This was probably one of the roughest weeks of my life (I agree; Breanne), and I am so glad it is over. But, the neat part was, with how bad everything really was, there was always something just as sweet as it was bitter. For instance, we were fed ground up deep fried liver (sickest thing I have ever tasted) at the school after a long day of running around and catching kids to try and grab their attention for a split second. Tangent: (everything is in oil here, even if it is not cooked. It is said that you don’t receive vitamin A unless the oil is there to bring it out, so, our cauliflower (deep fried) our salads (slathered in oil) oh, the salads don’t even have lettuce, our pasta, (basically deep fried), oh, I can smell our breakfast right now, smells like blini (pancakes)! Cooked in half the bottle of oil! Excellent! The best part is, that when you say thank you for the meal, they reply with the phrase, “for your health”. I think I think that my body is the weakest it has ever been in my entire existence (true; Breanne), it practically hates me right now; I just can’t wait to get some real vegetables one day, so to all of you kids . . . EAT YOUR VEGETABLES! THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT TO YOUR HEALTH! (Oh and on top of this week, two of the teachers from our school ended up in the hospital. One teacher with tonsillitis and the other with a stomach virus and an inflamed pancreas. So, who gets to take over their kids? Breanne and I. we taught 11 hours one day! We have done the work of four teachers everyday this week! I am pretty sure I would not still be here if it weren’t for Breanne! Okay, tangent over, the double fold into good. One of the sweetest men in the world and his wife came to Kiev this week to help us with our teaching and to see how everything was going. He was the director for our program and seriously one of the happiest, intelligent, loving men on the face of this planet! He helped us realize our true potential, he calmed our worries about what wasn’t happening with the kids, he made me realize how much I actually have learned, and that there is a brightness of hope in the future! What a great couple! So, they came to our school, helped us with our teaching, helped us improve immensely, and then fed us the best pizza (okay, maybe not as good as the pizza that Stephanie and I make) But, it is claimed to be the best pizza in Kiev, and I am a believer of that statement! Then he fed us ice cream with melted peanut butter, fudge sauce, bananas, and whipped topping! GLOURIOUS!!! (Why not, eh? We are already eating a ton of garbage anyway; why not make it tasty garbage instead?) But, he completely lifted our spirits and made everything seem like such a small moment that will make such a huge impact. Oh how grateful I am for the ability to endure and for others to show you how to endure well. This experience has been such a blessing already, and I have grown immensely! (To bad that is not just spiritually speaking . . . curse the oil!) But, seriously! Life is so grand! And we don’t realize how blessed we really are! To all of you that have influenced my life, I thank you deeply! I love you all! And thank you for all of the time and talent that you put in to living each day! “Vashe Zdorov’e” (to our health)
(Dido; Breanne)
