Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Week 2
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Today it was Lily's turn to lead and she did an awesome job! Her take on the woman with the issue of blood from Mark 5:21-34 was fascinating. Lily is from Uzbekistan, she shared with us from her own experiences and from her excellent grasp of the type of culture this woman lived in. Lily helped us understand how she would have been treated by the community at large and what she would have thought of herself.
Lily had us turn our attention to Leviticus 15:19-27 and after reading that passage she explained to us that this woman would have lost her husband, friends and due to her being unclean she would have been looked down upon by those in her community... she may have even seen herself as unclean and possibly thought of herself as a sinner. Her compulsion to touch the hem of Jesus' garment would have stemmed not only from her desire for health but her desire to be free from sin. Clean and whole in the eyes of God, her neighbors and herself!
I can hardly wait for next week!
Today it was Lily's turn to lead and she did an awesome job! Her take on the woman with the issue of blood from Mark 5:21-34 was fascinating. Lily is from Uzbekistan, she shared with us from her own experiences and from her excellent grasp of the type of culture this woman lived in. Lily helped us understand how she would have been treated by the community at large and what she would have thought of herself.
Lily had us turn our attention to Leviticus 15:19-27 and after reading that passage she explained to us that this woman would have lost her husband, friends and due to her being unclean she would have been looked down upon by those in her community... she may have even seen herself as unclean and possibly thought of herself as a sinner. Her compulsion to touch the hem of Jesus' garment would have stemmed not only from her desire for health but her desire to be free from sin. Clean and whole in the eyes of God, her neighbors and herself!
I can hardly wait for next week!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Happy 100!!!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Spencer and I have finally made it to Lesson 100 of the 125 lesson course that we are taking at New View Language School!
It is amazing that we have come so far...I keep thinking about when we first arrived here in Russia... we didn't even know the alphabet. And today Spencer talked on the phone for a few hours with his Russian friend and I sat in the living room with my friend Lena R. working on our Bible Study material for tomorrow!
Praise God with us for this progress!!
Spencer and I have finally made it to Lesson 100 of the 125 lesson course that we are taking at New View Language School!
It is amazing that we have come so far...I keep thinking about when we first arrived here in Russia... we didn't even know the alphabet. And today Spencer talked on the phone for a few hours with his Russian friend and I sat in the living room with my friend Lena R. working on our Bible Study material for tomorrow!
Praise God with us for this progress!!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Mother, son and Mr. Goat!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
I received an email today from Stephanie with the photos she took of Spencer and I in the mountains. Mr. Goat checked us out for food and then took off down the mountainside!
I received an email today from Stephanie with the photos she took of Spencer and I in the mountains. Mr. Goat checked us out for food and then took off down the mountainside!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
fun in the snow!
Saturday, February 9,2008
These photos were taken by Spencer with his cellphone!
Yesterday Spencer and I were able to go on a trip to the mountains with the Language School. Skiing, snowboarding and sledding filled the day. Spencer and I rented two sleds (6$ per sled per hour) and had a great time enjoying flying down the slope. There was a breathtaking scene at the top of the mountain… we could see other snow covered mountain tops in the distance.
Spencer tried several different ways of going downhill on the sled. He seemed to enjoy the thrill of going face first the best! I wiped out my first two times down the hill… the first time I flew off the sled and as my body rolled to a stop all I could think was “I hope my glasses stay on!”
After counseling with Stephanie on how to ride the sled correctly I managed to stay on the sled all the way down to the bottom of the hill each successive ride. I thought that was a major accomplishment! Stephanie, Joyce and I had fun racing each other down the hill!
At the first slope we were on they wouldn’t turn on the rope pull for the skiers so we had to get into the bus and go to another hill. Before leaving those of us with rented sleds had to turn them back in. I had rented the sleds for 3 hours thinking we would spend most of the day there. So I was due a refund. I was originally refunded an hour since we had the sleds for an hour and a half. I was content with that… but not our director Tanya M., she negotiated with the young man to give us back the other half hour as well!
Our bus driver was not interested in going further up the hill. And after hearing that only 7 out of 10 buses successfully maneuver one of the curves on the way to the top I understood his hesitancy. According to Tanya a bus overturned back in January and people were killed. Our driver did great on the turns going up and coming back down. We clapped for him each time. On the way down he smiled after making that turn… it was the first time we had seen a smile from him all day! Perhaps after the bus getting stuck in the parking lot and the guys having to shovel snow to get us out, he may have been relieved to get his last "hurdle" out of the way.
At the second slope Spencer and I were too tired to try any more sledding, so we were content to watch everyone. As we were standing there with Stephanie waiting to see Brennen ski down the hill and watching Joyce, Hannah and the others sledding... along came a goat. It just walked right up to us looking for food.
They live up there in the mountains and go from person to person begging for food. Can you imagine having to watch out for other skiers, snowboarders, sledders and a herd of goats as you ski down the hill? At one point there were about 8 or 9 of them crossing the slope seemingly unaware of the people sharing their space!
Before boarding the bus to go home Joyce and I decided to go to the bathroom so we wouldn't have to use the bushes or the field on the trip home. It was an outhouse with what I call a squatty potty... no toilet just a hole in the ground. Even though the holes were covered with wood and cut in the shape of hearts it was still an unpleasant experience for this city girl!
For another peek into how the day went please check here:
http://behimer.blogspot.com/2008/02/skiing-russian-style.html
These photos were taken by Spencer with his cellphone!
Yesterday Spencer and I were able to go on a trip to the mountains with the Language School. Skiing, snowboarding and sledding filled the day. Spencer and I rented two sleds (6$ per sled per hour) and had a great time enjoying flying down the slope. There was a breathtaking scene at the top of the mountain… we could see other snow covered mountain tops in the distance.
Spencer tried several different ways of going downhill on the sled. He seemed to enjoy the thrill of going face first the best! I wiped out my first two times down the hill… the first time I flew off the sled and as my body rolled to a stop all I could think was “I hope my glasses stay on!”
After counseling with Stephanie on how to ride the sled correctly I managed to stay on the sled all the way down to the bottom of the hill each successive ride. I thought that was a major accomplishment! Stephanie, Joyce and I had fun racing each other down the hill!
At the first slope we were on they wouldn’t turn on the rope pull for the skiers so we had to get into the bus and go to another hill. Before leaving those of us with rented sleds had to turn them back in. I had rented the sleds for 3 hours thinking we would spend most of the day there. So I was due a refund. I was originally refunded an hour since we had the sleds for an hour and a half. I was content with that… but not our director Tanya M., she negotiated with the young man to give us back the other half hour as well!
Our bus driver was not interested in going further up the hill. And after hearing that only 7 out of 10 buses successfully maneuver one of the curves on the way to the top I understood his hesitancy. According to Tanya a bus overturned back in January and people were killed. Our driver did great on the turns going up and coming back down. We clapped for him each time. On the way down he smiled after making that turn… it was the first time we had seen a smile from him all day! Perhaps after the bus getting stuck in the parking lot and the guys having to shovel snow to get us out, he may have been relieved to get his last "hurdle" out of the way.
At the second slope Spencer and I were too tired to try any more sledding, so we were content to watch everyone. As we were standing there with Stephanie waiting to see Brennen ski down the hill and watching Joyce, Hannah and the others sledding... along came a goat. It just walked right up to us looking for food.
They live up there in the mountains and go from person to person begging for food. Can you imagine having to watch out for other skiers, snowboarders, sledders and a herd of goats as you ski down the hill? At one point there were about 8 or 9 of them crossing the slope seemingly unaware of the people sharing their space!
Before boarding the bus to go home Joyce and I decided to go to the bathroom so we wouldn't have to use the bushes or the field on the trip home. It was an outhouse with what I call a squatty potty... no toilet just a hole in the ground. Even though the holes were covered with wood and cut in the shape of hearts it was still an unpleasant experience for this city girl!
For another peek into how the day went please check here:
http://behimer.blogspot.com/2008/02/skiing-russian-style.html
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Prayer meeting
Thursday, February 7, 2008
On Thursdays the gals from East West meet for an hour and a half for prayer. I don't know what I would do without this time each week... it truly keeps me grounded and focused on what God is doing and can do!
When I had my quiet time today I chose to pick up an old favorite devotional book.... My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I found this quote truly speaks to what prayer is all about:
“The meaning of prayer is that we get hold of God, not of the answer.”
My prayer for each one of you reading right now is that you would take time to meditate on that statement. I have found that the time spent in prayer with these women over the past 5 months motivated me to spend more time each day with Him!
On Thursdays the gals from East West meet for an hour and a half for prayer. I don't know what I would do without this time each week... it truly keeps me grounded and focused on what God is doing and can do!
When I had my quiet time today I chose to pick up an old favorite devotional book.... My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I found this quote truly speaks to what prayer is all about:
“The meaning of prayer is that we get hold of God, not of the answer.”
My prayer for each one of you reading right now is that you would take time to meditate on that statement. I have found that the time spent in prayer with these women over the past 5 months motivated me to spend more time each day with Him!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
signs...
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Back when we were in Cyprus Tom and I saw this sign when we were strolling about the city during our free time!
Back when we were in Cyprus Tom and I saw this sign when we were strolling about the city during our free time!
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Jesus Cares for Women
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Today was the first day of our five week study. We had 17 women turn up for a study in the middle of the day. We had heard that women might not be available because so many work but the turn out was great! We were able to break into 3 small groups for discussion and then pray in pairs afterwards.
It was exciting to me that a few women who are new to the church are now attending their first bible study...
Please keep us in your prayers each Tuesday for the next four weeks!
Today was the first day of our five week study. We had 17 women turn up for a study in the middle of the day. We had heard that women might not be available because so many work but the turn out was great! We were able to break into 3 small groups for discussion and then pray in pairs afterwards.
It was exciting to me that a few women who are new to the church are now attending their first bible study...
Please keep us in your prayers each Tuesday for the next four weeks!
Monday, February 04, 2008
back at language school
Monday, February 4, 2008
Spencer and I were back in class first thing this morning. We were both awake and dressed and ready to go right on time! Spencer even had time to scramble some eggs for us so we could have breakfast before we left. He is such a sweetheart!
Today in class we were working on the prefixes that go in front of the motion verbs... our lesson lists 13 of them. As I was working with my language helper she said not to work on memorizing the table, but to focus instead on paying attention to how they are used by the Russian speakers around me. So for the rest of our session each time one of those verbs came up in our conversation she called attention to it. Lena R. is truly a gem!
Tom went back to school today as well... only he decided to play a practical joke on his teacher. Just as he reached the front door of the building he called her to tell her that he was not coming. She asked him why and he said because the weather was so nice he was going to stay home and she told him that he was a grown man! He told her again he wasn't coming... as he approached the door to the school office he could hear her saying "guess who just called and says that they are not coming to school?!" He opens the door and all of the teachers busted out in peels of laughter! I think our teachers got a great American culture lesson... don't you!?
Spencer and I were back in class first thing this morning. We were both awake and dressed and ready to go right on time! Spencer even had time to scramble some eggs for us so we could have breakfast before we left. He is such a sweetheart!
Today in class we were working on the prefixes that go in front of the motion verbs... our lesson lists 13 of them. As I was working with my language helper she said not to work on memorizing the table, but to focus instead on paying attention to how they are used by the Russian speakers around me. So for the rest of our session each time one of those verbs came up in our conversation she called attention to it. Lena R. is truly a gem!
Tom went back to school today as well... only he decided to play a practical joke on his teacher. Just as he reached the front door of the building he called her to tell her that he was not coming. She asked him why and he said because the weather was so nice he was going to stay home and she told him that he was a grown man! He told her again he wasn't coming... as he approached the door to the school office he could hear her saying "guess who just called and says that they are not coming to school?!" He opens the door and all of the teachers busted out in peels of laughter! I think our teachers got a great American culture lesson... don't you!?
Sunday, February 03, 2008
practice, practice, practice!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Big Mama’s Butterhorn Rolls
1 yeast cake, blended with 1 Tbsp sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
2 tsp salt
3 eggs, well beaten
1 c. warm sweet milk
4 cups sifted flour
Mix in order given:
Yeast cake, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, milk and flour. Let rise well; spoon down. Let rise again. Roll to ½ inch thick. Cut into shape of pie wedges 2 inches wide. Roll from wide end. Leaving point tucked under. Place in well buttered pan. Set pans over pans of hot water to rise. Bake at 315 degrees until brown. Butter and cover until serving time.
This is a copy of my grandmother's recipe as it appears in an old cookbook put out by her church in the 80’s. I remember watching her make these rolls for special holidays and family dinners when I was a child. I don’t remember her using measuring cups or spoons. She knew how many scoops of this or pinches of that were needed in everything she baked. Knowing that means that the recipe above is just an approximation of how she made them.
I sent an email to my Aunt Bev asking her to talk with Big Mama and then let me know what sweet milk is. Aunt Bev wrote me back informing me that sweet milk is “just an old school way of saying whole milk”. Aunt Bev told me to practice on the rolls so that when I come back to Kansas I can make them for a family dinner!
Today was my first practice run. I used about 5 cups of flour… after 4 cups the dough was way too sticky to work with by hand. In Russia we don’t have yeast cakes so I had to look online to find out the exact amount needed which is 2 ¼ teaspoons. Since our yeast here in Russia is not as strong I had to double that amount. Our eggs are very small compared to an American egg so I used an extra egg as well.
The result was pretty close to what I remember. Somehow I thought that they were sweeter than how mine turned out. And that may very well be true... our sugar here is not as sweet as American sugar. However, Tom thought they were VERY good and that is what matters most to me since he is the main person that I cook for. I plan to try them again and then add them to our holiday table in the future!!
Big Mama’s Butterhorn Rolls
1 yeast cake, blended with 1 Tbsp sugar
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
2 tsp salt
3 eggs, well beaten
1 c. warm sweet milk
4 cups sifted flour
Mix in order given:
Yeast cake, butter, sugar, salt, eggs, milk and flour. Let rise well; spoon down. Let rise again. Roll to ½ inch thick. Cut into shape of pie wedges 2 inches wide. Roll from wide end. Leaving point tucked under. Place in well buttered pan. Set pans over pans of hot water to rise. Bake at 315 degrees until brown. Butter and cover until serving time.
This is a copy of my grandmother's recipe as it appears in an old cookbook put out by her church in the 80’s. I remember watching her make these rolls for special holidays and family dinners when I was a child. I don’t remember her using measuring cups or spoons. She knew how many scoops of this or pinches of that were needed in everything she baked. Knowing that means that the recipe above is just an approximation of how she made them.
I sent an email to my Aunt Bev asking her to talk with Big Mama and then let me know what sweet milk is. Aunt Bev wrote me back informing me that sweet milk is “just an old school way of saying whole milk”. Aunt Bev told me to practice on the rolls so that when I come back to Kansas I can make them for a family dinner!
Today was my first practice run. I used about 5 cups of flour… after 4 cups the dough was way too sticky to work with by hand. In Russia we don’t have yeast cakes so I had to look online to find out the exact amount needed which is 2 ¼ teaspoons. Since our yeast here in Russia is not as strong I had to double that amount. Our eggs are very small compared to an American egg so I used an extra egg as well.
The result was pretty close to what I remember. Somehow I thought that they were sweeter than how mine turned out. And that may very well be true... our sugar here is not as sweet as American sugar. However, Tom thought they were VERY good and that is what matters most to me since he is the main person that I cook for. I plan to try them again and then add them to our holiday table in the future!!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
hanging out with the girls...
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Tom and I were able to sleep in for a bit before Olya called needing to run some errands. She dropped the girls off and we had fun watching Finding Nemo and Shrek 3 in Russian! When her mom called for us to bring them home Eera didn't want to leave because she heard me say that Tom was going to the supermarket. She wanted to go to! Just like her mom she loves going out and when it was decided that we would go "shopping" she was willing to get dressed to go "out"!
DyaDya (uncle) Tom and Totyah(aunt) Alida took the girls out to buy candy and a Disney magazine before taking them home!
In this photo big sister Eera is commenting on the action in Shrek 3 while little sister Yanna is chilling out on the couch!
Tom and I were able to sleep in for a bit before Olya called needing to run some errands. She dropped the girls off and we had fun watching Finding Nemo and Shrek 3 in Russian! When her mom called for us to bring them home Eera didn't want to leave because she heard me say that Tom was going to the supermarket. She wanted to go to! Just like her mom she loves going out and when it was decided that we would go "shopping" she was willing to get dressed to go "out"!
DyaDya (uncle) Tom and Totyah(aunt) Alida took the girls out to buy candy and a Disney magazine before taking them home!
In this photo big sister Eera is commenting on the action in Shrek 3 while little sister Yanna is chilling out on the couch!
Friday, February 01, 2008
lunch guests
Friday, February 1, 2008
Last week Tom invited the teachers over today to see a slide show of our photos of Cyprus and eat lunch with us. All of the teachers showed up except for one who had to attend a class at the university.
We had a great time. I made a huge pot of white chili; the teachers brought over bread, drinks and of course a cake. It was fun for us to have them all over. They really enjoyed the chili many of them went back for seconds... and of course I had to give out the recipe.
After looking at the photos from our trip we had to get out our family photos at their request. They loved seeing Nathan and Spencer as little boys but they really got a kick out of seeing our Class of 1981 year book from high school!
Great fellowship, great food and great fun... what a day!
Last week Tom invited the teachers over today to see a slide show of our photos of Cyprus and eat lunch with us. All of the teachers showed up except for one who had to attend a class at the university.
We had a great time. I made a huge pot of white chili; the teachers brought over bread, drinks and of course a cake. It was fun for us to have them all over. They really enjoyed the chili many of them went back for seconds... and of course I had to give out the recipe.
After looking at the photos from our trip we had to get out our family photos at their request. They loved seeing Nathan and Spencer as little boys but they really got a kick out of seeing our Class of 1981 year book from high school!
Great fellowship, great food and great fun... what a day!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
language helper
Thursday, January 31, 2008
I started working with Lena R. this week as my new language helper. She is Valodia's wife and Sasha's mother. Sasha is in Germany for a few months so her mom asked if she could help me out. Lena knows Russian grammar very well and is an excellent helper for me.
Tonight we worked on my current lesson from language school and after that I read aloud for her the first lesson in the Women's Bible study that we will start next week. Lena helped me with putting the stress marks above the words so I would know how to correctly pronounce them if called upon to read aloud. I am praying this doesn't happen but if it does I want to be ready!
We also decided that I should write out my answers to the study questions in Russian and then on Mondays she will look over them for grammar mistakes so that I can make corrections before the group meets on Tuesdays. That way I can feel free to share my answers and take part in the group discussion.
I started working with Lena R. this week as my new language helper. She is Valodia's wife and Sasha's mother. Sasha is in Germany for a few months so her mom asked if she could help me out. Lena knows Russian grammar very well and is an excellent helper for me.
Tonight we worked on my current lesson from language school and after that I read aloud for her the first lesson in the Women's Bible study that we will start next week. Lena helped me with putting the stress marks above the words so I would know how to correctly pronounce them if called upon to read aloud. I am praying this doesn't happen but if it does I want to be ready!
We also decided that I should write out my answers to the study questions in Russian and then on Mondays she will look over them for grammar mistakes so that I can make corrections before the group meets on Tuesdays. That way I can feel free to share my answers and take part in the group discussion.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Dallas fans plus Tom
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
It was the final night of the conference,
some had planes to catch the next day,
so what kept these guys up until 4am?
through something called a sling box
and highspeed internet these guys were able
to watch a live football game.
they were creative enough to turn a table on it's side in the conference room and project the game onto that surface making it a big screen TV!
It was the final night of the conference,
some had planes to catch the next day,
so what kept these guys up until 4am?
through something called a sling box
and highspeed internet these guys were able
to watch a live football game.
they were creative enough to turn a table on it's side in the conference room and project the game onto that surface making it a big screen TV!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
internet woes...
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Yesterday our high speed internet account was depleted and none of us has been able to make it over to the UTK building to make a payment so that our internet access could be restored. Just for today I am using an internet card that I purchased at the supermarket so that I could do this post and check email!
Today we officially kicked off Women's Ministry at KBC (aka Open Door Church). We have a team of women who are willing to lead and we start with our first Bible Study, Jesus Cares for Women next Tuesday. This study is just a 5 week commitment and is a great place to start.
I was asked by a woman at church today if I would walk through the 12 steps of Al-Anon with her. If her husband is willing to watch her kids we will start meeting on Wednesdays.
Tom is doing well... he and I attended an AA meeting to help plan an AA Forum, which will be held in November here in Krasnodar. The AA group would like to include Al-Anon and Al-ATeens as well. We are excited to be a part of the planning.
Spencer has been meeting with his language helper and is back to the books doing his home school work as well.
It is minus 2 today, no snow and we are very grateful for that!!
Yesterday our high speed internet account was depleted and none of us has been able to make it over to the UTK building to make a payment so that our internet access could be restored. Just for today I am using an internet card that I purchased at the supermarket so that I could do this post and check email!
Today we officially kicked off Women's Ministry at KBC (aka Open Door Church). We have a team of women who are willing to lead and we start with our first Bible Study, Jesus Cares for Women next Tuesday. This study is just a 5 week commitment and is a great place to start.
I was asked by a woman at church today if I would walk through the 12 steps of Al-Anon with her. If her husband is willing to watch her kids we will start meeting on Wednesdays.
Tom is doing well... he and I attended an AA meeting to help plan an AA Forum, which will be held in November here in Krasnodar. The AA group would like to include Al-Anon and Al-ATeens as well. We are excited to be a part of the planning.
Spencer has been meeting with his language helper and is back to the books doing his home school work as well.
It is minus 2 today, no snow and we are very grateful for that!!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
heads or tails?
Saturday, January 26, 2007
Recently, I got a call from our Russian ministry partner asking me to go over and meet with a couple of women who are working at a Rehab center here in town. I called Joy to go over with me and boy am I glad that I did!
We had a great conversation with these gals, while they were preparing a meal for the residents of the center. They showed us around the center. There is one bedroom for Lena and Olya, one bedroom for all the men, and a living room where some of the men sleep on the floor. There is one bathroom for all the occupants of the house. Olya and Lena make 3 meals a day for about 10 men. They do all the laundry in the bathtub and they keep the house clean. They are worn out!
The kitchen that they have is in the entry way of the house. And when you stand at the stove or the sink which are side by side you have to move out of the way whenever someone wants to go in or out of the bathroom. There is very little counter space... Olya was slicing the hard boiled eggs, and chopping onions in the bedroom just off the kitchen. On the front of the stove there was only one knob for adjusting the temperature all the others had come off. Lena had to move that knob from one burner to the next to adjust the temperature.
Lena was making a huge pot of fish soup (she is from Siberia) and she wanted us to taste this dish the way she makes it in her home town. As we drank our tea and chatted we watched her add the ingredients for the soup.
Potatoes
Carrots
Chopped hard boiled eggs (fried in Butter)
Chopped onions (sauteed fried in vegetable oil)
Three cans of fish (heads, tails and skin included)
Fresh Parsley
We tried to get up and leave without eating (we did have a meeting to attend at the BLTC) but Lena was insistent that we have at least two spoonfuls of her soup... she meant two ladles full! Joy told her that we would share a bowl. Our bowl contained a fish tail and thankfully no heads! As we were eating Joy leaned in to me and whispered in English "I draw the line at eating the tail!" I tried not to laugh out loud.
The kicker is I hate fish and Joy knew it... I am very grateful to her for eating the bigger pieces of fish in the bowl and allowing me to eat the smaller ones!
So where do you draw the line... heads or tails!?
Recently, I got a call from our Russian ministry partner asking me to go over and meet with a couple of women who are working at a Rehab center here in town. I called Joy to go over with me and boy am I glad that I did!
We had a great conversation with these gals, while they were preparing a meal for the residents of the center. They showed us around the center. There is one bedroom for Lena and Olya, one bedroom for all the men, and a living room where some of the men sleep on the floor. There is one bathroom for all the occupants of the house. Olya and Lena make 3 meals a day for about 10 men. They do all the laundry in the bathtub and they keep the house clean. They are worn out!
The kitchen that they have is in the entry way of the house. And when you stand at the stove or the sink which are side by side you have to move out of the way whenever someone wants to go in or out of the bathroom. There is very little counter space... Olya was slicing the hard boiled eggs, and chopping onions in the bedroom just off the kitchen. On the front of the stove there was only one knob for adjusting the temperature all the others had come off. Lena had to move that knob from one burner to the next to adjust the temperature.
Lena was making a huge pot of fish soup (she is from Siberia) and she wanted us to taste this dish the way she makes it in her home town. As we drank our tea and chatted we watched her add the ingredients for the soup.
Potatoes
Carrots
Chopped hard boiled eggs (fried in Butter)
Chopped onions (sauteed fried in vegetable oil)
Three cans of fish (heads, tails and skin included)
Fresh Parsley
We tried to get up and leave without eating (we did have a meeting to attend at the BLTC) but Lena was insistent that we have at least two spoonfuls of her soup... she meant two ladles full! Joy told her that we would share a bowl. Our bowl contained a fish tail and thankfully no heads! As we were eating Joy leaned in to me and whispered in English "I draw the line at eating the tail!" I tried not to laugh out loud.
The kicker is I hate fish and Joy knew it... I am very grateful to her for eating the bigger pieces of fish in the bowl and allowing me to eat the smaller ones!
So where do you draw the line... heads or tails!?
Friday, January 25, 2008
views of Cyprus...
Friday, January 25, 2007
Check out some of the photos of our trip here: www.sharpmomphotos.blogspot.com
Check out some of the photos of our trip here: www.sharpmomphotos.blogspot.com
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Happy Birthday Tom!
Thursday, January 24, 2007
Today is Tom's 45th birthday!
He didn't want a party. He wanted a quiet evening at home. Brennen came over to watch The Simpsons movie and Stephanie sent over fresh baked Cinnamon rolls for Tom. Which made him very happy. And of course he ate them before eating the borscht that I made him for dinner!
As we were leaving our meeting earlier in the day several of our Russian friends sang Happy Birthday to Tom in English it was so sweet! Then we stopped off at the Language school to pick up our passports from Tanya. (she had them to register us again in the city) The teachers also wished Tom a Happy Birthday.
Despite the fact that it snowed today and Tom is not a big fan of snow he says he had great day!
Today is Tom's 45th birthday!
He didn't want a party. He wanted a quiet evening at home. Brennen came over to watch The Simpsons movie and Stephanie sent over fresh baked Cinnamon rolls for Tom. Which made him very happy. And of course he ate them before eating the borscht that I made him for dinner!
As we were leaving our meeting earlier in the day several of our Russian friends sang Happy Birthday to Tom in English it was so sweet! Then we stopped off at the Language school to pick up our passports from Tanya. (she had them to register us again in the city) The teachers also wished Tom a Happy Birthday.
Despite the fact that it snowed today and Tom is not a big fan of snow he says he had great day!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
back to work...
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tom and I had a meeting at church yesterday and then today, tomorrow and Friday we have meetings at the BLTC. It is time to do planning for Social Ministries in 2008.
Please keep us all in your prayers... this will be a busy week!
Tom and I had a meeting at church yesterday and then today, tomorrow and Friday we have meetings at the BLTC. It is time to do planning for Social Ministries in 2008.
Please keep us all in your prayers... this will be a busy week!
Monday, January 21, 2008
first trip into town
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
The 12 of us went into town together on the bus... each time we went out as a group whatever adult was near a small child just made sure that one was safe.
Tom has Gabe's hand and as he was walking to the beach I saw that Brennen was getting a shot of them!
Gabe is Brennen and Stephanie's youngest.
The 12 of us went into town together on the bus... each time we went out as a group whatever adult was near a small child just made sure that one was safe.
Tom has Gabe's hand and as he was walking to the beach I saw that Brennen was getting a shot of them!
Gabe is Brennen and Stephanie's youngest.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
checking out the water
Monday, January 21, 2008
I cannot sleep so I decided now would be a good time to post a few of our photos...
I cannot sleep so I decided now would be a good time to post a few of our photos...
finally home!
Sunday, January 20, 2007
We are finally home... tired and stinky.
Lena and Alexei cleaned our apartment before they moved back to their place. It is so nice to come home to a place that is cleaner than we left it. Lena makes her living as a housekeeper and as a language helper so her job of cleaning was more professional than mine!
Spencer is charging his iPod so I cannot post my photos yet. I hope to do that tomorrow!
We are finally home... tired and stinky.
Lena and Alexei cleaned our apartment before they moved back to their place. It is so nice to come home to a place that is cleaner than we left it. Lena makes her living as a housekeeper and as a language helper so her job of cleaning was more professional than mine!
Spencer is charging his iPod so I cannot post my photos yet. I hope to do that tomorrow!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
having a great time!
Thursday, January 17, 2007
We are truly enjoying the peace and the beauty here in Cyprus. I have alot of great pictures to post when we get home. We have been to Lemosos, Paphos, Lefkara and a few other cities. We have seen Aphrodite's birth place, the mosaics in Paphos and a Neolithic village and so much more. History is not boring when you see it up close and personal!
The East West Conference was exactly what we needed to renew us spiritually. And the extra time here in Cyprus is the perfect mental health break and a respite from the cold winter of Russia!
We are truly enjoying the peace and the beauty here in Cyprus. I have alot of great pictures to post when we get home. We have been to Lemosos, Paphos, Lefkara and a few other cities. We have seen Aphrodite's birth place, the mosaics in Paphos and a Neolithic village and so much more. History is not boring when you see it up close and personal!
The East West Conference was exactly what we needed to renew us spiritually. And the extra time here in Cyprus is the perfect mental health break and a respite from the cold winter of Russia!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
changing of the hotels!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The hotel that the EastWest conference is in was doing some remodeling so the first part of our trip had to be spent at a hotel that is next door to the one for the conference.
Today was the day that we were able to make the switch over. After finding out what time checkout was at the first hotel and what check in time was at the second, we all packed our bags and walked next door!
Our team mates from America and from various countries throughout the world are arriving today and tomorrow. We are truly looking forward to the time together and getting to know each other better.
Many of the East West staff including our president John Maisel have arrived and we enjoyed dinner together at a British Pub!
Tomorrow is the first day of our conference... so I don't know how often I can post over the next five days!
The hotel that the EastWest conference is in was doing some remodeling so the first part of our trip had to be spent at a hotel that is next door to the one for the conference.
Today was the day that we were able to make the switch over. After finding out what time checkout was at the first hotel and what check in time was at the second, we all packed our bags and walked next door!
Our team mates from America and from various countries throughout the world are arriving today and tomorrow. We are truly looking forward to the time together and getting to know each other better.
Many of the East West staff including our president John Maisel have arrived and we enjoyed dinner together at a British Pub!
Tomorrow is the first day of our conference... so I don't know how often I can post over the next five days!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
trip into town
Tuesday, January 8, 2007
We found our way to the city of Larnaca today. In the city we found fast food heaven... KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Hagan Daus and Starbucks.
I am having to keep my posts short because of the expense of the interent service. So I won't go into to much detail about what we have done here.
We did find a castle, that became a fort and then a jail. The last hanging was done there in 1945!
Tom and I toured the city for bit. We were not able to go into the Orthodox church because we were both in shorts!
I do have pictures to post when we get home... my favorite sign we saw today said:
NO PARKING GARAGE
It was on the front of a garage. I assume it means that they don't want you to park in front of their garage!?
We found our way to the city of Larnaca today. In the city we found fast food heaven... KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Hagan Daus and Starbucks.
I am having to keep my posts short because of the expense of the interent service. So I won't go into to much detail about what we have done here.
We did find a castle, that became a fort and then a jail. The last hanging was done there in 1945!
Tom and I toured the city for bit. We were not able to go into the Orthodox church because we were both in shorts!
I do have pictures to post when we get home... my favorite sign we saw today said:
NO PARKING GARAGE
It was on the front of a garage. I assume it means that they don't want you to park in front of their garage!?
Monday, January 07, 2008
We are here!
Monday, January 7, 2008
We had a two hour flight to Cyprus. There are 12 of us here from Krasnodar. And our other team mates from East West will join us before the end of the week.
Our hotel is right on the beach and from the balcony in our room we have a lovely view of the Mediteranean Sea!
Last night for dinner we went out to a little place called Mama's across the street. Most of us had pizza, Tom and Brennen had the kebobs in pita bread and Stephanie had a cheeseburger. The food was good and not too expensive.
We have not decided what today's activities will be... today is Orthodox Christmas so many attractions are closed. There are many museums and archeological sites we hope to see.
Tom and I walked the beach yesterday and it was very relaxing. When we left Krasnodar it was minus 15C degrees... here it is 61F degrees! Such a contrast but a welcome one!
We had a two hour flight to Cyprus. There are 12 of us here from Krasnodar. And our other team mates from East West will join us before the end of the week.
Our hotel is right on the beach and from the balcony in our room we have a lovely view of the Mediteranean Sea!
Last night for dinner we went out to a little place called Mama's across the street. Most of us had pizza, Tom and Brennen had the kebobs in pita bread and Stephanie had a cheeseburger. The food was good and not too expensive.
We have not decided what today's activities will be... today is Orthodox Christmas so many attractions are closed. There are many museums and archeological sites we hope to see.
Tom and I walked the beach yesterday and it was very relaxing. When we left Krasnodar it was minus 15C degrees... here it is 61F degrees! Such a contrast but a welcome one!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
December Newsletter
Saturday, January 5, 2007
Technical difficulties prevented us from sending this out from our website so Tom wanted to post our December newsletter here.
SHARPS4RUSSIANRECOVERY.COM
BlackPurlsKnitPickings.blogspot.com
DECEMBER 2007 Christmas greetings!
Dear family & friends,
We wish to extend to you the warmest & richest greetings during this Christmas holiday! We pray that you are warm & healthy & can count many intangible gifts from God as among your Christmas presents. We thank you for your prayers, packages & financial support this past year. Together, with your partnership, we are making a difference in people’s lives & strengthening the people in Russia. Thanx!
Looking back at 2007: We passed a few milestones this past year…mainly a change to East-West Ministries International as our sending agency; getting Nathan situated in America with his Grandparents; & successful gall-bladder surgery for Tom. Alida, Spencer & Tom have all progressed in their Russian language abilities & comprehension, & Alida & Spencer are on target to complete Language School in late spring 2008. Tom, well, he considers it a miracle he can speak ANY Russian!
Visa challenge possibly resolved: Every year we’ve been in Russia has seen some kind of change in the law & Visa requirements for foreigners. This year was no exception. However we are in the process of changing to a Work Visa which would eliminate the previous law requiring us to leave Russia every 6 months for registration, plus it would enable us to bypass the new law that only allows foreigners to live in Russia for 180 days of the year. All of the necessary government medical testing has been completed for Tom to apply for a Work Visa in 2008. (There are quotas in each region regarding the number of foreigners who can receive Work Visas.) Under the new Work Visa, we should be allowed to stay in Russia for up to 3 years before we need to leave for visa renewal. We think we have successfully maneuvered every hurdle at this point, however this is Russia & things can & do change quickly. We will keep you posted.
More about Spencer’s plans: At press time, this is Spencer’s plan: finishing the Russian Language course in June 2008, then starting a 6 month Discipleship Training Course at Youth With A Mission’s Kiev, Ukraine school next September. His plan after YWAM’s DTS is to return to Krasnodar & start classes at Kuban State University, focusing on Russian language studies in order to become a translator.
Tom’s teaching series winding down: Tom will complete his 8 week teaching series at ‘Church of the Open Door’ in Krasnodar on Sat, Dec 29. He has been teaching on consecutive Saturdays with themes along the lines of ‘Shame,’ ‘Forgiveness,’ & ‘Character Development.’ The teachings have been well received & very beneficial for the people who have attended. (It’s been great to teach again – as we are ‘living the dream’ that we moved to Russia to fulfill!) The attendees have been a combination of Russians & Americans, people from the local community & from the church, & area professionals like social workers & psychologists. It has been a huge job translating the weekly PowerPoint presentations into Russian, & ‘Russify-ing’ examples so they make sense culturally, but we’ve had good translators for the PowerPoint & for the teaching sessions. We will be planning Tom’s 2008 teaching schedule after Christmas, & are considering the needs of the community & church. It’s possible that Tom will provide parenting classes, marriage & relationship workshops, and communication sessions at ‘Church of the Open Door’ & also the Biblical Leadership Training Coalition. The BLTC is changing from being a seminary to being a resource center for Russian churches & pastors.
East-West Conference in Cyprus: January 2008 brings a conference on the Greek island of Cyprus for all personnel. We will miss the Russian Orthodox Christmas celebration which is Jan 7th, but will be landing during the Greek Orthodox Christmas. We look forward to visiting this historic place & enjoying some time of relaxation. This trip will also serve as our 6 month registration trip as we are still under the old Visa law.
1st Anniversary of Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at Krasnodar’s ‘Church of the Open Door!’ It was this time last year that our ministry partner Alexei P pioneered a new A.A. meeting at our church. There is a strong core group at this meeting with lots of long-term sobriety. Among three principle group members, there are 20, 15 & 9 years of sobriety, a combined 44 years! This is very rare in Russia. The meeting continues today with plans of starting an Al-Anon meeting soon. (Al-Anon is for family & friends of alcoholics.)
Russian New Years is a big holiday… Since Christmas in Russia is traditionally celebrated in January, the biggest bashes are New Years celebrations. This holiday combines the gift-giving of western Christmas, the costumes & masks of Halloween & Mardi Gras, plus the fireworks of the 4th of July! What a celebration!! Most Russians gather with family or friends late in the evening on New Years Eve to eat together, donning costumes & fantasy masks. Then, there is a traditional Russian comedy film that many people watch. President Vladimir Putin is on national tv at midnight, & once his annual address is completed - the fireworks begin! We typically have fireworks in our courtyard, on the soccer field, even out of apartment windows & balconies & off the top of buildings! It’s very wild! The fireworks will continue for several hours. Russian tradition also calls for family or friends to stroll the streets outside, taking in the fresh, brisk air & chatting - with many people arrive back home around 5 or 6 am!
Many businesses & organizations are closed from New Years until after Russian Orthodox Christmas in early January. Some will remain closed for up to 2 weeks as ‘Old’ New Years (following another calendar) is celebrated the week after Russian Orthodox Christmas! Some use this time as a reason to excessively drink & party the entire two week period. As the years go by, more & more businesses are remaining open during this two week stretch.
Thanx for your support: In spite of a weak US dollar combined with the annual inflation rate in Russia we are holding on financially. A weak dollar means a lower amount of support once the exchange rate has been factored into the equation. We thank you who have provided one-time monetary gifts & extra support. And we also thank our regular donor partners as well. We couldn’t be here without you!
If you who would like to send a care package, here’s our Christmas wish list & address:
Chocolate chips
Chocolate Kisses
Blank CD-R’s
Pure Vanilla
Spices: Cream of Tartar, Fennel Seeds, Anise, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Sage, Taco Bell Taco Seasoning, etc.
Cake Mixes,
prepared frosting
Instant Pudding
Scented Candles
Thank you notes, note cards, stationary (anything like this)
Gift bags or wrapping paper
Assorted color copy paper or card stock
Computer software with PowerPoint templates
Reality TV like The Amazing Race!
Women’s socks white
Men’s socks black
English language magazines (sports, politics, current events…most anything English!)
HP black inkjets #131
Laker or NBA pro basketball games on dvd
Popcorn (not for microwave)
We are also needing to replace our desktop computer soon. It’s a dinasoar at 4+ years old already!
Care packages take 2 to 6 weeks via mail (depending on size & weight) & can be sent to:
Sharp Family
Kraznix Partizan D.75, kb. 8
Krasnodar 350012
Russia
We wish you a great, peaceful & wonderful holiday season! May you experience God’s Christmas presence all year round!
Tom, Alida & Spencer Sharp
Technical difficulties prevented us from sending this out from our website so Tom wanted to post our December newsletter here.
SHARPS4RUSSIANRECOVERY.COM
BlackPurlsKnitPickings.blogspot.com
DECEMBER 2007 Christmas greetings!
Dear family & friends,
We wish to extend to you the warmest & richest greetings during this Christmas holiday! We pray that you are warm & healthy & can count many intangible gifts from God as among your Christmas presents. We thank you for your prayers, packages & financial support this past year. Together, with your partnership, we are making a difference in people’s lives & strengthening the people in Russia. Thanx!
Looking back at 2007: We passed a few milestones this past year…mainly a change to East-West Ministries International as our sending agency; getting Nathan situated in America with his Grandparents; & successful gall-bladder surgery for Tom. Alida, Spencer & Tom have all progressed in their Russian language abilities & comprehension, & Alida & Spencer are on target to complete Language School in late spring 2008. Tom, well, he considers it a miracle he can speak ANY Russian!
Visa challenge possibly resolved: Every year we’ve been in Russia has seen some kind of change in the law & Visa requirements for foreigners. This year was no exception. However we are in the process of changing to a Work Visa which would eliminate the previous law requiring us to leave Russia every 6 months for registration, plus it would enable us to bypass the new law that only allows foreigners to live in Russia for 180 days of the year. All of the necessary government medical testing has been completed for Tom to apply for a Work Visa in 2008. (There are quotas in each region regarding the number of foreigners who can receive Work Visas.) Under the new Work Visa, we should be allowed to stay in Russia for up to 3 years before we need to leave for visa renewal. We think we have successfully maneuvered every hurdle at this point, however this is Russia & things can & do change quickly. We will keep you posted.
More about Spencer’s plans: At press time, this is Spencer’s plan: finishing the Russian Language course in June 2008, then starting a 6 month Discipleship Training Course at Youth With A Mission’s Kiev, Ukraine school next September. His plan after YWAM’s DTS is to return to Krasnodar & start classes at Kuban State University, focusing on Russian language studies in order to become a translator.
Tom’s teaching series winding down: Tom will complete his 8 week teaching series at ‘Church of the Open Door’ in Krasnodar on Sat, Dec 29. He has been teaching on consecutive Saturdays with themes along the lines of ‘Shame,’ ‘Forgiveness,’ & ‘Character Development.’ The teachings have been well received & very beneficial for the people who have attended. (It’s been great to teach again – as we are ‘living the dream’ that we moved to Russia to fulfill!) The attendees have been a combination of Russians & Americans, people from the local community & from the church, & area professionals like social workers & psychologists. It has been a huge job translating the weekly PowerPoint presentations into Russian, & ‘Russify-ing’ examples so they make sense culturally, but we’ve had good translators for the PowerPoint & for the teaching sessions. We will be planning Tom’s 2008 teaching schedule after Christmas, & are considering the needs of the community & church. It’s possible that Tom will provide parenting classes, marriage & relationship workshops, and communication sessions at ‘Church of the Open Door’ & also the Biblical Leadership Training Coalition. The BLTC is changing from being a seminary to being a resource center for Russian churches & pastors.
East-West Conference in Cyprus: January 2008 brings a conference on the Greek island of Cyprus for all personnel. We will miss the Russian Orthodox Christmas celebration which is Jan 7th, but will be landing during the Greek Orthodox Christmas. We look forward to visiting this historic place & enjoying some time of relaxation. This trip will also serve as our 6 month registration trip as we are still under the old Visa law.
1st Anniversary of Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at Krasnodar’s ‘Church of the Open Door!’ It was this time last year that our ministry partner Alexei P pioneered a new A.A. meeting at our church. There is a strong core group at this meeting with lots of long-term sobriety. Among three principle group members, there are 20, 15 & 9 years of sobriety, a combined 44 years! This is very rare in Russia. The meeting continues today with plans of starting an Al-Anon meeting soon. (Al-Anon is for family & friends of alcoholics.)
Russian New Years is a big holiday… Since Christmas in Russia is traditionally celebrated in January, the biggest bashes are New Years celebrations. This holiday combines the gift-giving of western Christmas, the costumes & masks of Halloween & Mardi Gras, plus the fireworks of the 4th of July! What a celebration!! Most Russians gather with family or friends late in the evening on New Years Eve to eat together, donning costumes & fantasy masks. Then, there is a traditional Russian comedy film that many people watch. President Vladimir Putin is on national tv at midnight, & once his annual address is completed - the fireworks begin! We typically have fireworks in our courtyard, on the soccer field, even out of apartment windows & balconies & off the top of buildings! It’s very wild! The fireworks will continue for several hours. Russian tradition also calls for family or friends to stroll the streets outside, taking in the fresh, brisk air & chatting - with many people arrive back home around 5 or 6 am!
Many businesses & organizations are closed from New Years until after Russian Orthodox Christmas in early January. Some will remain closed for up to 2 weeks as ‘Old’ New Years (following another calendar) is celebrated the week after Russian Orthodox Christmas! Some use this time as a reason to excessively drink & party the entire two week period. As the years go by, more & more businesses are remaining open during this two week stretch.
Thanx for your support: In spite of a weak US dollar combined with the annual inflation rate in Russia we are holding on financially. A weak dollar means a lower amount of support once the exchange rate has been factored into the equation. We thank you who have provided one-time monetary gifts & extra support. And we also thank our regular donor partners as well. We couldn’t be here without you!
If you who would like to send a care package, here’s our Christmas wish list & address:
Chocolate chips
Chocolate Kisses
Blank CD-R’s
Pure Vanilla
Spices: Cream of Tartar, Fennel Seeds, Anise, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Sage, Taco Bell Taco Seasoning, etc.
Cake Mixes,
prepared frosting
Instant Pudding
Scented Candles
Thank you notes, note cards, stationary (anything like this)
Gift bags or wrapping paper
Assorted color copy paper or card stock
Computer software with PowerPoint templates
Reality TV like The Amazing Race!
Women’s socks white
Men’s socks black
English language magazines (sports, politics, current events…most anything English!)
HP black inkjets #131
Laker or NBA pro basketball games on dvd
Popcorn (not for microwave)
We are also needing to replace our desktop computer soon. It’s a dinasoar at 4+ years old already!
Care packages take 2 to 6 weeks via mail (depending on size & weight) & can be sent to:
Sharp Family
Kraznix Partizan D.75, kb. 8
Krasnodar 350012
Russia
We wish you a great, peaceful & wonderful holiday season! May you experience God’s Christmas presence all year round!
Tom, Alida & Spencer Sharp
Friday, January 04, 2008
smoothies
Friday, January 4, 2008
Yesterday when we were out shopping with friends we found Banana juice... I made the silly mistake of saying "I wonder what that would taste like" of course the answer they gave me was "bananas!"
Spencer wanted to try it for making smoothies so we bought some. This morning in the blender I combined the banana juice with two fresh mandarins. It was very tasty! If we see that juice again we will definitely pick up another carton!
Yesterday when we were out shopping with friends we found Banana juice... I made the silly mistake of saying "I wonder what that would taste like" of course the answer they gave me was "bananas!"
Spencer wanted to try it for making smoothies so we bought some. This morning in the blender I combined the banana juice with two fresh mandarins. It was very tasty! If we see that juice again we will definitely pick up another carton!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
a mighty wind is blowin'
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Tom just walked over to the window to see what the thermometer has to say... it is -14. The wind is blowing pretty hard and it feels even colder. Cyprus is looking really good right about now. We leave for the East West Conference on Sunday.
We hear the temps are in the 60's there!
Tom just walked over to the window to see what the thermometer has to say... it is -14. The wind is blowing pretty hard and it feels even colder. Cyprus is looking really good right about now. We leave for the East West Conference on Sunday.
We hear the temps are in the 60's there!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
We celebrated New Year's Eve by eating a late dinner and then watching a movie as a family. We stopped the movie at about 11:45 to hear Putin's address to the nation. He came on at 11:55 and went off at midnight... although it seemed as if they suspended time on the clock for a few more seconds past midnight for him to finish his speech!
As soon as his speech was done our neighbors started up with fireworks. Many of our neighbors have gotten wealthier over the past year... the fireworks were bigger than ever! We had a beautiful view of all the goings on and truly enjoyed it. We could see the fireworks from our region and from a neighboring region with our great balcony view.
With as loud as it was it almost felt like a war zone. There was a small fire down in our courtyard from one of our neighbors sending a Roman candle off their balcony. Thank God it put itself out very shortly after beginning.
We finished our movie and then tried to call our neighbors and friends to wish them all a Happy New Year... I was able to get through to Olya and Vova. We were invited to come right over. So we bundled up and headed out! The girls Eera 3, and Yanna 1, were wide awake and they were ready to party. Olya had plenty of food, salads, duck, candy, and juices. We ate what we could, only to be polite because we had a full meal before going over there. They had several guests show up while we were there. It was amazing to be at someone's home at 1 am and people were still calling and ringing the doorbell.
May God grant you peace, health and abundant love in 2008!
We celebrated New Year's Eve by eating a late dinner and then watching a movie as a family. We stopped the movie at about 11:45 to hear Putin's address to the nation. He came on at 11:55 and went off at midnight... although it seemed as if they suspended time on the clock for a few more seconds past midnight for him to finish his speech!
As soon as his speech was done our neighbors started up with fireworks. Many of our neighbors have gotten wealthier over the past year... the fireworks were bigger than ever! We had a beautiful view of all the goings on and truly enjoyed it. We could see the fireworks from our region and from a neighboring region with our great balcony view.
With as loud as it was it almost felt like a war zone. There was a small fire down in our courtyard from one of our neighbors sending a Roman candle off their balcony. Thank God it put itself out very shortly after beginning.
We finished our movie and then tried to call our neighbors and friends to wish them all a Happy New Year... I was able to get through to Olya and Vova. We were invited to come right over. So we bundled up and headed out! The girls Eera 3, and Yanna 1, were wide awake and they were ready to party. Olya had plenty of food, salads, duck, candy, and juices. We ate what we could, only to be polite because we had a full meal before going over there. They had several guests show up while we were there. It was amazing to be at someone's home at 1 am and people were still calling and ringing the doorbell.
May God grant you peace, health and abundant love in 2008!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Tom's 1st Seminar @ Open Door Church
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Today was the final day of Tom's 1st seminar at our church. He taught every Saturday for 8 weeks without a break!
Here he is with Dima, an excellent translator!
Tom is planning to do more teaching times at our church and at the BLTC. We need to sit down and make out a schedule for 2008. This seminar went very well and was well received by all who attended.
The themes Tom focused on were:
The Family as a System
Understanding Shame
Overcoming Shame
Forgiveness
4 weeks on Character Development
Stage one: Bonding and Attachment
Stage two: Boundaries and Autonomy
Stage three: Accepting both Good and Bad in Myself and Other People
Stage four: Resolving the Parent/Child Position (Becoming a Responsible Adult)
Tom has discovered the need for teaching parenting skills, communication skills and personal boundaries are universal topics and these topics are all on tap for 2008!!
Today was the final day of Tom's 1st seminar at our church. He taught every Saturday for 8 weeks without a break!
Here he is with Dima, an excellent translator!
Tom is planning to do more teaching times at our church and at the BLTC. We need to sit down and make out a schedule for 2008. This seminar went very well and was well received by all who attended.
The themes Tom focused on were:
The Family as a System
Understanding Shame
Overcoming Shame
Forgiveness
4 weeks on Character Development
Stage one: Bonding and Attachment
Stage two: Boundaries and Autonomy
Stage three: Accepting both Good and Bad in Myself and Other People
Stage four: Resolving the Parent/Child Position (Becoming a Responsible Adult)
Tom has discovered the need for teaching parenting skills, communication skills and personal boundaries are universal topics and these topics are all on tap for 2008!!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Alida's Caramel Apple Cider
Friday, December 28, 2007
Here is a recipe I came up with yesterday...
Alida's Caramel Apple Cider
Tom and I enjoyed this last night... it reminds me of the drink I used to order at Starbucks, only it doesn't cost as much to make it myself!
Here is a recipe I came up with yesterday...
Alida's Caramel Apple Cider
About 16 oz. Apple juice
1 stick of cinnamon
Caramel sauce (the topping for ice cream is what I used)
whip cream
Heat apple juice with the cinnamon stick until it just starts to boil. Pour into mug. Add caramel sauce and whip cream to your taste. It serves two!
1 stick of cinnamon
Caramel sauce (the topping for ice cream is what I used)
whip cream
Heat apple juice with the cinnamon stick until it just starts to boil. Pour into mug. Add caramel sauce and whip cream to your taste. It serves two!
Tom and I enjoyed this last night... it reminds me of the drink I used to order at Starbucks, only it doesn't cost as much to make it myself!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Nothing much going on here
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Spencer and I went over to help a new family clean the house they are moving into. It was a fun time of shopping for cleaning supplies, cleaning, taking a short break for pizza and then getting back to work!
We truly enjoyed spending time with Carrie, Tim and the kids... they can already speak Russian so they are going to do great here.
We came here not even knowing the alphabet!
Spencer and I went over to help a new family clean the house they are moving into. It was a fun time of shopping for cleaning supplies, cleaning, taking a short break for pizza and then getting back to work!
We truly enjoyed spending time with Carrie, Tim and the kids... they can already speak Russian so they are going to do great here.
We came here not even knowing the alphabet!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
You’re going where?
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
"Alida, where are you and Tom off to?"
"The circus"!
"no, WHERE are you two going?"
"to the Chinese circus!"
"WHERE?"
"The Chinese circus!"
"ooooh, you mean CIRCUS?"
"Yeeees.... wait, what did I say?"
"You said Chinese cheese!"
"Ooooh! I’m sorry, I thought I was saying circus!"
I said “sear” and what I should have said was “tseark”… the joys of speaking Russian! At least I gave someone a good laugh for the day!
"Alida, where are you and Tom off to?"
"The circus"!
"no, WHERE are you two going?"
"to the Chinese circus!"
"WHERE?"
"The Chinese circus!"
"ooooh, you mean CIRCUS?"
"Yeeees.... wait, what did I say?"
"You said Chinese cheese!"
"Ooooh! I’m sorry, I thought I was saying circus!"
I said “sear” and what I should have said was “tseark”… the joys of speaking Russian! At least I gave someone a good laugh for the day!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Ded Moroz and Snegurochka!
Tuesday, Christmas Day, 2007
I decided to post a few photos from Tuesday's party at the BLTC.
Here is Ded Moroz(Grandfather Frost) with his helper (and granddaughter) Snegurochka. This year Ded Moroz is Alezander and his granddaughter is the lovely Miss Hannah H.
Have you ever seen little ones work so hard to get presents! First they had to shoot baskets, then they had to win a game of tug-o-war and finally they had to sing or recite a poem!
I decided to post a few photos from Tuesday's party at the BLTC.
Here is Ded Moroz(Grandfather Frost) with his helper (and granddaughter) Snegurochka. This year Ded Moroz is Alezander and his granddaughter is the lovely Miss Hannah H.
Have you ever seen little ones work so hard to get presents! First they had to shoot baskets, then they had to win a game of tug-o-war and finally they had to sing or recite a poem!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Merry Christmas!
Monday, Christmas Eve, 2007
Of course posting this photo makes me miss Nathan! This is our first Christmas photo with just the three of us. We were at a party today and will be with our East West team tomorrow.
We pray that you and your loved ones have a very blessed, love-filled and merry Christmas!
Of course posting this photo makes me miss Nathan! This is our first Christmas photo with just the three of us. We were at a party today and will be with our East West team tomorrow.
We pray that you and your loved ones have a very blessed, love-filled and merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
our humble little tree
Sunday, December 23, 2007
I put up our tree this weekend and finished up decorating for Christmas. It is difficult to get into the spirit of Christmas here in Russia. Orthodox Christmas is not until January 7th. The most popular gift giving time is New Year's Eve. Trees are put up for New Years and Ded Moroz makes his appearance that evening.
Our tree is special to us. Tom found it in the market on his way home one evening last year.... he made the silver and burgundy ornaments last year for our 25th wedding anniversary decorations.
The santa is from my dear friend Erin, he is Russian Santa Pooh! And today is a special day in Erin's household... her oldest daughter Rhianna is three years old! Happy Birthday Sweetheart!
I put up our tree this weekend and finished up decorating for Christmas. It is difficult to get into the spirit of Christmas here in Russia. Orthodox Christmas is not until January 7th. The most popular gift giving time is New Year's Eve. Trees are put up for New Years and Ded Moroz makes his appearance that evening.
Our tree is special to us. Tom found it in the market on his way home one evening last year.... he made the silver and burgundy ornaments last year for our 25th wedding anniversary decorations.
The santa is from my dear friend Erin, he is Russian Santa Pooh! And today is a special day in Erin's household... her oldest daughter Rhianna is three years old! Happy Birthday Sweetheart!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
I can make sushi!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Sushi with crab, black mushrooms and cucumber.
Joyce conducted a sushi class today! There were eight of us together, Russian and American women... Joyce walked us through step by step and each one of us had a turn rolling them up.
I love how encouraging the Russian women are. As each one of us went up for her turn the Russians were quick to make comments like "good job!" "perfect" "great!" "you are a master!"
The supportive and warm environment made the experience a fun one. And I for one was amazed at how easy making sushi really is!
Sushi with crab, black mushrooms and cucumber.
Joyce conducted a sushi class today! There were eight of us together, Russian and American women... Joyce walked us through step by step and each one of us had a turn rolling them up.
I love how encouraging the Russian women are. As each one of us went up for her turn the Russians were quick to make comments like "good job!" "perfect" "great!" "you are a master!"
The supportive and warm environment made the experience a fun one. And I for one was amazed at how easy making sushi really is!
Friday, December 21, 2007
early spring cleaning
Friday, December 21, 2007
Our bookcases were a mess. We had books double stacked and laying sideways on top of books standing up... I decided that before I could decorate for Christmas, I had to do something with that bookcase! This was no small task. The bookcase is floor to ceiling and goes the full length of the wall.
I organized the books by subject matter and as I cleared a shelf I dusted it off. Tom and Spencer also helped with deciding what to keep and what to give away.
We ended up with six bags of books to give to the International School for their library. It was a relief to get it all done and we have decided that we should do this as a yearly project!
Our bookcases were a mess. We had books double stacked and laying sideways on top of books standing up... I decided that before I could decorate for Christmas, I had to do something with that bookcase! This was no small task. The bookcase is floor to ceiling and goes the full length of the wall.
I organized the books by subject matter and as I cleared a shelf I dusted it off. Tom and Spencer also helped with deciding what to keep and what to give away.
We ended up with six bags of books to give to the International School for their library. It was a relief to get it all done and we have decided that we should do this as a yearly project!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
slip sliding away!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
There is a thin layer of ice covering the ground. My new boots that I thought were so lovely have no traction. I am thankful that I stayed up right as I was coming home yesterday evening.
It is -1 right now... and we are certainly feeling it deep in our bones!
There is a thin layer of ice covering the ground. My new boots that I thought were so lovely have no traction. I am thankful that I stayed up right as I was coming home yesterday evening.
It is -1 right now... and we are certainly feeling it deep in our bones!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
wish list 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
I didn't post a Christmas list this year... I am not sure why. I think I started a list and then time got away from me. Then there was the whole visa thing and not being sure of where we would be for Christmas... and now Christmas is almost here and I went another year without watching my favorite Christmas movies... if anyone is interested in some of the things we dream about having here is the amazon.com list. Just click the button!
If you are interested in furnishing us with some supplies we could always use some of these!
Chocolate chips
Chocolate Kisses
Blank CD-R’s
Pure Vanilla
Spices: Cream of Tartar, Fennel Seeds, Anise, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Sage, Taco Bell Taco Seasoning, etc.
Cake Mixes (no chocolate)
Frosting
Instant Pudding
Scented Candles
Thank you notes, note cards, stationary (anything like this)
Gift bags or wrapping paper
Reality TV like The Amazing Race!
Women’s socks white
Men’s socks black
I didn't post a Christmas list this year... I am not sure why. I think I started a list and then time got away from me. Then there was the whole visa thing and not being sure of where we would be for Christmas... and now Christmas is almost here and I went another year without watching my favorite Christmas movies... if anyone is interested in some of the things we dream about having here is the amazon.com list. Just click the button!
If you are interested in furnishing us with some supplies we could always use some of these!
Chocolate chips
Chocolate Kisses
Blank CD-R’s
Pure Vanilla
Spices: Cream of Tartar, Fennel Seeds, Anise, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Sage, Taco Bell Taco Seasoning, etc.
Cake Mixes (no chocolate)
Frosting
Instant Pudding
Scented Candles
Thank you notes, note cards, stationary (anything like this)
Gift bags or wrapping paper
Reality TV like The Amazing Race!
Women’s socks white
Men’s socks black
that's not appropriate
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
The lesson we just finished at Language school is about what is not appropriate to talk about. Apparently some of the same subjects that people don't like to talk about in the US are the same ones we should not bring up here.
Politics
Religion
Salary
Sex
Painful Past
anything too personal
Of course the rules are different for close friends. But, think of what you feel comfortable sharing in a circle of friends, at church or at an office party.... we don't always lay it all out there for the world.
We try to have boundaries and say what is appropriate. Isn't it interesting to know that others do it too!
The lesson we just finished at Language school is about what is not appropriate to talk about. Apparently some of the same subjects that people don't like to talk about in the US are the same ones we should not bring up here.
Politics
Religion
Salary
Sex
Painful Past
anything too personal
Of course the rules are different for close friends. But, think of what you feel comfortable sharing in a circle of friends, at church or at an office party.... we don't always lay it all out there for the world.
We try to have boundaries and say what is appropriate. Isn't it interesting to know that others do it too!
Monday, December 17, 2007
baby it's cold outside!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Transport was running slow today... and it is zero degrees outside! Spencer and I walked almost a mile and half home from where the bus stopped. We could not see anything wrong with the bus, the driver just made an announcement and told us "something happened" and he was pulling into the depot.
As we were walking home a man jumped out from behind a building and I screamed... it was Tom. He saw us coming and waited to scare me. Spencer had no reaction; he saw his Dad and didn't warn me.
Aren't I lucky?!
Transport was running slow today... and it is zero degrees outside! Spencer and I walked almost a mile and half home from where the bus stopped. We could not see anything wrong with the bus, the driver just made an announcement and told us "something happened" and he was pulling into the depot.
As we were walking home a man jumped out from behind a building and I screamed... it was Tom. He saw us coming and waited to scare me. Spencer had no reaction; he saw his Dad and didn't warn me.
Aren't I lucky?!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
calling in sick!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Tom is teaching again today... and I could not make it out the door. I think I have the stomach flu that Tom and Spencer had last week. What fun! I don't like missing out on anything but I could not get myself out of bed to go and help out with the seminar.
Tom has two more Saturdays until this seminar is over... please keep him in your prayers that he stays healthy and strong until the end!
Tom is teaching again today... and I could not make it out the door. I think I have the stomach flu that Tom and Spencer had last week. What fun! I don't like missing out on anything but I could not get myself out of bed to go and help out with the seminar.
Tom has two more Saturdays until this seminar is over... please keep him in your prayers that he stays healthy and strong until the end!
Friday, December 14, 2007
glimpse of Christmas!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Each year the New View Language school has its Christmas early. We do this to include as many students as possible since December is a time when many are traveling for various reasons. This year we had 98% of the students and their families together... only two students or families were not represented!
This year Blythe, Sarah and I planned a very low key celebration. Brennen and Stephanie opened up their home which was a great location. There was room for everyone to move around and be in the same room. Everyone had a great time and it had the feel of a big family get together... take a look at some of the fun!
Tom feeding Joseph
Shari and Ted leading the caroling
Spencer dragging the little ones around!
Potluck!
O Christmas Tree!
Each year the New View Language school has its Christmas early. We do this to include as many students as possible since December is a time when many are traveling for various reasons. This year we had 98% of the students and their families together... only two students or families were not represented!
This year Blythe, Sarah and I planned a very low key celebration. Brennen and Stephanie opened up their home which was a great location. There was room for everyone to move around and be in the same room. Everyone had a great time and it had the feel of a big family get together... take a look at some of the fun!
Tom feeding Joseph
Shari and Ted leading the caroling
Spencer dragging the little ones around!
Potluck!
O Christmas Tree!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
26 years...
Thursday, December 13, 2007
26 years ago today we got married at Pawnee Ave. Church of God. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Last year we had a large banquet and celebrated the day with friends here in Russia. This year all we have planned is attending the Language School Christmas party.
Happy Anniversary to us!
26 years ago today we got married at Pawnee Ave. Church of God. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Last year we had a large banquet and celebrated the day with friends here in Russia. This year all we have planned is attending the Language School Christmas party.
Happy Anniversary to us!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Who is Ded Moroz?
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
... you can read about him here:
http://www.santalady.com/gg/moroz.html
Russia's Gift giver is called Ded Moroz. Ded is short for Dedooshkah. Which means grandfather and Moroz is the word for frost. So he is Grandfather Frost.
... you can read about him here:
http://www.santalady.com/gg/moroz.html
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Visual aids
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Not long ago Alexei spoke at the service and was giving an illustration about the types of gifts God gives. He spoke about God giving us gifts like: peace, joy, wisdom and things that are intangible. Alexei pointed out that God is not like Santa Claus or Ded Moroz.
He gives us the gifts we need to do the work He has called us to do.
Not long ago Alexei spoke at the service and was giving an illustration about the types of gifts God gives. He spoke about God giving us gifts like: peace, joy, wisdom and things that are intangible. Alexei pointed out that God is not like Santa Claus or Ded Moroz.
He gives us the gifts we need to do the work He has called us to do.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Supermarket Surprise!
Monday, December 10, 2007
After seeing the ads on TV and hearing that other people had found it in stores near them... I finally tracked down a bottle for us!
I am sure some of you cannot imagine such a fuss over a bottle of soda. But, it is the simple things here that make us feel comforted. If only we could find Dr. Pepper or Rootbeer. Life here would be grand!
After seeing the ads on TV and hearing that other people had found it in stores near them... I finally tracked down a bottle for us!
I am sure some of you cannot imagine such a fuss over a bottle of soda. But, it is the simple things here that make us feel comforted. If only we could find Dr. Pepper or Rootbeer. Life here would be grand!
Saturday, December 08, 2007
new garage
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Tom saw this the other day and asked me to get a photo. A new garage was just added to the field across from our building. We have been told that for a Russian man a garage is his sanctuary. Some men go there to avoid being at home, to hang with other men or just to have their own space.
The silver garage was lowered in by the crane and then moved forward to be even with the rest on that row.
Tom saw this the other day and asked me to get a photo. A new garage was just added to the field across from our building. We have been told that for a Russian man a garage is his sanctuary. Some men go there to avoid being at home, to hang with other men or just to have their own space.
The silver garage was lowered in by the crane and then moved forward to be even with the rest on that row.
Friday, December 07, 2007
gifts galore!
Friday, December 7, 2007
We just recieved our gift package from EastWest! We have a new movie with candy and popcorn for a movie night, Tom got a memory stick, Spencer got a CD and I got shower gel and a candle. What a treat!
We just recieved our gift package from EastWest! We have a new movie with candy and popcorn for a movie night, Tom got a memory stick, Spencer got a CD and I got shower gel and a candle. What a treat!
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
what happened to Wednesday's post?
Thursday, December 6, 2007
I ran out of time! I had school and then we had a string of three visitors.
No, not the ghosts of Christmas.
Vlad came at 5:45pm , Sasha came over at 6:15 and then Vova came over at 10 and stayed until 12:30am. According to Vova he was leaving early... he said that Russians can easily spend time with friends talking to 3 am!
I ran out of time! I had school and then we had a string of three visitors.
No, not the ghosts of Christmas.
Vlad came at 5:45pm , Sasha came over at 6:15 and then Vova came over at 10 and stayed until 12:30am. According to Vova he was leaving early... he said that Russians can easily spend time with friends talking to 3 am!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
EastWest Day of Prayer
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Our team is getting together to pray this afternoon. The day that Tom and I interviewed with EastWest was also a day of prayer for the staff. We were able to pray with them before having our interview. We both felt that was a great way to begin our relationship with EastWest!
Please take some time today to remember EastWest employees world wide, their families and their work.
If you have questions about EastWest just click here:
http://www.eastwest.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage
Our team is getting together to pray this afternoon. The day that Tom and I interviewed with EastWest was also a day of prayer for the staff. We were able to pray with them before having our interview. We both felt that was a great way to begin our relationship with EastWest!
Please take some time today to remember EastWest employees world wide, their families and their work.
If you have questions about EastWest just click here:
http://www.eastwest.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage
Monday, December 03, 2007
Election results
Monday, December 3, 2007
It looks like United Russia has over 63% of the vote giving them control of Parliament. Followed by the Communist Party 11%, Liberal Democratic Party 8.5 % and Just Russia (just as in fair) 8%. My statistics came from a news program I watched here this morning.
Here is a more complete article:
Putin's Party Overwhelms Russia Election
It looks like United Russia has over 63% of the vote giving them control of Parliament. Followed by the Communist Party 11%, Liberal Democratic Party 8.5 % and Just Russia (just as in fair) 8%. My statistics came from a news program I watched here this morning.
Here is a more complete article:
Putin's Party Overwhelms Russia Election
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Election Day
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Today is election day for the Duma (parliament). Please pray for the direction of this country. Voting started in the Far Eastern regions of Chukotka and Kamchatka while we here in Krasnodar headed to bed Saturday night.
Here are a few links to news articles about the election:
FACTBOX: Key facts about Russia parliamentary election
Russia's election under fire
Voting starts in Russian election
Today is election day for the Duma (parliament). Please pray for the direction of this country. Voting started in the Far Eastern regions of Chukotka and Kamchatka while we here in Krasnodar headed to bed Saturday night.
Here are a few links to news articles about the election:
FACTBOX: Key facts about Russia parliamentary election
Russia's election under fire
Voting starts in Russian election
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