US Telephone Number

I have recently changed my US telephone number.  It is set up through Skype and allows people in the US to call my computer by dialing a normal US phone number.  My phone number is an Oklahoma City phone number.  A call from you does not cost me anything and it also does not cost you any more than it normally would to call Oklahoma City.   This Skype subscription also allows me to call anywhere in the US for one small fee a month.  Technology is pretty amazing. 

Please feel free to email me to get the new number.  I don't necessarily want to put it on my blog since I can't control who might call me.  :)  I would love to hear from you. 

One Of The Thing I Miss Most

When asked what I miss most about the USA being in Kazakhstan (other than people), my answer usually revolves around sports. I have been reminded of this as I go into my 5th NFL season of not really being able to watch the Redskins play (as well as any other football that is on). Although the Redskins are my favorite team (having grown up in Maryland) I am pretty happy to watch any football game that is on TV when I am in the States. At times friends have sent me games that they recorded, which has been fun even though they are after the fact.

I have tried looking for several options here, but the only one I could come up with was buying a satellite and paying a man to come to my apartment every day and figure out the codes for me to be able to watch ESPN. I didn't figure that was the best option.

I figured I would write this blog to any of you that might be more technically savvy than I am. We have a slow form of DSL at home. Do any of you know of any ways to download Redskins games from the internet? I can't actually watch them in real time because of the slow speed of our connection. I researched this a couple years ago, but found nothing. I just don't know if technology has changed since then in order to make this possible. Thanks for any advice you may have!

Lessons Learned (Part V)

Another lesson I have learned is that when you go into a situation expecting to give, you often receive much more in return. I learn this all over again every time I go to the orphanages. Recently I have received seashell necklaces (made during a delegation with probably the first seashells the kids have ever seen), paintings, drawings, candy, and so much more. This doesn't include the love and the smiles that I receive every time I visit. I learn so much from these children who are willing to love me despite all the hurt and disappointment that they have experienced. It's funny how God often takes a situation where you hope to build into other's lives and ends up blessing you instead.

Well, I think this is the end of my introspective thoughts for the time being. I don't know that my brain can take anymore. It has been a good, yet challenging five years. I am looking forward to continuing my work here.

Lessons Learned (Part IV)

I have learned that trust takes time. The Kazakh people are very hospitable, but it takes time to gain their trust and love. In work, a title or position is not necessarily what matters, it is the relationship and trust that you have built with a certain person. If you haven't built trust with a person, your "specialty" doesn't matter.

I remember coming over here and in a mix of my youth and my culture trying to prove myself. I wanted people to appreciate the skills and experience that I had so that I could build into them. I didn't understand why doors seemed to remain closed related to the work we were doing at orphanages. After five years of being consistent it seems like most of the staff and children at the orphanages trust us.

I am so glad that I didn't do more to push "my program" when I first moved over here. Now that I have gained the trust of many of the staff, the doors have been opened for us to spend more time in the orphanages, take children to the park or a concert, and even provide seminars for the staff. I have learned that forcing trust doesn't work ... it just takes time. One day trust is there and you don't even know when it happened.

Lessons Learned (Part III)

I have also learned that you can usually make do with what you have. When I first arrived in Kazakhstan, I threw away anything that I didn't need (which some would argue maybe I shouldn't have had in the first place). I got so aggravated with my Kazakh family because they would keep all sorts of trash (rusty metal, small pieces of piping, splintered wood) and I couldn't see how these things would ever be used again. What is funny is that I find myself doing the same thing now. I have a bunch of random house repair type things that I have had to go to when the item I bought was missing a piece or something didn't quite fit the spot I was wanting to put it in. It requires a little creativity, but often you can find something lying around your house or your friends house that will do the trick.

Now, this doesn't mean that I still don't prefer to have the right tool for the job, but I have gotten a lot better at figuring out a solution with what I do have instead of buying something just in case I might need it later. I have kept some of my upbringing by actually having extra screws, nails, and light bulbs in the house, instead of only buying the number I need for specific job.


The picture above says it all .... although one of the first purchases I made at my apartment was a nice step ladder, so I guess I haven't learned this lesson fully. As with all the lessons I have learned here, I think balance is the key!

Lessons Learned (Part II)

Another thing I have learned by living in Kazakhstan is a healthy level of dependence on others. In the States, we are taught by society to fight for our independence from an early age. Most children move out of their home after graduating from high school or college. Most women feel that they should be able to do anything that they need on their own instead of asking for help and most men are scared to offer to help in order not to offend them.

Some things that Kazakhs find strange about Americans are:

• people wanting to live alone
• unmarried people living apart from family that lives in the same city
  
• women insisting on carrying their own things
  
• people needing alone time (introverts vs. extroverts)
• men not offering seats to women on public transportation
• people running errands or doing work on their own
• paychecks that belongs to the person that receives it, not the entire extended family

I have learned to depend on the people around me. This means being willing to ask for help and admit that I can't or don't want to do everything on my own. It means not holding so tightly to the concept of "mine". I have appreciated the chance to return back to what I feel is a more healthy balance between independence and dependence.

Lessons Learned (Part I)

One thing that I have learned from being in Kazakhstan is a new sense of the importance of relationships. Although relationships have always been important to me, the Kazakh people have taught me that relationships should come before "tasks". If I meet a Kazakh friend on the street, I am expected to stop and ask how things are going, ask about family, and visit for a little while. It doesn't matter if I have a meeting that I am late for or some other "task" to accomplish, I should take the time to visit. Those things can all wait, friendship is the most important thing.

When going over to someone's house for dinner, I am expected to stay for at least three hours, even on a weekday. It is very unusual to get away before 10 pm. First you sit and have your meal while talking and catching up. After dinner there is a short period for cleaning dishes - once again done while visiting. Then comes tea. It is unusual for a person to have less than 3 cups of tea while sitting and visiting some more.

At first, the adjustment of time being less of a priority than relationships was a little difficult. Sometimes I felt so unproductive. I have come to realize that it is just a different kind of productivity, which in the end is so much more important than the "tasks" I am supposed to accomplish for the day. I love having permission from the culture here to focus my time on building my friendships and not work.

Time Flies

I just realized that it has been almost a month since I last wrote anything. This reminded me of how quickly time passes. I have now been living in Kazakhstan for over five years. Most of the time, it seems like it has been maybe two or three years. Although my five-year contract is complete, I have no intention at this point of leaving my home here in Kazakhstan. I will however be returning back to the States for a few months in January. After that, I plan (God-willing) to return to my home here. I would like to spend some time over the next few posts sharing some things that have really encouraged me as well as things I have learned as I think back over my five years here.



This year has actually been my hardest year of all. It has had nothing to do with culture or life here, instead it has had more to do with how busy I have allowed myself to get. With fewer people here working with us, at times I took on more than I could handle realistically (although I would never want admit that I couldn't handle it). :) As I became more busy, I forgot to take time to rest and to be renewed regularly. As a result, somewhere around January I started cycling towards burnout and continued plummeting through the Spring. I finally recognized where I was in May, but it took a month for me to get to the point where I was starting to move away from it and not just get caught in a trap.



At times over the last few months I have felt like I am going through a very dark tunnel, with no light or even hope of light in sight. Last month I began to catch glimmers of light and have continued moving closer to the opening of the tunnel.



Although this has been a challenging year, it has been a real learning experience for me. I have learned to rest and continue to remind myself to say no when I can't really take on one more thing. The joy and peace that I had lost somewhere along the way is returning. I am thankful that I have a God that is faithful and walks us through fires in order to draw us closer to Himself.