Back again!

I finally remembered my password. The last time I logged in I didn't know how it happened. haha Typical.

HELLOOOOOOOOO everyone!! I am sorry the last one was short I will catch you up to date as best as possible.

The kids went to camp right after I got here, so, I worked with a missions team all week. We went to every Teen Challenge that the church supports! You guys wouldn't believe how many this one church supports! Teen Challenge is a drug rehad center that is centered around Christ, for those of you that don't know. We got to meet sooooo many people that have been free from herion addiction. There are also a couple of homes for the homeless. Most of those men are older and were alcoholics for years. My generation is the generation with the drug problem. HIV is spreading faster here than anywhere else. There are used needles almost everywhere. We have a problem in the states but it is not near the intensity that it is here. The city I am living in is pretty big. It is about 600,000! Novokuznetsk is the English spelling. We are about 250 miles or so north of Mongolia if anyone wants to look at a map.

There are so many things that are different. The toilet is in a seperate room from the shower. There is no air conditioning and a couple of days we actually needed it. It is kinda rainy and cool now. But nothing I can't handle. I have been mistaken for a Russian several times, which was my goal, to blend. But then I don't know what they are saying so, I look either rude or stupid. HAHAHA I can understand some of what is being said to me and of course, I can understand more than I can speak. Luckily there is a Canadian girl living here for about a month that took 3 years at a University and is helping me with grammar. There is no cinnamon gum here so, it was requested that I get some more..... The cars, depending on where they are from, have the steering wheel on the right and on the left but they drive on the same side of the road as us........ I live right next to a fruit market..... All the apartment buildings look exactly the same, communist style!...... It is absolutely beauitful scenery......... The elevators only hold 4 people and feel like they will break down at any minute....... Nothing is as it seems. The buildings on the outside look really old but on the inside are brand new stores and shops........Instead of open hot dog stands there are closed ice cream, beer & soda and little burger stands.......There is no dryer so, I am hanging my laundry all through the apartment and on the tiny balcony. I kinda like that. Everything just feels so different and cool. I am trying to think of all the little odd things that we don't have but I can't think........ Oh yeah, they serve instant coffee here everywhere. The food is soooo good. I kinda don't miss Mexican at all right now. Weird. That will probably change after a month or so here.

I was sitting in the kitchen the other day and it hit me. I am actually in Russia. How awesome!

Well, that is all I can think of at the moment. Next week I start with the kids. Also, today I am going to finally sit down with Ilya and talk about all of what I am going to be doing here. He mentioned me getting involved in one of the ministries which I think would be soooooo great!!!!!!