Tomorrow I leave Lithuania and head back to the states.
These last 4 1/2 months have an amazing, challenging, eye-opening, transformative and ballin experience!
I have so many mixed feelings right now. I can't believe that it has been a week since I left LCC and even though I'm
back in Lithuania for the night I'm on the other side of the country.
There is so much that I need to put into words. So I will work on that and studying for bio during my day of traveling and
write again soon!
Thanks so much for all the love, prayers and encouragment!
See most of you soon,
Lots of love and hugs
~Chrissy
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Almost the End....
Well this will have to be short and sweet...
I just left Klaipeda which included , finishing off finals and papers, cleaning, packing and many teary goodbyes.
Milton drove me, Mayu, Jennifer and Micah to his house this afternoon. It's been a great dear and has taken my mind off
the sadness a little bit. We've had a lot of laughs, amazing dinner, great service, and awesome after church company!!
Tomorrow we leave for Rome! It will be a fun and relaxing vacation! Not many plans, just hanging out and enjoying the city.
I'll do my rest to write while I'm there.
Thanks for all your prayers throughout the semester! They are much appreciated!
Love you all
I just left Klaipeda which included , finishing off finals and papers, cleaning, packing and many teary goodbyes.
Milton drove me, Mayu, Jennifer and Micah to his house this afternoon. It's been a great dear and has taken my mind off
the sadness a little bit. We've had a lot of laughs, amazing dinner, great service, and awesome after church company!!
Tomorrow we leave for Rome! It will be a fun and relaxing vacation! Not many plans, just hanging out and enjoying the city.
I'll do my rest to write while I'm there.
Thanks for all your prayers throughout the semester! They are much appreciated!
Love you all
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Lessons Learned
As I have 2 weeks before I leave Lithuania I thought I would share a few more tidbits of what I have learned during my time here....
1. I still get in trouble for laughing too loudly…
2. I need to hold tightly to God no matter what
3. Bulgaria is a beautiful country
4. Mug N Muffin
5. It’s ok to keep my options open and not only focus on one thing
6. Changing plans is ok…
7. Other countries have disparity just like the US. It is not that some countries have all poor people and are in deep need of our help. There are economic differences everywhere though some countries may have greater disparity than others.
8. Many people have had very limited access to computer until they came to college.
9. To play Texas Hold Em
10. Life in Bulgaria is pretty sweet
11. Celebrating a birthday before the birthday is a no-go
12. You can really touch people through the simple things
13. Changing flights is wicked expensive
14. Lithuanian weather and Boston weather are both highly temperamental
15. Be quick to apologize and slow to get angry
16. Small celebrations can bring much joy
17. No matter how much I plan, I still mess up
18. Egg decorating consists of lightly carving with a knife, wrapping in leaves, herbs then boiled leaves
19. Target moccasins are not seen as an acceptable form of outdoor footwear
20. People in ministry can fall just as hard as anyone else
21. Portion control is something that many Americans, including me, need to become a lot better at.
22. Only using ½ bag of rice makes for more servings
23. There is so much joy being able to laugh at yourself
24. Ecuadorians use USD
25. Luxembourgian is a language
26. There is an actual paved path to go to the orphanage
27. Klaipeda is like a new world without snow
28. Healthcare reform is a hard and complex issue
29. No equivalent of “One Mississippi, two Mississippi…” in Lithuania
30. Dina is another word for Duvet
31. The world is much bigger than just the US
32. Not everyone wants to live in the US
33. It is not the country or people group that is evil and horrible, but rather specific people doing that
34. People on both sides of war experience pain, hurt and devastation and also strive for healing and restoration
35. Once again, my life plan never works
36. You need to make sacrifices in order to care for others
37. St. Petersburg is full of color
38. Language Joke:
What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual.
What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual.
What do you call someone who speaks one language?
American.
39. Changes in prayer- Enough of the typical “American prayer”- Giglio
40. God allowed his son to suffer so why wouldn’t he allow us to suffer.
41. All the “good guys” in the NT lose
42. Lithuanian reminds me of Latin
43. Low interest banking for those in need, by those in need really works. Gamean Bank.
44. I have SO much that I take for granted
45. My love for children continues to grow as I spend time with them
46. Sometimes, a slap in the face is very necessary to remind me to do the right thing.
47. I am truly thankful for people that hold me accountable
48. Dr. Usrey used to work at Jess’ college
49. I can’t change everyone’s opinions but I can do my best to make an impact in the lives of those with whom I have relationships.
Thanks for all the love and prayers :)
1. I still get in trouble for laughing too loudly…
2. I need to hold tightly to God no matter what
3. Bulgaria is a beautiful country
4. Mug N Muffin
5. It’s ok to keep my options open and not only focus on one thing
6. Changing plans is ok…
7. Other countries have disparity just like the US. It is not that some countries have all poor people and are in deep need of our help. There are economic differences everywhere though some countries may have greater disparity than others.
8. Many people have had very limited access to computer until they came to college.
9. To play Texas Hold Em
10. Life in Bulgaria is pretty sweet
11. Celebrating a birthday before the birthday is a no-go
12. You can really touch people through the simple things
13. Changing flights is wicked expensive
14. Lithuanian weather and Boston weather are both highly temperamental
15. Be quick to apologize and slow to get angry
16. Small celebrations can bring much joy
17. No matter how much I plan, I still mess up
18. Egg decorating consists of lightly carving with a knife, wrapping in leaves, herbs then boiled leaves
19. Target moccasins are not seen as an acceptable form of outdoor footwear
20. People in ministry can fall just as hard as anyone else
21. Portion control is something that many Americans, including me, need to become a lot better at.
22. Only using ½ bag of rice makes for more servings
23. There is so much joy being able to laugh at yourself
24. Ecuadorians use USD
25. Luxembourgian is a language
26. There is an actual paved path to go to the orphanage
27. Klaipeda is like a new world without snow
28. Healthcare reform is a hard and complex issue
29. No equivalent of “One Mississippi, two Mississippi…” in Lithuania
30. Dina is another word for Duvet
31. The world is much bigger than just the US
32. Not everyone wants to live in the US
33. It is not the country or people group that is evil and horrible, but rather specific people doing that
34. People on both sides of war experience pain, hurt and devastation and also strive for healing and restoration
35. Once again, my life plan never works
36. You need to make sacrifices in order to care for others
37. St. Petersburg is full of color
38. Language Joke:
What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual.
What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual.
What do you call someone who speaks one language?
American.
39. Changes in prayer- Enough of the typical “American prayer”- Giglio
40. God allowed his son to suffer so why wouldn’t he allow us to suffer.
41. All the “good guys” in the NT lose
42. Lithuanian reminds me of Latin
43. Low interest banking for those in need, by those in need really works. Gamean Bank.
44. I have SO much that I take for granted
45. My love for children continues to grow as I spend time with them
46. Sometimes, a slap in the face is very necessary to remind me to do the right thing.
47. I am truly thankful for people that hold me accountable
48. Dr. Usrey used to work at Jess’ college
49. I can’t change everyone’s opinions but I can do my best to make an impact in the lives of those with whom I have relationships.
Thanks for all the love and prayers :)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Weekends Away
The last two weekends I spent time gallivanting around the Baltic states with great joy!!
For Easter weekend I went to a church camp in a small countryside called šilalė! It was the most decommericialized Easter I have ever had. It was a family retreat with the church that I go to here in Klaipeda. There were churches from šilute, Kaunas and Vilnius there as well started by the same pastor! Almost everyone spoke Lithuanian and I just chuckled to myself about what I had gotten myself into, but it got tons better very quickly! The speaker was from one of their supporting churches in Florida so he spoke English and everything was translated to Lithuanian. (Which was pretty sweet b/c Laura didn't have to translate for me which she so graciously does every Sunday)
The people there were wicked sweet and super gracious especially with my limited Lithuanian skills and my issues with endings :) The ones that spoke English were also willing to practice with me which was so sweet! I had such a good time there and had so much fun getting to know some of the people :) The messages were great as well and were challenging to me and made me think a lot about what I doing now and what I am supposed to do in the future! I will miss everyone a lot!
This past weekend we went to Tallin, Estonia and Riga, Latvia (the other 2 countries on top of Lithuania) it was a great trip. It was a lot more relaxing and chill then the last adventure I wrote about. This weekend was warm, sunny and super relaxing. We rented bikes for a few hours in Tallin and rode along the coast and around the city which was SO much fun!! I forgot how much I loved bike riding :) Both cities were very beautiful in there own way, but as always, I was glad to come home to Klaipeda!
Pics are soon to come :)
Sending huge hugs and lots of smiles
~Chrissy
For Easter weekend I went to a church camp in a small countryside called šilalė! It was the most decommericialized Easter I have ever had. It was a family retreat with the church that I go to here in Klaipeda. There were churches from šilute, Kaunas and Vilnius there as well started by the same pastor! Almost everyone spoke Lithuanian and I just chuckled to myself about what I had gotten myself into, but it got tons better very quickly! The speaker was from one of their supporting churches in Florida so he spoke English and everything was translated to Lithuanian. (Which was pretty sweet b/c Laura didn't have to translate for me which she so graciously does every Sunday)
The people there were wicked sweet and super gracious especially with my limited Lithuanian skills and my issues with endings :) The ones that spoke English were also willing to practice with me which was so sweet! I had such a good time there and had so much fun getting to know some of the people :) The messages were great as well and were challenging to me and made me think a lot about what I doing now and what I am supposed to do in the future! I will miss everyone a lot!
This past weekend we went to Tallin, Estonia and Riga, Latvia (the other 2 countries on top of Lithuania) it was a great trip. It was a lot more relaxing and chill then the last adventure I wrote about. This weekend was warm, sunny and super relaxing. We rented bikes for a few hours in Tallin and rode along the coast and around the city which was SO much fun!! I forgot how much I loved bike riding :) Both cities were very beautiful in there own way, but as always, I was glad to come home to Klaipeda!
Pics are soon to come :)
Sending huge hugs and lots of smiles
~Chrissy
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Spring Break: Russian Style
So I have waited so long to post about my Spring Break trip to Russia because I’m not even sure where to begin, but since I can’t put it off till April, here’s my go at it.
Russia was everything and nothing like I expected. To be honest even though I now live so close I still have not learned a lot. Our SA leaders did a few presentations for us about Moscow and St. Petersburg and taught us at least the few basic phrases, but I still was very unsure about what I was stepping into.
Overnight train:
Amazing experience. It was tons of fun! We walked into the train and there are little sections, no doors or curtains, just walkways. There are four beds nicely bunked and a table on one side and on the other there was a table with bench that folded down into a bed. We had a lot of fun on the 17 hour train: told stories, chatted, played cards, ate, drank tea, napped and went through two border controls.
Moscow:
The city is HUGE! After being in Chicago last summer I was shocked that another city could be 4 times its size. The metro itself was an experience. There were escalators that stretched so long that you could not see the end of it. There were also beautiful mosaics and stained glass pieces around the different stations. Red Square was somewhat like I imagined, red and brick. But in all honesty, it was really pretty. You walk under the arch and you stare at St. Basil’s cathedral. This is truly a work of art. It was beautiful! The colors were so bright and rich! The Kremlin is a large estate that is full of beauty and history! We had a great, long and cold tour through it which was very interesting. We also went to a circus! It was so fun! There were animals doing all these crazy performances. Even monkey riding tricycles (Chunk)! The performers were great as well and it was all around just a really fun experience! Our stay in Moscow was short, but sweet then it was time for our 5 hour train to St. Petersburg!!
St. Petersburg basics:
The city itself is beautiful! It has a very interesting mix of history, while being modern at the same time. All the buildings around the city are different fun colors like pink, green, yellow and orange. It made the city come to life since they only get about 30 days of sun a year (we were blessed to enjoy one of them). Walking is the preferred mode of transportation. We got to the point where walking 30 minutes was an incredibly short walk. There were SO many cafés all around the city! Everywhere you turn and they were all different! It was so fun to go and hangout at these cafes every night pretty much!
Churches:
All around the city there are beautiful historic churches. I felt like we were always walking into or around the churches. We even saw a Mosque and attended a Russian orthodox service. It was quite an experience and I’m really glad that I got to go. St. Isaacs Cathedral was beautiful! We got to climb the 200 steps to the top and look out on all St. Petersburg. It was an amazing experience and so incredible to look around the city from such a different perspective.
Hermitage:
2nd largest art collection to Louvre and we got to spend a few hours exploring it. We did not even begin to see the whole museum in those hours. The art in it was beautiful and you go to see pieces of art that you’d seen in history books. I’m not the biggest art fan, but through Arts in the City (yea, I said it Clairebear :P) I have grown to have a much greater for art and the story behind it.
Food:
The food was great!! Some of the faves were “American-style” pizza (I know, I know), an orange Russian soup, huge pastries type food (one filled with meat and another with cheese), Russian pies (Jenn and I split a lingam berry one), tiny pastry pies and ice cream!
Church of Split Blood:
Ok, we need to just google this to check it out! It is beautiful, my favorite part of the city. From the outside you can see the beauty of it and also a piece of the destruction of it. (Google or ask if you want to know about the history) The story is incredible. Inside the whole church is mosaic, all these tiny little pieces that when put together create a masterpiece. Each piece of art is significant, they all tell a story. As you stand, walk around and turn you are just in sheer awe of what you see. Once we went outside Emas had someone read Psalm 139 and it truly blew me away! God’s presence was just so strong in those few moments, it blew me away!!
Those are the basics…if you want more details just let me know! (There are some that I decided not to post, but may be interesting to some :P )
Happy April Fools
Please enjoy these pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037339&id=1236840181&l=982f55cf0b
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037316&id=1236840181&l=f30bded177
Russia was everything and nothing like I expected. To be honest even though I now live so close I still have not learned a lot. Our SA leaders did a few presentations for us about Moscow and St. Petersburg and taught us at least the few basic phrases, but I still was very unsure about what I was stepping into.
Overnight train:
Amazing experience. It was tons of fun! We walked into the train and there are little sections, no doors or curtains, just walkways. There are four beds nicely bunked and a table on one side and on the other there was a table with bench that folded down into a bed. We had a lot of fun on the 17 hour train: told stories, chatted, played cards, ate, drank tea, napped and went through two border controls.
Moscow:
The city is HUGE! After being in Chicago last summer I was shocked that another city could be 4 times its size. The metro itself was an experience. There were escalators that stretched so long that you could not see the end of it. There were also beautiful mosaics and stained glass pieces around the different stations. Red Square was somewhat like I imagined, red and brick. But in all honesty, it was really pretty. You walk under the arch and you stare at St. Basil’s cathedral. This is truly a work of art. It was beautiful! The colors were so bright and rich! The Kremlin is a large estate that is full of beauty and history! We had a great, long and cold tour through it which was very interesting. We also went to a circus! It was so fun! There were animals doing all these crazy performances. Even monkey riding tricycles (Chunk)! The performers were great as well and it was all around just a really fun experience! Our stay in Moscow was short, but sweet then it was time for our 5 hour train to St. Petersburg!!
St. Petersburg basics:
The city itself is beautiful! It has a very interesting mix of history, while being modern at the same time. All the buildings around the city are different fun colors like pink, green, yellow and orange. It made the city come to life since they only get about 30 days of sun a year (we were blessed to enjoy one of them). Walking is the preferred mode of transportation. We got to the point where walking 30 minutes was an incredibly short walk. There were SO many cafés all around the city! Everywhere you turn and they were all different! It was so fun to go and hangout at these cafes every night pretty much!
Churches:
All around the city there are beautiful historic churches. I felt like we were always walking into or around the churches. We even saw a Mosque and attended a Russian orthodox service. It was quite an experience and I’m really glad that I got to go. St. Isaacs Cathedral was beautiful! We got to climb the 200 steps to the top and look out on all St. Petersburg. It was an amazing experience and so incredible to look around the city from such a different perspective.
Hermitage:
2nd largest art collection to Louvre and we got to spend a few hours exploring it. We did not even begin to see the whole museum in those hours. The art in it was beautiful and you go to see pieces of art that you’d seen in history books. I’m not the biggest art fan, but through Arts in the City (yea, I said it Clairebear :P) I have grown to have a much greater for art and the story behind it.
Food:
The food was great!! Some of the faves were “American-style” pizza (I know, I know), an orange Russian soup, huge pastries type food (one filled with meat and another with cheese), Russian pies (Jenn and I split a lingam berry one), tiny pastry pies and ice cream!
Church of Split Blood:
Ok, we need to just google this to check it out! It is beautiful, my favorite part of the city. From the outside you can see the beauty of it and also a piece of the destruction of it. (Google or ask if you want to know about the history) The story is incredible. Inside the whole church is mosaic, all these tiny little pieces that when put together create a masterpiece. Each piece of art is significant, they all tell a story. As you stand, walk around and turn you are just in sheer awe of what you see. Once we went outside Emas had someone read Psalm 139 and it truly blew me away! God’s presence was just so strong in those few moments, it blew me away!!
Those are the basics…if you want more details just let me know! (There are some that I decided not to post, but may be interesting to some :P )
Happy April Fools
Please enjoy these pics:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037339&id=1236840181&l=982f55cf0b
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037316&id=1236840181&l=f30bded177
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Joy Rolls On
Here's a little bit about what's been going on at the orphanage!!
The last few weeks have been filled with a lot of joy and laughter at the orphanage. We have really been having a good time and enjoying each other! We got a grant to go bowling so Alina invited me to come and help out with the children. We took us bus downtown to the bowling arena. It was really cute and pretty empty which was good because we were very loud. The children had lots of fun bowling. The skill level ranged from managing to get a gutter ball with guardrails to being able to spin to ball and get a strike. It was quite an experience and I found myself somewhere in the middle. We laughed a lot though which was great. When he got back we had a very relaxing rest of the day. We hung out and just chilled which was rather nice.
Friday was movie night! I borrowed Ice Age in Russia and Cars in Lithuanian from one of my friends that lives here. The two older boys figured out how to hook up the DVD player while me and a few girls popped the popcorn. This in itself was quite an experience because many of the children had never had popcorn from a bag before. I’m not sure that the microwave knew how to handle it either because it was struggling to fully pop the bags. Alina brought in the soda and once we had finally popped all the popcorn it was movie time. First we watched Ice Age. Even though some of the children don’t speak Russia they still wanted to watch it. Even though it is a cartoon movie there is a lot of physical comedy and they really enjoyed it. I think we all picked up a little Russian as well. Cars was great as well and it was fun to be able to watch something that they all really understood. It was a very fun and relaxing night.
Over the break I definitely missed the kids and Alina. They are just amazing! I have really grown to love them more and more as time continues. Alina had a birthday over the break and I had talked to Igoris about planning a party for her after I got back. It was so great and definitely an adventure trying to plan a surprise party with our limited language skills. We were able to work together pretty well though. I had prepared a birthday banner for all the children to sign and they were able to stealthily get everyone to sign it without Alina ever seeing it. The cake was interesting because it needed to be in the fridge but we didn’t want Alina to see it so the children told her not to look in the fridge. While she was looking after the other class I was able to set up the kitchen and had Rolandas on door duty. After racing around the house we finally found everyone. They all waited in the kitchen while I ran to ask Alina to come in for a minute. She was shocked and so happy. Sandra handed her the poster and as she opened it she began to cry, tears of joy of course. She was so happy and we sang to her in Lithuanian as well. Then it was time for cake and more fun. Alina was so surprised, but very happy. I think she felt loved and appreciated which is just what she deserves. She does so much for the kids and everyone in the house that she really deserved to be surprised and appreciated. We did some after party clean up and then played a charades type game while Alina did paperwork. It was a great night. I can’t wait to go back on Thursday!
Next post:
Spring Break: Russian Style :)
Sending much love and huge hugs to where ever you may be :)
The last few weeks have been filled with a lot of joy and laughter at the orphanage. We have really been having a good time and enjoying each other! We got a grant to go bowling so Alina invited me to come and help out with the children. We took us bus downtown to the bowling arena. It was really cute and pretty empty which was good because we were very loud. The children had lots of fun bowling. The skill level ranged from managing to get a gutter ball with guardrails to being able to spin to ball and get a strike. It was quite an experience and I found myself somewhere in the middle. We laughed a lot though which was great. When he got back we had a very relaxing rest of the day. We hung out and just chilled which was rather nice.
Friday was movie night! I borrowed Ice Age in Russia and Cars in Lithuanian from one of my friends that lives here. The two older boys figured out how to hook up the DVD player while me and a few girls popped the popcorn. This in itself was quite an experience because many of the children had never had popcorn from a bag before. I’m not sure that the microwave knew how to handle it either because it was struggling to fully pop the bags. Alina brought in the soda and once we had finally popped all the popcorn it was movie time. First we watched Ice Age. Even though some of the children don’t speak Russia they still wanted to watch it. Even though it is a cartoon movie there is a lot of physical comedy and they really enjoyed it. I think we all picked up a little Russian as well. Cars was great as well and it was fun to be able to watch something that they all really understood. It was a very fun and relaxing night.
Over the break I definitely missed the kids and Alina. They are just amazing! I have really grown to love them more and more as time continues. Alina had a birthday over the break and I had talked to Igoris about planning a party for her after I got back. It was so great and definitely an adventure trying to plan a surprise party with our limited language skills. We were able to work together pretty well though. I had prepared a birthday banner for all the children to sign and they were able to stealthily get everyone to sign it without Alina ever seeing it. The cake was interesting because it needed to be in the fridge but we didn’t want Alina to see it so the children told her not to look in the fridge. While she was looking after the other class I was able to set up the kitchen and had Rolandas on door duty. After racing around the house we finally found everyone. They all waited in the kitchen while I ran to ask Alina to come in for a minute. She was shocked and so happy. Sandra handed her the poster and as she opened it she began to cry, tears of joy of course. She was so happy and we sang to her in Lithuanian as well. Then it was time for cake and more fun. Alina was so surprised, but very happy. I think she felt loved and appreciated which is just what she deserves. She does so much for the kids and everyone in the house that she really deserved to be surprised and appreciated. We did some after party clean up and then played a charades type game while Alina did paperwork. It was a great night. I can’t wait to go back on Thursday!
Next post:
Spring Break: Russian Style :)
Sending much love and huge hugs to where ever you may be :)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Lietuviu Kalba
From the curiosity of what Lithuanian actually looks/ sounds like here you are!!
This is a speech I will be giving about my family tomorrow :)
If you are super curious feel free to ask for a translation!
Mano tėvo vardas yra Thony. Jis yra iš Bahamos. Dabar, jis gyvena Bostone. Jis kalba creoliškai ir angliškai. Jis yra stirprus ir triukšmingas. Jis megsta studijuoti. Jis megsta važuoti miestą. Jis yra technikas. Jis dirba biure.
Mano mamas vardas yra Madlyna. Ji yra iš Haitis. Dabar, ji gyvena Bostone. Ji kalba creoliškai ir angliškai. Ji yra maloni ir žema. Ji megsta skaityti. Ji megsta važiuoti į muziejų. Ji yra patarėja. Ji dirba ministerijoje.
Mano sesės vardas yra Elise. Ji yra iš Bostono. Dabar ji gyvena Floridoje. Ji kalba angliškai ir šiek tiek prancūziškai. Elise yra mano drauge. Ji yra laiminga ir įdomi. Ji megsta šokti. Elise megsta eiti prie jūros. Ji yra studentė Floridoje. Jai yra aštuoniolika metų.
Aš turiu du brolis.
Mano brolio vardas yra Julius. Jis yra iš Bostono ir jis gyvena Bostone. Jis kalba angliškai. Julius yra greitas ir aukštas. Jis megsta važuoti į sporto klubą. Jis megsta sportuoti. Julius yra mokinis. Jam yra šešuolyka metų.
Mano brolio vardas yra Antonio. Jis yra iš Bostono ir jis gyvena Bostone. Jis kalba angliškai. Antonio yra mielas ir linksmas. Jis megsta kalbėti. Jis megsta važiuoti bažnyčią. Antonio yra mokinis. Jam yra septine metai.
This is a speech I will be giving about my family tomorrow :)
If you are super curious feel free to ask for a translation!
Mano tėvo vardas yra Thony. Jis yra iš Bahamos. Dabar, jis gyvena Bostone. Jis kalba creoliškai ir angliškai. Jis yra stirprus ir triukšmingas. Jis megsta studijuoti. Jis megsta važuoti miestą. Jis yra technikas. Jis dirba biure.
Mano mamas vardas yra Madlyna. Ji yra iš Haitis. Dabar, ji gyvena Bostone. Ji kalba creoliškai ir angliškai. Ji yra maloni ir žema. Ji megsta skaityti. Ji megsta važiuoti į muziejų. Ji yra patarėja. Ji dirba ministerijoje.
Mano sesės vardas yra Elise. Ji yra iš Bostono. Dabar ji gyvena Floridoje. Ji kalba angliškai ir šiek tiek prancūziškai. Elise yra mano drauge. Ji yra laiminga ir įdomi. Ji megsta šokti. Elise megsta eiti prie jūros. Ji yra studentė Floridoje. Jai yra aštuoniolika metų.
Aš turiu du brolis.
Mano brolio vardas yra Julius. Jis yra iš Bostono ir jis gyvena Bostone. Jis kalba angliškai. Julius yra greitas ir aukštas. Jis megsta važuoti į sporto klubą. Jis megsta sportuoti. Julius yra mokinis. Jam yra šešuolyka metų.
Mano brolio vardas yra Antonio. Jis yra iš Bostono ir jis gyvena Bostone. Jis kalba angliškai. Antonio yra mielas ir linksmas. Jis megsta kalbėti. Jis megsta važiuoti bažnyčią. Antonio yra mokinis. Jam yra septine metai.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Mug N Muffin
First of all, it was just a super cute name so I knew that I needed to go, but was very unsure about what to expect. It was actually really awesome. First of all we brought our own mugs and the ladies provided the tea and muffins. We then had a guided discussion about the role of women and the four women on the “panel” basically just shared some of their life stories and the different roles that they have played in them. There was so much that stuck out to be so I’ll just share a little bit.
One was that love is a choice. It is not the fantastical picturesque romantic comedy type of love where all conflicts
perfectly resolve in the end, but rather it is real and takes work. It is not always easy to love people especially when they have hurt you or you just do not feel like loving them anymore, but in that time there is a decision to make. To love, to hate to attempt to become indifferent, but in these times I pray that I am always able to make that sometimes difficult choice to love.
Another was that there are different paths that we can take in life. Sounds simple right, but there are times when even after tons of praying and listening there may be a few paths that feel right and good. So we can make a choice. God will walk with us down which ever path we have chosen and hold us close.
The last and point of the most poignant was a “forcing of your eyes outward”. I think that image of this lady scooping her hands in this motion will be forever ingrained in my mind. As she talked about this she told the story of how her mom died suddenly in a car accident and one of the best and hardest things she did was to force her eyes outward and not look to how it was hurting her and focusing solely on her pain, but rather looking to see how it was affecting the rest of her family and how other people also had tragedies and hardships. This image was so powerful and life applicable. Yes, I may be hurting, sad, confused, upset, but you know so are so many other people in my life. My goal is to “force my eyes outward” and to look beyond myself, not denying what I feel, but rather not making that my focus.
I am so thankful for the openness of these women and their willingness to share such important life principles.
One was that love is a choice. It is not the fantastical picturesque romantic comedy type of love where all conflicts
perfectly resolve in the end, but rather it is real and takes work. It is not always easy to love people especially when they have hurt you or you just do not feel like loving them anymore, but in that time there is a decision to make. To love, to hate to attempt to become indifferent, but in these times I pray that I am always able to make that sometimes difficult choice to love.
Another was that there are different paths that we can take in life. Sounds simple right, but there are times when even after tons of praying and listening there may be a few paths that feel right and good. So we can make a choice. God will walk with us down which ever path we have chosen and hold us close.
The last and point of the most poignant was a “forcing of your eyes outward”. I think that image of this lady scooping her hands in this motion will be forever ingrained in my mind. As she talked about this she told the story of how her mom died suddenly in a car accident and one of the best and hardest things she did was to force her eyes outward and not look to how it was hurting her and focusing solely on her pain, but rather looking to see how it was affecting the rest of her family and how other people also had tragedies and hardships. This image was so powerful and life applicable. Yes, I may be hurting, sad, confused, upset, but you know so are so many other people in my life. My goal is to “force my eyes outward” and to look beyond myself, not denying what I feel, but rather not making that my focus.
I am so thankful for the openness of these women and their willingness to share such important life principles.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
RECAP
RECAP:
Yes, I was home, but now I am back in Lithuania. Sorry it’s been a crazy week and I haven’t posted in a while. I have a lot to fill you in on so feel to scroll through and read what sounds interesting!
FOOD:
I have tried a lot of food since being here. One of my life motto is go big or go home, right?! These are just some of my favorites so far:
Curd cake- curd, flour and sugar. Baked and topped with sour cream.
Kepta duona- rye type bread fried. Mixed with cheese, garlic and mayo.
Potato pancakes- fried potatoes that have been almost mashed with meat inside served with a special white sauce
Cepelinai- potatoes that have gone through a special machine. Mixed with pieces, green color. Inside has meat. It is fried and topped with sour cream.
I have also eaten lots of sausage, potatoes and a dill type spice.
CULTURE SHOCK:
What?! I thought I was pretty fine and didn’t really have culture shock at all. I found this was not the case. We have groups called TriS groups where they break up our Study Abroad group into 3 different groups that go to different North American professor’s houses for Soup, Sustenance and Spirituality. We had tacos and hung out with an awesome family. They were so sweet and have 2 of the cutest little girls. We talked about what culture shock was, symptoms and ways of working through it. Some of the symptoms are boredom, confusion and short attention spans were definitely prevalent. We discussed how the first four weeks are more of a honeymoon phase and just loving everything about it and then the feelings go downhill and start to get better around week 12. Now this makes me a little nervous because, let’s be real, no one really wants to hear that for the next few weeks we’re going to get pretty bad and be more sad and irritable. I’m not sure exactly what to do about it because I feel like some points are more inevitable. I’m trying to stay grounded and just keep going and continuing to enjoy myself and all the amazingness of this country!
LANGUAGE:
I’m not yet fluent in Lithuanian. Now, this may not surprise you, but this fact has become quite frustrating for me. I know that I have been here for 1 ½ months, but in my mind I should be a lot better than I am at Lithuanian. I just want to be able to speak and to know words and vocabulary. It takes so much effort to try and form sentences when I need to figure out verb endings that are not like ar/er/ir verbs, but you just need to memorize them. There is no way to know the endings and all the declensions and how to use them properly. This is especially hard at the orphanage because I have so much I want to say to the kids but it’s so frustrating not to just be able to speak to them. I haven’t lost all hope though. I am beginning to understand some of what the kids say and we are able to communicate some especially when Alina translates for us. It is a hard, but good lesson in patience. I’m generally pretty patient with others but it’s hard to be patient with myself. I’m learning to give myself time and not being frustrated with how I think I should be doing.
WOAH:
I know, that’s what I said too! So, I’m at the orphanage one day and it is dinner time. Alina had offered food to the children who said, “Ne, aciu” So she offered some to me. My initial response (in my mind of course) was oh, please, no, I’ve made it a month and a half without having to eat it. But, my motto is the same as I told my groups last summer “You need to try everything, but you don’t have to like it.” So after this momentary inner debate I said sure, I’ll try some. As I raised my spoon to my mouth I told myself I only had to keep it down, one bite Chrissy, one bite. And you know, I really enjoyed it. And it was…
…soup. For those of you that know me well this is a huge deal! I don’t do the whole soup thing. It’s been years since I have had a bowl of soup. I have grown to realize that it was not that bad. Actually, I really like it, who knew? I don’t know what it was that gave me this strong dislike, but I think it may be because I would usually ate it when I was sick as a small child. So then I decided it was a no go I guess. So now I eat soup! But this got me thinking beyond the soup a little. I started wondering is there were other things that I have been so strongly against that I do not really have a strong base in reality. Are there more important parts of life than open that I am not being open to. Hmm, I don’t know. I’m not sure, but I thinking still thinking about it.
SHMELT:
What are you talking about?! Yea, that’s what I said too! Last weekend we went to the Shmelt Festival in Palanga, LT (it’s just a bus ride from Klaipeda). Shmelt is a pretty small fish and this festival is all about them. It was basically all on one huge street leading down to the beach. We walked around, hung out, looked at all these cute crafts and trinkets that were setup in little tent ordeals. There was also a lot of hot wine and hot beer. It was really interesting and actually a lot fun. I did try a bite of smelt and realized I still don’t like fish, but it’s all an experience right? We spent a while talking along the pier which was also a lot of fun.
LOVE:
I have definitely fallen in love with some of the greatest kids on the planet. They are absolutely amazing! Even though the language barrier has been a little bit rough I would not go back on my decision of doing my practicum here. They are so sweet and precious. I know that we are definitely opening up to each other and getting to know each other better. Each time I walk in the door I get a bunch of hugs which is so happy. We play games, talk (sort of), have dinner, clean up and just chill. I feel so blessed to have to opportunity to just love and hangout with these kids. This week we had a lot of celebrations for Lithuanian Independence Day which was tons of fun! On Tuesday I got to spend most of the day there since we did not have school, it was awesome. We had pancakes and kepta duona, we hung out and made decoration for the celebration on Tuesday. On Thursday was the actual celebration and the kids performed different dances and songs. They were adorable. On Friday they actually had another celebration and I was able to go and hang out. All the kids were dressed up and it was a lot fun. I’m so excited to just keep getting to know these kids and just have tons of fun with them and show them how much Jesus loves them.
Coming soon…
Classes
Weekend
Mug N Muffin
P.S. Ask about an intense cleaning if you want to hear a good story :)
Yes, I was home, but now I am back in Lithuania. Sorry it’s been a crazy week and I haven’t posted in a while. I have a lot to fill you in on so feel to scroll through and read what sounds interesting!
FOOD:
I have tried a lot of food since being here. One of my life motto is go big or go home, right?! These are just some of my favorites so far:
Curd cake- curd, flour and sugar. Baked and topped with sour cream.
Kepta duona- rye type bread fried. Mixed with cheese, garlic and mayo.
Potato pancakes- fried potatoes that have been almost mashed with meat inside served with a special white sauce
Cepelinai- potatoes that have gone through a special machine. Mixed with pieces, green color. Inside has meat. It is fried and topped with sour cream.
I have also eaten lots of sausage, potatoes and a dill type spice.
CULTURE SHOCK:
What?! I thought I was pretty fine and didn’t really have culture shock at all. I found this was not the case. We have groups called TriS groups where they break up our Study Abroad group into 3 different groups that go to different North American professor’s houses for Soup, Sustenance and Spirituality. We had tacos and hung out with an awesome family. They were so sweet and have 2 of the cutest little girls. We talked about what culture shock was, symptoms and ways of working through it. Some of the symptoms are boredom, confusion and short attention spans were definitely prevalent. We discussed how the first four weeks are more of a honeymoon phase and just loving everything about it and then the feelings go downhill and start to get better around week 12. Now this makes me a little nervous because, let’s be real, no one really wants to hear that for the next few weeks we’re going to get pretty bad and be more sad and irritable. I’m not sure exactly what to do about it because I feel like some points are more inevitable. I’m trying to stay grounded and just keep going and continuing to enjoy myself and all the amazingness of this country!
LANGUAGE:
I’m not yet fluent in Lithuanian. Now, this may not surprise you, but this fact has become quite frustrating for me. I know that I have been here for 1 ½ months, but in my mind I should be a lot better than I am at Lithuanian. I just want to be able to speak and to know words and vocabulary. It takes so much effort to try and form sentences when I need to figure out verb endings that are not like ar/er/ir verbs, but you just need to memorize them. There is no way to know the endings and all the declensions and how to use them properly. This is especially hard at the orphanage because I have so much I want to say to the kids but it’s so frustrating not to just be able to speak to them. I haven’t lost all hope though. I am beginning to understand some of what the kids say and we are able to communicate some especially when Alina translates for us. It is a hard, but good lesson in patience. I’m generally pretty patient with others but it’s hard to be patient with myself. I’m learning to give myself time and not being frustrated with how I think I should be doing.
WOAH:
I know, that’s what I said too! So, I’m at the orphanage one day and it is dinner time. Alina had offered food to the children who said, “Ne, aciu” So she offered some to me. My initial response (in my mind of course) was oh, please, no, I’ve made it a month and a half without having to eat it. But, my motto is the same as I told my groups last summer “You need to try everything, but you don’t have to like it.” So after this momentary inner debate I said sure, I’ll try some. As I raised my spoon to my mouth I told myself I only had to keep it down, one bite Chrissy, one bite. And you know, I really enjoyed it. And it was…
…soup. For those of you that know me well this is a huge deal! I don’t do the whole soup thing. It’s been years since I have had a bowl of soup. I have grown to realize that it was not that bad. Actually, I really like it, who knew? I don’t know what it was that gave me this strong dislike, but I think it may be because I would usually ate it when I was sick as a small child. So then I decided it was a no go I guess. So now I eat soup! But this got me thinking beyond the soup a little. I started wondering is there were other things that I have been so strongly against that I do not really have a strong base in reality. Are there more important parts of life than open that I am not being open to. Hmm, I don’t know. I’m not sure, but I thinking still thinking about it.
SHMELT:
What are you talking about?! Yea, that’s what I said too! Last weekend we went to the Shmelt Festival in Palanga, LT (it’s just a bus ride from Klaipeda). Shmelt is a pretty small fish and this festival is all about them. It was basically all on one huge street leading down to the beach. We walked around, hung out, looked at all these cute crafts and trinkets that were setup in little tent ordeals. There was also a lot of hot wine and hot beer. It was really interesting and actually a lot fun. I did try a bite of smelt and realized I still don’t like fish, but it’s all an experience right? We spent a while talking along the pier which was also a lot of fun.
LOVE:
I have definitely fallen in love with some of the greatest kids on the planet. They are absolutely amazing! Even though the language barrier has been a little bit rough I would not go back on my decision of doing my practicum here. They are so sweet and precious. I know that we are definitely opening up to each other and getting to know each other better. Each time I walk in the door I get a bunch of hugs which is so happy. We play games, talk (sort of), have dinner, clean up and just chill. I feel so blessed to have to opportunity to just love and hangout with these kids. This week we had a lot of celebrations for Lithuanian Independence Day which was tons of fun! On Tuesday I got to spend most of the day there since we did not have school, it was awesome. We had pancakes and kepta duona, we hung out and made decoration for the celebration on Tuesday. On Thursday was the actual celebration and the kids performed different dances and songs. They were adorable. On Friday they actually had another celebration and I was able to go and hang out. All the kids were dressed up and it was a lot fun. I’m so excited to just keep getting to know these kids and just have tons of fun with them and show them how much Jesus loves them.
Coming soon…
Classes
Weekend
Mug N Muffin
P.S. Ask about an intense cleaning if you want to hear a good story :)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
From Malden
I am writing this post, not from Klaipeda, Lithuania but from Malden, Massachusetts. Yes, I am home.
Everyone including me always says God will bring good out of a bad situation. You know, that is awesome and true, but it is a lot easier to see when you are not actually in a hard situation. But I decided to try and find some good. First, Papa is no longer in pain. He’s not suffering, hurt or sad. He does not have to live without his beloved wife any longer. So that is good. He is with Jesus now whom he loved so much. I know that he is glad to be with his Father. He got to be here for 88 years, so Jesus must be really happy to have him back.
But, what about me, what about everyone else that is left behind. What is good for us. To honest, I don’t know. We have amazing memories of Papa and for that I am grateful. But, even in those memories there is still some sadness. For now I’m holding onto the fact that “right now, in the good times and bad He is God alone” I am so thankful that I could be home. I know that’s God’s hand was totally in that and preparing my heart for what happened. As I was leaving on Saturday morning I saw a note outside my door. Jess had written it to me and wrote a verse on that bottom that was actually one of our staff verses last summer. “Whom have I in heaven but you and earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26 I don’t need to be strong, I don’t need to be well because God is the strength of my heart and I’m holding tight to that truth.
Everyone including me always says God will bring good out of a bad situation. You know, that is awesome and true, but it is a lot easier to see when you are not actually in a hard situation. But I decided to try and find some good. First, Papa is no longer in pain. He’s not suffering, hurt or sad. He does not have to live without his beloved wife any longer. So that is good. He is with Jesus now whom he loved so much. I know that he is glad to be with his Father. He got to be here for 88 years, so Jesus must be really happy to have him back.
But, what about me, what about everyone else that is left behind. What is good for us. To honest, I don’t know. We have amazing memories of Papa and for that I am grateful. But, even in those memories there is still some sadness. For now I’m holding onto the fact that “right now, in the good times and bad He is God alone” I am so thankful that I could be home. I know that’s God’s hand was totally in that and preparing my heart for what happened. As I was leaving on Saturday morning I saw a note outside my door. Jess had written it to me and wrote a verse on that bottom that was actually one of our staff verses last summer. “Whom have I in heaven but you and earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26 I don’t need to be strong, I don’t need to be well because God is the strength of my heart and I’m holding tight to that truth.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Quicky
Actual format for my address:
Chrissy Jonassaint LCC International University, Neumann dorm, campus, W306, Kretingos 36, LT - 92307 Klaipėda, Lithuania
Will post about this week soon!!
Joy & Peace,
~Chrissy
Chrissy Jonassaint LCC International University, Neumann dorm, campus, W306, Kretingos 36, LT - 92307 Klaipėda, Lithuania
Will post about this week soon!!
Joy & Peace,
~Chrissy
Saturday, January 30, 2010
What Have You Learned?
It has been almost 4 weeks since I arrived in this amazing country! Can you believe it? I can't. They say college goes by so fast, I now can vouch for that. They say your time abroad goes by even faster and so far I totally agree. Thank you to everyone who is reading this right now! I'm so thankful for your love, support and prayers. I literally would not be doing this well if it were not for you.
In talking to people I have been asked a very valid question, "What have you learned?" So this post is all about the little snipits of truth that I have learned so far. Just take them for what they are worth and feel free to ask questions :)
~Not everyone understands our New England sports dynasty
~The Saints dominating in the Superbowl is not as crucial to everyone as it is for me!
~America is from Canada to Chile/Argentina
~I'm from the States
~Everyone doesn't hate the US
~Everyone doesn't love the US
~Smiling at everyone on the street is a no-go (basically like Boston)
~Drinking at least 2 cups of tea a day is a must
~I know slim to none about the histories of other countries
~Not everyone wants to be infiltrated with American pop culture
~Not everyone from the LA area spends their lives on the beach
~Trying food, even when it looks funny, turns out to be a great experience
~Never say "I'll think about it to a pastor", it means YES
~God's church around the world is beautiful
~Power outages are a normal occurrence in Neumann
~God is God in Malden, Wenham, Chicago and Klaipeda
~People don't actually leave the building when the fire alarm goes off
~I still struggle focusing in my 1 1/2 hour classes
~The Lithuanian air has made me really good a the finger snapping thing
~When you step out, God lifts you up
~The language of love is more powerful than any words you could utter
~There are 20+ year olds that have never opened a Bible
~No matter how hard I wish I will not learn Lithuanian without practice and hardwork
~I'm still gullible (or as I'd like to say, very trusting)
~You have to pay to take a shopping cart...always take a hand basket instead
~"Prayer is the constant awareness of the presence of God"
~Living life as a testimony to God's goodness is hard
~Love like Jesus...no questions asked
~You can have co-ed floors and still love Jesus
~I'm still a SINNER...that needs forgiveness daily
~Judging others instead of myself is a no-go
~Messiah is not as in the middle of no where as GC people think it is
~Lithuania is not as cold as everyone (who have NEVER been here before) say it is!
~During my lifetime Lithuania has gone through a lot of pain and hurt
~The church is the church in all languages and cultures
~I represent more than just myself
~God is GOOD in all circumstances
I'm sure that is not all that I have learned, but it's a good chunk :)
Have an amazing day!! Live loved :)
Much love,
~Chrissy
In talking to people I have been asked a very valid question, "What have you learned?" So this post is all about the little snipits of truth that I have learned so far. Just take them for what they are worth and feel free to ask questions :)
~Not everyone understands our New England sports dynasty
~The Saints dominating in the Superbowl is not as crucial to everyone as it is for me!
~America is from Canada to Chile/Argentina
~I'm from the States
~Everyone doesn't hate the US
~Everyone doesn't love the US
~Smiling at everyone on the street is a no-go (basically like Boston)
~Drinking at least 2 cups of tea a day is a must
~I know slim to none about the histories of other countries
~Not everyone wants to be infiltrated with American pop culture
~Not everyone from the LA area spends their lives on the beach
~Trying food, even when it looks funny, turns out to be a great experience
~Never say "I'll think about it to a pastor", it means YES
~God's church around the world is beautiful
~Power outages are a normal occurrence in Neumann
~God is God in Malden, Wenham, Chicago and Klaipeda
~People don't actually leave the building when the fire alarm goes off
~I still struggle focusing in my 1 1/2 hour classes
~The Lithuanian air has made me really good a the finger snapping thing
~When you step out, God lifts you up
~The language of love is more powerful than any words you could utter
~There are 20+ year olds that have never opened a Bible
~No matter how hard I wish I will not learn Lithuanian without practice and hardwork
~I'm still gullible (or as I'd like to say, very trusting)
~You have to pay to take a shopping cart...always take a hand basket instead
~"Prayer is the constant awareness of the presence of God"
~Living life as a testimony to God's goodness is hard
~Love like Jesus...no questions asked
~You can have co-ed floors and still love Jesus
~I'm still a SINNER...that needs forgiveness daily
~Judging others instead of myself is a no-go
~Messiah is not as in the middle of no where as GC people think it is
~Lithuania is not as cold as everyone (who have NEVER been here before) say it is!
~During my lifetime Lithuania has gone through a lot of pain and hurt
~The church is the church in all languages and cultures
~I represent more than just myself
~God is GOOD in all circumstances
I'm sure that is not all that I have learned, but it's a good chunk :)
Have an amazing day!! Live loved :)
Much love,
~Chrissy
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
3 WEEKS!!!
Wow!! I can't believe that it has been 3 weeks! It's craziness! For now I will just post about today...
Today was the first day that I went to visit the orphanage. It was not at all like I expected actually. I thought that it would be like one big room with all the children and their beds. Pretty naïve of me only thinking of what orphanages look like in movies. Actually the outside was a lot like I imagined. It was pretty run down. It looked like it had not gotten much attention, basically it was a building with off white bricks and kind of scary windows. As we walked in things began to change. It was bright, with some color and actually very clean and well kept.
My teacher went with me and we met the director who only spoke in Lithuania so my teacher did the translating though she said that she understood simple English sentences if there ever was an emergency. We talked about the basics of the home. There are 54 children that live in this large four floor building. It started out as a boarding school then shifted to a school and an orphanage, now it is only an orphanage and all the children go elsewhere to go to school. The children are broken up into for different groups called families. About twelve of the children are what we would think of as typical orphans because they have no parents. A little over thirty of the children are here because their parents have lost their parental rights. Seven of the children are hopefully only here temporarily until their families can get more money and take them back. All of the children here are between four and eighteen years old.
I will be working with a caregiver named Alina who also speaks English (I am so thankful for her because originally we did not think that any of the workers spoke English). She was very sweet and I am excited to get to know her. I got to meet a few of the children, but they were in the middle of watching television so probably not the best time for any children. A met two little girls in the hallway that were really sweet. I will be working with ten children ages 8-15.
One thing that will be interesting is that many of the children have not seen a black person in real life or at least not talked to one since Lithuania is not exactly the most diverse place ever. My teacher was a little concerned that some of the children would poke fun or say mean things. In my few minutes there, that did not seem to be an issue, but we will see come Thursday. I assured her that I was a tough cookie and I could put them in their place, in a loving way of course. Though I was a little nervous walking in there I was filled with peace as I began talking to the director (well kind of). There may be challenges, but I am excited. Like I always say sometimes the best things in life are the hardest. Once again I am stepping out trusting that God’s love will flow through me to these children and that I would be able to reach them even with my minimal Lithuanian. I am very excited to see how God will use me in this place. I would love continued prayers as I begin my time there on Thursday.
More to come on
what I've been learning
new adventures
exciting activities
pics!
Much love!
~Chrissy
Today was the first day that I went to visit the orphanage. It was not at all like I expected actually. I thought that it would be like one big room with all the children and their beds. Pretty naïve of me only thinking of what orphanages look like in movies. Actually the outside was a lot like I imagined. It was pretty run down. It looked like it had not gotten much attention, basically it was a building with off white bricks and kind of scary windows. As we walked in things began to change. It was bright, with some color and actually very clean and well kept.
My teacher went with me and we met the director who only spoke in Lithuania so my teacher did the translating though she said that she understood simple English sentences if there ever was an emergency. We talked about the basics of the home. There are 54 children that live in this large four floor building. It started out as a boarding school then shifted to a school and an orphanage, now it is only an orphanage and all the children go elsewhere to go to school. The children are broken up into for different groups called families. About twelve of the children are what we would think of as typical orphans because they have no parents. A little over thirty of the children are here because their parents have lost their parental rights. Seven of the children are hopefully only here temporarily until their families can get more money and take them back. All of the children here are between four and eighteen years old.
I will be working with a caregiver named Alina who also speaks English (I am so thankful for her because originally we did not think that any of the workers spoke English). She was very sweet and I am excited to get to know her. I got to meet a few of the children, but they were in the middle of watching television so probably not the best time for any children. A met two little girls in the hallway that were really sweet. I will be working with ten children ages 8-15.
One thing that will be interesting is that many of the children have not seen a black person in real life or at least not talked to one since Lithuania is not exactly the most diverse place ever. My teacher was a little concerned that some of the children would poke fun or say mean things. In my few minutes there, that did not seem to be an issue, but we will see come Thursday. I assured her that I was a tough cookie and I could put them in their place, in a loving way of course. Though I was a little nervous walking in there I was filled with peace as I began talking to the director (well kind of). There may be challenges, but I am excited. Like I always say sometimes the best things in life are the hardest. Once again I am stepping out trusting that God’s love will flow through me to these children and that I would be able to reach them even with my minimal Lithuanian. I am very excited to see how God will use me in this place. I would love continued prayers as I begin my time there on Thursday.
More to come on
what I've been learning
new adventures
exciting activities
pics!
Much love!
~Chrissy
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Pictures!
Here's a link to some pics that are on facebook...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032057&id=1236840181&l=a34c4b5173
Let me know if it works!!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032057&id=1236840181&l=a34c4b5173
Let me know if it works!!
Easier??
So I've been doing a lot of thinking. I have been in Lithuania for about 2 1/2 weeks and on one hand it feels like I just got here and the time is flying by while on the other hand it feels like I have been here forever and have grown accustom to live on the other side of the ocean.
So like I promised we can rewind to our first "real" weekend here. Two of my roomies had gone home for family parties and the other one was unpacking and organizing so I didn't get to hangout out with them too much. A bunch of the SAs and one of our interns decided to go out to a karaoke bar. It was tons of fun!! As most of you know singing is not my forte and for those of you that are concerned about the safety of the ears of my new friends, I did not touch a mic all night! But we did pick some fun loud songs and all just sang and danced to them! It was a blast :)
Saturday was by far the coldest day since we have been here and a few of us decided it would be fun to go to the market! I did not really need groceries, but I'm always up for an adventure, so Jess, Mayu and I navigated our way to Karklu to meet up with some of the other SAs to go to the market. It was what you would think of as your typical outdoor, wooden stands selling clothes, shoes and food. There were also a few places inside which was great! There was a lot of fresh veggies, some fruit, breads and tons of meat. Even as someone who thoroughly enjoys meat I was a little taken back, I don't know how Jenn did it. Anyone as many of you also know my hands get numb ridiculously fast so as we are walking around I have lost pretty much all feeling in my fingers.
We decided to have tea and lunch at a cafe. When we sat down I literally just sat on my hands for a while until I gained some feeling. My new friends were concerned, but I assured them that I just had to thaw for a bit! They helped be order some warm hot cocoa which is just what I needed! ( In Lithuania, you need to be sure that you got the chocolate with milk because they usually just serve hot chocolate as literally chocolate that is heated up. It is very interesting and pretty sweet!) Anyway I eventually thawed out which leads me to Cheese Fingers! They are basically mozzarella sticks, but on a whole other level of goodness! There are pretty large and are served with this amazing sauce! It was wonderful!
Sunday I went to a Lithuanian church. I got connected through Frank then Milton. It was really awesome!! Laura, who actually works at LCC, translated the whole thing for me. I was able to use the few words that I knew to communicate with people! Everyone was really warm and welcoming! It was really cool because a few different people got up and shared in between songs. They had such amazing testimonies of how God was working in their lives. It was truly beautiful! After church Laura took me out to lunch and it was great to talk to her and hear about her life! It was such a blessing :)
This week has gone by soo fast! I can't believe that it is almost Friday. It's crazy how fast life goes by! So Adam went to this conference called Passion in the beginning of the month and so I found some of it on a podcast. The first sermon was called Unthinkable You and it truly was just that! It was awesome and a good reminder of who I am really am. I got to thinking...
It's easier...
not to care about what I do
not to care about how I talk
not to care about my thoughts
to go along with everyone else even if I don't agree
to get washed into a sea of apathy
to judge others, but not myself
to slack
to only put in a little effort
to gossip
to do whatever I want
Or is it...
What may seem easy, may not actually in reality be that easy. To ignore the truth and only focus on wants seems tiring and draining. I've thought about this "easier" side of life and in reality I think it might be harder to live in denial of what I know is true! Holding tight to the truth, though it may seem harder at times is actually good! Life may be temporarily better when it's easy but in the long run I think it will hurt more. So, I'll hold tight to the truth and keep trekking!
Philippians 4:8 and Psalm 139
Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson
Well I think that's all for now...I hope I got you caught up on my life and some of my thoughts!
Thanks for reading :)
Much love
~Chrissy
So like I promised we can rewind to our first "real" weekend here. Two of my roomies had gone home for family parties and the other one was unpacking and organizing so I didn't get to hangout out with them too much. A bunch of the SAs and one of our interns decided to go out to a karaoke bar. It was tons of fun!! As most of you know singing is not my forte and for those of you that are concerned about the safety of the ears of my new friends, I did not touch a mic all night! But we did pick some fun loud songs and all just sang and danced to them! It was a blast :)
Saturday was by far the coldest day since we have been here and a few of us decided it would be fun to go to the market! I did not really need groceries, but I'm always up for an adventure, so Jess, Mayu and I navigated our way to Karklu to meet up with some of the other SAs to go to the market. It was what you would think of as your typical outdoor, wooden stands selling clothes, shoes and food. There were also a few places inside which was great! There was a lot of fresh veggies, some fruit, breads and tons of meat. Even as someone who thoroughly enjoys meat I was a little taken back, I don't know how Jenn did it. Anyone as many of you also know my hands get numb ridiculously fast so as we are walking around I have lost pretty much all feeling in my fingers.
We decided to have tea and lunch at a cafe. When we sat down I literally just sat on my hands for a while until I gained some feeling. My new friends were concerned, but I assured them that I just had to thaw for a bit! They helped be order some warm hot cocoa which is just what I needed! ( In Lithuania, you need to be sure that you got the chocolate with milk because they usually just serve hot chocolate as literally chocolate that is heated up. It is very interesting and pretty sweet!) Anyway I eventually thawed out which leads me to Cheese Fingers! They are basically mozzarella sticks, but on a whole other level of goodness! There are pretty large and are served with this amazing sauce! It was wonderful!
Sunday I went to a Lithuanian church. I got connected through Frank then Milton. It was really awesome!! Laura, who actually works at LCC, translated the whole thing for me. I was able to use the few words that I knew to communicate with people! Everyone was really warm and welcoming! It was really cool because a few different people got up and shared in between songs. They had such amazing testimonies of how God was working in their lives. It was truly beautiful! After church Laura took me out to lunch and it was great to talk to her and hear about her life! It was such a blessing :)
This week has gone by soo fast! I can't believe that it is almost Friday. It's crazy how fast life goes by! So Adam went to this conference called Passion in the beginning of the month and so I found some of it on a podcast. The first sermon was called Unthinkable You and it truly was just that! It was awesome and a good reminder of who I am really am. I got to thinking...
It's easier...
not to care about what I do
not to care about how I talk
not to care about my thoughts
to go along with everyone else even if I don't agree
to get washed into a sea of apathy
to judge others, but not myself
to slack
to only put in a little effort
to gossip
to do whatever I want
Or is it...
What may seem easy, may not actually in reality be that easy. To ignore the truth and only focus on wants seems tiring and draining. I've thought about this "easier" side of life and in reality I think it might be harder to live in denial of what I know is true! Holding tight to the truth, though it may seem harder at times is actually good! Life may be temporarily better when it's easy but in the long run I think it will hurt more. So, I'll hold tight to the truth and keep trekking!
Philippians 4:8 and Psalm 139
Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson
Well I think that's all for now...I hope I got you caught up on my life and some of my thoughts!
Thanks for reading :)
Much love
~Chrissy
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Laba Diena!!
For those of you that are not fluent in Lithuanian like I am the title means "Good Day" (Truth is I'm not really fluent I just wish that I was) I really will start posting more regularly! So much life has happened since my last post! I guess I can begin with what I promised to include from last time! But first...
I am doing great!! I am really loving it and am back to Chrissy 100%. (Thanks for the concern and encouragement)
FOOD. We all eat it but as we all know the different types of food can vary greatly even in our own country, never mind on the other side of the ocean. As most of you also know up until almost a year ago I was one of the pickiest people that you could imagine. Anything that looked, smelt or felt different or funny to me I would not go near. I was basically like a 5 year old in the food world, but no worries I have grown up a lot in the last year! I decided that I would follow the model that I told my groups this summer, "Ok friends, you really should try a little bit of everything even if it looks funny. You don't have to like it but just taste a bit." So far it has done me well! The food adventure started on the plane when I got a cheese sandwich that was covered on top with different seeds and such and then inside had some type of sauceish ordeal that was white with pieces of something in it. Needless to say, my challenge started even before I landed. So as I took a bite into the bread I realized that it was actually very good! From there I was ready to take on anything! The first night I had a more traditional potato pancake dish which was a little heavy, but actually really good! My roomies made buck wheat that is kind of like rice but it opens up as you cook it and it was really good! Then today one of my roomies brought back a home cooked meal of meat wrapped in cabbage in a sauce with small potatoes on the side! That was probably one of my favorites! I have really enjoyed all the traditional food so far! For the most part we all cook our own food so really I can eat whatever I want most days, but I'm trying to be open to all types of food!
LANGUAGE. As I mentioned before I am not exactly fluent in Lithuanian yet, but I am taking the Intro to Lithuanian course! I am learning, a little slower than I would like but I'm getting there! Spanish is the only other language that I mildly know so sometimes I try to say things to waiters or cashier's and realize they will still have no idea what I am saying! The word I say most is Acui which sounds like achoo (as in a sneeze) and means thank you! So not only am I really polite but I have tons of fun saying it! All the students at the school do speak English so I can still communicate well with them which is great! But I can't wait until I can hold even a mini conversation in Lithuanian.
BLACKOUTS. I live in a dorm that is only a few years old, but there are a few things that are just funny about it! One of them being the semi-regular occurrence of blackouts. One night within six hours there were about 8 blackouts each last about ten minutes! Now we have grown to just chuckle at them but the first time I thought it was just my apartment and I assumed I had broke something until my RA came by and asked if I was doing ok and all. The blackouts are most fun when you are in a kitchen with about 10 other people all attempting to cook dinner and you're wicked hungry because you realized that you actually had to cook in order to eat. The whole stove going on and off ordeal is not exactly the best situation when attempting to boil water, saute veggies, or make chicken!
CLASSES. So I'm not sure exactly who thought it was a good idea, but apparently some thought it would be cute to make students actually study, go to class, read books and write papers while studying abroad. While this may come across as common sense to some it is a little difficult to grasp when you are in a fun new country and think you should be able to run around, travel and explore everyday! To be honest I did not even think to bring my planner (for those of you that don't know I pretty much love my planner and would not be able to make it at Gordon w/o it), notebooks, folders or any other school basics. Needless to say I had to make a few purchases before Monday. I am currently taking Intro to Lith, Cross Cultural Seminar (a course that is just for SA students taught by our SA leaders), Theories of Personality, Social Psychology, Practicum and will be starting an on line human biology course next week. So far they have been interesting. My two psych classes are back to back, same room, same teacher of 1 1/2 hours which makes things a little challenging. I have tried to counter this by sitting in the front right in one class and in the middle left in the other. I'll keep you posted on that and where I am doing my Practicum.
ROOMIES!! Yes, I did finally get roomies! The first week or so was pretty lonely so I was pumped when they came! Two of them moved in on Thursday and one on Friday! They are awesome and tons of fun! They are all soo easy to talk to and get along with which is really nice!! Their names are Ruta (who actually lives on my side of the apt), Erika and Vicki. Ruta and Erika are both from Lithuania so they are going to help me learn the language. Vicki is from Belarus and she's going to help me learn a little Russian. Pretty much, they're ballin :)
Well I should head to bed so that's all for now, but no worries, more to come soon!
First Weekend
Practicum
and other fun happenings
As tave myliu (I love you!)
~Chrissy
I am doing great!! I am really loving it and am back to Chrissy 100%. (Thanks for the concern and encouragement)
FOOD. We all eat it but as we all know the different types of food can vary greatly even in our own country, never mind on the other side of the ocean. As most of you also know up until almost a year ago I was one of the pickiest people that you could imagine. Anything that looked, smelt or felt different or funny to me I would not go near. I was basically like a 5 year old in the food world, but no worries I have grown up a lot in the last year! I decided that I would follow the model that I told my groups this summer, "Ok friends, you really should try a little bit of everything even if it looks funny. You don't have to like it but just taste a bit." So far it has done me well! The food adventure started on the plane when I got a cheese sandwich that was covered on top with different seeds and such and then inside had some type of sauceish ordeal that was white with pieces of something in it. Needless to say, my challenge started even before I landed. So as I took a bite into the bread I realized that it was actually very good! From there I was ready to take on anything! The first night I had a more traditional potato pancake dish which was a little heavy, but actually really good! My roomies made buck wheat that is kind of like rice but it opens up as you cook it and it was really good! Then today one of my roomies brought back a home cooked meal of meat wrapped in cabbage in a sauce with small potatoes on the side! That was probably one of my favorites! I have really enjoyed all the traditional food so far! For the most part we all cook our own food so really I can eat whatever I want most days, but I'm trying to be open to all types of food!
LANGUAGE. As I mentioned before I am not exactly fluent in Lithuanian yet, but I am taking the Intro to Lithuanian course! I am learning, a little slower than I would like but I'm getting there! Spanish is the only other language that I mildly know so sometimes I try to say things to waiters or cashier's and realize they will still have no idea what I am saying! The word I say most is Acui which sounds like achoo (as in a sneeze) and means thank you! So not only am I really polite but I have tons of fun saying it! All the students at the school do speak English so I can still communicate well with them which is great! But I can't wait until I can hold even a mini conversation in Lithuanian.
BLACKOUTS. I live in a dorm that is only a few years old, but there are a few things that are just funny about it! One of them being the semi-regular occurrence of blackouts. One night within six hours there were about 8 blackouts each last about ten minutes! Now we have grown to just chuckle at them but the first time I thought it was just my apartment and I assumed I had broke something until my RA came by and asked if I was doing ok and all. The blackouts are most fun when you are in a kitchen with about 10 other people all attempting to cook dinner and you're wicked hungry because you realized that you actually had to cook in order to eat. The whole stove going on and off ordeal is not exactly the best situation when attempting to boil water, saute veggies, or make chicken!
CLASSES. So I'm not sure exactly who thought it was a good idea, but apparently some thought it would be cute to make students actually study, go to class, read books and write papers while studying abroad. While this may come across as common sense to some it is a little difficult to grasp when you are in a fun new country and think you should be able to run around, travel and explore everyday! To be honest I did not even think to bring my planner (for those of you that don't know I pretty much love my planner and would not be able to make it at Gordon w/o it), notebooks, folders or any other school basics. Needless to say I had to make a few purchases before Monday. I am currently taking Intro to Lith, Cross Cultural Seminar (a course that is just for SA students taught by our SA leaders), Theories of Personality, Social Psychology, Practicum and will be starting an on line human biology course next week. So far they have been interesting. My two psych classes are back to back, same room, same teacher of 1 1/2 hours which makes things a little challenging. I have tried to counter this by sitting in the front right in one class and in the middle left in the other. I'll keep you posted on that and where I am doing my Practicum.
ROOMIES!! Yes, I did finally get roomies! The first week or so was pretty lonely so I was pumped when they came! Two of them moved in on Thursday and one on Friday! They are awesome and tons of fun! They are all soo easy to talk to and get along with which is really nice!! Their names are Ruta (who actually lives on my side of the apt), Erika and Vicki. Ruta and Erika are both from Lithuania so they are going to help me learn the language. Vicki is from Belarus and she's going to help me learn a little Russian. Pretty much, they're ballin :)
Well I should head to bed so that's all for now, but no worries, more to come soon!
First Weekend
Practicum
and other fun happenings
As tave myliu (I love you!)
~Chrissy
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Icy Dunk
Wow, so much has happened since I last posted so I am not sure exactly where to begin. First of all to be perfectly honest, though I loved my new Study Abroad (SA) friends and was enjoying being in Lithuania I was not really feeling like myself. As you all know I am normally really outgoing, talkative and loud at times, but that was not be the first few days here. I was kind of quiet and did not have a lot to say. I was really annoyed because I did not know what was wrong with me or why I was not my typical self. It is not like I was not enjoying myself or was miserable I just felt kind of off which is a pretty sucky feeling when you're across an ocean with a bunch of people you just met. There were times when I thought, "well this was fun! I'd be fine with going back now" but then I would stop and think that no it really would not be fine it would suck and I'd be wicked sad that I copped out. Then, things took a turn...
....FOR THE BETTER!!
Things have been looking way up these last 2 days. I feel like I am becoming me again which is baller! I went to drop something off and was talking to Emas who is one of our SA leaders (he’s is freaking hilarious and so much fun!!) and he said that was perfectly normal. He reminded me that I’ve only been here a week so I’m totally fine! It’s feels so good though! Some said it was culture shock and that may very well have been the case. I remember feeling the same but to a way lesser extreme when I first got to Chicago. I still don’t have any roommates yet which is kind of a sad story, but the housing director assured me that I would have some soon!
Well I’m sure that a lot of you are curious about my current weather situation. It is cold here to say the least. To be honest it’s not that much colder than the last few days in Boston except that we spent the first 5 days of our time here doing a ton of walking. Which normally I stay inside or run to the car and drive places so I feel a lot more of the cold here. Even for the people from this area they said it was very cold for this time of year and that it is normally a lot warmer which gives me hope that it won’t be this cold all the time.
The SAs and I have done a lot since being here! Some of us were hanging out in a lounge earlier and talking about how it feels like we’ve been here forever yet we have not even been on campus for a week yet. Well thinking back to before classes started feels like ages ago. We spent the first few days in the capital. One of the best parts of our time there was getting to go to a really old church and have a tour down in the catacombs. It was kind of creepy because some of the tombs still had remains in them, but at the same time it was actually pretty exciting!
One the way to go to the school we stopped at a castle in Traikai. It was beautiful and huge! We decided that it would be a fun place to play hide and seek in but did not think the owners would really appreciate it! We still enjoyed ourselves and walked around and got to see some of what was actually in the castle at the time!
One of the most exciting parts of the trip was definitely the polar swim! First off we took a ferry out to this huge island. We went to a sauna that is right on the beach. Unlike my dear friend Cas, the temperature here is not exactly, “yay, let’s run and jump in the water weather” but for some reason they decided it would be a fun and cultural experience and most of us went right along with it! So we went into the sauna and got really hot and toasty until our bodies were hot and we were dripping with sweat then we ran out (through the snow and sand that was frozen solid) into the Baltic Sea and then dunked down so we were covered with water. We then attempted to run back into the large room but it was more like a slow jog because our bodies were so cold. Because we are such brilliant and crazy cool kids most of us decided to do this two times and a few brave people (not me) went for a third dunk. Though it was kind of crazy, it was tons of fun and definitely a once in a lifetime experience!
Well thanks for reading this far! I hope you are enjoying my life updates :)
Up next:
Food
Language
Blackouts
Classes
Roomies-hopefully
Much love
~Chrissy
....FOR THE BETTER!!
Things have been looking way up these last 2 days. I feel like I am becoming me again which is baller! I went to drop something off and was talking to Emas who is one of our SA leaders (he’s is freaking hilarious and so much fun!!) and he said that was perfectly normal. He reminded me that I’ve only been here a week so I’m totally fine! It’s feels so good though! Some said it was culture shock and that may very well have been the case. I remember feeling the same but to a way lesser extreme when I first got to Chicago. I still don’t have any roommates yet which is kind of a sad story, but the housing director assured me that I would have some soon!
Well I’m sure that a lot of you are curious about my current weather situation. It is cold here to say the least. To be honest it’s not that much colder than the last few days in Boston except that we spent the first 5 days of our time here doing a ton of walking. Which normally I stay inside or run to the car and drive places so I feel a lot more of the cold here. Even for the people from this area they said it was very cold for this time of year and that it is normally a lot warmer which gives me hope that it won’t be this cold all the time.
The SAs and I have done a lot since being here! Some of us were hanging out in a lounge earlier and talking about how it feels like we’ve been here forever yet we have not even been on campus for a week yet. Well thinking back to before classes started feels like ages ago. We spent the first few days in the capital. One of the best parts of our time there was getting to go to a really old church and have a tour down in the catacombs. It was kind of creepy because some of the tombs still had remains in them, but at the same time it was actually pretty exciting!
One the way to go to the school we stopped at a castle in Traikai. It was beautiful and huge! We decided that it would be a fun place to play hide and seek in but did not think the owners would really appreciate it! We still enjoyed ourselves and walked around and got to see some of what was actually in the castle at the time!
One of the most exciting parts of the trip was definitely the polar swim! First off we took a ferry out to this huge island. We went to a sauna that is right on the beach. Unlike my dear friend Cas, the temperature here is not exactly, “yay, let’s run and jump in the water weather” but for some reason they decided it would be a fun and cultural experience and most of us went right along with it! So we went into the sauna and got really hot and toasty until our bodies were hot and we were dripping with sweat then we ran out (through the snow and sand that was frozen solid) into the Baltic Sea and then dunked down so we were covered with water. We then attempted to run back into the large room but it was more like a slow jog because our bodies were so cold. Because we are such brilliant and crazy cool kids most of us decided to do this two times and a few brave people (not me) went for a third dunk. Though it was kind of crazy, it was tons of fun and definitely a once in a lifetime experience!
Well thanks for reading this far! I hope you are enjoying my life updates :)
Up next:
Food
Language
Blackouts
Classes
Roomies-hopefully
Much love
~Chrissy
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Home? Well Kind Of...
Since leaving Boston life has been rather interesting!
The flight to D.C. was rather quick with no interesting stories. Flying to Frankfurt on the other hand was very special. First of all I have never been on a plane that huge! I was amazed! We got in at the middle of the plane and there were beautiful large cushy chairs which I assumed I would also be sitting in. Come to find out that was not the case. I actually had a rather average sized plane seat. It was a little disappointing, but I just had to chuckle at myself! I don't sleep very well in general so the flight was filled with two movies, dinner, music listening, a lot of fidgeting, trying to get comfortable and a neighbor that had a secret cool kid hangout and only sat down when the seat belt sign was turned on. From there I flew to Vilnius.
As I stepped out of customs I was met my Lara!! She is friends with my buddy Frank and was the sweetest lady in the world. She was soo sweet and loved me so much! She gave me a huge hug, which was an amazing entrance to the country! Everyone thought I had known her so ever even though I have never met her. I met the other study abroad students and program leaders and we were good to go.
Most of the students are from Azusa Pacific University, a few from Messiah, Taylor, Bethel and Eastern. They are amazing and tons of fun!! So far I love them a lot!!
We spent the first few days in the capital city, it was beautiful! Very modern except for the Old Town which was more old school. It was pretty sweet! I will post pictures shortly. We walked around a ton! Especially the first night so that we did not fall asleep! It was snowing tons, I guess God didn't want me to get too home sick since it doesn't snow a lot of here.
We stayed in a hostel which kind of reminded me of mini dorm rooms. They said it was a pretty nice one! We went on a long tour of the city. The coolest part was going to the catacombs of a church! It was awesome! Kind of dark at parts, but we got to see some tombs and old floors and such! Sounds kind of weird, but pretty sweet!
We moved into our dorm a few hours a day and it is glorious! It's actually really nice and I like it a lot! My roommates aren't here yet, but I'm excited for them to come this weekend!
So we are actually seven hours behind so here's the scoop!
Boston Lithuania
8 am 3 pm
9 am 4 pm
10 am 5 pm
11 am 6 pm
12 pm 7 pm
1 pm 8 pm
2 pm 9 pm
3 pm 10 pm
4 pm 11 pm
5 pm 12 am (next day)
Facebook/ Email for Skype dates!!
Here's my mailing address for real:
Kretingos 36, LT - 92307 Klaipėda, Lithuania, LCC International University, Neuman dorm, campus, W306, Chrissy-Jonassaint
Sorry for all the confusion. Well that is all for now!
Much love :)
The flight to D.C. was rather quick with no interesting stories. Flying to Frankfurt on the other hand was very special. First of all I have never been on a plane that huge! I was amazed! We got in at the middle of the plane and there were beautiful large cushy chairs which I assumed I would also be sitting in. Come to find out that was not the case. I actually had a rather average sized plane seat. It was a little disappointing, but I just had to chuckle at myself! I don't sleep very well in general so the flight was filled with two movies, dinner, music listening, a lot of fidgeting, trying to get comfortable and a neighbor that had a secret cool kid hangout and only sat down when the seat belt sign was turned on. From there I flew to Vilnius.
As I stepped out of customs I was met my Lara!! She is friends with my buddy Frank and was the sweetest lady in the world. She was soo sweet and loved me so much! She gave me a huge hug, which was an amazing entrance to the country! Everyone thought I had known her so ever even though I have never met her. I met the other study abroad students and program leaders and we were good to go.
Most of the students are from Azusa Pacific University, a few from Messiah, Taylor, Bethel and Eastern. They are amazing and tons of fun!! So far I love them a lot!!
We spent the first few days in the capital city, it was beautiful! Very modern except for the Old Town which was more old school. It was pretty sweet! I will post pictures shortly. We walked around a ton! Especially the first night so that we did not fall asleep! It was snowing tons, I guess God didn't want me to get too home sick since it doesn't snow a lot of here.
We stayed in a hostel which kind of reminded me of mini dorm rooms. They said it was a pretty nice one! We went on a long tour of the city. The coolest part was going to the catacombs of a church! It was awesome! Kind of dark at parts, but we got to see some tombs and old floors and such! Sounds kind of weird, but pretty sweet!
We moved into our dorm a few hours a day and it is glorious! It's actually really nice and I like it a lot! My roommates aren't here yet, but I'm excited for them to come this weekend!
So we are actually seven hours behind so here's the scoop!
Boston Lithuania
8 am 3 pm
9 am 4 pm
10 am 5 pm
11 am 6 pm
12 pm 7 pm
1 pm 8 pm
2 pm 9 pm
3 pm 10 pm
4 pm 11 pm
5 pm 12 am (next day)
Facebook/ Email for Skype dates!!
Here's my mailing address for real:
Kretingos 36, LT - 92307 Klaipėda, Lithuania, LCC International University, Neuman dorm, campus, W306, Chrissy-Jonassaint
Sorry for all the confusion. Well that is all for now!
Much love :)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Safe and Sound
I made it.
Safe and sound in the hostel in the capital.
Going to bed.
Will update soon :)
Thanks for the prayers :)
Safe and sound in the hostel in the capital.
Going to bed.
Will update soon :)
Thanks for the prayers :)
Monday, January 4, 2010
A Few Short Hours
In a few short hours I will be flying out of Logan Airport. I have been asked many times if I was excited, scared, nervous? And my answer to all of those have been yes, but I do not think it really has set in yet. Even though I'm packed with itinerary in hand I don't think it will really hit me until I'm on the plane.
There have been some interesting happenings since last week. For one I learned from my dear friend that Frankfurt is a large city in Germany so I am really flying into Germany and not Denmark like I told everyone. So I apologize if I accidentally lied to you. I also realized that I will have spent more time out of Massachusetts than in MA since last summer.
For those of you that do not know. I hate packing. In fact packing and unpacking are two of my least favorite activities. Normally I do not start packing until the morning I am leaving. Maybe around 12:30 am I finally decide it is a good time to start packing. Even going to college I packed up a large room full basically overnight. But, I decided to make a change. By 11:30pm last night everything, but my laptop and ipod were packed securely where they belonged. Some of you may think that I would have been super stressed, worried, concerned, but actually I was pretty impressed with myself for getting done that early! With a little help from my sister and a few hours I was golden.
Here is my actual address which apparently I never really posted.
Kretingos 36, LT - 92307 Klaipėda, Lithuania
I am also six hours ahead so the best time to skype is 8 am- 7 pm EST. Which will be 2pm- 1am my time.
Thanks for all your prayers thus far and the ones to come. I'll post that I am safely there whenever we get internet.
:)
There have been some interesting happenings since last week. For one I learned from my dear friend that Frankfurt is a large city in Germany so I am really flying into Germany and not Denmark like I told everyone. So I apologize if I accidentally lied to you. I also realized that I will have spent more time out of Massachusetts than in MA since last summer.
For those of you that do not know. I hate packing. In fact packing and unpacking are two of my least favorite activities. Normally I do not start packing until the morning I am leaving. Maybe around 12:30 am I finally decide it is a good time to start packing. Even going to college I packed up a large room full basically overnight. But, I decided to make a change. By 11:30pm last night everything, but my laptop and ipod were packed securely where they belonged. Some of you may think that I would have been super stressed, worried, concerned, but actually I was pretty impressed with myself for getting done that early! With a little help from my sister and a few hours I was golden.
Here is my actual address which apparently I never really posted.
Kretingos 36, LT - 92307 Klaipėda, Lithuania
I am also six hours ahead so the best time to skype is 8 am- 7 pm EST. Which will be 2pm- 1am my time.
Thanks for all your prayers thus far and the ones to come. I'll post that I am safely there whenever we get internet.
:)
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