magenta curtains and Easter

Wow. I don't manage to make it to the Internet in a week, and I end up with a TON of news. First off, yes, almost all the furniture has showed up. I am currently only lacking a refrigerator and a bed (currently I sleep on the couch, which is of the "metal bars covered with cloth" variety). I find it a measure of how much Ukraine has changed me that I've coped without a fridge for a week and a half and have no clue when it will arrive (a friend of my director's is going to buy a new one, and then I get her old one...), but that it doesn't overly disturb me. I just don't buy food that involves refridgeration.

Last Wednesday was something of a trial, however, as I tried to readjust my expectations of "oh, I have this cute little apartment I can fix up" into dealing with very kind Ukrainians who had bought things for my apartment and were convinced that their decorating style was better than mine. I now have floor-length magenta curtains and couch cover in my living room (Devon Harris, if you're reading this, I saw that smirk!). It made me want to cry at first, but now they've grown on me and I just laugh.

Actually did end up crying on Thursday, due to Nelya being upset with me because I hadn't told her I'd be missing a week of school thanks to moving (I hadn't known it myself). It was just the last straw after moving and dealing closely with my director for a week, and I started crying in front of my third form...which made them quieter than I've ever seen them. I've been trying all semester to get them to quiet down, but this might not have been my first tactic. :)

~*~

Do you remember about a month ago when I posted about the girl who got removed from my class? Well, there's an awesome sequel!

On Wednesday, Natasha K. (the 8th former) invited me to Easter dinner. This took me completely by surprise, as I assumed I was the "weird American teacher" who the parents didn't approve of, but Natasha being an obedient sort of kid, I also assumed this invite had parental backing, and I accepted. I had thought that they were Orthodox, but Nelya told me on Friday that she thought they were Protestant.

So on Easter morning, I went to the Baptist church, where we had one American (me), a lot of Ukrainians, one Ukrainian who is a missionary in Germany, and his friend from Switzerland. So we were very international. After that, I went back to Victor and Nadia's house (the family with 10 kids) for a little bit before going to the K. family's. Nadia gave me paska, the traditional Ukrainian Easter bread, and told me that while I was going on a visit, their house was home. So I'm officially the 11th kid. :)

The K family, as it turns out, are indeed Protestant Christians, and absolutely wonderful people. The dad is definitely strict, but I think he pulled Natasha from my class due to a difference in educational philosophies rather than disapproval of me. He seems to prefer that she have a good reading knowledge of English as opposed to a speaking knowledge, which is what I focus on. While I disagree with him, I think I understand now a bit better.

This family knows even more of the hymns I grew up with than the other one, and we spent part of the afternoon playing the piano and singing in various languages. I went with them to church in the evening (there are four Protestant churches in Balaklia...apparently you just have to ask the Protestants!), and ended up singing "Christ Arose" in English while playing the piano. I actually know several families at this church from my school, and it's only about a half-hour walk from my apartment. Unfortunately, it's in Russian rather than Ukrainian, so I don't understand as much. My current plan is to keep going to the Baptist church on Sunday mornings, since a) Victor and Nadia's family goes there and b) it's in Ukrainian; and go to this church on Sunday nights.

Victor K., the dad, was telling me that their church started during the Communist era, and that they had to have services out in the woods so that they weren't observed. It makes me realize how blessed I've been to always have multiple churches close by and not have problems attending.

Easter Monday is also a holiday in Ukraine, so I went to church with the K. family again. I taught on Tuesday, and today is the day to run errands, check email, take a bath, etc...

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My Grandma B. has been in the hospital with kidney failure for close to a week now. Please keep her in your prayers. At first, the doctors didn't know if she'd make it, but she seems to be doing okay.