What a gift!

A friend and fellow missionary, LaJean, just stopped by and presented me with a real jar of Skippy Peanut Butter! Be still my heart. Alan can have his caviar.....I just need to grab a spoon. If anyone ever reads my blog and wonders, "What could I possibly send an American missionary as a gift (besides financial support)? Peanut Butter is my preferred choice. Creamy, Chunky...it just doesn't matter. Singing, "Heaven, I'm in heaven..."
Unlike me, Alan and Emily are coffee drinkers so their answer would differ from mine.
Hint: Starbucks.

Thanks, LaJean for your most generous gift!

Caviar vs. Snot?

I just got a text message from Alan that he is having champagne and caviar for breakfast and I have yet to prepare my morning bowl of snot. lol Oh! the contrast. Which would YOU choose?

Crush of Humanity

Alan made it to Yalta even after being left behind at the airport. He found his way from the airport to a bus station to take alternate transportation to where he needed to be. Emily was worried and I can't wait to hear the lessons learned from his experience. He arrived later than he had anticipated but safely. Thank You, Jesus.
This morning, I woke up early, which in its self is weird, and I went to the school all by myself. Emily and Lori were still asleep when I left so I wrote them a note. I made it fine even with the crush of bodies on the bus and metro. This was different than on the weekends when I travel and I am usually offered a seat because my arm is in a sling. Today no one noticed because no one really looked at one another....it seemed like everyone had the expression that it has already been a long work week! I expect with having to get up early everyday and facing the crush of humanity that early I may begin to sport a grim expression, too. No, I really don't think that is going to happen - me grim. lol
There wasn't really anything I could do at school because I couldn't get the server to access the files I needed. So, I just wrote Day, the Headmaster (his title), a note saying I would see him and the others on Monday and then came home.
Later, Alan called again and said he was enjoying his time sharing with Jeff, even though it's brief and he will be home tomorrow. Happy that he lives where we does. I will have to explore exactly what he means by that. Wherever I "hang my hat" is home to me.

I am never alone.

I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

Psalm 139:7-10 NLT

Psalm 37:4

I have been looking at some Christian Women Blog sites and one post asked, "Do I have a dream?" Ummm, I didn't know what to answer after the image of Martin Luther King, Jr flashed before my mind.
I know that the Bible has a verse, Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. But I always wonder what those desires are?
I do know that I would want them to be in line with God's will and His best, so I sit here being still and waiting to know that answer. I will let you know what I find out.
Alan is on his way to Crimea. He is flying to Simferopol and then go to Yalta for a few days. He is meeting up with a few Foursquare guys to share about his heart and mission work in Ukraine.
Maybe we can go down to the Black Sea someday as a vacation. It is more a question than a dream.
Ta ta for now.

Worship Night

Every Monday night Emily invites people over for a time of worship and prayer in our home. Last night it was interesting that after singing some praise about who God is, we spent some time quiet before Him. We gathered in a circle, held hands and I know for a fact that God was ministering to each of us. I am not sure exactly what....so I guess I need to be still a little bit longer. ;)
Now it is Tuesday and there are not many plans for the day except getting the laundry done. I am so thankful I have help to hang it up on the line for me, especially the jeans which are so heavy when wet. I need to make sure that the clothes Alan wants to pack are ready because he leaves tomorrow via a plane down to Crimea to meet with and talk about church planting principles. One guy, Jeff, we already have met when we were in Washington State this summer. Small world, sometimes. Alan will be away 3 days, which isn't long since we used to do 6 month deployments.
That's it for now. Time for me to get off the computer and ask the Lord, What does He want from me? Is it better late than never? ummm?

The Smelly Splint Remains!

I thought I was going to go to a clinic to get an x-ray today to verify my bones have healed so I could take the splint off my hand. Oksana was going to go with us as a translator but she called and said the appointment was canceled and we need to wait two more weeks for another one.
Emily was pleased for this news because she was afraid I would overdo when the splint comes off.
My plans are that I would transition into a brace that could be removed for showering. I am longing for a shower where I don't have to wear a plastic bag on my arm and hold it above my head to keep the splint dry. With all this heat and my perspiring...the splint is beginning to stink. Do I offend?
That's is all the news for now. Again, God's grace is sufficient is my mantra.

What a friend!

My friend, Kay was so dear to me today because she not only met me at the metro station but showed me exactly how to get to the school where I am going to be working.....together we changed metro lines, got off at Petrivka, saw which marshroutka (#25) to take and the sights to look for (we go past a Circuit City, a maternity hospital, an Orthrodox church, a casino and a building with a green roof, just to name a few). This was all for my benefit to reassure me I am going the right way and show me eactly where to get off. And we did the return trip as well together. With a friend like this you can truly build up your confidence - "I can do this!"
I actually saw parts of town I had never seen before.
She could of tried to verbally give me directions but that isn't her style.
Thanks, Kay. I enjoyed our day together.

Got the Job!

Today I went to KCA (Kiev Christian Academy) to become a volunteer member of the staff working in the school office. The school is located across town and I have yet to get the exact address for the building. I made it to a metro stop and the Director/Prinicipal (unsure of his title) drove there and brought me to the school. He wasn't sure of how to get to the school via public transportation.
The two friends I would call to inquire about this information are currently out of town - and this isn't exactly an emergency call. I will need to know how to get there on my own. I can't keep bumming rides from my new boss!
I read lists of duties that are required and even with my broken hand I am confidant I will be able to handle it. I say this with tongue in cheek because school hasn't started yet and there will be lots of names and faces I will need to learn. This year the academic classes are students in the 1st through 12th grades.
I will be working 5 days a week - and will be away from home most likely 10 hours a day. That is certainly a change of pace from what I have been doing. This will also require an adjustment for Alan and Emily - but I expect support for this new phase of my life.
So I expect that there will be lots of future blogs of the goings on at KCA.

Such a blessing!

When Alan & I had our lunch and we played a game of Phase 10 I found out that he just wasn't ready to work on his projects or tomorrow's sermon. I determined to ask an important question, "Are you willing to either to try and fix our printer or throw it out?" (I was tired of seeing the box in our bedroom since October 27, 2006!) So he decided to try and fix it one more time before throwing it out. It had previously been repaired for this same ailment but that time it was under warranty and now he was concerned for the cost of sending it in to be repaired.
So...with a bit of grunting, banging and some finesse he got the printer apart. The scanner portion of the printer just wasn't docking properly. He tried to disconnect the scanner but the printer wouldn't work without everything in proper order. He thought about it and determined that there was an optical sensor that wasn't seeing it was in the correct position. With a Q-tip and a few swipes....walla - it works. We are dancing with joy and praising God for Alan's mechanical aptitude and his only battle wound was a minor scrape. A band-aid on his owwie and all is right with the world. Hallelujah!
No more hand written letters to my mom - she will appreciate this as much as we do.

Out for a Walk

My arm in a sling and flip flops on I was ready to go out in the world. Simple errands were needed. Go to the library and print off the Internet bill and a song for Emily. And then make 4 copies of each song. Well, one of the sheet protectors had two songs! Tried to call Em to find out which one was needed. She called back and the crisis was averted. Pay and then the plan was to go to the store to get something for lunch. Today the fountains were spraying water skyward from the canal and on the sidewalk I saw a man with his hand bandaged and there was a moment of recognition and understanding without a word being spoken. At the store we got some breaded cutlets things, rolls and some eggs for breakfast. Not a lot of shopping. I also wanted Diet Coke but there wasn't any. We didn't go down the gauntlet of vendors that sell produce on the street but headed directly to the bank to pay the bill. There wasn't a line - a surprise. And coming out of the bank Alan remembered I wanted Diet Coke and he stopped at a kiosk to get me a one litre bottle. We are home again and he is preparing me lunch. Ah! Such is the life I live.
Thanks for reading.

Just heard the news!

I just heard of the change of plans for friends, Jana and Robin....they are moving to Mexico in October to serve at a Foursquare base there. When we just left them last month they were talking of building on their property. I guess God had other plans for their future.
Our home church, New Covenant Fellowship has a way of growing missionaries. Train them to listen to the Lord and obey when He says go. What a legacy!
I am trusting that the Lord will raise up people to begin to serve in their stead and in time they will hear the call to go. NCF is a praying, reaching, teaching, sending resource center!
With their leaving the Northwest, I hope that maybe we can coordinate our furlough times and places to see them again and give hugs.
It has been a month since I fell and mid-August I will have an x-ray to verify the bones have healed. Then I will be working on getting movement back in my hand.
Guess what? I may have a volunteer job at a school here in Kyiv and doing office work again. I had thought I would be attending school in September as a student. So now I hope to get a language helper to help with my Russian speaking. The school is for MK's and teaches in English. My friend, Kay teaches 5th grade. She is the one who mentioned the need for office help. Is God good...I may get to make copies again....What joy!
We some times make plans but God has other ideas.
Good thing we can make our requests known to God and then leave them in His hands.
Many blessings for a God-filled day.