More Ramblings.......

It's amazing what all can happen in such a short amount of time. I feel like I have been here much longer than a month!! In a good way, of course! I am sorry I am only getting to write once a week. There is an Internet cafe close to our apartment but every time we go there, they tell us it's not working. I don't really believe them. I kinda feel like he's annoyed that we are English speakers so, he doesn't want to accommodate us. Ah well.

I love these kids! They have such big hearts. My birthday was last Thursday. When I got to the house in the morning they started singing as I walked in the door and there were balloons everywhere and they had made a big sign. It was soooooo sweet!!!! Also, my Canadian roommate Kim got me 3 snickers and a cute pink towel. My comfort food seems to be Russian Snickers. My Russian roommate, Sveta, got me a Russian Pinnochio doll that sings. That is probably my favorite be/c it's sooooo Russian. It was a very nice day. I also got to hear Wyatt tell me Happy Birthday. Hopefully, we will go ice skating this Saturday. I wanted to go last Saturday but something came up. Sunday, I also received a gift. One of the guys in the English class at Kultan is the head of the carpentry and he made me a picture frame and wrote a scripture on the side. He also made Kim onу but since I don't get to go to the classes anymore he gave me mine at church. He is the only guy that will speak English as much as he can. He rode the bus home with Kim and I and he would speak broken English on the crowded bus not caring who heard him. It's so cool to see the eagerness and willingness to learn.

Sunday we went to Zabseep again and I walked around with Ilya, Joanna, Joseph and Kim. It is so neat watching Ilya talk to these people. There is compassion and love to his boldness. Even though I don't know what he is saying I am learning how to evangalize to people. I know that is something that so many of us shy away from but we were called to go. How will these people know if they are not hearing. Like Mr Grise always says Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

I want to tell so much but when I get here I forget all of what it is I want to say. Some things I notice............ Drinking in public is allowed. There are so many drunks even at 9:30 in the morning. Drunk. And you can smell it pretty thick on them. It's kinda normal for them to get in a fist fight and then make-up right after. I have seen that a couple of times. I also saw a woman beating her husband's head on the bus but he maintained his composure and said they would fight about it at home. Children I have seen drunk and smoking. Hmmmmmm what else do I see on a daily basis. If it's nice weather in the evening, people hang out outside the apartments. The old people gather to gossip and the littel kids run around and play games. Each cluster of buildings have their own little place area for the kids. Some even have volleyball courts or little soccer goals. It's funny to see the kids playing the same kinds of games: chase, hide & seek, climbing and sliding. I was walking to the Banteev house the other day and I saw a grandpa with his little grandson and he was giving him crumbs to throw to birds. You could tell he was just learning how to throw be/c his balance wasn't quite right and the crumbs didn't go too far.

Our washing maching is broken! I am really hoping it gets fixed soon so, I don't have to wash my clothes in the tub. I guess I am still slightly a spoiled American.

I read all of your comments. I am sorry that I don't get to write back to each one. I am really only on the computer once or twice a week. So, don't think that I have forgotten about any of you be/c I haven't!!! I will see you all very soon!