Thursday

This has been a long week. We all went to the Bonya last night. It was very different, I was ver nervous, and I ended up having the best time I have had since I left. We had 13 people so we split up into three groups..two girl groups and one boys group. You shower and then go into the hottest steam room ever. You then get a bundle of Birch limbs and tak turns hitting each other on the back. Then you get out and run and jump in a cold pool outside and repaeat the process. It was a great release and was at this resort about 30 minutes out of Yaroslavl, a mile of two down a dirt road in a beautiful wooded setting. Very cool.

5 Of our original group of 11 are leaving thsi Sunday so we are all going to Moscow tomorrow (Friday) afternoon (4 hour train ride) and spend the weekend seeing the sights in Moscow. Then we will see them off Sunday and 6 of us head back up here. Then next week 4 more leave and there will only be 3 of us here until the next group comes ove on 9/10.

I have been at the Childrens Hospital every day this week, the Deaf Kindergarden once and the City camp once. I have really enjoyed the hospital. The kids are great. Next week I will be at the Deaf Kindergarden all week.
The Mixture of spending so much time with wonderful kids who have such a zest for life has been wonderful. That coupled with no TV and no newspapers is an adjustment but we stay so busy. And Nadia and her staff here at CCS are wonderful. I cannot think of anything I would change, even if I could. I will miss Kate, Marie, Jenny, Charlotte, and Karen when thay leave this weekend. They have been a great group to work with.
Til next time.