Merry Christmas!

I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas!  This has been a really fun week!  It started off with a great Sunday with lots of festivities including Christmas choir, house group, and a sleepover!  On Monday I traveled to Ohio to be with my folks.  I have had some relaxing days here at their house with their foster girls.  We have watched Christmas movies and played on the the Wii Fit Plus. 

Yesterday I had a very productive day.  I helped make chocolate covered creams, shortbread, and Russian teacakes.  I even had a small ding in my windshield repaired.  Throughout the day I was reminded of things that I love about being in the States as well as things I miss about being in Kazakhstan.  I miss my family and friends in Kazakhstan.  I miss getting to celebrate New Years with the children at the orphanages and with my Kazakh family.  When I shopped this year, it brought back memories of shopping for hundreds of orphans. 

I will have to say that yesterday a few of the conveniences of being here in the States stood out to me.  In order to get the ding in my windshield repaired all I had to do was make a quick phone call.  They then came over on the same afternoon (to the house) and repaired it.  It was great!  It took me five minutes to set it up and the guy was here 15 minutes fixing it.  I was also reminded of the conveniences of life in the States when my mom and I picked up powdered sugar for some of my favorite cookies.  We were able to buy all we needed at one store and even found 2lb bags.  It made making some of my favorite cookies much easier! 

Even with all the conveniences of being here in the States, this time of year causes me to look back and remember some very good times with close friends in Kazakhstan.  Although I am thrilled to be spending the first Christmas in four years with my family, I know that when New Years comes, I will be missing my Kazakh family even more. 

I mailed out a Christmas letter a week or two ago in order to update everyone on where things are for me ... if you didn't receive one and would like to, please let me know.  I might not have your current mailing address.  Merry Christmas! 

Work and Fun

This week has been one of subbing in the mornings and helping out with a Christmas store at Blood N Fire in the afternoons.  It has been a fun week!

Subbing in the mornings was pretty easy.  I was responsible for helping one or two children read every half hour.  My only challenges were finding the children and staying awake while they read to me.  :) 

I had one subbing job at the high school in the afternoon.  I primarily had one group of students for two hours straight towards the end of finals week.  They definitely didn't want to study (which is what they were supposed to do).  I had students switching names on me and all those fun "tricks" that students do to subs.  One of these students was the one that the teacher told me was a responsible student that I could ask for help if needed.  haha!  It was a rough afternoon and I was glad it was only two hours. 

My other afternoons were great!  I got to help people pick out gifts for their children at a Christmas Store.  Blood N Fire set up a Christmas store where low-income families can come and buy gifts for their children for $2.50 per gift.  The entire store was set up extremely well.  I was really impressed with all of the organization that went into it.  The proceeds from the store goes towards sponsoring soccer leagues in Liberia.  I think one of the things I liked the most about this was that those purchasing gifts had the chance to give back with their purchases. 

I had a blast and am looking forward to a Christmas banquet today at Blood N Fire.  It has also been a fun week with times to hang out with my small group and others.  On Monday I will be heading up to Ohio to spend Christmas with my parents. 

I sent out my Christmas letters last week, so if you have not received one and would like to, I probably just don't have your current address.  If you send it to me I would be happy to get you a letter.  :) 

Professional Photographs

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to participate in Help-portrait.  Several local photographers volunteered their time to take family portraits.  Many of these people had never had a portrait taken.  One of the fun things was that I was able to hang out at Blood and Fire, a community center here in Muncie.  Although I had heard about their work for a long time, I was able to see it in action last summer.  I worked with a group of youth to do neighborhood projects in conjunction with the staff at Blood and Fire. 

Saturday was such a fun day.   The photographers set up lights and backgrounds and did such a great job.  Since I am not a photographer, my job was to greet people and make the feel welcome.  I would offer make-up (which thankfully I was not doing) to the women.  Many of them really enjoyed having Lee do their make-up.  Then I would take them in to see the photographers.  After their pictures were taken, each family got to choose one picture that they wanted a free copy of. 

This is when the fun began.  After their pictures were taken, we had snacks and drinks for everyone.  I got to sit at tables and chat with people.  Each conversation that I had was unique. One of the funniest was a discussion we had on snakes.  One man decided that it would be really cool if we would have a snake there that they could get their picture taken with.  His wife didn’t think this was a great idea.  I think I had used all of my words for the day by the time we had finished three photographs.  It was a reminder to me of how important a listening ear is.

Along with some of the funny talks we talked about hard things as well.  We talked about the challenges that their children and grandchildren were facing.  One couple had fifteen grandchildren.  We also talked about the challenges of keeping their living spaces warm in the middle of winter. 

I had a great time.  I was reminded once again of how much God has blessed me.  I have a wonderful family, a warm place to live, and food to eat.  What a wonderful opportunity to help give back to the great people that I was able to meet on Saturday and to also be blessed by them.   

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone!  I just wanted to take a minute and wish you all a Happy Thanksgivng.  I am at my parent's house in Ohio.  It is the first time in four years for me to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with them.  I arrived to mom's homemade pumpkin and banana bread!  Today we are going to have about 10 people around the dinner table.  I am really looking forward to the time with family and friends. 

I have so much to be Thankful for.  I think the biggest thing is how God has guided and directed me this last year.  It has been a year of refreshment and renewal!  I am so thankful for the community that I have surrounding me in Muncie, especially my small group.  God has provided for my every need (housing, car, finances, etc).  I am so thankful for the chance that I have had to work with youth in Muncie.  They have really been an encouragement to me.  I am also thankful for the Christmas music that starts to play on the radio today - and to think I used to get tired of it! 

There are about a million more things to be thankful for, but I will let you spend this time with your family and thinking about what you are thankful for instead of reading my list.  I hope today is filled with lots of joy, thankfulness, fun, and great food!  Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Car Maintenance

It has been such a long time since I have written.  I am working on getting a newsletter out in the next couple weeks that better updates what the last several months have been like.  I am doing really well and enjoying the things I am involved with here in Muncie, IN.  I am feeling refreshed and energized.  I have really enjoyed the community I am experiencing here. 

I just thought I'd share a funny story since it's been a while.  Yesterday I went to get my oil changed.  I realized after I was done, how smoothly that process went.  There were some marked differences in the process.  First, I didn't have to go next door to purchase my own oil.  Second, I didn't have to try to communicate in Russian (which is not the language I even spoke) and try to understand what they were asking me to do or what was wrong with the car.  Also, a tire rotation and basic car check came free with the oil change.  I signed a document at the beginning stating the cost of the oil change and it didn't change.  I didn't have to walk over to the adjoining store and purchase transmission fluid or some other fluid when they noticed that they needed to add more fluid.  I think the most marked difference was that when something was wrong (they determined that I needed new brake pads) they actually brought me back and showed me what they were talking about and talked to me like a person that was capable of understanding.  Since men usually do the car maintenance in Kazakhstan, it would confuse the mechanics when I wanted to know what was going on.   Thankfully, my host dad (who often helped me get my car repaired) was good at making sure I understood what was going on. 

Last night I set up an apointment with someone to fix my brakes.  When I got here this morning, the mechanic was here and ready to work on my brakes. :)  I don't have to buy the supplies myself - which is my favorite part.  Also, I can bring it in without help.  I am currently sitting in a waiting room with internet and being able to get work done while I wait for my car.  Although I miss Kazakhstan terribly, car maintenance is one thing I don't miss at all.  It brings relief to just be able to sit here and trust them to work on my car and not have to go run errands to make it happen.  If you don't receive a newsletter by mid-December and would like to receive one please let me know.  Have a great day!

Back in the Classroom

I am enjoying the place that I am living and getting used to life in the Muncie area.  There is not too much going on right now, but I figured I'd tell you a funny story and give you a short update.  Since my pay with Interlink remains the same while I am here in the States (despite the higher cost of living), I have picked up some subbing in the schools in my neighborhood.  It is fun to be back in the classroom on a temporarly basis.

My first day in the classroom was pretty entertaining and I thought you might enjoy hearing about it.  I was in third grade.  At snack time I did things differently than their regular teacher.  Normally she lets them all get a snack and go to the bathroom at the same time.  Due to my being a sub, I didn't feel comfortable with this, so I told them that I would tap them on the shoulder when they were quietly working at which time they could get their snack.  I also made them use the restroom one at a time.  One of the boys just couldn't handle this change in schedule.  He told me over and over "You don't know nothing."  Anytime one of the other kids would say something to him he would just get louder in his proclamation.  At one point he even put himself in the hallway, but came back in when he wasn't getting enough attention.  Thankfully, when I was getting frustrated, the class had music.  Music gave him a chance to get back into his daily routine and he had a much better rest of the day.  I will be subbing for this class again on Friday, which should be fun because they are already used to me. 

God has been providing for my needs in so many different ways.  The most recent way was his provision of a car for me.  I had been loaned a car during my time here.  The people loaning the car to me decided that they wanted to donate the car to Interlink.  Due to tax laws, it was not worth it for Interlink to own a car.  As a result, I offered to purchase the car.  Instead, the owners of the car decided to give me the car.  What a blessing!

Over the next few weeks I will be working with Interlink to try to determine my status for my time here in States.  No matter my status, I will be unable to remain insured by the company that Interlink has insurance with because it is international insurance.  As a result, I will have to find medical insurance by January.  

The KC staff of Interlink are busy right now preparing for the start of our programs in October.  We will start our birthday celebrations and visits in mid-October.  We have made some changes this year due to decreased staff.  I am excited to continue to be a part of this, even though I am in the States.  We are currently working on having each child fill out a survey to give to their sponsors.  I came down with a sore throat this weekend.  I am hoping that it will not be a replay of my last sore throat.  Otherwise, my health is doing great.  I am sleeping well (when I don't procratinate with my bedtime) and am enjoying the friendships I am building here. 

Settling In

The week and half that I have been back in the States have been pretty eventful.  I have had to visit the doctor (sore throat caught in Kaz) and have had a chance to catch up with many friends.  I have really enjoyed being able to hang out with my small group and other friends here.  I have also started helping with a local youth center, which I have thoroughly enjoyed.  

This week I moved into a house that I am house sitting.  This has been a confirmation to me that I am doing the right thing, even though it has been very difficult not to return to Kazakhstan for the time being.  I have pretty much unpacked everything (this doesn't include putting it all away though).  :)  I will take the next week or two to get settled in.  I have met several of my neighbors and feel very safe in this neighborhood. 

I have new phone numbers as a result of the move and my old cell phone dying.  If you click on the link on the side of this blog you will be able to call me using Google Voice.  It will ring both my cell and my home phone.  You can either do this to get my new number or send me an email and I will send it to you.  Thanks for all your encouragement as I have been walking through this challenging period.  I have a sense of complete peace, which is really nice.   

Musings

I was trying to think about how to best describe these last two weeks in a concise manner and decided that it wasn't possible to write it in the same way I usually write.  So instead this time I am just going to give you random phrases of things I thought and noticed during my first two weeks in Kazakhstan.  Hopefully it will give you a glimpse of my heart and the emotions I have been through as I have had special times with my kids and had to say goodbye. 

When I told the kids at Vanofka that I was leaving, one of the 16 year old boys had a hard time with it.  The rest of the afternoon he barely acknowledged me.  The next day (my last day with them), I got a chance to talk to him.  When I said it was hard he said to me "I cried yesterday."   I was able to tell him that I did too.  What a bittersweet memory - knowing I had touched his life that much, but also knowing that I might not get to see him again (at least for a while). 

Getting to see the lives of the youth that came over on the delegation change as a result of their time here. 

Despite the hurt of going back to the States right now, I am anticipating getting to work with the youth that came over.  I am looking forward to watching them play sports and seeing how this trip impacts their lives. 

Watching the kids read the letters that I gave them explaining my return to the States and having them come up afterwards give me a hug, tell me they would miss me, and then tell me they would write.

The pats on the back or smiles from the delegates when they knew I was having an especially tough time. 

Laughter

Having the energy to play soccer and enjoy it again. 

Standing outside in a thunderstorm trying to keep the rain flaps on the tents and getting completely soaked.  Everything inside the tents got pretty soaked as well.

Seeing the most beautiful double rainbow that I have seen since living in Kenya when I was seven.

My heart breaking as I watched the faces of children as I told them I wouldn't be back for a while.

Watching the youth interact with my kids despite the language barrier and the short time in Kaz. 

Love

The beauty of Kazakhstan.

The sense that I was home as I traveled throughout the country.  I was filled with an amazing sense of peace. 

Joy at seeing my Kazakh family for the first time. 

Sitting on the square eating hot bread (just cooked) with butter accompanied by the vice-governors of the village. 

Well, I guess that is enough.   This week I will have some time in the office to try to organize things with Kids Connection.  I will also spend time with my Kazakh family.  On Friday I will go to Savva orphanage camp and celebrate birthdays and say goodbye to my kids there. 

Saying Goodbye

Things are going really well with the delegation.  We just moved on to the second part our trip.  Our first three days were spent with the children of Vanofka orphanage.  It was so good to see some of my kids again.  I have missed them a lot since being back in the States.  I was reminded of how strong those relationships have grown over time. 

On Friday I explained that I was not coming back to live right away.  It was such a hard discussion to get through, especially while watching the kids' faces.  Earlier that day the delegation had a lesson about doing the right thing even when it was hard.  Without planning it, my talk with them about staying in the States right now went right along with the lesson.  I chose to do this right before our swim time so that we would have something to distract us and cause us to have fun despite the sad news.  I also wanted to give them time to process it before I left.  One young man was talking to me the next day about it and admitted to me that he cried when I told them.  I was able to tell him that I did too.  After swimming I had to take some time to myself to process the pain of leaving behind these kids for the time being.   

One of the highlights of my time was being able to play soccer with the kids.  We played Americans vs. Kazakhs - which was a lot of fun.  It was a pretty intense game and at the end of an hour it ended up in a tie.  It was fun to have the energy and desire to play a serious game of soccer again. 

I have really enjoyed being able to help facilitate this delegation.  The youth are growing so much and really made a difference in the lives of kids at Vanofka.  It was fun to see how well they connected despite the language barrier and our short time there. 

Despite some lack of sleep, I am really enjoying my time so far and am continuing to look forward to my time here.  I know it will be very difficult to say goodbye to the rest of my kids and my friends here, but I also know it will be a really good time. 

Arrival

After a long trip, I was finally able to lay down horizontally for some sleep this morning after arriving at the place I am staying in Almaty.  Tomorrow morning I will be going to the airport top pick up the youth delegation and traveling to Taraz by bus.  It should be a fun and entertaining trip (although possibly hot).  I did have someone warn the bus drivers that American's like air conditioning, so maybe it will be cool on the bus instead of 110 degrees. 

My flights were fairly uneventful.  The only problem was a two hour delay on the airplane in Newark due to wind and rain.  Since I already had a 12 hour layover, the two hour delay did not effect any of my other travel.  In amsterdam I left the aiport and went on a canal tour.  It was an interesting way to see the city, although I am not sure it is a good idea to sit on a slow-moving boat when jet-lagging.  At least I stayed awake.  It was nice to get out of the airport though.  Thankfully the young child on the plane to Almaty didn't scream after take-off.  I was worried that it was going to be a long flight, but it ended up going pretty quickly as I slept during most of the trip. 

Tomorrow will be our drive to Taraz.  I will get to spend some time with my Kazakh family in the evening.  Then we will head to Vanofka orphanage for three days.  I will try to update you as much as possible!  I am looking forward to seeing Kazakhstan through the eyes of this group of youth. 

Preparation

I have spent a lot of the last couple weeks in preparation for my trip to Kazakhstan.  The youth team that I will be helping finished packing today.  We have 23 crates of fun supplies to take over.  I will be helping facilitate their delegation, which basically means that I will be helping to make sure they have all that they need during their time in Kazakhstan.  We will be spending time at an orphanage and with a local youth center.  The delegation will be there for two weeks and then I will remain one more week. 

During this week I will be saying goodbye (for now) to my Kazakh friends, children, and family.  I will also be helping Kids Connection staff plan for the upcoming school year.  We have a lot to think about as the number of staff has decreased (with my being here for now and one of the other staff coming back to the States for four months).  I am really looking forward to going back "home".  I do know that it will be hard, since I will be having to say goodbye to those that are so special to me.  I leave on Sunday and will arrive in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.  I will try to update this blog fairly often in order to keep everyone aware of what is going on. 

Update

Wow!  I can't believe it has been so long since I have written.  I leave for Kazakhstan in less than a week.  I will be there for 3 weeks.  I will help facilitate a youth delegation that I have been helping to prepare and will do some planning with the staff for Kids Connection.  I am looking forward to seeing good friends.  I know that it will be a very good time, but also a very difficult time as I say goodbye, for now, to friends. 

The last few weeks have been a lot of fun.  I got to go to King's Island and ride lots of roller coasters.  I think my favorite might have been the Fire Hawk because I got to lay on my stomach and fly like Superman.  On Saturday I went to a friend's wedding and saw many friends from Taylor.  How fun to see people that I hadn't seen in over three years. 

This week is pretty busy as I prepare to return to Kazakhstan.  During my trip I will try to keep you updated on my blog (as well as the Interlink blog).  Thanks for your prayers and encouragement.  I can't wait to be back home in Kazakhstan, even though it is only for a while. 

Serve 2009

God has been doing some exciting things in my life recently.  Although it is extremely difficult to not be in Kazakhstan, God is continuing to make it clear that I am supposed to be in Muncie right now.  I have the opportunity to house sit for someone starting in August 2009 and going through July 2010.  It is fun to see the way that He provides.  I will be making a three week trip to Kazakhstan this summer to help with a delegation and make sure things are taken care of while I am not there.   Also, He is giving me things to look forward to in the Muncie area.  One of those things took place last week.  

I got a chance to be a part of Serve 2009.  I spent last week working with 10 youth that were part of over 200 kids and youth that were doing community service projects throughout Muncie.  I had such a great time.  It was fun to work with youth again and not have to deal with a language barrier of any type. 

Our group worked with a local group called Blood and Fire.  We did work around the community for those that couldn't do the work for themselves.  We also cleaned up a neighborhood park.  We spent two afternoons hanging out with kids from the community center at the pool. 

Although it was a very tiring week (sleep at 12pm, waking up at 6 am and hard work in between) I had such a blast.  I thoroughly enjoyed being able to serve alongside some amazingly hard working youth.  We had a lot of fun as we worked, which made the time go more quickly.  The week gave me energy despite the grueling schedule. 

I think my favorite part of the week was being able to clean off an entire sidewalk that had been overgrown.  We were originally only planning to do a part of it, but we got done with more than we originally expected and were able to complete the entire sidewalk.  We filled up two pick-up trucks with the dirt and grass that we removed from the sidewalk.  It was extremely tiring work, but very rewarding. 

Conner Prairie

Today I got to go to Conner Prairie with some friends from my small group.  We had a fun time together as we traveled back in time.  There was a hot air balloon, a whole prairie town set in 1886, a stable, and some fun science stuff.  It was fun to just be able to hang out and spend time with friends while catching a glimpse of life in the past. 

I am really looking forward to this next week.  I will be spending time with a group of 10 youth that are a part of over 150 youth here in Muncie that will be spending the week doing work projects in the community.  I can't wait to work with these youth in order to help our neighbors. 

 

Where will I be Living?

A lot of people have asked me where I will be living.  I do plan to stay in Muncie for now.  I have gotten involved with a great small group and am building good friendships here (as well as continuing old ones).  Being in Muncie will also allow me to be a part of Stateside operations related to Interlink. 

During the last few months, I have been staying with a couple that went on my first trip to Kazakhstan.  I am so thankful for the way that they have opened their home up to me.  It has been such a blessing and encouragement. 

Right now I am looking for an apartment that I can move into starting in July.  Since I am looking at taking some classes and am processing through a lot right now, I am looking at finding a place where I can live on my own for the time being.  If anyone knows of an apartment for rent that is a reasonable price in Muncie please let me know.  I have looked at a couple places, but am still waiting to see what God has for me. 

Update

I wanted to give you a quick update on me.  Some of this is fairly new, so I am still working out the details, but I wanted to keep you posted as I go forward.  As many of you know, this last 3 years in Kazakhstan was difficult for me.  I love Kazakhstan and feel that it is my home.  I did however get to a point of being burnt out and overwhelmed, not specifically by my work with orphans, but with a lot of the other changes that were going on around me.  As a result, I returned to the States tired and exhausted. 

As many of you know, I have finished my initial 5-year commitment to Interlink in Kazakhstan.  I  have fallen in love with the people and truly consider Kazakhstan home.  Even so, I felt God asking me to evaluate whether or not I was supposed to return for a longer period of time.  I feel that God has clearly impressed on my heart that I am.  Even so, He has made it just as clear that right now is not the right time.   

About three weeks ago I made the decision that I am currently not ready to return to Kazakhstan for many different reasons.  I feel that God is asking me to take some more time here in the States so that when I return to Kazakhstan I am better able to thrive.  It was difficult to make this decision, especially because I am leaving my team short-handed.  Even so, I still have complete peace as I look at the near (and far) future.  

During my time here, I plan to continue meeting with wise people who can help guide me through this time.   I plan to work for Interlink here in the States to shore up some of the details related to Kids Connection.  I am also looking into the option of furthering my eduction in order to be better equipped for my continued work in Kazakhstan.

A Giant Surprise!

I traveled up to Ohio this weekend to surprise my mommy for mother's day.  Dad and I were able to pull it off - mom had no idea it was coming.  I think she really liked the surprise.  I have had fun hanging out with them and two of the girls that they care for.  Today we went to an art exhibition, decorated flip-flops, and went to the zoo.  I will travel back to Indiana on Sunday afternoon.  Here are some pictures from the day.

 

What is it?

I saw something on the way down to Oklahoma that I had never seen before. I actually had to read instructions in order to figure out how to use the sink. The sink was not just a sink. It dispensed soap and water and then dried your hands. I had seen each of those on their own, but I had never seen them all together in one unit. It was kind of funny watching people try to figure out how to use them. Thankfully, there were instructions above the sink.

Family Reunion

Today we had a Champeau family reunion.  There were over 20 of us here (grandma, grandpa, and all the kids and grandkids).  This was the first time we have all been together in at least 3 years, if not longer.  It was fun to talk about great times we have spent together in the past.  Some of the memories are hilarious - at least to us. 


Highlights:
-having everyone together
-watching the younger kids hunt eggs (I got to help hide them)
-hunting the eggs that the younger kids hid for the adults
-watching one of my younger cousins play soccer
-going to dinner and to see Slumdog Millionaire with some of my older cousins
-getting to watch my grandpa play wii bowl
-laughter during our picture taking adventure

My grandma and grandpa

 

Playing Battling Tops

 

In Line for Food

Time with Family

We made it safely to Oklahoma. Right now my dad and grandparents are picking up Comfort and Steve at the airport. I got to take a walk on OU's campus (right down the block) with my Aunt Denise. We drove into Tulsa last night and then traveled to Norman today. All the family will be over tomorrow afternoon (possibly 24 people) for lunch. Here are some pictures from the trip so far.

On the Road and How to Tar a Roof

Today my parents picked me up in Muncie and we started on the long drive to Oklahoma for the holidays.  We are going down to visit my mom's side of the family for the weekend.  It will be the first time in a long time that all of us (cousins, grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, sister and brother-in-law) will be together.  Our times are usually full of lots of laughter.  I am looking forward to being able to hang out with family. 

The last few weeks have been very relaxing.  I have had a chance to watch lots of basketball - I'm not quite sure what I will do now that college bball season is over.  I have also gotten to roller blade and spend time with friends.  It has been fun making new friends and spending time with those that I haven't seen in a long time. 

Funny Story:  In case you were missing my stories, here is one from last Saturday.  I helped out at a community service day in Muncie.  I got to help with a group of junior high youth.  They were great workers.  In the morning I had the job of taking wood that the youth moved and stacking it.  It was a lot of wood!

The afternoon was when things got a bit more interesting.  I had the job of "supervising" two youth as they tarred the roof of a mobile home.  I guess there are a few things to take into consideration when I say "supervising" - I had never tarred anything, I had never been on a mobile home roof (or even seen one, except on the news when one blows off in a tornado), the roof was made of a thin piece of metal on top of some 2x2's, and I don't particularly like heights. 

Now, it was my fault that I ended up on the roof because I made the comment "sounds like fun" when we were told we got to tar a roof.  To start off, we checked the stability of the roof and I was taught how to walk on it.  The big thing to remember is that you want to walk on those tiny little 2x2's and not the spaces in between. 

We got the tar on top of the roof and realized that the tar needed mixing.  The man in charge started the project and then once I figured out what to do, I took over.  It was a bit challenging, since the bottom of the large bucket of tar looked like those large tar pits that elephants die in while the top was like colored water.  After about 30 minutes, the tar was mixed and we were ready to start. 

At this point I had still only ventured onto two beams of the roof and was unsure of whether I really wanted to do anything else.  Since we only had two brushes and two willing volunteers, I stood back and watched while they tarred the roof.  I felt kind of like a jerk as I just stood there pointing at places they missed and moving the bucket of tar.  I gave suggestions from my "vast" experience with tarring.  The boys did a great job and by the end we were all feeling pretty confident on the roof.

I was extremely grateful that none of us ended up "helping" the owner by creating a sunlight in her roof.  The boys worked very hard and did such a great job.  Well, now I can add tarring a mobile home roof to the random things I know how to do.  I also learned that gasoline removes tar very easily.    

Fun with Friends!

On Wednesday night I had a chance to hang out with friends that I first met in Kazakhstan several summers ago. We enjoyed a meal together and a wonderful dessert! It was a fun night of sharing stories and catching up. I also really enjoyed having the chance to get to know Christine's fiance. It was such an enjoyable evening and I am looking forward to spending time with them again in the near future!


Our meal included one of the best strawberry pies I have ever eaten. I found a local bakery that is wonderful - although I am a bit concerned that it might be a bit too close to my house. So much for exercising regularly. Maybe I can just roller blade to the bakery, buy a doughnut, and then roller blade home.

March Madness!

The best thing about being in the States in March is basketball! I have not been here during this time since I first moved to Kazakhstan almost six years ago. I had forgotten how much I missed just getting to watch playoff basketball for a month.


Thursday afternoon I took Daniel Knauss and his friend to the new Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy. Indy is hosting the regional Sweet Sixteen. There will be four teams facing off tonight. Thursday afternoon each team had an open practice that was free to the public. We had such a great time. We were sitting in the third row for much of the time and had great views of some pretty impressive players. We got to see Kansas, Michigan State and Louisville practice. We had a really fun afternoon.


I even got home in time to watch Thursday night's games as well. How fun!

My Mommy!

I just have to brag on my mommy!  She has such creative ideas.  Among other things (like doing foster care), she is a professional organizer and has written several short books on organizing.  She has a web page and a blog and even twitters (which I don't even do).  It has been fun trying to keep up with all her ideas of ways to help people better organize their lives.  There are so many things that she has taught me (far beyond organizing).  I am so grateful for the way she has helped shape my life. 

I thought those of you that know mom, might want to know about her new project.   Recently, she came up with another idea that she calls Mom Audience.  Mom Audience is a "weekly email where you can list (free of charge) your new products, blogs, websites, social networks, discounts/sales and lots more.  There will also be opportunities to sponsor Mom Audience and place sidebar ads."  Her blog on the topic gives a few more details if anyone is interested.  Also, she is having some free giveaways that end tomorrow (Friday).  The info on these giveaways can be found in her more recent blogs.


I am so grateful for the family that God has blessed me with. 

A Time to Treasure

While in Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to visit my grandma and grandpa Coggins.  It was so fun to visit with them.  They live in a retirement home in PA.  My parents and I were able to join them for lunch in their dining hall.  It was kind of funny to see many of the other residents watch us and hear them tell each other about us. 

Sometimes it is hard to see my grandparents get older.  Both of them now use walker’s and are in the assisted living part of the home.  It is reassuring to know that they are being well taken care of.  I treasure my time with them, especially since I never know how many more visits I will have with them.  They have shaped my life in so many ways and I am grateful for their love and care over the years.

Friends for Life

During my time in MD/PA, I was able to see many friends that I hadn’t seen for years.  I hadn’t seen some of them since graduating from high school.  A friend of our family allowed us to use her house to host an open house.  It was fun to catch up with people that have meant so much in my life.  I am blessed to have so many good friends.

A Forever Family

I had the opportunity to spend dinner with Amina and her family during my time in PA.  Amina is a young girl who was adopted from Kazakhstan about a year ago.  Although our company has nothing to do with adoptions, we often get to meet the families of the children that are adopted from the orphanages.  Amina’s family had done a good job helping her keep in touch with her friends at the orphanage.  I met Amina almost 6 years ago when I first moved to Kazakhstan.  She always greeted us with a smile and a hug. 

Amina is in sixth grade and is adjusting really well to life in the States.  It was fun to hear her speak English so fluently.  She rarely struggled to express herself. This was amazing to me because she didn’t know any English before being adopted one year ago.  It was also really fun to watch her as she interacted with her younger sisters and her parents.  I could see how much she loved them.  It brought me so much joy to see a child that was so long forgotten with a family that will be hers for the rest of her life.

Escalators, Older Women, and Large Suitcases (NOT A GOOD COMBINATION)

My friend Eileen and I went to D.C. in order to go to several museums.  We had a great time hanging out together and I even got some great pictures of the capital building.  We visited the Capital, the Library of Congress, the Natural History Museum, and the National Archives.  It was a fun day, but nothing was as exciting as the beginning of our journey.

Eileen and I were on the metro riding into D.C.  We had to change trains, so we got off one train and took a short escalator up to our next train.  Since an older woman in front of us had a suitcase and was taking up the entire escalator, we stood next to each other about 2 rows behind the woman and her suitcase.  As we stood there talking, suddenly the woman in front of us ended up in our arms.  She fell back without bending her knees and landed directly in Eileen’s arms (lying horizontally).  I caught her suitcase, which she was still holding onto as if it was going to keep her from falling.  By the time we realized that we had caught her we were about half way up the escalator that seemed much shorter than it had a few moments below.  My brain was trying to figure out ways to get this woman standing again.  Pushing her up (with her legs still completely straight) was not doing anything.  Thankfully, just before we reached the top of the escalator, a man came running up behind us and pushed Eileen and I up the stairs moving the woman into a standing position.  He then walked off quietly while we made sure the woman was okay.  Although it provided us with a lot of laughter as we thought back on it, we were also grateful for all the things God put into place that allowed her to get back onto her feet before we reached the end of the escalator.  The important lesson to learn from this is that if you have a suitcase that is heavier than you, it is better to take the extra time and find the elevator.

 
It was an exciting day spent with a good friend.  It was probably the most fun I have ever had going to museums.  Thanks Eileen!

Unpacking

I arrived in Muncie on Tuesday night and have finally been able to start unpacking.  I have a lot of stories to share with you of my last few weeks and will try to do that in these next couple weeks.  I did want to let you know that God provided a car for me to use.  Someone that has come over to Kazakhstan on a delegation had an extra car and has agreed to let me use it during my time in Muncie.  I am pretty tired after all my traveling, but I really did enjoy getting to see many friends.  I am looking forward to some rest during these next couple weeks. 

Time in Maryland

I just thought I'd write a quick update and let all of you in MD know that I will be up there next week.  I will get to MD on Tuesday and be there through Sunday.  My parents will join me for some of the time from Ohio.  On Saturday we will have an open house in the Silver Spring area and would love to see any of you that live nearby and have time.  If you would like times and directions let me know.  Also, I still  have some free time during the week and would love to see as many of you as possible.  I have a car rented for my time in MD, but I am still looking into options for a car during the rest of my stay. 

I have had a great time this week in Richmond, VA.  I will try to write and update you about some of my time soon.  It has been a pretty busy few weeks, but I am enjoying time with friends and have been able to meet many of our Kids Connection sponsors.  It has been fun! 

Killing the Car

I had a bit of an adventure on the way to Lynchburg, VA on Wednesday.  I flew into Indiana on Tuesday in order to pick up a donated car that our company had found for me to be able to drive for the time I was in the States.  During the few hours I drove it before starting off on my trip across the country, it seemed to be working okay. 

As I was driving through the mountains of West Virginia, I was surprised to notice smoke trailing behind my car.  We stopped and looked for the origin of the smoke.  I also checked the oil level, which was normal.  That pretty much exhausted my knowledge of why a car would smoke.  After being there a while the State Trooper dropped by and helped us to get in touch with a tow truck.  The truck was going to take 45 minutes to get there and would have had to tow us about 20 miles.  The trooper left and another nice man came by.  In the meantime I had tried starting the car and it didn't even like doing that.  When the man came by he looked at the engine and then suggested I try starting the car again.  It started with no problem.  He suggested we try driving it again for a little while with him driving right behind us in case we had other problems.

We were able to drive the car for about 16 miles (2 miles short of the exit we needed to get to) before it started smoking again.  After pulling over, we noticed a puddle under our engine of a substance that turned out to be oil.  At this point, we figured that we probably weren't going to be going anywhere anytime soon. 

So, we waited for a tow truck that the nice man helped us to call.  Three or four people stopped to check on us as we waited.  The tow truck took us to the nearest mechanic and he thought that the car would probably not be worth fixing, due to the expense of the repair and how old the car was. 

Since there were no car rentals available in the small town we were in, someone from Lynchburg drove the three hours to pick us up.  I am now in the process of looking into other options for a car to drive until the end of May.  I have been in touch with an organization that specializes in long-term car rentals and that looks like a fairly good option.  I will try to finalize things next week. 

I am very grateful that we are safe and that everything this week related to transportation has worked out.  I have had a very nice time in Lynchburg.  It has been good to see friends who have visited us in Kazakhstan.  A friend will be driving me to Richmond tomorrow. 

The Travels Continue

I had a wonderful time with friends in Denver.  I sleeping in different places as I visited with friends.  It is kind of strange how at home I felt even though I have been gone for six years and only lived there for two years.  It was fun to catch up with close friends. 

Right now I am in Lynchburg, VA.  I have some meetings with sponsors and have been able to see many people that have visited Kazakhstan.  It has been a refreshing time.  I will be heading to Richmond next week and then I will be in MD the last week of February.

For those of you in MD, I will be having an open house while I am there.  If you would like to know more details, please email me for information.

Fun in Montana!

I continue to really enjoy my time in Montana with my family.  Today I got to watch the Superbowl.  It was such an exciting game to be back for.  We enjoyed a weekend of resting and playing games together. 

On Tuesday morning (early) we will leave.  I will be heading to Denver for a week.  I am looking forward to seeing many good friends while I am there.  I finally figured out the problems I was having with my cell phone and am able to make and receive calls again.  Sorry if you tried to call me.  For those of you on Facebook, my number is posted in my information on there.  Here are some more pictures of the beauty that has surrounded us during our time in Montana.

 

  

 

Professional Sign Maker

We have spent the last couple days helping Comfort in her office.  Today I learned how to be a professional sign maker.  :)  I helped make one giant sign and about eight small metal signs.  I was pretty impressed with my first sign making attempt (shown below).  It was actually a HUGE two-sided sign.  It was fun to learn something new.

We continue to enjoy the scenery here.  Tonight on the way home, we saw a beautiful sunset.  These pictures don't do it justice, but hopefully you can imagine the beauty that we were able to see. 

 

 

Christmas and Star Gazing!

We have been having a great time as a family!  Tonight we celebrated Christmas together - my sister even provided a tree.  It was kind of funny because it was a Christmas Tree in a Box - a paper one that we put together before celebrating.

 It has been very relaxing.  We have been enjoying seeing the beauty around us change each day as weather conditions change (snow, sun, sunrise, clouds, sunset, etc).  We have also been playing games together and enjoying catching up.

 

 

Tonight Steve (Comfort's husband) brought his telescope up to the top of our little mountain.  He took us on a short tour of the night sky.  It was freezing, but amazingly beautiful.  We are going to go out again in a couple hours to see the things that weren't yet visible.