Another post can you believe it???
:)
So, I am currently eating a DELIsCIOUS “salad.” I dunno what we would call it… maybe just vegetables. Anyways I cut up cucumber, avocado, and tomato and put a little lemon juice and lime juice on it and have found myself in heaven.
After my early morning Russian class I used the interwebs a bit and then went to the Academy. At the Academy I picked up my paperwork to be an official student and stuff for my visa.
Now I’m home for a breather and food and to pick up my computer, because my plan is to take my laptop to the institute and do any number of the 10000 things I need to to in the next couple weeks, most of them need my laptop, and/or the internet.
Why I’m posting other than to be a hobbit it to say that I got an email from the people in charge of my scholarship in America! Oh, let me explain that. As my parents and I are hashing out possible options for the upcoming school year and trying to figure out the wisest way of going about all of this, my mother made a BRILLIANT suggestion. (Man, now I am eating more of that pasta and having a chocolate-soy shake… I am in HEAVEN!!) She told me to contact my scholarship providers at OU and see if I can defer my scholarship. I emailed yesterday and was surprised by Jeff’s characteristically American to respond to the same day he received the email. Now as many of you know, this is only technically my second year at the University, but the Lord has blessed me with an overabundance of hours so that it should only take me 1 more year to graduate with my Russian degree if I go back to OU. He said I that I have a four-year scholarship and if I choose to go to this school it can be considered a non-reciprocal exchange. So, if for example I go to the Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities for a year and realize it isn’t where I want to be long term, I can return to OU and I’d have lost 2 semesters of my scholarship, but I would have 2 semesters left… and since I was only planning on using 2 semesters anyways, that IS WONDERFUL NEWS. :) SO let us expound upon this scenario. Supposing after a year of studying at the Academy I for whatever reason decide that is enough, I go back to OU, pick right back up my scholarship and can resume my loans without missing a beat, and I’ll still have graduated in 4 years with a Bachelor’s in Russian to be added to my already established Associate’s degree in Drug and Alcohol Abuse Counseling. What’s more I’ll have lived an extra year in Russia and SUBSTANCIALLY improved my Russian which will help me in the rest of my Russian classes, which I could really use. I currently have a higher GPA overall than I do in my major, which isn’t exactly peachy-keen. And it could make me more marketable in the potential work-force (if dealing with say translation, interpretation, or ESL in the Former USSR). Who knows, maybe this route was God’s intention all along and I only just now realized it was an option.
BUT DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP FOR THAT. In my head this is still more of a Plan B than a Plan A, I’m just saying that it Is nice, and I am not really the one calling the shots anyways, so who knows what the future holds. :)
YES! For dessert the last chocolate chip cookie!!!! BLISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Sorry Nicole if this one is too long... you can take it in chunks :)
I again didn’t get out of bed at the time I had hoped for, but I wasn’t trying too very hard since I am still in the healing process and I had my big interview today. I ate more pasta and macaroni for breakfast and got ready for the day.
SKIPPING AHEAD…
OK. So I get to the Academy at like 2:30 PM. I show the secretary my Diploma and stuff and say I am early but that I am there for my Interview and I don’t know who I am supposed to give my paperwork to. She seems very surprised that I think I have an interview and tells me to wait in the hall for the vice-rector. I wait… and wait. When he finally comes there are many people waiting for him and it doesn’t seem to matter much to him what order he sees them in. The Secretary unfortunately lost my application so she is running around looking all over the world trying to find it, the poor lady. Finally at like 3:30 she tells me to come into the inner waiting room. After a short time there she tells me to go in and see the vice-rector.
I hand him my papers and act awkward and forget to say hello. I recover and he calls the rector (I only found out who it was later) and says he has the American he had talked about previously and wants to know if they have time for an interview at 4:00. The person on the other end agrees and they say they need to get someone from the Psychology department to come too. I then am told to keep my papers and go to inner waiting room again. He tells the secretary that there will be an interview today and her jaw just about drops clear to the floor and she says “TODAY???” (in Russian obviously) and he then makes sure there is a clear room to so it in. Then while he is seeing like 5 other students in record time, the secretary somewhat apologetically asks me to fill out the application again… grrrr… I mean I understand the error and all I just hate filling out official Russian document that always have plenty of words I don’t know and it is clear that time is of the essence. The Vice-rector comes out and asks if I am ready when I haven’t finished the form but am done with just about everything I understand… so I stall for a few minutes and then say I am ready.
I enter the room to realize I am having a personal interview with the rector, the vice-rector, and the head of the Psychology Department. Yes. In Russian. And so they look at my transcript but they don’t really seem to take much stock in it and even ask if it is a highschool transcript… I dunno. I think we’ll have to have words about that later, but they seem to think that since the process here is so different that I will have to do the full 5 years. The head of the Psychology department seemed very interested in a more detailed list of what I’d learned, but the vice-rector didn’t so much. I think I’d rather have that than the other way around… anyways, they asked where I would live and I said I’d need to live in a dorm, and then the rector called somebody… he was actually on the phone most of the conversation, but as soon as he would get off the phone he would jump right back into the conversation without missing a beat. When they found out I wanted a dorm for the summer and the school year they said I’d probably have to get one out by Peterhof, which is hella far away, just because all the dorms fill up in the summer. But then after one of the Rector’s phone calls he said I might be able to stay in these Baptist dorms and that they usually don’t even ask them, but since I am foreign and Baptist it should work out and that I need to go ask them… (they never actually gave me a number.. or address or anything… and I don’t know the official name… hmm, tomorrow is another day). Anyways everyone seemed very excited about that, including me. So they asked about my visa situation and they seemed to feel absolutely moved by my need for a visa. They gave me a speech about how everyone is equal at the school, whether Baptist, Orthodox, or non-believers and seemed to think this was a very grave and maybe even radical speech. *aside**Oh, kids, I’m from America REMEMBER!*
After the interview the vice-rector took me to this other office to get my visa info started. The guy had already left , so I am to go back tomorrow… the guy will only be in tomorrow from 10:00-13:00 so I think I’ll have to go right after class. As I left I was like flying, and almost forgot that I am weak and in poor health, but on the metro it caught up to me.
On the way home I went and got my pictures done for my official documents tomorrow.
When I got home Ira and her fiancée Roma were home and they said the pasta was really good and thanked me for making it, and didn’t understand how half of it was gone so they asked if Paige had come over. Heheh. Nope I am just a master at eating… and I eat it like 3 meals a day…. Haha.
GUESS WHAT!!! Ira found some chocolate-chip cookies at a local grocery store!!!! THAT IS LIKE AN ANSWER TO PRAYER. They were just sitting on the kitchen and she’d written “IT’S FOR YOU” (in English!!) on them! She is SUCH A SWEETY!! SO I ate so many of them and my pasta and now I am so full I am about ready for a food coma… but it might be an exhaustion coma.
And Both Helene and Kristina said they were praying for me and checked in with me after my interview! HOW WONDERFUL!! :)))))))
I LOVE THESE COOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, Anecdote. The other day I was waiting for Paige outside Pizza&Pasta.com and as many of you know, when I zone out I do slightly strange things… especially if I am in a good mood. One of these things is standing on my tip-toes. I was doing this very thing absent mindedly when I was noticed by a quite shnackered bystander. The exact date of this happening was May 10th… the day after Victory and while it was about 1 pm I am fairly confident this fine fellow was still up and participating in the previous night’s festivities. He was perfectly harmless and quite jovial. He noticed my standing on my tippy-toes and quite naturally assumed I was doing so out of a longing for high-heels. He was kind enough to try to rectify the matter for me. HE walked up to me and bent over and placed his lighter under my left heel. It worked quite well I must say, and I thanked him kindly for his good deed. He told me he had another one if I wanted it. I nodded so he searched his pockets only to find a cigarette pack, so making do with what he had he placed it under my right foot. This was not entirely helpful, because I was afraid of smashing his cigarettes which wouldn’t be a very kind way of repaying his favor. I came down off of my toes in an awkward manner and told him I wasn’t able. He assured me that I only couldn’t because the objects were different heights this making me stand at different angles. I agreed and appreciated his attempt to cover-up my un-lady-likeness for being unable to stand in these high-heels we had constructed. He then wished me a happy holiday. I wished him one right back. He asked if I was waiting for my man, presumably a soldier. I nodded… I guess in a way Paige I is kind of my soldier… but really I realized I was lucky for him not yet realizing that I was foreign and while I was enjoying our conversation thoroughly I’ve found that is it wise to keep such chance meetings brief just to be on the safe-side. He jovially saluted with both of his hands and informed me he too was a military man. HE asked me if my man was a General, and then proceeded down the rank. As he was going further down I realized I was going to have to say yes eventually or create a distraction, so I pretended I was getting a call. HE continued to talk to me for a while and I occasionally responded. He waited a couple of time even though the walk light was green in his direction, but he eventually walked off, just as Paige was coming too… I don’t think he would have considered her much of a soldier. But am glad for that chance meeting. It brightened my stay.
SKIPPING AHEAD…
OK. So I get to the Academy at like 2:30 PM. I show the secretary my Diploma and stuff and say I am early but that I am there for my Interview and I don’t know who I am supposed to give my paperwork to. She seems very surprised that I think I have an interview and tells me to wait in the hall for the vice-rector. I wait… and wait. When he finally comes there are many people waiting for him and it doesn’t seem to matter much to him what order he sees them in. The Secretary unfortunately lost my application so she is running around looking all over the world trying to find it, the poor lady. Finally at like 3:30 she tells me to come into the inner waiting room. After a short time there she tells me to go in and see the vice-rector.
I hand him my papers and act awkward and forget to say hello. I recover and he calls the rector (I only found out who it was later) and says he has the American he had talked about previously and wants to know if they have time for an interview at 4:00. The person on the other end agrees and they say they need to get someone from the Psychology department to come too. I then am told to keep my papers and go to inner waiting room again. He tells the secretary that there will be an interview today and her jaw just about drops clear to the floor and she says “TODAY???” (in Russian obviously) and he then makes sure there is a clear room to so it in. Then while he is seeing like 5 other students in record time, the secretary somewhat apologetically asks me to fill out the application again… grrrr… I mean I understand the error and all I just hate filling out official Russian document that always have plenty of words I don’t know and it is clear that time is of the essence. The Vice-rector comes out and asks if I am ready when I haven’t finished the form but am done with just about everything I understand… so I stall for a few minutes and then say I am ready.
I enter the room to realize I am having a personal interview with the rector, the vice-rector, and the head of the Psychology Department. Yes. In Russian. And so they look at my transcript but they don’t really seem to take much stock in it and even ask if it is a highschool transcript… I dunno. I think we’ll have to have words about that later, but they seem to think that since the process here is so different that I will have to do the full 5 years. The head of the Psychology department seemed very interested in a more detailed list of what I’d learned, but the vice-rector didn’t so much. I think I’d rather have that than the other way around… anyways, they asked where I would live and I said I’d need to live in a dorm, and then the rector called somebody… he was actually on the phone most of the conversation, but as soon as he would get off the phone he would jump right back into the conversation without missing a beat. When they found out I wanted a dorm for the summer and the school year they said I’d probably have to get one out by Peterhof, which is hella far away, just because all the dorms fill up in the summer. But then after one of the Rector’s phone calls he said I might be able to stay in these Baptist dorms and that they usually don’t even ask them, but since I am foreign and Baptist it should work out and that I need to go ask them… (they never actually gave me a number.. or address or anything… and I don’t know the official name… hmm, tomorrow is another day). Anyways everyone seemed very excited about that, including me. So they asked about my visa situation and they seemed to feel absolutely moved by my need for a visa. They gave me a speech about how everyone is equal at the school, whether Baptist, Orthodox, or non-believers and seemed to think this was a very grave and maybe even radical speech. *aside**Oh, kids, I’m from America REMEMBER!*
After the interview the vice-rector took me to this other office to get my visa info started. The guy had already left , so I am to go back tomorrow… the guy will only be in tomorrow from 10:00-13:00 so I think I’ll have to go right after class. As I left I was like flying, and almost forgot that I am weak and in poor health, but on the metro it caught up to me.
On the way home I went and got my pictures done for my official documents tomorrow.
When I got home Ira and her fiancée Roma were home and they said the pasta was really good and thanked me for making it, and didn’t understand how half of it was gone so they asked if Paige had come over. Heheh. Nope I am just a master at eating… and I eat it like 3 meals a day…. Haha.
GUESS WHAT!!! Ira found some chocolate-chip cookies at a local grocery store!!!! THAT IS LIKE AN ANSWER TO PRAYER. They were just sitting on the kitchen and she’d written “IT’S FOR YOU” (in English!!) on them! She is SUCH A SWEETY!! SO I ate so many of them and my pasta and now I am so full I am about ready for a food coma… but it might be an exhaustion coma.
And Both Helene and Kristina said they were praying for me and checked in with me after my interview! HOW WONDERFUL!! :)))))))
I LOVE THESE COOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, Anecdote. The other day I was waiting for Paige outside Pizza&Pasta.com and as many of you know, when I zone out I do slightly strange things… especially if I am in a good mood. One of these things is standing on my tip-toes. I was doing this very thing absent mindedly when I was noticed by a quite shnackered bystander. The exact date of this happening was May 10th… the day after Victory and while it was about 1 pm I am fairly confident this fine fellow was still up and participating in the previous night’s festivities. He was perfectly harmless and quite jovial. He noticed my standing on my tippy-toes and quite naturally assumed I was doing so out of a longing for high-heels. He was kind enough to try to rectify the matter for me. HE walked up to me and bent over and placed his lighter under my left heel. It worked quite well I must say, and I thanked him kindly for his good deed. He told me he had another one if I wanted it. I nodded so he searched his pockets only to find a cigarette pack, so making do with what he had he placed it under my right foot. This was not entirely helpful, because I was afraid of smashing his cigarettes which wouldn’t be a very kind way of repaying his favor. I came down off of my toes in an awkward manner and told him I wasn’t able. He assured me that I only couldn’t because the objects were different heights this making me stand at different angles. I agreed and appreciated his attempt to cover-up my un-lady-likeness for being unable to stand in these high-heels we had constructed. He then wished me a happy holiday. I wished him one right back. He asked if I was waiting for my man, presumably a soldier. I nodded… I guess in a way Paige I is kind of my soldier… but really I realized I was lucky for him not yet realizing that I was foreign and while I was enjoying our conversation thoroughly I’ve found that is it wise to keep such chance meetings brief just to be on the safe-side. He jovially saluted with both of his hands and informed me he too was a military man. HE asked me if my man was a General, and then proceeded down the rank. As he was going further down I realized I was going to have to say yes eventually or create a distraction, so I pretended I was getting a call. HE continued to talk to me for a while and I occasionally responded. He waited a couple of time even though the walk light was green in his direction, but he eventually walked off, just as Paige was coming too… I don’t think he would have considered her much of a soldier. But am glad for that chance meeting. It brightened my stay.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
I'm kinda sick :( but getting better :)
Hello loved ones! I’ve been sick for a while now. That is of course unfortunate, but I only seem to have a sinus infection which has caused a way sore throat… so I just have to drink a lot and sleep a lot and I started myself up on antibiotics yesterday. On the up side me being down and out has given me a lot if time to lay around and after watching almost all of my movies I realized I could use some of that new-found time for prayer and Bible study. That has been helpful for me to process some things. So it sucks that I’ve missed school, church, and rehab and haven’t been able to ChaCha or look into the stuff I need to prepare for life once my visa runs out… but… God’s got it and maybe he’s forcing this little at home vacation to remind me that it is on His shoulders a whole lot more than it is on mine. :)
On the downside, I’m sick, just about broke, and don’t know how everything is going to go down once I leave here… I’ve got an interview tomorrow at the Academy I am supposed to go to. I am nervous and hope I will be well, put-together and that I’ll be sharp as a tack with my Russian… pray for me… although by the time I post this it will probably have already happened.
On the up side, I’m cooking more since my house family is in Greece and I am home all day. Ira and I cooked chicken legs together. They were really good! They were fried buy not battered and seasoned with lime juice and onions. Sounds weird but was really good. She and I just improved it. I’ve been eating my traditional cheesy potatoes with regularity and today I made macaroni and tomato sauce. I hate to say it but I absolutely disagree with Russian tomato products. Their tomato sauces are little more than glorified ketchup, so I made my own. It turned out pretty good I think. :) I used tomato paste, half of a tomato, water, oil, basil, and some beef bouillon. I ate like 3 helpings, but I made SOO much that I barely tapped into the supply I’d made. I am excited about this discovery. I am trying to figure out how to live cheaply next semester and now I have a nice easy, lazy, cheap alternative to my cheesy potatoes. I’m not trying to go vegetarian or anything, but as we all know meat isn’t cheap, so now I’ve got 2 swell dishes that are filling but don’t involve meats. And I realize both of these dishes are largely starch-based, but I’m okay with that.
Less than three weeks before my visa runs out. How do these things happen? I still am not completely sure what I am going to do with my luggage… Ha I am not entirely sure where I am going to go or how or via what transport or when. One day at a time I guess. I’ve looked into train tickets. I think I’ll probably leave here on a train to Latvia at about 8 o’clock on June 4th, and then Arrive in D-pils at like in the morning…. The only thing is that really sucks for my Latvian family. I almost wish I could tell them to pick me up at like 9 or something just so they don’t have to get up so early… I dunno. I could just walk to the bus station and wait for the trains to starts running and take one home. That wouldn’t be a problem if I leave my big luggage with somebody in Russia…
Sorry for the Rambling. Thank you all for commenting and being so sweet and wonderful last post. :)
I have an anecdote I need to write on here soon!!!
On the downside, I’m sick, just about broke, and don’t know how everything is going to go down once I leave here… I’ve got an interview tomorrow at the Academy I am supposed to go to. I am nervous and hope I will be well, put-together and that I’ll be sharp as a tack with my Russian… pray for me… although by the time I post this it will probably have already happened.
On the up side, I’m cooking more since my house family is in Greece and I am home all day. Ira and I cooked chicken legs together. They were really good! They were fried buy not battered and seasoned with lime juice and onions. Sounds weird but was really good. She and I just improved it. I’ve been eating my traditional cheesy potatoes with regularity and today I made macaroni and tomato sauce. I hate to say it but I absolutely disagree with Russian tomato products. Their tomato sauces are little more than glorified ketchup, so I made my own. It turned out pretty good I think. :) I used tomato paste, half of a tomato, water, oil, basil, and some beef bouillon. I ate like 3 helpings, but I made SOO much that I barely tapped into the supply I’d made. I am excited about this discovery. I am trying to figure out how to live cheaply next semester and now I have a nice easy, lazy, cheap alternative to my cheesy potatoes. I’m not trying to go vegetarian or anything, but as we all know meat isn’t cheap, so now I’ve got 2 swell dishes that are filling but don’t involve meats. And I realize both of these dishes are largely starch-based, but I’m okay with that.
Less than three weeks before my visa runs out. How do these things happen? I still am not completely sure what I am going to do with my luggage… Ha I am not entirely sure where I am going to go or how or via what transport or when. One day at a time I guess. I’ve looked into train tickets. I think I’ll probably leave here on a train to Latvia at about 8 o’clock on June 4th, and then Arrive in D-pils at like in the morning…. The only thing is that really sucks for my Latvian family. I almost wish I could tell them to pick me up at like 9 or something just so they don’t have to get up so early… I dunno. I could just walk to the bus station and wait for the trains to starts running and take one home. That wouldn’t be a problem if I leave my big luggage with somebody in Russia…
Sorry for the Rambling. Thank you all for commenting and being so sweet and wonderful last post. :)
I have an anecdote I need to write on here soon!!!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Mixed Feelings
I am so tired of explaining to people that Psychology is A) useful and B) not evil. With every single new person it is like I am defending a cult (it maybe only with protestants here, but I am not sure)… and that brings me back to most people who aren’t protestant thinking Baptists are a cult… so, what the heck, I am like a part of 2 warring cults I never knew it.
My host family is in Greece right now. This girl Ira is staying with me in lieu of them. She is a dear. She is the one I believe I mentioned earlier (a LONG time ago). She Plays bass and is protestant. Anyways… Last night she and I got into this like 1 hour discussion of psychology. She was seriously fighting it so fervently that it was like against everything she’d ever learned. Plus she mentioned that she had learned in Bible school that is was opposing God or something, and she kept on being like there are no psychologists in the Bible. Then she would say stuff like (when I was explaining Christian Psychology) “so if I learn the science of the brain and I learn what the Bible says about how to think, then I don’t need God do I?” What the crap kind of logic is that? That has nothing to do with anything I tell ya! You can say that about Theology, any science including medicine, and any philosophy… AH! It is just so frustrating to be dealing with this wonderful, passionate, god-seeking woman who thinks I am going into a profession of demon worship or something.
Oh and when I mentioned that some of my pastors back home regularly go to a psychologist it is like I had said some of my pastors back home are heretics. When I explained to her and tried to brush off her misconceptions of what psychology is, especially Christian psychology, she eventually said “We don’t have that kind of psychology here.” What? I will be going to a school that has whole courses on Christian Psychology.
I thought I had made some sort of head way… this morning when she woke me up (which I haven’t been woken up by a human being in months…) she told me about this disk series she has about how we don’t need psychology and she asked if I wanted to hear it. She said it was speakers from America, Britain and Russia. My thought was “Why would I want to listen to that crap tear down my future profession based upon misconceptions and ignorance?” But I just said yes, so I’m sure she’ll supply me with is soon. It is just aggravating.
I am tried of feeling like A)no one understands or B) everyone is against me. Right now Russia feels like a battle field (I dunno maybe it is from Victory Day on Saturday). In addition to it being the typical Spiritual battlefield, I am constantly having to defend my relationship with God, the things he is telling me to do (ie staying here, studying psychology, and MUCH, MUCH MORE), and my field of study in general. I am also going have to soon start fighting the Visa office and all kinds of crap. It doesn’t really matter who I talk to, whether an American or a Russian, no nobody understands what the crap I am doing and why and they either seem to feel hurt that I am doing what I am doing, or seem to think something is seriously wrong with me.
This is of course gross generalizations and just because I am feeling cornered and you all, my dear loving readers, probably shouldn’t put much stock into this post except to see that I am agitated. Sorry I am venting to you, but in this particular moment is seems less daunting to vent to the faceless masses who haven’t even commented on this blog in forever (and thus perhaps I am venting to no one at all but simply writing this as a sort of message in a bottle to nowhere), then to talk to any one specific person who at any given moment in this rant-fest will either make it clear they have no clue what I am talking about, that they vehemently oppose me, or they will have to go do something more important with their time. …In summation (sort of) I would like to write 2 extremely eloquent essays in Russian 1)why Psychology is a helpful tool that God uses and condones and 2) why the crap I have done what I have and how God’s hand is in it. The second one should really be translated into English as well… but since I lack the ability to write anything worth reading in Russian, these two things that seem incredibly important to me to write will probably never get written and I’ll probably just find peace with my actions being misconstrued as something sinister… but I am not resigned to that just yet.
Again, sorry about that. I guess because I don’t have a psychologist right now I am taking it out on you guys. :)
In other news, it was Victory Day on Saturday. I really wanted to go to the Morning Parade, but I was not about to go alone. I called Paige like 10 times as I was in various stages of getting ready, but she never picked up so I gave up and once I was ready I just went back to bed. She called later and apologized. We did end up going to what she and I would consider a Parade, but for some reason the Russians don’t. They call it a demonstration. We went to it and we were kinda far from the road, because all the people were lined up. IT was the first day I didn’t wear any sort of coat at all. The morning was 20 Celsius and Sunny. AMAZING. As the Parade was minutes away storm clouds started brewing. Then a few straight-line winds blew in. Then it started raining a bit. Paige and I agreed that the weather was highly similar to what she and I have experienced in pre-tornadic conditions and while we knew there was not about to be a tornado in St. Pete I guess you could say it made us feel at home. Then is started pouring down. IT was funny because the rain was coming from the opposite direction of the parade, so when we heard screams we thought the parade was really close… until we realized the screams were coming from the opposite direction. Then we felt the down pour and quickly understood the cause of the screams and even made little yelps ourselves. Goodnews was a bunch of people left before the whole thing started so I was right next to the rope that was holding back the masses and right next to one of the soldiers guarding it. That soldier and I were cozy. I was at times practically leaning against him and his body frequently blocked the rain for me. At one point he said something good-naturedly to me but I didn’t recognize any of the words so I just smiled. After the parade was over the gates to the metro were closed. So we walked to another metro and then on the way to Paige’s home I bought the Scream trilogy (sad I know but there are no dvd stores by Paige’s place to I had to buy it at a phone and electronics store… it was a lot cheaper there though… but it also didn’t have any English options). So we dried of at Paige’s and watched the first two Screams in Russian and ate the junk and grapes we had bought at Diksi. Yesterday I went to church, then Pizza&Pasta.com with Paige, we found a park by here place and people watched, and then I went to church again. Then I came home and we ate blin and said goodbye to my family and talked to Ira about psychology….. grrr. :)
HAha. I get so worked up sometimes.
I wrote that this morning.
Anyways, I’ve had a delightful day!! After I wrote you all I took a shower. I was alone in the house so I sang, yelled, and talked to/at/with God as was appropriate. It was not a highpoint of my life as far as the emotion spectrum goes but the Holy Spirit isn’t called our Counselor for nothing. :) So things got better. God calmed me down and reminded me that He is God and affirmed what He has called me to do the a much needed 1000th time.
Aleksey had called me when I was in the shower, but I just ignored it and pretended that God wanted to play me a happy song. After my in-shower counseling session I called him back he cheered me up too. It we talked for like 15 minutes and he made me laugh for about 14 of those. :) And if any of you has seen me in a bad mood, you know how impressive of an accomplishment that is. He was at his new church until late last night and he really, really likes it there. I think he was going fishing when I was calling him and he was fishing when I called him yesterday too. I guess he really enjoys fishing, which is highly idyllic to me… but I am not so sure that he actually likes fish. One time he told me the best fish was a sausage. I am inclined to agree, and that sounds like something Grandpa would say :) I dunno but it is good that he has a productive way of spending his time.
Oh, be praying for Seryozha. He is living at home, he moved out from the brothers a while back because he thought he had a job lined up. Well, 3 people basically tell him they need him to work for them and then they never call back. This is of course very aggravating and confusing to him and he is concerned because especially since he has a past of heroin addiction, being home all the time with nothing to do is a really bad situation for him to be in. I don’t pretend to know what God is hoping to accomplish by this situation but I know Seryozha’s prayer is for a good job and quick. :)
Anyways, after talking to him I straightened some stuff up and made myself some scrambled egg, oatmeal, and nuked bread. After I ate I tried to post this but the internet won’t let me do anything I want to. I can’t get on facebook, my email, my bank account, or sign into my blog. So, I called my mommy! She was HAPPY!!! I haven’t really heard her really and truly happy in a while so that was WONDERFUL. Then I did the dishes and did some surfing online. Then I watched one of the last songs in Kill Bill 1 because I have been wanting to hear that song for a long time. IT really made me wanna watch the whole movies but I stopped it. Then I got out my Russian grammar book and got to work. I already did almost all of my Russian homework on Friday night (don’t judge me… I was actually excited about this new grammatical structure), but I always need to work on my Russian grammar when I have a chance to I finally went back to that Russian grammar book I bought and did a bit on it. I really need to study grammar harder!!!! I guess today was a baby step. Then I called Jenny Hartsell! Yea!! IT was swell! I only had 7 minutes with her but they were great. Kristina called me and we’re gonna meet before the parent meeting. Normally I would go to the intake… but meeting Kristina sounds better to be honest,
I’ve been home alone with Jesus all day (except when Ira talked to me while I was still in bed)! It has been WONDERFUL!! YEA!!!! Yea Jesus! Yea chillin’! Yea for Kristina FINALLY being back! Yea for Russian Grammar!
Yesterday when I called home for Mother’s Day I finally got to talk to my dear Grandmommie! It was nice. She said she wishes I would come home, and I could honestly say me too. I am pretty fatigued when I think about it and I am really excited to get out of Russia for the Summer. I never thought I would say such a thing, and sometimes when I sit on the beach at Ozerki I think that I should never have the need to leave because there are so many relaxing places the Lord has supplied me with. But I would really like to get away from this life I’m living here. It is a great life and all, but I need a break. I am warn out. I would love to be at home with my family and friends and Tybalt and with Tornadoes and all. Today is a testament that despite this wariness, God will always give me the strength, peace, and joy I need to get through and do what He wants. His will is better than mine and, praise God, HE is a loving and compassionate God and will see me through to the end. Gotta go.
Monday, May 4, 2009
WOOHOO~~!
An Annoyance: I've been logged in to Chacha for like 15 minutes without getting a question.
Praise: I am a Chacha guide!! God has provided me with a meager source of income, regardless how reliable or unreliable, and that is a miracle and an answer to prayer. (and he got me the job even though my computer gave out on during the readiness test)
Praise: I don't have to take the entrance exams to get into the Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities.
Prayer Request/Praise/Announcement: My interview to get into the Psychology department will take place on May 19th at 3 o'clock. PLEASE BE IN PRAYER ABOUT THIS!!! PLEASE!! I know I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, and I beleive He is calling me to this, but covering all of this in prayer is still a wonderful idea :)
Confusion: I think I am supposed to take some kind of test for each of my classes I am currently taken but I have no clue what sort of test... or when.
PRAISE: IF need be I can move into the dorms here in July AAAAAANNNNDDD It only costs 3000 Rubles a month! WHAT A BLESSING!!! (with current exchange rates that is $91 a month!! In one of the cities with the highest housing costs ever!!)
(still no chacha questions... what is all of America asleep?)
I am at McDonalds right now. Good times.
Praise: My Norton Antivirus is FINALLY up to date.
Praise: The wifi at the school is working on my computer again!!
Praise: Despite what looks in my earthly eyes to be chaos, I know GOD is in control and He is teaching me peace in the turmoil and joy in confusion, and to seek him through everything.
Maybe if Chacha leeps being this sporatic I'll write on the blog more?? :)
Be praying my daddy publishes his book. I really hope he does!!
Got a question. about a nother random person and whether he is dating anyone. I put unknown people as one of my interests and I get most of my questions about them now. they are really obscure and I hope I get faster at answering them. (that could be a prayer request... more questions and faster answers! :) )
I am not really in need of the money right this second or anything. I am still livign off of my bank account (and my parents). I am kinda just considering this a training.
Another question. IT was hard, and it was mislabeled. Oh, well.
Okay, I am gettign questions with regularity now... so I guess I'll go. I love you all!! Be praying for me!!!
Praise: I am a Chacha guide!! God has provided me with a meager source of income, regardless how reliable or unreliable, and that is a miracle and an answer to prayer. (and he got me the job even though my computer gave out on during the readiness test)
Praise: I don't have to take the entrance exams to get into the Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities.
Prayer Request/Praise/Announcement: My interview to get into the Psychology department will take place on May 19th at 3 o'clock. PLEASE BE IN PRAYER ABOUT THIS!!! PLEASE!! I know I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, and I beleive He is calling me to this, but covering all of this in prayer is still a wonderful idea :)
Confusion: I think I am supposed to take some kind of test for each of my classes I am currently taken but I have no clue what sort of test... or when.
PRAISE: IF need be I can move into the dorms here in July AAAAAANNNNDDD It only costs 3000 Rubles a month! WHAT A BLESSING!!! (with current exchange rates that is $91 a month!! In one of the cities with the highest housing costs ever!!)
(still no chacha questions... what is all of America asleep?)
I am at McDonalds right now. Good times.
Praise: My Norton Antivirus is FINALLY up to date.
Praise: The wifi at the school is working on my computer again!!
Praise: Despite what looks in my earthly eyes to be chaos, I know GOD is in control and He is teaching me peace in the turmoil and joy in confusion, and to seek him through everything.
Maybe if Chacha leeps being this sporatic I'll write on the blog more?? :)
Be praying my daddy publishes his book. I really hope he does!!
Got a question. about a nother random person and whether he is dating anyone. I put unknown people as one of my interests and I get most of my questions about them now. they are really obscure and I hope I get faster at answering them. (that could be a prayer request... more questions and faster answers! :) )
I am not really in need of the money right this second or anything. I am still livign off of my bank account (and my parents). I am kinda just considering this a training.
Another question. IT was hard, and it was mislabeled. Oh, well.
Okay, I am gettign questions with regularity now... so I guess I'll go. I love you all!! Be praying for me!!!
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