Snow in Sosnovo! - Mon, April 30

I couldn’t believe it! We woke up to six inches of snow in Sosnovo this morning! It has snowed all day! It’s so different from last year when we had beautiful weather and played outside. Today, we played inside!

Saturday evening I was still wondering how things were going to come together. Then we added two people at the last minute. I interviewed a translator on my cell phone while getting some shopping done before going to Sosnovo. Then Sasha, one of the Transition Home former residents asked if she could come for three days. Sasha is a tiny girl for 26 years old, but she was a BIG help to us at the Orphanage! She always has a big smile and this is contagious with the kids!

We travelled by a small passenger bus to Sosnovo on Sunday evening to get settled. Again, Saturday evening I was wondering where I was going to sleep all these people now that we had two more additions. After a few phone calls, another home volunteered to host us from the Sosnovo Baptist church! Again, God provided for all our needs!

The ladies, Patty, Becky, Masha, Natasha, and Sasha all stayed in the home of a young newly married couple. They had only been married four months and the wife was only 20 years old and probably never had met an American! She had that “deer in headlights” look when we arrived! They were very gracious!

Sergey and I stayed in another apartment that was a two minute walk from the orphanage. I had no idea where I or any of us were going to lay down that night. Jesus must have been the same way; on the road… no home… a band of followers… staying with friends that would bless them with a place to stay for a few days. Many apartments are fairly rough by American standards. Some have not been renovated since the 1930’s or don’t have hot water consistently. However, Valentina’s apartment was truly a blessing! We were VERY comfortable there and she was a great host! She gave us the key and she went and stayed with her mom for the week! What a blessing! She also served our entire team dinner on Monday night. Again, a tremendous blessing! God provided once again!!!

Monday morning we started out with our devotional at this apartment close to the Orphanage. Our team would work there in the morning and then after lunch, the folks working with the Day Center across town would begin their work there.

Monday and Tuesday were National holiday’s here in Russia and the kids were out of school! Although we had coordinated with the staff at the orphanage, the kids had not been told that we were coming. When I entered the Orphaange the kids who saw me first immediately recognized me and called me by the name given to me last year. They would all call me “Da Da John”! It’s pronounced “Daya Daya” which is an endearing name in Russian that best translates into “Uncle John”.

We had a wonderful day with them mostly playing and rebuilding relationships with them! Usually I would have one kid on my right and left, one on each knee, and one always trying to crawl on my back for a shoulder ride! The kids loved the contact and having someone to play with! They never get the chance to do this with their house moms in the orphanage!

We got home to our apartments a little before 10pm as we needed to do shopping for lunch the next day. I wanted to call my dad at home in the USA, as today was his birthday. However, the phone cards I had didn’t work here and we were not able to find another one that worked in Sosnovo. Outside phone and internet access were difficult and there didn’t seem to be access while we were in Sosnovo.

Thanks for your prayers this week as we continue to build relationships with these kids and become “Jesus with skin on”!