It began with a trip to a local nursing home. Old friendships were, once again, renewed.
The warmth from everyone filled the room. The residents were so happy to see us, and they had prepared songs to put on a show.
Sam Horse had a hilarious introduction. He said, "I'm Native American. I meant to bring my drum and feathers so I could perform for you all, but I didn't have enough room.
"It's my fifth time here. I just thank God I’m able to come and renew friendships and be with each and every one of you today."
Residents read poems they wrote to us.
Their band is called "Assorted" because, in their words, "We are all different, but we make one family."
Another resident has a generous invitation. "If you want to come and stay with us, you're always welcome."
Several people asked us for our e-mail addresses to stay in touch.
It was a difficult goodbye at the train station. St. Luke's theme is "Sharing God's love and bringing hope to the world." They filled our hearts with love and hope for a better future.
Although words had to be translated during the entire visit, the feelings did not. God's love is a universal language. In that sense, we spoke to each other fluently.
Thank you Ulyanovsk.
