“Fooooootball! Fooootball!” the children cried as they danced around us in a dimly lit hallway of Orphanage #21. I don’t know a whole lot of Russian yet but it didn’t take a linguistics pro to figure out that the kids wanted to play soccer and skip the singing lesson Steven and Taras were supposed to be having with them. A couple hours before I had decided to tag along with Steven and take a few pictures of he and Taras teaching the orphans. Had I known I would have to play soccer I might have re-considered, but there I was being led out the heavy front-door of the orphanage, past the scowling guard, to the “football” field.

Anyone who’s met me, knows I’m no athlete, unless typing counts. That’s why I try to avoid soccer, or most any sport for that matter. With cleats and a perfect field to play on, I stink. Now here I was bundled up and wearing big, heavy snow boots standing on a snow-covered field. There was no hope. Not even Gatorade could save me now. My unsuspecting teammates were doomed.

I didn’t have any more time to think about the slushy snow or my impractical boots though, because just then a little boy in a blue jacket kicked the ball and sent it soaring to our side of the field. It hit the ground and rolled toward me. My teammates yelled. I sighed and then kicked the ball. Wham! I was on my back in the wet snow. I had slipped, despite my boots, when I kicked the ball. “This certainly makes the game more interesting,” I thought as I picked myself up off the ground.

Countless snowball fights erupted during the game which lasted for almost two more exhausting hours. Often, I was the target. It was great. (Really!) In between the running, slipping, kicking, falling, chasing and throwing I was able to talk a little with the English speaking kids. They’re always curious about my family, interested in America and confused about why we’re not there making money. “Why you in Ukraine?” A girl asks. “Ukraine bad. America good.” She says, with a thumbs-down and a thumbs-up. Though her attitude saddens me I’m glad for the chance to explain that life is about more then making money, living in a certain place or having a fancy mobile phone. It’s about loving God and loving others.

Eventually they had their lesson… and they sing better then I do too.