There are several blogs that I regularly stalk. Blog Stalking is a great past-time. It can be educational, inspirational and entertaining. Most of the blogs I stalk are from folks I know...but not all of them. I've even met some people and made some friends of people I was previously cyber-stalking.
My purpose here is turn-on my readership (all 3 of you) to some of my favorite blogs. Here they are, not necessarily in order of importance.
http://thesift.atlblogs.com/ This is my oldest niece's blog. She's a beautiful mother of 3 energetic boys and a precious girl and she writes with amazing insight into everyday things- especially in regard to raising a Godly family.
http://myapplecheeks.blogspot.com/ Not to be outdone, my 2nd oldest niece also writes with a great deal of dry-humor about all things family- she and her hubby have an adorable little boy and a little girl on the way.
http://pronouncedtwee.blogspot.com/?zx=f0cde57ab8045e60 My friend Thuy (pronounced Twee) and her hubby Ryan tag-team write this really smart and playful blog. Thuy was one of my "kids" in Gulfport and I had the privilege of performing their marriage.
http://hallfamilyadoption.blogspot.com/ If you've never followed an "Adoption Blog" (everyone's doing it...everyone I know that adopts, that is), then you're missing out on putting a lot Kleenex to good use. My friends, the Halls, from Birmingham are currently in Ukraine for the 3rd time in 8 years adopting a child. Follow their journey. Pray for them. Get inspired.
http://www.betheglory.blogspot.com/ (Kim's Blog) and http://tony.tbclife.net/ (Tony's Blog). More Adoption blogs. Tony (Pastor at Temple Baptist in Hattiesburg, MS) and wife Kimberly just completed adopting 4 Ukrainian siblings. Amazing, tender and tranparent stories of their journey.
http://www.sethbarnes.com/ Seth is the Director/Founder/President of Adventures in Missions (The World Race people). I think he's a pretty brilliant, thought-provoking discipler and writer.
http://theworldrace.org Go here to access hundreds of World Racer blogs. If you don't know any of them...pick one from near wherever you live and be their prayer partner, encourager- blog commenter for the year!
http://268generation.com/blog/ Louie Giglio's Passion Blog.
http://www.ellenholder.blogspot.com/ My friend Ellen, a Mississippi girl, serving 2 years in Peru.
http://reflectivereasonings.blogspot.com/ Another MS Girl. She's a heck of a lot deeper than I am and a fairly regular commenter/encourage on my blog.
http://luckyburgerboys.blogspot.com/ Dave Eliff is a kid I met last year at an IMB Conference. He's serving in Cambodia, which is one of my favorite countries.
http://kerussocharis.blogspot.com/ I could care less about Southern Baptist Politics...but Pastor Wade Burleson, a former IMB Trustee brings a lot of things to light...and on rare occasions he brings his hobby for Historical Research to the table.
http://allthingsmaroon.wordpress.com/ I don't have any idea who this guy is- most of his blogs are about Mississippi State University sports with a few random topics thrown in.
http://buzzardroostus.wordpress.com/ Don't know this guy either, but I feel like I should! Another MSU Sports blog from a Baptist Preacher perspective.
http://www.nems360.com/pages/insidemississippistatesports The NE MS Daily Journal's Beat Writer for Mississippi State...this is where I get the scoop!
http://mrsec.com/ Here's the scoop on SEC Sports in general.
That's enough for now.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Coupe' Potluck- you never know what you're gonna get!
I went to Odessa this past weekend. Yeah, everything about living here is an adventure sometimes.
To begin with- just buying the train tickets. I feel like I'm becoming a Pro- but in fact, it's mostly luck and/or God's good grace. I just smile and nod like an idiot and somehow end up with the right tickets! This time, I was late getting to the train station and missed my train by about 2 minutes. There was another train leaving an hour later and I thought I could probably swap my ticket for a small fee...but while I was waiting in line (apparently looking like an American!) a guy approached me and offered to sell me a ticket for the next train. After haggling a bit, I bought it for about $1.25 more than what I paid for my original ticket...but then he wanted my old one. That's when I realized that he probably got the best of me- I presume he got at least a partial refund on my unused ticket. Oh well... it would have been a bear for me to communicate what I wanted anyway!
So... I left an hour later and arrived in Odessa at 9 am Saturday morning. I shared a "Coupe'"- a small room on the train with 4 bunks with a lady that appeared to be asleep when I boarded. It was a quiet trip to Odessa. Some friends with IMB met me (and gave me a place to stay) in Odessa. The world is getting smaller over here for sure: While I was staying with one IMB couple, I ran into two other couples that I know AND ran into two girls from the SEND School that were also visiting for the weekend (they were staying with one of the other IMB families).
The two highlights of the trip were visiting Maxim's church Sunday morning. Maxim is a Ukrainian youth minister I worked with way back in 2004 the first time I visited Ukraine. As is often the case when you visit one of the smaller churches in Ukraine, you get asked to "share"- so I shared some of my testimony. The other highlight was that Maxim and I both got in touch with my friend Katya and she and her baby sister came to church. After church, I walked them home and spent most of the day with her family (communicating in broken Russian, English and Charades!)
Back in 04 I brought a team of students from Bayou View to Odessa for a week. We conducted 2-3 Children's Bible Clubs per day! At one club, I fell in love with 2 little sisters and their brother (Katya, Vika and Yura). I got to see them last year when I visited Odessa and now that I live here, I want to stay in touch.
The final leg of the trip turned out to be the most "interesting". As I boarded the train home, I opened the door to my Coupe' and discovered three women- probably all early 50's. They didn't speak English and I knew just enough Russian to get them good and intriqued. It was pretty hilarious. I don't know if one of them was "crushing" on me, or if she was interested in me on her daughter's behalf. Her daughter speaks some English, so the mother called her daughter and put her on speaker phone and we got to know one another for about an hour before we lost cell phone reception. Some of the questions included: "How old are you?", "Are you married? Have children?", "Why not?", "What do you think of Ukrainian women?" (I remember getting that question in Swaziland too!) When they learned I work with the church and with children and teens and want to work with orphans, you would have thought they just opened a box of puppies!
So funny...it's probably a good thing I didn't catch all they were saying to one another...I would hear "Mississippi", "Clinton"...and then they'd all get silly laughing.
To begin with- just buying the train tickets. I feel like I'm becoming a Pro- but in fact, it's mostly luck and/or God's good grace. I just smile and nod like an idiot and somehow end up with the right tickets! This time, I was late getting to the train station and missed my train by about 2 minutes. There was another train leaving an hour later and I thought I could probably swap my ticket for a small fee...but while I was waiting in line (apparently looking like an American!) a guy approached me and offered to sell me a ticket for the next train. After haggling a bit, I bought it for about $1.25 more than what I paid for my original ticket...but then he wanted my old one. That's when I realized that he probably got the best of me- I presume he got at least a partial refund on my unused ticket. Oh well... it would have been a bear for me to communicate what I wanted anyway!So... I left an hour later and arrived in Odessa at 9 am Saturday morning. I shared a "Coupe'"- a small room on the train with 4 bunks with a lady that appeared to be asleep when I boarded. It was a quiet trip to Odessa. Some friends with IMB met me (and gave me a place to stay) in Odessa. The world is getting smaller over here for sure: While I was staying with one IMB couple, I ran into two other couples that I know AND ran into two girls from the SEND School that were also visiting for the weekend (they were staying with one of the other IMB families).
The two highlights of the trip were visiting Maxim's church Sunday morning. Maxim is a Ukrainian youth minister I worked with way back in 2004 the first time I visited Ukraine. As is often the case when you visit one of the smaller churches in Ukraine, you get asked to "share"- so I shared some of my testimony. The other highlight was that Maxim and I both got in touch with my friend Katya and she and her baby sister came to church. After church, I walked them home and spent most of the day with her family (communicating in broken Russian, English and Charades!)
Back in 04 I brought a team of students from Bayou View to Odessa for a week. We conducted 2-3 Children's Bible Clubs per day! At one club, I fell in love with 2 little sisters and their brother (Katya, Vika and Yura). I got to see them last year when I visited Odessa and now that I live here, I want to stay in touch.
The final leg of the trip turned out to be the most "interesting". As I boarded the train home, I opened the door to my Coupe' and discovered three women- probably all early 50's. They didn't speak English and I knew just enough Russian to get them good and intriqued. It was pretty hilarious. I don't know if one of them was "crushing" on me, or if she was interested in me on her daughter's behalf. Her daughter speaks some English, so the mother called her daughter and put her on speaker phone and we got to know one another for about an hour before we lost cell phone reception. Some of the questions included: "How old are you?", "Are you married? Have children?", "Why not?", "What do you think of Ukrainian women?" (I remember getting that question in Swaziland too!) When they learned I work with the church and with children and teens and want to work with orphans, you would have thought they just opened a box of puppies!So funny...it's probably a good thing I didn't catch all they were saying to one another...I would hear "Mississippi", "Clinton"...and then they'd all get silly laughing.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
World Race Final Debrief in Kyiv
I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last blogged. I haven't been that busy...well, at times, yes I have been.
A good bit of the last two weeks was spent preparing for and assisting The World Race. F Squad was in town for Final Debrief. 11 Countries in 11 Months and it all ended here. I think it ended on a high note.
Some of the squad members arrived almost 2 weeks ago. I met Brian & Stacey Alonzo at the train station and helped them transfer to a bus so they could visit a team in Ivankiv. Brian and Stacey are launching the August 09 Squad in just a few months! I also helped them find a place to stay for a few days here in Kyiv (thank you Peipons!)
A few days later Ashley, Pamela, Tara and Jen arrived to make additional preparations. Thanks to my friend Allyson, they had a place to stay too.
Finally, last Friday the teams arrived from North, South and West (they had been serving in Lugansk, Ivankiv and Moldova). Seth and Karen Barnes along with the Hindes and the Shearmans also arrived. It was a long day but everyone got picked up and transported to Dozvillya- the retreat center about 30 minutes south of Kyiv.
I was blessed to serve them a little bit, spend time with them, worship with them, get some "debrief" time myself with Seth and attend their final WR Banquet. They cleaned up nicely!
My friend Stephanie Fisk- who traveled with B Squad in 07 was the Squad Leader. What a star! She just completed her 2nd World Race in just over 2 years! Also helping with this Debrief was Allison Johnston-she was the C Squad leader that shadowed A & B back in 07 and she launched the G Squad currently in Romania.
So there ya go. A busy couple of weeks.
I have 7 more classes! Yahoo! Still don't know for sure what I'm doing this summer but the plans are, Lord willing, to split time between working with camps around Kyiv and down South in Lugansk.
Tomorrow night I'm hitting the overnight train to Odessa for a quick visit with some friends- will be back in Kyiv early Monday morning for my last full week of classes.
A good bit of the last two weeks was spent preparing for and assisting The World Race. F Squad was in town for Final Debrief. 11 Countries in 11 Months and it all ended here. I think it ended on a high note.
Some of the squad members arrived almost 2 weeks ago. I met Brian & Stacey Alonzo at the train station and helped them transfer to a bus so they could visit a team in Ivankiv. Brian and Stacey are launching the August 09 Squad in just a few months! I also helped them find a place to stay for a few days here in Kyiv (thank you Peipons!)
A few days later Ashley, Pamela, Tara and Jen arrived to make additional preparations. Thanks to my friend Allyson, they had a place to stay too.
Finally, last Friday the teams arrived from North, South and West (they had been serving in Lugansk, Ivankiv and Moldova). Seth and Karen Barnes along with the Hindes and the Shearmans also arrived. It was a long day but everyone got picked up and transported to Dozvillya- the retreat center about 30 minutes south of Kyiv.
I was blessed to serve them a little bit, spend time with them, worship with them, get some "debrief" time myself with Seth and attend their final WR Banquet. They cleaned up nicely!
My friend Stephanie Fisk- who traveled with B Squad in 07 was the Squad Leader. What a star! She just completed her 2nd World Race in just over 2 years! Also helping with this Debrief was Allison Johnston-she was the C Squad leader that shadowed A & B back in 07 and she launched the G Squad currently in Romania.
So there ya go. A busy couple of weeks.
I have 7 more classes! Yahoo! Still don't know for sure what I'm doing this summer but the plans are, Lord willing, to split time between working with camps around Kyiv and down South in Lugansk.
Tomorrow night I'm hitting the overnight train to Odessa for a quick visit with some friends- will be back in Kyiv early Monday morning for my last full week of classes.
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