Five minutes after I went to sleep, I awoke from a horrible dream. I had a nightmare. My heart was racing. I was physically scared. And I had quite a bit of trouble getting back to sleep. I dreamed I was in Kirov #6 walking around by myself after visiting with the children, taking a tour, meeting with the assistant director, and hearing a performance of folk songs and dances. Every time I would come around the corner and start down another long hallway, someone or something would just slip out of view around the next corner. I kept following this other being and could never catch up. I ended up searching for and chasing after this thing and never caught it. The Bible tells us that the devil is a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. In my dream, I was chasing the vicious lion. Their were kids throughout the building, vulnerable and precious, but the enemy was after them.
The next day we awoke and drove 80 km to the town of Belaya Kholinitsa. We had a good visit with a very hospitable director, whose husband had grown up in an orphanage. We also enjoyed some time with very talented children singing songs and playing soccer in the slippery snow.
As Ernie was visiting with some of the children, a young girl came up to him to tell him of a dream she had had. She said, 'I had a dream last night that a man with a white beard came to help us, and it was you.'
Dreams and visions. God is still speaking. What an eye-opening parallel to see that in these same places, both the devil is seeking to steal, kill, and destroy, and at the same time God is seeking to shower hope and help. A war is on. Ernie and I were both moved to tears by the profound nature of these dreams and what they said to us about our urgent mission and God's gracious heart.
Next we traveled to Slobodskoy. It was by far the largest and the poorest orphanage that we visited in Kirov. It was also the only location with a male director, an older gentleman named Uri. As we went on the tour, we kept seeing icons and prayers posted on the walls and above the children's beds. Finally we asked and it turned out that the local priest visited the orphanage often and several of the children went to Sunday School of their own volition every week. Later in a meeting with the director and his deputies, Jerry and I pointed out that we noticed the religious items throughout the dorm. I shared with them that we were encouraged by their wisdom in caring for the whole child - the physical, medical/dental, emotional, social, educational, and spiritual needs. He smiled ear to ear.
Daniel,
I've been enjoying your blog posts. I got to see Ernie over the holidays and he told me a little of what you guys have been doing. You are all in our prayers. How is that baby girl? Are you guys sleeping at all?
Posted by: Sandi | January 23, 2008 at 01:04 PM