On the road again…

As we rode the train to Kiev from Krasnodar several vendors got on and off the train to sell their wares on the different cars. We saw people selling:

Ice cream (two different women)
Tools (one man was selling a complete drill set)
Coloring Books
Fried Pies (meat or potato)
Magazines
Newspapers
Hot Water
DVD’s and VHS videos
Art supplies

We board the train in Kiev this evening at 11 pm and it will take 24 hours for us to reach Krasnodar. It will be fun to take note of who boards the train this time… and what they will have to offer. The guys joked about someone coming through selling pets, cars or houses. The possibilities do seem endless!

where should we go?

This is our final day to sightsee and enjoy the beauty of Kiev. Spencer and I are having a hard time deciding where to go. There is still so much to see!

Tom is on the boat studying his Russian lessons that he has not had time to look at for the past two weeks. He and Nathan are staying on the boat today to enjoy the quiet provided by Spencer and me leaving!

delayed until sunday...

Our new visas are dated for the 17th of September so we cannot enter Russia until that date.

We had to go to the train station and stand in one line to wait for information on where to change tickets... then a second line to get a refund for the old tickets and a third line to purchase new. We lost about 12 per ticket in the refund and the new tickets were about 10 dollars more per ticket. So we came out okay.


We leave here now on Sunday at 11 pm and get to Krasnodar shortly after midnight on Monday. Or you could say Tuesday morning!

That is life... always adjusting and redjusting!

Family Night

I found this photo on the internet... it is a path not far from the boat we are staying on.

Tom is speaking at tonight's family night service. So he is back on the boat preparing (taking a nap). Nathan, Spencer and I are venturing out to see a few more sights beofre we leave.

Last night we had dinner again with Sharon, Bayassa and his wife Miga. This time Jillian joined us as well. Bayassa and Miga cooked so we had Mongolian food. They made three types of little fried pies that had meat, veggies or just mashed potatos inside. Bayassa and Miga say that Mongolian Bar-b-que is an American thing. There is a new restaurant that opened up in their town that sells Mongolian Bar-b-que and it is run by an American.

Jillian asked what our favorite food was that we had been served by the students. I said it was difficult to answer that question because we have had such different meals. We have eaten, Mongolian, Korean, Ukrainian, Russian and American (one group fed us pizza). How do you compare and choose which is the best?

I can answer which dessert has been the best... vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit for topping. yummm! That was Sharon's contribution to our mongolian dinner!

People watching??

Going for a stroll on Kreshatik Boulevard is always an interesting experience. Languages from all over the world can be heard. English is spoken with many different accents and for us as English speakers that seems to be the language we hear the loudest. Are English speakers actually louder than speakers from other countries? It is hard to say. Americans seem to be the loudest to our ears. We can spot them in a crowd anywhere.

Yesterday Spencer and I decided to sit down on a park bench and rest. We got into watching the crowd as they milled by. People were eating icecream, smoking, laughing and talking. We sat down near three guys with monkeys on their shoulders. They were getting people to stop and have a photo taken with a monkey for a fee. One man seemed to be trying to pick up girls with his monkey. At one point we saw the monkey pat himself all over as if to look through his pockets and then pull a cigarette out of his diaper. Who would want a cigarette so bad that they would accept one from a monkey's diaper? Well this young lady did.

People watching.... interesting!

Postcards

We have several postcards addressed and today we need to go out and find a postoffice. Last year our trip to a Ukrainian post office was pleasant. Much nicer than our experiences in Russian post offices. This year the difference is that many of the official forms and offices around here have switched over from using Russian on all documents to using Ukrainian. Unfortunately, we cannot read Ukrainian.

As we listen to TV programs we are realizing that they are not using Russian words we have not learned yet. They are speaking in Ukrainian. We tried to watch a movie that was originally in English... you could hear it in the background. And then it was dubbed into Russian. And then it had subtitles in Ukrainian. We gave up because it was too confusing!

Yesterday, felt like such a somber day. Spencer and I went down to the conference room after everyone had cleared out and we figured out how to getthe big screen TV on CNN. We watched the memorial services that were held around the world. Then we tuned in to BBC to watch news.

Right now we are watching TV and we can see Oprah. Normally, this would excite me since this is a program I watched faithfully since it's inception. However, since it is dubbed into Ukrainian we cannot really enjoy it! Oprah speaking Ukrainian... I wonder what she thinks of someone else's voice coming out of her mouth!

9/11

Five years ago today was Nathan's first day studying at Biola in the homeschool coop program STAR. We arrived at school on time and a little harried from having to actually fight traffic for him to go to school.

Nathan still remembers being sent home to pray. They gathered all of the students in the auditorium and recounted the events that had taken place in America that morning. As we sat listening I was in disbelief that the Pentagon had been hit. As the daughter of a military serviceman I was taught that this was impossible.

We pause to pray again for the families and people affected by this tragedy. It is strange not to be in America watching the memorials on the news with millions of others. Or perhaps participate in one. We can only read online and remember.

Orange Revolution

We had a very busy day yesterday. We went out sightseeing again with Igor (sounds like eager). We saw St. Sofia's and St. Michael's churches. spencer and I have many pictures to post when we get home on Sunday. We also went to the site of the Orange Revolution. It was awesome and overwhelming to be in this square where this incredible stand against the injustice of a "stolen" election took place.

Igor told us he was there during those days. Last night at dinner we found out that everyone at the table had been there too. Lena, Igor (different man) and his wife Olya were also been there. They had no idea what the outcome might be at the time. They didn't know if tanks would come to send them all away or if they would be arrested. But, it was important to each of them to take part in this revolt. Many people around the world were praying for the people of Ukraine back in 2004. Tom and I were part of that group.

Tom has vivid memories of watching the news while we were still in America. He knew where we were yesterday when he saw the angel on top of the column. He remembered from the news reports that this was that same historic spot.

We never expected to ever be standing in that square. We will never forget yesterday and we will always be grateful to God for the places we have been allowed to travel to.

What do you have for sale?

Riding the subway is an adventure. Today there was a guy selling band-aids. Yesterday there was a man selling magazines. I have never ridden the subway in America but I am sure this must be a common sight. After all you have a captive audience and if it is a good deal why not?!

I didn't want to open my wallet in public otherwise I would have bought the band-aids... he was selling them for a great price... 1 greeven, which is basically 20 cents for a package of 20!

Last night we saw the graduation of the DTS students from YWAM. Discipleship Training School last 6 months. These young people had done the complete course and then they went out for practical in the field training. One group went to Moldova and the other group went to Armenia. I have never been a geography whiz so I didn't realize that Mount Ararat is in Armenia. Seeing people atop the sight of Noah's ark was awesome. And so was hearing the testimonies of the students. The did youth camps, went to an HIV clinic and to a nursing home.

The did skits for us and led worship. It was a great evening. It was fun to sit at the back of the room and yell out the English words the translator was searching for. He did great translating from English into Russian. But,when he had to go Russian into English it was much harder!

Motion sickness

The motion of the boat is finally getting to Spencer and I. Last night the water was choppy and we both woke up not feeling well. Spencer has had problems with motion sickness since he was little, bless his heart, and he is really not feeling well right now.

Nathan, Spencer and I are spending the day out sightseeing and shopping for postcards and gifts. We are taking a break from the rolling and rocking of the boat. Right now we are at http://www.kiev.info/shopping/metrograd.htm in an underground mall about three stories down in an internet cafe. Nathan is happy that he finally got to have a strawberry shake at McDonalds on the way over here. And we may end our time downtown with a stop at 31 Flavors... it is conveniently located right next to this cafe!

Last night Tom and I had dinner with the ladies instead of the guys. The guys went out to the soccer game. We enjoyed the evening with: Sauleah from Kazakstan, Jillian from America, Larissa from Ukraine and Nina from Russia. They laughingly call their apartment "IHOP". "International House of Prayer"! Sauleah speaks English, Russian and Kazak. Larissa speaks Russian and English. Nina speaks Russian and understands some English if you speak slowly. Jillian only speaks English. There were times when I translated for Jillian and times when Sauleah translated for Nina. The ladies are looking forward to going back to their respective countries and are seeking God's guidance on what to do when school is over.

This actually applies to all the students. They have invested six months learning about Addiction Behaviour Counseling. When school is over they have to put what they have learned into practice. Please keep them in your prayers.

Finally...

Success!

We went in, the man checked over our paperwork and then gave us a reciept to take to the cashier. Spencer and I got excited when the man mistakenly told us it would be 500 dollars cheaper than the price he quoted yesterday. Both of us did well not reacting in his presence. The eagle eyed cashier caught the guys mistake and called him to come in and show us the correct price. He apologised; we paid and left. Nothing eventful to report.

Tonight we are scheduled to have dinner with the "boys" of the school here. There is a group of young men rooming together and they are going to prepare food for us. Tom and I are betting on pizza but we don't know for sure. On Monday we had dinner with Sharon from South Korea, Miga & her husband Bayassa from Mongolia. We had a Korean meal that Sharon cooked for us. It was wonderful. The conversation was fascinating mostly because South Korea and Mongolia don't speak the same language. Sharon speaks English and Korean. Miga speaks English, Mongolian and Russian. Bayassa only speaks Russian. You see during communist times there were some areas of Mongolia that were not allowed to speak their own language only Russian. If Sharon told us a story in English then Miga would translate for her husband into Russian. When Bayassa spoke to us then it had to be translated for Sharon by me or Miga.

After dinner on Monday Tom and I went for a walk by the river. We talked about the evening and he said the comment that really struck him that night was Sharon saying that she "didn't feel any cultural barrier with us" she felt "accepted and at at peace". Sharon has been a missionary for the past 12 years and has worked in Sri Lanka, Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, India and a few other counries I am most likely forgetting! She mentioned the need to continue to pray for North Korea and the spiritual oppression there. We talked about how amazing it was that Bayassa had three years of sobriety and found God through AA. He met Miga at his first Bible study... she showed him where the verses were because he had no idea how to look them up. They have been married for two years. In Mongolia there is a need for Al-Anon and Miga desires to see Al-Anon be as active in Mongolia as AA is. Please pray for all these dear people and the countries they represent. They are here in school specifically to learn about their own issues and how to help addicts/alcoholics and their families.

New words in Russian:

kachat= to rock
Loadka= boat
Sorit= to litter

New Words in Ukrainian:
sneezhnee= sale!
ploasha= square

Let's try this again!

We went back over to the Consult today and were not successful in our quest. Yesterday we were told that we need photos, copies of our passports, bring dollars and to fill out the proper forms for each one of us.

I was not told how much to bring so I tried first thing this morning to go and get what I thought would be the correct amount. After three crowded marzhutkas passed us... the fourth one stopped and Spencer and I fought our way on. We got to the ATM that normally has dollars and it was out of money. We came back to meet Lena who was going to show us how to get back to the Consult and went with her. We tried 5 different ATM's in that part of the city and none of them had dollars either. At each bank we found we asked for dollars and because I was using my debit card and not a credit card no bank would give me a cash advance. Lena made some phone calls and we were advised to try an ATM downtown. So ATM number 6 works. But I don't have enough in my account so I need an internet cafe so I can make a transfer. I finally get all the funds that the first guy told us we needed and we went back to the consult. We were told to wait in line for a different office. Once in there we find out that our documents are in order but it will cost 200 dollars more than what I was originally told. So of course I need more dollars!!!

We came home and have to go back again tomorrow. Hopefully, our visas will get processed in time so that we will be able to make our train connection on the 15th.


We found dollars here in this mall:
http://www.mandarin.kiev.ua/eng/


oh and my cellphone was stolen. What a wonderful day!

sightseeing

We went out sightseeing yesterday. The wireless internet connection was not working so I could not post about it. Here are some links to where we were:

http://www.kiev.info/culture/lavra.htm

http://www.microart.kiev.ua/

Of course we have photos and we can post those in two weeks when we get home.

Spencer and I went over to the Russian Consult to get the Visa process started. We were all made to wait outside the building and only two or three people were let in at a time. We saw them interrogate a woman and then refuse to give her entry beyond the entrance to the building. She had a backpack on and they searched it and looked at all her documents. We were trying to listen through a double paned glass door and could not hear what was being said. When they brought her outside she would not stop interupting the man who was trying to explain to her where she needed to go. She left very angry. We went in and came out with no problems. We are grateful for all the prayers that are helping us make it through this process without incident.

peaceful view

Staying on a boat is one of the most peaceful things we have ever done.

The guys and I are all enjoying just watching the activity out on the river. We have seen fishermen in boats and fishermen standing on the shore across from us, boat tours, people on jet skis and other house boats.

We ventured out briefly today to get griven... Ukrainian currency. We did a bit of shopping at the market and then came home. We had a celebrity sighting. But our guide was so excited about seeing him that she could not remember his name. He is a famous Russian singer. When she remembers who he is I will write more about him!

We found one of the 17 McDonalds in the city. Spencer was excited to see it. I am sure we will frequent it while we are here.

There is a great view of a church across the river. The Monastary of the Caves is underneath it. We will visit that site when we get a chance. We also hope to see the place where they did all the forced baptisms many years ago. There are museums and botannical gardens as well as a zoological garden to see. Tomorrow we have a student coming to pick us up who will show us the city. Spencer and I will have our cameras ready!

We know tomorrow is a Sunday and we had every intention of going to visit a Calvary Chapel until we found out how long the serivce lasts.... 3 hours! Maybe next week???

we are here!

The train trip went well.

We are here in Kiev and have already had dinner and gotten settled in our rooms.

Our time on the train was a close quartered journey... we had one coupe that the four of us shared. There was just enough room for each of us on our beds and for us to stand up and leave the room. Not really enough room to turn around!

Our accomodations here in Kiev are on a boat anchored on the Dniepe River. Tom and I have a beautiful room and the view is stunning.

I will write more when we get a chance.

Preparing to leave

Paying utility bills for next month
Confirming Slavic staying in our house
Saying goodbye to friends
Cleaning the house
Packing our suitcases
Finding Spencer's Medical Records
Calling to congratulate Olya on the birth of her second daughter, Yahna.

and so on!

We are just about ready to go. We are going to take the bus to the train station. This will be our first time getting on the bus with suitcases. But, we see this every Friday as the university students go home for the weekend.

This is where Tom will be teaching: http://www.ywamkyiv.org/content/view/28/5/lang,en/

Please pray for our safety as we travel.

Pray that we will be able to purchase return tickets for the 16th so that we can get back here in time to attend Marilyn Murray's Seminar on the 18th. (Russia does not sell roundtrip tickets)

Pray for Tom as he teaches; that the students are blessed and enriched by what he shares.

Clothes make the man... Free?

I was talking with Lena yesterday about how people dress in America. She mentioned that they went to visit some friends in Alexei's home town. This couple was surprised that Alexei was dressed like an American. Lena asked them how they knew that and they said they have American friends and that they have seen pictures.

The observation on how Americans dress is that Americans don't ALWAYS tuck in their shirts. Most Russians do. Americans just wear what they want and a lot of Russians dress identical to one another. Same type of shirt, pants and shoes. The thinking is that the American style of dress is 'svobodnayeh' or "free".

Interesting... when you think about how long America has been a "free" society in comparison to how long communism and it effects have lasted here in Russia.

Alexei didn't just see one state in America with Tom he saw four... and this was his overall impression of what he saw in reference to clothing. Americans are free!

The Picasso of Indian Art

I got an incredible gift from my inlaws today. Mom and Dad sent me a muscial dvd featuring the art of R.C. Gorman.










you can see a sample of what is on the dvd here:

http://rcgormangallery.com/publications/index.php
My favorite painting is of a woman looking at a butterfly on sunflowers.

I hope that you take the time to look at his work. A gifted artist deserves to be taken note of.






















You can purchase prints here:
http://rcgormangallery.com/index.php


Thanks Mom and Dad for the dvd. It was a great way to relax before going off to school and the first thing I turned when I got back home!

Getting laundry done

Here is Tom taking his turn. Most of the time Spencer does the laundry and Nathan does the dishes.

In the summertime laundry can be seen hanging off balconies all over the city. During the winter many people hang things on the radiator to get things dried quickly. I miss having a dryer each time I pick up a towel. Most of the time our house helper irons them to soften them up. But, when she doesn't... OUCH! They are hard and crunchy. I would also like the dryer to get the dog hair and lint off of things too.

Tom wanted to get a dryer when we were looking at washing machines but dryers are hard to find here. Maybe next year... or maybe we will just get used to hard,crunchy and hairy towels.

St. Petersburg's Cathedral Destroyed

St Petersburg’s Landmark Cathedral Destroyed by Fire
Created: 25.08.2006 20:57 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 11:58 MSK
document.write(get_ago(1156579139));
, 19 seconds ago
MosNews


A fire raged in a 19th Century cathedral in St. Petersburg Friday evening, bringing down the main cupola on top of the stately church in Russia’s former Imperial capital.The fire erupted in the early evening and burned through scaffolding beneath the soaring blue central dome of Trinity Cathedral, a duty officer at the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said.The central dome collapsed and one of five smaller cupolas surrounding it was also destroyed by the fire, St. Petersburg emergency department spokeswoman Lyudmila Rubasova said.Firefighters were trying to save the other three domes as emergency workers and church employees removed icons and other religious articles from the Russian Orthodox cathedral, which was built in 1835 and is considered an architectural monument. The fire was contained after 20-00 Moscow time, the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported. Hundreds of people gathered at the landmark site, which recently underwent restoration.An Emergency Situations Ministry Mi-8 helicopter was called in to tackle the flames, emergency services said earlier.

What a nightmare!

After a dinner of bar-b-que, cheese biscuits, veggies and rice ... (again with the food!) Tom and I went over to a meeting for the Axtirka rehab center team. It was good to see everyone again.

We heard tonight about a young bride, 19 years old, who had a miscarriage and had to have 2 d&c's because the first one was not done properly. However, both of the procedures were done without anesthesia. She is concerned about how the procedure was done and if she is able to have children in the future.

This is not an isolated incident.

We have friends who just recently had a miscarriage and she also had a d&c with nothing given for pain during the procedure or following the procedure. Her husband called this "a barbaric act" and could not believe that something like this could happen in 2006! She apparently begged for medication and said that she could pay. She was told that the anesthesiologist was busy and could not tend to her.

Heaven knows how many other women this has happened to in the smaller villages around the country. We have not heard of things like this here in Krasnodar. These stories are from a small village hospital. A nurse here in town gave the hospital wing where these women are staying some ibuprofen... at least they will get some pain relief tomorrow.

why does she talk about food?

Okay for those of you who have noticed all the food posts lately... I fell into a trap of posting while I was cooking or when I was hungry. And now Spencer is betting that I cannot go for ten straight posts talking about food. I did make a great salad for dinner. I found an Olive Oil Mayonaise at the market. I mixed it with some pasta, ham and peas. It was simple and quick and every last bit of it is gone!

Look at the sidebar and notice that I have a new blog listed. It is called Pray and Crochet. I didn't want to bore any of you with my crafts so there is a separate place to read about what I am doing and see the latest photos. I hope you take the time to visit if you can. I don't think that I have talked about food there yet!

Today at school Arina's bracelet broke. I just held out my hand and she handed it over. All the teachers know that Tom not only creates jewelry he also repairs it. He did a great job on it and will give it to her at school.

I have to let you in on a secret... I think our sons actually like each other. It is probably not cool to admit to liking your brother. Tonight Spencer was in Nathan's room getting some of Nathan's music downloaded onto his MP3 player. Nathan had a few songs that Spencer really liked. They were in the room being silly and Tom was in the hall on the computer. It was great to hear all three of them laughing and goofing off together. Just ask Tom to sing "panther of the opera" for you.

I am amazed at how God has drawn our family closer over the past year and 4 months. We had to learn to like being together all the time or kill each other. We chose not to kill each other. We would hate for anyone to have to bury all the bodies!

What gender is your watermelon?

Arina ( our teacher for August) was telling Judi and I that here in Russia watermelon was considered a berry because it has many seeds inside.

Judi told us about a woman who taught her how to pick out a sweet watermelon. She said that watermelons are either boys or girls.

Girls are sweet and boys are not. The sweet ones usually have a spot on the opposite side of where the vine was attached that is bigger than one that is not sweet. I personally haven't looked at a watermelon's bottom to see what gender it is!

However, Arina says this does not always work because she purchased a girl watermelon and it was not a sweet girl!

why can't I find cheddar anymore?

Just one brick of plain cheddar would make me happy. For some reason since returning from Rome my supermarket does not have plain cheddar cheese anymore. Yes, I could go to Metro. Or I could go over to the big market in City Center. But, this market is close to my house. I can walk over or send one of the guys...

The cheese in the photo is from Ukraine, my supermarket is well stocked with this kind. One side looks like cheddar but has a slightly different taste. All it says is "cheese duplet Ukraine". We do use it with crackers and sausage. Or on tacos if we have too.

We don't suffer here as some might think... but from time to time we do feel the need to whine about a thing or two. Otherwise, we wouldn't be honest about daily life here in Russia would we?

I am not lobbying for anyone to send us cheddar cheese. Spencer and I will just take a trip to the mall or I can go over to Metro (our Costco) with Joy or Olya.

***********************
Spencer medicine update: I got emails from an opthamologist in Moscow and Spencer's own doctor from California. They both suggest the same replacement medication so we feel comfortable making the switch. We are still going to have him seen and tested in Kiev.

Thanks for your prayers!

guests from Kirov

Meet Slava and Tonya from Kirov. Tom met them before they were married on his first trip to Russia. He spoke at a seminar at the church they attend. Tonya has been visiting with her relatives who live here in the Krasnodar region. They came over and spent several hours with us this morning before we had to go to school.

They both speak english. Tonya had the bigger english vocabulary. Tonya said "It is exciting to have a chance to practice English". She studied English and German in college for 6 years. But, she rarely gets a chance to use those languages.

We were telling them about our summer and how this was the first year we had ever been apart so long. Slava said 6 weeks was nothing. They were apart for 2 months and 2 weeks this summer. They are leaving this weekend for some alone time without their one year old daughter. She will stay with Tonya's mother.

It is our desire to go and visit the church in Kirov next year. When asked what the best time of year to come to Kirov is Tonya says "it depends on what temperature you like!" Tom and I think that means winter is out. But, Kirov only got down to -20 and here in Krasnodar we had -35!

Zhar Pizza

This pizza place is probably the one who does the most business with ex-patriates! (people from one country who choose to live in a different country).

I know there are families who get pizza every Friday. We used to do this regularly in California. Now, we order pizza when it is too hot to cook or for celebrations.

We were invited over by two different families on Friday (we could only handle one invite) And both were planning on Zhar Pizza! Tom and I went to Tim and Joy's and enjoyed pizza and the salads that Joy prepared. Spencer went over to Andrew's and had pizza over there. Nathan stayed home and had some quiet! He has had to keep his door open lately to cool down his room... so a night without his intrisuive family was a breath of fresh air for him!

You can get some of the standard toppings on your pizza here. Ham & mushroom, Chicken, Salami, cheese with tomato or you can try something like eggplant which is actually pretty good. There are somethings we cannot get like pepperoni and the chicken pizza is not the bar-b-que kind we used to get in California. But, at least we aren't suffering in a barbaric land with no pizza at all!

Sakhalin, Russia earthquake

I just read about this earthquake that happened the other day. It is on the opposite side of the country from us. This city is near Japan.


Powerful quake shakes Russia's Pacific island of Sakhalin
09:17

18/ 08/ 2006

VLADIVOSTOK, August 18 (RIA Novosti) - An undersea earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale has affected at least five towns on Russia's Pacific island of Sakhalin, local emergencies said Friday.

Seismologists said the quake happened at 2:40 a.m. local time (3.40 p.m. GMT Thursday) at a depth of five kilometers to the south of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the island's administrative center, which is 6,500 miles east of Moscow.

"According to the head of Emergency Situation Ministry's Nevelsk district department, windows were shattered in some buildings" the spokesman said. "No injuries or [serious] damage have been reported so far."

Powerful quakes have hit Russia's Pacific for years. A devastating earthquake destroyed the Sakhalin town of Neftegorsk of May 28, 1995 and claimed over 2,000 lives.

Over 1,200 people, including 542 children, were evacuated from the emergency zone after
a series of major earthquakes rocked the north of the Kamchatka peninsula this year. The first 7.8-magnitude quake on April 21 had an epicenter about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the town of Khailino, the strongest in the Koryak Autonomous since 1900 Area, and injured 31 people. It also damaged about 380 houses and 25 administrative facilities in four other towns.

According to research conducted by the International Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics, there is at least a 30% probability of an earthquake with a 7.2-magnitude or higher in the area of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands before mid-December.

at the train station

Our latest cultural experience was had today at the train station.

Lena and I went to purchase train tickets for our upcoming trip to Kiev. We stood in two separate lines to see which one would move faster. As we were standing in line I was thinking of how best to phrase the question I needed to ask. The sentences in my head were long. I was thinking things like "Excuse me, can you tell me if you have tickets from Krasnodar to Kiev on the 31st of August?". Just as I had figured this all out in my head Lena said to me ...just say "menyeh Kiev". Literally that means "me Kiev". She told me what questions I would be asked and how to answer them. I got up to the front and repeated the phrase. When I asked for the date we needed her answer was "nyet" NO!

How could she tell me no? Tom is teaching in Kiev starting on the 4th of September. We have to get there! Lena stepped in and asked for several different dates... no. no. no! We left and were about to walk over to the bus station. Suddenly, Lena remembered that she heard on the news that sometimes you will be told no when they actually do have tickets. So we turned and went back in. Only this time we went upstairs to a different cashier. She had two upper berths available on the 31st and nothing else until the 7th. We left again. There is no bus to Kiev so that was out. We went to my house and Lena called a ticket agency.

Spencer and I got out the Atlas and were trying to figure out if we could take the bus half way and then the train the rest of the way. Tom, Spencer and I were brainstorming different options while Lena was working the phone. About four or five phone calls later Lena discovered there were 4 places available on the 31st in a compartment but, I had to go today! I gathered up our passports and went downtown. I told the woman that my friend had called and she remembered the conversation and started right to work on my tickets. Thank goodness we were finally able to solve our dilemna with only two trips around the city and a few phone calls.

Where does your rice come from?

This says "Rice from America."

I saw it at the supermarket and just had to buy it! Spencer thought it was funny that it says "from America" but everything on the package is written in Russian.

t shirts

As we journey to the bus stop we see many people along the way. Today we saw a store mannequin wearing clothes that did not match. While that was interesting it is absolutely boring in comparison to what we saw next. There was a babushka (grandmother) who was braless and wearing a t-shirt that said "Property of Frat House Sinners"

click here to see a copy of the shirt:
http://www.choiceshirts.com/item/k/a7010f/

I turned around to look at Tom and we both had to stifle laughter...
just another day in Krasnodar!

another scorcher!

It was too hot to move today. I heard it was 110 degrees in the shade!

The guys got out and went to school. Spencer brought home a watermelon... they are soooo sweet right now. Tom came home with a bag of fruit. Nathan came home with two popsicles. To each to his own I guess.

Our language helper is fascinated with insects. She has a bee, a wasp, a grasshopper and some butterflies. Today she caught a moth. She put it in a plastic bag and was waiting for it to die so she could add it to her collection. I think I will stick to collecting yarn! After our language session she went over to her brother's house with Spencer and she forgot her bag with the moth in it. When Spencer got home he accidently let the moth out and was trying to recapture it. Nathan was merciful enough to catch it and let it go outside the apartment door. For now it lives to see another day!

this day in history!

Nathan Sharp


What do these other
famous people have in
common???










David Crosby


















Steve Martin
















Gary Larson

Magic Johnson


















Halle Berry


Give up? They were all blessed to be born on the same day as our beloved Nathan!!!
Happy 19th Birthday Nathan!!!

Family Times!

Yesterday Tom slept most of the day. He went to bed at 6am and slept until 8pm. Then he went back to bed at 10:30 pm. During the brief time he was awake we had a family meal and watched F Troop.

This morning Tom woke up early. He cleaned out the split system air conditoner and it is working really well now. It had gotten pretty dusty over the year that we have had it.

The photo is of Alexei sitting on a bench that Dad made. Alexei told me he had two favorite places to eat. My Aunt Martha's and Tom's parent's house! When I first saw Alexei at the airport I thought he looked like more of a tourist than Tom did. Alexei was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, cargo shorts and sandals. He had a little metal American flag pin on his pocket and he was taking pictures of the inside of the airport!

Tom brought home cake mixes, frosting, comic books, beads, bead magazines, video game magazines, indian jewelry, spices for holiday baking, a crochet magazine and some videos. I am sure that I forgot to list something because he really had quite a lot. We are so thankful for each person that sent us gifts and/or a card. Thanks to every home that was opened to Alexei and Tom. Thanks for the car that was loaned to Tom in California. Thanks for the prayers, well wishes and greetings that have been sent our way.

We plan to enjoy our two weeks at home until we all have to leave the country again for visa renewal on the 31st.

TOM IS HOME!

Lena and I are so grateful to Tim Watson for helping out with bringing our guys home. Lena and I spent the evening together waiting for Tim to come and pick us up at her home.

The guys got here safely. When they got to the airport in Los Angeles Alexei had to dispose of his liquids. He had water and he had orange juice.

Tom came home with lots of gifts that we are still opening! It feels like Christmas.


Alexei and Tom traveled for 47 hours straight. And I am positive that they are both glad to be home.

meet and greet new students

Spencer, budding chef that he is, decided to volunteer to bring a salad to a party to meet and greet the new students at school. Afterwards he sends me a text message asking for help. I thought we should make something with ingredients that are easy to find here and simple to make. So this is what we did:

Macaroni, cooked
Frozen Peas
diced carrots
diced summer sausage (the long tube of sausage that does not need to be cooked)
1/4 of a red onion, diced
creamy italian dressing

We just threw it all in a bowl and let it set over night. It was eaten all up! Spencer was so excited.

It was fun to meet the new students. They are a varied group. From Korea to New Jersey. If I counted right there are 6 of them. They seem like a great group of young people and we pray that they enjoy their time of language learning.


Prayer Request:
Spencer is out of one of his medications for juvenile glaucoma. We just found out that it is not allowed to be sold here any longer. We are currently making arrangements for him to be seen in at an American clinic in Kiev when we go there for our visa renewal.

Pray that we find a suitable replacement for his medication. And that we will be able to get him in to see an opthamologist while in Kiev.

emotions

I had a meeting today with a Russian woman and she was pretty upset about some situations that are going on for her. We prayed together and held hands for awhile. I don't know if it was culturally appropriate for me to grab her hand but she didn't pull away. I was honored by her opening up. Usually emotions are kept in check. Each time I have met with someone who shed tears during our meeting they have apologized for showing such emotion.

I know that there are parts of US where people don't open up and share. Coming from California where everyone has a therapist and your therapist has a therapist... it seems natural to spill it with someone you trust. Pray that Tom and I will continue to be "SAFE" people to those we come in contact with.

Telephones!

The phone rang once and then stopped.

The phone rang again and it was Olya. She is nine months pregnant; due next week. She says that she is moving around like an invalid. You know, one hand on the back and limping. Her back hurts and she is feeling pain from her kideys, please keep her in your prayers. She went over to see the doctor today.

Another call came in and it was from Maj-lis. She needs yarn to make octopuses (octopi?) for kid's camp. She also recruited me to wash the clothes that have been donated to the church to be given away to whomever needs them... we are one of the few church family members with a washing machine. I just hope that I can get it all hung up and dried before Sunday. Tomorrow Maj-lis and I will make a trade. I will give her yarn and she will give me dirty laundry.

Again the phone rings... it is the telephone company. This woman says something rapidly in Russian. I understood that Alexei Parhomenka has a bill and it "needs to be paid today!" I asked her if this was for the communal services and she says in an irrated 'weren't you listening?' voice

"no, the telephone!"

I'm thinking why do I care if Alexei needs to pay his phone bill. Then I remember... he is the owner of our apartment on paper. That means the bill is ours not his! I call Madina at school beacuase she takes care of all of our bills and I told her about the phone call. "ali-ditchka, ne perezhivaish!" translation: little Alida, don't worry! She was on her way to pay it.


Finally, after dinner with Lena, the call we waited all day for... Tom and Alexei!

Lena was able to speak with her hubby again and I with mine. They will be home just after midnight on Saturday. They are glad to be finished with whirlwind of going from California-New Mexico-Texas-Kansas-New Mexico and now they leave tomorrow for California again and then back here to Krasnodar.


It feels peaceful to sit here at the computer typing this... we are on dial up and the phone cannot ring while I am on the internet!

Update on Tom

Speaking tour is over. The weary travelers should be in New Mexico by now.

Dan and Liz, Tom's brother and sister were able to spend a little time with Tom. Dan came to the church service as did our friends Jeff, Terri and their daughter Brynne. I got a nice email from Terri letting me know that she saw Tom. She said he was "alive and well and stirring up hilarity wherever he goes"!

I often think of Terri & Jeff on hot summer days. She asked me to sing at their wedding. It was July 17th, 1982. I think it was over a hundred degrees inside the house with the air on! And they chose an outdoor ceremony across the street from her mother's house. It was the shortest ceremony I had ever participated in... the service lasted 7 minutes. They beat Tom and I by two minutes!

Anyway, Tom and his family went out to Newton to see Grandmother Sharp. I wonder what Alexei thought as he was meeting someone in their 90's. Most people in Russia don't live that long.

Special thanks to the couple who provided a new carseat for a family here in Russia. I was reading Tom's email while the sister in law of this couple was visiting. She is so excited. We tried to call the expectant mom to tell her the good news but she was at work. Carseats are not widely available here. They are very expensive because they are an imported item. I was explaining to my guest that in America you have to show your carseat (they need to see you put the baby in it) before the child can leave the hospital. There is no such safeguard here.

Madonna Criticized by Russian Orthodox Church

Madonna Criticized by Russian Orthodox Church Ahead of Moscow Concert

8 hours 12 minutes ago
MosNews


Russia’s Orthodox Church accused U.S. superstar Madonna of exploiting Christian symbols for her own ends and called for a boycott of her first-ever concert in Moscow, AFP reported.

“The U.S. singer Madonna exploits Christian symbols — the cross, rosary beads and the crucifix — and tries to equate human passions, including her own personal passions, with something sacred,” the spokesman for the patriarch of Moscow said.

“I don’t think that Orthodox believers should support this lady by going to her concert,” father Vsevolod Chaplin said on Echo of Moscow radio station.

She “needs spiritual help because she swings between Christianity and Kabbalah,” he said, referring to a branch of Jewish mysticism that the singer follows.

Madonna will perform in Russia for the first time on September 11 as part of her “Confessions” world tour. The concert will take place on a specially constructed stage on Sparrow Hills overlooking the city centre, close to Moscow State University.

The pop diva will arrive in the Russian capital with 57 trucks and 200 tons of equipment in tow, the organizers said. Tickets cost between 1,500 rubles (55 dollars, 45 euros) and a hefty 25,000 rubles (930 dollars, 730 euros).

Madonna kicked off the European leg of her world tour in the Welsh city of Cardiff on July 30 where she gyrated on a saddle floating above the stage and sang from a crucifix in a performance involving provocative dance routines.

She has often sparked outrage among religious leaders with raunchy video clips, notably when she kissed a black Christ in front of a burning cross in her 1989 hit “Like a Prayer”.

news from Tom

Photo by Alexei taken in Mom and Dad's back yard in New Mexico. Dad said it was the first time that they had seen a hawk in the yard. I showed the photo to Lena... she said the Russian word for hawk is "yastreb".


I got an email from Tom on Saturday. He said that all went well in Tom Bean and that they are now on their way to Andover, Kansas.

find them here:
http://www.hopecc.net/

If you are in Wichita or anywhere near Andover please go and check out the church. Even if church is not your thing you will love it there. And please tell Pastor Steve and his wife Sharon that I said "hi!".

Have you ever thought about what it must be like for someone from a another county to see how you live. I am eager to speak with Alexei when he gets back and hear his impressions of America. He has been to the West Coast, the Southwest and now to the Mid West. Alexei mentioned to Tom that the water fountains are at two different heights. One for children and one for adults. He said that showed value for the kids.

Tom says they will schedule another phone call possibly on Monday with Lena and I. I left home on June 28th and Tom does not return until August 12th. In 25 years Tom and I have not ever been apart this long... I don't think we will do this again anytime soon!

back to work

In Russia:

I had my first language session with Lena in over a month. She said that I was doing well. She said that I only forgot a "few words". I was telling her about the food I cooked for Rhianna while I was away, and for the life of me I could not remember the Russian words for peas or chicken. I did, however, remember the words to describe what I was trying to say and she reminded me of the words!
The guys also worked with Lena today after the month long break. Nathan said that we were "working with Lena because school had started again".

I said "no, we are working with Lena because I am home!" using my best SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED voice.

In the USA:

Today is still a travel day for Tom and Alexei. Hopefully, they will soon be pulling into Tom Bean, Texas to visit with some friends and to speak at Sherman Bible Church in Sherman, Texas. There is a Celebrate Recovery meeting there for the guys to speak at.

You can learn more about Sherman Bible Church here:
http://www.shermanbible.org/home.aspx

What is on your T-shirt?

As we rode the marshutka toward our destination of Krasnaya Ploshad I started looking at the T-shirts people were wearing. Some of them had English writing. Many young people here study a foreign language in highschool. Did these people know what it says on their shirts? Were the people around them able to understand the messages they were promoting?

Shooting a quick glance at Spencer I noticed that his shirt had no writing on it. Glancing at the guy sitting across from us I noticed that his black T-shirt said:

Sean Jean Collection
I thought I told you we won't stop

Sean Jean is the rapper who is also known as P. Diddy.
It made me wonder what P. Diddy would think if he saw a russian teen wearing one of his shirts.

Across from me sat a woman who was wearing a bright orange T-shirt with palm trees on it and it said:

HOLIDAY


A young lady sitting toward the front had on my favorite T-shirt. Hers declared:

Boys come... Boys Go!

She was friendly with the boy sitting next to her... I couldn't help but wonder if he was her boyfriend or just one boy in a line of many!

boys to men

It is amazing to watch your children transform. Tonight I saw and felt the power of our oldest son transforming from a boy to a man.

He knew that I had been going through a rough time. My Uncle's death, being away from home so long, and various other trials with friends and in life.

He cornered me and I expected a hug. What I got was...prayed for. He was thoughtful and full of wisdom and God's spirit.

I saw his father and grandfather in him in those moments. However, more importantly, I saw God in him.

Assisi & thoughts on shopping

I have been posting my photos on the photoblog. See side bar for link. This picture was taken from the top level of St. Francis Basilica. It sits just up the hill from the city.

I got an email from Tom today and he said that he is preparing to mail a few boxes of things for us... you know just necessities like cake mix, tylenol and so on!

Spencer and I went shopping for food. I made spaghetti sauce and he made the pasta for dinner. I was so excited at the supermarket. I know very well the language for shopping. It felt so good to be back in a country where I can understand what is going on around me.

thought on shopping in Krasnodar:
if you go to the right supermarket they will give you bags for free AND bag the groceries for you.
you can buy fresh fruit on a street corner close to where you live.

we have popcorn in the supermarket now!

the meat is fresh each day.

the bread is baked fresh each day.

there is a great selection of sausages and cheese.

I can get cash from the ATM and then take a few steps over to the counter to buy a phone card and an internet card all in the same corner of the market! 

ummm.... thanks Ed!

four of a kind!


Alexei celebrates 8 years of sobriety!


I got an email from Ed in California. Hi Ed!

He sent a link to some photos he took of Tom and Alexei. It looks like the guys are having a little too much fun while they are away.

Tom called tonight for Alexei to speak with Lena. It was the first time the two of them had spoken since Alexei left. It was good to see how happy she was after the phone call. I told her that we would arrange another phone time with the guys before they come home.

The painting above the guys heads is one of our favorites. Tom and I have a copy of this painting in storage. You can learn more about this version of the Lord's Supper and the artist, Hyatt Moore here:
http://www.hyattmoore.com/store/?section=1&productline=1

passport control

I spent a full hour standing in line at passport control in Krasnodar. I am grateful for Tim Watson coming to pick me up at 4:30. Our plane landed at 4:ooam but it took so long to clear passport control I didn't even see Tim until 5:10 or so.

People were tired and cranky standing in that line. It was comical to hear them yelling at the passport control officers. They were saying things like. "There are no terrorists out here!" "This is not Dagestan!" "Do any of us look like terrorists... is she a terrorist? is he a terrorist? What about the babies...are they terrorists?!"

The plane had a large group of teenagers on it. They were taking a long time to process since each of them had a passport and a document that gave them permission to travel and the paperwork had to be looked over.


My greatest point of frustration during the whole night was actually in Vienna. My knitting needles were confiscated! I had to take the scarf I was making off the needles and leave them with her. I know all you knitters are saying that is why I should have had a stitch holder with me... yeah, well I forgot. I have read about people who mail their projects home to themselves or who pack their knitting and don't take it in the carry on. But, I didn't do any of those things. I was in shock over the fact that you can fly out of Russia with knitting needles but you cannot fly in with them. Interestingly, they didn't seem to mind the sewing needles in my purse. Just the knitting needles were a danger to the other passengers! I did have my crochet hook with me and I was so mad that I crocheted a hat on the leg from Vienna to Krasnodar! That will show them...

Nathan and Spencer had the entire apartment cleaned up and looking great. I was imagining half eaten pizza everywhere! There was a sign to greet me and on my pillow there was a bottle of peach flavored tea and a bag of sourcream and onion chips. These guys are going to be great husbands. They are very thoughtful!

going home

I don't have much time left here. I have to get my bags packed and catch the train to the airport in the morning. So be in prayer for me as I travel and as Tom and Alexei travel as well.

Oh and Tom sent me an email saying that he and Alexei had a great time at Wal-Mart... Alexei loved it there!

4:35 am

I leave tomorrow to go back to Russia. I am looking forward to the creature comforts I left behind. My own bed, our DVD and video collection, all my yarn! However, I am not looking forward to getting off the plane at 4:35 am Monday morning, getting whatever sleep I can and then going to school the very next day. It is a good thing that Spencer and I will not resume his homeschooling until September.

Tom and Alexei have a travel day also. They will be taking the train from California and traveling to New Mexico. His parents will then go with them to Texas and Kansas. Tom is glad for the help driving. It would have been a long haul for him with out having Mom and Dad help out.

I finally heard from Nathan why Spencer was not answering my emails. His internet card ran out. I was going to ask Judi H. to tell my son to stay home long enough to answer his mother's emails but that plan won't work without him having an internet card!

Tim and Joy have friends who read this blog so I will publically say "thanks so much!" for being willing to come and get me from the airport at 4:35 am. Especially since Tim is leaving for Ukraine later that day.

Hezbollah not on Russia's Terror List

I don't usually post two news articles in a row... but news happens and this story is one that I thought was worthy of posting.

Hezbollah not on Russia's terrorist list
By HENRY MEYER, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jul 28, 7:45 PM ET



Russia on Friday published a list of 17 groups it regards as terrorist organizations, but did not include the Palestinian militant movement Hamas or Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrilla group, both regarded as terrorists in Washington.

Separately, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Hezbollah must have a say in any agreements in the Middle East crisis, Russian news agencies reported — another sign of differences between Russia and the United States about the region.

"Any agreements must be coordinated with all the basic forces in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, as an organization that is represented in the parliament and government of Lebanon," RIA-Novosti reported quoted Lavrov as saying on a plane returning from an Asian security meeting in Malaysia. Hezbollah has 11 members in Lebanon's 128-seat parliament, and two Cabinet ministers.

The terrorist list, published in the official daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta, included al-Qaida and the Taliban as well as the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, a rebel group fighting for Kashmir's independence from India, and Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood.

The Russian Federal Security Service's top official in charge of fighting international terrorism, Yuri Sapunov, said Hamas and Hezbollah were not a major threat to Russia and were not regarded as terrorist groups worldwide.

But he said Russian security agencies took account of international lists of terrorist groups when exchanging intelligence with foreign counterparts.

Sapunov told Rossiiskaya Gazeta the list of 17 "includes only those organizations which represent the greatest threat to the security of our country." Groups linked to separatist militants in Chechnya and Islamic radicals in Central Asia made the list.

Russia has come under criticism for its refusal to list Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.

Israel is now fighting a ground and air war in Lebanon against Hezbollah guerrillas, who are firing rockets into northern Israel. Israeli forces have also attacked the Gaza Strip to target Hamas militants. Russia has criticized the scale of the Israeli offensive, while the United States has blamed Hezbollah for the violence.

President Vladimir Putin earlier this year provoked U.S. and Israeli anger by inviting leaders of Hamas to Moscow shortly after their January election victory. The meeting made no progress in softening the group's refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist or foreswear violence.

Lavrov's reported comment about Hezbollah echoed the arguments Russian officials made for inviting Hamas leaders, when they said that they were dealing with Hamas as an entity that had just come to power in elections.

Lavrov said that Russia's support for a Hezbollah role in decision-making in the Mideast crisis was shared by European countries and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, adding: "As for support from the Americans for this position, I have no such information," RIA-Novosti reported.

The European Union considers Hamas a terrorist organization and along with the United States slapped financial sanctions on the new Hamas-led government. But it does not list Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

Russian Rocket Crash

Photo from www.lenta.ru

Russian Rocket With 18 Satellites Crashes After Launch


MosNews



A Russian rocket carrying 18 satellites crashed shortly after blasting off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan late Wednesday, the Federal Space Agency said early Thursday. According to the Xinhua news agency the Dnepr carrier rocket with the satellites, which belonged respectively to Russia, Belarus, Italy and the United States, crashed 25 km south of the Baikonur launch pad, a piece of land on the northern Kazakh steppe that Russia leases to launch its spacecraft, Yury Nosenko, deputy head of the Federal Space Agency, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying. No damage or injuries were caused on the ground, he said. “An emergency shutdown of the engines occurred 86 seconds into the flight,” a spokesman of the Mission Control outside Moscow said. Nosenko said the first stage of the rocket failed to separate on time and “that is why the engine was shut down in the emergency mode.” The crash dealt yet another blow to Russia’s space program, which has suffered a series of mishaps since last year. Interfax also reported that Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko traveled to Baikonur to witness the launch of his country’s first satellite, the Belka, which was onboard the Dnepr rocket.

His reaction to the crash was not reported.

Happy birthday!

In Italy:
Today is Erin's 30th birthday. And she is performing tonight! Tomorrow we will have a dinner party but tonight the show must go on!


In America:
an email excerpt...

Alexei & I went to the post office in Santa Ana, so he could experience an American Post Office. Then we went to South Coast Plaza where I got my watch battery replaced after 7 months of it being dead!! We ate at McDonald's (his very first time!) & he liked it. He was amazed at how quickly people were served & got their food. We then bought shoes at Shoe Pavillion. He & I have matching pairs of tennis shoes (he will use his for riding his bicycle, & I will use mine to walk in.


In Russia:
I have not heard from the boys today and that means things are going well... right? Yeah, that is what I will tell myself!

Look out!

In the US:
Tom was able to borrow a truck from Gordon and JeanneMarie. He is out driving around now in Southern California so lookout!

He spoke at the Bridge. I have not heard how that went since Tom sent the email about speaking before it actually took place. DaveHickman, Tom Sharp and Alexei Parhomenka all in one place? Have mercy!

In Russia:
I received a text message from Judi H. telling me that school starts on Tuesday for her and I. I am not excited. For some reason I thought I would have a week to recover once I get home. This month has been one of the most difficult ones to endure. Two family deaths and some friends of ours are going through a difficult time right now. It is overwhelming.

In Italy:
I found two all English bookstores.
There is the Anglo American Bookshop and the Lion Bookshop and Cafe. Both are not far from the Spanish Steps. Which is not far from Rome Baptist Church. I didn't purchase any books yet... I cannot decide what I cannot live without!

Celebrity Sighting in San Clemente!

THIS JUST IN FROM TOM!!!

Excerpt from this mornings email:

Lisa had to pick up an ear-bud set for her telephone at Cingular store. We went to the one here in San Clemente. It was there that we had our first 'celebrity sighting!'

In walked....'Hurley' from Lost!! He needed something for his phone. Lisa & I spotted him at the same time. (He's taller than I am & wider, too! He's really big.) Lisa said she wanted to talk to him but wouldn't go over to him. I just walked up to him & said, "Excuse me. Could I bother you a minute?" He said 'yeah' & I said, "My family & I moved to Russia a year & a half ago, & the thing that we HAVE to have sent to us to help us cope w/ the cultural stress is episodes of 'Lost.' We're really big fans of the show, love your work & thank you for what you do." He smiled & said, "We were supposed to go over to Russia to promote the show, but the Russian tv station didn't have enough money to bring us over." I told him in was on in Russian & we still asked for English language copies. Keep up the great work." He said 'thanks' & I walked away. It was great; Lisa couldn't stop talking about our 'Hurley' sighting the rest of the day!

Update on the American Tour

Tom and Alexei are on the move. They have left Simi Valley and are now down in the Dana Point area.

Here is an excerpt from Tom's latest email... sorry, I edited all the mushy and personal stuff out!:

It was so good to see Chip & Joanne again!! There was only about 12 people at church - 6 to 8 people were on vacation. So it was very intimate & close. Chip did worship, which was good. Alexei sang a couple of songs in English. Chip gave him a cd of the worship music afterward.

Afterwards, Chip had the people come up & pray for Alexei & I. A guy who used to attend the Bridge when I taught is part of The Gathering. He recently got married last year, & shared how my teaching (esp. on boundaries) had really changed his life. It made him ready to get married again & now he's happy!

Then we all went out to lunch at Wahoo's. I had fish tacos & shrimp tacos. Alexei had steak tacos but didn't really like them. He said El Torito was better!

Then Chip & Jo drove us to the Russian church. The pastor recognized me & said he would give me some time to speak if I wanted it. (How can I pass that up?)

There was probably 125 people there, & we didn't have much time for people to pray outloud.
The pastor spoke, we sang in Russian, the youth had just returned from a camp in Kazakstan where they worked at a children's home. They did a panel & were interviewed by the youth pastor. Then they had a 30 minute video. Then an older guy got up & gave an evangelical message for about 5 minutes. Then the pastor called me up. Pastor said I had 2 minutes. I asked the pastor if he would translate for me, but he didn't need to translate any! (That was nice). Afterwards, several people from last time we were there came up to greet us. A older woman complemented me on my Russian & said our photo is up on her refrig & she prays everyday for us. (I believe her!) Vladimir, the pizza delivery guy from Raul & Christines was there & introduced me to his wife Sveta. She was very nice & had great English skills. She sends her greetings to you& the boys.

Tomorrow night we have dinner w/ Bruce & Kelle & their kids. I'm looking forward to it.

2 were baptized

I went back to Rome Baptist church again. There was a baptism today. There were two missionaries who are leaving for Thailand that were prayed over. There were some college kids that were leaving to go back to America after spending time here with Agape Italia.

The list of places the visitors were from today were:
Cameroon
Germany
Austria
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Ohio
Southern California

There was probably around 150 people there today. I could barely sing through all my tears after the baptism when the church began to sing Trust and Obey. That is the song that has been going through my head since we first felt the call to Russia. Today was the first time I have heard it sung since we began the process of moving.

In the USA:
Tom and Alexei endured 119 degrees in Simi Valley. He said it was a 110 in the shade! Tom is speaking today and then they will be attending the Russian church service this afternoon.

swimming pools and movie stars

In the USA :

Tom and Alexei have not had a celebrity sighting but they are enjoying "American Food". Like, Chinese take out or a Mexican dinner. They are also enjoying staying at a home in Simi Valley with a pool. They have been out to see Auntie Martha. I am grateful that Tom is there for Martha right now. He was able to help her out in many ways. Kenneth and James also made it home. For anyone who has a family member in the military please know that leaving an emergency message with the Red Cross does work! Kenneth made it home from Iraq four days before the funeral.

In Russia:
Nathan and Spencer seem to be doing great. Spencer emailed me to say that he had a sore throat yesterday but he ate pizza and ice cream and it felt better.

Nathan is busy with cleaning out his room and watching Godzilla movies.

In Italy:
Erin and Rhianna were looking at Rhianna's photo album and Erin asked Rhianna "who is that?" Rhianna moved Erin's hand off the picture and actually made her point to me! "Ah-Dah!" What a smart little girl!

We mailed a package to a friend of mine in California from the Vatican post office. At first they were not going to do it because they didn't sell boxes there.
But, fortunately a cute little toddler (Rhianna) intervened and they were more than happy to help us out. Finding a box, wrapping up the contents with extra care and then making sure the postal worker sent it out properly!

I still have time to mail a few more postcards so send your address to my email:
alidasmail@juno.com

They made it!

I just received an email from Tom. Here is an excerpt of what he had to say about the trip so far:

Thanx for your prayers. Alexei & I are in Simi Valley, CA after our flight & enjoying the weather, food & people! We had an interesting flight as the flight crew had to 'take down' a rowdy drunken man. (It was neither Alexei or I!) They eventually tied him to his seat w/ pillowcases for the remaining 5 hours of the flight. Once we landed no one could leave until LAPD first came aboard, arrested & removed him. The rest of the flight was non-eventful!

Alexei's 1st impressions of the US/LA is that it's "very big, very clean, very beautiful & has more cars than he has seen in his lifetime!" He's taking pictures of the places we go to. He's been fascinated by the book of matches w/ the name of our hotel on it, how big & vast CA is, the variety of choices w/ everything, & how he can walk around w/o his passport or ID! A different kind of freedom.

Alexei & I are going to drive to Pomona today & try to visit Alida's Aunt Martha. Tonight & Fri we are staying w/ a woman from Pastor Dave's recovery church who is a LAPD detective. She has a pool & spa! We may try to go to the Reagan Library & Museum w/ Dave, or to the IMAX theater. It's very hot here, so staying indoors where it's airconditioned is best!

We ate Mexican food today at El Torito's!! It was very good. It wasn't as spicy as Alexei had thought it would be. He enjoyed it very much. Last night we went to Von's, Alexei's 1st time in an American grocery store. He's also fascinated w/ American tv. He's like a kid in a candy store when compared to what he's experienced in his life in Russia up to this.

I guess I am too old for this!

I just finished reading this news article. Although I found it very interesting I have realized that most of the blogs I read on a regular basis are written by older women. They are pastor's wives or women who knit and/or crochet. It is not only the young people who are blogging. I think it is gaining in popularity with the older crowd as well. However, when I have a technical problem... it's the 19 year old who comes to my rescue!



Survey: Bloggers are young internet users

Bloggers are a predominantly young group of Internet users who are novice storytellers, enjoy describing their own experiences and have a growing audience in the online world.
A glimpse of this group was put together by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
The survey found that almost one in 10 Internet users are bloggers and the audience for this group of online diarists is growing. Almost four in 10 of the approximately 147 million adult Internet users in this country say they read blogs.

The people they are reading on the online blogs are a young, ethnically diverse group. They are mostly newcomers to writing — often writing about their own experiences. More than half of bloggers are under age 30. They were most likely to list their life and events as the most popular topic, followed by politics and entertainment.
The poll findings are based on a sample of 4,573 Internet users with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points and a sample from a separate survey of 233 bloggers with a margin of error of plus or minus 7 percentage points.
___
On the Net:
Pew Internet & American Life Project
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP%20Bloggers%20Report%20July%2019%202006.p

and they're off

Tom and Alexei left this morning. I heard from both Nathan and Spencer and it seems like they miss him already.

It was weird to not say good bye in person. Tom and I said goodbye through text messaging last night.

Pray that they have a safe trip. Pray for Nathan and Spencer as they live together for two weeks without parents. Pray for me as I am still grieving over the loss of my dear Uncle Fred.

Alexei and Tom

Alexei and Tom are leaving for the states tomorrow. Please pray for them as this is Alexei's first time on a plane since he began his sobriety. He is very nervous about the long flight to America.

Tom told me the wieght of Angelina... Valentin and Sveta's daughter. She weighs 3kilograms 600grams. If I calculated that right she weighs 7 lbs. 9ounces. She is a good size baby!

Nathan and Spencer are about to go it alone. Tom leaves tomorrow and I don't return until the 30th of July. Tom says that Lena will be coming by daily to check on them. Maybe they will ask Lena to stay with them since Alexei will be gone too. It is not as if they need her to babysit... maybe just to referee!

It's a girl!

I just heard from Nathan that Valentin and Sveta have had their baby. It is a precious little girl and they have named her Angelina. Mother and baby are fine. Nathan says they spoke with her on the phone this morning... Sveta that is, not the baby!

I guess since Valentin is our "son" that means that Tom and I are grandparents! Where did the time go?

yah don't know what yah got till it's gone!

Worshiping in ones native tongue is not to be taken for granted. We have not been to an English speaking church serivce in over a year. Today I had the priviledge of attending Rome Baptist Church.

http://www.crossspot.net/rbc/aboutrbc.htm

It was a wonderful multi-cultural congregation. I saw all the racial colors of the rainbow around me! It was quite a poignant moment after the children's sermon... as the children were leaving we sang Jesus Loves the Little Children. The young ones truly represented the "red and yellow, black and white" from the song.

Pastor Dave and his wife Kathy are very personable and seem truly happy to see all the visitors. Afterwards I gave my visitor's card to Pastor Dave. I had written my address in Russian. He looked at it and cracked up laughing. He said "I guess if I want to write to you I will have to write your address this way, won't I?" He shook my hand and said "Pocka!" (bye!)as I was leaving.

If you ever get to Rome I hope you are able to attend Rome Baptist Church. The English speaking community of Rome will open up for you!

WorldVenture

I was able to have dinner last night with the Halls. They are such a great couple. Janet gave me a description of Tim so that we could find each other when he picked me up at the metro station. She said he was "very tall". Boy is he ever! He was clearly the tallest man there. I walked straight to him and introduced myself.

They also had John from Senegal over for dinner too. We spent the evening talking about what is going on in Russia, Italy and Africa.

John and his family have been in Senegal since 1994. He is a teacher and his wife is kept quite busy with their five kids! John is studying here for the summer.

Janet is a food science and nutrition major so of course dinner was excellent! We enjoyed a traditional italian 6 course meal! They have been here in Italy since 1987.

Tim and Janet are on the European Leadership Team. So they know our Russian supervisors quite well. We talked about language learning, culture stress, transitions for teens when they go back to the states. They are a wealth of experience and information.

It was good to have an evening of fun and laughter after the news of Fred's death yesterday.

life...

I don't know exactly what to say or how to feel right now. Tom told me that my Uncle Fred has died. I called my Aunt Martha and she doesn't want me to come back.

This is just such a shock to our family. We have become very close with Martha and Fred over the years of living in California. They often took the boys when we needed to travel or for our family emergencies like when I had my gallbladder out. They had Nathan for a week when Spencer had his tonsils out. They acted as surrogate grandparents for the boys. The kids always came home with new toys after being with Martha and Fred!

Nathan is having a hard time. Spencer tells me he is doing better today than yesterday. Tom is still sad. I am numb.

Hoop - Hoop - Hooray!!

Coordinating Tom & Alexei's trip to America has been interesting over the past 5 months. After all, we have dealt with the mechanisms of two governments & other agencies, which all have their specific procedures & policies. At times it's been a learning experience, & at other times little more than what seems to be jumping thru hoops. Today Tom attempted to purchase their airline tickets even though Alexei is in Moscow for training. Along with Alexei is his passport & travel visa, both required for ticket purchase. Tom said a quick prayer & fortunately, the woman at the Aeroflot Airlines office in Krasnodar was extremely helpful & reserved the tickets for next Wednesdays flight!! Tom & Alexei will be wreaking havoc a day earlier in America than planned, however we're certain that they will have fun while visiting with many friends & family in the States!

Alexei gets his traveling papers!

I got a text message from Tom saying that Alexei was granted his visa to travel to America. I hope that all of you who will be seeing Tom and Alexei are ready for them. They are truly "brothers". They share the same sense of humor and it is uncanny how much alike they are. Here is your official warning:

"California, Kansas, New Mexico and Texas, LOOK OUT!!!"

celebrations

Italy celebrated the big World Cup win yesterday. The cars, the horns and the flags were all busy yesterday! All the commotion woke Rhianna up around midnight. Hopefully, they are finished but, who knows how long it will last!

Tom says they are still without hot water.

Valentin and Sveta's baby is due anyday.

Today is Olya's birthday and the guys have been invited over for the party.

Lena and her father stopped by. They had been visiting at her brother Vova's house.

Spencer got the chance to go over to Andrews again for pizza. I got a text message from Judi saying they were throwing caution to the wind and having pizza on a Monday. Normally, Spencer is there for pizza night on Friday!

Italy Wins!

The air horns started in with the first goal. It was a long game and a long night. The streets were packed after the game. Many people had their kids out and were waving flags, singing songs and taking pictures late into the night. No rioting though and that was a blessing.

Tom and I "watched" the game together keeping in touch through text messaging. Zidane's head butt was the talk of the night.



The guys got the electicity back on and were very happy. They went for 32 hours without it. We are grateful that Ervand was able to take care of it! And it was nice that Tom and I could enjoy the game together.

F is for Cold

When making an attempt to turn on the water in Italy just remember that the F is for Cold. Otherwise you will burn your hand and that is no fun.
Let's just say I have some personal experience to draw from!

They guys have been without electricity since yesterday. So if you sent an email to one of the guys they cannot retrieve it yet. As of about an hour ago they were still working on it! There appears to be a short in the wires going into our apartment.

Slavic could not fix it. So Ervand was called. He wanted an electrician but it was a Saturday and no one was available. Tom said that Olya's girlfriend's boyfriend was not available to come over either! The last text message I got from Tom said that Ervand thought he knew what was wrong and was off to the reenock to get the parts he needed.

They went to the store yesterday and stocked up and candles and flashlights.

Tonight is the final game for the World Cup. The landlord for the apartment we are staying in has invited us over to watch the game with his family. Pandemonium will break loose if they win... I am not sure what will happen if they don't. Either way it will be a long night. I have already seen people out on the street with large Italian flags getting ready for the big game!

just hanging around

I have not done any sightseeing here in Rome like I did last year. I spend the time with Rhianna. I am grateful for the chance to bond with her and trying not to think of how long it will be before I see her and Erin again when this trip is over. I am working on "staying in today" like Tom always says.

I received an email from Janet, also with WorldVenture, here in Rome. Hopefully, I will be able to make it to dinner with them on the 14th. There is another WorldVenture person here from Senegal and we are both scheduled for the same evening. It should be an interesting discussion to find out about what WorldVenture is doing in different parts of the world!

Vladimir Putin explains Kiss

Russian president explains kiss
Thu Jul 6, 7:28 PM ET
In between answering questions Thursday about North Korea's missiles, Iran's nuclear program and relations with the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin answered what was for many observers a more burning question: What compelled him to kiss the bare stomach of a young boy in a Kremlin courtyard?
Footage of the June 28 incident was broadcast on all Russian television stations. It quickly became fodder for Internet chat rooms and topped the Moscow tabloids the day after. The question was one of the most popular among the thousands e-mailed in for a live Kremlin Internet conference carried on the British Broadcasting Corp. Web site and a Russian site.
In the footage, Putin, 53, is shown walking up to a small crowd of tourists in a Kremlin courtyard and crouching down in front of the boy, who appears to be five or six years old. As the Russian president talks with Nikita for several seconds, he tugs at the boy's shirt before finally lifting it up and kissing him on his bare stomach.
"He seemed to me very independent, very serious, but at the same time a boy is always vulnerable. He was very sweet. I'll be honest, I felt an urge to squeeze him like a kitten and that led to the gesture that I made. There was nothing behind it really," Putin said, smiling.

at least ten times

How many times have you read the book Goodnight Moon?

I think after Rhianna's nap I read it at least ten times. I am reminded of when our boys where young and they wanted to be read to over and over again.

I guess as adults we do the same thing. We look for what is familiar and comforting and ask for it over and over again. It doesn't matter how many times I drink peach flavored tea or eat McDonalds french fries... they never fail to satisfy me.

I heard from all my guys by text message today. Tom purchased a fan for our bedroom. He said he thought it was "cool!". Spencer has been writing me in Russian so I don't forget. It is amazing how much it helps to read his text messages.

no sleep last night

Italy beat Germany 2-0 in extra time last night. Erin, James and I were up late talking and all of a sudden we heard stamping on the floor and screams coming from the apartment above us. Then the noise in the street started. Cars with flag bearers went up and down the street. Then a crowd started to gather. Scooters, motocycles, cars and people on foot filled up the street in front of our building and stayed there all night.

I wonder what will happen if they win the World Cup?

happy 4th of July!

We hope that everyone is enjoying their holiday.

Alonna, Vasa and Dionna left today. Vasa is traveling back to Dahgestan. And Alonna went to stay with another woman whose husband is also traveling.

I am sure that Nathan is relieved to have his room back!

Please keep Tom and the Sharp family in your prayers. His nephew Kristopher just recently passed away. This is the first family death since our move and it is difficult to not be there to support everyone.

The subway

The subway is not my favorite place to be. I am cautious since being robbed on it last year. I thought I was giving myself plenty of time to go to the internet point last night and then get back home on the subway. However, the subway closes early on Sunday nights. I got there 15 minutes after the lines had shut down.

I thought "maybe, I will walk home". So off I went. Things were looking familiar so I felt good. When I got to Termini, the main transportation point, I realized I had been walking the wrong direction. But, the good news is I was at the point where I could catch a bus or take a taxi. I asked three different people which bus would take me to Ponte Lungo and finally I found a night bus that stopped at the same points as the subway. I was only four stops from the apartment.

There is a Russian proverb that says your tongue can take you all the way to Kiev. It is a good thing I am not afraid to open my mouth and just ask. My Italian is pitiful. I have to repeat most everything I say. Gratefully, I made it home safe and sound.

Rhianna has grown so much! She is not a little baby. She is a constant source of motion while she is awake. Very inquisitive and very bright. She has quite a voice on her too. She seems to be an opera singer in the making. She can project quite easily!

I hear that Spencer is baking another cake. Tom sold more beads to Lilia. Tomorrow is the fourth but in Russia and here in Italy it is not a holiday. Tom and the boys will most likely chill out at home. Perhaps Tom will make some burgers and do corn on the cob like last year.

This just in...

Today Alida left the quiet villa of Assissi & took the train back into Rome. She will be in the big city for the rest of the month. Friends from the States arrived & all are enjoying their air-conditioned apartment!

Spencer & Tom went to church with our house guests to Marat & Christine's church. (Nathan didn't go to our regular church as he said he was locked inside the apartment & couldn't find any keys!) Marat's church sponsors the work of our house guests in Dagestan. Lena had called Saturday night & asked if we would go with her on Sunday to Marat's church because pictures that Alexei took on the big bike ride to Sochi were shown. Alexei wanted his family at the service! We enjoyed the small church experience, Marat's teaching about Jonah, & viewing the beautiful pictures of the ride thru the mountains down to the Black Sea.
Last year 6 Americans came for the bike trip...this year only 1 American returned. The men were tired & worn out. Alexei was home for a matter of hours before he left on the train for a seminar in Moscow. When he returns in 2 weeks, he & Lena will oinly have a few days together before Alexei & I head to America. (Provided the US Embassy grants him a travel visa.)

From the top down!

Yesterday, I went up to the top of the hill and worked my way down. I went to St. Rufinos, then St. Clare's... now at St. Clare's I was told not to take photos. But, you know me! Just like in the Sistine Chapel last year I was respectfully disobedient. I felt entitled since I had waited outside St. Clare's for two hours. Yes, it was nice to sit there in the cool breeze knitting and people watching but that is not the point! I just sat down in a pew and waited for a good shot. I got two. Downstairs in St. Clare's crypt I got a good one. I also took some photos of the relics. I left St. Clare's and went to Santa Maria Maggiore. I think it does not get visited as much because it is hidden. I found my way down to St. Peter's.

As I was out walking I saw one of the dirtiest men I have ever seen. I thought he was homeless. I had to look a little closer. He was a monk. His feet were filthy and his hair was long and grimy. His face looked dirty. And his robes were worn. He looked peaceful and content. He was dressed like a Franciscan monk. But, he easily could could have been one of those guys on the side of the freeway in CA holding a sign saying "will work for food".

Did you know that nuns wear birkenstocks and carry backpacks! Personally, I prefer my Clark sandals they are wonderful on these cobblestone roads. http://www.clarksusa.com/


Tom says the guys both chose different ways to celebrate the end of school. Spencer baked a cake and Nathan stayed up all night on the computer. We have a break from school for the month of July. Then we start back up in August. No rest for the weary!

oh and I found another blackpurl! http://blackpurlco.blogspot.com/ we seem to have a lot in common.