So many things are blog worthy...I just don't have enough time to write it all...and you don't have enough time to read it all. Trust me. This is a little bit of what's gone on in the last few days.Friday night Brighid and I went to a concert of our friend Vera. We were anticipating a small venue where she and her father would play their repertoire and we assumed it would last a half hour or hour at most. Yet, it was a concert of different performers from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vologda, in a very large venue...and it lasted....a long time. It was actually a really good cultural experience and we got to listen to different singers and musical artists. One really funny part to B and I was that the only people who were cheered back on stage by the audience happened to be the accordion players. People loved them. Other performers could come and go with little clapping, but once the accordion players came on...they never wanted them to leave. My image of the accordion is Steve Urkel...the nerdy goofy guy from Family Matters.

This weekend Brig and I also did our laundry for the first time in over three weeks. It was about time...but since we have to do it by hand, we put it off as long as possible. It took about 2.5 days for things to be washed in shifts, hung, and air dry on hangers all around my room. But now, everything is clean...especially the basin in my shower where I did it all.

Church yesterday was amazing. I put some pictures up of the little church on my photo site. We arrived with Stasey and met Tolik there (his second week in a row!) Our pastor's son translates the sermon for us in English by sitting behind us and "whispering" the interpretation. But the rest of the service and all of the songs are done in Russian. I really enjoy worshipping there, despite any language barrier. We have been so welcomed at feel right at home. After service we stayed to have some chai, and hung out with the five girls who were in Sunday school. These girls are around 12 years old and all but one were new this week. One girl, Alona, brought all of her friends along. One of Alona's friends was from the orphanage in the town. It was so nice to meet them, and they were so excited to meet us. We made houses out of construction paper and boxes for their stuffed animals. Every thing we picked up we would exchange Russian and English words. Like...pink, frog, cat, scissors, paper. Then they asked if I would write some English words for them to practice speaking. Some of the girls are studying English already. I just wish I knew Russian already so I could talk with them more....but our smiles and laughter were enough for now. They have to be enough.

After church I met with Asya...the girl I told you about from my class who offered to be my tutor. She is so amazing...and her major is cultural studies. She definitely has a passion for culture in its many forms. We talked about her interests of literature, art, and Russian history. She showed me all around Vologda and told me so much of its history. Who knew that Ivan the Terrible was going to make Vologda the capital of Russia, until he entered one of the churches here and a brick fell on his head....and he said Vologda would NEVER be the capital after that episode. We also had our first lesson on some Russian vocabulary...and she picked out two books for me to read by Russian authors. The first being Crime and Punishment...heavy, but doable. Plus, she loves it, and we can talk about it after I finish. We are meeting on Tuesdays and Saturdays...so I better get to that studying of Russian.

I am happy and healthy and loving this life. I am praying for God to work in and through me everyday... and I know he\'s working it all out. For you and me.