Sat. Evening Post, 11/26

Just a couple of quick pictures from this week before I fall into my bed:

My final Thanksgiving in Odessa. For the 3rd year, the SMTC students came over and experienced a traditional Thanksgiving meal. It was a lot of work(I cooked for two days), but as usual, lots of fun!

Dinner with the Pres. of IM and his wife, plus another colleague. It was planned to be a post-Thanksgiving dinner with my former team and the Pres. and his wife, but everyone ended up canceling. So, it was small, but quite enjoyable.

This isn't from this week, but I just found it on my roommate's camera and liked it. This is from early October in the city center.

A Week of Thanksgiving, Day 8

A Week of Thankfulness: Day 8. Today is Thanksgiving and it's been a full week now since I started this. It's been a really great way for me to process a lot of God's blessings over my last two and a half years of living in Ukraine. So, today, on my final day, I am thankful for: my time in Ukraine. I'm thankful for the beauty of this country. I'm thankful for the ministries with which I've been involved. I'm thankful for the many, many things that God has taught me through my former teammates. I'm thankful for the people that God has brought into my life. I'm thankful for the many things and people that have made me laugh and have brought me great joy. I'm thankful for many small things that I used to take for granted. I'm thankful for the work that God has done in my life since bringing me here.

I'm thankful for Living Hope Church, the leadership there and the lives that I've seen changed.

I'm thankful for the many unusual things that still take me by surprise- like a goat at the Sea.

I'm thankful for really funny signs and bad English all over the place that still brings a smile to my face

I'm thankful for getting to experience Ukrainian Christmas caroling

I'm thankful for trains- a really efficient & cheap mode of travel here

I'm thankful for getting to live by the Black Sea and the beauty of the Sea in winter

I'm thankful for getting back in touch with my friend, Valya, with whom I did camps in Russia

I'm thankful for experiencing a traditional Ukrainian New Year and actually understanding things this time around(the 1st one was in 2005 & I had no clue what was going on most of the time)

I'm thankful for English camps & the lives that have been reached for Christ

I'm thankful for Ukrainian markets, b/c I just love them. Seriously. I'm really going to miss them a lot.

Thanks for sharing my Thanksgiving week with me!!

A Week of Thanksgiving, Day 7

A Week of Thankfulness, Day 7. Today I am thankful for family- in Ukraine. And while I have been thankful for the other things from the last six days, I must tell you that I've been waiting all week for this day. I'm not really sure why I made myself wait this long, but on my list family was Day 7, so I have waited and anticipated. Gosh, I don't even know where to start with pictures. I'm so super thankful that I've been in the same country for the last two and a half years as my brother and his family. I'm thankful that one of their visa trips(to Poland) coincided with one of my staff conferences. I'm super thankful that my parents have visited twice since I've been here. I was a totally stressed out, super-grouch the last time they were here(due to life-changing decisions occuring right before they arrived), but was still so glad that they were here. I have been such a thankful sister, sister-in-law and aunt, to have been able to spend time with Will's family twice in Odessa, once in Poland and three times in Dneprorudni. What a blessing it has been for me to see Will and Phyllis and to get to be a small part of my nephews and nieces' lives. For all of this, I'm SOOO thankful!!!

Mom & Dad's first trip to Ukraine, 2009- overlooking Odessa Sea Port

With Raia on an electrichka in Odessa, Thanksgiving 2009

Will and Phyllis, at my first apt., Thanksgiving 2009

In Dneprorudni for Orthodox Christmas, with Jaan, Asya and Raia- Jan. 2010

Together in Krakow, Poland, April 2010

At the Odessa Sea Port, Thanksgiving 2010. They had just told me about Bogdan, so he's in that picture, also. =-D

With Jaan, Raia and Asya in Odessa, 2010

In May, 2011, I visited them in Dneprorudni and got to meet Bogdan

Mom & Dad's 2nd trip to Ukraine. This time I went along with them to visit Will, Phyllis and the kids- Oct. 2011

Oct., 2011, with all four kiddos. My heart already aches, knowing that it most likely was the last time that I will see them for a long time. But I am so thankful for all the great times that I did have with them. Thank you, God, for this wonderful gift that you gave me!

A Week of Thanksgiving, Day 6

A Week of Thankfulness, Day 6. Today I am thankful for visitors from the States! Family will be tomorrow's post, so I will leave them out of this one. I am so thankful for my friend, Julia, who came two summers in a row to do English camps with me- one in Ukraine and one in Poland. It's just so wonderful to have someone from home with whom to share that experience. I'm also very thankful for my best friend, Tapley, who came to spend a week with me last year. It was great to show her around Odessa and have her see some of what I've done here and a bit of what life is like on this side of the world. Of course I'm super thankful for all of my friends back home, but it was so encouraging to have these two come visit. I'm so thankful for you two!

Julia gave me a "black eye" during our small group skit at camp in Ukraine, 2010

With Julia at the Odessa Opera House- 2010

Saying goodbye at the airport

In Krakow, Poland, 2011

With Tapley at the tire garden in front of my old apt. bldg.,April 2010

Taps and I at the Odessa Train Station, 2010

Getting ready to go to the monastery- probably a little more colorful than is appropriate. =-D

So thankful for my best friend!!

A Week of Thanksgiving, Day 5

A Week of Thankfulness, Day 5. Today I am thankful for: the opportunity to travel. Though some of the traveling has been absolutely exhausting, over the last two and a half years I've had the privilege to travel to seven countries, not counting the USA. I've been to Ukraine(of course), Pridnestrovie, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary- and several of them multiple times. I'm thankful for the amazing creation that I've seen and the stunning architecture and history that is everywhere on this side of the world. I'm thankful for being a person who likes to explore and isn't scared to get out and do so. I'm thankful for the fact that so many of the languages here are connected to Russian and also that English truly is an international language. I'm thankful for the financial resources that have enabled me to experience so much during my time here. I'm thankful for the many friends that I now have all over eastern Europe.

Yalta, Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine

At the orphanage in Pridnestrovi

A Catholic church in Krakow, Poland

The Beethoven temple in Baden, Austria

Kosice, Slovakia

Catholic church in the village of Bircii, Romania

Budapest, Hungary

A Week of Thanksgiving, Day 4

A Week of Thankfulness, Day 4. Today I am thankful for: Dogs. One of the things that I have missed the most about not being home is my dog, Georgie. I just love dogs. And though I can't pet all of the wild dogs here in Ukraine, I have greatly enjoyed finding them in all kinds of settings and situations. Enjoy a look back at the many dogs I've seen over the last two and a half years. Some of these pictures really make me laugh and others make me really sad.

Mommy dog at the WWII Park, taking a break from her puppies

Happy dogs on a cold day

Scavenger dog

Dogs having fun at the Black Sea

An old dog that lived outside of my colleagues' apartment bldg.

Torpedo dog at the WWII Park

The dog that lives at the airport and goes in and out for food and water

A smart dog living in comfort at one of the markets

A dog in another market, who was fortunate enough to have someone give him shelter

Dog at the Voronsovsky Colonnade

WTD

I CANNOT believe that I almost missed the chance to celebrate this very important day, but since it is still yesterday(Saturday, Nov. 19th) in the US, I'm going to sneak this in. Shoooooo, that was a close one!!

Today(well, today for you all- at the time of this writing it's already tomorrow for me. Well, technically it's today, but you know what I mean), ahem, today is World Toilet Day!!!!! I know, I know, I can't believe I didn't know this until I woke up this morning and that I almost missed the chance to celebrate. So, here you go, a tribute to toilets, based on personal experience: