Doesn't anyone know what Christmas is all about?

Nicole does!


check out Nicole's latest & greatest video- it will surely get you in the Christmas spirit!

"God knows just where a little extra light is needed. That's where He always sends you. Merry Christmas."

-text on a card from my mom this Christmas- couldn't be a more appropriate card for this year

almost "back in the swing of things"

Since I have last updated, many things have changed, and as supporters, family, and friends, you have probably been wondering. Well, I arrived home to Klaipėda, Lithuania from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan safely on December 9th. I was expecting to arrive back on December 4th, but had some complications with my visa and had to stay an extra five days to work things out. To save myself the trauma of retelling the story (okay, a bit dramatic), I will spare you the details. Basically, from this event that caused me to stay in the country a few extra days, I learned many important lessons: 1.) Be careful what you wish for, because you actually may get it. (I wished for more time with Altynai, and got it). 2.) Read my visa and any other offical documents more carefully in the future. 3.) Sometimes we suffer larger consequences for our mistakes because if the consequence was small, we wouldn't learn the lesson so deeply.
Coming back to Klaipeda, I experienced more culture shock than I had ever before. I know myself well, that when I travel, and come home, the reverse culture shock is always more strong than the initial culture shock when entering a new country. I had a hard time, the first week or so, readjusting to the culture. I was used to standing out by my appearance looking much different than the Kyrgyz people. I also had to get used to hearing and speaking a different language (I was used to hearing Russian all the time, and now I had to remember the Lithuanian words I knew). I also had to adjust to not having a companion by my side all the time- Altynai and I became very close, like sisters, while I was in Kyrgyzstan. A normal host probably would assume the roles of "tour guide" and "translator," but Altynai was so much more. She was an educator, patiently teaching me about the culture and exposing me to the rich traditions & customs that the Kyrgyz people live by. As sisters would, we talked together, cried together, and shared our hearts with each other. To the left, this picture was taken the night before I left. Though we are separated by thousands of kilometers, I know we will have a lifelong friendship, one that travels across the oceans, mountains, and seas to spend time together.
I also had to get used to being around so many Americans. LCC is a place filled with many North Americans, and it took me a while to remember how to communicate with people, as it was very different than communicating in Kyrgyzstan. I am grateful for the friends God gave me here. They were, and continue to be gracious & interested in learning more about my time with Altynai. The time God gifted me with in Kyrgyzstan was healing & refreshing for my spirit. God gave me a new outlook on life, learning about living a simpler life, valuing family more, and deepening my faith by taking me out of my comfort zone to make me completely depending on Him. Disguised as a legal requirement for me to leave the country for 45 days, upon arrival, I soon learned that God would be using this time strictly for His benefit, and for me to glorify Him.
I came back to Klaipeda and was issused the TRP (Temporary Residence Permit)- the last step of the migration work. I take nothing for granted (or try not to at least) any more, especially relating with migration. I was so relieved when Regina (the migration worker) handed me my TRP card on Monday, what a relief, to finally have all the legal documents completed and signed. I can stay here for a year now, legally!
Well, shortly after I got back, I didn't quite get into "the swing of things" as you may have imagined. LCC students, faculty, and staff went on break just a week after I arrived back. Students had finals the entire next week, so they were busy with that. Staff and faculty were mainly busy getting ready to go to the states. However, I made the most of that week, in fact, I made up for lost time with friends & with people from church. Here are some highlights from the week:
1. Singing "Silent Night" in Lithuanian and lighting the advent candle together with the Vineyard church community.
2. Drinking hot spiced wine in the freezing cold at the Christmas market (which turned out to be a couple stands) in Palanga, a town on the sea.
3. A couple huge snowstorms which gave me joy- I really like the snow, especially since Klaipeda can become very gray in the winter. The snow paints the beautiful cobblesone streets, pine trees in the forest, and red brick buildings white all around.

Right picture: Zane & I at the Jazz Club (we were the only ones that night...)
4. Decorating my flat with Christmas decorations, a few I bought here, but mainly ones people from home sent me (thanks Mom & Erica!)
5. Opening packages from family & friends- all I should say is that wishlist on my blog turned out to be a good idea, people were pretty faithful to the list (and sent even more than I was expecting). Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who sent cards or a Christmas package!
6. An overall sense of peace that God has given me lately: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27 NIV

It would be my prayer that you could experience this same peace that only God can give, as it says in the previous verse, not that the world gives, but a divine peace.

Left: making hot spiced wine

Right: dinner with my student leaders taking a "family portrait"

Below: going to the sauna on the beach- running into the ice cold Baltic Sea after a steaming hot sauna with Zane, Rachel, Michelle, and Allison

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only the daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God" Proverbs 30:8-9

December 1, 2009

This year was the second time I have celebrated Thanksgiving in another country, and quite a different experience than celebrating it in the United States. First, I looked up some recipes on the internet to use to cook Thanksgiving for Altynai and her family. I might as well have just remembered approximate measurements and ingredients since I ended up having to make lots of moderations to the recipes anyways. But that’s to be expected when you are trying to make traditional American food thousands of miles away from America. The menu was as follows: chicken (substituted for turkey), ginger orange squash, traditional stuffing, mashed potatoes, and apple crisp with ice cream. The first major adjustment I made was having chicken instead of turkey. Being okay with that, I was fine with making substitutions in all the recipes. I think it was a success & Altynai & her family seemed to enjoy the meal. Altynai’s mom also made some traditional Kyrgyz food- borsok- fried bread. I was able to tell her family all about the different traditions we have in America, and specifically, in my family, for Thanksgiving. I thought of and prayed for my family the whole day, and wondered how they were celebrating the day. We were stuffed by the end of the night, and we had a surplus of food, just like Thanksgiving in the US. Making Thanksgiving dinner for Altynai and her family was the least I could do to extend my thanks to them for opening up their home to me and for their hospitality the past month and a half.

November 25, 2009

Where I last left off was about three weeks ago and boy has time flown since then. I’ll try my best to catch up for lost time. Here are some of the highlights:
1. Teaching English for two consecutive days to high school students in grades 11 and 12. Both days I woke up at 6:30 to arrive at the school at 8am doing my best at “playing school.” I say this in quotes because I never saw myself as a high school English teacher, but what I have come to learn is that God can and will use me in a variety of contexts to teach me about himself. Both days, I had the help of Elvira, a friend I have been blessed to meet at the International Church within the first week of being here. She helps me translate from English to Russian or Kyrgyz (depending on the class) and we work very well together. She is extremely patient and unassuming- two very positive qualities to possess. From class, we went to “Shattik” (a word meaning joy in Kyrgyz), an after school program for children started by a Korean missionary woman. In the after school program, students learn English, art, tae kwon doe, music (on the national instrument called the Komus), and computer skills. I went with Elvira to Shaktik where she taught two elementary aged girls English. She has been volunteering twice a week at this center for three years now- through her I have learned what it truly means to be serving God with all your time, not just giving him a portion of your life for an allotted time slot weekly. While we were walking and talking together on our way to Shaktik, Elvira said, ever so frankly, to me, “when you go back to Lithuania you can tell others about that time in Kyrgyzstan when you were an English teacher.” Meeting Elvira has been a great unexpected bonus of my time in Bishkek. (below is a picture of me in front of “Shaktik.”2. Phone calls and communication people I love. I received a package last week from my mom with a plethora of home baked deliciousness in the form of American chocolate chip cookies. They were delicious and were just what the doctor would have prescribed. Thanks, Mom! Since arriving in Bishkek, I have made three phone calls: one to my mom, to my dad, and to my best friend Nicole in the US. Each have been equally rewarding. Though it seems like forever since I departed Lithuania, it has only been five weeks. In those five weeks, I have missed home more than ever before. It could be for a combination of reasons, but mostly, in this time of being more out of touch from the people far away whom I love, I have learned not to take loving family and friends for granted. I have come to appreciate a small card, e-mail, or phone call so much more now that I don’t have it at my disposal. Technology can be a blessing and a curse. I have been learning that though it was nice having internet, skype, etc. so readily available in Lithuania, I am much more dependent on God now that I am not as dependent on people. When we have these comforts and are able to communicate with instant gratification, we lose touch on the more important, greater lessons God has to teach us. Tomorrow will be Thanksgiving, and this year, the holiday usually classified by a table of a smorgesboard of food and simultaneous conversations across a big table will be marked as one where I thank God for his grace in giving me a family that cares and loves me, and raised me in the faith, and I will think of them throughout the day, especially when I see the brief news clip about the classic New York Macy’s Day parade and imagine myself standing in the cold, rainy streets of NYC, cheering for the snoopy float, as I do every year. I will thank God for keeping my family safe and healthy while I am so far away from them.
3. 10 shots & more pills than I care to count… I got sick last week- fever, chills, a cough, and achy joints. Never have I missed the comfort and care of my family than when I was sick. Of course, Altynai & her family did a wonderful job of helping me, but no matter how hard they tried, no one would be my mother. Being sick in a foreign country just stinks- I was unable to understand things and had lots of questions, feeling like a pest when I didn’t understand. The way a society operates can be so different across cultures, and I noticed this a lot when I was sick last week. I was a bit worried it may be the flu, but God protected me from the Swine Flu, at a time where it is running rampant in many parts of the world. With this time I was sick, there were a lot of “firsts.” I learned that the medical system is much different here than in the states. With my mom being a nurse, I grew up being aware of what our medical system is like and always being cautious to have good medical insurance for fear that I would get deathly ill and then have years of debt to pay off. Well, the medical system is much different here. If a patient is very sick, the doctor will come to their house and examine them. Then, he or she will prescribe various pills or shots that the patient needs. The patient should not question the doctor (me being very curious had lots of questions and this is discouraged). Then, the patient actually goes to the drug store, called the Apteka and purchases the medicine, syringes, alcohol (not necessarily rubbing alcohol- pure vodka purchased a price cheaper than water will do). I couldn’t believe that anyone could go to the drug store to purchase these drugs- including Novocain. The nurse came twice a day for five days to give me shots- they were long and pretty painful and was relieved when the last one was administered this morning at 8am. I am almost fully recovered, and will finish off all the pills in the next couple days.
4. A village wedding. Lets just preface the following experience that Altynai did a great job of preparing me for the wedding of her far removed cousin & his wife, but could have never fully prepared me for the events of that evening. Though it did not come as a surprise to me when I was the only Caucasian person in a room of over 150 people gathered for the wedding, it did come a shock when I learned that I would often be the spectacle to them, a person to practice their English on, to show of to the other side of the family, to make give a speech, and to have compete in a dance competition. She could have never prepared me for a kiss from a guy who I danced with in a contest. I think the only person who saw that coming was the DJ, who orchestrated the entire game. At least I won an umbrella as a prize, and a dance with a cute guy! There is a tradition in Kyrgyzstan that sometimes in villages, a girl is kidnapped and stolen for marriage from a man. People joked (and I nervously & continuously laughed, hoping they were kidding) as the said “be careful, this could happen to you while you’re here.” One woman even told me she would like for me to marry her son & said I’d be a good catch for him. When the night was over, I was thankful that I was safe in home in my bed resting without worry that my fate may be in the hands of some babushkas. All in all, I learned a lot about the role of women and men in marriage & in relationships in general. I also learned a lot about the many wedding traditions in a Kyrgyz wedding. And thanks to Altynai & her family, I am all the more “cultured” because of it…
This weekend, I will be going to Karakol, Issyk-Kul, and Gregorivka with Elvira. Altynai is unable to come because of a interpreting work project that she got and has to work on this weekend. I’ll miss her, but I am excited to see the mountains & the famous lake Issyk-Kul that this country is known for. More updates to come soon.

November 3, 2009

Today, while Altynai is working in a new job (Praise God for bringing her work!), I have a free day to relax and lounge around- I enjoy these kinds of days every once in a while. It’s a beautiful day outside, so I may go for a walk in the park as well. For now, I’ll list some of the highlights of this past week:
Going to a concert of traditional Kyrgyz music including many instruments I have never heard before. I always enjoy hearing ethnic music. One of the best concerts with ethnic music, (other than this one of course) I ever heard was Yo-Yo Ma with the Silk Road Project this year in Rhode Island. If you ever get a chance to hear them, go- it’s well worth it.


Going for a drive to the mountains, to Issyk-Ata. On Saturday, Altynai’s brother drove us to the mountains for a picnic. Altynai’s mom packed lots of snacks, probably the entire fridge ended up in our trunk. If we had had a tent, we probably would have stayed overnight. The whole drive out to the mountains I was daydreaming, imagining life so simple, just living day to day, not having the complications that materialism brings into my life. As we watched the horses graze in the pastures and the dogs rounding up the sheep, I entered a new world.
When we arrived in Issyk-Ata, we parked the car and walked to a perfect picnic spot, well, at least what I thought was a perfect picnic spot, a little picnic area overlooking the stream and the mountains in the distance. Then we moved, to some park benches with Lenin’s statue towering over us- how picturesque… We ate some lunch and then hiked to the waterfall. The weather was beautiful- literally not a cloud in the sky, and the air was warm, but not humid as it can be where I am from in the states. The air was crisp, clean, and all I heard was the sound of the rushing water flowing through the mountains. We hiked all the way to the waterfall, and it was well worth it. It had snowed here and I felt that I had entered a new season as it suddenly transitioned from spring to winter.