Today Saturday, 9 September I went out on an adventure. Well…actually it was to be a simple meeting with the director of the orphanage where I will begin ministering to the 4th grade class. BUT, what happened on the way TO the meeting is worth blogging about.
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Today was again, one of the many rainy, cloudy yucky days we have been having recently in Poltava. I was to meet my friend and fellow co-laborer in Christ, Marilyn and go together with her to the orphanage since I had never been there before. Marilyn showed me the hill we needed to climb to get to the orphanage which was straight up, and on a dirt path. We contemplated getting a taxi, but thought that since most of the way up the hill was tree lined, we would be ok. BUT we had forgotten that when it rains here, it makes the mud REALLY slippery.
So, we were off up the hill. The first five steps were ok, and then we hit mud and started sliding. Uh oh, maybe we should turn back. No, we can do it, I know we can. We ventured further on, only to start sliding once again. Well, the mountain climber in me (back about 20 years ago I climbed mountains, snow camped, white water rafted, etc. I was quite the “rugged outdoors woman”) kicked in and I remembered that when there is snow in order to get up the hill, you side step, sort of like climbing a hill with skis. I showed Marilyn how to do this, and that if you step over in the area where there is brush, you can use the brush to give you friction so you can get up the hill.
We continued on, except the brush would give way to mud, and the mud would give way to sliding. At one point in time we both said a prayer “Oh Lord, help us get up this hill“. The hill was VERY steep and VERY muddy! We were too far up now to turn back so we continued on. Climb, slide, slide, slide, climb SLIDE!!! At one point in time Marilyn was sliding and trying to hang onto a tree, but had her bag that contained the flannel board in it and cookies for the children. Since I was up hill, well, “up mud” from her, I used the handle of my umbrella to hook onto the bag, bring the bag into safety, then handed Marilyn my umbrella so she could use it as a cane. She made it up safely and we continued on. Climb, slide, slide, climb, climb, climb, sliiiiideee sliidddeee slide climb.
Finally, I managed to get to a safe spot by using a tree to help pull me up through the mud. I WAS NOT GOING TO FALL!!!! I showed Marilyn how to get up the same spot too; and she also said “I AM NOT GOING TO FALL!!” PHEW! We made it, and we aren’t that muddy. At this point Marilyn looked down at her jeans and then began to slide and slide and slide then PLOP she fell down IN THE MUD almost a face plant but more of a knee plant. I held onto the underside of her arm and pulled her up, at the same time Marilyn was crawling in the mud on her hands and knees and we were both laughing so hard I thought…well…let’s just leave it at that.
We finally made it to the orphanage without further adventure, BUT Marilyn’s jeans were covered in mud from her knees down. (I wish I had a camera with me, it was truly a “kodak moment” 
!) Her coat had mud on the back of it; her purse had mud all over it. She tried using a wet wipe to clean her hands, which was to no avail. We arrived at the orphanage, dirty, muddy but laughing! One of the older children came out with a bucket of water and a wash rag and proceeded to wash Marilyn down. What a picture of Jesus she was.
When we met with one of the directors, she even gave Marilyn a rag and some water to clean her hands and her shoes and told her to not worry about getting mud and dirt all over the floor. What kindness was shown to us, my heart was touched by their actions. We didn’t get to see the children today, but we are set up to come next week and we WON’T be taking the muddy path next time. Thanks Jesus for our adventure today!
We did find out through our meeting with the director that we need to come to her office first when we come to the orphanage and then she will take us to the classroom. We had previously thought we could go straight to the classroom. And the children have studies on Thursday evenings, so I cannot come on Thursday. Saturday and Sunday are the good days for us to come. But, presently I do not have a translator or even a partner to go with me to the 4th grade class on Saturdays. We like to go in “twos”, so please pray about that with me, that the Lord would provide a translator or a partner to go with me. I believe He will. It is just a matter of finding the person. God knows and is already preparing the heart of the person who will go with me. It will be exciting to see who God has chosen and how He will have us minister together to these little ones. God is good and He has a plan for everything and will show us the plan in due time. I am excited to see how He will use the orphanage ministry in my life as well as the life of my partner, whoever that might be. You never know, it might be an angel going with me!
