Status Update

Adjusting to life at camp in Russia. Eating lots of food 3-5 times per day, kids flocking to us at any moment and looking at us like celebrities, and it being light out at 11pm and again at 4am. And the +9hour time difference from Michigan. Grateful that I have teammates and that internet access is relatively easy. Looking forward to getting settled into classes begining tommorow and having a chance to thoroughly unpack and to skype with friends later.

Hope to share more insightful things once I get settled.

EDIT: +8 hour time difference from Michigan

Jot

I'm in Russia!

It seems so surreal that what was a collection of photos in a 5 minute presentation less than 2 years ago is now a real country, with real people, that I am going to meet within the hour.

Wow.

Weaving

It's getting late, and it's been a full week so far, so I don't have much time before I need to go to bed, but I wanted to blog a few things.

It has been a week of ups and downs. Nothing extreme, which is good, but still swinging from optimism to anxiety and back, sometimes within the same day.

I love the way that walking with HIM is a sequence of opportunities he invites us into. I love the way that he gives us promises in his Word and then gives a chance to take him at it. I am eager to discover what Joshua discovered. I am eager to discover that HE will be with me wherever I go. I love the reminders of the promises that I have kept and collected and (in some cases) worn over the years, especially as of late, and being able to know them deeply, and yet there are still more promises to discover, still more depth to the promises already given.

We were doing an exercise in the Mediterranean room (where teachers teaching in that region go to learn things specific to their region) this afternoon and there were books out on the table and shirts and other cultural items tacked on the wall, and I find a penetrating curiosity about them, and one I've felt before as well. I don't know if it's just curiosity or indicative of something more. I'm not dwelling on it or anything, but something I'm noting.

God is good.

(x-posted)

Starting Line

1:30AM Michigan time.

After two flights (one of which involved the flight attendant asking if there was a doctor or person in the medical field on board and paramedics upon arrival), a 2 hour shuttle van ride (because the drivers didn't know where they were going and couldn't read handwriting or understand our English), and 15 minutes dealing with a newbie security guard who couldn't find room keys for me, I am in my room in LA. Training starts tomorrow afternoon.

I'm going to go pray and sleep now. It's been a long past 48 hours...

Where are the brakes?

Well, I leave for training on Saturday. Yes, THIS Saturday, as in, 4 days from now.

I don't really have anything all that fascinating to say. I just felt that the countdown being this close, I should post something. I will say that I wish I were able to excited about Saturday, as much as my teammates seem to be. I've been too overwhelmed with my apartment situation and fears about my inability to speak Russian and to be extroverted, especially in a new culture, to really remember how excited I was back in November.

But today was a good day. It was sunny and productive. And I found a new journal--I filled up my last one the other day. Perfect timing. Fresh journal for a new adventure. =) I think I'm going to learn a lot about what it takes to love and serve even when I don't feel like I can. I look forward to filling my journal with all of those things.

And now I should get to bed. Sleep is good--especially since I seem to be sick (or developing allergies?). If you could ask Dad about that, that'd be cool. :)

Thanks for joining me in this journey! =) It is almost here!