Remember that eight degree weather we told you about yesterday? Well, we all started this morning taking a leisurely stroll in it to get to church, but with gusts of added wind. That is, the Americans took a leisurely stroll--our Russian friends were practically running, with us lagging behind at every turn.

We were waiting at a bus stop and Shawn borrowed Gina's earmuffs so he wouldn't mess up his hair with his hat. A Russian man behind us suggested Shawn wear a plastic bag on his head to stay warm, or let all the ladies around him each give him a kiss. Stephanie thought it was funny that a Russian man initiated conversation with us, especially on a public street. Apparently he couldn't resist making fun of Shawn either.

We enjoyed the Orthodox church service because it's such a multi-sensory experience. From the icons on the walls to the incense in the air to the angelic singing, it made the experience truly spiritual.

After church, it was back out in the cold to three different restaurants for lunch. We were trying to find a place that opened before 11 so we could meet the kids early, and we ended up in a German-themed sushi restaurant. Our lunch started with Greek salad, then sushi (don't worry Ryan, Lindsay didn't eat any), then borscht. Eclectic, but very yummy!

We rushed to the circus next and found the kids eating ice cream outside in the cold. We got to sit with the kids this year and experience the show with them. Everyone's favorite was the tigers at the end. They were equally scary and fun to see.

We headed to the orphanage next to pass out sponsor gifts, which is always one of our favorite moments of the trip. The thing the kids covet most is the letter in each packet. There was a line standing behind every translator as they all patiently waited for their letters to be read. Sergei brought up the new Sergei in his family group to Gina and asked if there was a gift for him too, because 'he doesn't have a an American friend yet since he was new.' We love seeing how excited they are about their American friends. An older Maxim surprised Steph when he pulled out his letter and wanted her to translate it for him. Once Koss was able to translate it, he was focused on the words coming out of Koss' mouth instead of the 'cool' older boys being distracting next to him. A younger Maxim had only his letter pulled out in front of him on the desk, patiently waiting for a translator to get to him. They also poured over their photos and wanted to know everyone's name in the photo, mostly so they can feel closer to their American friends. These are just a few of the amazing things we were blessed to witness while giving the kids their gifts and being an extension of their friends.

For the first time since starting to sponsor Velikoretskoye we were able to stay late after dinner. We watched Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of Dawn Treader in Russian. Several of the kids were very concerned that we wouldn't be able to understand it. We shared popcorn and spread out to love on our kids! Snuggling was all around, yet some Americans wished the kids would have sat still better instead of using them as a cuddle jungle gym...again. On a serious note, it is even more obvious this year how much some of our boys crave male attention and we are very grateful for Shawn on the team, even more so our new discipler,Koss.

We are very excited for our full day with them tomorrow, and are daily feeling your prayers for us, the kids and our time with them!