I’ve been reading the Catcher in the Rye and I think it slightly affected my writing style on this one.

Today at the Rehab’s Parent’s meeting I was really sad for a bit. I may have even shed two tears. I did it all very discretely of course, but Aleksey noticed. He was sitting pretty far away too, so I was either less discrete than I assumed I was or he is really just that in tune. After the meeting when I was scurrying around to get the tea and biscuits ready he pulled me aside and told me that he is not a prophet or anything but that he saw that I was getting sad and he didn’t know why and he wanted to give me this Bible verse. He also gave me a little Christian flyer thing that everyone was handing to each other. It really made me really excited to go home and pray and look up the verse. I was really in the mood to be encouraged, if you know what I mean. Aleksey is from Ukraine and an ex-alcoholic (yes I know, once an alcoholic always one but I can say what I want). Anyways, he is a really cool guy and God has told me some wonderful things about him, but he and I only talk when we give each other verses or stuff form the Lord, and otherwise the language barrier is way strong. Even the Russians every now and then ask him to repeat himself “but in Russian” because he resorts to Ukrainian quite frequently. He is finishing his adaptation soon so be in prayer for him as he seeks God’s will in where to live and what to do when he gets out. :) Anyways instead of talking the van with him and Maxim to the metro I walked with Seryozha’s mom and Galina Simionovna (I think that is her name). The stopped in the bathroom first to I went too. Seryozha’s mom and I walked and talked home from the metro. She is a wonderful woman. Be praying for her. She said she has a surgery next weekend. Please do be in prayer. But she seems to be an eternal optimist. It is some sort of woman’s surgery, so take that as you will. When she told me about it I told her my mom used to have cancer but now she doesn’t, Praise God. She kept saying how so many others have it worse than her and said she is so glad that she only has her problems and not the ones that other people have, like cancer, or husbands dying in car crashes, etc. This is coming from a woman with failing health and 2 heroine addicted sons (although praise God one, Seryozha is sober and the other is in rehab). Still, you have to admire that kind of humble trust and optimism. At least I admire it. When I got home I was SOOOOO excited about reading that scripture. I reached in my back pocket only to find air. I cannot say how disappointing that was. I knew I had put it in my back pocket, but I searched all of my belongings anyways. Then I thought maybe I lost it on the street, so I went out on the street and retraced my steps all the way to the metro. I picked up so many crumby pieces of paper it wasn’t even funny. And I know I looked crazy, but I just kept looking. It was kinda nice though. I haven’t been praying and relying on God as much as I should lately and the search was pretty rife with conversation with God, even if it was mostly me whining and moaning about how I was looking forward to reading it and wondering why God let me lose it. I never found it (big surprise). I think it must have fallen out of my stupid pocket when I went pee. I didn’t even have to go pee. But God works all things (even little silly ones) for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28) and I did get to have a pleasant convo with God and I can always ask Aleksey for the scripture on Wednesday, plus I got a little more exercise for the day :) I was thumbing through Matthew because I am pretty sure that it was from Matthew (but it could have been from Mark) and I ran across Matthew 5:4,8 and those are good enough for me. You can’t go wrong with the beatitudes.
Before the meeting Nicolai had me practice this song I had never heard before. It is pretty simplistic and I believe not to well-written, but they like it when I sing it in English even though they feel the same way about the song in its Russian version. They weren’t gonna have anyone even sing it in Russian after me but I said if I just sing in English and no one translates it is almost the same thing as me going up and speaking in tongues without a translator- who does it benefit? Well, I didn’t say it that well, but I stumbled over a few words until they said it for me. They are pretty good about that. So I practiced the Russian version a bit but it is a mouthful.
On Sunday Nicolai and I sang a duet of “there is none like you.” We were introduced as “An International Duet.” Everyone said it is better when I sing with Nicolai than when I sing with Seryozha. Poor Seryozha. I sang the first verse in English then we sang the 2nd and 3rd verses in Russian and then we sang the bridge in Russian. Then the brothers from the Adaptation Center sang a wonderful song that really made my heart sing. But the ending was sloppy, admittedly and they were crazy embarrassed about it. I don’t know much about music but their’s was my favorite song all night and there they were feeling like crap about it. They even started out being self-conscious stating in their introduction that they shouldn’t be expected to have as much musical talent as was in the international duet. Oh, if they only knew how almost nobody but my mom and dad think I have a good voice in America. I try to tell them so when they go on a bit too much, but they always seem offended that someone would think my voice isn’t amazing and they tell me to tell the Americans that *insert their name here* says I have a great voice. IT is cute. I get a lot of encouragement here, but being the weakling and spiritual-lightweight I always seem to be I always could use more, so it is nice to be in such a loving environment. God has always been very gracious to always put me with loving and encouraging people. I can never say I am unloved, and that is a HUGE blessing.
Elena (my house mom) wants me to sing at some festival in April so yesterday we practiced a little bit after church.
I can’t believe today is only Monday.