Break out the eggnog -- it's Christmas! Well, in Ukraine, at least. Since the holiday schedule here is directed more by the Orthodox calendar, Christmas comes a little later. But hey, we're always up for a little more Christmas. As long as there's food. Which, of course, there was.
So today at church, we celebrated Christmas with a pageant. It's fun to see a story that's the same everywhere. Makes you feel home no matter where you are, if you can pardon the cliche. Ellie felt so much at home that she broke into a rousing chorus of Away in a Manger right in the middle.
In addition to some same stories, we've heard stories very different from our own experience too. At church today, we met a man who was a Christian long before it was condoned by the Soviet regime. Because of his faith, he was exiled to Siberia for seven years, and could have been rendered unable, as were most Christians, to get a high-profile job. Due to his brilliance as an architect, however, the government looked the other way and gave him a post. He has recently overseen the construction of Kiev's new seminary, of which his son is the president.
We also saw a man whose scalp was covered with crude paper bandages, recovering from surgery to remove cancer from his brain. He watched intently as his wife performed in the Christmas pageant. It was especially poignant as we found he had, after years of denying the faith of his wife, come to Christ on what easily could have been his deathbed. This was his first church service.
Tonight, friends of my parents joined us for dinner. With them was their new adopted grand-daughter, Vika. Vika is nine and has spent her life to this point in a Kiev orphanage. While many guardians of orphans in Ukraine see adoption only as the potential for a payoff, Vika's great-grandmother sat down and asked many questions to those who had come to adopt her. "Why do you want her?" she wondered. Satisfied by their answers, she had two requests: one, not to spoil her, and two, to never let her forget from where she had come. Tonight, she blew bubbles with our delighted daughter.
What a fortunate day of stories for us. We hope this time of rest for all of you has generated stories for your family. May we and you never forget from where you have come.
3 comments:
I don't remember those egg-cup spinners at Lower Cascades, but they sure don't sound fun today! I'm recovering from the flu that Leah and Ellie started vacation with. Yuck!
I did manage to drag myself out of bed this morning to meet Mashawn and the kids at church (Yeah!) for their first time back. It was a great morning, despite my physical state.
Funny how Christmas has a way of bringing out the stories, isn't it? Spending so much time with people I've known my whole life, I still managed to catch more new stories than I have been able to record in the down time. And that while living a few new stories of our own.
I'm really looking forward to hearing more of your stories when you get back!
Much love to you all!
Aimee
Boy do I have a great story for you when you get back! I'll leave it at a great way to pay for grad school!
I seriously think that was the worst flu I've ever had. Did your whole fam get it, Aimee?
Andrew, we're on pins and needles! Can't wait to hear what's going on!
BTW, the last line of our last blog SHOULD READ: May we and you never forget from where WE have come. It says "from where YOU have come," which sounds a little judgmental. Anywho.
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