Snow and Shopping!

Well the biggest news here is the weather!  Like Canada everyone talks about the weather, but right now they really have something to talk about.  It is freezing cold here and today is was snowing and blowing!  First thing this morning I took this picture at the orphanage where one of the kids was cleaning a carpet.  I have seen them bring them out and beat them before, but apparently in the winter they put them on the snow and jump up and down on them, flip them over and do it again.  Then they roll them up and take them where they can shake and sweep the snow and dirt off of them and return them indoors.  The snow really helps to keep the dust down!

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I took this next picture on the road from Mogilev to Chausy so you could see the size of the snow banks, the one on the left has to be over 8 feet high!

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A group of us spent the day today shopping for items for an apartment that we are renovating for a single mother and her son.Our original plan last year was to help Anna finish rebuilding her small house, however in the Fall we determined that this was not a good option as the house is on the flood plain of the river and moisture and mold are big problems.  Instead we have helped her to purchase an apartment and are now helping her to renovating it.  Click here for more on Anna. Anna is an amazing Mom, she is doing a great job of raising Sergei on her own while she works and attends University through correspondence.

When we walked into one of the stores we found this coffee machine with a cat napping next to it!

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Cathy and Byron Boone from Brockville hosted Anna as a child through our summer respite program.  Here Cathy and Anna look at an oven in the electronics store.

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Anna’s son, Sergei, is only 7 years old and he spent the day being dragged from store to store.  He never once complained and he was unbelievably well behaved.  Here is Sergei with his Mom:

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It was an emotional day.  Anna was in a state of shock most of the time, finding it hard to believe that all of these things were for her.  It was overwhelming for her but a complete joy for the Canadians watching Anna and Sergei try to comprehend the change that is starting to take place in their lives.

1 thought on “Snow and Shopping!

  1. R. Patricia Capitain

    Hi, Everybody,
    Francois and I read your blog entries with great interest. We feel good about all the work you do out there and wish we were 20 years younger!
    Happy Easter to all,
    Patricia & Francois

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