6 weeks and Counting

So, I realize that I'm quite the disapointment in the area of blogging, for which I am sorry. Truly, it is much harder to keep up with than I thought. Once teaching started, my time is literally gone. Since arriving, we've done so many things it's hard to keep track. So, here's a list of a few things.

1) Red Square...very cool. We stood in line for at least an hour to Lenin's body, but now we can say we've seen it. I must admit, though, that I was a bit distracted by the mean looking guards everywhere boring their eyes into us and telling us to keep our hands out of our pockets.

2) St. Basil's Cathedral was amazing! You can simply imagine a group of 10 teachers walking through something historical. The conversation went something like...."This is so amazing! How beautiful! This is such a blessing to get to see....!" All said with deep reverence of course.

3) Art museum (it only took us about and hour and a half...maybe longer...to find) to see a photography exhibit done by expatriates.

4) Souvenir Market....very touristy and we heard way more English here than anywhere else. Still, this is where you go if you want to buy things like matrushka dolls and other "traditional" items. We ate Shashlik which is the meat of your choice grilled over an over fire, served with warm bread (very much like naan for you Indian food lovers!) Most common phrase hear that day was...."you buy hat? Only five dollars." And apparantly to these sellers the exchange rate is 100 rubles to 1 dollar, instead of 30 to 1!

5) Day trip to the Golden Circle...we mastered the the metro, bus, and train system. We spent the day about an hour and half away, toured an monestary, and tried to eat traditional food, and settled on the traditional food sold in the miniature mall. Here are a few pictures which I copied from one of my roommates.

We're Here!

Well, we finally made it and it's cold! Today's casual attire includes jeans, tank top, longsleave shirt, and courdoroy jacket and it's still cold! I didn't realize what a southerner I am until I came here...supposedly I have a southern accent y'all

The last few days have been a worldwind of settling into apartments, signing contracts, getting registered, shopping, and trying new foods.

I'll post pictures of our apartment later, but it is really nice...interesting decorations but overall very nice. There are four of us in this aparment, and it's only about a 15 minute walk to the school and much cheaper than we originally expected to pay! For here, a 15 min. walk is actually quite the luxery as most nationals commute over an hour! Granted, I will be taken on that commute once school begins since I have to ride a bus to the country campus. Thankfully 2 of my apartment mates also work at the country school! And Dad, I must say the shower is the best part...it's about the size of a small swimming pool

Thus far, we have tried a range of foods, from lamb shalik to blini to bortsch (beet soup) to pizza with duck and ostrich. Lamb shalik is very good as well as the blini (a large crepe stuffed with mashed potatoes and chicken). The Bortsch was good in small portions and the duck pizza was well, different. Something akin to eating chinese food on your pizza.

The language is a bit daunting, but we're doing our best to learn as much as possible, as quickly as we can. It's amazing a debilitating a new language can be. I can now order orange juice, coffee, and a subway sandwich by myself! I have to admit at the subway place we had a little bit of help from

This semester is simply flying by, especially with student teaching. Sometimes I can't really comprehend that graduation is only month away and that many changes are awaiting that day.
Normally, I'm not big into publishing song lyrics, but these have led me to do a lot of pondering lately. This concept of going through the motions is something that I've really battled this semester. I have begun to ask why I do this and what is my motivation for not living radically? Often, I think its because I enjoy the comforts of life and there are certain wants that I have that I avoid giving completely over to the father. I've been challenged to live more intentionally and to trust Him with all my plans and desires; although I'm still figuring out how to do that in more than a theoretical manner :)

Here you go...hopefully they'll inspire you too!

"The Motions" by Matthew West

This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t careIf I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions

No regrets Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your loveMake me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something

Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Take me all the way

Hello Everyone,

Thanks you so much for taking the time to check out my blog. This past week, Wednesday to be exact, I accepted a position as an English teacher in Russia. I have committed to living and teaching in Moscow for the next year. I will leave at the end of the summer. I feel like I'm still in the surreal stage. Sometimes its hard to believe I actually accepted, especially when I can't grasp the idea that I'm graduating in a few short weeks! I have a peace about my decision and am excited to go, although I'm going to miss my family and friends a lot.

I intend to try to chronicle some of my experiences and thoughts on this blog, and I would greatly appreciate your prs. If I've invited you to view this blog, know that it's only because I care deeply about each of you, and desire to keep up with your lives in the coming year. I know Our Father will be faithful to go before and behind each one of us!