Life With One Spoon

Hi friends!

I hope this finds you well early on this wonderful Monday morning! I have officially hit the half-way mark of living in Central Asia. It's been a great ride so far, leaning on his unfailing love, and it is hard to believe that I only have just a short time left! 

Well, the past two weeks have been exciting ones.  Many times throughout the weeks I found myself in awe of Papa’s blessings and the favor He has shown me here.  He is moving in the people here, I just know it. I ask Him all the time for His Kingdom to come here, and slowly but surely, it is.

Last Monday I started language class at the university.  We went there in the morning and with it being the first day of classes for exchange students, all of the classes met together.  We were greeted by the director of the department and the entire staff.  After only being in class for about 10 minutes, our teacher tells us it was time for us to move into our dorm rooms! Oh, we were so happy!  So, we rushed to move our things over (with the amazing help of our supervisor) in order to get back for the rest of our class time in the afternoon.  The remodeling of the rooms that were originally intended for us was not complete but they had a couple other rooms available.  Our commandant and housekeepers were so sweet and helpful.  The rooms are spacious, especially considering that local students are bunked with 6 people in rooms the same size as ours.

I found out recently that a new director of dorms was hired and he changed the rooming assignments to be arranged by faculty.  The first 4 floors in my dorm consist of students studying economics and the last 5 floors are a mixture of engineering, international relations and architecture students.  Also, it seems the majority of the rooms on my floor are guys’ rooms, which is a little different than my experience living in Leslie at SBU.  Quite the crowd of neighbors I’ve got!  I have met or seen most of them in passing and have really begun to ask Father for blessing in their studies.  It is one of our teams' goals to individually for each dorm room throughout our stay there.

My supervisors just celebrated 10 years of marriage! PTL. Their love and faithfulness to each other, especially here on the field has been a great example for me. I have learned a great deal from them and it has been so good to see how they unselfishly serve one another daily. I have really enjoyed being a part of their family and playing with their children. Even when the kids are cranky or the house looks like a tornado zone, it is always nice to know that their door is open for me anytime. (Even at 11:01pm after missing the dorm curfew!)

Language (sigh)… It is definitely a way that you can be praying for me.  Learning Russian has been very interesting.  Our teacher (“prepadavatyelnetza”) is a fiery little lady who loves to intimidate you by making you stand in front of the class and write in cursive on the chalk board.  I have not yet figured out exactly how to prepare for class and what to study, which reflects my understanding in class the next day.  I do like class, but it is very difficult with all of the cases, grammar and rules.  We are on case 3 of 7 during week two and our teacher says we are learning so slowly.  I am so thankful for all of the language that I learned in the first few months of being here.  It is a good mix of having learned some conversational Russian and now having some grammar.

English club is in full swing. I really like being creative in teaching and leading discussions with students.  So far, the topics have been about CA culture and popular culture.  During one lesson I even had an opportunity to share my story, which was a little unusual for our method, but it led to a really great discussion.  The topic was 'Celebrities' and I don't know how, but Father used that to bring glory to Himself and allow me to tell people about what the Son has done for me.  I am amazed to discover how much the Father yearns for people to become His child and how He can use me in any situation to share of His love.  

I have begun some really great relationships with students, including a few from my dorm.  A couple of my Sisters also live in my dorm, so it will a great encouragement to meet with them and talk to Father together.  When I was moving in I met a cousin named Oreh* who is an international student from Cardamom*.  He was very excited to hear people speaking English, even though it is one of the six languages he knows.  Much like any other university, the international students stick together here.  He has told us over and over that if we need any help with anything, he would be available whenever we needed him.  I ask that you be talking with Papa about him and the chance to share.  Last evening he joined all of us girls for tea time and I would venture to say he is a great person of peace (luk.10).  Considering his people group, it would be such a joy for him to become a brother.

Well, I must sign off and practice some more language before class! Blessings and love to you all.  до свидания! пока, пока! До следующего раза!

*The title of my blog came from the simple life realization that I am living with only one spoon. It was a scramble to outfit our tiny dorm in so quick a hurry, which has resulted in having to eat our cereal in shifts some mornings. Fun times!

Back Home...

I have made it back to the city once again.  My my, so much traveling has taken place these past few weeks!  It was a good trip and a successful trip, as I so gladly hold a new visa in hand.  It expires two months earlier than we needed them to, so be praying as we figure out how to approach that.  I think the university office can extend it, so we are hoping that is true.  On the train ride back I got more and more excited to get back “home.”  I began to realize how much I missed the city and how much I longed to be back on its streets where everything is familiar - the people, shops, food and even smells.
Since being back we have started to prepare for language class.  We paid tuition, signed contracts and worked on moving into the dorms.  Through many conversations this week, we are still NOT moved into the dorms yet.  They keep giving us the run around and have finally said that they were remodeling our rooms, so they would not be ready until next week.  Please be praying that we’ll be able to move in soon and get settled well   . 
I don’t know if I have expressed it enough, but I am so blessed by the father to have such wonderful teammates. I love Gabi. She is so happy all the time. Music is what drives her and she sings all the time. It makes my heart so happy to always live in a place filled with joy, which I know is a product of the son because of our hope that we have in him. Her passion for the people here is so encouraging day after day. It is so beautiful that father created us so similarly, yet so different that she makes connections with people in ways that I don’t. What a great picture of the Body.
Sometimes I don’t listen or tune out Gabi and I don’t even know it. Example:
Gabi – “Callie, I’m buying this nesquik for you because you do not like plain boxed milk.”
Me – smile and nod or sometimes do not even acknowledge it.
(A couple minutes go by…)
Me – “Hey Gabi, I think we should get some nesquik.”
Now, this may seem like it is not a big deal and maybe that is not the best example I could come up with (actually that happened just this morning!) but father has really been convicting me to attend to it. I have been reading in James to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. In that time, wise men spoke a lot and to be quite and listen to them showed great humility. Not that anyone of us is wiser than the other, but I’m praying that I will be quicker to hear my teammates and hear them well. Also, I pray that the spirit would help me to discern how I can best serve them on a daily basis.
My other teammate Sara is wonderful as well. She is like a little sister to me, (mostly because she is the same age as Clara!) Her love for the father and his people is so genuine and inspiring. It has been a process for her to adjust to the culture and life here because her hearts’ desire is to be working in Africa in a rural community. (It’s funny how father works because he brought her here to a large Asian city!) She has told us time and time that He wants her here to gain a new perspective of this side of the world. Already her faith has been such an encouragement.  For a while when we were going to meetings and changing visas she thought our final destination was just a dream; that A-town was not a real place.  Since being here a week I think she has grown to love it and be comfortable here.  I ask you to keep her in your conversations with Papa that He would continue to break her heart for these people and show His purpose for her here.
My teammate Meg is a blessing.  She is a Jgirl who I see as my older sister.  She has graciously taken us under her wing and showed us the ropes, teaching us the secrets of sharing with people here.  Her heart for Central Asian UPGs and UUPGs is very genuine and is a great motivation for me.
This week we are also preparing for our service project, which is teaching English club.  We have already been approached by some students who are anxious about the club starting next week.  We have been prwalking the campus asking father to prepare the field for new seeds to be planted.

On Holiday

Hello everyone!
We’re on “holiday” this week… out of our country, renewing our visas.  The workers here have helped us with logistics and I am so thankful for them. The locals here are equally as nice. Our plane landed and we went through customs fine, but Gabi’s officer asked if we were taking at taxi into town. He then proceeded to tell us that petty officer Jo Bob must take us because all the taxis from the airport are sleezy and they couldn’t have 3 American girls just roaming around the city at night without an escort. So, off we went and as we got closer to the city, I understood why he wanted to drive us. It was Eid. Guys with cans and bottles in hand lined the highway ready for some fun (and ready for some drag racing it looked like!) It was at that moment that I relaxed and began to feel so much safer in the backseat of this random man’s car. We passed the city square where literally thousands of people were out to celebrate.
Like I said, last weekend was Eid, the end of Ramazhan. One could not really tell the difference between Ram time and non-Ram time though, unless you had some friends who were serious about it. This whole month there were billboards and advertisements all over town for it. Some people were very devout and serious about observing the month of fasting, especially men, but not as many as I expected. The impact of religion on the culture here is not at all what I expected. It is very interesting to me to hear the saying, “To be c.a. is to be Mus.,” when in all actuality many people are nominal or do not really understand the implications of following Muh. For instance, a couple weeks ago I met a girl who said she wasn’t participating in the fast because she could not bear to go all day and not eat. So, she ate throughout the day and still celebrated at sundown with her family and friends.

Well, last week we had meetings all day. It was a good time in the word and good preparation for the upcoming semester. I met a lot of ho semester students, who were such a joy to get to know. They are in my thoughts often as we have all spread throughout the country and this region of the world.

Throughout this week I have been reading of Paul's writing to the colosians. It has been a great encouragement to me of my purpose in being here, especially the middle section of his laboring for the ch. He writes, "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of Father, namely, his Son, in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge" (2:2&3). He then talks of the freedom available for those whose trust is in the Son as well as how to live as we set our hearts and minds on things above. Something that had really stuck out to me was later in his letter when he said, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that Father may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Some goals I have made for myself include these exact things. I want to be watchful of how to pray for the people in the context of sharing and ask father to give me opportunities. I ask that I may not walk in foolishness, but in wisdom as I am bold and that I may make the most of my time. 
Lastly, I want to season as many conversations with salt so that they may be flavorful and deep. Our Savior said that "whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (Jn 4:14). I see a lot of "thirsty" people, who are searching for something/Someone to put their trust in. They are needy for something quenchable. (You and I both know Who that is ;)) As I looked at this I remembered some fun facts about electrolytes that I had learned in nursing school. Salt (Sodium Chloride, Na+) is an isotonic solution that works hand-in-hand with water (H20) to maintain homeostasis in the body. If there is too much or too little salt, your body wants to change in order to remain at a normal operating state. So, whether a person has a condition like CHF with edema or they just eat too much Chinese food (which has lots of sodium and MSG!), your body knows it's level of sodium is so high that it needs water to compensate. I hope this makes sense and I am not just rambling on, but I see a very close connection of this in sharing that I think is pretty cool. It is kinda wrapped in this package: salty+HS+belief in the Son->thirst quenched.


Here's a little update on language… I have realized the best way I’ve learned the language (what little I feel like I know, but is actually more than that) has been a combination of total physical response (TPR) and just practicing with people, even if I think I don’t know how to say something. I met someone lately who was very encouraging to me in my language study. Mr. T, one of the creators of TPR! He is a legend not only across the m. world, but here in Central Asia. Actually, I was blessed to have met him just before he and his wife moved to another CA country last week. He is such a sweet man and had been here for many years, helping a linguistics company in translation of the local language. If I understand correctly, their team has translated 3 movies so far: Cars 2, Brave and Men in Black 3. Mr. T has a wealth of knowledge, let me tell you. I talked with him a while about Russian. When I introduced myself I said, “Callie Anna, sounds like Polly Anna.” Then he began to tell me how much he loved that book and encouraged me to even read it in Russian. He said it was an easy read, but idk about that. Nothing is an easy read for me yet! We talked for a while about the university language program I’ll be attending and its style of teaching. “It’s a great program,” he says, “but it’s terribly hard.” Oh my! However, students who study in such classes for a year go straight into regular Russian university classes the year after. So, by those standards I would be able to read Polly Anna in just a couple months! Unfortunately, I do not think I will move ahead in language that quickly, but I am determined to learn as much as I can, as well as I can. I am excited to learn more and more and be able to share in more depth the love the Son has for these people.

Thank you for your continued support, love and prayers!

Kinda Like Nomads

My theme verse, if you will, has been Ps. 18:49 - I will praise you among the nations, Papa; I will sing praises to your name… I think of it no matter where I am because when my geography changes, one thing remains: Papa and his grace. I have been reminded of that so much.
Traveling is my middle name recently; this for a few reasons, but mainly for orientation conference and visa things. Papa could not have orchestrated this at a better time. The month of August is very quiet around our part of the city. Ok, not literally, but the campus is pretty bare and several of our local friends have traveled home for break, so it is relatively quiet. Our English clubs are on break until school starts again, so our schedules look a little different. I’ve had lots of quiet time with Papa and of course lots of time to hang with Gabi, our roommate Meg Ryan and newest crew member Sara.
We are continuing to learn the language and be involved with culture, even if that means going to the market when we have nothing to buy. We finally found the vendor with spices the other day. He was so nice and helpful and I guess he liked us so much that he gave us some mint leaves for free. J I love riding the bus around town. Just about every time we ride it, someone hears us speaking English and wants to practice speaking with us. We have met some interesting people, given them fliers for English club and even had discussions. An extra project that I am excited about is creating a prayer-bussing map. It will essentially be the same idea as prayer walking, only specific to a single bus line with information of what to pray for at every stop. It will be a great way to lift up the city and be in prayer for its people and the nation’s leaders. No matter what the nation and wherever I am, it is so important to remember the president and other leaders in prayer.
We have experienced a couple different house groups lately. They are all unique in style, but similar in heart and spirit. It has been so encouraging to get to know local followers and hear how Papa is changing their lives. Most, if not all, have such a heart for reaching their own people in the city and it is so sweet to see what that looks like. (In modern group lingo, how it “fleshes out.”) The groups are intimate and honest, more like small groups back home. This allows for accountability among brothers and sisters and allows for edification; for the HS to move and convict. It’s like the most organic form of ch. and so genuine. One group has a vision of multiplying greatly. I am drawn to it and interested in Papa’s plan for it. Sitting through class and learning of indigenous communities was one thing, but to actually be a part of one is so cool. The whole time leading up to this semester abroad experience, I wanted to just be a fly on the wall in the believing groups here. Now that I am here, I am soaking it all in!
Some things you can be praying about are visas and travel logistics; that my love for the people would remain genuine and my attitude would always be that of a learner; and that I would always engage the culture, even on hard culture days. I have been encouraged to pray in a specific and intentional way for five friends who are followers, five who are not and five local people groups (uupg’s). Specifics aren’t necessary, but I ask that you partner with me and pray for those people as well.