The Blessing of Father Andrei

I’ll never forget Father Andrei. Father Andrei is the priest of the Russian Orthodox church in Komsomolsk, the small rural town housing the orphanage that many of the kids from the ministry center in Ivanovo grew up in. He is a big, happy, laughing, gregarious man with long hair whiter than his age and one of those awesome greyish beards that frames and expands his amazing smile. Sort of a young Santa Claus vibe with a subtle dose of The Dude.

Leadership, OT Programs, Russian memoriesJoe WebbDecember 9, 2014blessing, church, Faith, family, Father, Hope, identity, justice, love, memories, ministry, missions, older orphans, Orphan's Tree, Orphans, Russia, shalomComment

The Power of Perspective

There's a big, a big hard sun Beating on the big people In the big hard world

— Eddie Vedder, Big Hard Sun (Originally by Indio), Into the Wild Soundtrack