This is a very obvious thing once said, yet only truly believed once experienced: Family is determined by the ones who care, not by your blood. Yes I have a good family at home, yes we all care for each other, but we also live around each other, not WITH each other. We ask each other how your day went without fully expecting a full answer, we call each other to eat at the table, yet it is only the parents who generally talk. We check our Facebook, play on the Wii, fiddle with the phones, and yes, post blogs. Yet we are right there to support each other! we are right there to talk, play, and enjoy, yet we don't. Why? Laziness? Fear that someone might tick another off? Not enough time synchronized? Then what? More? Less? why do we tend to not fully live a family life, here in North America, out in the Ukraine, or anywhere in the world? Alright, there are good/near perfect families, especially on the surface, but how many? And what does it mean?
As the team went to the Ukraine, we went as fellow Church members that knew each others names... that's about all, seen Marina at youth, since she is a leader. Terry used to help with Awana (there isn't one this year). Mark and Michelle were friends that my family visited on rare occasions. Coleen was one of the members in the Church that liked to hug people. And I was the singer's and drummer's boy, so people knew me.
On the trip... no before that. at the meetings, we learnt to open up to each other more and more and learnt some of the others quirks and aptitudes. On the trip, we would, logically, watch the luggage as the rest of the team would go to the washroom, taking turns watching. We helped each other carry luggage. And we arrived. We met some more of the team and we got closer to each other. We slept in the same room as some people we barely knew, what do you expect? My room mate, one of the Sergiys, helped me learnt Russian and would occasionally REFUSE to speak to me in English for a while as he spoke full blast Russian. It sure helped me as I was the furthest into the Russian among the Canadians. Mark was the big leader of the team, the father figure we turned to with a good deal of our questions, and he did his best, usually getting us just what was needed. Michelle was the mother figure, making sure we were alright, worrying just enough that it wasn't annoying. Coleen was the babushka, the grandmother of the group, she tended to make the ladies laugh without intending to and then say that they giggled like little girls and say "here they go again!". Terry was the one ready to lend a hand, but the more introvert sister of the family. Marina was the older, but not eldest sister. She helped out and kept us there and gave bits of advice, ready to tell you how she felt and fun. She was also my legal guardian. Sergiy was the older brother figure that helped us out, especially linguistically. Lyena-Sergiy were the funny couple (who is from outside of the family? who knows? :P) that were slightly removed from the group and stuck together, talking. Karina was our educated silent sister, serious and fun when an organized game was in place. Anya was the little sister that we all watched out for, even though she didn't need watching :P like the baby of the family. Gertien was the timid cousin that was a great hand and funny :D also very helpful with languages. Robert was our uncle figure ready to help us and wise with his years, yet so very capable.
We all spent time together, we supported each other, prayed for each other, laughed with each other, sang with each other, accepted help from others and so on. We were just a real family... now this was one week though... One month may have been different, but we still refer to some of each other by these names still.
As the team went to the Ukraine, we went as fellow Church members that knew each others names... that's about all, seen Marina at youth, since she is a leader. Terry used to help with Awana (there isn't one this year). Mark and Michelle were friends that my family visited on rare occasions. Coleen was one of the members in the Church that liked to hug people. And I was the singer's and drummer's boy, so people knew me.
On the trip... no before that. at the meetings, we learnt to open up to each other more and more and learnt some of the others quirks and aptitudes. On the trip, we would, logically, watch the luggage as the rest of the team would go to the washroom, taking turns watching. We helped each other carry luggage. And we arrived. We met some more of the team and we got closer to each other. We slept in the same room as some people we barely knew, what do you expect? My room mate, one of the Sergiys, helped me learnt Russian and would occasionally REFUSE to speak to me in English for a while as he spoke full blast Russian. It sure helped me as I was the furthest into the Russian among the Canadians. Mark was the big leader of the team, the father figure we turned to with a good deal of our questions, and he did his best, usually getting us just what was needed. Michelle was the mother figure, making sure we were alright, worrying just enough that it wasn't annoying. Coleen was the babushka, the grandmother of the group, she tended to make the ladies laugh without intending to and then say that they giggled like little girls and say "here they go again!". Terry was the one ready to lend a hand, but the more introvert sister of the family. Marina was the older, but not eldest sister. She helped out and kept us there and gave bits of advice, ready to tell you how she felt and fun. She was also my legal guardian. Sergiy was the older brother figure that helped us out, especially linguistically. Lyena-Sergiy were the funny couple (who is from outside of the family? who knows? :P) that were slightly removed from the group and stuck together, talking. Karina was our educated silent sister, serious and fun when an organized game was in place. Anya was the little sister that we all watched out for, even though she didn't need watching :P like the baby of the family. Gertien was the timid cousin that was a great hand and funny :D also very helpful with languages. Robert was our uncle figure ready to help us and wise with his years, yet so very capable.
We all spent time together, we supported each other, prayed for each other, laughed with each other, sang with each other, accepted help from others and so on. We were just a real family... now this was one week though... One month may have been different, but we still refer to some of each other by these names still.
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