Fried Brain

We started language school today and I suddenly realized that we will be very busy since all 4 of us will be in school. That said, we were hoping that we would have signed a rental contract on a place by now, but all our tea time negotiations were for naught.
So, we're putting an offer forward on a different place tomorrow closer to our school and the kids' school and we'll see what happens.
Small success of yesterday was getting a minibus from the downtown area to the kids' school. There are no bus schedules or guidance posted anywhere, so you have to take your limited talking skills and ask someone. I was very excited to have made it to their school with time to spare. I've also learned directions well enough to direct a taxi driver to the rode near our temporary home.

Let's Talk Housing

I’m not sure where to start with posting.  I guess that I’d first say that this is all going more smoothly than I had anticipated.  We have spotty internet and cell service, the kids have gone to school orientation and we are learning enough words to get a taxi to take us where we need to go. The only problem with taxis is they don’t like to take people to our neighborhood. The hill is steep, the traffic is heavy and they don’t always find a paying customer for their drive out.

We’ve focused our time before school starts on finding a good and reasonably priced place to live…the furnished place we’re in now is more expensive than finding a good unfurnished place. Unfurnished here means you are renting a place with walls and doors. The previous You have to buy and wire the light fixtures, hot water heater, get curtains, stove and fridge. In our case, the place we want was vacant for 6 months. This means it became the place for garbage to be tossed and windows to be smashed. So, we had a friend of a friend do a walk through with us today and give us an estimate of the cost of repairs. At the end of the walkthrough, you sit down with the neighbor showing the flat, he serves you soda, you talk about the minutae involved with plumbing and water spots and how much repairs will take off your rent monthly. This conversation takes an hour and a half. This is the way things are done here and luckily through our other travels I was prepared for this sort of back and forth. So, the next step is for the friend of the friend to talk to the landlord and see if he’s willing to take the cost of repairs out of the monthly rent and also to lower our overall rent. Hopefully we’ll know if it’s ours to take on by next week.

We're Here

We haven't gotten an internet connection at our house yet, so my posting will be sparse until we have it.

The travel itself would have gone smoothly if we hadn't run into 2 separate airline supervisors for 2 different airlines who decided to be hosers about baggage. US Airways skimmed us unjustly for a couple of hundred dollars in illogical baggage fees. We thought it would be the only travel hurdle until we got to JFK and a super for our airline to J wanted more money in unjust baggage fees. Granted, we don't have bribery fees in the US, but what these airlines were doing was just as pointless and unjust. Luckily the 2nd airline super left and the other ticket agents rightly didn't charge us for bags.

Thankfully all 16 (that's not a typo) bags (checked and carry-on) made it intact and we were able to flop into our furnished rental apartment by 8pm Wednesday. Ramadan was happening, so we were unable to eat in public during the day. This meant that many of our neighbors were up very late our first couple of days eating and enjoying their break from fasting at night.

Our temporary apartment has been glorious, to be able to settle down into a semblance of normalcy has been a great stress reliever. We have gotten phones, basic household items and the Wii hooked up. My next desire is to get internet since I'm feeling cut off from the world without it. School signups are happening this week and we need to decide whether we'll continue to rent this furnished apartment or rent an unfurnished apartment. Unfurnished would be cheaper, but here it requires us to furnish everything meaning cabinets, curtains, stove, fridge, heat, etc. Unfurnished literally means you're renting the walls/rooms and must come up with the rest. I've been told it's cheap to furnish a place, but I admit I'm skeptical.

A surprise for me was to be taken to the west side of town to Safeway! They had many western goods which I hadn't expected to see. Granted they're expensive, but I was very pleased to find cheddar cheese, wheat bread and Clorox wipes available in the country!

I'm absolutely loving our local corner store. The owner has a nice selection, speaks a little English and looks like the Arab version of Albert Einstein.

Sorry this is ramble, I'm a little tired. Until next post.

All the Bags Are Packed...

...and we're almost ready to go. We took a break from the packing madness and went on a 4 day camping trip with our church to the San Juan mountains.

I recommend this method of moving to everyone! It took me a couple of hours to start relaxing, but once I did it was glorious. The food, landscape and company were the perfect balm for my wigged out heart.

We came back yesterday evening and I'm looking at everything with fresh eyes so I can make this final packing push.

At A Low Point

We started packing bags yesterday and I started to crumble.

There are so many little things we need to get done today in order to go camping that I'm getting the sense of drowning in a sea of moving chores.

I logically recognize that this is all easy in relation to being held hostage or climbing Everest. But emotionally I haven't been tried in the fires of having to power through things often. Elk butchering days and the church debacle would be the closest comparisons.

Poor J and the kids are being absolutely wonderful, thankfully there's just one of me with my type A tendencies!

Hope I can hold it together better today and power through!

A Time to Keep And a Time to Throw Away

We are nearing the end of the household insanity. Walls and drawers are getting wiped. The majority of our furniture has disappeared. We're keeping only what we're packing, storing or throwing away by Tuesday. Thankfully we have camping stuff still, so we're making due with sleeping on cots and air mattresses.

The couple overseas already has found two possible apartments for us and Jason is watching loads to see when there are most seats for flying standby.

Someone asked me the other day if I'm stressing about finding an apartment and furniture when we get to J. I realized that I've embraced the mentality of today having enough troubles of its own, I haven't even considered all we need to do when we actually get there.

So, we are almost there.

Good Times Are Coming?

Right?
This whole packing and tossing things will end?
I'm amazed at how the emotions can override the logic of a situation. I logically know that there will be an end to this process by August 10th, but that doesn't stop my emotions from treating this as a mentally exhausting hurdle with an unknown end.

I've experienced this with elk butchering every fall and with the infancy of my two kids.

How do you get Logic to talk Emotion off the ledge?

Mentally Fried

That's me, the one in the workout clothes, sifting through our worldly goods. Putting value on some and realizing how much detrius we have.
Eight checked bags and four roller bags will contain the sum of what we deem worthy to keep. That and we'll be having some friends hold onto a couple of bins and beds we want to save.
I'm glad we have started getting rid of our things three weeks out from leaving because I'm finding it easiest to make a couple of sweeps through each room. There are things I'm not ready to part with, that by the last week will probably be passed on, but I'm not ready to part with it this week.
How much do we think we need??? That's what I've been asking myself. Obviously there is so much in this lower middle class house that are wants not needs if I can walk away from them so easily.
Congratulations if you made it to the end of this stream of fried consciousness post. Do you want some of our stuff??/

Is It Really Time???!!!

As you long time readers know, this has been a crazy 3 or so years. We lost our church home, were church nomads and finally came to rest at a stupendous Body a little over a year ago. In the midst of all the church shuffling, we've been slowly raising the funds to move to Jordan and study Arabic. As of last week, it looks like all the funding has come in!

And now begins my internal panic as I'm looking down the barrel of spending my time until mid-August getting logistical things accomplished. I'm trying to start going through rooms now, but it's difficult to decide what to not throw away yet. I'm having a hard time believing this is truly finally happening, so I won't begin going through rooms in real earnest until the last week of July.

What would you store if you knew you might be back in the US in two years?

Ukrainean Funfest

I am nearing the end of an adventure visiting my friend in Rivne, Ukraine. 

Last time I was here, it was winter and bitterly cold. As a result, I was surprised to see how lush and green the land is around my friend's house. She informed me that Ukraine was considered the Bread basket of the Soviet era. Everyone has a garden plot that they tend lovingly and intentionally because they often depend on their plots for many of their vegetables and possibly some of their income. In a truly foreign twist, many of them seem to find the most comfortable way to garden is in their boxers and bras. Is this any different than those in our country that find it sensible to garden in their swimsuit or trunks? 

I have been able to spend two evening meals eating with local families. The first family had their Russian sister also visiting who taught me the find Russian art of toasting elaborately and often while eating. Needless to say, her tongue was loosened soon after we started to ask us our views on politics and to give us hers in return. The second meal was an open house birthday celebration where the mother in law gave us a beautiful bouquet from her lush garden. Both of the homes were sized for modesty and usefulness. When you don't have space to waste, you learn how to make do and use well the space you have. Kitchens double as living rooms and living rooms double as bed rooms and all this is perfectly normal in this part of the world.

I also went to the dentist while I was here. I'm always surprised at how cheap medical/dental services are overseas. For $40 I was able to get two cavities taken care of by a very professional, albeit slightly old school, dentist. Why in the world does America allow the crazy insurance scheme continue instead of opening it up for competitive prices?

Twelve days is much too long to be away from my husband and kids. Thankfully both the Amsterdam airport and Warsaw airport had free wi-fi available. With Skype on my iPod I have been less sad as I'm able to see their sweet faces and scold them if needed.

On Monday I will be taking a 3 hour train ride to Lviv, Ukraine and then a 5 hour plane ride to Amsterdam. I am hopeful that trying to fly standby out of Amsterdam at the beginning of summer won't cause me to have to spend multiple days waiting in the Amsterdam airport, but we will see.

Smart Travel Supplies

All of our world travel has caused me to become a smart and light packer. Through trial and error I've come up with a list of what I believe are long travel essentials. I see decadent travel lists in magazines often, but this list is for the rest of us.

Let's first address clothing. Make sure that you know what clothing is culturally appropriate. They can already tell you're the goofy foreigner, so try not to stick out like a sore clothing thumb. A coat can come in handy anytime of the year while traveling. You can use it as a blanket, pillow or object to block out light while sleeping. A scarf for ladies can also be useful for covering necklines that are too low or as a light blanket to ward off the chilly air in the plane.
After learning the inner of airlines, I'm shocked that any checked baggage ever makes it to its destination at the same time as the passenger! So, always bring at least one full change of clothes in your carry on.

Since luggage is often lost, accidentally torn open or otherwise treated with no TLC, never pack anything of value in checked luggage. If you can't toss your luggage across your yard and have your luggage stay intact, then don't expect it to last long in the metal underbelly of a plane. Again, no meds, breakables, valuables, electronics in checked baggage unless you're prepared for its possible loss.

Think about how big of a carry on you might want to bring. Make sure it's a bag or backpack that you don't mind running with through a large, crowded airport. Bring a water bottle and fill it up as soon as you can after you clear security. Flying is dehydrating, so you'll be more comfortable if you consciously hydrate. Melatonin, tylenol pm or other OTC sleep aids are great for overseas trips. Melatonin may help your body adapt more quickly to a new time zone if you take it as you fly to your destination.
Flying and sleeping are not compatible and I've found some things that make my overseas flight sleeping a little more comfortable. Bring a couple of blow up camping pillows to cushion you from a hard seat or arm rest. A neck pillow can also help keep you from slouching onto your neighbor. A light blanket, coat or scarf is also great to help you feel more cozy which in turn might help you relax enough to get some sleep.

As for entertainment and navigation overseas, and iPod can be your best friend. There are translation apps that can help you have phrases available if you don't know the language. You can save maps of the area you're going to for reference when you arrive as well.  If you have a long layover, can't sleep, or need to look like you don't care about your surrounding and certainly aren't lost thank you very much, then you can stick your headphones on and tune out on something that's familiar. I load mine with free TV shows, some movies and entertaining podcasts. I would also recommend getting a couple exercise routines (pilates, yoga) that you can do anywhere to help an achy back or tight shoulders. I also recommend an e-reader to keep your packing light. Most libraries are now loaning e-books, so check a couple out before you leave on your trip. Any mindless game like Sudoku, crosswords and the like can keep you occupied while you have to have your devices off during take off and landing.

Because I'm a mom, I have always traveled with a large bag of snacks. Here's some of our favorites:
-Trail mix
-Granola bars
-baby carrots
-red pepper
-bagel w/ crm cheese
-candy bars
-string cheese
-jerky
-pumpkin seeds

Most of this I see as common sense, but some of it may be new to you and I hope you find it useful.
Anything I've missed?

I Swear!

I am very pleased with the Sunday School teacher that the kids are sitting under right now. She's a mother of 2 grown kids and approaches parenting with eternal purposes in mind which made/makes her a very forthright parent. This translates into her being a very forthright teacher on Sundays.

In past weeks they've talked over the 10 commandments, which caused my kids to ask her what adultery was. She didn't shy away from giving them a very tactful definition. They dug into the deeper implications behind the commandments as well.

Ruth's soccer team had played a very rough opposing soccer team Saturday (a la Real Madrid) and one of the girls on the other team had cussed at Ruth on the field. Their teacher on Sunday had asked them about their week and Ruth had brought up the game. This led them to discuss cussing and the meanings behind the words we use.

The Sunday School teacher made an extremely astute observation. All our cuss words fall into two categories: those directly offensive to God, those directly offensive to what He's made.

If you consider the meanings behind some of our cuss words:

sh**- poop
bi***- female dog
d***-to curse
f***- an intimate action with your spouse
c***- female anatomy
h***- place of torment
d***- male anatomy
p***- to urinate or be drunk
a**- donkey or ones rear end
various racial slurs which I won't list
There are also many, many more that predominantly have to do with bits of anatomy.

It's very interesting that people still damn others or use the word "God" to be profane when many of them don't believe that He exists.
As we've become a more atheistic/agnostic culture, wouldn't it make sense that people would find man-made objects something to be cussed about?

You never hear anyone stub their toe and say, "Macbook Pro!" or "Sailboats!" or "Pants!".
Along the same line, no one ever says, "Buddha!" or "Dali Lama!"

We still choose to wound the people around us by referencing God or predominantly the creatures made in his image, mankind. We insult their design both in anatomy and race.

This, I believe, is a result of what Paul talks about in Romans 1:18-19, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth by unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them.


I've long been a proponent of the alternative frustration words...here are some that the kids and I use:
Buckets
Frack (Used in Battlestar Galactica)
Darn
Freaking
Son of biscuit
Cripes
Blimey

Now, growing up, our parents ran a very verbally clean house, so clean that there were words that they were not familiar with. So, it was quite a shock to my sister and I when we realized one word that our family had been affectionately using to say, "Don't be silly" was actually a term that was a sex toy! (Psst, it was the d**** word)

I think we confuse some people because we fully support our kids knowing correct anatomical terms for private body parts, and yet we are against cussing. We give them the correct terminology for the privates because we believe that they're not shameful parts of the body, but parts that are to be correctly understood and explained to the glory of God.

I could go on and on about this topic, but sufficed to say, her observance has me thinking about the reasons that all cultures use the terms they do as cuss words.

What do you think? Do you cuss? (I have to confess, I'm not cuss word free) Do you have a good alternative word?

Foreign Adventure Countdown

Okay friends, here's the bottom line.
I'm tired.
Tired because of all the planning that goes into moving overseas by Christmas, tired because of all the changes that have had to happen and tired because of all the changes of friendships that have happened and will have to happen as a result of the colossal move.
*Sigh*
But, there will come a day when there will be no more that I can do to prepare and will be on the plane (tired I'm sure) trying to wrap my head around not being stateside for a couple of years.

If you've miraculously hung with this blog and its huge drought over the last two years, you may see more of me depending on how this all goes down. Above all, pray for our sanity and that we would see God as amazingly sufficient and providential in the midst of our shifting sands.

10 Is Just The Beginning

I've been thinking about today for the last few weeks. It's our 10 year anniversary.

Ten years ago today, Jason and I skipped chapel at CCU and went to downtown Denver. We paid $10 each, said our vows in front of the judge and had our wedding kiss in the Denver Post in a story on that judge.

Ten years was a number that I looked forward to because it sounded like the number of a mature married couple. I see now that ten years is just the beginning of a glorious union that God has brought together. The places we've been, jobs we've had, things we've worked out are just a taste of all the things yet to come.

Seeing more clearly every year God's hand on all that we do has made these last ten years so good:

-We've traveled and encouraged believers in 13 countries

-We've had 5 jobs that have all moved us closer to what God had for us at the next job and phase of life.

-We've moved 8 times and every location has been exactly what we needed at the time.

-God's given us 5 cars over the last 10 years that we haven't had to pay for. They've all been glorious mid-90s monsters that have even broken down at just the right times.

-We've been given two kids to raise in the fear of God and to see His glory and we're only now grasping some of the magnificence of that task.

-We've gained a deeper and more God-entranced vision of all things, including each other.

And that last good thing has really been the best thing. Without this deepening and joy-filled sight of God, the little annoyances and day to day misunderstandings would have worn at these last 10 years.

Living together as a man and a woman is not made to be easy, but it is made to be good! So, my dear and faithful Jason, here are the things that cause me to respect and love you more as we shuffle on this mortal coil:

-Your faith that God's sovereignty is always good and right

-Being able to look at life and say, "What's the worst that could happen?" and knowing it's a momentary light affliction.

-The joy you have of our children.

-Your full understanding that all that you have is to be given to others to glorify God...whether it's your time, your car or your finances.

-That you do not write or say anything lightly, but weigh things carefully.

-And, while it may seem silly, I love that you are so strong and stately looking.

I love you and, if God wills, I want to be able to spend 70 more years maturing in the knowledge of all God has made marriage to be.

Let The Games Begin

Jason and I have 2 different language programs for learning Arabic.

Why two different programs?

Because we're pretty sure that we learn differently. So, since we're also competitive, it is now a race to see who can communicate the best when we visit Jordan next month.

I have to say, I'm nervous I'm going to lose solely because my husband seems to be such a smarty pants. I have hope I can pull this off, enshallah!

Much Ado About Life As I Know It

I know, I know, I've been seriously falling down on the blogging job lately. Thank goodness you can't fire me!

Much, and not much, has happened over the last couple of months. So, here's the flyover:

-Kids in school and soccer. They have a love/hate relationship with both.

-Daughter entered early stages of adolescence...trying to ignore this because I'm sure it will go away (psh!)

-Grandparents health has been absolutely aweful, so I've been trying to help where I can.

-Slowly, much too slowly for me, getting ready to move overseas. Have spurts of trying not to think about this since I'm sure it will be so easy when it all happens.

-Studying Romans and Job with my women's groups and loving them. Just finished Deuteronomy and think it's amazing. Who knew it was such a pivotal book?!

-Took a free four day vacation to Universal Studios, Florida. My daughter won us that trip and it was everything I'd hoped for and more. Found out my daughter is a roller coaster/thrill junkie just like her mom.

-Three of the four of us got the influenza virus which laid us all out flat for Christmas Break. Also, I had the joy of my eardrum rupturing. It's still in the healing process.

That's life in a very quick flyby...I'll try and post sooner next time!

Contest of the Week

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to:http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?

This Christmas season feels different to me.

I'm usually slightly irritated all month because of the disruption to precious routine that the Christmas season is. It makes a mess, rearranges rooms and costs us money we shouldn't spend. But, every year, my husband's generosity and calm attitude has infected me a little more. The big shift this year has a lot to do with the reality that our next 2 Christmases will be spent in a foreign land where they don't have snow and don't celebrate Christmas as a nation. I realize that all these fun and heartwarming "disruptions" will be events I'll miss dearly while overseas.

So I'm finally relishing all the little things this year. The gift wrapping, the advent calendar, the decorating of the Christmas tree, and the lights on the house. But most all I'm relishing the reminders we have of it being all about His glory and grace since His declaration of Christ's coming in Genesis 3.

The reminder of Christ and His mercy are my wish for my family this year as we gear up to walk away from all we are familiar with in our culture. I want this Christmas to give my children confidence in the larger realities of why we celebrate Christmas. I want them to understand that it's not a mere cultural duty, but a deeply rooted example of all that we've received as sinners saved by His gracious hand.

So, pray for me that I not become a grinch, but at the same time, that I continue to be awed by the deep meaning of this month. May you see Him as most glorious!

2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition?

We go to the Christmas Eve service.

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?

I would ask for a working car with 10 years of free repairs.

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?

We play in the snow and bake together.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?

We loved Scrabble, Pictionary and Monopoly.

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?

I've carried on the traditions of driving around to look at Christmas lights and opening one gift on Christmas Eve.

7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip?

Billings, Montana

8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?

Super Mario Bros for Wii

Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Wii

Lego Harry Potter yrs. 1-4 for Wii

Quote of the Week

"The old idea was to treat adults as adults. They could do anything; if they did something wrong they were punished. Children were treated as children-to be protected from what is harmful and reared and reformed in what is right. They modern idea is to reverse this. We treat adults as children and reform them.

We treat children as adults and let them see and do anything and everything. If we say someone's background and education is responsible for his present need of reform, it is inconsistent to let children taste and see everything good or bad."

-John Wenham "The Goodness of God"

Nice To Meat You

No, that's not a typo...that is a little view into my fall.

Both my husband and I are Montanans by birth and spent much of our childhood fall hunting with our dads. I have fond memories of singing along to the oldies with my dad in the garage. A dead deer hanging to the side and we companionably trimming the fat off each piece of meat. This background has blessed my husband because I'm thrilled to be a part of him bringing home the yearly meat supply.

For this reason, I am fervently hooked on wild meat. As an adult I've realized how healthy and economic it is. My kids love elk burgers, and balk at the taste of, ahem, beef. They are now at the point where they enjoy helping in the butchering process.

So, we've butchered one elk...deer season is in a week and a half. Then we have one more round of elk to go. Whew!

In other news, both the kids are playing soccer and I'm loving it. Granted, I hope they're enjoying it too, but I love the whole atmosphere: the crazy parents, the kiddy personalities, the goofy adolescent refs, and the ever different fall weather. My desire is that the kids will learn perseverance through playing out there. I also love them getting fun exercise.

Struggling with myself over whether it would be beneficial for me to try and get a part time job. I know it would be financially helpful, but is it eternally and family-wise helpful? Not sure yet.

Quote of the Evening

"Love is helping people toward the greatest beauty and the highest value and the deepest satisfaction and the most lasting joy and the biggest reward and the most wonderful friendship and most overwhelming worship- love is helping people toward God. We do this by pointing to the greatness of God. And God does it by pointing to the greatness of God."

-John Piper "Let the Nations Be Glad

This very eloquently and succinctly sums up what I've been learning the true definition of love to be over the last year. Beholding in bigger and broader ways the amazing sovereign glory of all that God does.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things! Romans 11:36