Thanksgiving #1

Thanksgiving #2

Thanksgiving#3 (for more details checkout http://nevinski.blogspot.com/ )

I thought some of you  might want to hear about the work that is going on here in Kiev, Ukraine. We are conducting one to one English conversation classes using the book of Luke.  Right now we are working with about 35 people, who we call readers because we are reading the word of God with them.   We have less than 2 weeks left of our 4 week project. We have a few goals while we are here....we want to share our lives and our faith with these individuals while helping them improve their English conversation skills and expose them to the Word.  We also want to connect them with the local members of the church ( Harkivsky Church of Christ). We do this through having parties once a week at the church with church members and the readers.  This is Jeff's first project, however, I have done the same thing in El Salvador.   

Above is Jeff with his reader name Tanya, an English teacher.

We are here with two other people. One of them is Derek (below in the green shirt). He is talking to Stas, one of the people that come to reading sessions.  They are called reading sessions not classes, and we are workers not teachers because we let the Word do the teaching. For each session you read a selection from the book of Luke in a more simplified version of English. Each lesson has a "seed" thought. Our job is to plant the seed.  For example, when we read the story of the angel visiting Mary and tells her she will become pregnant  even though she is a virgin, the seed thought is "God can do anything!"  We don't trick them into studying the bible and we are very open about it from the beginning. Providing an opportunity to talk with a native English speaker though is a rare occasion for them and very beneficial. The sessions are free except for the cost of the Luke book. We charged 5 grenva here which is about $1. 

Polina, our other team member, ( girl in the middle) and I stay with some church members. Derek and Jeff are staying in an apartment.  We eat most meals together at the guys apartment. This is  a picture of our first  trip to the store.  The first major meal we made was tacos using something we are pretty sure was beef. We added some seasoning...I have no idea what it was but it tasted good.  They don't have taco shells but we found some gigantic flatbread type tortillas to use.

more info and pictures to come...........

Attention!  Attention! 

I have an important announcement to make! :)

I am going to be an AUNT!!!

Jason and Autumn are expecting! I'm very excited to join the ranks of aunt.  Lord willing, I will be able to see the baby a little more after I graduate. Somehow, in my head, I think I will be able to visit more people/family after I'm out of college.  Anyway, just wanted to let our extended family know the happy news!

I hope everybody is having a wonderful week!  Good luck to all who are in the last week or so of school.

~D@wn~

better late than never

Here's a few shots from Moses's 1st Birthday party! 

The best TOY ever! Look how much Kevin enjoyed it! 

He really liked the icing....  I'm not sure he ever made it to the cake part.

This is Moses trying icecream for the first time... I'm sure he was thinking.... "How can something this good, be so painful to eat??"

Abby and Cal...

Tom, enjoying the day....I really like this photo.

 "HOLA!"

I hope everyone is doing well!  

Grrreeaattt Quote!

 Hello everyone!  I don't know if a lot of you know this but I have a serious obsession with great quotes.  I can only think of some off the top of my head but if I see one; I usually try to write it down and tape it on my wall.  Anyway, I saw this quote on a friend of mine's facebook site and I just had to steal it. 

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." Anais Nin

I couldn't believe how true this was.  I spent some time thinking about a lot of my friendships that I have had in my lifetime and then how they in turn made me a stronger person.  It is amazing how God blesses us with so many people, of varying personalities and characteristics, that in some way bring out something within us. Whether the thing being brought out in us is our crazy side, conservative side, shy side, or outgoing side...each friend does bring out something that might otherwise stay hidden. 

So I just want to say thanks to all of my friends that bring out a little part of me each time I am with them. 

~D@wn~