Snow time

The first snow of the winter....

Our kitty's first snow experience

What a Gift

Our precious little Grandson.....what a miracle....what a gift. Check out the kids' blog to the right.

One Day

Readings posts, email and greetings this morning....from friends and family scattered all over the world....wishing to be with each one, spending time, enjoying Christmas and special moments together...missing, longing, aching....also full well knowing that right now....distances prevent that personal touch,....so we are more than ever longing for the day when we will all be together...singing GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST...what a Christmas celebration that will be!! Merry Christmas everyone!!

GOD JUL TILL ALLA I SVERIGE

This is for all our friends in Sweden..... GOD JUL TILL ER ALLA!!

The Season

It is the fourth Sunday in Advent....it is early morning, and the fourth candle has been lit. Peace has descended on our house. We are praying for family far and near....knowing that true peace can only be found in Christ, who came to earth to reconcile mankind to Himself. Has peace found it's way into your heart?

Prayers

We would appreciate continued prayer for our kids, Andraus and Amy and their little boy Jonathan. See their recent update in the right column. Thank you.

A Brief Note

A brief note on a Sunday evening....it is the third Sunday in Advent today and also Lucia day. I got to watch some Swedish Lucia singing and all on a web cast from Sweden...pretty awesome. Talked to our kids tonight....they are well, and little Jonathan is holding his own. The world's cutest little premie!! We adore this little guy and his brave parents.

Christmas

We finally got our tree up....this year Pat picked our tree...and he did a GREAT job. We continue to PRAY for our dear kids in California....our beautiful son and daughter in law and precious little Grandson...we miss them a lot!!

Thanks for Praying

We are back in Oregon now. Flew back this morning to this blistering cold NW....but it is nice to be home. We miss our kids...but we are glad that we were able to be there for that week and a half...also that they are doing better. For more details...go to our kids' blog...linked to the right....

Praise God

Our Amy came home from the hospital today. We give praise to God....and continue to pray for His protection and care for little Jonathan.

Already Wednesday

Our kids have a blog....look to the right and you will see The Thurman Family updates. Good reading!!

Wednesday morning....another sunny December Day in Ventura...it is sure pretty here and this town is delightful. It has been an eventful week....our dear Amy has been having some rough days....and it was first last night that she was finally starting to feel better....although not out of the woods quite yet. We keep praying. On Monday we got a good glimpse of our little grandson and on Tuesday we were able to see him again in his little "home away from home". He had some cool shades on to protect him from some of the lights they have to shine on him some parts of the day. It is good to just hang out here....do things around the house, run errands, fix, keep up on work related things, communication and other things that needs to be done...and then visit our kids every day...the ladies at the reception know us by now and of course everyone knows our kids...this is where they work, and they are truly beloved by many here at Ventura Country Medical Center. We are so thankful to the Lord that she did not get sick in some other part of the country....she has the best of care here...from collegues and friends. Last night we moved housing. We stayed with some friends of our kids for a couple of nights...now we are with another family...and we are amazed how kind everyone is and how caring. We are blessed. Also, we know there is a lot going on at home...and we pray and wish in some parts that we were there...at the same time, we are so thankful that we are able to be here at this time.

Thoughts on a Monday night

Sitting here in Andraus and Amy's living room listening to Christmas music. A few of the houses around here have lights up, otherwise it is hard to imagine that we have just entered the Christmas Season....daytime temperatures are in the mid 70's and today it was more like a pre summer day back in Oregon. Over the weekend the beaches were full and there were even some people swimming....but most were just sitting on the beach like we did yesterday.....
We just came back from visiting Amy at the hospital. She is doing much better today, but is on lot's of medication...yesterday was not such a good day. She was even able to get out and about a little and sit in the sun today. We arrived just as they were visiting with the baby...and they pulled up the curtain and we were able to watch when they put him back into the incubator....what a little tyke. Just like a little doll. Cute....and little. Like all new born he lost a little weight after birth, but has already gained some of that back....they figure that he will be in the hospital for at least 2 months....the time he was supposed to still be in the vomb. A week has almost past since he came into this world and it has been an unreal week. We are glad that we are able to be here and be of support to them.....

Pictures

Just a quick update from down here....Amy is slowly improving but is still not well. She is still in the hospital with Andraus by her side. The little guy is in NICU and is also hanging in there. He is real little...as he was born at 29 weeks, but he is holding his own and according to the nurses in there "a real fighter" His parents can come in and visit several times a day and Amy gets to hold him also to allow him to hear her heart beat and be close to her. We do appreciate everyone's continued prayers...and it is good to know that God is in charge.

California Update # 1

You now you are no longer in Oregon when the Christmas pointsettas are not bought in the store but grow outside your window. We were able to find last minute airmile tickets from PDX to LA ...a real miracle. We arrived late last night and were able to catch a late Thanksgiving dinner with Amy's family down from Fresno. They all came down and camped out at Andraus' and Amy's place....it was good to see our son, the new father. And while he headed back to the hospital we found our way to their friend's house where we will be staying while we are here in Ventura.

This morning we woke up to a warm sun shining....and peeking out the window we knew we were not in Oregon anymore...a lemon and and orange tree in the back yard....tall tree like pointsetta bushes out front and blooming jades all around the house. And it is fairly warm out there...by 10 we headed up to the hospital...and found Andraus and Amy ready to go in and visit with their little son. Amy had a rough night and although she is out if ICU, she is still not well and there are a number of things that are still not good...pray for complete healing for this dear girl.

After a while they were able to lift the curtain and we could peek in....because of restrictions we were not able to go in and see our little boy close up. But there he was....a tiny little tyke. Real little. He is expected to stay in the hospital for a couple of months. He came into this world at 29 weeks. Wow. But he is breathing on his own and seems to be a little fighter.

Because our Amy was not feeling well we decided to not stay around too long....so now we are hanging out at their place...doing laundry, cleaning house, watering plants and all those things that are not priority when you have an emergency. I don't think that any of us realize how serious this really was...and what a miracle and a praise to God it is that Amy is doing better....with still a fair way to go, and that little Jonathan is OK, although really tiny. God is good...but we do appreciate everyone's continued prayers for our dear ones. We rest in Him.

Thanks to the Internet and laptop computers we are still able to do a fair amount of work from down here. So we look forward to hearing from you....also, we hope to update our africa blog.... www.africaupdated.blogspot.com

Pat and Rakel

A New Grandson

Jonathan David Thurman, born Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Wow

What can we say? After this weekend....with Seth's video from Burundi, testimnonies from Central Asia, Indonesia and Uganda...and a powerful final song by Linda ....we are but mush....may God continue to get hold of our hearts...and set us on fire for Himself...for the World...for the lost...and for those who have so little...may we uphold justice in His name!!

Relief Weekend

Entertainment

This morning I find myself being entertained by Mr. Mish Mish von Fusduque....our bright orange cat....6 months old....racing through the house with the speed of light...from window to window in the hope of maybe catching one of those squirrles out in the back yard...or even one of the many little birds that have come down the mountain to lower ground to avoid the recent snow falls up there,......well, it is a hopefull living....and I don't think Mish Mish knows that it is only a hope...not really reality. Poor little kitty.

All in a Week

All these special events happened in just one weeks time....wow!!

First we commissioned Mitch and Lisa, Peter and Jen and Tammy.

Then Don and his kids came back from Africa

Then our friend George V came to town

Then we went to the airport to say goodbye to the Hibbs...

Anticipation

Fall comes with a variety of anticipations...all depending on where you are in life..... There is of course great anticipation when things start up after the summer....school, ministires.... "normalcy" and then of course the crisp mornings that in themselves bear witness of Fall...

Although I am a Beach-Palmtree-Sunshine-Summer fan....there is something about the Fall that does excite me....the leaves changing, the colors, the pumpkin patches... time to start the fire place....candles...friends, Bible Study, Growth Group etc...

In the Thurman Household there is also the anticipation of new life...as Andraus and Amy are awaiting the arrival of their little one in early February...we are so excited for them...and with them.

Most of all I guess there is the anticipation of what GOD is about to do in and through us. Yes, I know that there are many needs...and people hurting....but GOD is on the move...and we are invited to just rest at His feet....anticipating what He is about to do. Do you feel the excitement, the aniticipation?

Priorities

We learn from Scripture that the most important thing in the whole world is to LOVE the LORD our GOD with all our heart and with all our mind....and our neighbor as ourselves. I believe that we through a variety of ways have gotten this thing all twisted and most of us are approaching this totally BACKWARDS....we start with ourselves.....then we think of those around us...what they do, what they say, how it affects us, what they should say and not say, what they did wrong and the whole enchilada. That is how we determine life....me first...then how my neighbor (those around me....family, church, community etc) treat me....and then we continue our journey backwards....when all of this does not work out....we try to figure this out with our mind...and then if that does not work....we try to engage our heart....and last, if we ever get around to it....we acknowledge God. Have we ever gotten things wrong!!!! May the Holy Spirit change our hearts that we get it right!!! GOD - my heart - my mind - neighbor - myself.....and not the other way ariound.

Gearing up

It is that time of the year again....everything starts up. Isn't it funny that we have this start of new things in the fall...wouldn't it be better if it coincided with January? I guess not. Anyway...school is starting up, sports of all kinds are starting up....and you know it is serious when all you get on TV on any given weekend is Football!! I guess it is sofa time again...and soon we will have a fire in our fire place...I hope not yet. Not quite ready for summer to be over...because we worked through the summer except for that week in August at Diamond Lake. There are many good things about fall season though....Bible Study starts and that is very exciting....and then I get to schedule time with several young ladies to talk, pray and mentor....that is the fun part. So, fall....here we come!!

A few more summer memories

Summer is coming to an end. We are so thankful for a few wonderful days we had with our beloved kids in August. Here are some more hight lights:

He hasn't forgotten how to ski!! Andraus on the Columbia River

Posing with our boy at Crater Lake

At the end of a little hike by Clearwater Falls in Southern Oregon

Our beautiful kids....Andraus and Amy

At LAST- vacation pictures

We had a fabulous vacation in Southern Oregon. Camping at Diamond Lake, spending time with our kids...and seeing Crater Lake were some of the high lights....

A Summer Note

Today it is cool out there......overcast and just nice....never thought I would say that....that cool would be a nice thing. We are going camping today and we are excited .....we love being out in our sweet little camper, and play house far away from home....sleep, read, fish, go biking and just hang out.....we'll let you know more as we get back.

Happy Birthday Son!!

Today, 32 years ago...on a blistering hot afternoon in Cairo, Egypt, our son Andraus Samuel Thurman was born. Wow, time sure flies....this summer he has been married to his lovely bride Amy for over 3 years and in February they will Lord willing become parents!!

Happy Birthday Son....we Praise God for you!!

Before The Throne

Just spent an amazing evening in the presence of God, and brothers and sisters....worshipping, praying, and sharing communion. It really doesn't get any better than that. Wish all my friends could have been there....those of you who were...well, you know....it was good! Real good.

Returning to the Rasberry Bush

On a Sunday morning (we went to church last night) I once again took a walk out to the rasberry bush by the red shed in the back of my back yard. It was overcast this morning...and it actually rained last night. There are not that many berries left on the bush...but those that are there are red, plump and oh so sweet and juicy. They are good. But you know....to successfully pick rasberries...you have to really look for them...because most of the time they are not very obvious. It is almost as if they do not want to be picked...they are definitely not just sitting there, glowing and screaming "pick me, pick me"....no they are hiding...under, around, and most out of the time out of sight. So that is why you find me doing my morning gymnastics by the rasberry bush...bending, looking, checking...and believe me, I find them. And they are good.

So this morning again I was out there ...and it got me thinking. This is how life is... most of the time the good stuff, the nuggets are not just sitting there screaming out to us to be picked, to be discovered, no they are hidden. Like the nugget of a quite moment on my green sofa in the morning, just listening to the birds out there...or taking in some of God's Word...pondering, thinking, meditating...listening to a word of encouragement from a friend....whole heartedly joining worship at church...listening to a great sermon....of finding a good book...

So my questions at the rasberry bush this morning.....am I really looking for the nuggets God has for me every day? Am I bending, checking, and looking around for "God sightings"...because you know, He is there...all the time...and He is good.

Fixing our eyes...

Amazing how fast one can loose sight of what is important....it just takes a conversation or two with someone who is on a different track...and wham, there I go...so, I need to get back to what is the bottom line...keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus the Author and Finisher of my faith.....

....and why I am at it...remember to PRAY for friends serving in outreach on teams in other parts of the world right now. We went to the airport twice this week.

Rasberry Season

I love this time of year.....it is rasberry season...and every day I sneak out in the garden early in the morning, hopeing no-one will see me....yep, in pj, robe and slippers and hair on end....carefully avoiding the wet spots that the dew has left on my struggling back yard lawn....to find myself picking red, delicious berries from my thriving rasberry bush by the back shed...and even though I picked the bush "clean" the day before....the next morning there is always a new bunch of berries waiting for that special plate in the freezer where they with great tender and loving care get frozen...one by one. And then the following day all dumped into a zip lock bag. At the end of the berry season, there will (Lord willing) be several of those ziplock bags waiting to be enjoyed during cold winter days. Yummy. I love this time of the year.

A Whirlwind of Thoughts

I don't know about you, but the most intensive part of my life is not all the stuff I do, or are involved in...it is actually processing all the whirlwinds of thoughts that seem to be running around within. There are so many things to process...all the time. People, happenings, words, thoughts, opinions, words written, words unspoken, work to be done, thoughts I have, Scripture, special books, .....etc. etc.

Well, get me right, I don't see all of this as a bad thing, it is actually quite fun to be able to think of things, go through them and look at them from different angles and most of all pray through it all...some of my favorite times to do this is actually early, early in the morning, some time before I step out of bed, and some time as I sit down to spend time with the Lord.

My prayer in all of this...is that I will have the thoughts of the Lord...have a clear conscience, and a loving heart....and a godly attitude!!! Because attitudes are so important, as they speak louder than our words.

So, when my anxious thoughts...and the not so anxious thoughts, multiply within....there is nothing better than spending a little time listening to what the Lord, my Master has to say in His Word, and then also spend time just allowing my heart to listen....before the throne. Then there is peace. What a glorious thing!!

Did I make any sense? I hope so. Have a wonderful day. In His Presence.

A week later

It is funny how fast a week can go...and also how long it can seem. But realizing that we got back here just a week ago...well, there is an aweful lot of stuff that has happened since. The main thing was of course that we had Global Outreach Weekend....it went well and we had some awesome people show up and share....in words and in deeds....only God knows how this weekend will impact lives around us. We are thankful!! I did put in a lot of hours and now....I am looking forward to having some time off...in the garden, planting, weeding...and just hanging out in that beautiful back yard right here .....a good thing.

Always when we come back from a long trip I wrestle with the basic question that pops up ever so often in my life....who am I? Where do I belong? Where is home? Only after you have lived cross culturally can you indentify with that....technically this is not home...at the same time as Sweden is no longer home either....well, for all of you out there who are thinking that I have somehow lost it...do not worry...I know that this is home....because this is where God has us planted right now. And it is good. This is our little outpost where we sit and watch the happenings around the Globe...and keep an eye on our friends out and about....pray and stay focused on what God is doing....all in all...a good thing.

Home

Just a quick note to you all.....we are safely home again. Thanks for praying for us on this long trip. We look forward to sharing more about our trip and to show you pictures......

Sweden...the final part

No internet for a few days...but here we are again. Thanks for praying for our time with the Mission Council at my church in Lund. A great evening of fellowship and exchange of thoughts. Really good. For hours we shared about what God is doing where we live and work...and there were so many question. We truly felt loved by this group of people who have cared for us for over 35 years. Truly a blessing. One more full day here and we are off on Sunday to Copenhagen and Amsterdam and on Monday morning we travel back to Portland. Then it is time to switch langauge and time zone again...
This has truly been a journey of lot's of impressions....so much to process ....so much to think of and so much to tell you all...and in the end....home is starting to look good. To get out of the suitcase mode will be good...although it has been such a blessing to live simple and live in true community for soon over 4 weeks....
Take care...and thank you for praying!! Appreciate that....have needed that....have strongly felt it.

Pictures

Thought you might want to see some of our pictures from Sweden. The ones we took in Central Asia we will wait to show when we get home....but here is some Swedish fun for you!!

The hats we brought from Central Asia were popular.

Above is my niece Amanda and below my other niece Filippa.


Below....my mother. We took several long walks by the sea....

And here is the gang....from the left, youngest sister Ulrika, then sister Inga Maj, my Mom (sitting), sister Kerstin laughing, sister Annika and me.

Another sister picture...we are truly a bunch of middle aged overweight ladies....still enjoying being together, talking and just catching up on life. Yes, they ALL live in Sweden.

Sweden part 3

Thanks for praying for our time at our church...it went very well and we had a precious time of sharing, worship and fellowship with friends from years past. It was quite something to be able to sing your heart out in Swedish. Something I have missed....and not really known how much I have missed it. It was good. We met many folks we had not seen for many years....This is also the church where Pat and I were married 35 years ago and this was the fellowship that originally sent me out to the regions beyond close to 37 years ago. Very precious indeed. Yesterday we had a great time with one of my sisters who was visiting from the north country and my elderly Mother. We went to the beach and also visited one of the small towns in the area here.

Sweden part 2

After a few days in the old country...it still feels strange to be here. But it has been good to be with family. Yesterday we all got together and it was fun to spend time with my 4 sisters, their families and my 80 year old Mom. We had a grand day and the sun was out and it was warm. One of these days we will post some pictures also. We have a long weekend here both this weekend and next. We look forward to be able to share in my home church this weekend and then spend time with some dear friends next week. Thanks for you continued prayers for us on this long journey. Home is starting to look good....including getting our of suitcases...but for now, that is fine also. Now it is time for a cup of good strong Swedish Coffee....!!! Talk to you later.

Sweden part 1

I seems like a dream.....we arrived in Sweden late last night ....it was raining. But this morning as we are yapping away in the native toungue...drinking coffee...the sun in shining and it looks like a nice day out there....got the Internet going here at my sister's house...and we are all set...

Yesterday, as we spend another chunk of time at the airport in Istanbul I wrote another brief update....here we go:

Last Monday morning came early. We did not only have to get up real early to go the the airport…..this day also came way too fast. Already our precious time with our friends in Central Asia was over. It is really hard to describe these last two weeks….unbelievable experiences, and also many moments of just sitting talking with our friends, hearing their hearts…seeing their visions, their passions for the people they have come to serve. Our prayer was that we would get a little glimpse of that. And we did.

Not only was this a culturally overwhelming experience….it was also an incredible time of seeing folks who are dedicated to what God has put on their hearts….and they are sticking to it. They are definitely NOT hugging the beam, as our friend Alan talks about. No they are out there….brave people….determined people….wanting to serve…wanting to make a difference. And they are. We are so honored to have been able to spend time with them….so humbled by their lives and so thankful for the fellowship and the friendship…how often did we not talk about community these last two weeks….as we lived in tight quarters with both families…. Precious. To be in and out in each other’s lives like this….well, we will never forget this time and we are so thankful to all those who made it possible for us to travel.

Z. borrowed a car on Sunday night and took us to the airport Monday morning. It was hard to say goodbye to them. We hugged the little ones last night before they went to bed. As we had talked about before….we came, and became a little bit of a bridge for them between their world there and the world at home.

It was a rather hot day on Sunday and I believe the temperatures went up close to 30 C ….the sun was really scoring….and you could feel the heat building up in the house also. Summers are hot and winters are cold there in Central Asia. But everyone seem to be fine with that. There has been a lot of rain this spring and everything was very green. We were told that it was more green than normal….and we are thankful that we got to enjoy all that beauty. Because it was really beautiful…..

On Sunday we took it easy in the morning….talked a lot and did some packing. In the afternoon we went to church. Z and M attend a small house fellowship in town. We enjoyed a time of fellowship, worship and the Word together with a handful of believers. Evening went fast and it was amazing how fast morning came…..we are glad Z had a car for us although we did see taxis and the like even at that early hour in the morning. At the airport life was in full swing…and as lines are not a custom…we joined the crowd and took everything in stride.

We had no problem getting in and checking in….the potential nightmare began as we came to passport control. Apparently we did not have the right registration in our passports to be able to leave…. well, after some talking…although no one was really speaking English and we didn’t speak any of the local languages the passport lady found a young local girl who spoke good English and she was able to do a little translation for us…Well, through all of this we were kindly informed that we had to pay for this neglect, of not having the right stamp or whatever it was that they were looking for. Officially we had heard that there was a new law that said the you did not need this paper….well, at the airport, they had other ideas…We did eventually get our stamps in our passports which then made us eligible to leave the country. The sun was rising over the majestic mountain ranges beyond the city as we taxied out to the runway…it was a beautiful morning. Our prayers remain that this country will see the glory of the Lord in the lives of men and women living there….

The plane ride went well….and here we are in Istanbul again…and the first installment of this day’s travel is done. We have two more planes and a train to catch before getting to Sweden.

Saturday Update

Blog update Saturday, May 16, 2009

Can hardly believe that it is Saturday already. Our time here in Central Asia is coming to an end. It has been an unbelievable time…. so many wonderful experiences, so much has happened…we have seen so many beautiful things….and spend some deep time with our friends here.  There are also so many things we will never be able to put into words…and there are so many places where a picture seem to be an inappropriate this to take….like this morning’s visit to the market.

A buzzling place….. it seemed like everyone else had the same idea, to visit the market. There were people everywhere. This is the biggest bazaar/market in this city and what you cannot find there…well, it does not seem worth looking for. M and I visited the material section of the market…. and being here in Central Asia….oh the colors!!

This afternoon Pat and Z are off to the other end of town to meet with some student friends. When they get back we will have dinner with our other friends the R’s. They are still in town and will return to their place beyond the mountains tomorrow.

The V’s live on the ground floor in a very Russian style apartment building. They have an extra door out to a little patch in front you could call a garden. Z has planted some grass and …well, it is getting greener by the day. There is also a sand box out there for the girls…it just needs some sand. This is great place for this little family. They just moved in here about a month ago. It is also a place where they are on constant display…as their neighbors have to pass by their little garden patch to get out to the street.  There are tons of people living in the apartment buildings around here and our friends are truly in a place where they will be able to interact with neighbors and people around all the time. 

On Thursday we also went to the market and bought new cushions for the V’s living room. In this culture you sit on cushions around a very low table….a hard thing to get used to, but a great way to have fellowship. And if you don’t have a low table you just put the tablecloth on the floor….

Friday was also full day after all. In the morning the guys went to the men’s bazaar and checked about material to get a cot done for their little garden. They stayed out most of the morning and had a lot of fun in this bazaar where there are streets for just about every little thing you might want in regards to house building, auto and the like. M and I stayed home with the girls. At 9 in the morning, her language helper came and I ended up looking after both her little boy and Hannah.  Before lunch M and I and the girls went on a shopping round in the neighborhood. But before we went out we donned our “local costumes…” long dresses and head-scarves. M. really looks local, but the kids give her away. We found a small grocery store where we got eggs and cheese and the like. Then we went into a very nice air conditioned supermarket and got a few more things…. and then it was off to the local vegetable market. We were super loaded with the stroller full of not only two hot and tired little girls, but also tons of groceries. By this time it was getting hot out there and we were happy to be home. The afternoon we just hung out in the front garden, much to the amusement of the neighbors…. We told them that we were Z’s parents and they seemed to accept that.

In the evening Z got called out for an intensive neighborhood soccer game… it was truly a wild, rousing game and you could hear they guys blocks away. The neighborhood girls were jumping rope down the street and once in a while a few women scurried by. Later on Z even got his guitar out and Pat quickly became a favorite doing some of his animal sounds…Yes, it was a full day in the neighborhood here where our friends live. Quite amazing…we are so proud of our dear friends.

Thanks for remembering us while we have been on this journey. We are so glad we came….and can’t wait to come home and tell you our story. It has been fascinating. We  are so proud of our friends…we are so overwhelmed with all the people we have met….and the things we have seen and experienced. In many ways it has brought back memories from times past….there are so many similar things here…and yet so different. On Monday we travel to Sweden….and that will probably be where our next update will be from.

 

Thursday update from Central Asia

Thursday, May 14, 2009

We are now back in the big city. Today we have been out and about with Z and M in the market shopping. That was a lot of fun. We bought big cushions that will go on their floor. That is what most everyone sit on here….both for meals and social time and then at night that is what sleep on.  Anyway, we came over here to the V’s house earlier this morning. Enoch brought us and it was really hard to say goodbye to them after such great time together…..we will dearly miss them. They are in town for another day or two and then they head back to their little town tucked away in the middle of no-where. Where they live, one can honestly say that culture has been preserved and time had stood still.

There has been very little time to write for the last few days. And no place close to internet either. Therefore no updates.  But here we are again…..

So, we came here to the capitol on Monday and arrived here early in the evening. That meant we were on the road almost all of the day on Monday ….and after that we have been up in the mountains for a retreat with the two families the last two days..

Yes, it was a long (close to 8 hours this time) but extremely fascinating trek over those rugged mountain tops again….this time with a lot more traffic. We were stopped so many times for one reason or the other….the Chinese are building on the road over the mountains and they have all kinds of interesting things going on ….some that make no sense at all…but the traffic gets stopped…and cars ( most of them loaded to the hilt)  accumulate quickly on this very dusty and most of the time very narrow road…not in a nice one -lane fashion….no it is more like a crowd of people (this time cars) trying to find their way to the front. The question is what do you do when you have four lanes of traffic waiting to go in one direction and four lanes waiting to go from the other end….well, what you get is a real mess….but it was interesting to see how time after time patience was truly exercised  and everything kind of worked itself out after all. Amazing!!

At the second place where we got stopped a big Chinese truck came our way….and Pat, bless his heart, was out there directing traffic and because of his grey hair and impressive stature (he is a tall man in this country)….well, we found ourselves first up in line….kind a cool.

The views were once again amazing…. the sun was out and it was breathtakingly beautiful. The tunnel experience was cool…..again….the water puddles still there…the ice blocks still there and the potholes still there….full of water. But everyone behaved and we got through the tunnel fine. The kids even sang “there is a light at the end of the tunnel” to cheer us on.

Coming down from the pass was beautiful and Pat, sitting up front, took lot’s of pictures….yes, we do have lot’s of pictures….At the end of the trip E’s car was quite a sight…..It was dirty!! But the interesting part is that in town you don’t find any dirty cars, because you are not aloud to come back into town with a dirty car!!  Along the way before the city were all these little car washing stands…..we stopped and had our car washed, and soon  arrived in town and the apartment  E and J have in town….sort of like a guest house for them to stay when they come to town…and to host folks coming and going.  After a delightful evening together with the R’s and the V’s we slept well….and were up the next day getting ready for our little retreat outing. E took the V’s and us up to the mountains to the place where we were staying….and then he brought their family later.  It was like a small hotel high up a green valley with a creek running right through it. The air was fresh, the sky was clear….the housing beautiful….and the creek refreshing. The kids (and the adults) played and played and played all afternoon…the kids even swam in the cold swimming pool ( which had just been filled up that morning with mountain water). A delightful place to hang out and have grand fellowship.

Later on in the evening we had dinner by the creek…on a typical cot….sitting on mats with the food on the floor in front of us….it was awesome. Such beautiful families! Then the kids watched a movie in one of the bedrooms while we, the adults were in another room, just talking, sharing and praying. Hanging out was such a delight. And in the morning we once again had breakfast in our room….all of us….and then the kids played their hearts out….It is fun to watch E and Z…..they are such brothers…and really enjoy each other’s company…. The kids also enjoy being together and have lot’s of fun.

As we returned to the city we all joined up at the V’s for Indian dinner….a fun time sitting on mats, eating and just having fellowship. We sang a little bit together and then had a traditional group photo before we headed over to the R’s later on.

Tonight we have also enjoyed fellowship with several other friends of our friends and that was precious...it is now raining out there and lightening.....

We will be here at the V’s house until we leave on Monday morning. Time is going way too fast and we have so enjoyed and appreciated our time here with our precious friends. Thanks for remembering us.

A Sunday Update

Sunday May 10th…

Didn’t get to write yesterday…I think a little travel fatigue did set in. We also had a fair dose of traveler’s stomach. Well, we should know better…but there we went. We are still kind of jet-laging…slept all night, but up again at 5:30 AM…the birds were chirping pretty loudly outside the window. Sunday is the day off here so most everyone should still be in bed. Our bedroom window is facing the main street here in town and we can hear one or two cars go by even early in the morning. We heard the mosque call this morning and the Town Crier walking the streets with the latest news. Could be announcing someone’s wedding, funeral or something like that. Better that the morning paper I guess. This is a fairly good size village-town, and still it feels like time has stood still and the world is out there somewhere….

Yesterday was Victory Day. Everyone was off from work and school and it was a public holiday. This holiday is a left-over from when the Russians were here and it is to commenmorate the victory that the Russians had over the Germans in World War II. Anyay, it is a fair like day and everyone is out in their best…walking back and forth and up and down…the festivities started down by the small lake by the river….and there were hundreds and hundreds of people there…milling about waiting for the official program to start…complete with flags and all…the only bad part in it all was that it was raining…so we crammed in with everyone else under this huge roof where the program was happening. Quite fascinating with a sea of locals infront of us….and then it all started with the national anthem blurting out and everyone singing….that was mighty….a cultural experience cannot get any better than that. Wow….

We went down to the lake….took some pictures and were able to video some of the happenings back up on the stage….and the smoke billowing from the many barbeques everywhere….E. met a friend and ended up talking with him for the longest….the kids had fun running around and all in all it was a grand experience which we will treasure for a long time.

Walking back gave opportunities for conversations with several folks who of course thought it strange that foreigners should be out and about in the middle of all of this. Pat stood out as he is so much taller than everyone else here…. J. and I were covered in true local fashion…with our long dresses on under the coats and scarves on our heads. Walking back we also had to straddle tons of puddles that had built up and it was close fellowship with many coming and going...because who would want to walk in a puddle with your fancy shoes on??

We came home and had some hot tea and then rested for very much of the rest of the day…talked and talked ….and Pat wasn’t feeling very good. In the evening I went with the family up to the Old city where there are ruins who are over 1500 years old…amazing!! Up there on the hill you also have a great view of the town and the valley….and we stood there for a while talking and E prayed for the city. The kids had a blast running up and down the hills and in and out of the most fascinating part of the ruins…and it was beautiful. The sun was setting and the whole area was super green with purple and yellow flowers intermingled with red poopies…all with the mighty mountains surrounding us on all sides… a breath taking sight!

Yesterday was also the day when we were supposed to go over to the neighbor lady’s birthday party…well, we waited for a while….but no-one ever came to knock on the door with the official invite. So we thought….it won’t happen. Well, right around supper time….closer to 8, it did. So J. had to drop everything, put on a scarf and off she went. I could not go. That time of the evening it is just a matter of staying awake. Besides we were trying to figure out what to do with Pat and his bad tummy. We ended up calling a friend of the family for some medical advice….they live across the country in another town, in another valley. So this morning E. found the medicine we needed and now both Pat and I are taking tummy meds for our travel stomachs... :)..yes we have both been afflicted!!

The rest of the day today was a little different..we took it real easy in the morning and after a while another family that our friends work with came over and together we sang, read, and had fellowship. A really neat time. After lunch a few other friends came over and we celebrated Lydia's birthday a few weeks early since some of these friends are leaving the area soon to go back home to where they come from. A fun afternoon of fellowship and true community..... enjoyable time...and a super prayer time.

We are so thankful to be here with these precious friends. Tomorrow we trek back over the mountains back to the capitol and then for two days we will retreat with our friends and some other friends to the mountains for some special time together. So, if you don't hear from us for a while....that is where we will be. By Thursday we should be back on line again for sure. Thanks for remembering us!!! We deeply appreciate that.

Central Asia Adventures

What a beautiful place!!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Jet-lag has taken it’s toll. We were awake at 4 something this morning when the local mosque sounded their call to prayer. Yes here we are …..in a small town in what feels in the middle of nowhere…. where our friends E and J live with their four beautiful children.. It seems like all of Thursday was like an big “out-of body experience”…getting to see people we have not seen for a long time and experience places we never dreamt existed. This is a truly a very beautiful place…. extremely mountainous and therefore also very difficult to get from one place to the other…..

Anyway, let’s back up….we left Istanbul at 8 something on Wednesday evening, and arrived at the tiny little airport in the capitol city here around 3 in the morning….after customs forms and passport control, we found our suitcases…went through another x-ray for the luggage….and there were our buddied Z and E. It was so much fun to see them. We could hardly believe that it was real…..we are here…in Central Asia…We first went over to the V’s place and after coffee, snacks and some breakfast, the girls woke up. It was fun to watch them unpack some of the goodies we had brought. We had a short but lovely time of fellowship while E. did some errands in town. When he got back we packed ourselves and our luggage into his car…. together with another friend of his and off we went for the long trek over the mountains to the town where they live.

As we started into the mountains, it was beautiful…and it got more and more beautiful….and we went higher and higher….the road was pretty decent …but after the Presidents mountain villa, the road got smaller….windier and after a while longer, there was no longer any pavement….and it was really rough. There were Chinese road-workers everywhere… contracted by the Government to improve the roads here. They are also constructing tunnels here and there…to make it possible for these mountain roads to stay open during the winter and avalanche season. Because avalanches are the biggest threat in this mountain country…and we saw signs of them EVERYWHERE.

As as we got up closer to the pass…there was this 6,5 kilomer long tunnel…..and driving through that was an experience in itself. Imagine being in a dark basement….full of potholes, water puddles and ice-mountains for six and a half kilometers, well, that was the tunnel. After the tunnel and for the next 2-3 hours the road was very rough….it was super bumpy. In one village we encountered tons of trucks…a sign that the other pass going north was closed….and there is no tunnel going north…

Well, after hundreds of pictures out the car window (will try to upload some later)….and almost six hours of endless driving we finally arrived in the town where our friends live. Right now they live in an apartment right in the middle of town ..on the fourth floor…in a typical Russian built apartment building where everything and nothing works….they have a 4 room apartment that serves them well at this time. It was raining when we arrived and it is still raining. Even heard some thunder in a distance. This is home to our friends. This morning the boys went to school all dressed up in their nice black suits, white shirts and ties.

After that we got ourselves ready and went to attend a delightful piano recital by Miss Lydia at some friends house… then we stopped at the market and I got myself a local dress. J and I got to attend a really cool wedding party for women this afternoon…. all dressed up like the women around there. We sat on mats, eating and eating and eating….and watching in amazement the bride along with the other women in the extended family who had been brides that year….all dressed up in their bridal customs.
An amazing first two days here in the heart of Central Asia….so good to be with our friends…and walk life with them right where they are. Tomorrow we get to go to the neighbors here in the house….they are having a Birthday party. More sitting, more food…more people. This is sure GREAT!! And if the rains stop we will join all the locals for the Victory Day celebrations at a local park tomorrow morning...

We are 12 hours ahead of everyone back home!!

A Turkish Stop over

Wednesday, May 6th

After a delicious breakfast here in the heart of Istanbul....I will try to update you all on the first part of our journey east....but let's take it from the beginning.....

Monday morning.....Getting up was no problem. I am not sure if it was excitement or the pizza the night before that got us up around 3 in the morning. So, by 9:30 AM we were more than ready when Jonathan drove up and collected us and our luggage. We said goodbye to some of our house-guests who were still there…and off we went.

Check in was a breeze…both suitcases were under the allotted weight….at least for this leg of the journey. As we prayed before security we were joined but another friend who had just arrived and when at the gate we saw another friend for a quick chat. The ride over to Europe was long, very long…and in spite of trying real hard, sleep did not come easy. So, with just a few cat naps here and there…..we arrived in Amsterdam….

And by this time it was already another day. Found our new gate and soon we were on another shorter flight down to Istanbul. At this point sleep was no problem….the only mishap was that a lady with really strong perfume or something which threw my hubbie into a coughing spasm….not a good idea considering what we were to encounter upon arrival in Istanbul. Well, it started before landing…..”please fill out a health-card”…. everyone had to declare their health status before entering Turkey. We had visions of interrogations about little coughs etc….but not to worry. Right outside the door as we embarked the aircraft, there was a health officer just calmly collecting all the health-forms. I wonder if anyone willingly would tell anyone if they were sick? Most folks working at the airport were wearing masks…. taking the risk of flu very seriously. We never saw a hint of any of that in Europe. I wonder why one place was super cautious…. and in the other one life was going on as usual?? Interesting.

After lining up to get a visa….yes, you need a visa if only for a night here in this lovely country….well, we kind of knew we were back in the East…and it was kind of fun to be there in the middle of an immense sea of people from all corners of the globe…most of them ignoring the whole queuing idea. Facinating.

Hubbie got his visa….and myself, well, no visa needed…remember, I still have my European passport….which is good here also. So, it was on to the next line….no on to joining the next throng of people….waiting to enter the passport area….to do this you had to pass by the health inspector….and in front of an infra red camera. Not really sure how they can determine who is sick and who is not….but they took a few folks aside here and there….all because they wanted to be careful not to allowing any flu stuff into their country. The best affect of all of that was that a lot of folks became more aware…. because in the next line….a massive 8 lane line….it was easy to spot those who found the whole experience un-nerving…they had their mouths covered with some piece of their clothing….a good idea considering that at this point we had really close fellowship with quite a number of people from all parts of the world. This was the line for “other nationalities” to get their passports stamped. Well,…after a long while we did get our passports stamped and then it was time to go and find the luggage….which we did. Customs was a breeze. We never did find our hotel shuttle, but found a nice taxi driver who took us to our hotel…. the WOW hotel, not far from the airport…where we then desperately tried to make heads and tails out of what was night and what was day….but it sure was nice to be able to have a warm shower….a nice sit down supper and sleep in a bed…. and slept we did....almost 12 hours....in a little bit we are off to the airport again for the third and last leg of our journey east....

Monday - On our way

Thanks to free wireless at the aiport...we will just write a short note. We are all checked in....and having something to eat....and at Noon we will fly. No time to write in Amsterdam as our stop-over there is too short. Maybe you will hear from us in Istanbul...who knows. We are so thankful to everyone who is praying for us on this trip. Take care.

More Packing

The suitcases are packed....and thankfully they are within limit or just about....and we just got our over night hotel booked that we need half way. We are getting ready....thanks for praying for us. Hopefully we will be able to update you as we go along....

Packing

It is really raining out there....Pat is washing the car....with lot's of help from the mighty showers from above. I was just thinking that the rain and all kind felt a little bit like a Swedish rain storm in the summer....except we were missing the thunder....and can you believe it....there it was!!

We just came back from a beautiful wedding out at church. Our friend Loren married his beloved Virginia. The fun part is that his family from Alaska has stayed with us for almost a week. Mom and Dad, GrandMa, sisters, brother in laws and a baby. To pack in the middle of all of that seemed a little crazy....so we are planning packing big time tomorrow.....!! And then off we go. We will keep you posted. We hope to get a little bit of a newsletter out before we leave.

Getting Ready

Well, we have pretty much decided that this is the place where we will update you all on our trip...that is...when we have access to the internet and such. So, to make it a little bit ready for travel, we have temporarily disbanded a few features on this blog. Remember, it has to be readable for ALL people...so if you will bear with me....we are cleaning off a number of things to the right...just for the time being....

Otherwise, our house is in the packing mode....which means that the dining room table is getting full of stuff that eventually will be going into suitcases....and speaking of suitcases, we got some brand new luggage yesterday. The old cases had served.....and served well. To the point of coming apart...well, that happens if you put a number of long overseas trips together....so hopefully these new babies will serve us well as the old ones did....

Travel Plans

Lord willing, we will soon be "on the road" again....well, not really the road, but take to the skies. We are going on another visit to some of our people. This time we will visit with folks who are not only connected to us and our body here....but are really GREAT FRIENDS....Enoch and his family and Zack and his little family in Central Asia!! We are so looking forward to this....to spend time with some of our favorite people....what can be better.

Have a Blessed Easter!!