Our Little Tradition

When Anneka and I go to check the mail, we have little traditions. Between the bus stop and the post office, we stop at the swing and after the post office, we stop by the slide (she's pictured on top of the slide here). Then we go visit some sweet old ladies with little stands from their gardens and buy veggies or berries... and sometimes lettuce! Then we go to a little bread store. Anneka gets very excited about this and says "booda, booda!", which is buluchka or "little roll".



After we get our buluchkas, Anneka finds a nice little place on the curb to sit and eat hers. (pictured scooting on the curb after eating her buluchka). Then we pet a few stray cats and walk to a different bus stop and head home.

Anneka Fun

Anneka and my new favorite game is Rock-A-Bye Baby. She gets herself situated on the center of a blanket. Then I gather up the corners and scoop her up... and then swing her back and forth and sing "Rock-a-bye baby..." to her. She thinks it's so delightful. Leif said that I now am playing with Anneka the games I used to play with my cat, since as a little girl I used to put the kitty in a sleeping bag and swing her around. But I assure you, it's different.


Leif tries to free up his schedule at least a 1/2 day a week so that he can have quality time with Anneka (and work on homework or office-type stuff while she sleeps) and I can run errands or get things done that are hard to do with a busy girl around. Today I visited a friend who works at the fish market and went out for coffee with Renata, our new teammate. It was lovely. I feel like this little chunk of time each week refreshes me (even if I'm "working") and really makes me appreciate my time with Anneka all the more. Today Leif printed off this Dora mask and Anneka colored it. This is a picture of Anneka interacting with Sasha. He comes over weekly to take a shower and wash his clothes. Anneka really likes him.

A New Teammate

Yesterday we welcomed a new teammate to our city! Renata lived in Krasniarsk for a few years and is now here with us. We are happy to have her and look forward to getting to know her more and more. I was very proud of myself making this cake. My mom sent me frosting tips. I will have to spread my wings and try even grander things for the next cake. =)



We had a team dinner together to welcome Renata. This picture cracks me up because I told everyone to smile. Kandid (back of head pictured) did a great job of smiling... he just didn't turn around. He's a funny guy (in a "ha-ha" way, not a strange way). His first language is Swiss-German and yet he still manages to tell lots of good jokes in English. I think that takes a lot of talent.



Anneka's new thing is to have us make a fort out of her bed before she goes to sleep. She used to cuddle nicely on my lap while I sang her a song. But now she just wants right into her bed so that we can put up her fort.



Anneka and I went to the outdoor market in search of a repair place for our waffle iron (yes, it broke! And it's so sad because it was a miracle to even find it in the first place. We haven't seen one since). Anyways, I asked Galina (this nice lady who sells hats and other stuff) for help and she thought that Anneka would look nice in a new red bandana-hat. She's given Anneka so many hats!! I really like this one. I'll have to get a better picture later. Galina is really nice. She's our friend, Katia's mom. I never found a repair place for our waffle iron. But we haven't lost hope yet.

A Glimpse Into God's Heart

"How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?" As I read these words in Psalm 13, my heart resonated with them. Shannon's death has left an empty spot- in our hearts, in our team, in Buryatia. "Why do we have to feel such sadness, God?" I asked. And I believe He answered. We are not created for death. Death only has come into the world because it's fallen and broken... because of sin. But God created us for life. He, too, is grieved by death. And how much more, spiritual death. There are precious moments in life that God allows us to feel part of what He feels and to get a peek into His soul. I remember when I was engaged to Leif, feeling the intense emotions of love and excitement and anticipation and thinking what a gift it is that God allows us to feel that and to see a glimpse how He longs for His bride, the Church. And when we had Anneka, I was amazed at the deep, selfless love I felt for her. A sacrificial love that wants the best for her. And that's a glimpse into God's deep love for us. This is especially heightened when I think of Him giving His only Son because of the problem of sin and death in our world. And so, even though there are moments when I never feel that my heart could fully feel happy again as I grieve the loss of Shannon, I'm thankful for this gift right now. It's a gift to remember how much God longs for everyone to have eternal life! It's a gift to remember the seriousness and pain of separation from God. I pray that this will be a catalyst for sharing Christ's love with others. I'm so thankful that Shannon is spiritually alive. "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." Psalm 116:15 I'm thankful that she lived her life sharing Christ's love and life with many, many people.




We had two memorial services for Shannon in Ulan Ude. One was a smaller one with the Buryat Partnership (people who meet monthly). These sweet ladies made a feast for us to share after the service.



The second service was packed. People of all different ages, socioeconomic classes and races crowded in to remember Shannon and celebrate her life. It was really good to have these services and process together and share memories.

We're also thankful that we were able to listen to Shannon's stateside funeral via a live feed through the internet. What a wonderful invention of modern technology!

We are seeking to find a "new normal" as we live our lives here without Shannon. As I was walking the other day, looking down into the valley, I couldn't help thinking that there is a huge hole in Buryatia where Shannon belongs. But we move forward and cherish our memories and share the God of life and love in His power....

A Lifesong Sung to Jesus

We have very heavy hearts today as we grieve the loss of our dear friend and teammate, Shannon. I feel like I don't even have words to say right now. I know in my head that she is with Jesus, free from pain and sorrow... where there is no more crying or death. But our hearts still can't make sense of this, as we love her dearly and miss her already.


We have so many pictures of Shannon, and these aren't really the best for capturing her vibrance. This picture makes me smile because she convinced me to sing this really nerdy country song with her. And it was fun!



Leif and Shannon had such a fun brother-sister relationship. I loved watching them tease each other. I loved that Shannon was good friends with both of us.



Shannon was the one who welcomed us to Ulan Ude when we moved to the field, and she quickly became family. She was the one who heard all my woes as I dealt with culture shock. She has a way of making every person around her feel that they are the most special person in the world. We celebrated holidays together, as our teammates become a second family for us.



Anneka will never know her auntie Shannon on this side of heaven, which is sad for us to think about. Shannon's favorite song was Lifesong by Casting Crowns. She lived this out. She was adventurous, fun-loving, deep, full of faith, compassionate, giving, sensitive, wise, hard-working, always putting people before projects... and loving them well. She fit in here like no one else on our team. She truly became one with the culture and the people all around her. She inspired us all. There is so much more to tell that I can't even put into words. But we are so thankful for these three years of knowing Shannon. Our lives are much richer for knowing her, and we can't wait to be reunited with her again one day. I leave off with the words of her favorite song... one that she lived out well:

Lifesong

Empty hands held high
Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight

May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name to the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You

Lord I give my life
A living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet

So may the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Let my lifesong sing to You

Green Grass

A few nights ago we were sitting in our living room and Leif said, "Do you know what sounds nice right now? A lawn." I laughed and thought it was a cute thing to say, but then I really started thinking about it. If we had a lawn, Anneka could play on it and run around and we wouldn't have to worry about garbage or broken glass everywhere. If we had a lawn, we could sit out there in the evenings and enjoy the coolness that it brought to a hot day. We could play bocci ball or throw a frisbee. We could set up a sprinkler and run around in it as a family. And then I started really missing green grass! But then I realized that I was longing after grass, and this is really ridiculous... and can quickly plummet downward into thinking of all the things we don't have and could have if we lived somewhere else. Because the truth is that God has brought us here and there are many beautiful, wonderful things here. I want to be content in any circumstance- whether in plenty or in want, etc.

Leif left today for time of long meetings and berry picking with pastors and Christian workers in the area. He didn't know he was leaving today until this morning and he doesn't know how long he'll be gone! I hope he has a good time. I'll have to think of some fun and creative ways for Anneka and I to spend our time.

After church today we had the Kerins and John over for lunch. Rebecca's parents are visiting and it was really fun to get to meet them. A lot of our teammates have had family visit this year, which is really neat.

Leif's Modeling Debut

Here's Leif pressing his shirt to prepare for his modeling debut (pictures and more explanation to come in the future). Anneka is also pressing her shirt so that she can be like Papa.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

It's rained so much this summer. I have mixed feelings about it. These are the things I love:
* Everything is green
* It feels like it cleans the air
* It's cozy

Here are the things I don't love
* It makes summer feel shorter
* Laundry takes forever to dry
* It's harder to go outside and play

Yesterday Anneka and I were standing on on the balcony while it was dumping buckets outside. We watched this little boy run home and call his parents on the domaphone and they wouldn't let him in. He waited awhile and then started running away. Leif knows this little guy, so I shouted down to him to come over to our place. He heard my voice but didn't see where it was coming from and ran to find shelter somewhere else. I feel bad for this boy. He's so sweet and polite. He's ALWAYS outside and it makes us wonder about his home life. So sad.



Our little puddle-stomper from last week.

The Old And The New

Leif snapped this picture last week, as a contrast really struck him. People who don't have running water come to this well to fill their big metal jugs... and yet on the well is an advertisement for satellite television. What an interesting world we live in!

Tonight at dinner, Anneka pointed to Leif and said, "Papa-man". "You're right", we said, "Papa is a man. What is mama?" "Lady", she replied. "What are you?", we asked. "Happy", was her answer. She also said "Happy girl" over and over today in her stroller ride along with shouting "Alleluiah!" really loud. I mean really loud.

Alleluiah!

Anneka has taken to singing lately, and her favorite word to sing is "Alleluiah!" It's so cute to hear her sing as she plays or lies in her bed. Here Irene and I prompted Anneka for this video clip. Normally she needs no prompting. =)

Baptisms at the River

This morning our church joined our sister church to celebrate one lady and two men getting baptised! It was so neat to gather and watch this public declaration of their faith in Jesus.




I loved watching the joy on each of their faces as they came out of the water.




This group of ladies sang hymns throughout the morning.



This girl, Lira, was one that came to the camp we had a few weeks ago. She's holding her little sister here. I got to hold her, too. So sweet!



And this has nothing to do with baptism, but I thought it was funny. Yesterday we grated zucchinis to freeze and later make bread out of. There's only a period of about a month that you can find zucchini here, and I'm always SO excited to see it! And now that we have a freezer, we can store lots!! Anyways, Anneka was chomping away at pieces of raw zucchini. And when I wasn't fast enough at giving her a new piece, she chomped into a whole one, peel and all. Yuck!

Birthday at Baikal

Irene came for a shorter time this summer, so we wanted to do something special with her. We spent three days at Lake Baikal and had a really good time!



I got to spend my birthday there. Anneka slept in until 8:00, just for me! Then she hung out with her papa and gramma while I went out on the beach to journal and read my Bible. I came back to balloons, presents, and a yummy raspberry coffee cake that Irene had made. They helped make my birthday really special. And God gave us PERFECT weather!



We stayed in a little red cabin that was practically on the beach (we just had to walk down stairs). It was quiet and peaceful. There was a fire pit for roasting s'mores (that Gramma brought) and a sink. Here I am, filling the sink with lake water from an old beer jug.



Anneka LOVED playing in the sand. She had three ready playmates, too!



She also had other various playmates each day. One thing I love about Russian culture is that kids all share their toys. If you bring it to the beach, it becomes a community item!



Water fight!



The water was cold, but oh-so-refreshing on a hot day! I like this picture because Leif and I are in the background, and Anneka is happily oblivious.



One day we went for a beach walk. Anneka and Gramma both liked to go the same pace, stopping for pretty rocks (Gramma to keep them, Anneka to plunk them into the water).



Family Fun



The sunset was so bright, it almost didn't look real!



Today we had to say goodbye to Gramma Irene. Anneka has been saying "Bye-bye, Gramma" all day. We had a wonderful time with you, Irene! Thank you for making the big trip to come and see us!

Downtown

We went downtown a little early yesterday before the circus to enjoy the nice weather, the fountains, and the walking street. There are flowers planted everywhere and because of all of our rain, everything is green. It's so refreshing after the long winter!


Have I told you my sunglasses story? Mine broke, so I went to a store to buy new ones. I really don't like picking out sunglasses because I can never find any that look right on my face. But in the store were two very stylish Buryat ladies and I thought that maybe they could help me. I said something like (in Russian), "Please, could you help me find some sunglasses that look nice? It's hard for me to find them on my own and I want some that are in style". They put pair after pair on my face and they all looked so HUGE to me! (this is the style, but still). I told them that I felt like I looked like a fly or a grandpa, and they patiently tried new pairs on my face. Finally, they found this pair (pictured above) and said, "These look great! They're the ones!" I wasn't so sure, but they'd been so sweet to help me that I thought, "Oh, well, they know better than I do!" and I bought them.

Yesterday Anneka drank almost two whole bottles of water all by herself! Her diaper was so full in the middle of the circus, that I had to take her outside to change her... but there wasn't anywhere to go! The ground was dirt. Thankfully, there was a nice lady who helped me hold Anneka while I changed her. I love how helpful people are here with children.

The Circus

Tonight we went to the circus! It was so fun! The two Wicker families went, too, and we all sat together.

I was surprised by how TALENTED the performers were- twirling, balancing, doing amazing things with animals, etc. And Anneka did SO well. It was about 2.5 hours long and she sat so well and seemed really interested. She especially liked the animals like the alligator, the dogs, the monkey, and the snakes.

Afterwards, we had the Wickers over for ice cream sundaes. Anneka was so tuckered that she fell asleep on the ride home and went straight to bed. Irene had made me a surprise birthday cake while Leif and I were gone yesterday and pulled it out with 30 candles!! That's a lot of fire!! It was so sweet of her to do that for me.

We had fun talking with the Wickers and telling stories of pranks we played as kids. They wanted to hear the stories of when I hung a dead bird in an Avon bag on a boy's door in high school and the time that I sent a flattened frog in the mail to another boy. It's funny to think back to silly times!

Out On A Date

It's nice to have Gramma Irene here for many reasons... and one is that we got to go on a date! Last night, both Leif and I were able to go to the youth Bible study and stay until the end (while Gramma put Anneka to bed) and today we went out on the town while Irene stayed home with Anneka. It was such a nice sunny day! Normally, Leif teaches English at a youth club on Thursday afternoons, but a pipe broke in the building and it smelled like a sewer so it was cancelled. Woo-hoo!


One of my favorite things in the world is eating at a place that has outdoor seating when the weather is nice. Since my foot is still healing, we didn't want to walk around a lot, so we went to one place for dinner and one place for dessert that were right next to each other (both outdoor seating). We sat and talked for a long time. It was delightful. One happy surprise was the discovery of mozzarella sticks! This is a food that Leif and I have been dreaming about and have tried to make at home... but it just wasn't the same. And this little Irish restaurant had them!!! We were so happy!!

Meanwhile...


Anneka loves looking at pictures of her cousins on her Gramma's camera. And video clips of people (including herself). It's cute to watch her as she watches.


She also likes to walk around in her gramma's shoes. They're smaller than Leif and mine, so they stay on her feet a lot better. This little outfit was Anneka's cousin Amanda's when she was little. Now Amanda is thirteen!



Gramma Irene has so much energy and does fun, silly things with Anneka. She's blessed by a loving family!

Fights, Glass, and Gramma

Yesterday was kind of a crazy day. I awoke at 3:45 and couldn't go back to sleep. About an hour later, there was terrible crashing and yelling from our neighbors' apartment, with the lady yelling, "Enough!" The fighting traveled out into the stairwell and outside where we heard men physically beating each other. Leif called the police. Then Anneka woke up. Then we brought Anneka into bed with us and she flailed around for about an hour until she fell back asleep. (Leif and I never went back to sleep). We got up to go to the airport to greet Gramma Irene and scooped Anneka up from bed 1 minute before we physically had to leave to squeeze in as much sleep as possible.

The flight was supposed to come in at 8:00 and at 7:30 the airport had said that it was on time. But because of fog, the plane was sent to another city and we were told it wouldn't arrive until afternoon. Leif decided to run errands for some teammates who are out of the country and I decided to see if I could go to the dentist early. She fixed my tooth in 6 minutes!! I'm not even exaggerating. It was that fast. I looked at the clock.

Then I decided to push Anneka in the stroller to get her to sleep because she was so tired and the new flight time would be right during her normal naptime. She fell asleep and I sat on a rock and decided to journal and read a bit. A lady walked by and asked me the time. I just shrugged because I didn't want to talk and wake up Anneka. But after a minute I felt convicted because I really DID know the time, so I jumped up and ran after the lady. All of a sudden, there was a sharp pain in my foot and blood ALL OVER. A piece of glass had gone through my shoe (with a 1.5 inch sole!) and into my foot. I didn't know what to do because it wasn't super-close to home and Anneka was asleep and I didn't want to leave her. I called Inka and Elisabeth. Inka came and helped me. She wrapped my foot in a towel and walked me home. Then Elisabeth stayed with Anneka while Inka poured hydrogen peroxide in my foot and bandaged it up.

By this time I'd learned that Irene's flight was early now and she'd be arriving shortly. I felt badly that she couldn't see her granddaughter right away... but what could I do?

Today my foot is sore but not red or anything, so I think it's on the road to healing. I've been wearing a shoe on just that foot (I feel so nerdy) so that I won't tear at the wound.

It's been fun to have Irene here and to see Anneka interact with her. For lunch today we had the Hoffstetter's over. Daniella's sister is in town and it was very fun to meet her. Then for dinner we had the Robertsons' over (pictured at top). They miraculously got their residency hours before their visas ran out. Irene was especially happy to get to see them while she's here, as they befriended her during a layover in Moscow her first time in Russia. Anneka loved the Robertson boys, Alan and Avery, especially. Alan read her books and Avery she ran after to kiss. Leif said he needs to watch out for her when she gets older! She's always chasing those boys!!

I feel like I just rushed through this post, but Leif and Irene are waiting for me to come and play a game with them. It's called "Ticket to Ride". It's fun, but the German version "Zug Um Zug" (sp?) is better, we think.

A Bunch of Wickers

The Wickers have John's brother's family visiting them right now. They have four kids and Anneka enjoyed them all. Anneka hasn't seen Heidi or Matthew since before camp and every day she's been asking about them. Today her wishes came to realization. We went to the river and BBQ'd shashleek (meat kabobs) and the kids swam. There was this nice little sectioned off part of the water that was really warm. Anneka loved it.

Later we showered at the Wickers to get all the river grime off (and we still don't have hot water at home). Anneka got to take a bath with little Andrew (4) and they played and played. But unfortunately, Anneka had a little accident in the tub that quickly cleared things out. Now we'll be known as the family who's little girl pooped in the tub. haha.

Anneka Loves Chinese People

We had a group of Chinese guests tonight for dinner. They're here on a short term mission trip. It was so encouraging to talk with them and hear their stories... and to get a taste of their lives in China. Anneka loved them. Leif thinks she just likes guests, but I know that she has a special preference for Chinese people. They took her picture like she was a movie star, they smiled a lot at her, they hugged her, etc. And she gave them all kisses.

I went to the dentist today and it went well. It wasn't scary, it didn't hurt, and everything was clean. The only problem is that part of my filling fell out a few hours after I got home. I called the dentist and she's having me come back in on Monday. The saga begins....