Open your arms and welcome the joy of today!

Sun.

Finally.

The wet, slushy mess of almost-snow has cleared out, and I can actually look forward to going outside! People have stopped sleeping in the soup kitchen, and that has given me the chance to sit down and have some time to myself during work. I've decided to use this time to think of some more recipes for the kitchen. I've gotten tired of slicing tomatoes.

My first new recipe is sure to please. It's creative, tasty, and colorful. I think I'm going to win some awards with this one. The secret ingredient? Cotton candy. I guess it's not so much of a secret now that I've told you this, but this is just too great of an idea for me to hide! Soup that doubles as a dessert. Brilliant.

This wonderful idea was inspired by the carnival that has come into town. It's not the most put-together of carnivals (none of the rides could really be described as safe), but I'm confident that God is keeping everyone intact. A carnival is what this town really needed – something fun.

Actually, my best experience so far at the carnival was when the ferris wheel shut down. There weren't enough cars for everyone to ride alone, so I paired up with the sweetest little old woman named Babushka. We didn't really acknowledge each other until the ride suddenly jerked to a stop. Turns out that old ladies aren't huge fans of danger. Babushka was pretty frightened, and let some Russian words skip that I'm pretty sure God wouldn't like very much. I put a hand on her shoulder to show that I was there to help, and she gave me a look of sincere appreciation. My gesture didn't really calm her nerves or her colorful language, but it was the first time since I've been here that I've felt genuinely appreciated. In my months of living here and working myself to the bone, all i had to do was put my hand on a woman's shoulder. Funny.

God has certainly resurfaced in this town. I was at the end of my rope a few weeks ago, but I'm climbing back up now. I don't know if it's the happiness that the carnival brought or the much-needed sunshine, but I'm starting to look forward to everyday here. Let's hope this lasts.