Sergey the Carpenter

About a year ago I undertook a house project that was probably over my head from the beginning. I decided that I was going to build a bed for Sarah and me. Surprisingly enough, though, the bed turned out fine. (I was as shocked as you are). That's it in the photo to the left, complete with a sleeping cat.

One of the methods that the orphanage uses to help the children learn life skills and other important lessons is a wood shop program. The kids learn basic carpentry as well as fine woodworking skills. Over the course of my early correspondences with Sergey, I learned that he enjoyed wood shop. Even though he lives a million miles away, I decided that I should enlist his help in building this bed. I asked him in a letter if he had any advice for a novice like me who is trying to venture into furniture building. He responded with painstakingly drawn diagrams of how to construct a bed and the simple encouragement that "building a bed is not a difficult thing to do."

Truthfully, I had already built the bed by the time I heard back from him, but I was very happy to have engaged him in such a way that let him know that I didn't think of our relationship as being so one-sided. As a sponsor, as an American, as an adult, etc. it's easy to think that the kids at the orphanage have everything to learn and nothing to offer. That's simply not true. They're as interesting and complicated and intelligent as anyone. And if you listen closely, they can teach you a thing or two.