Humbled

(Igor, Constantsa, Colleen & Eli)

Yesterday, we talked to the boys about money management and the importance of saving money for the future. The topic was much more complicated than we'd originally anticipated. We had no prior knowledge of their financial situations or how they receive income. We quickly found out that this was not going to be an easy topic. The boys are given money every 3 days for all of them to share for food and transportation. When we began talking about saving for the future, they were confused because that is not a concept they are familiar with. Since they grew up in different orphanages, they are used to living day to day and the future isn't really something they think about. When we talked about money in the context of having a family one day, they began to worry since none of them have jobs (except Eli will translate occasionally & Alex will occasionally get paid for teaching guitar & playing at camps). It's harder to find a job here in Moldova, even though it's hard in the U.S. as well. When Eli told us that, we instantly felt guilty because our intention wasn't to make them worry, but to explain the importance of saving.

When we talked about setting a little money aside, they explained that they like to help those in need whenever possible. They said that the money is God's and that's what He would want them to do because the Bible tells us to give to those in need. The hard part is that they don't see themselves as being in need. Hearing their strong desire to help others when they have so little, really made us feel ashamed. We have so much and yet we can be so stingy when it comes to helping others. This week we have witnessed their amazing faith in God's provisions and their trust that He will provide. We have also been the recipients of their generosity. It's been a very humbling experience, knowing that they really don't have the money to spend on us, yet they see us as valuable enough to do so.

Every time we get together with them, we are thanked numerous times. They also pray at the end of every lesson and thank God for us being there. We have become so close to them that it's going to be even harder to leave Moldova. We dread that day and I already know tears will fall.
(Mono poquito napkin?)

(Igor, Sara & Eli)

We appreciate all of your prayers as we are across the world, but know we are in good hands, God's hands. He has taken care of us and we aren't worried about our safety or the strange foods we eat and buses we ride. God has blessed us with knowing them and our faith has been challenged through their selfless love. Also, chivalry isn't dead...at least not in Moldova.

As you pray for us on this trip, I (Sara) would also appreciate your prayers as I prayerfully consider an extended stay here in Moldova in the near future. The need here is great. As you pray for us, please pray for the boys, Elijah, Igor, Alex, Eduard & Dima. They have such great hearts and they all desperately want to come to the states. Pray for God's plan for their lives and that their faith would continue to grow.

(Eduard, Eli, Dima & Alex)

Ajutor!! Ajutor!! Ajutor!!

In case you are wondering what Adjutor means, it is Romanian for HELP! This has been our most commonly used phrase of the week, and it is only Tuesday! No, we are not in any real danger, we mainly use it when we have communication issues with the boys. The most common use of the word is "Eli Ajutor Ajutor!". He is our translator for the week and has a minor case of ADHD. The other boys have joined in using this phrase and also call for HELP when they don't understand us.I must say that over all, the guys are doing a great job and picking up on English very quickly. As Alex would say "I am making progressing"!

We have also taught them that yawns are contagious, the proper use of the word duh, and difference between a flower and grass. Aren't we fabulous teachers.

In all seriousness they are doing very well and Sara and I feel very lucky to be teaching them. I said yesterday that I feel like I have taught them more in 3 days then I taught my class all last year.Today we are going to talk about money management and it should be quite interesting. It is difficult for them to understand the concept of saving. They have always had to live in the moment and when they get money it burns a whole in their pockets. They are also incredibly generous and love to share what Jesus has given them. It has been a very humbling experience to see their faith in God and their desire to share what they know is not truly theirs. Many times this week we have been the recipients of their generosity and feel a little guilty because we know they do not have much. But they love to give!

These guys are so appreciative of what we are doing here. We are constantly being thanked for helping them and we can see that they truly want to learn. It is different from any other student I have known, they do not take learning for granted and understand how important it is and how much it will benefit them in the future.

We already know that it is going to be very difficult to leave since they are not just our students, but also amazing friends. We hope to continue teaching them when we get home through the use of Skype. Their goal is to be able to speak English well in one year, and we will do everything we can to make that happen!

We thought that this week would be somewhat relaxing and that we would have plenty of down time, but, as things tend to go, we have been spending 8 + hours working with the boys. (which is why we haven't been blogging, as promised) We will try to write more often, though it may be brief.

And now, as we close this wonderful blog, we will leave you with a new Romanian phrase we have learned, as well as a picture of Eli, Colleen, me & Alex with the beautiful (frumoasa) flowers (not grass) they bought us.

Am nevoie de un calmant. (I need a painkiller.)


We love you all,
Colleen & Sara

Cake In Heaven

The past few days have been quite a blur. We've been quite busy going to Olga & Dorel's church on Sunday and then going to camp the past few days. Camp has been fun and we've seen quite a few kids we first met on our Christmas trip. Since we're brain-dead due to lack of sleep, we're going to just post some pictures from the trip. Enjoy! We'll write in more detail next week when things aren't so crazy.



Two of the itty-bitties helping each other up the stairs.


Maria was ready for the flood.



Dima, me, Alex, Colleen, Eduard & Eli at the Chisinau sign.

Andrian & his brother, Eugen.




Sara & her buddy, Nina.


Andrian, Colleen's buddy.


Ghena, one of the boys at the camp & Colleen's other buddy.


Eli & Dima. Dima took his red balloon and let air out behind everyone, to simulate a certain gassy noise.


Melissa, Sara & Alex being goofy in the van.

We made it to Moldova

After over a day of traveling, we are exhausted. We managed to make every connecting flight and navigated the airports with little trouble. Our 17 year old counterpart, Jennifer Olga (originally from Moldova), whose traveling safety was entrusted to us, managed to only get separated from us once, for a brief time. Thankfully it was in Munich and the airport wasn't as big as we'd expected. She made it here with minimal damage to her psyche. Our luggage arrived with us and we were greeted by several of our Moldovan friends. (Eli, Eduard & Boris)
We made sure to give Boris our "tickets", which are a running joke from last year when he used the "gun show" joke on us. Colleen made some awesome tickets that were bright pink and sparkly. Needless to say, Boris loved it!
Boris drove us to Victor & Valentina's house (and throughout our drive we had a mini Romanian lesson). Colleen and I cleaned up with showers and took a little bit of a nap (though now we're trying to wake up so we are able to sleep through the night).
Thank you for your prayers for our flights. We are here and in good spirits. We will post more once we're more coherent and rested. The Texas team arrives tonight around 6 pm. Currently, it is 4:17 am, if that gives you any idea of our time frame. We are 8 hours ahead of you, so if you have questions about tomorrow, let us know. :)
We love you all and hope you are doing well!

Mission Trip to Moldova

To all my faithful readers (all 5-6 of you), I will be leaving on a mission trip to Moldova tomorrow for 3 weeks. My friend, Colleen, will also be on this 3 week journey with me. We will be documenting our journey and adventures here, on my blog. We figured it would be easier to tell our friends and family one place they can go to keep up with us and what's going on with us, instead of having to go through several different social networks to keep people updated. We can't guarantee that we'll post daily (though we will try), since internet access isn't always easily attainable, but we will blog as often as we can. The first two weeks we will be in Chisinau and should have access to internet. I'm not sure if the team house in Balti (week 3) has internet access, but we'll find out. So, if you don't hear from us the last week, we probably don't have internet access. Either way, we hope to keep you informed about our travels and activities as much as possible. We appreciate your prayers and support as we leave and we can't wait to return and tell you all about our trip!

Schoolday Memories from 1938

Before you jump to conclusions and think I'm really THAT old and that I've found the fountain of youth, the title of this particular blog refers to memories from before my time. I'm going to share some "schoolday memories" from my Grandma (Wilma) Rich's class autograph book.  In 1938 they had some pretty catchy "yearbook" phrases.  Here are some of my favorites...

Dear Girl Friend,

When you get married and have twins, come over to my house for safety pins.

Yours till the boardwalks,

~Edna Broom

Dear Wilma,

Love many

Trust few

But always

Paddle your

Own canoe

~Mother

Dear Wilma,

When the words that I write here are dim on the page, and the leaves of your album are yellow with age, Remember me kindly and don't forget that wherever we are, I'll remember you yet.

~Joyce 

Dear Wilma,

Remember the school days when you and I were young. We used to sit together and chew each others "GUM." 

Your friend,

~Emma Pauline Cobb

Dearest Wilma,

May your life be like arithmetic,

Your friends added,

Your foes subtracted,

Your joy multiplied,

And your sorrows divided.

Your true friend,

~Margie Munroe

Dear Wilma,

May your life ever-float down the river of time, like a bob-tailed chicken on a sweet-potato vine.

Yours truly,

~Jimmy McConnell

Dear Wilma,

Remember me early

Remember me late

Remember the girl

That stole your date

Your friend,

~Norma Stephens

Dear Wilma,

When you get married, and your old man gets cross; pick up a rolling pin and show him who's boss.

Your friend,

~Lewis Kirkpatrick

Dear Wilma,

A boy's love is much like snuff

Just a little and that's enough

A girl's love is more like gold

Hard to get and hard to hold

Your pal,

~Lenna Malcom

Dear Wilma,

If you get old and ugly

As people sometimes do

Remember that you have a friend

Who's old and ugly too.

Your friend,

~Betty G.

Hope you enjoyed reminiscing of the old days as much as I did!  Feel free to share any that your grandparents/parents might've written in their class autograph books.

Guys, Girls & Communication

Roughly a week ago, a group of friends got together and while we were hanging out, the topic of communication differences between men and women was brought up. I feel the need to elaborate on it since, as of late, I am becoming ever more aware of how different our definitions of "communication" really are. Of course, I will be sharing a female perspective of communication, so, if anyone on the male side would like to contribute some thoughts, you are welcome to do so. I also would like to touch on some common misconceptions that men may have about women.

First, let’s start with communication. Communication, according to dictionary.com is: “the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.” With today’s technology, we can add voicemail, text message, or facebook to the levels of communication. Now, guys, I want to let you in on the key to making a relationship work. Are you ready for this? You might need to take notes, because you’ll want to remember this in the future. The key to a successful and happy relationship is COMMUNICATION.

Yep. It’s really that simple, but the different definitions of communication play an important role. Both men and women need to know the other’s perspective in order to know how to accurately and effectively communicate to one another.

Somehow, some men think that good communication is contacting a woman once a week or maybe once every two weeks. I want to let you in on a secret…if you contact a woman you are interested in once a week or once every two weeks, she more than likely will be dating someone who is showing a little more interest (through a lot more communication) or she won’t think you’re all that interested. If you’re interested in a woman, step up and take a risk. Now, I know what I’m about to say may be frightening to those of you with commitment issues, but bear with me. In a marriage relationship (yes, I said marriage), it is the man’s role to be the spiritual LEADER. If you are going to be the leader of your family one day, you should start showing that you have what it takes to be a leader. (this means that you step up and pursue a woman you are interested in because she deserves to be pursued) You show her that you are capable of leading through the way you pursue. If you play “the game” of waiting however many days to call her after your date because you’re afraid you’ll seem desperate, then all I have to say is…grow up. You shouldn't be surprised that I brought marriage into all of this because, isn't the purpose of dating to find out if the person you are in a relationship with is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with?

When you get to be in your mid-20s & early 30s, you get to a point where you’re too old to play games. The whole “rules” that whoever came up with for when to call after a date, etc. are juvenile. You just need to be honest. If you’re interested, say so. If you’re not, say so. I want to be clear that I’m not suggesting that you bluntly speak your mind, because there’s a difference between being honest and being blunt. Be honest and politely explain yourself.

So, are you still with me? I think I hear crickets... Well, if you weren’t run off by my reference to marriage, then I think there’s hope for you yet. So, back to communication… I want to clarify that my opinion about communication is just that, my opinion. I can’t speak for all women and say that everyone wants to be communicated to in the same way, but I am sharing my personal thoughts and opinions.

Personally, I consider good communication in a relationship to involve honesty, plenty of discussions, and understanding (and with understanding, include grace). When I’m in a relationship, I don’t need to talk to the guy all the time or know where he is or what he’s doing all the time either. If he chooses to give me that information, that’s perfectly fine. The biggest thing for me is honesty. If the guy I’m in a relationship is dealing with something and it affects our relationship, I would want him to be honest with me and tell me about it. If, out of the blue, he was struck with the fear of commitment, I would hope he would share that with me and not just abandon me and run for the hills. Eventually, that fear will come right back and he’d be in the same situation all over again.

Here’s a common misconception that many people have about relationships. They think that before they can get in a relationship, they have to be at a certain point or they have to have everything under control. **News flash** You won’t EVER have control of everything and you’ll never be perfect, so just forget that thought now. You need to be able to work through those things with the other person. That’s what brings you closer together and makes you stronger.

I know that honesty isn’t as easy as it seems and I don’t want you to think I’m likening every situation to my conclusions. I’m just sharing from my own experiences.

Another note to add to communication, if a man is in a relationship and needs some space or needs time to figure some things out, he just needs to communicate that to the woman. Don’t just disappear and be unreachable for days or even weeks. Women tend to jump to conclusions and think they’ve done something wrong or that something bad has happened, etc. We really put ourselves through an emotional rollercoaster when you disappear like that. Just simply say that you’re trying to figure some things out and need a little space and you’ll call in a few days. (or however long, but give a time frame) If you don’t think you can explain that over the phone, send a text message or email, but don’t just drop off the radar without at least taking into consideration her feelings and what she might think. If you say that you need space, we’re happy to give it to you. We understand that there are times you’re going to need to figure things out and so will we...just communicate that. K?

Also… SOON is not an adequate definition of time. If a guy tells a girl he’ll call her “soon”, to her that means in a day or two, but to him that may mean next week. Be more specific. Instead of “soon”, say, “I’ll call you later this week” or “I’ll call you on Wednesday” or whatever…but “soon” doesn’t convey that you’re interested. “I’ll be in touch” is another vague statement used all too frequently. It almost makes it sound like you’re so busy that you can’t possibly take 2 minutes out of your busy schedule to make a phone call. If you’re interested, take initiative. Make a plan. Plan ahead.

As I mentioned earlier, in a relationship, I think that understanding and grace are important. As different as men and women are in our thought processes, we’re bound to fail and misunderstand each other, creating frustration. This is where grace and mercy come in. We are all sinful creatures who aren’t perfect. We’re going to mess up and when we do, we have to offer mercy and grace to one another.

Women really aren’t as complicated as men think we are. We just need communication. Now that this is reaching the novel stage (and your hand is probably cramping from all the notes you've taken), I am going to bring this to a close. If you have anything to contribute or have any questions, feel free to add them in the comment section. Guys, I hope this helps you understand women a little bit better. I plan on writing more blogs in the future that will help you in your relationships or your search for the woman God has for you.

Now, give communication a try!

Random Info.

So, since I'm a pretty random person (if you haven't already noticed), I figured I'd post a few random facts/thoughts about me. Enjoy!

-My favorite color is green...it also just happens to be the color of my eyes.

-I hate when people smack their gum or their food. Bleh.

-It bothers me when people can't spell simple words or use the incorrect word in a sentence. Ex: We was eating lunch. (instead of using "were") It just sounds so uneducated. Or when people use "there" instead of "their". I mean, one refers to a location while the other is a possessive form...come on people!

-One day I want a cabin in the woods with a porch and a porch swing and rocking chairs. I would sit outside all the time. There's nothing like sitting on a swing/rocking chair a cool morning (in the fall), reading my Bible and drinking a cup of coffee. Oh, and don't forget a blanket...I'm cold natured. (I guess that should be another random point.)

-I'm cold natured. I get cold after I eat. I don't mean just a little cold. You can ask anyone that knows me well, but I have to have a jacket or blanket nearby after I eat because I get that cold. What can I say? I have an extremely well functioning digestive system.

-I really don't enjoy running (unless I'm angry/frustrated and need to let off some steam), but I force myself to do it in the name of health and exercise. Walking with a quickness isn't too bad when I walk with a friend and we can carry on a conversation. (preferrably without panting, but then, that's not really walking with a quickness...that's more of a stroll)

-I love peaches...especially the ones that when you bite into them, juice runs down your chin.

-I love baking. Cooking is fine too, but for some reason I enjoy baking various sweets. I think it goes back to when my dad's mom lived with us and she would make homemade chocolate chip cookies. These were the best chocolate chip cookies I'd ever had. I couldn't figure out what made them stay so soft. (probably love and a little self-rising flour) She would bake sweets for us all the time (and it's amazing that I don't weigh 200 pounds because of it) and she loved to see us devour them and go back for seconds. I think I got my love of baking from her. I don't eat everything that I bake (if I did...I'd probably weigh 200 pounds), but I enjoy passing it out to family or friends. Somehow baking is theraputic...don't ask me why.

-I enjoy the outdoors...hiking, fishing, camping, etc. I wish I could go camping more often, but I don't really have any friends that are huge campers. Most of them would probably rather "camp" with a cabin. (which really isn't camping) I'm big into hiking and I love all the different places there are in Colorado to hike. My best friend, Danielle, lives in Rifle, CO and we go hiking every time I come to visit. (which I wish was more than just 1 time a year)

-I would love to go to Yosemite. It's a photographer's paradise there. I've only seen it in Ansel Adams' pictures and I would love to have an opportunity to go and attempt to capture it's beauty myself.

-I despise broccoli with every fiber in my being. I include with that strong disgust, cauliflour, which is just broccoli's albino cousin. It's just as gross, but white, crunchy and tasteless. Slathering broccoli in cheese doesn't mask it's disgusting flavor. I'm shivering just thinking about that awful taste. The only way I can eat broccoli is grilled on a hibachi grill with all the sauces and drowned in that peachy colored sauce they give you...but I don't do that very often.

-Gerber daisies are one of my favorite flowers. They come in so many beautiful colors and they can just brighten up a room!

-I don't like spiders...or centipedes...ok, or anything with a ton of legs that can run fast. Mice creep me out too. (especially since my office at work was infested by them and they found my stash of oatmeal, tea, and granola bars and annihilated it, leaving traces of themselves behind...)

-I think Lambert's is the coolest restaurant idea. Their slogan is pretty catchy..."Home of the Throwed Rolls". If you've never been, I highly recommend it. You can catch as many hot, doughy rolls as you'd like. They carry sides around in big pots and serve them to you while you wait for your meal. The fried okra was ah-mazing! I didn't try any of the others. They just didn't sound so tasty to me. (macaroni and tomatoes...really?) If you go for dinner, don't eat the whole day because they have ginormous portions. There was a rumor going around that they don't allow you to take food home, but when I went, we were able to...so either go hungry, or save some for lunch the next day.

Ok...so that's all the random facts/thoughts I'll share for today. Hope you enjoyed!

First Colorado visit of the summer

As promised, here are some pictures from my first Colorado visit of the summer.  

This is the view of Glenwood from Lookout Mountain.  The Hotel Colorado is the building to the far right with the light redish roof. (with the 2 towers on it) The ghost stories from the hotel are pretty crazy! I got a tour of the hotel 2 years ago.

If you look closely, you can see the thin line, which is the trail around Lookout Mountain. 

After a long morning of hiking, we were pretty hungry. So, what better way to cure hunger than a trip to Beau Jo's. Beau Jo's is probably the best pizza I have EVER put in my mouth.  Part of what makes it so special (and delicious) is the big, fluffy crust and the local honey they give you to put on top of it. It may sound strange to put honey on pizza crust, but trust me, it's divine!

Mount Sopris...beautiful, majestic, and still covered in snow.  I've been to Colorado three times and the view never gets old.  My jaw still drops at the beauty there.

This was taken at Danielle's first bridal shower. (from the left: me, Danielle, & Kelly)  Kelly and I decided to let Danielle be the tallest for once. :)

Opening all those wedding gifts can sure be exciting. It can also exhaust the usual facial expressions.  Here, Danielle decided to make her own, unique expression. (which Kelly likes to affectionately call "the bunny face".)  :)

No bridal shower is complete without a Pioneer Woman Cookbook.  I love her book & recipes so much, I figured I'd pass it along.  I LOVE the step-by-step pictures of the cooking process for each recipe.

On our quest to find the perfect shoes to go with mine & Kelly's bridesmaid dresses, our goofy sides came out. Danielle is rocking the purple gothic-style heels, while I'm sportin' black, white & pink pumps.  Holla!

Fishing anyone? Usually fishing involves catching FISH. On this occasion, I managed to catch everything but fish.  Amazingly enough, this picture makes it look like I caught a fish (though, in actuality, it's a big clump of moss).  If you can't tell by my facial expression, this isn't quite what I wanted to catch. (but thankfully the nightcrawler on my hook was still there, underneath the mossy goo)

This is the view from the road near Danielle's parents' house. It's ok to admit that you're jealous. I know I am. 

This is the view from the interstate on our way to Grand Junction.

The view of Mount Garfield from Danielle's aunt & uncle's house.   I didn't get to climb Mt. Garfield this visit, but maybe next year (if the snakes aren't out in full-force) I'll be able to experience that adventure.

Ok. I know I'm corny...but I just had to get a picture with a Palisade peach.  That thing was HUGE!   In the picture it looks almost as big as my head!

Me & Danielle at the airport before I headed home.  The next time I return (July), she will be getting married!!! I'm so excited for her and Kevin! They are too cute.

If you can't tell from the pictures, I had a busy, but fun trip.  I always hate to leave Colorado. It's so beautiful, it has great hiking, giant, yummy peaches, no humidity, and my best friend just happens to live there. :)  This year, I have the privilege of visiting my "second home" twice. I can't wait for trip #2!

Peach Jubilees

I have now been on 4 planes this summer (to Grand Junction, Colorado & back) and have 10 to go. I had a wonderful visit with my best friend, Danielle and I cannot wait to go back in about 7 weeks!  I will post some pictures from the trip in my next post, but first I must share a delicious new treat that now ranks at the top of my favorites.

Let me introduce you to....Peach Jubilees!

If you're as crazy about peaches as I am, then you'll love this recipe!  It's super easy too! All you need is vanilla ice cream, milk, cinnamon and fresh, delicious, juicy peaches. (In case you didn't know, Palisade peaches (from Colorado...near Grand Junction) are the BEST peaches! They are ginormous!)  

Start by peeling & slicing peaches.  I actually used about 4 peaches to make 2 jubilees.

Then, pull out your handy, dandy blender to do all the work for you! (if you haven't noticed, my blender is quite old...thanks to Oster for their multi-purpose mixer, blender, meat grinder & food processor!)

Put several scoops of vanilla ice cream in the blender. (it's totally up to you how much you put in)

Add milk (again, it's up to you...it all depends on how runny or thick you want your jubilees to be!) and start up your blender! Let it mix the ice cream & milk for a couple seconds and then stop it.  Add your skinless peach slices to the blender and blend it together until incorporated. (a couple more seconds).  Pour the mixture into glasses and then drizzle any remaining peach juice on top and sprinkle with cinnamon. (it's the secret, but not-so-secret ingredient that makes peach jubilees so ah-mazing)

And...enjoy the delicious magnificent delightfulness that is Peach Jubilees!