I slept with my iPod earphones in my ears last night.  Not because I was listening to music all night but because I was trying to drown out the snoring!  :-)  Dan, our helper, can go to sleep the fastest of anyone I have ever had the privilege of bunking with and he can snore with the best of them!  I wasn’t sure at the first if it was Dan or Bro. Danny.  I laughed this morning when Bro. Danny said he first thought it was me!!

We once again woke to sounds of activity in the kitchen.  There was also a jockeying for position in the bathroom for the shower.  There were 9 or 10 people regularly getting ready in 1 bathroom.  It helped that some showered at night but the one bathroom in the house was a very busy and highly sought after space.

After breakfast Pastor Leonid looked at me and said in his broken English, “Terry, my dear brother…one song.”  He then disappeared into the living room and returned with a guitar.  So we sat around the breakfast table and sang a song or two while I fumbled around with the guitar like I knew what I was doing.  I kept telling Pastor Leonid I really didn’t play much but he kept ignoring me and kept bringing me the guitar so we played and sang and had a good time together.

After breakfast we went into Orsha to do a little shopping and looking around.  Linen is a big thing in Orsha.  They produce hand towels, table coverings, runners and various items from linen.  We were told you can purchase it in Orsha for about half of what you can buy it anywhere else in the country.  

After shopping we walked around the town a bit.  We stopped to take a group picture beside this pretty pond and were invited to tour the Catholic Church.  They were in the middle of remodeling but it was very nice and welcoming to have been invited to look around.  We also took a minute to play a game with the children and nuns at the church.  It was really fun interacting with the folks there.

Back at the house we ate lunch and prepared to go to Sino where we would visit an orphanage.  Orphanages are interesting and special to me because my mother spent part of her early life in an orphanage in Detroit.  She has told me stories and shared many memories of her days at the orphanage.

A group from the church did a puppet show and our team sang a couple of songs for the kids.  We also gave out candy, stickers, notebooks and pens.  We also made and gave away balloon animals.  The kids loved the gifts and the candy created a sort of feeding frenzy.  They were all so appreciative and sweet.

Following the time at the orphanage we stopped by Sino church where Pastor Leonid’s brother is pastor.  They had a table spread with sandwiches, cookies and tea.  Once again…we ate!  After a time of eating and fellowshipping around the table we sang.  We sang a lot, everywhere we went.  We took up an offering among the group to help the pastor and his family and their ministry.  It was good to give and be a part of their ministry there.

I was constantly reminded of the generosity of these people.  While we were eating at the church I mentioned the Sergei, the Student Pastor, that I liked the T-shirt’s their puppet team wore.  I also asked if they had extras as I would have loved to have had one.  They told me they didn’t have extras, in fact they only had enough for the team as they went each time.  Everyone did not have one of their own.  They put one on only when they were involved in the puppet ministry as they did that day.

We returned to the church to drop people off and put away the puppet gear.  As we were saying good bye, one of the ladies showed up in the van and tossed me one of their T-shirts.  There was no giving it back or talking them out of it.  They knew I would like to have one so they gave me one.  I was touched at their generosity and selflessness.  I gave Sergei my Outward T-shirt that we wear to the block parties.  I think he liked trading.  He couldn’t speak to me and I couldn’t speak to him but by the smile on his face I knew he understood and was pleased.

Back at the house we ate cookies and drank hot Chi until past midnight.  The fellowship around the table was fun and sweet.  Our discussions always ended in talking about ministry and the things of God.  It was a great day.