Russia Letter Support Letter 07-08

Hello my fellow human (I would personalize this letter if I didn't need to send so many of them, so please imagine that it says your name at the top, and know that I was thinking of you personally as I wrote this).

I want to let you know I’m going back to Russia with my church this winter (yes, I said winter, in Russia). It is a mission trip to an orphanage in Zarechni, Russia (about 6 hours south of Moscow). 

The kids there are between 6 and 17 years old, and have next to nothing. More than half of the kids at this orphanage still have living parents, but are put into the orphanage because of abuse from their alcoholic parents, or their parents have more children than they can support, so they put some of their kids into orphanages so that they can support themselves. It is truly heart wrenching to hear some of these kids’ reasons for being in the orphanage. One little girl, Eulia (you-lee-ah), who was practically glued to me on my previous trips, is in the orphanage because her mother poured a pot of boiling water on her, scalding most of her body. That being said, it is amazing how joyful these children are. They are always smiling, and grateful for everything they have.

The kids attend school at the orphanage, but it only goes to 9th grade, so the kids literally have no chance of getting into college. When the kids turn 17, they "graduate" (get kicked out), and are sent either to a trade school or are just put on the street making money by dealing drugs or prostitution. Over the years that my church has gone to this orphanage we've made improvements to the education that these kids get and also to their living environment. The building was built in communist Russia, and it hasn't really been kept in good repair. The plumbing is horrible; the pipes are all rusted so the water comes out of the faucet orange (actually quite close to the color of iced tea). It is not something that you want to drink. My church is continuing to try to solve this problem.

The reason we go in right after Christmas is that the kids are on winter break, and if they don’t go home to visit their family they have practically nothing to keep them occupied. We put on a camp for the kids, playing with them, doing crafts, sports and puppet shows and sometimes even karaoke contests. It is a truly amazing experience, it is impossible to go home without a renewed sense of gratefulness towards all that we have. Nor can you leave without knowing that you made a positive impact on someone’s life.

Unfortunately, this trip is not free. It takes a huge investment of time, effort and (here it comes) money to go to this orphanage to bring love and joy to these children. So, (you knew it was going to happen eventually) I ask you for your assistance in sending me on this trip, be it in prayer or a donation of funds (or both if you feel so inclined), for without either this trip would not be possible.

By supporting me in this endeavor, you provide a joyous experience for these kids, help improve their education and living environment and provide hope for a better future.

Thank you,

Zac

Thinking for Yourself

I wish that the world ran on a more relaxed schedule, where everything was done in an efficient orderly manner, but done leisurely and without the worry of not getting it done fast enough. I wonder what it would be like if people thought things through before doing them. Like actually thought about the consequences and whether it was worth it. I know that if I did that I would get myself into a lot less trouble. I very rarely think things through, no, that's not true. I very rarely think before I speak. I think that very few people actually do. There would be a lot less grief in the world if people actually thought before they spoke. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like most negative arguments begin because someone said something without thinking. And while that may be the way you feel, you probably didn't want to get into a fight over it.
It's a real shame how very few people think for themselves these days. They are always following someone else, thinking that they are thinking for themselves, but really they're not.
I like to think of myself as non-conformist, I like to think for myself and do my own thing. That doesn't mean defying authority or anything like that, it means making up my own mind and having my own opinions, not those of some one else. It means believing what I believe and standing by it, not changing my mind because someone else said to. It means listening to music that I like, even if no one else does. I hate it when people say that the music that someone else likes to is bad, it's not, it's just what they like and you might not, get over it. It's a matter of opinion. Not having your own personal opinions about something, anything, then you are not thinking for yourself, not utilizing the gift of thought that you were given. Use your brains people! They are there for a reason, and not just to keep you alive. Your mind is yours to use, don't waste it.

Some quotes:

"Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity."
-Christopher Morley

"I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear." - Joan Didion

"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." -Don Marquis