Dober den this Friday evening. It has been a tremendous day and one full of joy! We started with a few hours of work at the Learning Center but then made our way back to Berkovitsa for a pizza party with the residents of Berk 4. The theme was a luau, so we showed up at the restaurant early (we had rented out the entire inside space) to decorate with balloons, palm trees, pink flamingos, beach balls, and toys. We also prepared goody bags that contained pens, some small toys, a beanie baby, a banana, a cookie, and a pixie stick.
About 55 residents from Berk 4 came down the hill to town for the party. This is a BIG deal for them because they rarely leave the grounds of the orphanage. They were all smiles and full of excitement! We greated them at the door with a lei around their neck and then welcomed them in. It was a great party! Each person got a bottle of juice, and there was plenty of pizza to go around. Then the dancing began -- line dancing, the hokey pokey, the twist, a slow dance, and several more traditional Bulgarian songs.
Everyone had a great time. They had all put on their best clothes and were very polite to wait patiently sitting at the tables until everyone had arrived. (It takes a while to shuttle everyone there in vans.) In a way, it's a big family at Berk 4, and they all look out for each other, especially the older ones with the younger kids. They even cleaned up after they had finished eating, throwing away all the trash and neatly stacking all the throw-away plastic plates. They are such wonderful, joyful folks, just in bodies and minds that don't quite work right. They are beautiful creations of our Creator, and each has a unique personality. They are a joy to be with.
After the party, we headed back out to the Learning Center in Borovtsi to do some more work. It's really coming together, although there's a lot left to do. The Dutchmen finished most of the laminate flooring installation in the meeting rooms and offices. We assembled furniture for the dorm rooms and did some more painting and cleaning. We also helped the two sets of house parents get moved into their upstairs apartments, and tonight will be the first night they stay there.
We had a quick dinner of sandwiches because we had to practice our presentation for the festival in Borovtsi tomorrow. Several of our team met with the officials there this afternoon to plan the event, and they're expecting singing and "traditional" dancing from us. Yikes! There are posters around town announcing the U.S.-Borovtsi folklore festival, and rumor has it that the regional TV station will be there tomorrow to do a story. So we've coreographed our square dancing and practiced singing songs! We'll also have games and food for the kids.
It's late, and we're off to bed. We pack up and head back to Sofia tomorrow after the festival.
