my day...

Ok, so not sure what to write about today...let's see...It was a good day. happy. (that was for Carli :o) Nothing exciting (well, except that all of life is exciting right now) Got up, went to the office, worked on stuff, came home for lunch (Syoma was here--we looked at pics and watched videos of camp), saw Veronica (yea!!! it's been awhile), went to Metro with Oleg V. and had a really good conversation, put up all the really cool pictures and stuff that Calyn sent me, made cinnamon rolls, and now I'm typing this blog. Something I was thinking about today...it's so cool how God works things out...I mean, we make all these plans for our lives and they don't end up the way we expect them to, but then we look back and see how God was all over everything--always was, always is. Anyway, that's all I've got for now. Oh, I hope Ukraine Share Night goes really well, I am praying for you guys and I think you're stinkin awesome!!! I wish I could be there to hear you!!!

Peace Out!

Things you should know...

-Calyn is my favorite person ever.
-Jake Mumm is my hero.
-Ukrainians are too sweet.
-Todd G. Sapp is the best youth pastor ever.
-PCBS is the AMAZING.
-If you want to buy a house, you should call Kenley.
-I love Amberly.
-I miss my AllSummerStaff.
-God is faithful.
-They should bring Dr. Pepper to Ukraine.
-They should bring Bananna Milk to America.
-Pasha is funny.
-I love Radooga.
-I miss Smallville parties (even though Boy Meets World is better)
-Northwood's youth ROC.
-Syoma takes AMAZING pictures.
-Joshchik is dynamic :o)
-Did I mention Calyn is my favorite :o)

Fall is here!

Ok, so don’t let the one freezing day fool you.  The temp is supposed to be in the upper 60’s for the next ten days.  There was just that one freak I’m-gonna-be-in-the-freakin-40s-all-day day and it is over now.  So, we didn’t skip fall entirely and that’s good b/c I like fall and now it is good weather to wear a sweater with no jacket and be ok weather you are indoors or outdoors. I like this.  I can do this.  :o)  That it went from 75 to 45 in less than 12 hours scared me a little bit, but I’m good now :o)

"So we almost died today:" A Blog for Calyn

So, today was much less eventful than yesterday had been…which was a good thing.  I woke up, went to work, came home for leftovers with Amberly, went back to work...Little Andrey was there, that was happy.  Amberly and I decided it was time to go grocery shopping—one of our new favorite pastimes, and while we were in the Grocery Store, Pasha sent us a text that said “if it is ok, I will come to you now.”  We love Pasha.  So, we told him that we were at the Grocery Store and he said he would come over in 40 mins, so we better be home…We rushed out of the store and got on a super crowded marchutka and made our way home.  We made grilled cheese sandwiches which Pasha had never had before.  Yum.  Pasha discovered that you could pull the light in our kitchen up and down.  I’m not real sure why you would, but it defiantly has this spring attached to it so that you can move it.  Well, stuff started falling of the light fixture when Pasha was moving it, so we yelled at him and told him to stop.  Then, we went in Amberly’s room and were looking at pictures from camp and we heard something in our kitchen crash.  This isn’t an abnormal thing and after yesterday, nothing would supprise us, we figured something had just fallen off a shelf and none of us got up to see.  So, Pasha left for work (he gaurds his mom’s store at night) and Amberly and I laughed immensely at the Snoop Dogg jacket that he put on as he walked out the door.  Then, we went to our kitchen and in the middle of our floor was our light fixture.  (see picture below).  That’s right, Calyn…less than 24hours after your light fixture almost killed you, Pasha successfully caused ours to crash as well.  So, maybe ours wasn’t quite as traumatic, maybe we didn’t almost die, but let me tell you this…Pasha had better watch his back…or at least come fix our light :o)

 

Peace Out.

 

This is Pasha's fault. He's coming back to fix it. B/c this is NOT ok.  

King Pasha is such an actor. We love him and enjoy his visits so much. Even if he is a little too in love with himself :o) 

Jake and Calyn are two of my very favorite people :o)

So, yeterday was insane, like out of a movie or something. Amberly and I both had "one of those days," but, God is faithful and at like 9pm when I was pretty sad about the day, I was like "God, I could really use something to cheer me up right now" and soon after that, Jake got on ICQ and started talking to me about Ukraine and how much he loves is and how much he misses it and wants to come back and how he's learning Russian and all this really amazing stuff...and I was reminded that God brought me here. And what an amazing priviledge it is to be in Ukraine, even on days when nothing works out right, I am confident that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Thank you, Jake, for your encouragement...I know that you don't know that our converstaion last night was exactly what I needed to hear, but God did b/c He's good like that. And then, Calyn called right before youth and I got to talk to her...and that made me REAL happy. and I'm super glad that she didn't die today. ;o) maybe James was praying :o)

Peace Out!!!

We love Little Jake...he's all grown up since last summer...one of my favorite campers :o) Hanging out with him makes me miss my Jake E. Poo, though. 

New Life Youth Service. We went with Pasha this morning to New Life where several campers and councilors from camp attend. It was good to see some friends :o) 

Amberly and Syoma learning the words to a song while we wait for someone to come show us where the park is we are supposed to be meeting at. 

Ok, so "no Christmas Trees" on the Metro was funny. This is just scarry. 

Look, I forgot that I can make a balloon elephant. Thank you Mr. Scott for taking me to Jamacia where I first experimented with the whole balloon anima thing. 

Ok, so I messed this up, and THIS is me and Nikita and Amberly. The next picture is of Roma, the Twins and Tyoma :o) It's been awhile since I've posted pictures, sorry. 

This is me and Nikita and Amberly after an awesome worship service at his church. 

Good Morning Sunshine :o)

Calyn called and woke me up this morning :o) Happy day :o) The Oleg's will be in Tallahassee in just 2 days. That's exciting. Oleg V. is gonna be on the Radio on Tuesday morning. That is so fun :o) Ok, well, since I was talking to Calyn, I wasn't getting ready for work, so now I s'pose I need to go get ready.

Peace Out.

Thought this was interesting...

The oldest known house in the world is a remarkable dwelling found at Mezhirich, near Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It was found in 1965 by a Ukrainian farmer who was digging a new cellar six feet below his home. It is made of mammoth bones and was built about 15,000 years ago. It formed part of a village and was so strongly built that it would have lasted several generations. This would indicate that the inhabitants were settled agriculturalists rather than nomad hunters.

Update

Hey guys, thought I would share an update I wrote with you. :o)

---

September 6, 2005

Dear Friends,

 

Wow.  As most of you I’m sure know, I left Tallahassee for Ukraine three months ago today.  The journey God has placed me on since then has been incredible, fast, unpredictable, life-changing, and at times, quite difficult.  But, I am very excited to hear that He has called you to be a part of this magnificent journey with me and I look forward to these letters which I will use to share with you what God is doing in my life as best I can.  I want to use these to share both what God is doing with Radooga as well as what He is teaching me, personally, as I live in a new country and culture. 

 

First of all, camps for 2005 ended on August 9^th, and it was a bittersweet ending.  God did so many amazing things in the lives of campers, Am. teams, and Ukrainian staff.  My favorite story is of a girl named Ira who was in my English Class during camp 2.  She was scared to accept Christ because she knew that her father would not approve.  She left camp without making a decision, but with the knowledge that she was loved both by God and by many Americans who left there homes to share that with her.  Then, during camp 6, another girl came to camp and handed a letter and a picture to me; apparently she went to church with Ira.  In the letter Ira said that she had gone home and realized that Jesus loved her enough to die for her and because of that she knew that she had to give her life to Him, regardless of the cost.  She asked my prayers.  It is so encouraging to see that God isn’t done working just because camp is over.  It helps motivate me to never stop praying for these kids. 

 

On August 11^th the All Summer American Staff, minus me and Amberly, got on a plane to head back to America.  I remember on the ride to the airport thinking “ok, this is it; this is real; I’m staying in Ukraine.  Life starts now.”  I was really scared and it was the first time I had felt that way.  There were certainly tears as I waved goodbye to my summer family, but after that, as I walked back out the airport doors—peace.  I can’t explain it, but I felt it.  The fear was gone, not forever, but for the moment, and I knew I was where I was supposed to be.

 

After the summer staff left, I stayed with Oleg and Lena Vasileski.  Oleg is the director of Radooga and his wife also works there.  They are both so sweet and did everything they could to help me feel comfortable during my time with them.  I must admit that God was teaching me patience, though, while I was there.  I didn’t want to be an imposition and I didn’t want them to feel like they had to take care of me all the time.  It was really hard for me not to have a place to live, but my prayer was that God would prepare a perfect place for me and that I would be patient in my waiting on Him.

 

Well, God is faithful and on September 2, 2005 Amberly and I moved into an apartment that is right next to the Radooga office.  I am able to walk to work and go home for lunch and I don’t have to fight with the crowds on the Metro during rush hours.  Also, the worship leader, Sergey, and my friend Denis live in the building right next to ours and have already been a huge blessing.  Denis came over just the other night and helped us to put up our shower curtain. 

Today was my first official day of work at the Radooga office.  So, I look forward to telling you more about what God is doing here in my next update.  For now I want to leave you with some prayer requests and praise reports and say thank you, one more time, for all you have invested into my life and into the ministry of Radooga and therefore to Ukraine.

 

Serving with you,

Lori

 

Praise Reports

v      A two room apartment right next to the Radooga Office

v      My first day of work

v      Oleg gave me a cell phone to use while I am here

v      Calyn called me on my cell phone yesterday

 

Prayer Requests

v      Preparation for fall Conferences on October 29^th and November 5^th

v      Safe travel for Oleg and Oleg to the States on September 10^th.  They will be meeting with the board of directors and also with Student Life while they are there.  So, please pray that God will give everyone wisdom and clarity in all the decisions that are being made while they are there.  These will be decisions that will affect Radooga for the upcoming year—through ’06 camps. 

v      Pray for me as I get into my job here, because I often feel inadequate.  Pray that God will constantly remind me of 2 Corinthians 12:9 which says, “But, He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in your weakness.’” 

v      For me and Calyn.  God has really been teaching us gratitude for each other, and the separation has not been easy for either of us.  In fact, often times, it is the hardest part of my being here. 

 

 

Fireworks and Carmel Sundaes :o)

Today we didn’t do much. Watched a couple movies and chilled, but we
went out tonight and ate at BoomShanky :o) and then went outside to
watch fireworks (I think they had them b/c today was the first day of
school—“International Day of Knowledge”—except it’s only national :o)
and then we ate carmel sundaes. Thank You, God, for the little
things You bless us with. You are good.

Peace Out.