Christina

After we finished our first quarter at school, we had a week's break. On the last day of school before the break, my friend Christina came home with me. I have found Christina to be a good trustworthy friend who has helped me on many occasions. 

I got to meet her when I first came to Russia when I came to the first day of school for the boys. She tried to talk with me, and unfortunately I could not respond very well. Every time I went to the boys school, I would usually see her, and every time I could speak a little bit better with her. Then when I went to school this May when Mother was gone for a week, we had a chance to hang together and get to know each other better. Now that I go to school again, we can talk and converse on breaks. She is in the 6th grade (the grade I would be in if I were in America) so unfortunately we are not in the same class.

It was Tuesday when she came over, and I had anticipated her going home on Thursday, but it turned out to be a day longer. In Russia people can do way more than a 1 day sleepover. I have gone myself on three-day sleepovers. 

Once we got home, we went to my room and painted each other's nails. Then we had dinner and before bed watched a movie. The next day we lounged around and played hide-and-seek. Since it was raining, we didn't play outside. Later that evening Dad had a man he works with came over who brought his daughter, and we all played together. 

The next day our Russian helper came over on her usual day, and she and Christina got along well. While Tanya ironed clothes, we would talk with her. 

The next night, another girl from my church came over, Anya. Remember her from my birthday party? Together we painted nails and made friendship bracelets. Unfortunately, that was the night Anya declared me to no longer be her best friend, because she had decided to be best friends with the popular group at church and that we were too different to be best friends. 

Christina and I went to bed around 11 and in the morning I took her to the metro to meet her grandmother. After such a long sleepover, I was finally glad to be able to stay in one language - not that I was incapable of speaking Russian for three days straight, but it does make one's tongue a bit tired.

Nonetheless, having a friend like Christina is a blessing because she is the kind of friend who can help me in situations when you need a friend. Compared to other friends, she is a winner at a good friend contest. She is better than a lot of Russians that I have met because she is kind, thoughtful, and caring. She helps me with homework. She doesn't change on a dime like some of the neighborhood girls. That kind cannot be replaced by someone else. God has strengthened our relationship through this long sleepover, and you can pray that this relationship would grow stronger.