First thing this morning (UK-time), I got this text from Laura: Im pretty close to just quitting and coming home. Pls can u put on fbook for ppl to pray for guidance.thanks.x I think its worth me commenting on that, too, because otherwise people may worry... I spoke to Laura on the phone yesterday, and shes clearly having a pretty rubbish time. Shes starting the period by being on this three week camp teaching English to kids... because this is Russia, this involves being trapped in this compound surrounded by armed soldiers, 24/7. Theres a few things that make it extra hard, e.g. she doesnt have any privacy (shes sharing her room and even the toilets dont have any doors), things are preventing her getting proper sleep. Shes ill with a cold, which Russians are obsessive about and keep marching her to the doctors for! And theres a few other difficulties, mostly of the kind that would be mildly difficult if you were well-rested and can get away, but which drive you mad if youre sleep deprived and trapped. Shes looking forward to getting the internet back in a week or two, so that she can get in touch with all sorts of British people. Talking to her, I was impressed by how together she seems to have kept it as a teacher of the kids, but I know that isnt how she sees it and shes aware that her stress is starting to show in interactions with the kids. One thing, however, did leave me rather relieved by the phone conversation, insofar as I had realised from texts that she had been unhappy, the phonecall reassured me that - although shes currently having a terrible time - the terrible time is because of things happening at camp, an especially difficult thing to come to after having left the UK - its not anything deeper. Which is reassuring because she leaves the camp in 4-5 days. I have got her permission to give our her Russian telephone number: it is +7 913 173-22-39. Please remember the 7 hour time difference though (ie 4pm is about 11pm in Russia), I dont know if she is turning her mob off at night but one thing she can do without is being woken up pointlessly at 3am! But, having said that, I think it would encourage her for people here to remind her that she is loved, so please do drop her an encouraging text or two (but dont be offended if shes too exhausted to reply until she gets to Krasnoyarsk in 4-5 days).
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 08:22:47 +0000
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