First Morning in Belarus – Update #2

Here’s the e-mail I got this morning at 4:46 am from my sister to all of you. Enjoy!

Hello from Belarus!

Rich, Joe and I had a wonderful night's rest.  Comfy beds, warm  blankets.  I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow!  :)  This morning we were all able to get showers and there was plenty of hot water.  The small things do make us feel at home here. 

The breakfast was 'interesting' this morning.  We're not exactly sure what we ate - it seemed like one thing was cabbage leaves wrapped around a meat mixture (sausage?).  That tasted ok - it was hot.  (Yes, Leslie - Rich ate it!!)  They also served a big roll which had some kind of fish (?)/vegetable mixture inside - Joe ate a little, Rich and I tried it, but he and I couldn't quite "stomach" the smell of it...probably some kind of fish.  We had leftover mashed potatoes too (yummy!) and some of the sweet bread from last night (thank goodness!).  Hot tea, coffee and water to drink.  The women who cook for us are so generous and want us to try everything - they put mustard, horseradish, ketchup, sweets, cookies - everything it seems - out on the table for us. 

After breakfast Rich went outside to help Yura move the Ford F250 which has a broken starter and was stopped in the middle of the driveway.  This was the truck Yura tried to move himself but tore his Achilles tendon on the day before we got here.  (For those of you who do not know, Yura is the director of ABRO - Belarus).  Anyway, I videotaped Rich and Yura as they worked to move the truck.  They hooked it up to a Nissan with tow cables, first pulling it forward, then pulling it back under a covered area (what we would call a car port).  Oh - it's still snowing.  :)

Some children arrived here at the ARK house today to pick up their Christmas cards and gifts from their American host families.  Seem like very nice kids too.

We'll be sorting toys this morning and then Rich, Joe and I will leave to pickup Rich's Krystina before heading to the deaf orphanage in Mstislavl.  Valentina (the chaperone for the deaf children) will pick us up and take us there.  There are 12 children left at the deaf orphanage for the holidays - all orphans.  Nine boys, three girls.  Ages range from 7 to 18 years old.  We will stay at Valentina's home while there - Rich and Krystina will sleep with Valentina's neighbor and Joe and I will sleep in Valentina's apartment.  I don't believe I will have any internet access there, so this may be the last update for a few days.

We are all very appreciative of your prayers.  Thank you so much for them - they truly carry us along in this mission we are on! 

Take care & God bless,

Elaine