tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-352340912011-07-31T03:59:38.066+03:00Random thoughts on life's adventures in Ukraine.Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.comBlogger551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-66940893960536674772011-06-07T19:40:00.001+03:002011-06-07T19:41:30.321+03:00

Last week, our team had a cross-cultural training, most of which I'd heard several times before. However, a few things were new for me, and one of them I'd like to share with you, if I can do a complex topic justice in a few, short paragraphs - of learning to read the Word in 3-D. There are 3 general world-views on our little planet-home, Earth: guilt/innocence (G/I), power/fear (P/F), and honor

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-23385212466597088822011-05-10T16:27:00.001+03:002011-05-10T16:28:58.677+03:00

Perhaps the 'ere old question as to whether a rose would smell as sweet if it were not named a rose, has never been answered... However, I can definitely say that being called by a name that is not your name is in no way sweet! If I had even 1 cent for every time someone added an "h" between the first and second letters of my name, making it an entirely different name (and meaning), I would be a

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-2148844692757112312011-02-14T15:26:00.001+02:002011-02-14T15:27:51.287+02:00

Beautiful roses from wonderful parents Today, I received a very special, totally unexpected surprise - a bouquet of beautiful roses and a card from my parents, delivered to me by 2 of my friends. It brought me a lot of joy to receive this memento of love from my parents on our special holiday, especially as they are so far away right now. It definitely brightened my day and made me smile. :)

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-67215846971813919352011-02-07T14:28:00.000+02:002011-02-07T14:28:40.324+02:00

A "baba" clearing sidewalks with our standard "reed" broom. In the modern era of labor-saving devices, fast-food, and pre-made things, it's very easy for people in the "West," especially in North America and Down Under to forget how fortunate they are to have so many things which make life easier, which most people in the world do not have... When was the last time you were consciously

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-58575367011120576972011-01-24T12:30:00.000+02:002011-01-24T12:30:14.219+02:00

Well, it's been a LONG time since I last wrote anything. Partly due to busyness at the end of the summer and then to illness in the fall...although that's not really a good excuse to forgo writing entirely for 6 months! Recently, my netbook crashed due to a quirky program (COMODO Time Machine, in case you need to avoid it), and after unsuccessful attempts to un-install the program and rectify

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-58814379645730473752010-07-24T17:38:00.000+03:002010-07-24T17:38:43.555+03:00

mildew, 2 months of leakage Often people think that the phrase "cleanliness is next to godliness" is written somewhere in the Scriptures. Sorry to disappoint you, but it's not! However, there is a nugget of truth in this - not that being physically clean makes a person more holy than another person - but in the idea of spiritual cleanliness making you more like God... Recently, I was visiting

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-73544703349635998962010-06-29T20:52:00.001+03:002010-07-24T17:48:38.552+03:00

Teaching softball during orphan camp For many living the West, the unexpected is a fairly rare occurrence, probably because Western life is immersed in schedules and orderliness. In general, one knows when one will work, eat, play, sleep, go on holiday, etc. However, I find that my life is anything but that. It's an extremely rare week when I have a stable schedule, let alone my life in general

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-18286529968166854662010-06-01T04:32:00.002+03:002010-07-24T18:04:08.932+03:00

We often hear about the idealist/dreamer looking at the world through rose-coloured glasses. But, we never hear about looking at the world through dark-coloured glasses (or clear ones either)... Often we perceive someone, judging them as if they were just like us, thinking and reasoning like us, motivated like us, and feeling like us. We understand ourselves better than anyone else and it's

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-35491700658933294042010-05-30T15:48:00.000+03:002010-05-30T15:48:18.629+03:00

OK, I figured that title might get your attention! Get ready for a bit of a rant...it's been bottled up for a while, but I must say something at last. This year Sunday afternoons have been very difficult for me. Why? Well, ever since most of my closest friends "coupled off" and we stopped our evening film theatre (and what with different friends attending different services at different times and

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-82892775790272021102010-04-19T00:29:00.001+03:002010-07-24T17:58:35.079+03:00

Recently, we celebrated Easter here in Ukraine, and spring finally won it's weeks-long battle with winter just in time for the holiday! Everything here closes on Easter Sunday (even the 24-7 shops) and the city lies hushed and quiet for a brief moment in time... Our service was at 8 AM, special for the holiday, so I got up before sunrise and walked to the main bus station bus stop (not the

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-85549974085205184832010-03-24T00:41:00.004+02:002010-07-24T17:56:01.813+03:00

Having fun w/ nephews & nieces OK, so that may seem like a strange question to you (and no, "round is a shape" doesn't count as an answer)! What I mean is this... I don't know about you, but depending on what responsibility I have, what job/activity I am doing, what my health is, or other factors, certain parts of my personality are unconciously subdued or filtered out while other parts show

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-83909751355870957502009-12-10T11:09:00.004+02:002010-07-24T18:06:27.320+03:00

It struck me that in our modern societies, there are far too many overgrown boys in their late 20s and 30s (and even 40s) and far too few men... I don't say there are no men, because that's definitely not true. However, there currently is a disturbing trend which is allowing the young generation to grow up without really growing up - and this is especially effecting guys... Maybe it's just me,

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-5813894817168837982009-11-01T14:47:00.000+02:002009-11-01T14:47:30.815+02:00

For those of you who have been reading European news, you've probably seen that Ukraine has declared a swine flu pandemic earlier this week. The outbreak began last week, with thousands having been infected already. To date, there have been about 40+ officially reported deaths from swine flu in several of our western oblasts (provinces) and there is talk about declaring a state of emergency in

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-59774986619983116522009-10-23T23:45:00.000+03:002009-10-23T23:45:10.599+03:00

On Tuesday, on the way to practice, it looked like rain, so I took along my huge yellow and blue striped IKEA umbrella, which just happens to be the exact colours of the Ukrainian flag. Anyway, there happened to be a concert in the center on Tuesday night and I had to walk through the concert area on the way to/from practice. The streets for several blocks around the center were all closed to

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-30923985343315041322009-10-19T19:29:00.000+03:002009-10-19T19:29:34.622+03:00

Yesterday, I received a somewhat rude 1-line email response to a work-related question from someone whom I am not acquainted with, but who works in my organization in a different country. I was rather unpleasantly surprised at the reply and without going into any details, it implied that I was stupid, and it didn't answer my question at all. In fact, the response showed that the writer was

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-785262410832792732009-09-28T14:06:00.005+03:002010-07-24T17:59:16.667+03:00

Sunrise from Old Town, Warszawa 7 days, 6 fresh bulichkyi, 5 different hostels, 4 new sights, 3 lessons learned, 2 sore legs, and 1 unexpected adventure! I've just spent an unexpected week in Warsaw, waylaid by red tape...and as usual, I don't ever need to seek out adventure, it always has a way of finding me no matter how hard I try to hide! ;-) On a Tuesday evening, I traveled by overnight

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-3183532076186775962009-09-08T11:25:00.020+03:002010-07-24T18:11:30.456+03:00

So, can one be fashionably modest in a world where dressing like a hooker is the status quo? Is it even possible to be fashionable and modest at the same time? And what exactly is modest? So, first of all, just what is the definition of modesty? From dictionary.com, "modesty" is: 1. the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc. 2. regard for decency of behavior, speech,

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-43548943501461560602009-08-31T23:25:00.004+03:002009-08-31T23:41:51.220+03:00

I just got back from a 9-day get-away to hot, humid, but beautiful Beldibi, Turkey with my friend, Esther. It was a very relaxing trip, despite losing 2 nights of sleep on both ends b/c of traveling through the night.The location was super! The town is a small, quiet place nestled between rugged mountains and the crystal-clear blue/green Mediterranean sea. Our hotel was in the first line, meaning

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-56154988448609918852009-07-31T14:13:00.007+03:002010-07-24T17:51:14.960+03:00

Setting up a game...climbing trees! After an extremely exhausting month working with CESC and literally running out of steam, I wasn't sure whether I should go to the camp for handicapped children (20-25 July) or not, since there would be no time to rest up beforehand. However, after praying about it, I decided to go ahead and go to the camp, on the promise of just resting the first two days (

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-22172629164014973362009-07-19T13:46:00.009+03:002009-08-31T23:23:09.563+03:00

It has been a very hectic, busy, stressful, exhausting 2 months...First, I went to visit my Dad's family in the Czech Republic with my parents and aunt and uncle (see first picture - my dad and his cousin look so similar!), and then my parents came to visit me here in Ukraine for a few weeks. It was a really nice time with them and it was too quick! We were busy from morning until night with

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-931903016351361962009-05-13T10:13:00.000+03:002009-05-13T10:21:07.287+03:00

Saturday, a friend of mine and I got up early (way too early for my tired body) and headed into the forest with a group from a local church for a day of fun and games (which we would lead for them). At first, I was tentative about missing sleep and being busy all day working b/c my body still hasn't gotten back to it's usual stamina and health...and if I work for an entire day without a break, I

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-74462200266070400882009-04-29T13:55:00.003+03:002009-04-29T14:19:30.122+03:00

I've been struggling lately with some residual soul cancer. "What?," you say. "What is soul cancer?" Well, that's a good question... Soul cancer is anything which continually eats away inside you, sapping all that is good and keeping you from experiencing the full joy of living and loving others. Soul cancer could be jealousy - when many others around you seem to be receiving what you have long

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-82303620420578690632009-04-17T18:46:00.007+03:002009-04-17T19:17:05.650+03:00

Well, my adventures have returned, after several months of illness and inactivity. Yesterday, I tried my hand at baking the traditional Ukrainian Easter bread, known as pascha (and it turned out not so badly, if I do say so myself). Then, today, I painted the living room floor with the help of my friend, Myriam, and that was an adventure. First, in moving out the furniture before painting, we

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-38380222190634878302008-11-16T23:36:00.007+02:002008-11-17T11:59:48.910+02:00

Being really sick for the past 3 months hasn't been any fun...and mostly it's been very BORING, frustrating, and difficult. Without any family support nearby, it's 100 times more difficult than usual. What I find very interesting is the view of some of my friends that taking care of ones' self while one is sick is really very easy and not any work at all. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of guests,

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-88634359172875739502008-10-28T13:57:00.010+02:002008-10-28T15:15:16.738+02:00

Many times in my life I feel like I am living under a microscope of people's scrutiny, resulting at in times overwhelming pressure and stress. At such times I feel that everything I do, don't do, say, don't say, think, don't think, wear, don't wear is judged by the unwritten, unvoiced expectations of others (and expectations which they hold higher for me than for themselves or others like them).

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-9693403542930500672008-10-15T13:21:00.012+03:002008-10-15T14:28:52.637+03:00

This past week I had the privilege to travel to Carcavelos, Portugal for a European sports conference. It had been mostly cold, dreary, and mizzly in Ukraine since the beginning of September. After enduring the cold whilst fighting with bronchitis, I was really looking forward to traveling to warm, sunny places for a week. But before I tell you the story of my trip, there is the story of several

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-65058576622630123982008-09-08T16:42:00.003+03:002008-09-08T16:54:49.735+03:00

If you don't like the title, I apologize, but that is what my mobile phone is being called, hence the name of this post.In my next-to-last camp, my poor mobile phone had the misfortune to fall into the nasty pit toilet which had been dug for the camp (and was full of liquid and solid waste). I had no choice but to rescue the phone (with the help of my brave friend, Alyosha) b/c all the phone

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-18036613536452520322008-09-01T19:22:00.003+03:002008-09-10T16:47:35.325+03:00

Well, I am in Sweden, enjoying the beautiful nature and staying with a wonderful family. I arrived on Friday night and it has been good to rest and not be busy working all the time, especially after such a busy summer. It is a treat for my eyes to be seeing beautiful, green forests and tidy, colorful houses instead of city dirt and Stalinesque buildings for a change. It is refreshing to the soul.

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-25957099401312115442008-08-25T18:02:00.004+03:002008-08-27T18:28:23.770+03:00

It was with sadness that today I learned about the unexpected death of my friend Kevin. He died in a motorcycle crash early on Sunday morning. Apparently he was traveling at a high rate of speed when his bike left the road and he ran into a pole head-on. It's hard to believe that he's gone so quickly, at age 19. I don't think he even had time to react...In the blink of an eye, everything changes,

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-62834952636577251202008-08-09T14:30:00.009+03:002008-08-09T16:09:51.569+03:00

Well, it took God only 6 days to create the entire universe, but He didn't get tired afterwards (despite resting on the 7th day). I feel like I've been dragged about quite a bit after a whirlwind tour of central Europe with my sister and her family!After visiting me in Ukraine, we traveled together by hot, airless bus to Warszawa, Poland - a tortuous 20+ hours thanks to lack of fresh air and 1

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-39490353506431399162008-08-02T00:07:00.005+03:002008-08-02T00:22:28.929+03:00

It's been an enjoyable week with my sister Harmony, her husband Mark, and 2 children. The children finally adjusted to the time change a few days ago (yay!) and are sleeping through the night at long last. Of course, I keep staying up late each night - either talking with my sister and her husband, or catching up on missed work (especially since internet has been down for the past 4 days!).

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-56662558051165960992008-07-27T10:11:00.006+03:002008-08-02T00:30:49.676+03:00

I have been on the road more often than not this year. In fact, other than the football camp in our city in June, I haven't been home for more than a few days at a time between trips. While many people might envy such a life, it's not all glitter and glam. It's exhausting to be traveling so much and hardly ever home (and when one is home, one is busy cleaning, washing, and re-packing everything

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-17949566591742621262008-06-29T23:00:00.006+03:002008-06-29T23:40:18.497+03:00

Ants, ants, ants, and more ants... That's what I'll remember when I think of the Tsegla festival/camp which we just returned from yesterday. It was probably my least favorite camp so far, but it was still not a bad experience overall. What made it my least favorite?First of all, the camp was in a location which wasn't as nice as where we usually hold our camps (no forest, a not-so-clean lake,

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-1859214394009080202008-06-19T20:44:00.005+03:002008-08-02T00:32:35.896+03:00

Tomorrow is the last day of our football (soccer) day-camp in Rivne. It has been from about 11-15ish each day and the weather was great (we are all much tanner now than at the beginning of the camp). It has been an interesting camp, each day different than the previous day, and the kids behavior improving each day (starting with total chaos and not listening the first day to holding their

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-69546979278236543862008-06-12T18:44:00.004+03:002008-06-12T18:54:01.695+03:00

Today I heard that there was a minor nuclear accident in our oblast. We have 4 of the country's 15 nuclear reactors in our oblast, all of which are old Russian models. According to officials, there is no danger from radiation, but people here are saying that the radiation levels are higher than usual. So, as rain fell today, I was warned to stay inside and avoid getting soaked by the radioactive

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-30626810452096202792008-06-11T22:08:00.005+03:002008-08-02T00:24:35.692+03:00

Prejudice is a constant battle...one of which I am really tired of fighting. A good friend recently told me that they just realized that they can truly be my friend now b/c they see that I'm not like a foreigner, I'm like them... And this comment is from a friend that I've been good friends with for a long time!This was really frustrating b/c it shows that most people will always think of me as a

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-62861772356262828512008-06-05T22:54:00.007+03:002008-06-11T23:00:12.742+03:00

Well, it's been a little too long since I've written anything. I've been on the road for most of this year - with a week or two between trips and less time than usual to keep up with the computer stuff.In April, I traveled with Pasha, one of our volunteers, to the Ukrainian rugby championships in Odessa, where his team and several others from our city participated. A newly formed women's team

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-25101061858484178942008-04-15T17:04:00.003+03:002008-08-02T00:34:19.017+03:00

This month is a time of waiting on the Lord. The sports ministries I was previously involved in fell apart while I was gone, and I have entered a waiting period, seeking His will for me in what to do next. Soon, our summer camps begin, so there is practically speaking only about 1 month of regular sports ministry (or less) left before the summer season. One thing that has come about as a result

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-84097582143115893762008-04-03T14:06:00.002+03:002008-04-03T14:14:19.938+03:00

Well, I seem to have a knack for finding "adventures" (or misadventures) - even small ones in the middle of the night. The other night, I reached to turn off the light and knocked over a cup of water - all over the electrical cords! Needless to say, I had to clean up the puddles of water on the floor, unplug the electrical cord and dry off the plugs, then in the midst of this, the light stops

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-60951434471811995732008-03-19T12:28:00.004+02:002008-06-11T22:53:18.660+03:00

Well, it's been ages since I've last written. It's like I got sucked into some time-space continuum and only now have emerged from the backside of the black hole! Anyway, the past several months were rather crazy - lots of travel and of course adventures, as usual. I spent some time in Hungary to renew my visa, then to Poland for a big floorball match (U-19 Poland vs. Ukraine), then to England to

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-83770586927402435582007-11-10T00:43:00.001+02:002007-11-10T01:00:25.107+02:00

Today was Dad's 65th birthday party (well yesterday my time, today his time). It's at times like these that I miss my family the most. Usually, I am absorbed in my life here, but there are rare times when I really feel the distance, like today. I'm so thankful for modern technology which allows us to keep in touch regularly - by phone, email, and Skype. Of course, communicating via technology is

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-66152446612472095112007-11-08T17:34:00.002+02:002008-08-02T00:36:44.115+03:00

I meant to post this yesterday, but couldn't, so this is from yesterday's musings...This morning I woke up to a wintry wonderland, a snow-covered city with temperatures regularly dipping below freezing already. Our first snow flurry was about a month ago, when my mother was here, but nothing stayed on the ground. So, this is more like our first official snow of the winter season! I love snow...it

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-9331051476211703082007-10-31T16:50:00.001+02:002008-08-02T00:38:21.873+03:00

It's been a BEAUTIFUL fall here in Ukraine, with a colder than usual September and rain combining to turn the leaves bright shades of yellow and orange. The leaves just started falling from the trees in the past week or two and it's been nice to have something bright to look at before the grey of winter sets in soon.A few weeks ago, two of my closest friends here, Anya & Ben, were married. It was

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-9036359335797999212007-09-03T14:32:00.001+03:002008-03-19T12:39:20.326+02:00

Well, I'm back in the city, tanned and mosquito-bitten (see foto, left), after living out in a tent for much of the past few months. I really enjoyed the camps, partly b/c I got to live in a tent surrounded by God's beautiful Ukrainian nature and breathe fresh country air again! There are times when I really miss living in a village in the country...and seeing God's creation instead of grey,

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-47018294901851168452007-07-01T18:56:00.000+03:002007-10-31T18:55:48.624+02:00

Well, I'm back from rugby/adventure camp after 10 days in the woods, primitive tent camping. It was great, despite being exhausting/draining. The kids all had fun and God continued to teach me and refine my character through it. I've got a lot to share, but it'd take way too long for 1 post. So, instead I'll share one interesting highlight for now.On the last day of camp I missed out on saying

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-18124203674599802802007-06-11T19:59:00.000+03:002007-09-03T16:05:21.488+03:00

In one of my quiet times last week I read through Proverbs. One of the proverbs was particularly meaningful to me, "Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life." (Prov. 18:21).I tend to be one who talks a lot and I often don't realize the impact that my waggling tongue has on those around me. It's important to think before speaking and better

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-27109548286357329432007-06-09T22:49:00.001+03:002007-09-03T16:04:49.769+03:00

This has been an interesting week of seeing God bringing me into a better understanding of what I need to do - through several different people.First, I received an unexpected email from my team leader saying in effect that I need to step back and prioritize what I am doing so that I can do things well and not be spread so thin and not be able to give my best to what I am doing. This is a repeat

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-36442473752965317772007-06-03T18:21:00.001+03:002008-06-11T22:45:46.869+03:00

This weekend, an interesting situation occurred which was unsettling in one sense and yet I have peace about it. 2 gypsy women w/ a little baby came to me begging for money, food, and clothing. I gave them some things and then the older one slipped inside while my back was turned. That startled me. She asked me to boil some tea for them. I wasn't sure what to do and didn't want to be rude; so I

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-29240496007879240622007-04-25T21:49:00.000+03:002007-10-31T18:28:37.294+02:00

Yesterday we had what I call an "Uncle Joey" adventure. Moe, Sergei, and I went looking for a place to have our "extreme leadership training camp" - without success. We met at Lita at 07:30 and caught a mini-bus to nearby Kostopol. From there, we walked to Listopol, a small town and started walking through the villages, asking locals and looking for a school that we could rent for next week's

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-17992236213773468182007-04-22T23:38:00.000+03:002007-04-22T23:55:49.645+03:00

I just got back from a 4-day football/soccer coaching seminar in Chishinau, Moldova (pronounced Kishinyov) w/ Ben, Ethan, and Alyosha. It was a nice break from being stuck at home for most of the past 3 months. Chishinau was a beautiful city w/ lots of trees, open spaces, parks, and wide, tree-lined streets. I'd like to visit again and spend more time exploring the city. I'm thankful that we

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-79739923842446331572007-04-09T19:44:00.001+03:002007-04-09T20:28:54.006+03:00

So, I was experiencing a little self-pity in my last post... It's harder to NOT focus on myself when I'm cooped up and feeling under the weather. It's not fun being sick, but it could always be worse! I'm so thankful for having a place to be alone and really rest w/o being bothered too often. :-)I'm really thankful that my quiet times have become more and more interesting over the past week... I

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-47877131236649270822007-04-06T17:37:00.000+03:002007-04-06T18:10:21.502+03:00

OK, so it's now 8 weeks since I first came down with the flu for a few weeks, recovered, and within 2 days got infected w/ a throat bug and haven't gotten better since. It's really frustrating to say the least. I'm normally healthy and active and am rarely sick for very long or very often. What's prolonging this? I don't know...maybe it's life in the city and lack of fresh air and green things (

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-7894028959734447682007-03-21T22:01:00.000+02:002007-03-21T22:27:21.880+02:00

This week I was thinking about boxes & prejudice. Why? Because living in a different country than one's native land means that one will probably be faced with prejudice at some time or another. Sometimes prejudice is good (as in when someone thinks well of you before they get know you) and sometimes it is bad...I find that there are 2 types of prejudice here which I experience more often than

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-36578972944933558052007-03-02T18:32:00.000+02:002007-03-02T21:08:49.188+02:00

Well, I haven't really posted anything since starting this blog b/c life has been too busy lately...until about 3 weeks ago when I came down with the flu and have been laid up at home for the past 2 weeks unable to do much of anything. So, when I finally had the time to write, I didn't have the desire or energy to even look at the computer and then when I was finally getting better, the internet

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35234091.post-1163097844527692602006-11-09T20:30:00.000+02:002007-10-31T18:30:09.943+02:00

When I first moved overseas, it was so neat to see how much God took care of me in every situation in a visible way. Often I felt like a little baby trying to figure things out and not knowing much of the language, but God always helped me and gave me the needed grace to face each situation, especially the awkward or embarrassing ones.For me, it was truly a fun adventure and brought back

Tigger :Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06921452229004623645noreply@blogger.com0