A Busy Fall

I arrived in Montana last Friday and have a few weeks with my family for Christmas.  It has been nice spending time with them.  We have played games, gone shopping, and seen some great views.  I am looking forward to this time with them as I know it will be my last Christmas in the States for a while.

This fall has been a busy one.  I have been updating my blog from many locations doing many different things.  I have been highlighting some of the fun I have been having and relationships that I have been making.  I thought it would also be good to let you know some of the projects I have continued to work on for Interlink.  Although I am traveling around a lot, I have still been accomplishing much in order to prepare to return to Kaz this spring.  Here are some of the highlights that I have been working on since I returned from Kaz at the end of July (in random order).

• Attended daily training with the new team heading to Kazakhstan next year.  We met each morning for 6 weeks.  We spent time discussing some of the foundations of the work we will be doing in Kaz and making sure we were all on the same page. 
• Attended our annual board meeting.  During this time I was able to share with our board my journey over the last several years and my sense that this coming year is the right timing for me to return to Kaz long-term.  
• Moved to Lycnhburg, VA to be part of the training for a new team going to Kaz.  This has also allowed me to be part of a small group of people that are interested in the work taking place in Kaz. 
• Helped with the set-up of a Kids Connection sponsorship drive that is set to take place in Lynchburg early next year.  
• Helped train the new staff in our Muncie office for responsibilities related to delegations. 
• Prepared and took care of many of the details for the delegation that went to Kazakhstan in the fall.  
• Completed my third class towards a masters degree in Special Education.  I have a total of 10 classes to complete, so I am almost 1/3rd of the way through the program.  My classes are all online, so I can continue them once I return to Kazakhstan.  I am hoping to use what I learn to benefit the children of Kaz.  
• Worked with my team to help my team leaders prepare their house for our move to Kaz.  
• Continued communication with my friends and co-workers in Kaz.  
• Focused on support raising for my return to Kaz.  This included visiting several States and seeing people that I hadn't seen in a while.  
• Attended an interesting and informational conference in D.C.
• Read many books to continue my preparation to return.  
• Helped people process after their delegations to Kaz.