Adoption & as much as I can write

I am not sure how much time I have here and my excuse to come to an internet cafe was to email my American friends about adoption. If you know anyone who is able and interested in adoption, please let me know. The kids who need adopting the most are ages 3-5 and are physically, but not mentally disabled. The two eldest speak English well, and the younger three have broken English. (The children speak English like the Indian Sisters). The Sisters have an American agent, so you don't need to worry about that. These kids are really sweet and they need families- even if they are families outside of their country.

I am not sure how often I will be able to get to a computer, but please keep my in your thoughts and prayers and know I am thinking of you very often. I apologize for bad grammar, typos, or rambling thoughts- but i dont have much time so i'm just going to go:

Life is difficult here. I am not yet in my final destination. Two Sisters picked my up from the airport in Yerevan in the middle of the night, and told me I would remain in the capital, Yerevan , until Aug 1st (or maybe 3rd, their English is so heavily accented that I never really know). I am currently living on site. We live in what I think is an old home. Live-in workers (armenian women) sleep in the attic. On the second floor, they have maybe 15 really sick babies, and 5 Down Syndrome children. I sleep on the first floor, as do 5 children with physical disabilities. There are 5 Sisters here now (3 Indian, 1 from Africa, 1 from Poland) and the Irish superior is visiting here home and will not be here until late August.

My days have been crazy and exhausting. I've done all kinds of things, which I will list for lack of time: *feed/wash etc the down syndrome kids *play with the other children * clean *cook *wash clothes by hand *go buy food *I went to the hosptial one day- and it was in terrible condition. * feed the babies

I guess after writing that out, it doesnt seem like I do very much, but somehow I am exhausted. My days are from 7am until 11ish- and it's go go go go. I have spent time in mass and Adoration, except that yesterday, for example, a worker didnt show up so I didnt even get any time to pray.

A couple of the workers here speak English, but it is usually me and a bunch of Armenian ladies. I am really isolated in my own thoughts all day long. Armenian is difficult. Some of the letters of the alphabet require me to make sounds I didnt even know were possible.

There is an American family here who volunteer on Sundays, and it was nice to see them last week. There are also two girls- 20 and 22- who have come and volunteered. They took me out to find an atm to get money to use the internet one night, though we came back late and I'm not sure the sisters will let that fly again.

It is difficult to work with the children. It's fun to spend time with the two eldest who speak English, but the others (especially the Down Syndrome kids) do not respond to me. I think what makes this work most exhausting is that communicating takes so much effort.

All that said, I know it is good that I am here. I need to rely only on Christ for comfort, which is so difficult! I want to be in contact with all of you all the time! It is so hard to have no community, and no friends. I need to really give myself over more fully, and stop thinking of my frustration or loneliness or exhaustion. I feel like I am really being broken down so I can be rebuilt. THe oldest Indian Sister (whom is really great) told me the other day in reference to my inability to speak Armenian, "it's like you're disabled"- that's really helped, because it's made me realize that this difficulty can be embraced like a kind of solidarity with these children who are unable to express what they want/can't walk/etc. THe lack of communication and access to phone and internet are disabling, in some, small way.

I wanted to include a couple of funny things, that I have laughed at (or wondered abt) alone:

The baby bibs upstairs that say, "spit happens"...1. where did those come from? 2. am i the first person to laugh at these?

St. Faustina Mercy (soft spoken, young African Sister) to 3yr old Sara, "WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT UP"...it was just, i dont know, really funny in that moment, and she didnt quite understand why i was laughing

The shirt of the worker that has a picture of what looks like a radio and reads, "this machine kills facists"...she speaks no English. Where did she get that shirt and does she know what it says?


Ok, I have to run. I realize I have said very little abt armenia itself. It is a poor country. It reminds me of a European Mexico (and I've only been to the poorer areas of Mexico). The driving here is nuts and I ride in the car to take the children to school- we pile 4 kids without carseats or seatbelts into the back and 2 adults sit with them. It's crazy.

Please pray for me and know I am thinking of you.