Leaving on a Jet Plane...

My 9 months in the States have flown by fast. They have been pretty packed with traveling, homework and visiting friends and family. I am excited to return to Russia, yet HATE saying goodbye.

I fly out Tuesday, March 2^nd at 11am from Denver. I go to JFK (in NY) then to Moscow then to St Pete (arriving 4pm March 3^rd local time, 6am WY time). I’ll spend a couple days there packing up my things (stored at a friend’s house) and then ship them out on a train to Krasnoyarsk, where I plan to arrive (by plane) on Sunday morning 5am local time (3pm Saturday WY time). Krasnoyarsk is 14 hours ahead of mountain time so that will be quite the adjustment (as well as recovering from the 20 hours of flight time).

God has answered several of my prayer requests from a few weeks ago! I received my visa with plenty of time to spare, received my FBI background check (to apply for another visa while in Russia), I am 2 papers shy of finishing up my second to last college class and I am enjoying remaining time with family (I got to spend time with my Grandma Lucille and my sister and brother-in-law)! Also, my friend Lea, who has a brain tumor is already seeing good results from her recent radiation treatments (the tumor has begun to shrink!!!)

It is sad to think about all of the people I didn’t get to see while in the States or the people that I was hoping to spend more time with, but the reality is that I was able to see a lot of people and spend time with many friends and family that I might not have been able to see if I has worked a job where I only get weekends and holidays off. I’ve been greatly blessed by the encouragement of brothers and sisters who pray for me and care about what God is doing in and through me!

I’m excited about getting back to Russia and I am praying for a “soft landing” – finding a great apartment/roommate(s) shortly after arrival, the return of my Russian language, good health, and quick recovering from jet lag. I am thankful for friends in Krasnoyarsk that are allowing me to stay with them until I can find another place to live. I am excited about what the future holds and anxious about many of the things that I have to do once I get there (finding housing, language schooling, gathering documents to apply for resident’s visa, etc.)

I have less than a week left and a lot of packing and odds and ins to get done in that time (including two more papers to write!)

Appreciate you reading and caring about my life!

The Semester's Over! Now, Waiting on Christmas and Russian Invitation

I know it’s terrible that I don’t write here more often…but what can I say, I’ve been busy!

I just finished emailing in my last assignment for this semester’s classes, that makes it 24 credit hours down and 9 more to go! I will be taking 3 more classes next semester to finish up my degree in Intercultural Studies at Calvary :)

This past Sunday I was at the last church I was scheduled to share at – that means that I don’t have to travel any more :) I’m sure I’ll still be leaving the ranch to get out and see people, but now I feel like I’m free – no more homework and nothing else on the schedule…well, except to sit back and enjoy Christmas with family!

I called the university in Krasnoyarsk last night to check on my invitation (which I am waiting on to apply for my visa so I can return to Russia as a student). No news there, except I found out that they were a month later than they had previously told me in submitting the paper work to the government to receive the visa. So if my estimates are right (though no one can ever be sure of anything when dealing with dates and timelines in Russia) it looks like (the optimistic view) the soonest I will be returning to Russia in the end of January first part of February…perhaps it is more realistic to say the end of February…

I’m not sure what I will do with “all this extra time” but I have a feeling that it will fill up pretty fast. I am getting more anxious to return to Russia and fear losing my Russian language more and more as I stay here in the States.

BUT I do not want anyone to think that I am not enjoying my time here. I am REALLY enjoying time with family and friends and am stinkin’ excited to be here for Christmas!!

Until the next time, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

p.s. I’m kinda glad I’m not in Krasnoyarsk right now, they are experiencing -40*, -50* weather…burrr

motivation for reading: super-soaker and a BA

Pretty sure that my present-day life is reading books. When I get finished with one, I write a paper about it and pick up the next one. After I finish a chapter or section I “reward” myself by changing my reading location (from the floor to the bed, from the bed to the chair, from the chair to the floor) or do other fun activities like go to the bathroom.

Coffee is my friend.

It's so much fun...especially since reading has always been my favorite thing to do…

I remember when my parents bribed (they would probably describe it as “rewarding” or “encouraging”) me to read x amount of books over the summer with $10 of spending money. It must have worked, because I remember buying a super-soaker water gun (I still have it too!)

But pretty sure I wouldn’t be going through all of this for a super-soaker. If only $10 would buy a Bachelors of Arts degree. Turns out a BA costs a little bit more money than that AND, wouldn’t you know, it requires reading!?

DON’T GET ME WRONG, I’m enjoying what I am reading and God is teaching me through it. I’m also thankful that people are supporting me during this time, so I am able to get this better-than-a-super-soaker-BA debt free!!

Enough about the college life (take 2)…

Two weekends ago I took these pictures while with some Greer’s in Springfield, MO area (Brighton and Silver Dollar City) MO.

Good times!

Back to College Life

Here I am in Kansas City, MO at College. To be honest, I haven’t exactly been excited about this “opportunity” to be back at College. I feel like I’ve been there and done that and would like to move on to “bigger and better” things than dorm life, dress codes and papers. God is still working on my heart to enjoy my time being here, because I know where this is where He wants me, for now.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to get my accredited bachelor’s degree – and move one step closer to getting credentials to teach English in Russia. Praise God for His provision of funds to go back to college (being a student is surprisingly stinkin’ expensive).

I am also thankful that CBC has a good non-traditional studies program (online classes, correspondence courses, independent studies and intensive night courses) that enable me to remain flexible to travel and be at home with family while working on completing 33 credit hours (needed to get my BA…don’t worry, I’m not taking all of these 33 at the same time). I will have to be here in Kansas City, on campus through September 27^th.

There’s some really neat students here – and although they make me feel “old” – it is encouraging to see their desire to serve the Lord.

God is using the classes to teach me more about Himself and myself. In my night class last Thursday God used the teacher and homework to show me that my focus was off. I realized that I was focusing on my goals, plans and tasks ahead of me (and finding myself over whelmed, exhausted and inadequate). You might be like me and think, “What’s so bad about focusing on your goals?” You’re right, it’s not “bad”, in fact I would say that it is “good”. The problem is that it is not the “best” thing to focus on. Because I was not focusing on Jesus, I was becoming overwhelmed and forgetting my purpose in accomplishing my goals and Who was my motivation in accomplishing them.

Praise God for His Holy Spirit that helps keep us inline. In Sunday School the teacher referred to the Holy Spirit as like the rumble strips on the high-way of life. He alerts us to know that we are veering off the path of God’s best, God’s will. May I be able to keep my focus on Jesus – who is going in front of me making the crooked places straight (a reference to Isaiah 45:2 - one of my Grandma’s favorite verses to quote to her grandkids).

Matthew 11:28-30 continues to be words of Christ that bring comfort and strength – “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from mw, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.”