July 10 - Leaving for Yashkeno

Today we got up at 6:30 as usual and got to our meeting flat for our 8am devotional with all our luggage in tow. The plan was to go to an outdoor museum about Russia before leaving for Yashkeno. After our devotion we saw that it was raining, so we couldn't go to the museum. We ended up just sitting around in the flat until about 12:00, when Alexey told us to go downstairs because the was a surprise for us. We stood outside waiting and waiting, and finally Nicholi (a guy who runs the church we went to on Sunday) came with his wife and we drove for about half an hour. We pulled up to a parking lot beside the train tracks and parked. There was a fire going, and it turned out we were having a BBQ! Everyone else had meat on a stick (I forget what they call that here), and they gave me mashed potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and these rolled up pancakes with cottage cheese in the middle. Of course the meal was followed by chocolate and tea!

Then we went back to the flat and packed the cars for Yashkeno. We went back upstairs and waited for another hour or so before leaving.
We drove for awhile until we came to the shore of a lake. There were big boat things for a bunch of cars to drive onto. By this time it was pouring rain, and all of the passengers had to get out of the cars while the drivers drove onto the boat. Then all of the passengers went into another boat with a cover on it and rode across the river beside the boat with the cars and drivers. It was pretty cool!

Then we got back into the car and drove into the village. It looks so nest - the houses are so different, and the are lots of hills. There are tons of dogs wandering around too. We pulled up to a small church, and when we came in the were some ladies who had lunch ready for us! It was pasta with meat in it, so one of the ladies boiled me some plain pasta (even though I said not to worry because I brought food)! So we all ate and had tea, and then the pastor of the church came to visit us. We sat around in a circle and told a bit about ourselves. He also made me sing and play the guitar for him, and asked if I would do it for the Sunday service. Then we discussed the next few days. We are spending the next two mornings at an orphanage doing the same program, and for the afternoons we are hanging out in a field playing with children from the village. The pastor told us that when we are working out in the field we shouldn't share about why we're here (again, there Is NO OM RUSSIA!), but if anyone asks we can say we are tourists and ended up volunteering for the church here in Yashkeno. After he left we set up for the night - it turned out we were not camping anymore, but staying at the church. The guys are sleeping in one room, and all of us girls are sleeping in the sanctuary.
There is no rushing water in the church. There are two huge metal jugs that we have to fill at a well. Then there is this nest sink where you pour water in the top part, turn on a switch, and wait for it to warm up. Is pretty cool! I just about died when I saw the outhouse. There are no toilets - just two holes in the wood floor, so you have to just stand or squat over them and hope you don't miss! Haha.
Now I'm laying on my mat writing, and a train going by is making the whole floor shake! Can't wait to see what adventures tomorrow brings!