Braces

Well, I have my braces. Just on my top teeth though. All I can say is, "Owie, owie, owie." :D It's like have a retainer that doesn't quite fit right and not being able to take it out of your mouth! Hopefully it will be worth it though with less migraines long-term. I'm a little concerned that short-term (like the next 6-12 months) I may end up with more migraines as my teeth move and I adjust to sleeping without my retainer which has helped so much with those migraines.
I should be clear, I get migraines for at least three or four different reasons and usually each reason has its own intensity level and particular style of pain. I think I should sign myself into a research institute. They could probably learn a lot about migraines from studying me. :P
Anyway, please do pray that these braces will be a positive change and despite the pain in my mouth that I will not get those migraines again while the adjustments are being made.

Oh and I have a HUGE praise! Our out-of-office translator found some of the files that we were missing for the New Testament Survey textbook and he sent those in! That means he didn't have to retranslate them which would have been a huge loss of time for us.
And please pray for me as I do evaluations with all of our staff over the next two days.

More Pictures

From Left to Right: Oxana, Ulia (new believer), Zhenia, Masha and Larissa (believer). Zhenia was just visiting for the first time, but the other girls are all regular. I've mentioned Oxana before, but Masha is an intern at one of the hospitals. She is only here in Rivne for about six months, so you can pray that God will work in her life during that time and when she moves away again He will bring other believers into her life.




These are my girls as they were getting ready to leave. All snugged up for winter.


And last and least, my apartment decked out for Christmas and winter season. I prefer the lights off version below, but the Father Frost didn't come out as clearly in that. You can also see that I got a new chair for my computer. Such a blessing! It tilts back which takes a lot of pressure of my back and hips and means that I don't end up in as much pain.

Anyway, I'm off to my sister's tonight to celebrate Christmas with them and my parents and friends there. Mum and I are going on the train; dad will meet us there (he's been in R. again). Hopefully I'll have lots of pictures to post of that celebration next week!

Pictures

I promised that I would upload a few pics and here they are:My favorite Nativity. It was my great grandmother's. And below, the party buffet. Buffets are very un-Ukrainian, but a good "cultural" American experience for my group. we hardly made a dint in it!
Cookie decorating. A unique experience for these
girls. But in general I think they had fun.
















Here is Ulia (in the front) with a couple of friends that she brought along for the party.









And this is Tonia. She has been faithfully bringing friends to my group. I'm sure you will hear more about her in the future.

Small Group

Today is my small group Christmas Party. I'll try to post pics (if I remember to take them, but I do have my camera set out, so that is a start) tomorrow.
I would appreciate your prayers for my small group. In general it has been going well in that I usually have at least two believers and two or three unbelievers, sometimes I have double that amount of unbelievers. At the beginning it was a bit of a revolving door situation: new people would come once and not return. But the last couple of weeks we seem to have about three regulars. They are all girls which is great as far as I am concerned.
Please pray for the rest of the people who have tried the group and not returned. Some have had interest, but apparently it just hasn't worked out, and some are definitely not interested in the group. I would like to "forward" them to an English club that is also run by Christians, but is not quite as overt as a Bible Study.
Pray for Oxana, Masha and Lena (I think, she's only been coming for two weeks, she and Masha are interns at one of the hospitals here for a few months). Oxana is apparently against Christianity as she sees it as a foreign religion, although I am lost about that as Christianity has been here since the time of Christ and Ukraine officially became a Christian country in the 800's. Anyway, pray for me for wisdom and creativity and everything else that I need. I don't consider myself to be a very good small group leader, but I know that the Lord can use me anyway.
And praise that people are coming!

New Testament Survey

Please pray for the completion of New Testament Survey! I've been working on this course for four years and we would like to print it this coming June. We had the textbook translated some years ago and now it seems that part of the translation is lost. The translator only just finished translating the first half of the course and is now working on the second half and he is known for being very sloooow (but good quality which is why we use him, he lives in a different city). Our artist moved to the States a while ago, but really wants to do this projects, however he is already working two other jobs!
Please pray that we'll find the missing textbook chapters and not have to have it retranslated. That Costia, the translator for this project will work quickly and turn his work in in record time! And that Andrey, the artist, will also make time to finish this project by the deadlines we have given.
In addition, pray for me as I work with our office. This is the next course we have slated and if it isn't available I'll be scrambling to have work ready for them (we have the work, I just have to prep it, which could easily take a month or two). And pray for me as I edit NTS, I wrote this course and it is often difficult to see the mistakes or inconsistencies in your own work. Pray that I will see them and that we'll put out a really good quality course, not something half-baked!
Thanks.
Oh ya, and please continue to pray for me as I lead and oversee the office. There are one or two who struggle with some of the changes we've made since my arrival and these situations are never pleasant to deal with and require much more wisdom and delicacy as a Christian in ministry. We are not just hiring workers here, we really want them to grow in Christ as well.
Thank you. Your prayers really do hold me up.

Christmas Spirit

Yesterday was a brutal day! I woke up with a migraine which I had been forestalling as best I could for several days already. I haven't had such a bad migraine for ages! I nearly fell over when I got out of bed because I stood up too quickly and the pain was, well...breathtaking. :| But I managed to stagger out to the kitchen and swalow a large quantity of medicine (thankfully I was not nauseated, very much) and then I went and sat in my dark living room with my back to the window. I discoverd I couldn't lay down or sit up straight, but if I sat with my head bowed over my knees it was bearable. Finally after an hour the medicine began to take effect and I was able to move around gingerly.
Unfortunately I had to cancel lunch with a friend. I was pretty upset about that. I don't mind being sick in general, it's just when it intrudes itself so much on my life that I begin to feel frustrated about it. So I was really down on myself for backing out, especially because I began to feel better finally.
Later in the evening I managed to go to my parents' and I realized that it was just as well that I didn't go to my friend's place. I was still maxed out on medicine (to the point that my stomach was upset) and I still had a headache (and still do, but thankfully it has scaled down to just a headache right now and that's without meds).
All in all, it just set me up for a lousy day. I was very frustrated and somewhat depressed about being sick so much. And of course, I cross-examine myself all the time, "Are you really that sick? Maybe you just think you are sick?" I'm great at giving myself guilt trips! :)
Towards evening I was talking to God about it, and just telling Him that I want to enjoy this Christmas and have "Christmas spirit". He, in His great kindness, gently reminded me that Christmas spirit is found by sitting at His feet. Being a Mary, not a Martha. In my heart I am such a Martha! I love to "do". Especially around Christmas! There is baking and I'm having a party for my small group and I would love to make it into a really GREAT party, and I'm getting ready to go to my sister's for Christmas and there is decorating to be done and shopping. Mostly it is the baking that kills me! :) I love to bake, unfortunately, I expend way too much of my precious energy on that.
But even though those things may make me "feel" Christmassy, the true Christmas Spirit already resides in my heart and all I need to do is sit down and take a few minutes away from all these things to reorient myself to Him and I become aware of a much more all-encompassing Christmas spirit. Not one that makes me "feel" Christmassy, but one that helps me to live Christmas. Gratefulness to God. Remembering that He is to be the center of all of the celebrations. Peace in my heart. Just..."just" His presence.

P.S. A devotional thought that I came across today says, "Help us to set our
minds on things eternal rather than things which are transitory." All of this life is transitory, so why do I focus on it?!

Little Journeys of the Mind and Heart

I was just reading a friends' post about some of the difficulties that he has been facing and yet how he realized he has so much to be thankful for. It made me smile because it's been a rough week for me. Not bad, but definitely rough.
I have been quite sick this week and basically my exhaustion has been mounting for the last month. Work at the office is going well, there are just so many things to do and extra tasks with my parents just back and dad rushing of to R. again next week! And ... well mostly it is just a bunch of little things, but being sick is what is doing me in. It always frustrates me when I have to reign myself in because of my allergies or my back.
But it is truly said that when we are weak He is strong. God is looking out for me so much. I feel it through my sister-in-law and other siblings, and new friends that God has sent and old ones. One of my churches is sending me a care package and that too is just God showering down over and abundant blessings, more than I can ask or imagine!
Last week I had a new friend over and I was chronicling to her some of the things that God has done for me. It reminded me that it is always when I am weak that He is strongest.
I'm frustrated. :) I just don't have words to tell you of the great deeds that God has done for me! So much! and I having done nothing to deserve them, indeed the opposite!
He is more than worthy of all praise and honor and glory.

Of deceiving nieces...

Yes, it is true. I have been deceiving my niece. She is under the distinct impression that when she is talking to me on the phone and shows me a picture or her book, that I can really see it. :) And I encourage her in this by saying things like, "Isn't that pretty!" and "Oh, how nice!"
She's three. Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive! Thankfully, her mother frequently updates me on what Ellie was "showing" me. It's a blast to have ten minute telephone conversation with her. I ask her a question and receive silence, only later to find out that she was nodding her head on the other end! lol
Here she is:

Home again, home again...

Mum and Dad made it back safe and sound. With all of their luggage. (it was lost on their way to the States) It was nice to see them again and I am looking forward to having them in the office on Monday. Naturally, we tried to avoid "business" talk, but ended up there anyway. Hopefully, however they will still be able to rest a little over the weekend.
I would also like to ask for prayer for Kost', who is our in-office translator, as he continues his struggle with severe headaches. As far as we know some of the headaches seem to be environmentally related, but it is really difficult to tell what sets them off. Do please pray for him.
Also for Costia, who is our out-of-office translator (two translators with the same name, it is so hard to keep them straight sometimes!). He is presently translating our new New Testament Survey course. Unfortunately, motivation seems to be a little low and he is having trouble finishing it. And that is only the first half! He still has the second half. We would like to print this in June for use next fall, but... So please pray that he will get his act together about it! :)
Thanks.

Little Journeys

The other day I had an interesting marshrutka ride.
First off, let me explain what a marchrutka is. Marshrutkas are the most common form of public transportation here in Ukraine at this moment in time. They are vans (not mini) or small buses, usually with room to seat 10-20 and standing for the same. And usually we manage to fill them to capacity. It's amazing how often there just "isn't" room for one more person to get on, but like the waters parting for Moses people are always able to make room for the person who is getting off!
Anyway, they are a jouncy bouncy form of transportation and sometimes I wonder if the whole aim of the drivers isn't to see how many people they can make fall over by the sudden stopping and starting. That said, they are generally quick and I am grateful for them because I remember when there was no such transportation and it meant a lot more walking and a lot longer waits!
In the past people also used to be much more polite on public transportation and would generally stand up for small children, pregnant women and elderly people. Now geeeeeennnnerally, people will stand up for pregnant women and people with very small children/infants, but the elderly are really getting shafted! :( People also used to get up for you if you were particularly heavy laden or they would offer to hold your bags on their lap (I was more than once the surprised recipient of bags on my lap!), but this has gone the way of most of the courtesies.
Back to the point...I had gone grocery shopping and was well loaded down (probably 12-15kg, which isn't a lot over a short distance, but try hanging on in a marshrutka...). I had to wait for my marshrutka for several minutes because there is only one from that area that goes to my area of town. By the time it came, my arms were tired and I was hoping for a seat, even though I knew that it was a slim chance. Didn't get one, but the lady I stood in front of offered to hold my most heavy bag on her lap! I was SO grateful.
So we go jerkily along and about halfway to my stop we stop and this man gets up to go out, but doesn't move, just stand there and stands there. I realized that he was having trouble getting his wallet out of his pocket and that he was drunk. I don't think he ever did get his wallet out, but the driver let him off without paying after waiting for several minutes for him to try to get it out.
The lady who held my bag ended up getting off at my stop and was very kind as to forge the path before me to the door (it can be quite a challenge, more than once I've felt like I was going to lose a limb squeezing through people), and even waited and made sure that I got off all right!
I was so grateful to God for that woman. She made my day, and several days since then. She was so kind I wondered if she was a Christian. In any case I know that God used her to bless me and remind me that He is still looking out for me. Praise Him!

Sink or Swim

This month has been its own journey. A sink or swim one! I've learned a lot about people, including myself. It'll be great to have my parents back! :)
On the other hand, a lot of things won't change with their return. I think the biggest change will be that the staff will see that I act not on my own authority, but on the authority of my parents. I've been thinking about that for several days and it has taught me a lot about acting on the authority of God. As Christians we have been given the opportunity and responsibility to use the power of God for certain things here on earth. I've always wondered what it really means to do things "in Jesus name". I mean that is just such a common phrase. We pray it all the time. But let me tell you! When I do something in the name of my parents...I make good and sure that it is really what they would have me do and not just the desires of my own heart. Do I do the same with God? And the greater question is, do I do those things with His authority, that I know without a doubt He wants me to do. Certainly, in many cases I have, but...but, well, there are always those where I haven't. Generally because I am too timid (which probably makes those who know me well laugh, but it remains the truth nevertheless). So it is directly because I fail to avail myself of the power of the authority of God that I disobey Him.
I hope this makes sense to you, sometimes I wonder if it makes sense to me! I guess that is part of the process of learning. It takes time to assimilate new information to the place where you can make practical use of it.

Christmas

So, it's the first day of Christmas. Well, for me at least! :) I'm incurably Christmas minded all year around. And since we had Christmas traditions starting from December 1 when I was a kid...
Today I took out my Christmas decorations and was disturbed to find that one of my nativities is missing. But I'm hoping it is in the suitcases that should be arriving this month.
So far I've managed to put up one nativity (I collect them, so have seven or eight) and a pretty tablecloth on the table, but that was as far as I made it today. lol But I've also managed to make up a list of the Christmas cookies and candies I want to make this year. Now if I can only find all the ingredients! :D I don't know what I'll do with all the goodies I make, but...it's part of the holiday spirit! ;)
Merry Christmas!