In Vologda

Hello everyone! Thank you all for your patience. I'm sorry for the delay. As you may have read in the previous post, the phone is not working for updating the blog. It looks like my next post will be when I return from VBS camp. I'm sure there will be lots to share!

I can't tell you how WONDERFUL it was to take a shower after 2 full days of traveling and touring! It has already been and incredible time. Funny enough, the train has been one of my favorite thing so far. I stood in awe last night looking out the train window at the sunset, saying over and over, "I can't believe I'm in Russia!" I've started drinking tea over coffee (if you know me, this is a big deal!) and I love it.

This morning we we thought we had until 9am to sleep in! Ha. At 6am the train stopped and someone knock on our door. "Welcome to Vologda!" It was one of our translators. All discombobbulated, we got off the train and into a warm embrace by all of our host families. I recognized Dasha right away. We had been facebooking a bit before I came and she was just as sweet and beautiful as she looked in her pictures. We hurried back to her place where she immediately offered me a shower and a hot meal. I must have looked and smelled pretty pathetic!!! After a shower it was crepes and tea for breakfast and then I was off to sleep! (I had to jump out of the shower to grab my own shampoo. Dasha showed me a whole shelf of good smelling shampoos and such. When she left I went to grab one when I realized they were all in Russian! I thought I should grab my own as opposed to maybe washing my hair with body soap!) Dasha had to leave for work so her mother, who speaks little english (and I even less Russian) just made me lunch. Again, I couldn't believe that I was here. That I was sitting in a sweet Russian ladies kitchen trying to communicate back and forth and laughing the whole time at each other. They are so hospitable and I feel very at home here...even though we can barely talk! There is something sweet about that. This lunch is something I will remember for a long time.

I'm about to repack my bags for camp and head out. I'm afraid it will be a few days before we are back in touch. Hopefully, next week I will have more time to download some pictures.

Everyone else on the trip seems to be holding up very well. Please pray for our week with the kids! I keep thinking about words we often hear..."preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words." I guess that is what the Lord is wanting for me this week. I'm looking forward to loving on some kids! God Bless you all.

Jenny