Pastor Joe's Birthday

Between all of the stops to pick everyone up for church who needed a ride (including Tom and I) Carla picked up a cake to celebrate Pastor Joe's 50th!

 The girls made sure everyone got something to drink and a piece of cake.

 Saskia with a bit of frosting on her fingers...

take time to smell the flowers...

First Sunday

The worship was great and we enjoyed getting to meet everyone.  It is going to take a while to put all the names with the faces but we are ready and willing to be a part of this church family!

time to unpack

Our street is named after a Mayan city... you can read about it here: http://www.southernbelize.com/lubaantun.html

We have two suitcases, a duffle bag and two back packs...

just taking a break after all of the running around we have been doing trying to get settled in here.

Time to fill up the closets and drawers in our bedroom!


We are so grateful to have a place to call home.  And we have two empty bedrooms ready and waiting for guests!!!

We have a house!

We chose this three bedroom, 2 bathroom house!  The owner, pictured, came down on her asking price by $200 a month just so that we could afford the rent.  God is so good!

Partial view of the front room... the livingroom/dining area/kitchen is one big open space.

View of the other side of the room.

kitchen area.. we have to get a stove and a fridge.



We  move in today and I will get more photos up when I can.  We won't have internet at the house for a while.  This is a three day holiday weekend here so not much will happen until Monday.  It is simply amazing how much we have accomplished this week.  We got here on Monday and already we have a place to truly call home.  And we are both excited that this morning will be the last one that we get dressed out of our suitcases!!

House hunting

This one was the first one we saw yesterday and I compared all of the others to it.  Originally we were told that the price would only be $400 a month.  However, because they are putting in a fence the price has now gone up to $500!

We will visit this house tomorrow. It is located not far from the University of Belize.  We are not yet sure if this is an asset or a liability!

This property is located about a 10 minute drive from the Belmopan in a village called Tea Kettle.  This is the veranda area where the caretakers of this 2 1/2 acre compound are living.  There is also a one bedroom house and a cement slab that could serve as the foundation for another home to be built on.

Here is a 3 bedroom 2bathroom house that is of interest to us as well. It has high ceilings which gives an open feel. It is also conveniently located in the city of Belmopan and in our price range. There is not as much property but is much closer to the church than the other two houses.

thought for today

There is nothing more refreshing than a tall glass of ice cold watermelon juice on a hot day!!

Looks like we made it!

We have been living out of suitcases and boxes since late February.  It is wonderful to arrive here in Belize and feel as if we have finally come home.

Our cab driver from the airport was very kind.  He chatted with Tom on the hour long drive from Belize city to Belmopan.  After he and Tom agreed on a price for the ride we went to the gas station for him to get enough for the trip before getting on the road!

We were going so fast all I could manage to snap were blurry photos of all the trees along the way.  The countryside is very green with small simple homes made of wood or cement, businesses and tourist attractions dotting the highway.

Tom got us checked in at the Bull Frog Inn and were pleased to find our room modest but comfortable, equipped with amenities we could appreciate namely air conditioning, WiFi and a clean bathroom!!

leaving for Belize

We leave today for Belize... I don't know how long it will be until we have internet access and I can start posting photos for you but as soon as I am able I will!!


Thanks so much to everyone who has hosted us and prayed for us and supported us throughout this journey.  We are truly grateful for each of you!

thought for today

Some folks are wise and some are otherwise. ~Tobias Smollett

where are our boxes?

just got a message from a friend.  The guy that was supposed to send out our boxes from Moscow to the US has been in the hospital for the past two weeks.  He was recently diagnosed with diabetes.  We have been told that our things should get shipped out on the 1st of September.  We'll see! 

Keep us in your prayers. 

made it to North Carolina

The next time we get on a plane, September 6th, we will be on our way to Belize!!  Counting down the days!!

thought for today

When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it.” ~ W. Clement Stone

puppies!!

Sharon's dog Diamond Girl had her litter last night... 9 pups!  And they are soooo cute!

check them out here: http://www.rosehavengoldens.com/pics

Durango, Colorado

We are enjoying some down time here in CO.  We are staying in the home of a gal who was also a missionary in Russia for several years.  Her home is peaceful, yet filled with life. 

She has four golden retrievers and two cats.  We are enjoying being able to be loved on and give love to the dogs.  It has been three years since our family had a dog.  This dog therapy is well timed.  Next week we will begin our debriefing week at Missionary Training International.

On one hand I am excited about seeing some team mates of ours who will be there at the same time.  On the other hand I am dreading all of the emotions that are waiting to burst out of me from our five years in Russia.  I don't know how much is there... but I do know that I will be in a safe place to let it all out.

For now... I will just go back to petting Max.

thought for today

Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wind Farms in Western Kansas

As we were driving to Hays, Kansas on Friday we saw these wind farms on the way. How exciting to see this type of energy being tapped in to out in Western Kansas!

thought for today

People love to talk but hate to listen. Listening is not merely not talking, though even that is beyond most of our powers; it means taking a vigorous, human interest in what is being told us. You can listen like a blank wall or like a splendid auditorium where every sound comes back fuller and richer.

- Alice Duer Miller

customs...

We just heard news yesterday that our belongings have finally been released from customs in Moscow and should be getting shipped out to us soon.  It will be interesting to see what is in our boxes and what may have gotten "lost" in the process.

thought for today

A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.
Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh

in the land of Oz

We left NM yesterday and are now in Kansas.

It sure was hard saying goodbye to both Nathan and Spencer.  Spencer is leaving for University of the Nations in Hawaii and Nathan will be moving to California soon.  We enjoy being together as a family and the hard part is not knowing when we will all be together again. 

We are so grateful for Facebook, email, text messaging and Skype so that we can stay in touch!

thought for today

“The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see.” – G. K. Chesterton

looking forward to cooking again...

I keep hearing about how good the bananas will be in Belize and I found this recipe when I was checking out Paula Deen's website:

Not Yo’ Mama’s Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

1   12-ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whip
1   14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1   8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 cup milk
1   5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding
6-8   bananas, sliced
2   bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies

Directions:

Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.
In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer.  Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth.  Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.  Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.  Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 30 min
Difficulty: Easy
Show: Paula's Home Cooking/Just Desserts cookbook/Mar/Apr 2006 issue

 

so what happened with those 10 spies?

I found this article yesterday.  Here is the link to the original:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100725/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_singing_spies

Russia's Putin sings with expelled agents

FOROS, Ukraine – Vladimir Putin says he met with the Russian spies who were expelled from the United States, joining them in singing an unofficial KGB anthem and promising them good jobs and a bright future back in their homeland.
Russia's prime minister said late Saturday he recently got together with the 10 sleeper agents, without saying when or where. The agents were deported from the U.S. earlier this month in a biggest spy scandal since the Cold War.
"We talked about life," Putin told reporters in Ukraine. "We sang 'What Motherland Begins With' and other songs of that character."
"What Motherland Begins With" is a song from the 1968 television series about Soviet spies in Nazi Germany. The song is widely known as an unofficial anthem of Russian intelligence officers.
Putin, a former KGB officer who in the early 1980s worked in communist East Germany as a low-level functionary, spoke about the uneasy lives the secret agents had in the U.S., where they were caught by the FBI in U.S. cities and suburbs where they had been living for more than a decade.
"They had a very difficult fate," Putin said, referring to the expelled spies who spent years of burrowing into American society. "They had to carry out a task to benefit their motherland's interests for many, many years without a diplomatic cover, risking themselves and those close to them."
The 10 agents were deported in exchange for three former intelligence officers and a think tank arms expert convicted and sentenced to long prison sentences in Russia. An 11th Russian spy escaped authorities in Cyprus and remains at large, and a 12th one, who had worked for Microsoft, was deported from the United States in mid-July.
U.S. authorities did not charge the agents with spying, and it is not clear whether they actually compromised any U.S. secrets. Some Russian analysts called their mission a failure that showed how inefficient Russian intelligence agencies are.
Putin, however, promised that Russia will take a good care of its spying sons and daughters.
"They will work, and I am sure they will have decent jobs," he said. "And I am sure they will have an interesting and bright life."
The biggest spy swap since the Soviet collapse did not complicate President Barack Obama's campaign to improve and broaden U.S. relations with Russia, and both Moscow and Washington sides expressed satisfaction with the resolution of the spy case.

fun with family over the 4th

thought for today

“It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical: At such moments every new word and fresh thought is more precious than gold. Indeed, people must not be deprived of the right to think their own thoughts.”

Boris Yeltsin

everything is bigger in America

Each time we go somewhere to eat we are constantly amazed at the portion sizes of food and drinks.  When did a small drink become so large?!  The culture shock continues...

Pastor Killed in Dagestan

I just read about this in the news this morning.  Please be in prayer for the church in Russia and for the Dagestan area specifically.

Pastor killed by gunman

Published: Friday 16 July 2010

Country: RUSSIA

A dynamic Christian pastor has died after being shot in the head as he was leaving church, in what is being seen as a bid to intimidate converts from Islam in the strongly Islamic republic of Dagestan.
Artur Suleimanov (49), himself a convert from Islam, was murdered by a gunman who approached and opened fire as the pastor got into a car outside Hosanna House of Prayer in the capital, Makhachkala, on Thursday 15 July. He died from his wounds in hospital around an hour later. Nobody else was injured in the attack. Pastor Suleimanov leaves behind a wife, Zina, and five children, the youngest of whom is twelve years old. Mr Suleimanov’s church is one of the largest Protestant churches in Dagestan. In a context where Christians face regular harassment and intimidation, his life had been threatened on several previous occasions.
Barnabas Aid has supported Christians in Dagestan, and our co-ordinator for the Former Soviet Union met Pastor Suleimanov a number of times. He said, “Pastor Suleimanov was a wonderful Christian brother and his shocking death is a devastating loss for the Dagestan church. He and the Hosanna House of Prayer church were very active in ministry and outreach in particular. We see his murder as an attempt to put further pressure on Christian converts in Dagestan.”
The Russian Republic of Dagestan borders Chechnya in the turbulent North Caucasus. The population is 98 per cent Muslim, and the Church faces harassment and intimidation from various groups.

Please Pray:

• That God will comfort and uphold Pastor Suleimanov’s family, and their large church family, in their distress and grief.
• That the murderer and all those behind this horrendous incident will be brought to justice, and that they will come to faith in the Lord Jesus.
• For protection over those attending Pastor Suleimanov’s funeral as well as the wider Church in Dagestan.
• That Christians will not be intimidated by this act of violence

http://barnabasfund.org/%C2%A0/?m=7%23227&a=1837

learning about Belmopan

Found a website today that has some great info about Belize and about the city we are moving to... Belize.  Here is the link for you to check it out for your self:   http://belizex.com/belmopan.htm

slowly but surely

We are here in America.  Texas to be exact.  We have been able to spend time already with my family and some friends of ours.  We are sort of back to a normal sleeping schedule.  It has been hard to adjust to the time difference, and the reverse culture shock is still giving us problems here and there. 

Thanks to all who have prayed for us... we truly are grateful for this time of rest and renewal before moving on to Belize!

thought for today

To be mature means to face, and not evade, every fresh crisis that comes.

~Fritz Kunkel

Final Sunday

Tom shared our goodbyes and Spencer translated for him

I sang with the worship team one last time

Normally in the summer we would all be wearing sandals... but today was a rainy day and we all showed up
with ballet shoes on!

It was hard saying goodbye to Leza and Lera,  It has been a joy to watch them grow up and go from little girls to young women during our past 5 years here.  I am indeed grateful that I got to see them both get baptized last Sunday. 

By the time I write again we will be in America.  Please pray that all goes well as we travel!

never a dull moment

Yesterday we had a leak in the bathroom that caused a flood.  The electricity went out.   The plumber showed up last night just after midnight.  The electrician came early this afternoon.  Just after he left then people showed up to get the rest of the furniture and appliances that they had purchased.  During that same time our neighbors came over and brought us lunch and some goodbye gifts. 

I am ready for a nap!!

He blogs and he Tweets!

 President Medvedev sent his first Tweet!

thought for today

Time is like a circus--always packing up and moving away.
~unknown

new glasses day!

 

 

Tom's glasses broke yesterday and mine were scratched and it was getting hard to see out of them. We decided it would be best to go out today and get new for both of us. They were not able to do bifocals for Tom before we are scheduled to leave so he will have to buy another pair in America. But at least now he can see to finish up the last of the packing!!!

Baptism in the forest

Olga

Leeza

Ruth

Lera

thought for today

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
~e.e. cummings

Beautiful Olga

Olga and her new husband Arustam came by today to give us this photo of her... on the back Arustam wrote in English:

This is beautiful Olga.  O yes!!!

Humanitarian disaster looms as clashes claim over 100 lives in Kyrgyzstan

Russia to double the price of vodka

Russia doubles vodka prices to fight alcohol abuse

Russians are going to be paying more for their most popular beverage. According to Sergey Shatalov, Deputy Finance Minister, the minimum price for a 0.5 liter bottle of vodka will double over the next three years.

The Finance Ministry suggests that the current price for half a liter of vodka, which sits at about $3.00, will be raised to $6.50 dollars in 2011-2013. The prices will increase gradually over the period.

 “Vodka is not a necessity. It shouldn’t be cheap,” said Shatalov.

The measure will be part of a bill currently being drafted by the Ministry.

thought for today

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.
~Colin Powell

20 days...

Today is the 8th and we leave here on the 28th... this time is going by much faster than we anticipated.

The TV was picked up today, most of our baking pans are gone, and all of the clocks in the house have been sold. I still find myself glancing at where the clocks used to be.

I know it will all come together but it feels as if there is so much yet to do and so little time to get it done!

How to call abroad

One would think that after five years of living abroad I would remember how to call from one country to another.  I don't.  Well, actually I know what numbers I have to start with to place a call to America.  But, when I need to make a call to Ukraine or somewhere else I have to use this website:

http://www.howtocallabroad.com/

All you have to do is fill in what country you are calling from and what country you are call to.  The internet has become my friend in this land with no Southwestern Bell phone book!

thought for today

Folks always say, "You come in this world alone, and you must leave it alone."  They ought to know better.  Because it isn't so.  It's not that way at all.  The child comes to life very much attached and stays attached and is mired all its life in a soup of relations.

River, Cross My Heart

by Breena Clarke

As we pack to move this soup of relations we are in feels warm, savory and comforting. Five years of building friendships and making connections seems like such a short time.  But, I am sure there will be much grieving ahead once we fully realize how much life and relationships here have impacted us.

why?

As our Russian friends read in the papers or hear on the news that their government is working to make things easier for people to come to Russia and do business or study they are struggling with the fact that our family and two others have been denied work visas.  We keep being asked why?

Maybe it is just a problem here in Krasnodar Krai, all of the workers at the OVIR's office are new and the contacts that people relied on before are all gone.  Maybe, what is said in the news and what happens here in reality are two different things.  So to answer the question Why? all we can say is 'we don't know'.

We know that we are being called to Belize.  Why?  Time will tell.

keep, trash, sell or give away

We finished another week of packing, saying goodbyes and retelling our story about how difficult it was to get this current visa. Tom was able to buy our plane tickets this week so now we know that our time here in Krasnodar ends on the 28th of June.

Just as we have been deciding what to keep, trash, sell or give away of our belongings we are also processing what we have learned here, what we will miss and what we will be glad to leave behind. In the midst of all of the change we are going through I, for one, am grateful for the things in our life that won't change.  

We know that our faith, the prayers of the faithful and our ties to one another have given us the strength to endure all that we have lived through and will carry us through this life no matter where in the world we live.

More terror: 7 dead after theater plaza bomb blast

thought for today

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

you know it's spring in Russia...

 when you hear kids playing on top of the metal garages!!  No mistaking that sound!

packing supplies

Tom went out looking for bubble wrap... there was none to be found.  However, he did receive an interesting piece of advice.  He was told to buy a TV because they come wrapped in bubble wrap!

How do you say rain?!

Let It Rain Undoubtedly you have heard that Eskimos have 50 words for snow, though it isn't true. Russian, however, does have at least 12 words for rain. Our language columnist explains.

packing up our paintings

Tom and I love to get at least one piece of art work each time we travel to a new country. We have ended up with a small collection of pieces from Cyprus, Ukraine, Italy, Turkey and Russia. Tom also painted a few things that we want to ship to America. To be able to take all of these items with us we have to photograph each piece, write a description, tell the value and where it was purchased. Then the photos have to be taken to the city historian to verify that they are not Russian artifacts so that they can legally be taken out of the country. Once he certifies them they have to be taken to at least two more offices for approval.

Tom has the photos done and will go to see the city historian next week. Hopefully this process will be uneventful!

thought for today

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

all good things must come to an end

For the past five years we have lived happily here in Krasnodar, Russia. We would still love to live here but it is clear to us that it is time to move on.

During this last round of visa troubles while we were sitting in Turkey waiting, Tom was asked to run a rehab center in Belmopan, Belize.

We only have until July 1st on our visa so we have a lot to get done in just 6 weeks time. It is amazing to us how God has worked out all of the details to make this move. All of our big things already have a buyer including our apartment. This is further reassurance to us of God's hand not just in our life but in the lives of our friends as well. Those who needed a fridge are getting one, those who needed a larger place to live are getting one and so on. Blessings are being felt all around and we are so grateful to be a part of the process!

here comes the bride!

We were so thrilled to share is this special day... this was one of the reasons we needed to get back here to Russia. It was an incredible day and we are honored that we were able to take part in it!

back in Krasnodar!

We are so happy to be back in our own apartment with our own stuff.  Home is where your stuff is and we definitely feel at home here.

On the one hand things seemed different here but on the other hand so much was the same.  Getting through passport control took two hours this time.  They seemed to be rationing out the immigration forms and would only bring out a few at a time.  A few of the passport control workers decided it was their break time and left their stations while many of us were still waiting for forms. 

Life here in this part of the world is never dull and we wouldn't want it to be!!

thought for today

If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it.  ~Toni Morrison