Happy Thanksgiving!
We won't actually celebrate until tomorrow, but Laura (an American friend here) did find some turkey parts (breast, legs and wings) so we will actually have turkey to eat tomorrow! Yipee!
Very thankful for that.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Prayer Requests
I could really use your prayers this week. It is just "one of those weeks". I'm tired and tons of work is pouring in on top of what I normally have to do. I'm able to delegate a lot of it, but that takes time and effort too.
Plus we have the office coming over for Thanksgiving on Friday so I still need to prepare some things for that, although mum is doing most of it. Oh, and pray that we find a turkey. I know it is a silly thing, but it would just seem so much more Thanksgivingy with turkey--they are available, but you just have to hit the store when they are cause they usually only have one or two at a time. Pork roast just doesn't have quite the same feel. :)
And, of course, mum leaves next week, so we are both trying to prepare for that with different work things, and I'm sad to see her go even though I know it is only for a few months.
Our out-of-office translator, Costia, has been lagging a bit in his work and he wrote that they just found out that his daughter has cysts on her tonsils, he's been lagging because she has been home sick a lot over the last three months. She is to have surgery on Monday and she is terrified. From the way he described it they will only use local anesthetic, so this little eight or nine year old girl might have to go through that surgery awake! Anyway, please pray for Costia and Natasha and their daughter, Anya.
Thanks.
Plus we have the office coming over for Thanksgiving on Friday so I still need to prepare some things for that, although mum is doing most of it. Oh, and pray that we find a turkey. I know it is a silly thing, but it would just seem so much more Thanksgivingy with turkey--they are available, but you just have to hit the store when they are cause they usually only have one or two at a time. Pork roast just doesn't have quite the same feel. :)
And, of course, mum leaves next week, so we are both trying to prepare for that with different work things, and I'm sad to see her go even though I know it is only for a few months.
Our out-of-office translator, Costia, has been lagging a bit in his work and he wrote that they just found out that his daughter has cysts on her tonsils, he's been lagging because she has been home sick a lot over the last three months. She is to have surgery on Monday and she is terrified. From the way he described it they will only use local anesthetic, so this little eight or nine year old girl might have to go through that surgery awake! Anyway, please pray for Costia and Natasha and their daughter, Anya.
Thanks.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's
It seems the holidays are upon us. I don't feel ready. We are having the office in for Thanksgiving on Friday (mum and I are, at her place), which will be a nice way to celebrate. It also means lots of preparations, there will be about 20 of us all up, plus a few kids. Hopefully, we'll be able to find a turkey.
It did snow yesterday, a sticking snow, which is nice and helps me get into the holiday mood, but still I can hardly believe that it is here already! I won't actually celebrate Christmas until January 7th this year (as is traditional in Ukraine), so I guess there is no rush for me to get into the season yet.
I think I also don't want to get into the season cause I know that after Thanksgiving mum is leaving. She heads out from here on Dec. 1 and flies to the States Dec. 5. So sad times for me! And it is all about me after all. ;)
I'm sure it will be fine, I think the real reason I don't feel ready for the season is just because I've been so busy. I've made a couple of new friends over the last month, other missionary ladies. Which is nice, esp. with mum leaving. It'll be good to have some other sources of fellowship. Plus, my friend Saron has been sick for the last month, so I have been trying to help her out a little. I can't do much, but I know that even little bits here and there can help.
It did snow yesterday, a sticking snow, which is nice and helps me get into the holiday mood, but still I can hardly believe that it is here already! I won't actually celebrate Christmas until January 7th this year (as is traditional in Ukraine), so I guess there is no rush for me to get into the season yet.
I think I also don't want to get into the season cause I know that after Thanksgiving mum is leaving. She heads out from here on Dec. 1 and flies to the States Dec. 5. So sad times for me! And it is all about me after all. ;)
I'm sure it will be fine, I think the real reason I don't feel ready for the season is just because I've been so busy. I've made a couple of new friends over the last month, other missionary ladies. Which is nice, esp. with mum leaving. It'll be good to have some other sources of fellowship. Plus, my friend Saron has been sick for the last month, so I have been trying to help her out a little. I can't do much, but I know that even little bits here and there can help.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
It's Snowing!!!
Here's a little excerpt from an email I wrote to a friend. I had been telling her that I need to go winter coat shopping and had been putting it off because it's too cold! I plan to go to the open market which means I'll be out in the open trying on coats. So, today was the day I had picked to do this and lo and behold, it's snowing!
I live in a city of about 200-250 thousand. Not too big, but lots of people. Most everyone here lives in apartments (like my building is 9 floors high which is pretty average), so lots of people fit in a relatively small area. We are just getting some malls in this year and some big stores that are like Sam's Club and Home Depot type stores. There are still lots of open markets and even in some places where there are "malls" they are more like the market with lots of tiny (like 10'x10') stores. Appliance stores have really come in over the last year as well as more and more people have the money to buy space heaters, computers, washing machines and small appliances. It's pretty amazing, within a few years there will be very few people who still do their laundry by hand and up until a couple of years ago that was the norm. There are two kinds of open markets here: the food markets and the clothing market. Sometimes they overlap and there are little subsiduary markets for tools or furniture and things like that. The food markets are generally more open with some stalls that have permanent vendors, those stalls are more metal kiosks (roughly 6'x10' usually) and can be locked up with the goods stored inside. The other stalls are just long tables with roofs over them that anyone can come too. I think they may have to pay a rental fee, but I don't know for sure. Then there are the people who either can't afford that or there is no space for and they come and stand along the street with their stuff on bags and boxes in front of them. Usually they are little old ladies from the villages selling the surplus of their gardens for a little extra cash and such.
We have supermarkets too here now, and I tend to do most of my shopping there, although I do feel that the open market stuff is generally better quality and better in taste.
The clothing market is almost only the kiosk like stalls and it is big, it covers several American blocks, so you get to do a lot of walking (another reason I use supermarkets for food too because I get tired from walking and carrying all my stuff--supermarkets have carts!). You can buy pretty much any item of clothing in the clothing market, but there aren't typically changing rooms. They've gotten better about it, it used to be you'd just go behind their counter and they'd stand in front of you while you tried on whatever (like jeans), now lots of places at least have a curtain they can hold over you. :) It's always an interesting experience, esp. when the sellers try to sell you something that is two sizes too small, which they do a lot! That is how people typically dress here, well, the women at least. Thankfully, in winter people have to cover up because of the cold.
You can also buy furniture and appliances and plumbing fixtures, curtains, material, bedding, etc. in the clothing market. But paper goods like notebooks and pens, perfume, nicknacks etc. are found in the food market. :D Clear as mud, huh? Oh and flowers are by the food market as well, both plants and cut flowers.
That is of course, here in Rivne, in other cities they have lsightly different set ups. In Kyiv some of the markets cover over a square mile and you can easily get lost in them!
I live in a city of about 200-250 thousand. Not too big, but lots of people. Most everyone here lives in apartments (like my building is 9 floors high which is pretty average), so lots of people fit in a relatively small area. We are just getting some malls in this year and some big stores that are like Sam's Club and Home Depot type stores. There are still lots of open markets and even in some places where there are "malls" they are more like the market with lots of tiny (like 10'x10') stores. Appliance stores have really come in over the last year as well as more and more people have the money to buy space heaters, computers, washing machines and small appliances. It's pretty amazing, within a few years there will be very few people who still do their laundry by hand and up until a couple of years ago that was the norm. There are two kinds of open markets here: the food markets and the clothing market. Sometimes they overlap and there are little subsiduary markets for tools or furniture and things like that. The food markets are generally more open with some stalls that have permanent vendors, those stalls are more metal kiosks (roughly 6'x10' usually) and can be locked up with the goods stored inside. The other stalls are just long tables with roofs over them that anyone can come too. I think they may have to pay a rental fee, but I don't know for sure. Then there are the people who either can't afford that or there is no space for and they come and stand along the street with their stuff on bags and boxes in front of them. Usually they are little old ladies from the villages selling the surplus of their gardens for a little extra cash and such.
We have supermarkets too here now, and I tend to do most of my shopping there, although I do feel that the open market stuff is generally better quality and better in taste.
The clothing market is almost only the kiosk like stalls and it is big, it covers several American blocks, so you get to do a lot of walking (another reason I use supermarkets for food too because I get tired from walking and carrying all my stuff--supermarkets have carts!). You can buy pretty much any item of clothing in the clothing market, but there aren't typically changing rooms. They've gotten better about it, it used to be you'd just go behind their counter and they'd stand in front of you while you tried on whatever (like jeans), now lots of places at least have a curtain they can hold over you. :) It's always an interesting experience, esp. when the sellers try to sell you something that is two sizes too small, which they do a lot! That is how people typically dress here, well, the women at least. Thankfully, in winter people have to cover up because of the cold.
You can also buy furniture and appliances and plumbing fixtures, curtains, material, bedding, etc. in the clothing market. But paper goods like notebooks and pens, perfume, nicknacks etc. are found in the food market. :D Clear as mud, huh? Oh and flowers are by the food market as well, both plants and cut flowers.
That is of course, here in Rivne, in other cities they have lsightly different set ups. In Kyiv some of the markets cover over a square mile and you can easily get lost in them!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Ukrainian Translator
I've been looking for a Ukrainian translator for the office since this summer. We hired one this summer and she is working with us part-time, but we needed at least one more full-time and perhaps two. We've been looking for months, but just haven't found any. I even interviewed one or two but never heard back from them. But last week I interviewed a girl and had her do a trial piece and this week I hired her to start in January. Her name is Ivanka and she is a student at one of the universities here. She studies English, but not translation so we'll have to teach her theory of translation and things like that. Well, Kostia will have to teach her that.
Additionally, I had an inquiry this morning from a translator in another town, who actually has experience translating and we are looking into that possibility. He would only be able to work part-time, but it would be such a blessing to have someone who has experience. I'll still have to send him some test material to see if his style works for us, but I anticipate that it will.
I'm excited about those things. Finding Ukrainian translators now makes the difference between closing our office next year at this time or keeping it open and it also significantly affects my plans for the future.
On the prayer side, we are really short on funds to pay for the office this month and really for the future in general. Please do pray for us for that. Normally we raise salaries in the fall and spring because of inflation and we just don't have the finances to do that this year. We are hoping to do so in January, provided that God supplies the necessary funding. This is really a huge prayer need as there are about 15 people and their families depending on us for work. Besides our need to hire new people.
Additionally, I had an inquiry this morning from a translator in another town, who actually has experience translating and we are looking into that possibility. He would only be able to work part-time, but it would be such a blessing to have someone who has experience. I'll still have to send him some test material to see if his style works for us, but I anticipate that it will.
I'm excited about those things. Finding Ukrainian translators now makes the difference between closing our office next year at this time or keeping it open and it also significantly affects my plans for the future.
On the prayer side, we are really short on funds to pay for the office this month and really for the future in general. Please do pray for us for that. Normally we raise salaries in the fall and spring because of inflation and we just don't have the finances to do that this year. We are hoping to do so in January, provided that God supplies the necessary funding. This is really a huge prayer need as there are about 15 people and their families depending on us for work. Besides our need to hire new people.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Scents
Why is it that everything over here has to be scented? Seriously, napkins, toilet paper, kleenex, plus all the other things like garbage bags, candles, air fresheners and of course perfumes, sprays and shampoo and all those other things that are typically scented. The problem is that people here LOVE those things. I think it is because for so many years things just stunk here, now they have gone totally in the other direction and so things just stink with "scent".
The reason I'm feeling particularly annoyed about this today is that I bought a pair of tights and when I put them on this morning I realized they were scented! I don't like scented things because they make me feel sick. And I can usually tell which scents will make me feel sick because they just stink to me, they don't have a pleasant smell, more of an overwhelming one. So it is a bit annoying to have to be walking around in something that stinks and will end up making me feel not well, but I don't have a choice since my other tights are in the laundry and it's too cold to be without them!
Oh well, patience. Patience.
The reason I'm feeling particularly annoyed about this today is that I bought a pair of tights and when I put them on this morning I realized they were scented! I don't like scented things because they make me feel sick. And I can usually tell which scents will make me feel sick because they just stink to me, they don't have a pleasant smell, more of an overwhelming one. So it is a bit annoying to have to be walking around in something that stinks and will end up making me feel not well, but I don't have a choice since my other tights are in the laundry and it's too cold to be without them!
Oh well, patience. Patience.
Friday, November 14, 2008
A Little Quilt
I wrote this yesterday, but because of internet problems couldn't post until today.Funny, I'm trying to upload some pics of the little quilt I made last night, but our internet is acting up. Hopefully I'll be able to post this.
Lilia, our key Russian editor is pregnant and due one month form today. Her husband, Vasia, also works with us. I wanted to throw a mini baby shower for them. Baby showers aren't really something that is done here. Normally you take a gift after the baby is born--probably because of higher infant mortality rates (esp. in the past) and superstitions that eventually got built off of that (like, it's bad luck to give a gift before the baby is actually born). But since we are all Christians, we are free from that and I just wanted 5to honor this couple who are serving with us. So we had a little "party". It consisted of giving a couple of gifts and praying for Vasia and Lilia and having some cupcakes that I had made.
For the gifts I made a little quilt/baby blanket and the rest o the office got together and bought some sheets and a towel and some toys for the baby. (Since I'm the "boss" it's expected that I would do a little more, which is why I did a separate gift, besides the fact that I enjoy sewing)
I don't have access to all the materials here that you have in the West, but i went to a couple of shops and found some flannel and lined coat/blanket material that I thought I could work with. I cut it and prepared it for quilting, but I was having trouble deciding how I should quilt it. And of course, I've been sick a lot the last couple of weeks so I didn't have much energy for it either. Thankfully, I found a quilting motif that I likie dand was able to adjust to suit my needs, then last night I just made myself sit down and throw it all together! It took about four hours to pint it, do all the quilting and bind it, which I figure isn't too bad. I just did a simple me
andering quilting pattern, but "hid" little pictures in it: a boat, sheep, teddy bear, bottle, duckie, etc. I think it turned out fairly well. I'm hoping to make a similar one for another friend of mine that is expecting soon.I also made these cupcakes: Chocolate with cream cheese inside and poppy seed with lemon icing. As you can see, I tried to pipe babies on top, but they look more like pupas. :D
Monday, November 10, 2008
Another New Week!
I see last week just slipped by without my posting on here again. Basically, I was sick all last week. Frustrating to say the least. It started out with the whole pinched nerve thing and then ended up with cold just when my back was beginning to feel better. I'm still working on getting over that, but thankfully my back is doing much better, although I'll need to be careful to take care of it for a while.
Even though I was sick all last week, which was very frustrating and somewhat stressful as I lag behind in my work (which will catch up to me in about a month when the rest of the office runs out of work because of it!), I did notice that overall I am still much healthier and have a little bit more energy than in the past. I guess that means that while I still have a lot of ups and downs health wise, my lows aren't quite so low, which is encouraging.
Please do pray for me this week that I'd be able to catch up on some of my course work. My course work is what I really feel my "job" is, but in reality there is much more to it than that. I need to answer other people's questions, and supervise them and write newsletters and keep up with email and my blog and financial reports and mission reports (x2 since I am with both a Canadian mission and a US one) and office evaluations and planning for future work, etc. I have a tendency to write all those things off as not "work" which makes me feel like I am often not getting very much done when in reality it is a lot of daily stuff that can never be marked off my list. Right now I do really need to get some course work done though, so please pray that I will be able to do so.
Even though I was sick all last week, which was very frustrating and somewhat stressful as I lag behind in my work (which will catch up to me in about a month when the rest of the office runs out of work because of it!), I did notice that overall I am still much healthier and have a little bit more energy than in the past. I guess that means that while I still have a lot of ups and downs health wise, my lows aren't quite so low, which is encouraging.
Please do pray for me this week that I'd be able to catch up on some of my course work. My course work is what I really feel my "job" is, but in reality there is much more to it than that. I need to answer other people's questions, and supervise them and write newsletters and keep up with email and my blog and financial reports and mission reports (x2 since I am with both a Canadian mission and a US one) and office evaluations and planning for future work, etc. I have a tendency to write all those things off as not "work" which makes me feel like I am often not getting very much done when in reality it is a lot of daily stuff that can never be marked off my list. Right now I do really need to get some course work done though, so please pray that I will be able to do so.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A New Week
I'm back from the missionary women's conference that I was at with my mum and sister and some friends over the weekend. It was a nice time; refreshing to see people I hadn't seen for a while and meet some other missionaries that I didn't know lived in Rivne. It's always good to make new contacts.
On the way back we passed several car accidents, one involving a marshrutka (van-bus--used for public transport, I was riding in one from Kyiv to Rivne) and a pedestrian. Definitely a fatality there. No ambulance in site, just a body in the middle of the road and police talking to some people in a group nearby. Another wreath will go up on that road. Safety on the roads is such an issue here. Probably the pedestrian was drunk. Please continue to pray for travel mercies for us--mum as she comes back today and dad as he flies to the States today.
I pinched a nerve in my back last week. I was hoping it would go away by itself, but it didn't so I have had to go to the chiropractor every day this week. We have a good chiropractor here, but because of the situations and customs here I always feel a little vulnerable, so please pray that it heals up quickly and I can stop going.
I'm beginning to wonder if I just have loose joints. Not severely, but enough to cause all these problems. I often have pain in my hips and shoulders, fingers and toes, besides my back and neck. It is entirely possible that it could be allergy related. I started taking probiotics this summer, due to my sister-in-law, and I have to say that I am doing MUCH better! I have less pain and more energy--even when I feel sick. The energy is a huge thing for me, I see parts of my personality returning that I haven't seen for ten years. Whether that is good or bad... :P But beyond that I used to have a lot of pain in my hands particularly when the weather changed and for the past three months I haven't hardly had any. I'm hoping it continues through winter, although I did notice today that I had a little more pain again. But we'll see, it may just be because my body is out of whack because of my back.
Anyway, those are just a few prayer items and praises. Please do continue to pray as I often notice that when I ask for prayer that I do have less pain, headaches or other problems--like with my eyes hurting, last year it lasted for several weeks, this time it was only a few days. So your prayers do make a difference.
On the way back we passed several car accidents, one involving a marshrutka (van-bus--used for public transport, I was riding in one from Kyiv to Rivne) and a pedestrian. Definitely a fatality there. No ambulance in site, just a body in the middle of the road and police talking to some people in a group nearby. Another wreath will go up on that road. Safety on the roads is such an issue here. Probably the pedestrian was drunk. Please continue to pray for travel mercies for us--mum as she comes back today and dad as he flies to the States today.
I pinched a nerve in my back last week. I was hoping it would go away by itself, but it didn't so I have had to go to the chiropractor every day this week. We have a good chiropractor here, but because of the situations and customs here I always feel a little vulnerable, so please pray that it heals up quickly and I can stop going.
I'm beginning to wonder if I just have loose joints. Not severely, but enough to cause all these problems. I often have pain in my hips and shoulders, fingers and toes, besides my back and neck. It is entirely possible that it could be allergy related. I started taking probiotics this summer, due to my sister-in-law, and I have to say that I am doing MUCH better! I have less pain and more energy--even when I feel sick. The energy is a huge thing for me, I see parts of my personality returning that I haven't seen for ten years. Whether that is good or bad... :P But beyond that I used to have a lot of pain in my hands particularly when the weather changed and for the past three months I haven't hardly had any. I'm hoping it continues through winter, although I did notice today that I had a little more pain again. But we'll see, it may just be because my body is out of whack because of my back.
Anyway, those are just a few prayer items and praises. Please do continue to pray as I often notice that when I ask for prayer that I do have less pain, headaches or other problems--like with my eyes hurting, last year it lasted for several weeks, this time it was only a few days. So your prayers do make a difference.
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