Friends

If you would have asked me last Friday if I was ready to head back to our country to start Russian classes, I would have said, “Oh, yeah.” However, in the past week, we have been able to make some good friends here and now I am hesitant to leave another place.  Again. Every two weeks we have been in a different location and it has been difficult to make deep friendships.  We hope that the friendships we have made here in yet another country will continue over the internet.

We have frequented a local market quite a bit.  The first time we were there, this group of women got our attention.  They worked together in an isle of little booths.  They were all friends and had us go into every single booth and told us exactly what everything was.  We talked with them about our time in the country and how we were waiting for visas. We talked about the nearby mountains, lakes and other touristy things.  We talked a little about family also.

During the weekend we went to the mountains.  It was so beautiful.  We were up in a dacha which is a little gorgeous summer cottage with fruit trees all around and nearby meandering cattle.  We went with a few other Americans and hiked down to the glacier fed river that is canalled in such a way as to irrigate the city far below.  We stuck our feet in the freezing water and enjoyed our time soaking in the nature.  We spent a good deal of time picking plums and apples off the trees, and a few pears.  The time refreshed us and we started out the week on the right foot.

We spent time together singing and praying on Sunday.  We really wanted to go back to talk to the girls we met, so Monday we did.  We spent the whole afternoon talking with them and drinking juice.  We talked about deeper issues.  I was able to spend time with one friend, just the two of us.  She had been in an abusive marriage and was struggling to take care of her son. She explained how hard it will be for her to marry a local man in the future.  Although the guy would care for her and not worry about her past, the parents in law would gossip and she bring shame to their family.  It is very sad.  I was able to spend some time with her, talking to our Papa. It was such a blessing to do that.  The three of us are going to go out for coffee after our friends get off of work tomorrow.  We are so excited to have made friends here with whom we can spend time.

We also met a girl yesterday at a restaurant who wanted to practice her English.  We went back there today to speak with her a little more.  She is just a little younger than I am.  We decided that since tomorrow is her day off work, we would go poke around the city a little bit!  We are excited to spend our last full day here with new friends.  Hopefully we can continue friendship via email!

I have also been really convicted lately about the blessings that I have been given.  There are so many people here begging.  They ask for money or food. When I pass by them I remember what was said about those who love the Lord: they give clothes to the naked, food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless. I hope to live by that. Today was a good start.  There was this beautiful old beggar woman who was asking for food. We didn’t really know what to do, but Sarita gave her bread.  I looked at my plate of food, cheap by US standards, but still more than I needed.  I ate a portion, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat it all.  I had to give it away.  I grabbed half of my breakfast burrito and one of Callie’s sausages and walked over to the woman.  I asked her to please take this.  In my very limited Russian I told her that God loved her.  She kept clasping her hands to her chest and saying thank you.  Later two of her homeless guy friends came by.  She told them what we had done.  They all became very smiley. Soon enough, they were pointing their fingers at the sides of their mouths, motioning for us to smile back.  It was so sweet.  One of the guys came over to  try to talk to us. However, all he could say in English was hello, thank you, please and “Oh, baby!” So we didn’t get very far.  One of the waiters told him to leave, so that was the end.  On our way out, we stopped by the babushka and all gave her hugs.  She didn’t want to let go!  She said to each of us, “I love you!”  I tear up thinking about her.