I am so excited to start our next project for the hospital at Ushachi, but summers in Belarus are as slow as they can be. Getting all the approvals and permissions necessary to function is just about impossible this time of year. Everything is moving at a snail's pace.
Americans are known throughout the world as the people who never stop working. This can’t be said for Europeans, and certainly not Belarusians. Even though things are hard there, they make sure to take time for rest and family gathering in the summer. If you have any money at all, if your family had a position in the Soviet system or created extra income at some point, you might own a little Dacha (house) in the country. They are mostly very humble dwellings, often with outdoor plumbing and a well, but they are away from the enormous concrete high rises that most Belarusians who live in Minsk call home.
Those who don’t own a Dacha visit those who do and everyone is welcome. There is a homemade grill outside and a garden to help feed friends.
I will be slightly, or a little more than slightly jealous of my friends there as I wait for things to start moving again in beautiful Belarus. Stay tuned for the start of an exciting fall as we wait expectantly to see what's in store.
Blessings
Vicki
Music on a Mission serves to provide hope and tangible goods to the children and needy people of Belarus. If you'd like to support our humanitarian efforts in Belarus, please click here!