quick stop at one of the churches in Velikoretskoye before heading to the orphanage. When showing pictures to our youngest boy, Stas, whom we've all completely fallen in love with, Stephanie shared an artistic "angled" photo and Stas said, "Oh, no! Our church is falling down!" Small group time was great today and we all got to have some great conversations throughout the day. The kids shared dreams for future jobs and talked about what they wanted to do for the night's talent show. 
Several kids got up to perform songs or dances and recite poetry, while others showed off their artistic talent. Several recited Pushkin and did a wonderful job.

Others displayed their beautiful artwork. Vika, one of our older kids, was shy to show us in front of the other kids so she stayed late to show us some of her artwork, which was on par with professional artists. She insisted we take home every piece she showed us to give to all of you.

We are already sad for our last day tomorrow, but looking forward to more hugs from these awesome kids. This will be our last post for the trip as we'll no longer have wifi after tonight. Thanks for all your prayers for our last day and our travels home. Even with the sadness of tomorrow, we are so looking forward to sharing stories of these wonderful kids with all of you.

SUPERfriends

Sorry, friends...we've been SUPER tired the past couple of nights and haven't given you any specifics, but get ready because we're about to unload on you.

The past couple of days have been fantastic, both in lesson and rotations in the afternoon. The kids are opening up in family group during discussion time, and we've learned so much about them in the last two days. We've talked about pain and conflict and plan to end on courage tomorrow.

The name of the game this week in activity has been "flexibility." Planned activities have gone a little awry, but our need for structure has taken second place to the kids having fun, which is what's most important, anyway.

Craft has gone well, and we can tell the ones they've loved because a hush falls over the room as they create. It's been silly, too, as it should be with kids--today's activity being a perfect example. We finger painted with the kids on pieces of fabric and Lindsay walked by two kids just as they were high-fiving with hands covered in paint and ended up being covered in paint herself.

We've been able to stay late almost every night, which is partly why we're so tired, but is also such a blessing. That extra time with the kids is so incredibly important for bonding. We showed sponsor videos one night, which included lots of laughter and emotion from all of the kids. It really helped them see what a huge community of supporters is behind them at Woods Chapel.The next night, we stayed to watch The Avengers and several of us got some great cuddle time in. These kids crave being held so badly, and movie night is the perfect evening for that to happen.

Tonight, we threw a birthday party for all of the kids. We decked out the room in superhero party decorations and balloons, and sang happy birthday and ate treats. We wanted the kids to feel special and since we can't be here on all of their birthdays, this was our substitute. We played Bingo as well, and Shawn entertained the kids with silly voices calling out the numbers. He wore out three translators in the process.

We also hung up the handprints poster from all of you during the party and several of the kids loved seeing your messages and your "wave" from miles away.Watching kids open your sponsor gifts was also an incredible highlight of the past couple of days. We can't stress enough what a privilege it is to all of us to be your representatives here and to help these kids feel more connected to all of you. Watching them read your letters and look at your faces in photos helps us see how genuinely they love you, and how connected they feel to each and every one of you. There's something magical that happens in those moments that is undeniably from God.

We've got a lot more planned in the next couple of days, so stay tuned!

Pictures speak louder than words...

Gang of Superheroes

We were the topic of conversation this morning at breakfast where we all donned superhero shirts and Shawn stepped it up a notch by also wearing his red satin superman cape.

We got on the bus and headed down the bumpy (although not AS bumpy as usual) road to the orphanage where we headed straight to tea, and then to "the principal's office" to meet with Gyorgy, the orphanage director and school principal. He was very gracious and gave the newbies a great overview of the settlement's history. Ann says he's a very stately gentleman.

We saw some familiar faces sneaking around corners eager to see us. As the day went on, several of the kids are already asking for letters from their sponsors and we promised them those were coming later in the week.

Shawn and Stephanie started the day off with a discussion about superheroes, and the kids were quick to name characteristics they all had, like courage, kindness, strength and power. Our new friend, Danya even struck a superman pose in Shawn's cape.

In craft, the kids decorated superhero masks and shields. They had fun (and got a little messy), and Masha made a beautiful super girl shield that she was proud to show off.

In activity, the older students made it super competitive and had fun playing leadership games while the younger kids had a mind of their own and made the team crack up with their antics.
We spent the rest of the afternoon in family group time playing games and getting to know the kids a little better, especially the new faces.

We're all looking forward to tomorrow, especially watching video messages from all of the sponsors after dinner tomorrow night. More to come!

Travel By Numbers

 








5,376 miles from home
18 superhero shirts packed...and one superman cape
38 hours of planes, trains, and automobiles
36 bags of luggage
6 different flavors of Russian chips
37.5 snorts of laughter (going up by the second)
4.5 layers of clothing per person
8 tea times in 3 days
39 degrees outside, 139 degrees inside
40 letters translated
32 bars of Bounty purchased
5 trillion beads sorted
1 team communion
7 songs performed by Tech School graduates
25 new friends made at the tech school ministry center
1 window opened and re-opened 10 times
5 shots of Nyquil
$50 spent on chocolate
7 water drinkers and one in denial
8 hearts ready to love
16 arms ready to hug
...and only 10 hours before we see the kids of Velikoretskoye

Moscow Bound

Bags checked. Almost all maxed at our limit of 50 lbs after some creative last-minute shuffling. It is a relief when we shed the checked bags...mostly because we are still carrying on our coats, backpacks and rolling carry-on to board. 

We look ridiculous.

But we look ridiculous for a good reason! We carry so much on the plane to preserve space in the checked bags for the kids. Gifts from sponsors, and supplies for the week take up. Lot of room when there are 42 kids. 

We are grateful for our families that got up early this morning to take us...and all out stuff...to the airport. 

We very easily laugh together, and this morning we were even making the ticketing agent laugh with us! Sara is currently finding t-shirts for the team in the Sky Mall magazine and she found one for Shawn that says, 'The Sermonator.' 

Today will be a long day, but our 4 months of team building and prep work have us well prepared to be an amazing team! We got into a conversation a few weeks ago about our love languages. After doing the test, all of us have ether Quality Time, Words of Affirmation and Acts of Service.  It makes sense that we would be a group of people that likes to hang out, encourage and serve.

Please be praying for the kids and that God would continue to build the groundwork for fantastic conversations before we get there. And that we would be the best extension of the Woods Chapel family we can physically be for these kids. We know they crave love and physical presence...and God has been preparing us for months, and even years, for this honor of being present with them. 

Soon...very soon!

Our new Velikoretskoye team leaves on November 2 to spend time with the kids until they return November 12. The theme this year is superheroes, and the team has really gotten into it by arming themselves with superhero t-shirts to represent different heroes. Be on the lookout for the team to start blogging starting around November 4 once they are in Kirov and have access to WiFi.

Extremes

Today began with the ultimate test in flexibility for our team. About 30 minutes in to our 90 minute commute to the orphanage, our bus was stopped at a traffic check point. Apparently our bus was stopped due to a tail light malfunction and during the inspection by the policeman, the driver was also fined because we weren't wearing our seat belts, along with the tail light. Good news is...we are a resourceful group, and during our wait (which ended up being 2 1/2 hours) we used our time wisely. We rehearsed for the talent show (more on that later), letters were translated to the kids, sorted some materials and even had time for a little dancing. Unfortunately when something like this happens in Russia, you are not allowed to leave until the problem is fixed. So we waited....and waited...and waited for an electrician to come assist with the repair and we were finally on our way.
By the time we arrived at the orphanage, it was past lunch time. We ate a quick lunch then left with the older kids for the bonfire. Stephanie and Marca stayed back with the younger kids who were not allowed to go. They played games, colored, did beads and practiced Russian (only Steph!). The bonfire was a blast! The setting was one of the most beautiful, peaceful places we have ever seen. It was so awesome to see how the older boys immediately began working, helping the teachers prepare the fire and coals for the shashlik (kabobs). We played tag in the forest, hiked and played soccer while the fire was warming. After playing for a while we introduced the group to s'mores!!! They LOVED them! We were handing out marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate as fast as we could.
The transformation in the older boys from year to year is obvious. After 4 years they are so much more relaxed and interactive with us. The teachers invited Rich to help with the shashlik. He had a great time putting the meat on skewers and cooking it on the coals. They even had him pose for a picture with the finished product. The meat was AMAZING! The kids loved it as much as we did. We asked if they would share the recipe to which the teachers replied...it was Gyorgy (school principal and orphanage director) who had cut the meat and that is why it was so special. We could have stayed longer, but knew we still needed to get back to the orphanage to pass out sponsor gifts and have the talent show.
The kids were foaming at the mouth to get their sponsor gifts, but we hadn't done it yet, because we were waiting to do it on bonfire day. Earlier the younger kids had been asking when they were getting them, and we had to tell them to wait until the older kids got back.
We say this every year, but it is amazing how each and every kid pulls out their letter to read your words first. There are beautiful moments when they are sitting there...read something cool, then turn to the next person and repeat it. The Kansas City themed stuff was a HUGE hit! They loved seeing your city and sports teams! One of the older boys opened up a KU gift and Autumn was explaining it was her favorite sports team, then one of the other kids said, 'What about the tigers?' We think it is hilarious about they know the MU vs. KU rivalry just from our gifts and letters.
This year we tried something we've never tried before...a talent show! We wanted to give the kids the opportunity to perform, and give us an opportunity to make them feel like our own kids do...like celebrities with paparazzi all over the room! Several of the girls did dances, Vika and Denis drew beautiful pictures and Nastya P. sang for us. Sergei P. answered Rich's challenge to a sweet roll eating contest...which is on video and had us laughing like crazy! It was a fantastic experience to cheer them on and encourage them in the gifts and talents God has given them!
This will be our last post before flying home on Monday. We leave for Moscow tomorrow (Saturday) night, and will be away from wifi for the rest of our time. We are incredibly thankful for our prayer support you've given us, and are even more thankful that we cannot post after leaving the kids for the last day. We know we will need the support of each other, and our families as we process everything this week has meant to us! It is an honor to serve this way and an even bigger honor to be a presence in our kids lives. When you have the opportunity to change a life through being in a relationship...it is an extraordinary gift from God!

Cracking ourselves up!

Tonight we decided we are going to give you some thing that each one of us has done that made the rest of us crack up.

The other night at team meeting we were very tired, and trying to get done quickly. Becky was giving the night devotion, and we look over and Marca is slouched on Autumn's bed. We immediately started giggling, but Becky continued...at the end, Stephanie was trying to be funny when she said, 'Marca, do you want to pray?' She sat straight up...replied yes, and prayed the most beautiful, on topic prayer. We could not stop laughing...then the next morning when we were still laughing about it, she had no recollection. :)

Last Sunday when we went to church, Olga (our Hopechest rep), had said we didn't need to wear long skirts because it was so cold and we would be walking a lot. Melanie and Becky decided they would still wear their skirts, but Melanie's was really, really long...and it was snowing...by the end of the day Mel's skirt was so dirty and wet from Kirov streets that our translator, Valerie, took her skirt home with her to wash it.

Today we went down to the river before meeting the kids. The river in Velikoretskoye is special because an icon of St. Nicolas was found on the riverbank. There is a pilgrimage every year in June on foot from Kirov to Velikoretskoye with the icon. Some believe it has healing powers, and there is a holy spring to give you good health. Earlier today when we were there, Becky opened the door to the holy space and ripped it off its hinges...yikes!

Everyone is loving the sweet rolls that we have at meal and tea time! Rich is especially loving them...so much so that he is eating more than one in the morning when we arrive. This morning when he was on his second one he bit off a chunk of the side of his cheek. He has been wearing shorts in the gym and not changing before we head home, but tonight we had to stop at the store for water. The store workers were whispering and pointing as he walked by! Not a normal sight you would see in November in Kirov!

Stephanie is an amazing team leader! She has guided us through so many situations...her knowledge and love of the Russian culture is obvious. But.....it became abundantly clear on day 1 that she is not a cheerful riser in the morning. After the alarm went off and Autumn got out of the shower she tried to gently wake Stephanie a couple of times before she finally got up and headed to the shower without responding to Autumn's comments. When she came out of the bathroom she said, "Ok, I can say Good Morning now, I have had my shower."

When it comes to planes trains and automobiles, miss Autumn has been dubbed with the name narcoleptic. Why you may ask? Well it all started with the plane ride where she spent at least 6 of the 9 hour flight asleep straight! She could not sleep on the train however. I guess even narcoleptics can't sleep sometimes. We are hopeful for the train ride back to Moscow on Saturday! She quickly redeemed her narcoleptic reputation when we were heading to church Sunday morning via public transportation. We were only on the bus for a short while, but Autumn managed to fall asleep right away...it was not only a eyes shut snooze, but a full on head sag, eyes shut, mouth slack sleep! She followed that up by easily sleeping on the bumpy bus ride twice a day, every day to and from the orphanage. As she describes it, she can even sleep when it feels like her head is in a paint shaker! So on the plus side, Autumn is getting a lot of sleep...on the down side, we think she's probably gonna need to get checked out by the doctor when she gets home!

We do recognize that we have not talked about the kids yet, but to that we want to say when a team in ministering to kids in this way it is so important to be truly united as a team working together. This late in our week, it is becoming more and more evident that our time is so short and every single one if us is needed to love our kids! 

So now onto the kids...we are having so much fun being with them in all aspects, but especially during free time. Drawing beautiful pictures. Playing epic gams of pioneer ball, like volleyball but you catch the ball and throw it over the net. Teaching soccer and basketball fundamentals. Still making a ton of bracelets. Playing UNO. 

But our favorite? The amazing moments of quiet with just a few kids to talk. Our conversations are incredible. Hearing their dreams for the future. Learning about their friends. Talking about music. So many precious memories to take home with us!

Today is lesson, all Stephanie had to lead with was, 'There were 10 men with leprosy...' and every single age group finished the rest of the story about Jesus healing the 10. The wonderful thing about that was how much time we were able to spend on talking about being on the outside of a community, and what that feels like. Then more time on how joyous they were, and the one who came back t say thank you. Each kid wrote down 5 things they are thankful for and there were some very beautiful thoughts. Thankful for life. Thankful for friends. Thankful for America friends. Thankful for caregivers. Thankful for breathe...life...happiness.

Our last full day is with the kids tomorrow...please be praying for us extra hard! We can hardly believe the week has gone this fast, and are lamenting saying goodbye. Each time we have a team here it seems like we fall more in love with our kids!

Bead-extravaganza

As we start to write the blog tonight, Autumn was closing the blinds in the room and figured out that the new rolling blinds at the hotel are magnetic at the bottom...it's the small things!

Tonight was the second night we have stayed late and we had a massive glow party complete with photo booth, glow in the dark bowling, ring toss and balls. The kids had a blast putting on wigs and using prop hats in the photo booth! Even the serious teachers got in on it! It was hilarious! Many of the kids loved bowling too!

There have been many observations of how everything the kids make and do get given straight back to their American friends and the team. We have everything, compared to what they have...yet they give it all back. For them it is so they feel remembered by those they love...

As the week has progressed we are seeing how incredibly talented our kids are in sports, singing, drawing, braiding hair...it is truly an amazing example of how gifted God makes each individual. We are working very hard at noticing those things so we can not only encouraged them, but compliment their uniqueness.

Today Stephanie worked on getting videos from the kids to their friends. It was so much fun to see how nervous and tongue tied they got in front of the camera. Not all have been comfortable getting in front of the camera, but there were several that courageously stepped up. 

Beads came out today! Actually it was a bead-extravaganza! And every age...gender and personality type loves beads! It was exciting to see how many of the kids wanted help with how to spell their friends' names in beads. Not all of those get sent on, because most get worn proudly. Each was a labor of love with extreme care put into design or sheer quantity of sports balls.  Others

Several of the older boys have been working on a skating rink in the school yard. They are taking so much pride in it, and they will be using it for hockey. Since this is their week off of school this is one of the few opportunities they have to put time into it. Yet as soon as they get released for lunch...they are right back in the rooms with us joining in any activity we have going on. 

We're sorry if it feels like we are not elaborating tonight...we are exhausted! Melanie is especially because she applied a million glitter tattoos! It is such an absolute blessing to be here with the kids and spending these moments with them. But...We. Are. Tired. :)