#210 - YM

We are so fortunate to know freedom of religion.  In our small town, it is even more so than in other places because so many people around us practice the same religion as we do.  This blog post is about someone who had to make life changing decisions for his faith.  As I write this post, it makes me stop and think, "What would I do if I were in his shoes and faced with the same decisions that he was?"

I first met #210 when I was in high school.  My father in law had travelled to Russia on business and while he was there, he met #210 and his wife.  I think his wife worked as an interpreter for the company.  Anyway, several years after the initial trip (I think), #210 contacted my father in law and told him that he would be moving his entire family to America.  In essence, he was defecting from Russia.  The reason for this defection, is the same answer that Zack and I study in social studies all the time.  The reason that immigrants come to our country is to practice freedom of religion and to make a better life for themselves and for their children.  This is the same reason #210 came.  He brought with him, his wife and his two small children (about 6 and 8 I think).  He left behind his parents, his in-laws, and numerous brothers and sisters and cousins.  He left behind his culture, the history of the country that he loved, and everything familiar...all in order to continue to practice Catholicism and to find a better way of life for his children.

In certain areas of Russia, it is illegal for people from different areas to be married.  The penalty is death.  Where they are from, if they would have stayed, and would have continued to practice their religion, they would have been killed.  So they left and travelled here to start a new life.  And it was a new beginning for them.  #210 spoke very little English, but needed to work.  He had a well paying job in Russia, but had to settle for manual labor and janitorial work here because of the language barrier.  His wife worked cleaning houses and later as my babysitter, but that will be a different post.  He worked very hard for many years.  He has recently retired, but still struggles to get by.  As hard as he has worked however, he should always know that he made the right decision when he looks at his children.  They picked up the English language very quickly and then taught their parents.  They both graduated with high honors from high school and college.  His son is an engineer in Houston and his daughter worked for many years in California before recently wedding a young man who is in medical residency. 

#210 is dear to my heart and I know Jeff's as well.  He always brings Jeff gifts of his best Vodka and he always calls on holidays to wish my family and I best wishes.  He is always polite and proper and loves my kids also.  He often shows up with small gifts of chocolate for them and loves to listen to their stories. 

It makes me think:
What would I be willing to sacrifice for my religion if I was put to the test?
What would I be willing to do to ensure my kids a better way of life?
How must it feel to move to a foreign land where you cannot understand what people are saying?

Key words for this post - courageous, self-sacrificing, hard-working, intelligent, kind