What I'm looking forward to

In less than a week I'll be setting off on my 25-hour journey home.  I'll be back for over a month and will spend my time seeing my family, catching up with friends, fundraising, and recharging my batteries.  Some people may be wondering, what is it that a person who lives in Russia looks forward to when coming back to America?  There are a lot of things, and it depends on the person, but here's my list of the things that I'm looking forward to most in America.

1. These people.  Not only these people, but especially these people.  I haven't seen my nearest and dearest since October, and that's long enough!

Mom, Dad, Wyatt - I miss you.

Grandma Patty, Grammie Lois - I miss you.

Wyatt, Steph- I miss you (these two are engaged now!

Eli, my bunny - I miss you

 

Boats - I miss you

2. Friendly service.  You know you live in a country with really poor service when the security guards and TSA agents in New York seem really friendly to you.

The face of the Russian service industry

3. The food.  Russian food is great, don't get me wrong, but there is far less variety.  I want Mexican, Chinese, good Sushi, steak, decent burgers, and of course all of the wonderful home-cooked things that my mama makes.

Cooking Mexican in Russia; it's just not the same, plus those taco shells tasted like cardboard and dust

4. American comfort.  People will argue forever about which country is the "best", but you cannot argue with the fact that America is the most comfortable country in the world.  Our roads are excellent and our traffic is quiet; people are friendly; portions at restaurants are huge; most people are law abiding (police included!). America is just a really comfortable place, and while that isn't the meaning of life, it will be nice to relax for a bit, cruising down the wide, paved road with Starbucks in hand.

Boats and I went to see U2 in Seattle - look at this: Starbucks, a mini-van, people in sneakers and hoodies, neat and tidy cobblestone...what a dream!  And driving there was a cinch...

 

 

 

 

 

...compared to driving in Russia, which is terrifying.  Steering wheel on the right? Very common, the car was imported directly from Japan; it's cheaper that way, but TOTALLY SCARY

5. R and R.  I'm not going back to the States for vacation, let's be clear, I've got plenty to do, but it's hard to live in another country, in another culture, speaking another language, and so on.  It's a kind of imperceptible stress that slowly takes the wind out of your sails, and when you're back home, not having to worry about all the cultural and language differences is downright relaxing.

Having a doughnut in America; this is the life!

This is the short list of things I'm looking forward to in America; it's not all, but it's the big ones.  I'll be back before I know it, but for now the anticipation is killing me!

Look forward to updates while I'm on "holiday"!

Пока ребята,

Russian Jane

Rehab in the Hills

My church here in Russia supports a rehab center (I went there last May if you want to read about it), which is a farm high up in the hills outside of town.  This Fall the gentlemen from the rehab center (about 10 in all, and a full-time minister) came to our Thanksgiving service, and after I gave a testimony about how good God has been to let me stay in Russia, they invited me to come visit me at the rehab center. 

Two men from our church, Roman and Ilya, go up to the center every Sunday afternoon.  They bring groceries, home goods, and anything else the center needs, and lead a Bible study.  They are the connection between the church and the center, letting us know what they need and how the fellows are doing.  Well, last fall they started hounding me to go up there with them and visit the center.  Our youth group takes place every Sunday afternoon, so I really couldn't make it, but finally, one day, youth group was cancelled and with a bit of trepidation, I went up the the center.

There were plenty of kids and lambs to pet

Ilya with a newborn lamb

Julia with a kid; you wouldn't believe how soft they are!

Andrey in front of the main building

My nervousness was unfounded; the brothers up there were happy to see me and I could see what an encouragement it was to them to have a guest.  I joined them for tea and a Bible study, and really had a lovely time. Then, I did something that horrified them: I asked to use the bathroom.

The farm itself is in pretty rough condition; mud everywhere, the buildings are falling down, they just got electricity a few months ago from a little windmill that powers a light-bulb and a refrigerator.  The outhouse fit with the rest of the environment.  It was a little shack with no light, a door that didn't close, and let's just say less than ideal sanitation.  I survived, I didn't even fuss, but little did I know what would happen next.

Yesterday I made it back up to the center, and this time my friends Julia and Andrey, and one of our pastors joined the expedition.  And dear ones, they had built a new outhouse.  Two stalls, a toilet seat, a door that closes, all deluxe.  I arrived and everyone immediately asked, "have you seen your new toilet?"  Bless 'em.

My new toilet!

Striking a pose on the throne

I have a special place in my heart for the rehab center and the men living there.  I am sincerely looking forward to the next time I can make it up there.  Until then, they'll be in my prayers, and I can't help but think of them because they send me a big bottle of fresh milk every week!  God bless the rehab center.

Bible study

The guys are always very hospitable

Andrey teaching the word

Пока ребята,

Russian Jane

Novorossiysk street style

Sometimes things are so bad, they're good.  That's how I feel about most of Russian fashion (thought a lot of the time, it's so bad, it's just bad).  I try to keep some kind of camera on me at all times, because sometimes it's just mind-boggling.  There's a woman in town who looks just like Ursula the sea witch from Ariel, purple hair and all, I kid you not.

I present, for your viewing pleasure, a small sampling of bad winter fashion.  Bundle up, and if your winter ensemble resembling any of these snapshots, you should probably think about changing.

Buy a sweater or receive a beating.

Exactly what kind of animal is that from please?

And this one?  What kind of animal did you say that was?

This poor woman is being swallowed by her giant fox mess.

Just the Soviet Union at Mickey D's, not a big deal.

It's the long military-style coat with the skinny sweatpants that gets me.

A FANNY PACK WORN ON AN ACTUALLY FANNY! ONLY IN RUSSIA!

Three girls in matching heels, two in matching shirts, they were like 10

And my personal favorite, in case any is still looking for Carmen San Diego...

Words written in English but with Russian letters: "fashion is my profession"

 Next time I see something spectacular, I'll be sure the have my camera ready!

Пока ребята,

Russian Jane

Gold Rush!

Gold Rush, our 2014 Winter English Camp, ended just a few days ago, and thought it was only five days long it feels like I've left a whole other life behind me.

About three weeks ago, Andrey gathered some of the staff together to head up to camp and bury gold.  We had five big white buckets full of painted gold rocks, a rototiller, some shovels, and a plan.  We dug 12 claims and put equal amounts of gold on each, then covered the gold with dirt.  By the time camp started you couldn't tell where we had buried the gold, which was perfect.

We had 12 groups at camp this year, a total of 83 kids (TWICE as many as last year!) and on the first night, we auctioned off all 12 claims.  The next morning, the kiddos got shovels, screens, pans, and water to go dig up their claims.

Girls digging up the "Broken Bone" claim

Our smallest boys, 7-8 years old, hard at work

Alina, one of "our" kids who comes every camp, totally grossed out at the prospect of touching dirt

And what did they do with the gold they dug up? Exchange it at the bank, of course! We printed our own money for camp (yours truly was on the $20) and gave the kids time to make their own "town" after lunch. We had business where they could spend their money, and where they could earn it.  So, kids could sign up as waiters or guards to earn more spending money, or they could use their money to rent board games and sports equipment.  Aside from spending their cash on entertainment and services around town, the could also buy lottery tickets for a chance to win one free ticket to next year's camp, a pretty great prize!

A snapshot from our evening meetings; Andrey on the left, my boss, was the town mayor

I'm very pleased to report that the kids absolutely loved camp!  They loved digging for gold, they loved working (though we'll see how the feel in a few years when they have their first real job), they loved thinking up their own businesses, and loved the lottery.

Andrey's wife Natasha and our littlest camper (one of our staff member's kids)

English lessons are serious business!

I found my brother's signature on last year's banner; come back to me, Wyatt!

Not only was the camp program a total success, but I ended up with a team of 10 Americans, which is a miracle! I had a family of seven, an young married couple, and myself to work with.  We had a blast in our English lessons (we wrote poems, performed skits, and wrote new laws for Boomtown, the name of our city) and had fun playing with the kids and encouraging them to speak English.

One of my team members Cady Hayes on the left, one of our campers Polina in pink, Masha, and yours truly posing in front of our covered wagon

Now that camp is over, I don't know what to do with myself! That's not entirely true, I have things to do, but I'm already thinking about summer camp!  What can I say? I love my job.


Пока ребята,

Russian Jane

An Ivanyenko Christmas!

Aside from this year, I've only been away on Christmas once in my life.  In 2007, I spent Christmas in Vietnam while on a mission trip.  It was a weird experience to be honest, nothing like Christmas at all; the palm trees, the tropical heat, the absence of a family atmosphere, all of this distracted us from being away.

This year, I wasn't sure how I was going to handle it, because it was a very different story: I was in a family now, with their own holiday traditions and way of doing things.  I wasn't sure if this was going to make it harder or easier for me to be far away from my family.

God is good.  Being with the Ivanyenkos on Christmas was wonderful; of course I missed my family, but I was also overwhelmed with thanks to God for the family he has brought me into in Russia; a family that loves me and treats me like their own, that supports me, teases me, laughs and cries with me, and a family that I was truly happy to celebrate Christmas with.

The family Christmas Tree in our cozy new kitchen

Uncle Ilya repeatedly demanded to be photographed with both the duck, and his woman

The stove-top doesn't work, but the oven sure does!  Grandma is Queen of the Kitchen

All fancy for Christmas

And lest we forget what Christmas is about, here's my homemade nativity scene

For most Russians, of course, the biggest holiday of the year is New Years; they typically don't celebrate Christmas until January 7th, which is Christmas according to the Orthodox Church's calendar.  Everyone worked and went to school on the 25th, it was so bizarre!  Tomorrow, everyone's two-week holiday vacation starts, and the country basically shuts down.

I've got New Years with friend to look forward to, and on the 2nd, English camp begins!  We're starting the year off with a bang, and I can't wait to give a full report once I've recovered.

I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones.  Enjoy New Years (and Christmas again if you feel like it!) and God bless you in 2014!

Пока ребята, Russian Jane

Grandma moves in; my second expat Thanksgiving

A lot has happened here in Russia in the last few weeks!  Our little region is going crazy getting ready for Sochi (which is a mere 280 kilometers away) and at our little house, changes are underway.

First things first, Grandma Vera has moved in!  Tanya's parents lived in a big house with a big garden in a town about 5 hours from here, where the Ivanyenkos are originally from.  When Grandpa died a couple of years ago, the house became too much for Grandma to take care of on her own.  She put her house on the market and finally, after about a year of looking for buyers, the house sold! 

Enjoying tea on moving day

Grandma came with a mini van packed full of stuff.  Aside from the usual things like clothes and furniture, she brought her refrigerator complete with a freezer full of food, light fixtures, fruit trees and plants from her garden, and dirt.  I kid you not, the woman brought bags of dirt from her garden.  Tanya was in a panic about all the things Grandma Vera was bringing and kept saying, "it's going to be like a train station in our house!" but Baba Vera is nothing if not industrious. 

See the fridge back there? Full of food

Kostya and Tanya hard at work

Baba Vera's moved into Masha's room; Masha is in my room until her room is finished

Boxes upon boxes

Grandma's washing machine headed up to my room

She immediately brought order and food to our household.  Her biggest joys in life are feeding people and spending time in the garden.  She's already planted most of her garden (yes, in December, because the climate here is a dream) and busies herself cooking and cleaning.  Grandma is a wonderful blessing for such a busy household, and as a girl who misses her own grandmas very much, having her here is a great encouragement.

The next big even was last week: Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I'm not about to sit around and mope because I can't be with my family!  This is the second year I've whipped up Thanksgiving dinner by myself, and I really do get a lot of joy out of cooking.  And feeding people, I love feeding people! Baba Vera and I are not so different after all...

Photo courtesy of Nastya

In attendance was the Ivanyenko family minus the boys (Tima was in India serving the Lord, Kostya was in another town getting his driver's license), my dear friend Vasil, Kostya's girlfriend Nastya, two girlfriends from English club, and a couple friends from Masha's church that were in the right place at the right time!  We all thanked God for what he's done this past year and enjoyed the feast together (in the new kitchen, by the way). 

Left to right: Nastya, Baba Vera, Alina (Russian Jane and Uncle Ilya in the background)

My friend Katya and her little baby Toma

(I brought gravy packets from the US specifically for Thanksgiving this year, and I have to say, what a difference gravy makes!  It's the one thing I just can't get right from scratch.)

Camp is just around the corner, in less than a month.  Andree, my boss, had emergency eye surgery this last week (a few months ago he had a really serious injury and almost lost his eye), so we've been getting ready for camp without him, which is a little scary!  He won't be able to look at computer screens for a while, so I'm in the process of teaching myself Photoshop.  Instead of little books for English Camp like we usually do, we're making a map.  I'll be sure to show you the finished product!

That's all, friends!  It's a beautiful day out, 43F if you can believe it!  I may go on some kind of excursion today, it seems like walking weather to me!

I hear it's freezing cold in Montana; bundle up!

Пока ребята, Russian Jane