Blessed to build relationships

This morning I was sad because I felt sick and had to stay back at the hotel. I missed seeing g the gardens and the boat tour of the city, but by staying back I was able to rest and now feel a little better. In some ways it was a blessing to stay back.

This afternoon, after I woke up and was feeling better I got to go out with one of our translator's to get some food. The two of us walked to a crepe or and sat in a little park eating and talking. She asked me how I got involved with coming to Russia and I was able to share my story about how God brought me here. It was such a relaxing g afternoon as we talked and got to know one another a little better. She shared with me how she got involved translating, and her desire to go back to school to work with children with disabilities. We talked about orphanages and the children who are often in need of adoption are those with special needs. Tanja use to work as a disciples in one of the orphanages until it closed. I enjoyed my time with Tanja and feel like God took a yucky day and made it into something more beautiful.

I am blessed to be here. God has me in Russia for some reason and I know He is revealing that to me each day. May He continue to open my eyes to see glimpses of His beauty around me, and build relationships with all His children.

Russia I have arrived

I'm amazed that I have finally arrived in Russia.St. Petersburg is beautiful and amazing. I'm always amazed at the fact that God's world is so large and so diverse yet also so common. The Rusian people I have met so far are so different yet the same as me in many ways. A birthday I met Lisa, she is about my age and doesn't speak English. Although our last gauge is different we still speak. On the subway she looked at me and motioned at how big my eyes were as I was taking in all the sights. We laughed and she smiled. I pray that while while I am here I will make more of those relational connections.

This morning when I left for the airport my husband said in regards to a dream I had, "you have the skill, you just need someone to guide you through Russia." I pray that God will continue to open my eyes wide so I can take in the sights,and the culture, and I trust He will guide me through this experience using g my skills to reach out to others.

Sweetness of Life

Tonight I sit in my room and listen to my daughter play. Her imagination is growing by leaps and bounds and I wonder what it would be like to be in her head for five minutes. I wish I could go back to the days where my imagination would take me on adventures to far off places. Where I could escape my everyday life and go to an imaginary world.

I sit in my room feeling anxious and wishing I could shake that feeling. I'm anxious for my travels to Russia, anxious about being away from my family for two weeks, anxious wondering how my kids will handle my being away, anxious about if I've packed the right clothes for the weather, anxious about the amount I will carry on the airplane, anxious because my house is a wreck and I'm leaving, and my list goes on. I wish I could throw it all away, write it down and get it out of my mind, and escape my anxieties.

None of those things I'm anxious about are things that I can control... except maybe my house. I want to relax, and feel the world lifted off my shoulders. I want to listen to my daughter play, and escape into her mind with her. I want to sit and drift away, imagine, and create a place of peace, and solitude. A place where I can dump my worries and let go.

I was blessed tonight to listen to my daughter play. She gave me a moment tonight were I could just let go. A moment with no worries. She brought me back to the sweetness of life, and the sweetness of childhood.

Haiku

Spinning around
I seem to fall up not down
Is the world upside down?