Yesterday was Saturday, and the weather was gorgeous. Our driver picked us up and presented Eugene with a new soccer ball (like the rest of the world, Russian-speaking folks call this a futbol). Today was going to be all about futbol - the young bucks against team "stara" (old)!
After briefly saying hello, Lera and her pals requested the video gadgets and spent most of the day holding court in the back seat of our car so that the sun would not cause an unbearable glare on their screens as they enjoyed movies and video games. :o) I have come to realize that Lera's reaction to her new parents is best described by the famed line from the Jerry McGuire movie, "You had me at hello." From the minute we showed up, we were her parents and she was our daughter. She immediatly loved us compltely, and she was immediatly 100% confident that we love her too. Whenever we are nearby, she seems to just feel safe and I am so thankful! So yesterday, as she hung out in the car with her friends, we would occasionally check in to stroke her hair, share candy (confeita) and snacks, and to just make sure they were happy, which they always were.
Meanwhile, outside of the car, the men and boys went to work on the soccer field (a paved area between two old basketball goals... with the bases of the basketball goal towers serving as soccer goals). They spent the next 2 hours or so sweating, laughing, and banging into one another, and having an awesome time. I watched, took pictures, provided water during breaks, and shouted affirmation and jeers in my best broken Russian as appropriate. Vitalik was in heaven, and his droogs were pretty happy too. It was a really fun day.
On the sidelines after a game, Vitalik came over for a drink and got out a calendar, pointed to the date for Tuesday and said, "bye bye Lezevoyeh?" I checked the date, and said, yes, then looked at him and made a "so so" signal with my hand, essentially asking him if he felt lukewarm about it. He looked surprised and said, "good!" I said, "You happy?" and he said, "Yes! You happy?" I replied, "Yes! Ochen (very)!" then he affirmed, "I happy." I know that leaving will be hard, but for now, it is good that they are both really looking forward to their new life with great hope and excitement.
After the soccer games were over, and I had just about exhausted our snack supplies for the day, I got out a bag of dried cranberries. Most of the kids are a little shy about accepting food from us. (It seems to be a culturally polite response in Ukraine to always refuse the first time something is offered.) After I insisted and made them feel confident that I really did want to share with them, they all accepted a handful of the snack and said in sweet shy English, "Thank you very much" to which I replied, "You're welcome! Good English!" Many even came back for seconds. One very shy boy who almost never talks didn't say thank you until his friend elbowed him and reminded him to use his manners!
Yesterday morning, as we were hanging around the apartment, my favorite Jewel song ever (Hands - recorded in 1998) came on. It would be difficult to find a more perfect song to reflect how we are called to live out our faith with simple acts of love and kindness. One of my favorite memories from our time at the orphanage yesterday is handing out the dried cranberries to all of the boys after soccer. They are teenagers, all about my size. In their world, they are almost men, and many will soon be heading to trade school I guess (and I hope). It is impossible to describe, but for me there was something truly sacred about pouring a small pile of dried berries into each of their hands... a very simple exchange between human hands.
Just for the record, and for my own enjoyment, I have copied below the Lyrics to Jewel's 1998 masterpiece. May each of us do our best live out the words to this song (in whatever small ways we may find) every day of our lives. I'm pretty sure that this is what life is all about.
After briefly saying hello, Lera and her pals requested the video gadgets and spent most of the day holding court in the back seat of our car so that the sun would not cause an unbearable glare on their screens as they enjoyed movies and video games. :o) I have come to realize that Lera's reaction to her new parents is best described by the famed line from the Jerry McGuire movie, "You had me at hello." From the minute we showed up, we were her parents and she was our daughter. She immediatly loved us compltely, and she was immediatly 100% confident that we love her too. Whenever we are nearby, she seems to just feel safe and I am so thankful! So yesterday, as she hung out in the car with her friends, we would occasionally check in to stroke her hair, share candy (confeita) and snacks, and to just make sure they were happy, which they always were.
On the sidelines after a game, Vitalik came over for a drink and got out a calendar, pointed to the date for Tuesday and said, "bye bye Lezevoyeh?" I checked the date, and said, yes, then looked at him and made a "so so" signal with my hand, essentially asking him if he felt lukewarm about it. He looked surprised and said, "good!" I said, "You happy?" and he said, "Yes! You happy?" I replied, "Yes! Ochen (very)!" then he affirmed, "I happy." I know that leaving will be hard, but for now, it is good that they are both really looking forward to their new life with great hope and excitement.
After the soccer games were over, and I had just about exhausted our snack supplies for the day, I got out a bag of dried cranberries. Most of the kids are a little shy about accepting food from us. (It seems to be a culturally polite response in Ukraine to always refuse the first time something is offered.) After I insisted and made them feel confident that I really did want to share with them, they all accepted a handful of the snack and said in sweet shy English, "Thank you very much" to which I replied, "You're welcome! Good English!" Many even came back for seconds. One very shy boy who almost never talks didn't say thank you until his friend elbowed him and reminded him to use his manners!
Yesterday morning, as we were hanging around the apartment, my favorite Jewel song ever (Hands - recorded in 1998) came on. It would be difficult to find a more perfect song to reflect how we are called to live out our faith with simple acts of love and kindness. One of my favorite memories from our time at the orphanage yesterday is handing out the dried cranberries to all of the boys after soccer. They are teenagers, all about my size. In their world, they are almost men, and many will soon be heading to trade school I guess (and I hope). It is impossible to describe, but for me there was something truly sacred about pouring a small pile of dried berries into each of their hands... a very simple exchange between human hands.
Just for the record, and for my own enjoyment, I have copied below the Lyrics to Jewel's 1998 masterpiece. May each of us do our best live out the words to this song (in whatever small ways we may find) every day of our lives. I'm pretty sure that this is what life is all about.
"Hands"
If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we're all OK
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I won't be made useless
I won't be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
Poverty stole your golden shoes
It didn't steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But I knew it wasn't ever after
We'll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what's right
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
I am never broken
In the end only kindness matters
In the end only kindness matters
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
My hands are small I know
But they're not yours, they are my own
But they're not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's mind
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's heart
We are God's eyes
God's hands
God's eyes
We are God's hands
We are God's hands
The words to that song are perfect. Just use our small hands to do the little bit of good that we can in the world.
ReplyDeleteI love that song too and so agree that we can find sacred moments in small acts of kindness. God delights in every tiny act of love!
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