Today I am just rejoicing in living!
I'm not sure if I just got up on the right side of the bed or if it is other things. I think it is other things. Like I got an email today from someone who is interested in helping Lilia (one of the girls who works for me, but is presently on maternity leave) in her orphanage ministry. I'm just so excited about that as I know this is something that is really on her heart.
Then too, things are comign together for the Russia trip for my office and we even have gotten some of the train tickets. This has taken a lot of stress out of my life which has enabled me to get some other work done.
I'm also really looking forward to having Myriam move in with me. She's the girl who is presently housesitting for my parents. I'm not sure how long she'll be living with me, but for a few months for sure. Lika is still at my place, but is working super hard to get back into her place as soon as possible. About the time she is ready to move out is when Myriam will be moving in. I'm just looking forward to having an English speaking roommate for a while, and a Christian. It's so good to hear about other people's ministries. I just find it enjoyable and encouraging.
And of course, I'm looking forward to my mum coming back in a few more weeks!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Rivne in Winter
This is Rivne in winter. Gray. But you do have to enjoy the movie theater in the center of town--I mean who could not love it! It's yellow! (okay, and brown)
Next up: This is the alley that leads to our office. The green gates at the end are ours. The landlord's house is the brown one on the left. I'm actually thankful that it is a little set back from the street as it makes it more difficult for prying neighbors. Unfortunately, at the end of this alley, where it joins the street is a huge puddle every time it rains or the snow melts. I wanted to get some gravel to fill it but apparently that is horrendously expensive! :(
This picture is the street our office is on. As you can see, on one side it is the rich and famous (okay, they probably aren't famous, but...) and the other side is trying to keep out of poverty! Unfortunately, I just noticed that you can't see two of the huge houses that are on the street right across from the office, they just neatly got cut out of the picture. But you can take my word for it that they are there. :) It does help me to feel more secure as I feel like why would anyone target us, when we are certainly not the highest profile house on the block.
Next up: This is the alley that leads to our office. The green gates at the end are ours. The landlord's house is the brown one on the left. I'm actually thankful that it is a little set back from the street as it makes it more difficult for prying neighbors. Unfortunately, at the end of this alley, where it joins the street is a huge puddle every time it rains or the snow melts. I wanted to get some gravel to fill it but apparently that is horrendously expensive! :(
This picture is the street our office is on. As you can see, on one side it is the rich and famous (okay, they probably aren't famous, but...) and the other side is trying to keep out of poverty! Unfortunately, I just noticed that you can't see two of the huge houses that are on the street right across from the office, they just neatly got cut out of the picture. But you can take my word for it that they are there. :) It does help me to feel more secure as I feel like why would anyone target us, when we are certainly not the highest profile house on the block.
Friday, February 20, 2009
In Between
Well, it looks like Lika is not going to make it out of my place this week. I think it'll be a couple more weeks by the sounds of things. Some guys helped with moving some stuff for her, but in the process mucked up the newly plastered ceiling. And something isn't going right with the tiling in the hallway, even after letting it dry for 48 hours they keep popping off, which has not happened in the kitchen.
Lika is a bit discouraged by it. Thankfully however, Carmen has moved on from her original glumps about possibly not being in the apartment for her birthday (today). I left her at home this morning busy making salads and cookies and what not for her party tonight. I'm not sure who is coming to this party tonight, if it will just be the four of us or if others are invited too. I have a feeling it will just be the four of us, but she is preparing food for an army, so I do hope they invited some others! But since they didn't ask me specifically, I rather doubt it. They are quite good that way.
I was a little discouraged myself when I first heard about these additional complications with the apartment. But I figure God must just want Lika to stay with me for a while longer yet. Pray that it will impact her life for Him.
Personally, I have a cold for the fourth time in two months! And it's a doozy! But each time I begin to feel pity-partyish I remember last year. At this time last year, I was so sick with some virus or other bug that I wasn't able to work at all for several weeks and for about a week could barely get out of bed! Now, today, even though I have this cold, I was able to walk to work. I'm so grateful for that energy. I am just continually amazed at how much improved my health is this year. It is truly a blessing!
Lika is a bit discouraged by it. Thankfully however, Carmen has moved on from her original glumps about possibly not being in the apartment for her birthday (today). I left her at home this morning busy making salads and cookies and what not for her party tonight. I'm not sure who is coming to this party tonight, if it will just be the four of us or if others are invited too. I have a feeling it will just be the four of us, but she is preparing food for an army, so I do hope they invited some others! But since they didn't ask me specifically, I rather doubt it. They are quite good that way.
I was a little discouraged myself when I first heard about these additional complications with the apartment. But I figure God must just want Lika to stay with me for a while longer yet. Pray that it will impact her life for Him.
Personally, I have a cold for the fourth time in two months! And it's a doozy! But each time I begin to feel pity-partyish I remember last year. At this time last year, I was so sick with some virus or other bug that I wasn't able to work at all for several weeks and for about a week could barely get out of bed! Now, today, even though I have this cold, I was able to walk to work. I'm so grateful for that energy. I am just continually amazed at how much improved my health is this year. It is truly a blessing!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Ups and Downs
Funny, on Friday I posted about how well I was doing and then today I had a really bad reaction and am still in bed! It's made me realize how well I really am doing, this kind of exhaustion used to be normal, not out-of-the-ordinary.
The reason I had a reaction was because I went wallpaper and tile shopping with Lika yesterday and the chemicals in stores just kill me. Lika doesn't feel confident choosing her own colors at the moment, mostly just because she has so many decisions to make it gets a little overwhelming, so I went along to tell her that I thought her choices were fine. :P It was nice. I got to go over to their apartment, unfortunately, my camera was at the office. But it was nice to see how far it has come and I was able to give her some encouragement about all the work that has been done, but also help her be realistic about what can be accomplished this week yet.
She is bound and determined to be back in the apartment by Sunday, and I feel like that is not unrealistic. It won't be finished, but it will be sufficiently far along that they will be able to live there.
I have to confess that I am beginning to look forward to them leaving. Not that I dislike having them here, I've had a lot of fun, but it will be nice to have access to my whole apartment again.
The reason I had a reaction was because I went wallpaper and tile shopping with Lika yesterday and the chemicals in stores just kill me. Lika doesn't feel confident choosing her own colors at the moment, mostly just because she has so many decisions to make it gets a little overwhelming, so I went along to tell her that I thought her choices were fine. :P It was nice. I got to go over to their apartment, unfortunately, my camera was at the office. But it was nice to see how far it has come and I was able to give her some encouragement about all the work that has been done, but also help her be realistic about what can be accomplished this week yet.
She is bound and determined to be back in the apartment by Sunday, and I feel like that is not unrealistic. It won't be finished, but it will be sufficiently far along that they will be able to live there.
I have to confess that I am beginning to look forward to them leaving. Not that I dislike having them here, I've had a lot of fun, but it will be nice to have access to my whole apartment again.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Loopiness
Very loopy today. Apparently I didn't sleep enough last night. Or it's just the end of another crazy week! :)
Told everyone today at the office that someone was getting married at ZhEK (government utility company) instead of ZAKS (where all the legal ceremonies are performed).
Found another odd name: Pirana: Men's Salon. Personally, even if I was man, I wouldn't want to go there!
Went out for lunch with a friend, managed to miscommunicate where we were meeting so it took us 20 mins to find each other; then decided to go to the closest restaraunt, where I've been before and it was fine. Our waitress was even more spacey than me. We ordered and she brought the wrong items and then when she brought the right stuff she only brought some of it, then gave us our bill. But when we told her she had forgotten half our order she didn't even apologize! *rolls eyes We didn't tip. Not that she'll notice since tipping is still not very common here. Just completely wacko, never had anything like that happen before there. :P
I also was thinking about my health and energy levels today and have much to praise God about that. My ankle is much improved. It still swells and I still get pain sometimes, but I am able to walk everywhere on it now. Such a blessing and so wonderful to be able to get out and get some exercise! Which brings me to the second point, I actually have the energy to want to walk places. A year ago, just thinking of walking from my place to the office was exhausting, now I often walk or get off a stop early so I can walk part way. I am still often tired and wear out easily, but sooo much improved! It really is a huge blessing. I'm so thankful for all the things that I can accomplish now outside of just work and resting. I also have many friends, which is another answer to prayer. This fall I've met even more friends and I am just so thankful to have somewhat of a social circle here.
Oh, and things are going well with Lika. She is moving forward with her apartment. Please pray that all the people she needs to help her will be able to come this week and finish all the work she needs done so that she can move back in by the 20th. She'd just be so excited about that. And God keeps supplying money for her to do the work that needs done; pray that this would bring her closer to Him so that the good seed which has been sown will grow up and not be choked out by weeds which are the cares of this world and the material attractions of it. It's stupendous how much has been accomplished in such a short time in that apartment!
Told everyone today at the office that someone was getting married at ZhEK (government utility company) instead of ZAKS (where all the legal ceremonies are performed).
Found another odd name: Pirana: Men's Salon. Personally, even if I was man, I wouldn't want to go there!
Went out for lunch with a friend, managed to miscommunicate where we were meeting so it took us 20 mins to find each other; then decided to go to the closest restaraunt, where I've been before and it was fine. Our waitress was even more spacey than me. We ordered and she brought the wrong items and then when she brought the right stuff she only brought some of it, then gave us our bill. But when we told her she had forgotten half our order she didn't even apologize! *rolls eyes We didn't tip. Not that she'll notice since tipping is still not very common here. Just completely wacko, never had anything like that happen before there. :P
I also was thinking about my health and energy levels today and have much to praise God about that. My ankle is much improved. It still swells and I still get pain sometimes, but I am able to walk everywhere on it now. Such a blessing and so wonderful to be able to get out and get some exercise! Which brings me to the second point, I actually have the energy to want to walk places. A year ago, just thinking of walking from my place to the office was exhausting, now I often walk or get off a stop early so I can walk part way. I am still often tired and wear out easily, but sooo much improved! It really is a huge blessing. I'm so thankful for all the things that I can accomplish now outside of just work and resting. I also have many friends, which is another answer to prayer. This fall I've met even more friends and I am just so thankful to have somewhat of a social circle here.
Oh, and things are going well with Lika. She is moving forward with her apartment. Please pray that all the people she needs to help her will be able to come this week and finish all the work she needs done so that she can move back in by the 20th. She'd just be so excited about that. And God keeps supplying money for her to do the work that needs done; pray that this would bring her closer to Him so that the good seed which has been sown will grow up and not be choked out by weeds which are the cares of this world and the material attractions of it. It's stupendous how much has been accomplished in such a short time in that apartment!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
A Little Stressed
I'm having stress and overwhelmedness again today. Sigh.
I just can't seem to keep up with my workand it is really beginning to get to me. It would be such a blessing to have a full-time English editor for a few months! But that is something we have looked for for years and has yet to materialize.
I think perhaps it has just been a bit much with everything with Jeremy, trying to run the office and take care of some financial complications that we have, keep my guests happy and help them and be a witness to them and keep other people from being offended with them, and trying to get some of my own editing work done, besides getting my much-overdue newsletter out. My editing work is what suffers the most in the end. It is some of my most important work, but all these little urgent things keep coming up to push it to the back burner.
One step at a time...
I just can't seem to keep up with my workand it is really beginning to get to me. It would be such a blessing to have a full-time English editor for a few months! But that is something we have looked for for years and has yet to materialize.
I think perhaps it has just been a bit much with everything with Jeremy, trying to run the office and take care of some financial complications that we have, keep my guests happy and help them and be a witness to them and keep other people from being offended with them, and trying to get some of my own editing work done, besides getting my much-overdue newsletter out. My editing work is what suffers the most in the end. It is some of my most important work, but all these little urgent things keep coming up to push it to the back burner.
One step at a time...
Monday, February 9, 2009
Praise God
It seems that Jeremy is doing somewhat better. He had a rough weekend, but came through that all right. PTL
I talked with a friend last night and someone has sent Lika another financial gift through my friend. Hopefuly she will use this towards getting someone to do the tiling as that would be such a huge encouragement for her and is the last major thing she needs to do before being able to move back in. It would enable her to make her goal date of Feb. 20 (Carmen's birthday) which I think would be a huge encouragement to her. So PTL for that!
I talked with a friend last night and someone has sent Lika another financial gift through my friend. Hopefuly she will use this towards getting someone to do the tiling as that would be such a huge encouragement for her and is the last major thing she needs to do before being able to move back in. It would enable her to make her goal date of Feb. 20 (Carmen's birthday) which I think would be a huge encouragement to her. So PTL for that!
Cold!
I came into the office this morning and it was soooo cold! It's been above freezing here and we do normally turn the heat down over the weekend, but it must've been off or something. Thankfully we have a couple of space heaters, but we only have two and have four rooms... :( Some of the girls were wearing their coats.
It does make me thankful that the heating crisis did not seem to reach us here in Rivne.
Today during devotions, I talked about faith and we read the passages from the end of Matthew 6 and in Matthew 7, which relate to faith and God taking care of us. It is interesting to watch the staff's faith grow. Since we are a mission the work environment is a little different and the problems we come up against area different. My expectations for my staff include that they have good and godly attitudes towards their work and each other. And sometimes we have financial issues where we can't pay everyone on time or stuff like that. It's my job to tell the staff of these problems and to help our accountant, Maria, figure out temporary arrangements. It's been encouraging to see their responses change to these things as they grow in faith and experience of God.
I brought it up for devotions today specifically because we are again in a tight place financially. We've had some generous gifts recently, but due to exchange rates and unexpected expenses we are short for this month's pay. I didn't tell them that this morning, as I am still working on paying everyone for January. I just encouraged them to pray for the financial situation and the whole ministry in general as we look forward to where God is leading us now. Please pray with us about these things and that God would just open up His floodgates of blessing upon us, not just financially, but in every other realm as well. It seems that often just before God does some new work that we have many struggles in many areas, and I do really feel like we have been in that place lately. It makes me look forward to see how God is going to work this all out!
It does make me thankful that the heating crisis did not seem to reach us here in Rivne.
Today during devotions, I talked about faith and we read the passages from the end of Matthew 6 and in Matthew 7, which relate to faith and God taking care of us. It is interesting to watch the staff's faith grow. Since we are a mission the work environment is a little different and the problems we come up against area different. My expectations for my staff include that they have good and godly attitudes towards their work and each other. And sometimes we have financial issues where we can't pay everyone on time or stuff like that. It's my job to tell the staff of these problems and to help our accountant, Maria, figure out temporary arrangements. It's been encouraging to see their responses change to these things as they grow in faith and experience of God.
I brought it up for devotions today specifically because we are again in a tight place financially. We've had some generous gifts recently, but due to exchange rates and unexpected expenses we are short for this month's pay. I didn't tell them that this morning, as I am still working on paying everyone for January. I just encouraged them to pray for the financial situation and the whole ministry in general as we look forward to where God is leading us now. Please pray with us about these things and that God would just open up His floodgates of blessing upon us, not just financially, but in every other realm as well. It seems that often just before God does some new work that we have many struggles in many areas, and I do really feel like we have been in that place lately. It makes me look forward to see how God is going to work this all out!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Oswalt Family
Please continue to pray for my cousin Jeremy and his family. The surgery on Wednesday was semi successful. They took out part of the largest tumor to relieve the pressure in his brain so he wouldn't have terrible headaches. However, the doctors also said that the cancer is throughout his brain. They have recommended some chemotherapy and radiation treatments for a few weeks and they hope that after a few months he might even be able to go back to work. But basically, they don't seem to be extending a lot of hope for him to beat this.
Pray for Jeremy as he sorts through this all, he's been on drugs all week because of pain, so I am sure he is having a hard time grasping and sorting through all of this. His wife, Beth, as she reels from the shock of it all that God would give her wisdom and comfort and hope and peace. My uncle and aunt as they themselves try to take in all this information and help Beth and help make the necessary decisions. And, of course, all my cousins and my grandparents. This has just been a huge shock to us all. Even I have found myself feeling drained and exhausted and I am not closely tied into the situation either physically or emotionally (comparatively speaking).
Pray especially for Andrea, she's the youngest of the five in that family (Jeremy is the oldest). Her husband is in the military and has been assigned to Korea for two years. She is supposed to be joining him in March. The other siblings have all been able to go to Jeremy and Beth, but she has not, so pray for her as it must be especially difficult not to be with the family right now and to think about having to leave so soon for Korea.
Thanks for all your prayers.
Pray for Jeremy as he sorts through this all, he's been on drugs all week because of pain, so I am sure he is having a hard time grasping and sorting through all of this. His wife, Beth, as she reels from the shock of it all that God would give her wisdom and comfort and hope and peace. My uncle and aunt as they themselves try to take in all this information and help Beth and help make the necessary decisions. And, of course, all my cousins and my grandparents. This has just been a huge shock to us all. Even I have found myself feeling drained and exhausted and I am not closely tied into the situation either physically or emotionally (comparatively speaking).
Pray especially for Andrea, she's the youngest of the five in that family (Jeremy is the oldest). Her husband is in the military and has been assigned to Korea for two years. She is supposed to be joining him in March. The other siblings have all been able to go to Jeremy and Beth, but she has not, so pray for her as it must be especially difficult not to be with the family right now and to think about having to leave so soon for Korea.
Thanks for all your prayers.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Lika and Carmen and Other Prayer Requests
Here is a picture of Lika and Carmen.The second picture is of our supper "table". Another one of those cultural things. I don't have a table in my kitchen as there isn't really room and I don't feel the need. I have a table in the living room that I use when I have guests. Lika, however, feels that it is too much effort to take the food out there (it's easier to carry the chairs into the kitchen), and besides we might spill and mess up the table cloth, or spill on the floor and have to clean it up... So, we eat at the kitchen counter, which is supremely awkward and unique for conversation! On the other hand, it keeps Tyotya Luba away from me, which probably enables her to eat her food in peace without having to look at the evil foreignor. :D As you may have noticed, she turned her back in this picture and has refused to let me take any of her. Do pray for her, she must be a most unhappy woman. :(
On a completely different topic: I just found out that my cousin has cancer; brain tumors to be exact. He only found out on Monday and he is having surgery today to see what they can do, then they will begin radiation. Please pray for him and his family, wife and three kids six and under. Also for his parents and siblings and our grandparents. Jeremy is 37. It is a shock to us all and even though I don't know my cousin well, I still feel like it is part of a nightmare. Thank you for your prayers.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Funny Stuff
Over the past while, I've been making mental notes of stuff that cracks me up. Hopefully I can remember them all for you!
For one, there is the naming of certain businesses here: like the dental office called RoDent (apparently having "dent" in it is enough to make it about teeth). Or some of my favorites are the banks. There was the MT Bank, which was later replaced by the Brokbusiness Bank, which has (shockingly) been replaced by another bank.
There are tons of other names that have simply been transliterated into Ukrainian or Russian. Like the Blooz Cafe. I took a taxi there the other day with a friend, he couldn't understand when I told him I wanted to go to the Blues Cafe, but when she (very wisely) pronounced it Blooz, he got it right away! :)
Some of the other things that have made me laugh recently are cultural differences that I am discovering with having Lika and Co. living with me.
The first thing was the carpet in the living room. I have parquet floors, but I bought a 2x3m rug/carpet for the living room as well last year when I moved in. However, I discovered when Lika and Luba moved in that they pushed it to the wall and would just walk around the edge (the six inches between the rug and the couch), so that they wouldn't "ruin" it. By the time I came back from my sister's they had rolled it up and put it in the sewing room because of their fear of walking on it! lol the very purpose for which I bought the rug, yet for them the purpose of the rug is to look beautiful, not comfort.
We have a similar situation with the rugs in the hallway. They are not new, they are hand me downs from my brother to my parents to me and I use them to catch the dirt off my shoes when I first come in the house, so I don't have a mess in my hallway all the time. Well, I noticed a while ago that when Lika would come home she'd carefully step around the rugs or fold them in half so that she wouldn't get her dirty boots on them! :P
It's been great to have something to laugh about.
For one, there is the naming of certain businesses here: like the dental office called RoDent (apparently having "dent" in it is enough to make it about teeth). Or some of my favorites are the banks. There was the MT Bank, which was later replaced by the Brokbusiness Bank, which has (shockingly) been replaced by another bank.
There are tons of other names that have simply been transliterated into Ukrainian or Russian. Like the Blooz Cafe. I took a taxi there the other day with a friend, he couldn't understand when I told him I wanted to go to the Blues Cafe, but when she (very wisely) pronounced it Blooz, he got it right away! :)
Some of the other things that have made me laugh recently are cultural differences that I am discovering with having Lika and Co. living with me.
The first thing was the carpet in the living room. I have parquet floors, but I bought a 2x3m rug/carpet for the living room as well last year when I moved in. However, I discovered when Lika and Luba moved in that they pushed it to the wall and would just walk around the edge (the six inches between the rug and the couch), so that they wouldn't "ruin" it. By the time I came back from my sister's they had rolled it up and put it in the sewing room because of their fear of walking on it! lol the very purpose for which I bought the rug, yet for them the purpose of the rug is to look beautiful, not comfort.
We have a similar situation with the rugs in the hallway. They are not new, they are hand me downs from my brother to my parents to me and I use them to catch the dirt off my shoes when I first come in the house, so I don't have a mess in my hallway all the time. Well, I noticed a while ago that when Lika would come home she'd carefully step around the rugs or fold them in half so that she wouldn't get her dirty boots on them! :P
It's been great to have something to laugh about.
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