Adam and Kristen's Blog

Remembering Poppy

2011-11-26T11:50:00.009+02:00

Wish I Could Go Fishing...

It is six o’clock in the morning. Papa walks into my room and taps my shoulder, “Hey Sport, it’s time to go fishin’!” Dragging myself out of bed, I wake up to the smell of brewed coffee and cover myself in sunscreen. I always slept in my swimsuit the nights before we would go fishing, this way I would be ready to go, without delay. My job was to fill the ice chest with sodas and treats while he uncovered the boat and got our gear. After we were ready we would head to the doughnut shop and order two maple bars and a glazed doughnut. I don’t even like doughnuts, but for some reason they always tasted better when I was with my Poppy. “That will be one hundred and fifty big ones”, the woman at the register would tell him. Papa would smile and hand her two dollars as a down payment and say, “I’ll catch ya next time. Hey, you have a good one, Partner!”

Upon entering the lake docks papa pulls up next to the guard station and shows his pass. “Yeah, I’ll take two cheese burgers, an order of fries, and a large soda pop.” He was always known as a jokester. Everyone loved him for his personality and friendliness. He treated everyone with dignity, respect, and always put a smile on everyone’s face.

When papa would catch a fish, he would set the hook, and pass the real to me. I would fight the bass and real it up to the boat. Papa would always give me the glory, never claiming it as his fish. When we got back to the house he would tell Granny of the fish I caught and give me all the bragging rights. This is how he approached many aspects of his life. He always worked for the good of others, never thinking of himself. He was a very caring person and got the most joy out of serving and making others happy.

Growing up, I would visit Granny and Papa for six to eight weeks each summer, which never seemed long enough. Fishing with my Poppy was always my favorite thing to do, and I eagerly looked forward to spending the summers with him. We spent numerous summers together out on Lake Oroville, searching for the “village idiot”, as Papa would call all the fish we eventually caught. For all the hours we spent on the water, we never had much to show for it at the end of the day. Well, that is what I thought at the time. However, I have come to realize I always came home with much more than a fish, if we even had one. Those hours on the lake gave me what matters most in life. I may have not come home with a fish, but I always came home with a stronger relationship with this amazing person. I loved going out on the water and talking with Papa. Even when we would just fish and not talk, it was rewarding just being in his presence.

Papa was a very important and influential man in my life and in the community. Because of the strong relationship we built and the many hours we spent on Lake Oroville, my poppy became my best friend. He is my hero, he taught me many of my values, and helped me become who I am today. He was a man full of wisdom, love, comic relief, and selflessness. He always put others before himself and had a heart for making a difference and serving others. He was a man of honor, one who fought for his country, and served his neighbor. He taught me how to make a difference and show people they are important and appreciated. Every Wednesday he took a Pepsi out to his garbage man. How many of us think of showing respect and gratitude to the man that picks up our garbage? He brought the newspaper to the front door of his elderly neighbor. Once emptied, he would wheel neighbors’ garbage cans up their driveways and return them to their rightful places. He would hold the doors open for people (something he never forgot to do even with Alzheimer’s), greet people he didn’t know with a smile and “Hey, Guy” or “Hey, Partner”, and make everyone he’d meet smile. He had a positive and personal impact on anyone he met. It’s people like this that make our nation strong and great.

As I grew older, our friendship continued to grow as well. He worried about loosing his “fishin’ buddy” to boys or rebellious teen years, but our ties were too strong. It was so strong, in fact, that after the Alzheimer’s had progressed and had stolen the names and faces of loved ones from his memory, he knew me.

Knowing his condition and wanting to support my mother and grandma through this difficult time, I left Colorado and spent two months in Oroville in the summer of 2005. I admit I was frightened to know his reaction when he would see me. My family prepared me for the worst, which was that he may not recognize who I am. When I arrived at the house he shot out of his chair and with a smile he exclaimed, “Well, there’s my buddy!” I was so grateful and excited he knew me. He knew me! He may have not called me by my name, but I saw in his face and heard in his voice he knew who he was addressing.

He had not wanted to leave the house much before I got there, except to go buy M&M candies at Wal-Mart when his candy jar ran empty. He was in rehabilitation from heart surgery and disliked people making him walk the block. However, the first day I got there we drove up to the dam, a tradition of ours when I came to visit, and we looked out at the water level, talking and joking about all the fish we never catch. We talked a while and got out and walked close to the water. After, as I was driving back, he motioned that we should go swing by the visitor center, also a tradition of ours. While at the visitor center, he attempted to climb the steps of the tower, overlooking the view of Lake Oroville. He reached the third floor and decided he was done, but the amazing part is he remembered our traditions and initiated all the events of the day.

Those two months were very difficult, but I was thankful I had the opportunity to be there for him and my family. I was there to talk to him and was able to comfort him when he thought he was going crazy and was broken down in tears. One day he looked out the window and seemed very concerned. I asked what was wrong, and he replied, “Those bears in my car!” Instead of insisting that there were no bears in his car, I peeked through the window with him and bravely said, “Don’t worry Papa, I’ll take care of those bears!” I walked outside opened and closed all the doors to the car and returned to the house. “Well Papa, I showed them; they won’t be in your car anymore.” “Well how bout that!” he sighed.

God gave me the strength to comfort him when he would cry and I could joke with him, as he always enjoyed a good joke. All his life he was cracking a joke or wise comment. My favorite growing up was when a bug hit the windshield he would say, “Whelp, I bet he won’t have the guts to do that again!”

When the time came for me to head back to Colorado, my papa gave me one of the biggest hugs he has ever given me and tears swelled up in his eyes. It was the hardest good-bye, as I was not sure what was to happen the next time I saw him. I traveled back to Colorado the middle of August, 2005.

William Hollis Killingsworth was a great man, an honest and loving man. All who knew Papa loved and respected him. I have learned many lessons by the way he lived his life. He had a positive impact on all who knew him. I miss him immensely, but I am grateful for the many memories we share. He passed away later in October, but in the end, he still remembered his fishing buddy.

The Things Kids Say.....

2011-11-21T21:39:00.002+02:00

Oh what fun it is to be a teacher! You hear some of the most hilarious things from kids. I am sure I have already forgotten a great deal, but I wanted to jot a few down before they are erased from my memory forever. Here are a few of my favorite teacher-student moments; some are funny, while others are sweet, but they all make the list of favorite moments.

1) All time favorite moment: After coming back from a week long vacation I asked students in my PE class how their break was. People of the international culture often travel home or elsewhere every chance they get. On this vacation my students traveled to places like Egypt, Hawaii, and Australia. I noticed one of my Ukrainian 8 year old boys seemed very tan. I said, “Ivan you are so tan even your teeth look tan!” His reply, “Oh no, that’s because I forgot to brush my teeth today!” At which, all students around him scattered in disgust…. But it was a funny moment for all of us, including Ivan.

2) While at a school picnic Connor, a 6 year old boy, came to me and wrapped his arms around my leg. He looked up and smiled at me and said with much enthusiasm, “Hi Mrs. Runyan!” This moment made me happy to be a teacher.

3) Adam always says, “Puppy love is real to puppies.” I never really thought about it much until this week. I told a 5 year old boy, let’s call him “Romeo,” to come play. Normally a very active child, I found him on bench talking with a girl. Romeo’s response, in a thick childish Ukrainian accent, as he stood up nice and tall and dramatically proclaimed, “She does not want to play, and I cannot be without she. I like she. I must be with she.” “Juliet” shyly turned to the side, looked away and batted her little brown eyes.

4) Oh Ivan. How I miss Ivan. Many of my favorite moments were with Ivan. He was a very entertaining child in my class. We often run a 1 lap warm up for PE. One day Ivan wasn’t running. Instead he was bent over digging through rocks. I asked him what he was doing and he insisted, “I’m discovering real gold Mrs. Runyan!” I offered to hold his ‘gold’ while he ran a lap, but he accused me of wanting to steal it. Can you believe it? Me, stealing Ivan’s gold from the school track!

5) While pregnant with Nya, a 6 year old student patted my belly, waived to it, and said with his hand to the side of his mouth to make louder for Nya to hear, “Hi Mrs. Runyan’s baby!” Pretty cute, really, and it was the only unsolicited belly touch that didn’t creep me out.

6) Connor: "Mr. Runayn, I know who your girlfriend is." Adam: "Oh you do!" Connor: "Yeah!" Adam: "Who is my girlfriend?" Connor: "Mrs. Runyan!"

7) Did you know I am a superstar? At least, I feel like one when I walk into the lunch room or down the hallway and 50-something 5-6 year old shout, “It’s Mrs. Runyan!” And, then proceed to charge me all at once. This was the case when I was washing my hands in the bathroom and I was spotted by one of my 5 year olds. “Mrs. Run is in the bathroom!” She shouted to her classmates down the hall. Immediately the class of 12 students, boys and girls, came rushing in the girl’s bathroom to give me a hug. Autographs anyone?

I’m sure there are many moments missing from this list. However, I can’t help but smile when I reminisce about these special times. There will be many more to come!

What is Health?

2011-10-09T21:46:00.019+03:00

I teach Health. It is Sunday night, and I am thinking about what my lesson plan will be for Monday, as it is by nature that I procrastinate. The usual topic for health class is "Did you eat breakfast?", "Why wear a seat belt?", and physical activity vs a sedentary lifestyle. Tonight is different. I can't think about issues like soda and cookies for lunch, or if you went for a run or played video games. My heart is too heavy for that. Although these things do affect health and are important, they get lost in the deep dark shadows of things much greater.

What is heath? What does it mean to be healthy?

My daughter, Nyellie, was sick this week with a high fever of 103 degrees (39.4 Celsius), lasting 3 days. Medicine to break her fever was not working, so the doctor prescribed an antibiotic. Today, after two days of antibiotic, a rash has appeared throughout Nya's little body. As a mother, I am saddened by her discomfort and want so badly for her to be well. My reality: my daughter is sick.

I worry for my daughter's health, but 8557 kilometers away there is another little girl in the USA going in for a liver transplant today. She is not even 1 year old. While we rejoice that one baby's life is being saved and praying with all our heart, mind and soul that she will recover quickly and grow strong, parents are grieving over the loss of their baby whose liver was donated. Their reality: For one it is, "Our baby has a hope of a future!" For the other it is, "Our baby is gone."

A friend's mother is grieving over the loss of a good friend, while at the same time eagerly awaiting the birth of her grandbaby, due at any moment. Her reality: For those we care about, there is death and there is life.

As we enjoyed dinner with a friend, he shared a story of ministry efforts in India. This ministry works to find homes for children coming from mothers at brothels. They go into the trenches to offer hope and bring light where our worst nightmares will not dare to take us. While at the brothel to pick up a child they walked though the halls and noticed what looked like a row of storage closets. They asked the manager if they use that section of the building for storage too. The question was met with a heart piercing and sickening answer: It's used to break the will of new arrivals. Like cargo going in and out. New "merchandise", new slaves, are forced to stay in dark closet-like rooms. The door opens for only food and men to be serviced until the girls surrender their will and die to themselves. When women come with young children or are pregnant the brothel does not want the burden or responsibility, so they willingly turn them over to the ministry. These mothers' reality: "I am broken, hopeless, an empty shell of a human, and do not know what has become of my baby."

It is not just Mumbai, brothels exist everywhere; human trafficking exists everywhere. Women and children are forced into prostitution or sex slavery everywhere. Think your town is immune? Guess again. So long as the human race craves money and sex to a point that they are willing to do anything to get it, rape, trafficking, kidnapping, deceit, coercion, or other means, there will be brothels, there will be strip bars, there will be massage parlors, prostitution, child pornography, nude magazines, internet porn, mail order brides, exotic dance clubs, "gentlemen's club"...... there will be.

You may be perplexed why I would even list porn and clubs in the same sentence as brothel and human trafficking. But aren't there legitimate clubs with great shows and entertainment? Don't they all voluntarily do it for great pay? Prostitutes are all druggies and choose that lifestyle anyway, right? Plus, it's everywhere. Sorry to tell you, but if you have participated in any commercial sex avenue, you are guilty of paying into human trafficking. Paying for the actual act of sex or just merely sitting back enjoying the show (or pictures) makes the commercial sex industry thrive. There are woman trafficked everywhere around the globe, suffering for your pleasure and entertainment. That woman at the strip club, yeah, she has her reality too: She dreams of helping her mother sell produce in the market again back in South America; the life she knew before she was tricked into a promising waitressing job opportunity in the US, that landed her several beatings, life threats, waitressing tables in the morning, servicing men by day, and dancing for man's pleasure night after night, and with no pay. In fact, now she is worried about the accruing debt placed on her by her employer, because she must pay back the flight ticket, passport fees, and pay for an unsatisfied customer today. People, we are the problem, and we are the solution. Make a difference and make healthy choices! Think that is too heavy? I've gone too far? Well, that is the world's reality.

Research it. Learn about it. Stop it. Don't pay into it. Fight human trafficking and the commercial sex industry.

My child has a rash. One child is getting an organ transplant. One's parents are looking at an empty nursery room. One is entering the world. One will never know his mother. One dances around a pole stripped naked of her dignity. There is a different reality for us all.

So what is health? It is not the cookie you eat or the laps you run. Health is the everyday choices we make that can affect us and the world we live in, either positively or negatively. The ripple effect of the everyday choices we make holds a greater weight than we realize. Students in my class are going to be world leaders of all levels. Youth of over 54 nationalities who are children of ambassadors and diplomats, leaders of organizations, CEOs of corporations and world banks. They really are the leaders of tomorrow. What do I teach them about health? The curriculum, which is important, just seems pale in contrast tonight.

12 months... and 2 weeks of life!

2011-10-06T12:53:00.009+03:00

Parents always tell me babies grow fast. It is true! To imagine I was just getting out of the hospital one year ago and my whole life changed. I went into the hospital with a watermelon shaped belly, or basketball if you prefer sports, and come home a mother!

I am looking at my beautiful girl. I don't think I can call her a baby anymore. She is sitting on the living room floor, playing with a colorful wooden shape-sorter puzzle, and still wearing clothes size 6-9 months (she's always been petite). One piece of the puzzle is just out of her reach. She leans to the side and stretches her little fingers as far as they could to get the puzzle piece; the cat shape to be precise.... something about that cat! It always goes missing, and I, with my OCD tendencies literally can't go to bed unless that darn cat is found and in its place.... (wait, I was telling a story.) As I was saying, the piece is just out of Nya's reach. Instead of crawling she gets into the squatting position (perfect form I might add), stands up, and puts one foot in front of the other. She walks over to the puzzle piece. Then, getting distracted, like her mother often does, walks over to Riley dog and tries to share her cat cut out with him. She must know he loves cats!

That's right, she is walking! A year has passed and Nyellie is walking, talking, and getting so big! Not only is she talking, but she is bilingual! Nya said "give me" in Russian this week! Her very first word was a perky "hi", followed by dada, mama, dog and book. Although dog is more like "dagh" and book is "boo", but we understand. They really do grow fast!

Here is a glimpse of Nyellie over her 12 months of life!

Excited parents expecting Nya anyday! September 2010

Nyellie Addison Runyan born September 20, 2010!

New Born- So sleepy

1 month - 1st family vacation, Lviv Ukraine

2 months - 1st smile!

3 months - 1st International flight & 1st time meeting Grandpa!

4 months - 1st laugh while in Rome! Best sound ever!

5 months - Found her toes!

6 months - 1st foods, carrots!

7 months - 1st time to roll over, see grass, play in sand, see the sea, and swim in a pool!

8 months - 1st time crawling, waiving, giving a kiss, and standing up! Plus 1st tooth! Big month.

9 months - Boating and visiting all the grandparents!

10 months - 1st word, "hi"!

11 months - Started walking 4 days before her 1st birthday!

12 months! 1st birthday! Loved opening presents and being the center of attention.

These are a few of my favorite things

2011-09-15T16:13:00.033+03:00

Living internationally, it is normal to have days were you ask yourself, "Why am I even here?" Those are the days where every little thing the other culture does just gets on your nerves. We, here in Kiev, like to call those, "I hate Ukraine days".

Today was an I hate Ukraine day for me. Every little detail drove me up the wall. Like, why is it so hard to create slopes on sidewalks, at crosswalks and curbs for strollers and wheelchairs? Why must you breathe on my neck when it is not a crowded bus? WHY does everyone smell like B.O. and a chimney? Yes, those days do exist, and it is in the I hate Ukraine moments when we must stop and look at why we have come to love it here as well.

I thought it was about time to update our blog; considering Nyellie is now days away from her first birthday! Adam and I have lived in Kiev, Ukraine for little over 2 years and are beginning our third school year at Kiev International School. Here are some reasons we love the great city we live in:

I am sitting in our living room admiring a beautiful bouquet of vibrant red mums. Babushkas (grandmas) line the sidewalks and metros selling anything they have to offer to make a living: flowers, goat's milk, produce. Not only are the flowers inexpensive and beautiful, but you can walk away feeling good about supporting the real 'mom and pops'.

Kiev has such a relaxed pace of life. Sure, it's a massive city of over 3 million people and we have something planned nearly every night of the week, however, I cannot deny the significant amount of time we get to be with our daughter. The quantity of quality time we get with Nyellie is one of the biggest reasons we love it here.

Kiev has the most incredible parks. The numerous parks and little forests are great locations for grilling shashlik with friends. Many parks have beautiful sceneries of Ukrainian architecture, churches, the Dnipro River, and other important Kiev landmarks. In spring they are landscaped with beautiful lilacs, tulips, and other beautiful flowers.

Nyellie enjoying a day out at the botanical gardens. Kiev's most beautiful park.

There are many activities to do in and around Kiev that are fun and affordable.

Adam and I explored the activities to do in Kiev for his birthday. We went to a Cubano Restaurant with great food and live Cubano music, had a picnic and paddled across a lake (about $3 for 1/2 hour), dressed up for Madame Butterfly (an Italian opera, at Kiev Opera House, based in Japan, with U.S. Naval officers, and in Russian subtitles! Also about $3 per ticket).

The central location of Ukraine is ideal for travel. Not only can you take an overnight train and wake up at the beach in Odessa or in the Carpathian mountains, but you can find great deals on airfare. Spontaneous trips to other countries are also feasible. We've found flights to Norway for $16, Poland for $30, and Spain for $60.... and have made it back safe and sound to tell the tale!

At the Black Sea in Odessa, Ukraine.

Kiev is beautiful! Although there are many Soviet buildings that are drab, ran down, and dark, the city also has very beautiful and impressive architecture rich in detail and color.

Maidan square in downtown Kiev. The glass domes are actually skylights for one of Kiev's many underground malls.

Learning about customs, cultures and traditions are always something Adam and I are drawn to. That is why we love learning about Ukraine and working at KIS where there are over 55 nationalities.

This is Lovers Bridge. After a couple gets married they put a lock on the bridge.

Learning a new language! The US has got to get on board with this. It is almost embarrassing when we travel and everyone from other countries knows 3 or more languages and we know..... English. We're trying!

I thought this would be a neat photo of my mom and a sign in cyrillic. Later I learned it was warning about ticks. Whops.

I think Kiev has some of the longest and fastest escalators in the world. Long escalators and underground shopping malls are just some of the unique fun things about Kiev.

Ken Chapman, Adam and I having fun in the Kreschatik metro station.

Life experiences! We shared our welcome to Ukraine with the Swine Flu, also known as H1N1. School was shut down for the month of October 2009, and spectators were required to wear masks at the Dynamo soccer game. It didn't stop the fun though, as smoke bombs and cheering filled the stadium.

There are many other reasons we love Ukraine, but these are just some of the highlights. It is always fun to go back and look at our photos and see the many adventures and experiences we have living abroad. This week we were invited to celebrate Mexico's 201st Independence Day, at the home of the Ambassador of Mexico. Our community through school and ICA church are an incredible support as we live far from family. We have been able to endure many I hate Ukraine days, thanks to the love and encouragement of our community and Kiev family. We look forward to another eventful year full of I hate AND I love Ukraine moments!

Warning: 9 Months Wrapped Up in a Single Blog

2010-12-02T17:39:00.000+02:00

I did it. I survived. And it has been one of the greatest moments in my life and my most amazing accomplishment! I lived through my biggest fear; childbirth. My beautiful daughter, Nyellie Addison Runyan was born September 20, 2010 in Kiev, Ukraine.

Adam and I discovered I was pregnant mid January. It was exciting and terrifying. We had no plans to get pregnant while living in Ukraine and while living so far from family. Our start to the New Year was confronted with making difficult decisions, such as if we should stay in Kiev, move back to the USA, renew a work contract or stay home, and how to share the big news with family.

I had no idea what to expect as I announced my pregnancy to my family. We took a picture of our positive Ukrainian pregnancy test (which we had to learn how to ask for at the pharmacy) and emailed it to family. We called them on Skype and witnessed the reactions to the news as they opened the emails. Mary Lou, Adam's mom, had the best reaction. She has looked forward to a grandbaby since January 2, 2004, when we got married. Her smile stretched ear to ear and she wiggled in her seat as she giggled excitedly and nearly uncontrollably. Then, she would pause for a moment, look at the picture and again start laughing, squealing with delight and shaking. This repeated for the duration of our phone call.

Next we called Kim, my sister. My mom and dad were staying at her home, so we were able to share the news with them all. They gathered around the computer. When the email opened and the picture was revealed my dad asked, "Is this a joke?" Then Kim responded, "Kris wouldn't joke about this." At which my dad then replied, "Well, I better start working on a fishing rod!" Kim and my dad were very excited. However my mom was overtaken by sadness. She longed to be near me to give me a hug and walk through the pregnancy process with me. The distance was just too much for her to think about. Her sadness was soon replaced with joy and anticipation.

The conversations to follow would include my dad asking, "So how is my girl doing?" I would respond and he would snap at me, "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to my granddaughter!" I loved hearing and seeing my father's excitement and joy in becoming a grandfather. When he and my mom bought a new home, he had it marked out where to build Nyellie's playground. When shopping at pawn shops and garage sales (which is one of my dad's hobbies), normally he would look for things to buy, fix up and sell. Now he is coming home with harmonica playing Mickey Mouse dolls, strollers, and other items for his little granddaughter. She's already captured his heart, and he hasn't even met her yet.... that is, face to face.

I will miss those crazy, vivid pregnancy dreams. Every night I would go to bed excited about what type of adventure I would go on. They were all so detailed and felt so real. I can remember Shere Khan from the Jungle Book chasing me in a village and in a swimming pool. And in another dream I found out my Papa and Granny were Jewish and I found my Papa's hair pin for his Yamika. It was really fancy and worth a lot of money. I wrote my mom the next day asking, "So, did you know Papa was Jewish?" Another dream had me running house to house coloring the floors with colored pencils. However, my favorite dream was when I was running with friends up a hill. I was running slow because I was pregnant. I decided to flap my arms and fly instead. My belly was too big that it weighed me down and bounced on the ground. I woke up laughing. Oh, yes, I will miss those crazy prego dreams!

I found great health care at American Medical Center in Kiev, and ISIDA Hospital. I have nothing else to compare it to as far as pregnancy and birthing care goes, but I felt well cared for. The greatest challenge I would meet would be communication with nurses at ISIDA. The doctors spoke English, but nurses did not. I had a practice run at ISIDA before the actual birth date, when I ate a nut that caused an allergic reaction so sever it threw my body into shock and put me in preterm labor. ISIDA stopped early labor, but it was a scary and overwhelming first experience at the hospital. No one spoke English and I refused to take pills or undergo medical treatment without knowing what it was and why it was being done. This made it very difficult since the nurses could not answer my questions and communicate issues. At first, they refused to let Adam stay in the rooms with me. This was due to the fact that men here do not take part in the pregnancy or delivery of the baby, so it was odd and quite culturally different for Adam to care to stay.

Traditionally men stay at home while the wife goes to the hospital, gives birth, and stays a few days in the hospital. It is not until the wife is released from the hospital that the husband goes and picks up the wife and baby, usually accompanied by the whole extended family and friends, balloons, and presents. The wife puts herself together, putting on make up, high heals and a tight little dress for her grand departure from the hospital. The fact that Ukrainian women can walk out of the hospital in high heals and a smile just days after giving birth made me much more comfortable with the thought of childbirth. It couldn't be as bad as I had imagined it to be.

Ukrainians are very cautious, overly careful, and very superstitious; that is, until it comes to smoking, spreading germs, and hygiene (this of course does not apply to every Ukrainian, but is a generalization of the culture). For instance sitting on concrete will freeze your ovaries (I proved that one wrong), it is bad luck to shop for the baby before it is born, and it is bad luck to say that someone's newborn is cute or beautiful.

I was small but healthy throughout my pregnancy, and so was Nyellie. But, due to her small size every time I would go in for a check up nurses would freak out that she was so small. They would speak in Russian with concerned expressions on their faces that would send me into a panic. Eventually I learned that this is the way of Ukrainian health care. They panic and give you the worst case scenarios then quickly follow up with, "But you are fine. You are healthy." I learned to ignore their first reactions and concerns and only listen to my doctor, not the nurses or other healthcare professionals.

I would also have to fight for what I wanted and thought was right. I really had to take my healthcare into my own hands and be very assertive. During the nut allergy they wanted to keep me in the hospital for several days. Each day I would ask to go home and they would say tomorrow I could go. Then the next day I would ask to go home and they would want me to stay another night. In The States, they would have stopped my contractions watched me for a couple hours after and then send me home, no overnight stay. Every time I went in for a check up, I knew they would want me to stay overnight for some reason. When my mom was in town and I had a minor sickness, I told my mom, "Watch, they will want me to stay overnight." And, they did. I just had to stay firm.

I was grateful Mary Lou and my mom were able to come during the final days of my pregancy. Mary Lou is a delivery nurse in New Mexico and made me feel much more comfortable having her with me during my delivery. Mary Lou stayed 3 weeks and my mom stayed 5 weeks. They both took such great care of Nyellie and me. I know that because of them, I got a better start at motherhood. And, thanks to them bringing me meals everyday to the hospital after Nyellie's birth I did not have to eat ground liver, sour milk or cold fish for breakfast. This caused a frenzy with the nursing staff. After two days in the hospital, they asked me why I have not been eating. As we were all enjoying stuffed bell peppers when they asked this question, I apologized for not letting them know food was not necessary because family was feeding me. I felt bad wasting, but, well, if you saw it you'd understand. Then the hospital administrator saw the stuffed bell peppers and said with all seriousness and concern, "You are forbidden to eat anything spicy!" Thanks again for the great food grandmas!

Childbirth was not nearly as bad as I had made it up to be in my head. It was not a walk in the park by any means, but somehow God gives us the ability to turn inside out, get hit by a bus, stand up and walk immediately after, and then gives us amnesia so we will do it all over again someday. Thank you God for giving us birth amnesia, so all we focus on is the joy and gift produced during the childbirth experience. I do remember craving candy (which I never eat), everything smelling like fish and cheap plastic, and my doctor telling me. "Kristen, you are like machine, push slower". But my most memorable moment was the first time I was able to meet my daughter. The doctor immediately placed Nyellie on my chest, we caught each others eyes, and words cannot express the intense emotions in that moment.

Overall I had a great and healthy pregnancy experience. I am happy to say that so far the distance from family has not been too painful, as I was able to spend two months in the summer in the USA, then my mom and Mary Lou came for the birth, and now it is time to pack the bags and spend another month in the USA with family. I can't wait for December 25th! Last year Santa brought my parents to me in Europe. This year Santa is bringing Nyellie to my parents. I am so thrilled to have three generations in my family again. Nyellie has been born into an incredible family. Welcome to the world my precious and beautiful little girl!

Birthday in Style

2010-11-11T11:04:00.004+02:00

Alright, so June was quite a while ago, but regardless I think it is time to play catch up with my blog.... again. There are so many great stories and experiences that I need to document, if anything for the sole purpose of remembering in years to come. I hope you enjoy them.

Living in Ukraine has presented us with many opportunities that we would not have in the States. One of those opportunities has been travel. Where else can you ask yourself, "Self, we have nothing to do this weekend, what do you want to do? Well, how about fly into Germany, rent a car and just go were the wind takes us?" This is what Adam and I decided to do over his birthday weekend, June 18, 2010. It is rare that we have a weekend without anything to do; no youth group to lead, gathering to attend, pot luck to bake for, or school extracurricular activity to oversee. We saw an open window of opportunity and decided to make the most of it. We looked online for cheap airfare to anywhere. We stumbled on $100 round trip tickets to Dortmund Germany.

To make the most of our time we decided to make no plans at all. Let's just fly into Dortmund, rent a car and see what happens. No hotels booked, maps printed, or wish list of activities. Plus.... where's Dortmund?

Once we arrived to Dortmund we picked up our car rental. We had reserved a basic economy car and were upgraded to a brand new, top of the line BMW with all the bells and whistles. This car could practically drive it self. Now that we were traveling in style we headed out in one direction to see what awaited us on this spontaneous journey. First thing's first.... find a Starbucks and quench my coffee craving that I patiently endure for months and months. After inserting 'Starbucks' into our friendly British English speaking navigation system, Dorty (that's what we named her) lead us to the center of down town Dortmund. Getting out of the car we were pleasantly surprised by all the noise. The streets were filled with laughter, cheering, shouting, horns, people shouting "Deutschland" over and over, and colorful banners of black, red and yellow adorned cars, people, and even... dogs.

We had planned our trip unintentionally around the World Cup. All the cheering led us to believe that Germany won their game. In search of a good meal and the USA game, we soon found ourselves at Bum Bar, a small pub/cafe. We quickly became the center of attention, as we learned Dortmund is not a hot spot for tourists. Unlike many other cities we had traveled to in the European Union, English was not a widely known language. We sat down and asked for a menu. The waitress signaled for us to wait a minute. She dug through the cupboards above the bar, and reaching far into the bottom and the back pulled out an English menu. She blew the inch thick of settled dust off the cover and handed us the menus. The owner of the Bum approached us and said, "2007. Price changed food same." A man sitting next to us, who had obviously enjoyed his time in the bar previously before we joined him, took great interest in these English speaking foreigners. We tried our best to chat. We congratulated him on his country's win in their World Cup soccer game. He looked at us surprised and informed us that they had lost. Wow, if only we could have that kind of passion and pride in our country that we would cheer like that, even in a loss of an important game. How cool!

After eating a delicious meal and watching part of the USA game, I decided it was time for a change in scenery. While Adam stayed back in the bar, I made my way to the mall. I spent an hour exploring the mall and down town. When I returned to the bar Adam had made friends with everyone in there. Not surprising I know. He had a crowd around him, talking and laughing. One guy even left and bought candy for Adam, as a souvenir. When the man heard we were from Colorado, he left to buy Adam the famous German gummy candy Haribo. They have a version of gummy candy called Colorado.

With the crowd of friendly Germans we left the bar and explored down town. Our new friends paid our way on the city Farris wheel to give us a bird's eye tour of Dortmund.

Originally we thought we would fly into Dortmund and drive west to Amsterdam that night. Little did we know we would find so much to do and be so warmly welcomed by this small town. We found a hotel for the night and tuned in to watch the next World Cup game. Before getting too cozy for the night Adam made mention of cake for his birthday. I quickly made it my duty to find my husband chocolate cake on his birthday. Thinking this would be a fast and easy outing, I set out on foot. I was reminded of how small a town Dortmund was when every store and restaurant I came to was closed or closing, and it was only 9:30pm, on a Friday night! I was determined. I went restaurant to restaurant, bar to bar, cafe to cafe, and grocery store to grocery store. Nothing. I was about to go back to the hotel defeated, but thought I'd stop into one last restaurant along the way. I asked for chocolate cake and the gentleman who greeted me said there was no more cake. I must have looked very disappointed and sad because this waiter asked me why I wanted it so badly. I told him, "It's my husband's birthday and I have been searching for cake for over 2 hours. He's probably worried about me now, but I just don't want to go back empty handed." My family jokes about anywhere you travel there is always that guy who offers... "Amigo, amigo.... you want fishing boat, I get you fishing boat." "Amigo, amigo. You want tour I get you tour." "Mon amie, mon amie, you want Eiffel Tower, I get you Eiffel Tower." Well, this was no exception. The server looked at me and said, "You want chocolate cake? I get you chocolate cake!" He sped off and within 15 minutes returned with a beautiful large piece of chocolate cake with raspberry filling. He even gave me candles and matches! The man walked me to the door and said, "A piece of chocolate cake like this is only for true love!" I returned to the hotel and Adam and I enjoyed an excellent piece of real German chocolate cake.

The next morning we set out in our fancy BMW reaching speeds of 180 on the Audubon toward Amsterdam, Netherlands. Don't get too excited, that is 180 km/hour. The drive to Holland was beautiful with classic traditional windmills, beautiful green fields, and impressive farmhouses. Once again, we made it just in time for the games. We went to a bar/cafe to watch the Netherland game on the big screen, in an ocean of orange. Every cafe was packed with little room for air. Don't even think of moving around once you've found a spot. People watched the games from doorways of restaurants because it was so full. Adam and I looked like quite the outcasts as we were the only people in all of Amsterdam not dressed in orange and painted faces. The owner of the establishment pulled two orange shirts from his cafe van and told us we are obligated to wear orange. We were happy to accept the gift and blend in with the crowd. Holland won.

We toured Amsterdam for the day, complete with a canal boat tour. We were impressed by the massive amounts of bikes throughout the city. Several story parking garages were dedicated to bikes alone. We enjoyed our stay and headed back the next morning to Dortmund to fly home. It was a great spontaneous adventure, and reminded us to live more freely because you never know what you could miss out on if you just stick with the plan.

Open Our Eyes

2010-06-04T09:59:00.002+03:00

Life is beautiful. Even if we look around and all seems dim in the world, in the midst of it, God is turning the ugly into something beautiful. He wastes no heartache, turns his back to no one, holds the hand of the lost, cradles the brokenhearted, heals the sick, restores the weary, releases the oppressed, provides for the needy, gives hope to the helpless, forgives the foolish, humbles the proud, punishes the wicked, frees the captive, and deeply and unconditionally loves us ALL. This is my God. May we all see the world through his eyes; eyes of compassion, mercy, love, forgiveness and passion without passing judgment.

What would the world we live in be like if we all saw things through His eyes?

At our church, International Christian Assembly (ICA) in Kiev, Ukraine I can look around and see God stretching his arms and loving the people of Ukraine through the individuals of ICA. He desires to use you in incredible ways to ignite change and restore the world. People ask, "If there is a caring and loving God, why does he not do something about the ugly of the world." He did do something. He created you. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - St. Francis of Assisi.

As I look around ICA I see a passionate and alive church because the people in it are passionate and doing the work God has called them to. These are people who refuse to sit back and be comfortable with mediocrity and strive to serve God in the everyday to see miracles in the the hearts of humanity.

Look around. Look deeper. What do you see?

I see the orphans of Ukraine adopted and loved into families, finding rest in security, love and belonging.

I see people who dedicate their life work to releasing women and children from slavery.

I see Ben, who gave up 3 years of his life, moved to the other side of the world to bring hope and to love the people on the streets of Ukraine. He has spent 3 years with Teen Challenge, a group that loves the homeless, broken, poor, and addicts of Ukraine.

I see people. All of God's people. Africans, Canadians, Americans, Vietnamese, Italians, Ukrainians, Russians, Koreans, Australians, French, and so many more.

I see a man who courageously goes to the closed parts of the world, not sure if he will return. But to him, giving others the gift of God's message of peace, love, hope and life is worth the sacrifice.

I see Karen. A compassionate and beautiful woman who came to Ukraine with a plan to stay a few months and has now lived here over a few years after being captivated by her "journey to bring healing and hope to orphans of Ukraine." She is making a huge impact in the hearts of the One's left behind.

I see Kirsten. We have known him for 10 months, and he has amazed me by his use of time and his heart. At 19 years old he moved to Ukraine to study Russian and to serve orphans. Within the 10 months he has been here he has made an immense impact on this community. Kirsten has been part of the worship team at church, launched and managed Shoes for Soccer, a drive to bring shoes to orphans (See photo below), served as a youth leader, spent many days caring for children at an orphanage, baked ridiculously good cakes for our Bible study, and has been very successful in his Russian studies. Kirsten returns to Canada June 16th and will be dearly missed by many.

I see Pastor Mark. No, he is not the pastor of our church. He is a passionate and faithful Christian man from Africa. The African culture in Kiev call him "Pastor" because of how he spends his life praying for and leading people. Not long ago Mark went to the hospital for a major back surgery. Adam and I visited him and brought him a meal. The hospital was dark, lights flickered, elevator rattled, beds had exposed mattress pads stained by blood and fluids, a black cat roamed the halls, and an old soda bottle served as 'medical equipment'. Mark would not be able to walk for months. As dim as his situation seemed he greeted us with a large smile and praises. Not a negative word came from his lips. He even prayed for us, when we went there to love and pray for him.

I see Johnny and Ira, who selflessly give up every other weekend to travel 8 hours by train to care for others (Trust me, trains in Ukraine are not the most enjoyable). They travel to Krivoy Rog, Ukraine to spend quality time with children at an orphanage, babies at the baby hospital, adults at a mental health facility, and young boys at a rehab center. Johnny and Ira love those whom have been forgotten, left behind, and rejected. The world tells these people they are unwanted, unloved, and not important, but repeated visits and encouragement from Johnny and Ira tell them they matter and they are loved.

These few people mentioned here are living a life of compassion and love. They live a life of making an impact on the world. To turn the ugly things of the world into something beautiful. What more can we see if we just open our eyes? These may look like just ordinary people, but what is their life about? Who are they? What is their story? Look around. Look deeper. What do you see?

Just for Fun... Part 2

2010-05-19T12:26:00.036+03:00

You may be asking yourself, "Part 2, what happened to part 1?" You can find Part 1 in the Peru blog post in 2007. While we were in Peru I received an email from a friend that asked questions to get to know me better. I changed the questions a bit to make it pertain to Peru. This time, I am answering the questions regarding to our experience in Ukraine.

1. What is your occupation? Adam and I currently work at Kiev International School (KIS) in Kiev, Ukraine. Kris is a Physical Education teacher and Adam is the High School Counselor. We have been employed since August 2009. This is the first time in our six years of marriage that we are earning two incomes! With the extra pay check, using public transportation ($0.32 a day), housing paid by KIS, and our great central location in Eastern Europe traveling to other countries has become our favorite hobby.

2. Who was the last person you spoke with on the phone? My sister and mom to announce that Baby Runyan is a girl!

3. What color are your socks right now? Oh thank you God, that I do not need socks now! After surviving a harsh, cold, and dark winter it is now spring time and beautiful outside. To prevent frostbite to my toes in winter I had to get a pair of UGGS and wear heating pads in them.

4. What are you listening to right now? I am in parent teacher conferences right now, obviously working really hard. Our conferences are held in a large room with several tables. At the moment I am listening to a teacher speak Ukrainian, and yet another in French, and a family speaking to each other in an Indian dialect. I am surrounded by people all over the globe. This is the International culture. At KIS there are over 56 nationalities and currently sitting in the same room as me are Canadians, Ukrainians, Americans, Russians, Italians, and Indians.

5. What is the strangest thing you've ate? The strangest thing I've eaten in Ukraine so far has been salo. Salo is raw bacon fat. It actually tastes like butter. No chicken feet on this trip.

6. What is your favorite sport? That is a hard one. Rock climbing is definitely my favorite, but Kiev is a flat concrete jungle. There are no rocks to climb around here. However, being a PE teacher has broadened my sports skills and interests. Since August I have learned how to throw a perfect spiral in football, perfected the backhand swing in tennis, started to shoot hoops during breaks, and have become good at catching baseballs.

7. Pets? We brought our Australian Shepherd, Riley, to Ukraine. He has not enjoyed adjusting to apartment and city life, but we are still glad he is with us. When we first moved here he was most apprehensive about the elevator we take to the 16th floor. He would just spin in circles the whole way up and the whole way back down. He did this for about a month. Although we are in the city, we have found some good alternatives to the mountains. We take Riley to the dog park by our house where dog owners enjoy champagne, chocolates, and grapes while dogs play.

Took Riley for a walk in the forest and within seconds clouds came in and we were soaked! We ran home in the rain! I laughed the whole way!

This is our friend Katie. She is awesome and very special to us. Riley loves her too!

8. Favorite food? I am not crazy about the Ukrainian cuisine, other than Borscht (a very tasty beet and cabbage soup). My favorite food is Mexican food made by Americans (us) in Ukraine and shared with our Ukrainian and Canadian friends! Quite the International dish.

9. If you where a crayon, what color would you be? A crayon.....? We work at a very wealthy private school where all students have laptops, iPhones, iPads, and all the latest coolest gadgets. Crayons are a thing of the past. Do they even know what a crayon is?

10. Last movie you watched? Everything is Illuminated with Elijah Wood. It is a well done movie about a young man in the States who travels to Ukraine to find out about his family history. It was a good movie the first time we saw it, but now that we have lived in Ukraine, we appreciate the humor so much more! 'It is premium movie'.

11. What is your favorite thing to do in Kiev? I cannot get tired of walking downtown at Kreshadik. I love spending time with friends and Adam downtown. On weekends they close the main street down to cars and is only for pedestrian use. The architecture is outstanding and there is often music or cultural entertainment as well.

Walking downtown Kreshadik with our friends.

12. Favorite day while in Ukraine? I have many favorite days, like when we first moved here and Adam and I spent an evening putting our new home in order, making dinner and then he danced with me in the kitchen. Other favorite days include our 24 hour trip to beach town Odessa, Ukraine with our good friends Ken and Alyssa, and trip to Krivoy Rog to love children at a boys rehab center.

Adam getting some fresh air out the window of the trian to Odessa.

13. Living arrangements? We live in a luxurious apartment on the 16th floor. Our apartment is provided by KIS and is elaborately furnished. We are rustic mountain, earthy colored type people, however our Kiev apartment is adorned with red velvety couches, pink light fixtures, and Ukrainian-Victorian style furniture. Our dining table seats 12 and you feel like a king/queen when you sit in the living room chairs. It really is very nice and somehow we got extremely fortunate with our new home. Many other teachers do not have as nice of accommodations.

14. What are you afraid of? Although I know God has a plan and I have found peace with being pregnant and giving birth in Ukraine, I still fear being so far from home and family.

15. When was the last time you cried? Last night. Every Wednesday we have a Bible study small group with our closest friends. They've become our close family here. January-March I have to say there were many tears. I had tears of sadness, homesickness, and worry about what to do with a baby on the way while in Ukraine. Now I am happy to say last night were tears of happiness, I laughed so hard I cried. The real hard laugh that makes your cheeks hurt and gives you quite an abdominal workout! What a great group of friends we have.

Darkness in the Daylight

2010-05-11T16:40:00.003+03:00

To be honest, I've never really experienced a sense of depression until moving to Kiev. Amidst all the amazing travels, culture and life experiences, as well as the surprise of Baby Runyan, I lived in a very depressed state throughout the winter months. I felt guilty for feeling this way because we were on a trip of a lifetime, and I should be on an ultimate high, but was at an all time low.

Of course part of this was influenced by a very dark and extremely cold Ukrainian winter and pregnancy hormones. However, now that I am in a life season of spring, I can reflect on the major issue that caused this emptiness and sadness in the depths of my soul.

I had left a climate of friends, family, a job I absolutely loved, a ministry I fully thrived in, a sense of purpose and worth, and a city I considered home. Generally I have a spirit of spontaneity and adventure. Moving abroad and not knowing what was ahead and what we would see was exhilarating. Although there were many exciting unknowns, I did have a plan for my life in terms of work and ministry.

Learning about Kiev I discovered that Ukraine has the highest rate of human trafficking of women and children in Eastern Europe. Human trafficking is modern day slavery which earns over $32 billion a year. It is the world's third largest organized crime, following arms and drug trafficking. Of the estimated 27 million people enslaved today, 80% are women and girls and 50% are minors. Men and boys are often trafficked for labor. Women and children are trafficked across boarders to service the sex tourism industry, forced into prostitution, or sent to live a life in brothels; at least until they are further tormented by a STD or are deemed undesirable by clients. Then these victims are kicked to the streets with nothing but the haunting of their betrayal and torture.

I learned about this global injustice a few years ago and since then I have sought for ways to get involved in anti-human trafficking efforts. Coming to Ukraine, my plan was to work for a NGO and fight trafficking of persons, through raising awareness and rehabilitation for victims. Once we moved to Kiev, a roadblock was everywhere I looked for opportunities to get involved. I became discouraged. I lost my passion, compassion, I let go of my passionate pursuit of God, and I went numb. I was empty.

Then God rocked my world.......

He called me to surrender my cares, worries, frustrations, and desires and lay them at his feet. I realized how judgemental, negative, lazy, and selfish I had become. I was so nearsighted on what I wanted that I was missing life changing and life impacting moments all around me. During worship at church God called me to my knees. Much more he called me to make a public confession of my surrender to him at the alter. I didn't want to go. I worried what others would think. Why must we care so much about not making others uncomfortable and less about disappointing our Lord? As I walked to the front of the church in obedience and total submission, the closer I got the more I just wanted to run and fall at His feet. I was broken. I fell to my knees praising and worshiping God ready to do his will and go where he leads. It was an amazing moment of cleansing and renewing of my spirit. I was overwhelmed and my peace and passion were restored.

To some of you this may not make sense, unless you've been in this moment yourself. What I want to share with you is this: Be open to God's plan for your life. It is a life of abundance and excitement. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I have loved my Lord since April 2001. The last three years I have been more in love with Him than ever. I desire to live my life as a love song for God. He has taken me on a wild life adventure as I open myself to his will and his plan for my life.

My life since 2007 (after college):

Happily married to the most amazing man
Been jobless and homeless traveling
Served at an orphanage in Peru
Learned Spanish
Learned to love orphans and children
Helped bring water to a village who had none
Been an art teacher
A preschool teacher
An English teacher
A direct sales person
Cable/Internet installer
Event Specialist for Compassion International
Served children living in poverty
Been a youth leader and mentor
Suffered from blood clots
Seen God pay off my hospital debt of over $20,000
Seen my mom come to love God more than I do
Seen an incredible work in my uncle turning from a life of drugs and alcohol to hope in Christ
Seen peace and joy restored to my family after three years of hardship and pain
Host parent to an 18 year old Brazilian
Traveled to Europe, Israel, and Egypt
Been a PE teacher
Taught over 56 nationalities
Studied Russian
Loved orphans in Ukraine
Loved and played with children at a boy's rehab center
And soon to experience life as a mommy.

Currently I am discussing opportunities to get involved in anti-human trafficking with IOM, and things are moving forward. I am excited for what God has in store for my life. Life with Him is a wild, passionate, and exciting ride! Hope you are on board!

Behind the Scenes

2010-05-07T09:16:00.008+03:00

I've had a case of writer's block after my last post. This week Adam and I are traveling to an orphanage in Krivoy Rog, Ukraine. I hope that that will stir my heart again and give me the inspiration I need for my blog. I'm sure it will be an experience to share with you all.

I thought this would be a fun addition to the blog in the meantime....

Wonder how we get all those great jumping photos? Well, it doesn't come easy. Finding another tourist who can capture two people in the air at the same time AND get the landmark that we traveled to see comes as a challenge. We've learned to start looking for the young adults with really nice cameras strapped around their necks. Not all tourist are as committed to the quality shot like my father!..

Guess the Answer.....

2010-04-15T09:44:00.010+03:00

I want to play a little game with my readers, and dear friends and family.

Can you guess what these photos all have in common?

Paris, France-January 2, 2009

Brussels, Belgium-January 9, 2010

Cairo, Egypt-February 21, 2010

Prague, Czech Republic-April 2, 2010

Aqaba, Jordan-April 7, 2010

Jerusalem, Isreal-April 8, 2010

Answer: I've got a baby in my belly! Adam and I are going to be parents! Baby Runyan was created in Paris and will be delivered in Ukraine around September 25, 2010.

...."Make You Wanna Jump Jump!"

2010-03-31T09:54:00.029+03:00

Cheesy title I know, but I couldn't resist. For those of you who now have the song stuck in your head, you are welcome! I have to say it is quite appropriate for the theme of this blog. As you will see Adam and I are jumping place to place, city to city, country to country, and wonder to wonder!

Our travels began on July 21, 2009 in Brazil when we visited Bruno, our foreign exchange student (FES). This photo was taken in Rio de Janiero. Behind us is the famous mountain, Sugar Loaf. Bruno took us to a Corinthian's soccer game in San Paulo, which besides seeing Rio was one of the highlights of the trip. There is nothing as intense as a Brazilian soccer game! Drums and cheering started long before the game began and continued through until well after it ended.

Rio de Janiero, Brazil-One of the 7 New Wonders of the World- Cristo de Redentor.

August 5, 2009 - Our welcome to the EU (European Union) was during our 10 hour layover in Frankfurt Germany. We met up with Ben's family. He was a FES from Germany and a friend of Bruno's. We enjoyed a wonderful tour of Frankfurt by Ben's parents, Markus and Mary Lou. We have improved our jumping form since this photo!

August 7, 2009 - Kiev Ukraine, our new homeland. Architecture like I've never seen before!

October 15, 2009 - Adam, served as a coach for the Kiev International School boys soccer team. In our school most sport teams travel for competitions and games. The soccer team traveled to Finland and Russia this year. Below is Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia. Legend has it that the architect was blinded after he completed the Cathedral so he would not be allowed to create a better masterpiece elsewhere. Sad history for such a beautiful building!

October 25, 2009 - Oslo Norway. We spent a 1 night, 2 day trip to Oslo for only $16 roundtrip airfare. Unfortunately, once you are there it is too expensive to even breathe! Oslo is the city of nakedness. They have hundreds of nude statues throughout the city.

October 27, 2009 - Venice Italy, City of Romance. I loved the smells, sounds and looks of Venice; people whistling, singing, Italian voices that sounded much like something off the God Father, ringing bell towers throughout the city, creamy gelato, cheesy calzones.... oh and so much more! Truly an amazing city.

Verona, Italy-Verona is a great little city just outside of Venice. Some of the highlights included the balcony and courtyard where Shakespeare got his inspiration for Romeo and Juliet, a colosseum from 60AD, amazing food, wine and culture. It was a great city to grab a patio table, enjoy great Italian wine, people watch, and look out at the colosseum. As we relaxed we noticed a couple of guards taking photos with tourist. We convinced them to jump with us in our photo, but unfortunately their armor must have weighed them down. We just couldn't get all of us in the air. Well ..... maybe we'll try this again in Rome.
December 22, 2009 - Krakow, Poland. Once again we found great deals on flights for our Christmas vacation. We planned to meet my parents in Spain Christmas morning. However, we managed to find a $ 30 flight to Poland which allowed for three days in Krakow before flying to Spain. Poland was a great experience for history, culture, and of course as with anywhere in Europe, architecture! We also took this opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. It was a very sobering experience and very educational.

December 24, 2009 - Barcelona, Spain. Merry Christmas! Santa gave me my parents for Christmas morning! We met my mom and dad at the airport in Barcelona at 8am on the 25th! It was perfect! I had missed my family so much and it was great to be with them again .... and in warm weather! Barcelona has to be one of my favorite cities we have visited.

December 28, 2009 - Valencia, Spain.

December 31, 2009 - Happy New Year! We spent New Year's Eve in Madrid and in the main square for the countdown. It was almost like being at Times Square on New Years! A fun new tradition we picked up in Spain was eating 12 grapes in the last 12 seconds of the year. They say if you can eat and swallow all 12 grapes before midnight then you will have a prosperous year. I didn't make it, and nor did the person standing behind me! He had his mouthful of chewed grapes and couldn't breathe, so he spit them out all over my back! Sick! Then came all the Champagne bottles. We were soaked. It was still worth it.

January 2, 2010 - Paris, France! Happy Anniversary ...... to us! January 2nd marked our 6th wedding anniversary. This was an extra special day because we were in Paris, it was our anniversary, AND Kim and Brian (my sister and her husband) traveled to Paris to see us. It was a great time, and we created many special memories as a family on this trip.

January 5, 2010 - Brussels, Belgium.

February 21, 2010 - Sharm el Sheikh and Cairo, Egypt. I love all these teacher breaks! For February break we relaxed by the Red Sea, soaked in the sun, toured the great Pyramids, and even rode a camel! It was incredible to sit on the beach of the Red Sea and read our Bibles about the parting of the sea and how Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. Reading history where it really happened.

April 2, 2009 - Prague, Czech Republic. We kicked off our Spring Break with a 15 hour layover in Prague on our way to Israel. It was the perfect amount of time to see many of the amazing sights in this beautiful city. It is the city of a thousand spires.

April 3, 2010- Jerusalem, Israel. What better place to spend the Passover and Easter holiday than in the Holy Land? Although we were tired from our 15 hour trip to Prague and had a lack of sleep we arrived in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday just in time for an Easter service at the Garden Tomb. This site is declared by Christians to be the actual place where Jesus was burried and rose again. It was an increadible start to our vacation in the Promissed Land. Below is a photo of us at the Wailing Wall, or also known as the Western Wall.

April 6, 2010- Petra, Jordan. Being so close to the Jordan border we took a one day trip to Petra. There we had many interesting cultural experiences, for only being there such a short amount of time. Upon arrival we went to a gas station where there was a man laying outside in his robe-like clothing smoking hooka, while hummus and falafel were served inside. Then at 4:30am we were awakend by a prayer call. I think the speakers for the city were situated just below the window of our hotel. But, since it was peak season the only other available room was at a place called 'Valentine Hotel', for about $20 (ummmm I'll pass)! We spent that morning at Petra, another one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

Next on the list.... well for now, it is the USA. I'm okay with that. Although traveling has been an amazing experience and we have learned so much about countries, cultures, traditions, and the beautiful world God created, we are ready for a taste of home. We will be returning home for the summer in July 2010.

A Special Thanks!

2010-03-24T16:01:00.040+02:00

Dear Readers,

I'd like to move away from the usual posts about my travels and turn my attention on something more deserving at the moment. After my last post ($400 Pair of Shoes) I feel it necessary to give a special thanks to some of the most amazing people in my life. My parents.

My last post reminded me of what a wonderful family I am blessed with. I know I often take them for granted, but today I want to give them a special shout out (Woot woot)! I am not a parent, and I can't imagine what it will be like to someday be one. However, I pray I will be as good of a parent as my mother and father are to me and my sister.

Working at a private international school I have seen parents completely detached in children's lives. They are precious years that do not last. Like I said in $400 Pair of Shoes, bodyguards and drivers drop off students, pick them up, are hired to go to parent teacher conferences to hear about student progress, and rarely are there more than a few parents sitting on the sidelines to cheer on their children. While I would attend sporting events to support my students, I would fondly reminisce about parent involvement in my life. Growing up, the best thing my parents ever gave me was not my Nintendo 63, bike, or Jnco jeans (Hey, come on, at one point in time they were the in thing and every child desperately "needed" a pair!). The best and most memorable thing my parents gave me was their time. I have to say I agree with this quote, "Children desire their parent's presence over their presents."

My father works with the US Forest Service. During fire season my dad would be away from home traveling and protecting our country's forests. Unfortunately fire season is always in summer when I would be on school vacation. The thing I always wanted to do most during the summer was travel to California to see my grandparents and to go fishing with my dad. I remember times my dad would take me to the Arkansas River in Colorado and go fishing! Of course, any day out fishing with my dad is one of the greatest days of my life! I just love spending quality time together with little distractions, digging up grub worms, catching grasshoppers (yeah.... I don't think I am a 'typical' girl), listening to the roar of the river as the water poured over exposed rocks, and learning from my daddy how to catch..... not fish. I learned there is a big difference in the two terms. Dad and I don't go fishin' we go catchin'!

One special fishing trip when I was about 12 years old my dad invited me to go fishing... oops, I mean catching with a him and one of his work buddies. It was one of the greatest honors! We hiked down to the river bank and dad helped tie a worm to my hook. He told me where to cast my line. It landed in the exact spot and immediately a large trout took the bait! I shouted back to dad, "I got one! I got one!" It took him a minute to realize I wasn't kidding. As soon as it hit the water I had a keeper! Dad was so proud of me and he never hesitated showing it!

Dad was away for work often, and when I was younger that would upset me. I wanted him to be home. Now that I am older I can look back and see just how much he poured into us kids when he was home. Work might have been demanding on his time in the summer, but when he was home, he was never an absent father. He was a loving, proud daddy.

Some of my most cherished memories of my dad was when I was in high school. I was on the track and cross country team. Dad's office was around the corner from my school. There was a period of time where we would ride into school and work together. I loved our morning drives. He would talk to me about running and strategy. He was my favorite coach!

The time I am most thankful for with my dad was the day I had a very important race. Nothing has quite communicated to me that I matter and how much I am loved than this moment. During this race my father was in New York for work. He flew home to Colorado to watch my race and then later returned to New York to finish his work. Wow! I don't think I've ever truly told you, dad, how much that meant to me. It almost makes me cry now just thinking about it.

My parents are truly amazing! My mother is a braveheart! She would always tell me, "Do as I say not as I do!" I can't say I agree with this. I believe that children should do as we say and as we do. I agree most with this quote, "Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate." Although my mom would say "do not do as I do", it was by watching her 'do' that I have learned many great life lessons. For one: Always stand up for what you believe!

As a little girl in elementary school I can remember the time my mom pulled over the car and confronted a man when she saw him tie up a dog with a chicken around it's neck. The man was aiming his shotgun at the dog and my mom was not going to have it! Now, for many of us walking up to a man with a gun who is outraged that his dog is eating his chickens just seems plain foolish (sorry mom), but for a young girl it also was a bold statement to stand up for rights of others, stand up for what you believe in and do what is the right thing to do. Sometimes, even if it does seem silly.

My mom has also showed this strength in a 4 year battle with a nursing home that killed my papa (grandpa). Long story short he died a very painful, and wrongful death by fault of the home and sever neglect. He had Alzheimer's. A lawyer approached my mom and told her she has a very strong case and should pursue it. She had two choices: not pursue, put the past behind and allow herself to mourn and heal. Or, pursue the case against the home and ignite change. My mom's whole goal in the case was never money. She passionately and painfully challenged the nursing home to add a registered RN to the Alzheimer's floor full time at all times. And that is exactly what happened. My mom and Papa won. She had indeed sacrificed a large sum payment, and instead focused on once again standing up for what she believed and what was right. The home has enforced a full time RN at all times 24/7. Way to go mom! We are all proud of you!

I've always loved time with my mom. When I lived at home I would look forward to going shopping, out to eat and then to a movie. Even though I hated shopping (yeah, again, I don't think I am typical girl!) I loved the long days with my mom.

My name is Kristen LeAnn Runyan, I am the daughter of Michael and Debra Burchard. Through typing I cannot express the tone of my pride when I say that. Throughout my life many of my friends have mentioned that they wanted to be adopted into my family. And, in fact, many of them have been! It is a good family to be a member of! I love my parents and continue to cherish all our time together! Here is a special thanks to a special couple who enhance every day of my life! Thanks mom and dad! Can't wait for more cherished memories!

The $400 Pair of Shoes

2010-03-15T16:44:00.006+02:00

When it comes to poverty, it is easy to focus on the obvious. We are moved to compassion when we see people lack food, clean water, shelter, have no shoes on their feet, and have dirt floors. We can see the homeless on the street and know they are hungry and cold. Working at the orphanage in Peru I saw poverty first hand. Then, my two years at Compassion International I worked hard to serve the poor. Recently, God has softened my heart to a whole other kind of poverty. Let me explain.

Moving to Eastern Europe, I did not experience 'culture shock' in Ukraine itself, but rather in the students at the school I teach. Kiev International School is an elite private school. The student body is comprised of families with money and status. One year tuition for a student of any age K-12 costs $15,000. Some families have five children attending year after year. Students and their families are consumed with wealth, status, and materialism. When school started in August one of my students told me he could not run because he was wearing his $400 pair of shoes! Coming from an organization that works to provide basic needs for children who have nothing, I wanted to tell him his shoes could feed a village!

Within my first week as a physical education teacher it became obvious that I would have to work hard to gain the respect of some of my students. Believing that this would come as a result of building relationships, I made it a point to attend all soccer games and focus on how each player I had in class performed. The following day I would congratulate them on the goal they kicked, or comment on their effort and team work. Eventually the challenging and withdrawn students in my class took on a new attitude and started to do their best in class and show respect.

I found the bleachers on the field very lonely. Where were all the parents? A few staff, students, and about three parents would be there to support the KIS soccer team, even during the very important games.

During a parent teacher conference one of my students approached my desk to say hi. He was accompanied by a man who I assumed was his father. When asked if he was the boy's father my student replied he didn't have a dad.

Students are dropped off and picked up from school, not by their parents or families, but by their body guards or drivers. Drivers will accompany them to their teacher conferences and report back to the parents. Some students live here in Kiev by themselves while their parents are in a totally different region far from Kiev, totally detached from the precious childhood years of their sons and daughters.

This is a different kind of poverty. These children are not growing up without shoes on their feet, wondering if they are getting a meal tonight, and looking longingly into a school house window wishing their family could afford basic public school fees. The children at KIS have everything they could possibly want. Six year olds have iPhones, students have name brand clothing, $400 pair of shoes, even penthouse apartments waiting vacant for them until they graduate high school. They have everything and they are rich in materialism, but poor in spirit. They are poor in relationships. They are poor in love and belonging and family. It's a new kind of poverty I have never seen. God has opened my eyes and softened my heart to the poverty of this world. All of it, for richer or for the poorer.

Only in Ukraine

2010-03-15T11:51:00.013+02:00

Zdrastvuyte! Hello!

After reading my blog about Peru, I've decided to copy myself. I really enjoyed looking back at my postings about things I learned, life lessons, and thoughts about what make the country special. This time I'd like to share some of my favorite memories we have about Ukraine and things I am learning while living here.

Life Lessons
Number Adin: The best way to make a friend in Ukraine is to have a dog! I was shopping at the market while Adam waited for me outside with Riley. When I came out a group of people had made friends with Adam, and even more so with Riley. They offered Adam and Riley vodka (of course), and spoiled Riley by feeding him all their lunch meat! Needless to say, Riley really likes Ukraine!

Number dva: Always be prepared to welcome strangers on the street to a drink. When offered vodka they pulled clean plastic cups from their jacket. How thoughtful not to make us use a community cup!

Tri: Life is a party..... even at the dog park. Across the street from our apartment is a small park where many dog owners get together in the evenings to socialize their dogs and with each other. Our first visit to the dog park we were welcomed with champagne (again with clean plastic cups), grapes and chocolate!

Chitiri- Ukraine is dog friendly, not dog safe. The deal breaker for moving to Ukraine would be if we could not bring our dog. QSI ensured us that Kiev is a very dog friendly place. Everyone loves dogs! And, they do! Especially Riley. There are no other dogs in all of Kiev that look similar to Ri. His bright blue eyes catches the attention everyone. One of the first words we learned was 'eyes' because strangers will stop to ask about him and comment on how beautiful his eyes are. However, in Kiev stray dogs run around like big city rats. Many of them quite aggressive and diseased. This made it difficult to adjust to living here in the beginning. I could not walk Ri anywhere. One day I took him for a walk to the school. Along the way we were greeted by three very large, aggressive strays. Before I knew it I had three dogs crowding in on me bearing teeth. Riley is not much better as he can be aggressive at times as well. Since then we have learned how to deal with the strays and walking is a lot less stressful.

Pyat: Diversity does not mean black, Asian, white, and Hispanic. Diversity is a school of 52 nationalities and a classroom of 40 different cultures. Between my PE classes I teach 200 students and 40 different nationalities ranging ages 6-12 years old. Now that is diverse!

Shest: Anything is edible; including fried fish skins and raw bacon fat (called salo). Well, at least it is a change from chicken feet.

Shem: Vodka and salo are main staple items in Ukraine. In Russian, Vada is water. I think somewhere along the line they got Vodka and Vada mixed up. Adam and I had taken a weekend trip to Odessa with our good friends the Chapmans. Once in Odessa we took a 40 minute bus ride to a very pleasant beach on the Black Sea. On the bus ride back a woman opened a bottle of Vodka (yes on a public bus) and cut up pieces of salo (fat). Remember lesson number 2? Well, she was prepared. She pulled out cups and began to pour and pass. Before you knew it she was friends with everyone on the bus. One man quite relaxed after helping her finish her bottle began singing.

Vosem: Snot can be used as leather polish. You can witness just about anything on the trolley bus. One example of this is a women blowing her nose and then rubbing her tissue all over her purse.

Dyvit: A smile and kind gesture can make someone's day. Meet Happy. I don't know what his real name is, but I know him as the cutest and happiest old man I have ever seen in Ukraine. He is about 70 years old, has white hair, and his ears come out and fold over at the top, just like my grandpa's ears! It is not common to see many smiling faces, especially in older folks. Unlike most on the trolley, Happy is always kind, polite, and wears a permanent smile. He is a ticket taker for the trolley bus I ride to work and home. Everyday I hope to get on Happy's bus, it starts my day off right! He will smile and hold out his hand to direct me to an open seat. Happy, makes me happy!

Dysit: Children matter. The most remarkable sight I've seen in people here has been on the marshuka (a small bus). Children can often be overlooked, but on this particular day I witnessed a mid aged man leave his seat and stand so that a young boy of about 7 years old could enjoy his seat! It was a small thing but made me heart smile.

Adinadsyt: Plan your escape off the overcrowded trolley accordingly. Rule of thumb for the trolley.... There is always room for 1 more. Always. Can't breathe, it's fine, 1 more. Cracked rib from pressure, pick 'em up room for 1 more. Don't mess with old Ukrainian women; they'll take you out! One morning into work the trolley was quite packed as normal. A man got off at the stop before mine and two ladies had to step out to make room for him to pass. As they stepped back on to the bus one started shouting in a very upset voice, and the other tired to calm her. I stood up from my seat to make my way to the door. The upset woman glared at me and asked if this was my stop. When I answered yes, she began to yell at me and refuse to let me pass by. When the trolley stopped and the doors opened the calm woman got out of the bus, but the other stepped up and blocked me from making my way out the doors. Now, I originally thought she was stepping up to make room to let me pass. When I realized she really was blocking me I grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her aside yelling "What is wrong with you" in English. Previously I had answered questions in Russian, so it came as a bit of a surprise to the passengers when they heard the shouting in English. I managed to get by but as I was half out the doors shut, leaving me wedged in between them and the nice woman chasing the bus down. I looked like a rag doll, with one arm and leg in the bus and one arm and leg hanging out of the bus. With my purse dangling in my arm out of the bus I began to shout at the driver and banged the side of the bus with my purse and foot, while frantic passengers also shouted for the driver to stop. It wasn't long before the driver noticed the commotion and stopped the bus. I got off and the women chasing us down was able to get back on. I turned and continued to shout back at the grumpy woman who caused all the drama. I laugh now as I remember all the faces of the passengers baffled by the upset English-speaking girl wedged between the doors of the trolley! No injury was caused, in case you were wondering. I can't help but now reflect on what that poor elderly woman must have been going through that day to cause her to react in such a way to the inconvenience of letting someone pass on a trolleybus.

Well, there you have it. We have many more stories I would like to share, and I am sure the list will only grow as we continue this adventure called life. I hope you have enjoyed our stories!

Welcome to Kiev!

2010-03-15T09:51:00.009+02:00

August 6, 2009

Alexander, better known as Sasha (Here if you guess a name to be Sasha 1 out of 2 times you'll be right!) picked us up at the airport at 1am. He made us feel very comfortable and we quickly realized that everything was as QSI had promised. We were not in danger. We were not part of a scam. This was the real deal. We enjoyed our one hour ride with Sasha from the airport to the apartment. Sasha is highly respected and a Kiev hero! After the 1986 nuclear power plant disaster of Chernobyl, Sasha led a group of men to clean up and seal the area to prevent the spread of toxic waste and radiation poisoning. Unfortunately all of the men responsible for the clean up of the area have since passed. Sasha is the only survivor of his crew, but too suffers from health problems.

Once we arrived at our apartment after our very long journey to Kiev, I briefly eyed over our new home, sat on the couch and cried. I guess reality hit me that we actually made the two year move to Kiev. We were in a foreign place, without necessities, without friends, without any contacts, and with many questions. Questions like: Is the water safe to drink? How and where do we get money? How in the world do you read these crazy symbols called letters? Can you flush toilet paper? Wait, do we even have toilet paper? We were dropped off at the steps of our apartment at 2am without food, water, money, phone number contacts, toilet paper, and other necessities. We didn't even know when we would get in contact with someone who could help us.

We decided that the best thing would be to try to sleep until the stores would open. Adam ventured out that morning and found a local grocery store with an ATM machine. He pulled out 100 Hrivna, the Ukrainian currency. With that he bought bread and water. We were unsure of the value of the Hrivna and later learned that a 100 is a whopping $12. In Germany with Ben's family they gave us a small jar of homemade strawberry jam. Unpacking my bags I rediscovered we had packed peanut butter, unsure if Ukraine would have it. Now with jam, peanut butter, bread, and water, we were all set. We ate PB&Js for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for about the next three days!

Later, Adam and I explored our neighborhood and walked back to the grocery store. Adam gave me the money he had pulled from the ATM to go get some necessities. Walking up and down the isles of the store I quickly became very overwhelmed! I could not read anything, and many things were difficult to figure out what product they were. My mission was to get necessities, so that's what I did. I found my way to the cleaning isle and, well, stared at the shelf for what had to be over 30 minutes. Nothing made sense. Nothing was recognizable. Is this mouthwash or all purpose cleaner? Finally, I made my decision. When Adam saw that my "necessity" was cleaning supplies, he regretted not going in the store with me. We went home, I cleaned and made PB&Js.

Adam and Riley looking out our 16th floor apartment window. Wow are we high. Riley misses watching out the window and seeing the squirrels run and play.

Around the corner from our apartment is a forest. The forest is unlike anything I am used to seeing back home in Colorado. The trees are very tall, skinny, and naked lacking fullness of branches and leaves. It is a great place to run Riley. Besides the trash throughout the area and the occasional fire left unattended (Smokey Bear would not be happy) it is a very nice park. This photo was taken in the Fall.

Welcome to Kiev International School! Our school campus is very clean and beautiful. I forgot how green it actually gets. I have not seen it like this photo in 4 months. Now it is buried under massive banks of snow.

Downtown Kiev, Independent Square. This is the hot spot for Kiev. This area is lined with beautiful architecture, popular restaurants, underground malls, fun activities, and the main street closes down on weekends for pedestrians.

Behind me is the Dnieper River. Upon moving here I saw many fisherman out on the river. Initially I thought it was normal here to fish in underwear, then I learned I am now in Europe and speedos are the cool thing. Scariest thing I have seen: Mullet-thong combo. We dubbed it the 'Mullong'.

Good Bye Denver Hello Europe

2010-03-14T22:15:00.031+02:00

Greetings! I originally wrote several blogs on paper during our initial travel to Ukraine. However, I have been slow to actually post them to this blog. I have a great desire to keep up with our blog and share our stories and life with you. I recently looked back at our posts from Peru. Blogs are such a great way to capture memories. I hope you enjoy reading and following along in our adventures. Let me start from the beginning of our travel to Kiev......

I left Compassion July 2009 in preparation for our move to Eastern Europe. Before we were to embark on this new adventure Adam and I decided to make a trip to Brazil to see our filho (son in Portuguese). Mom traveled with us to see Bruno and meet his wonderful family. While we were there we had the opportunity to visit San Paulo, Piracicaba, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, and Paraty. It was a very special time with Bruno and a great start to our endless travels!

Rio de Janeiro

And of course no trip to Brazil would be complete unless there was a futbol game involved! Loco por ti Corinthians! This was the most intense sports game I have ever been to. Drums started before the game and never stopped until long after the end. Love the passion and excitement!

After we returned home from Brazil we had one last week to say good bye to the USA. August 4, 2009 we went to Denver airport with our dog and four bags, not fully knowing what awaited us on the other side of the world. We were incredibly blessed along our trip to Ukraine. We were not charged anything for extra weight or extra bags. Once we got on the plane we became aware that the airline had double booked our seats. As two passengers sat contently in our seats the flight attendant looked frantically for a place for us to move to. Mr. Flight Attendant approached us and began, "I am terribly sorry, but............" Uh, my heart sank. Wait a minute I have everything I own strapped to my back and in the belly of this plane, am leaving my home and everything I know, moving half way around the world and......... my panic was interrupted by him continuing his sentence, ".... I'm going to have to move you to Business Class."

Peru was a big move for me. It was three months away from home. I can't believe how that felt like such a long time. Three months is a blink. I never thought I'd move so far from home and for so long. Our commitment to QSI is 2 years. It was hard for me to leave, as I was sad to leave my family for such a long time. I also had many fears about what to expect when we arrived to such a foreign land. Relaxing in Business Class (BC) sure helped ease the tension. However, I am now ruined forever, as I now know what happens behind the curtain! We had a seat that reclined into a bed, and which also had a massage feature. We were offered hot towels scented with fresh lemon. Did I mention BC also comes furnished with it's very own chef? Let me give you a taste of the all inclusive menu we so greatly took advantage of:

Choice of Starters:

-Grilled Chicken Caesar, Baby Romaine, and Parmesan Cheese Croutons

-Cabernet Poached Pear, Toasted Walnuts, Baby Romaine, and Sherry Vinaigrette

-Beet Cured Salmon, Fennel, Cucumber, and Minted Yogurt

Entrees:

-Arctic Char, Balsamic Roasted Red Onions, Potatoes, Fava, Parsley and Horseradish Sauce

-Grilled Chicken Breast, Asparagus Risotto Cake, Zucchini, Lemon Thyme Jus

-Caramelized Carrot Risotto

Cheese and Dessert: (Man I am getting hungry typing this!)

-Sage Derby, Gruyere, and Cambozola

-Fruit Salad

-Madeleine with Strawberry and Whipped Cream

I would go on to list all the special wines they paired with each course, but you get the idea..... we were spoiled. Rotten.

Once we landed in Germany for a 10 hour layover, we met up with Ben's family. Ben was a friend of Bruno's and also a foreign exchange student from Germany. They gave us a wonderful 10 hour whirlwind tour of Frankfurt. And, there was enough time for a German Beer, bratwurst and sauerkraut!

We arrived in Kiev at 1am August 6, 2009. I can't remember my exact emotions or feelings at this time. I do remember a mad rush to immigration, with no lines formed at all (since I have learned this mob IS considered a 'line' by Ukrainian standards). There were no friendly smiles or "Welcome to Kiev". As I got through customs there I saw my little dog on the other side! I was so excited to see him, as he was me too! Poor Riley. We put his crate and all of our bags on three carts and pushed them toward passenger pick up. I'd push one cart for a moment and then run back and push the other one. As I grabbed on to a cart with our luggage I heard Riley's cart come crashing down. I rushed over to see if he was ok and struggled to quickly lift him back up. It was quite a trip for all of us!

At 2am we were dropped off at our new home nestled on the 16th floor of an apartment building. We made it!

What can God do in 2 years?

2009-09-20T16:25:00.033+03:00

It has been two years and five months since we have lived abroad. After we graduated college we were jobless and homeless traveling for a year. Our travels took us to an orphanage in Trujillo Peru for three life-changing months. After returning to the States in March 2007 we settled in Colorado Springs, CO where Adam worked on his Masters in counseling, and I became... the cable girl. You see, back in Peru God did an amazing work in me. Just read back through the beginning of my blog and you'll understand what I am talking about. Working in an orphanage I thought I could paint, cook, clean, build things, and help with agriculture. However, I can remember our first day at Hogar de Esperanza when Sarita held out little Jose David to me and said, "baby?" in Spanish with a smile. I just shook my head no and used all the Spanish I knew to tell her that I am not ready and don't know what to do with him. Then began God's work and my journey learning to love children. I was sent to work in a house with 12 boys while Adam, the one who is a natural with kids, was sent to paint and build bikes! Now jump down to the last blog post in Trujillo and you will see that I became quite attached to those 12 and had a hard time saying goodbye.

It was while I was at Hogar de Esperanza that I made a decision to always live for something greater than myself, and to always work for a greater cause. Something that will make a difference in the world and in the life of a child. In February 2007 I began applying for a job at Compassion International (CI). I was certain this is where I was going to work. Unfortunately after applying to numerous openings at CI and not getting any response, I became discouraged. We moved back to the Sates from Peru and found our home in Colorado Springs. I continued to pursue CI for employment. Ray, a good friend lead me on to a job opening with Comcast for Direct Sales. I applied and was instantly hired, going door-to-door and performing installs; thus becoming the "cable girl." Adam worked diligently on his Masters and I brought home a very comfortable income. I convinced myself it was "paid schooling" for learning direct sales and I loved the financial freedom. We could do anything, but I quickly became very unsatisfied. There were very little ethics and morals among my fellow employees and the occasional shady person during my installs. I worked for Comcast for over five months and all the while continued to pursue anyone I knew from CI and other job postings. One day I came home in tears after my installs. Adam and I prayed about my job, CI, and realized Comcast was not where God wanted me. On October 31, 2007 we surrendered the large paycheck and stepped out in faith as I quit Comcast and applied for On-call work at CI. The next day I got a call to come interview and on November 5, 2007 walked into CI as a Temp employee with the Development Marketing team. Even more incredible, this job ensured steady 40 hrs a week and provided what we needed financially to survive.

I cannot explain what an amazing environment CI has. I absolutely loved going into work every day. CI quickly felt like home to me. It is a place of integrity, compassion, love, faithfulness, encouragement, and made up of incredible people who desire to make a difference in the life of a child. It is while I was employed there that I witnessed the true Christan community.

In March 2008 I began to suffer serious headaches, difficulty breathing, and major back pain. This progressed throughout the month, and since I was uninsured I did not seek medical attention. While Adam was in New Mexico I woke up unable to move or breathe, only finding the slightest comfort sleeping cross legged and bent over. That morning I went straight in to see the chiropractor, thinking a rib was out of place and jabbing me in the lung. After adjustment I went into work. I had about three hours of relief until a friend and co-worker found me blue, hunched over and unable to breathe, and with tears running down my face. I was rushed to the hospital. I was diagnosed with blood clots in my lungs. Strange since I am young, healthy, active, don't smoke, and no family history of this. The clots had formed in my legs, passed through my heart, and my lungs acted as the filter before moving to my brain. I was given shots in my stomach, the most painful treatment I've ever experienced. I was terrified and totally dependant on God.

Now, this really is a long story so let me try sum it up as best I can! At this time my family was facing some very difficult challenges. I remember my mom telling me she missed being happy and having peace. I deeply desired to share with my mom the peace and joy I know in Christ. While I was in the hospital she came to see me and during this time, there was no greater testimony of my faith than what was displayed by the incredible Christian community at Compassion and my church. I was showered with love, prayers, flowers, gifts, and food as my team from CI brought me and my family a meal every night while I was recovering. I was overwhelmed by all the love and support I received from these incredible people. Mom started to attend church with me and quickly found a home church in California. Let me highlight some other miracles during this time:

My medical bills without insurance totaled over $20,000, but in the end I was actually paid $47 to go to the hospital after receiving the help of programs and my Christian community.
I got off my blood thinning medication (rat poison) 6 months earlier than expected.
I am completely healthy and healed.
God’s peace and joy has come to my mom.
There are many other incredible things that was a result from my illness and many more details. However, those are the highlights.

In October 2008, I was hired on permanent and full time with CI as an Event Marketing Specialist. I had an amazing team that I quickly became very attached to. In this job position I had the special opportunity to spend quality time with former sponsored children and Leadership Development Program students. I would get lost in their stories. They had a contagious passion for the Lord. I could go on about this particular job with Compassion, but that would be a whole other blog post! I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to work at such an amazing organization and serve in this role. I will miss it deeply.

Also during Fall 2008 we welcomed a very special young man into our home, Bruno, a foreign exchange student from Brazil. It was on a Wednesday when Adam and I discussed how we would love to host an exchange student in the "future". That Friday Adam had an interview at a local high school for his counseling internship. Needless to say they liked Adam so much they offered him the internship AND a student! Although we thought the 'future' would be a little farther out, Bruno was a special addition to our family. We later visited him and his family in Brazil in July 2009.

In December 2008, as Adam's Masters program was coming to a close, we learned of international counseling opportunities. Having a desire to travel and return to South America we decided to put the word out about our interest in international work. After sending out his resume, cover letter, and desire to work internationally, Adam got a reply from Quality Schools International about available jobs in Ukraine and Georgia (the country). Wait..... ummm Ukraine and Georgia? That's not South America. I wasn't even sure where Ukraine was on a map! The director of the school happened to be in Denver for a weekend and asked to meet with us. Although Adam and I had little desire to travel to Ukraine or a country that recently was bombed, we decided to go to the interview to learn more about international work. On our way we prayed that God would change our hearts if this was what he wanted for us. What was supposed to be a 30 minute interview turned into a 3 hour interview as we spoke with the director about qualifications and life. By the time we drove home from Denver (a 40 minute drive) we received a call with a job offer for Kiev Ukraine.

Now for the back story on this. I was supposed to get my resume in months before the interview took place. I never turned it in. However, I loved my job at Compassion and never felt like I was 'looking' for a job. But, because QSI prefers to hire couples they requested my application as well. Our interview was on Sunday and scheduled for right after I flew home from Houston. I was at a youth event for work that weekend and planned to go straight from the airport to my sister's house to shower, change to professional clothing, print my resume, and get ready to meet QSI. However, things don't always work out as planned. I missed my plane and as a result came in to Denver 2 hours later than expected. Just in time to drive from the airport to the interview. I told Adam we should just cancel, we didn't want to go to Ukraine anyway. There was no way we would move there. Adam talked me into going just to learn about what an opportunity like this would look like. Along the way I told Adam, "You know if they offer us a position God really wants us there." I thought I would ruin it for both of us. In my business oriented mind never would we get hired since I was late, without resume (that was due over a month ago), and wearing casual clothing and dirty jeans!

I hope that through this summary of the last two years you can see God's hand print on our lives. Although our time in Colorado Springs was a very special two years, God has called us to a new adventure and new ministry. In February 2009 Adam accepted the position as Secondary Counselor at Kiev International School. As we said good bye to friends, work, and family we also said good bye to everything we owned. We sold everything and left for Kiev, Ukraine with four bags of clothes and our dog. I'd like to say our theme verse was this: Luke 18:22. I encourage your to look it up. (And in case you are wondering, we did give to the poor.)

Now before I sign off of this post, I would like to leave you with a challenge. I challenge all of you, do not simply exist. Find a way to truly live. God is calling you into a life of love and purpose. My most valuable lesson these past two years has been that out of my greatest times of trial and pain have I received my greatest blessings on my life.

Until next time, peace and joy!

Cusco-Machu Picchu

2008-09-14T21:12:00.008+03:00

I know this is a year over due, but it has been on my to-do list for that long. I want to continue updating this blog with all exciting and thought-provoking times in our lives. However I need to pick up where I left off first. Plus, our last couple of days in Peru are most definately worth documenting. I hope you will all come back and visit our blog for more... well, consitant updates and thoughts. I will try to not let another year go by this time!

Leaving Trujillo and all the kids was a very sad time for us, well, bitersweet really. We were a bit homesick and looking forward to mexican food, real milk, soap in bathrooms, and of course family and friends. We were also excited for a new adventure and seeing a new part of Peru; Machu Picchu, one of the most spectacular places in the country! I first learned about Machu Picchu in a Spanish class in college. When congagating an irregular verb, my professor would always say in a Spanish accent, "Oh, it's Machu Picchu verb." After visiting Machu Picchu, I am now even more confused by what she was trying to imply! Before I jump too far ahead of myself let me begin with leaving Trujillo.

While at the orphange we became very close with Julisa, one of the 'madre' workers. Our first real conversation with her, we asked what was her favorite thing to do. She said she loves to travel. After elaborating on places she has visited, it would be the equivalent of going from Alamosa to Denver, at the most. Without disscussing it first, Adam and I both had the idea to bless Julisa by taking her with us to see Machu Picchu. Although somewhat expensive, we knew this would be an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity for her. Needless to say she cried and screamed when we asked her to accompany us to Cusco.

After an 8 hour bus ride, where I of course was carsick the entire trip, we arrived in Lima. Once at the airport we were told that they over sold the flight and there was no way we where getting on the plane for Cusco. I, of course, had a little 'conversation' with the airline management. Although they did not put us on the plane, they did accomodate us by putting us up in the Sheridon Hotel for the night and provided all meals during our stay. At first I was very disappointed, as we only had five days in Cusco and with the delay we would be cut back to only four days. This turned out to be an amazing blessing I was happy to welcome soon after.

Once we arrived to the Sheridon we immediately felt like royalty. Now, the Sheridon in Lima is an exquisit hotel. One of the most glamorous hotels I have stayed at, and the meals were amazing! We walked straight to our rooms. The reaction on Julisa's face is one I hope to never forget. She was in awe. She fell to the bed, spread out her arms, and shouted, "I feel like a diva!" We continued to explore the hotel and worked our way to the restaurant.

During our dinner, Julisa and I went to the bathroom together; like girls normally do. Ahhhh, finally a nice bathroom, with soap, paper towels, self-flush toilets, and seat guards! Now we're talking- a little taste of home! As we finished up (I know you want to hear all about my bathroom experience, huh?) a little girl, I am guessing from the States, was showing Julisa how to turn on the sink and use the soap dispenser. I then had to show her how to get a paper towel, since it was all automatic. She was amazed; as was I that bathrooms were something I take forgranted and would actually be considered a luxury in many areas of the world. All night she was in awe and repeated over and over that she was a diva. It was really neat to see her excitement. It was eye-opening to realize that I often have the means to stay in a nice hotel when I travel. And yet, this was an incredible experience for Julisa! Nearly as exciting as Cusco itself.

This photo is when we first arrived to the hotel and were exploring. We had quite the photoshoot, but this is one of my favorite photos.

The plane was also fun to experience with Julisa. Her head was plastered to the window the whole flight. Obviously, it was her first time in a plane. During the hour and a half flight she kept repeating in nearly perfect English, "My country is so beautiful!" I think she took close to 50 pictures while in the plane.

Altitude? What is that? Although Adam and I lived at sea-level for three months, we still had what it took to handle altitude. Cusco's elevation is at 10,859 ft, so it is understandible that Julisa had a hard time aclimating after living at sea-level all her life. Of course we still gave her a hard time about it, but Adam took good care of her. here is a photo of Dr. Runyan equipping Julisa with water and meds for altitude sickness. I had to surrender my warm clothing, as she is used to warmer weather being from the costal area of Peru. She froze the whole trip. Living in Colorado and then spending three months south of the equator during thier summer months, Adam and I were happy to cool down in Cusco.

Cusco is such an amazing place. Truly one of the most beautiful and breathtaking cities I have ever seen. There I saw some of the most elegant Catholic churches, brightly colored clothing, incredible artisians, and amazing scenery and landscape. Quite touristy though. There were people from all areas of the world. It turned in to a fun game trying to quess who was from what region. Because we were pointing out people we thought were from our region, we had to explain to Julisa that people from the States come in many sizes, shapes, and ethnicities.

Cusco is a ways from Machu Picchu, so we took a train to Aguas Calientes where we stayed for two nigths. This was such a fun town. There we met people from around the globe and ate great food! We could get a five course meal for about three dollars. Most restaurants would give you a 'regular' menu, but if you asked for the ten sloes (three dollar) menu you could get great food with a four to five course meal for about half the price of the regular menu.

Machu Picchu was discovered in 1911. It is considered the world's finest example of landscape architecture. Machu Picchu means "old mountain" in Quechua, the ancient language of the Incas (although many still speak the language in Ecuador and the Andes of Peru). It was a center of worship and astronomic observatory. The peak you see in the photo is called Hayna Picchu, "young mountain" in Quechua. Many climb the peak to get a good workout and a fantastic view of the forest and ruins.
It was the only Inca establishment to survive the Spanish conquest. It was known as the lost city of the Incas.

Machu Picchu is also known as the cloud forest. It is where the Andes meets the Amazon rain forest, giving it an interesting climate. It was the most beautiful place I have ever been!

Good-bye Trujillo

2007-03-31T07:59:00.000+03:00

This week we started our good-byes, something that seems to be much more difficult than I imagined. It is crazy to think of the imact you can have on someone, or they can have on you. The slogan for the Albergue is "Cambia Tu Corazon" (Change Your Heart), and this holds so true to mine. When I got here, I had no clue what I was doing or what I was getting myself into, as twenty-eight little kids came running up to us. When we got out of the van, Sarita looked at me and said, "bebe?", as she held little Jose David out to me. "Ummm... no", was my reponse, something we joked about in Huaraz as we were remenising about our first day at the Albergue.

Two days ago I was in Hugo and Sarita's house when Jose David came running up to me, grinned, and reached his arms up to me. I cryed. I realized how much I am going to miss him doing that, and how much I will miss all the boys in that paticular house.

Arnold is one of the boys in that house that I have become quite attached to. He became very special for me the first day I met him. He was easy on me, as he was very content just sitting next to me, and smiled up at me with same expression as in this photo. We have a great time together when he takles me and when we just sit side by side. This little boy's past is a very ugly and dark one as he was abused, neglected, and uneducated. Now, I have been able to share in the joy of seeing him attend school for the first time and have a loving home with people that care for him. Arnold has changed my heart. He is a very adorable little boy with a huge heart and a hunger to learn and grow. Chito (short for little Jesus, "Jesusito") is also another little boy from the same house that has changed me. I love this little three year old boy. He is adorable and I have spent about everyday with him. I tought him in my preschool class and I watch him in the mornings. We put together "rempacabezas" (puzzles) almost everyday, as it is one of his favorite thing to do. I have grown quite attached to this little one. I call him "Mi Amigo" which makes him happy and giggle. Friday night (our last night at the Albergue) was very hard for me. We were watching Spiderman 2 and having a party, which was our treat to the kids before we leave. When I sat next to Chito while watching the movie he shouted "Mi Amigo" with so much excitement! Then he held my hand and would periodically look up at me and say, "Tia, Hola." After the movie finished I said good night to all the kids for the last time and went upstairs, where Adam then found me trying to fight back tears. I will miss him very much. He is my little buddy here at the Albergue.

This is the last movie/party night before we leave. I am sitting with my boys! Left to right: Samir, Edwin, Rocio, me, Chito, Piero, Jesus, and Arnold.

On Thursday night, our friends from church had a good-bye party for us. Here we played games and they put us on the hot seat, sharing memories and having fun. The whole night was dedicated to us! They are a great bunch of people and we have enjoyed getting to know them all.

Today, Satuday, is our last day at the Albergue. I had planned on packing and cleaning, but the workers and kids had another idea. They knocked on our door at 9am eager to play and party the whole day. We started with relay races and other games. Then, everyone was divided into three groups for an art competition. The groups were divided into people to work with cardboard, sand, and with paper, paint, cotton, and other matterials. After our art projects we met for lunch, where the workers gave us gifts and shared with us how much they appreciate us coming. Here are some pictures I took through out the day.

Dani tackeling Adam after the relay races during our "field day." My team won the competition with this sand horse.

Adam's team project had to make something out of cardboard. They were very creative. They made a dancing elephant, by putting it over Jesus.

It was a very fun day full of activities. We are finished packing, and will be departing for Lima and Cuzco shortly. It was hard and sad to say good-bye to all our new friends. We will miss them very much. This will be our last blog written in Peru. I will write another one in the States, next week, to tell of our trip to Cuzco. See you all shortly!

Last Days in Huaraz

2007-03-28T20:24:00.000+03:00

Thursday, our third day, was by far the coolest day for Adam and me. On this day we hiked up to Glacier Pastoruri, and then a little more. First, this area is in a National Park that is temporarily closed. Our guide promised we would get to touch snow, a goal for most of the Peruvians there that live at sea level (Including Hugo and Sarita). As we made it to the park entrance, our guide, along with the people on the tour, pleaded with the gate keeper to give us just a couple of hours. After much bartering and pleading she gave us three hours to get up this mountain and back. As we drove up to the trail head we passed many neat sights. The first of those being hieroglyphics. After that we were shown a crazy looking cactus-like plant that only grows in the Andies in Peru. It is related to the pineapple and is one of the most ancient plants in the world. It lives up to 100 years old, flowers once in its life, then dies after it flowers (although facts differ depending on who you ask). Unfortunately (for us, not the plant) we did not see any with flowers.

Here are the hieroglyphics seen on a steep, smooth, tall rock in the park on our way to Pastoruri. There is a man running, squiggly lines, a serpent-like creature, sun, and other things that are more faded.

Once at the trail head, Adam and I ditched the group and hauled up the mountain. Knowing we only had a limited amount of time, our goal was not to touch snow (we've done that once or twice!), but to climb to Pastoruri, a peak just shy of 18,000ft. Soon into our hike we had pulled quite a ways away from our group. We past the starting point for the snow and kept trekking. I stopped hiking to the sound of our guide hollering and waving his arms, motioning us to come back down. Bummer! When we reached the group at the base of the snow our guide informed us that Pastoruri had many crevasses that can be very dangerous. Thankful, but disappointed we stayed with the group and toured the glacier ice cave just below the peak. Adam reached about 5400m (17,712ft) and I about 5300m before we had to turn back. It is the highest we have ever been on foot, and surprisingly did not feel much different from our 14ers back home. What a neat view!

I cant complain about the natural ice cave either. It was very cool to be able to walk inside the glacier, although the caution sign said not to enter. In the picture below, I am in the entrance of the ice cave. My alpaca sweater was the perfect thing to keep me warm the entire time. I was surprised it was not colder so high up in altitude and in an ice cave. It was a very neat experience. I wish the pictures could do it justice.

Unfortunately, the altitude did bother some people and Hugo and Sarita never made it to play in the snow. However, the snow made its way to Hugo and Sarita. Adam and I packed our alpaca hats full of snow and ran it back down to where they were waiting on the group.

This was thier first time to ever touch or see snow! They were very thankful and had just enough to make a little snowman. They also had a snowball fight and tasted the snow. I told them what we all need to learn with snow... don't eat the yellow stuff. They named thier snowman Jose David, after the little one year old they look after at the albergue.

On Friday, we got a tour of the city, did some last minute shopping, then headed back to the Albergue. This is the view of Huaraz. It is a very beautiful city.

There is always a photo op. in Huaraz. Here there was a woman walking her llama. It was so cool to see, and have, such an authentic experience in Peru! The people don't mind doing the photo op. for an occasional sole or two(the Nuevo Sol is the money used in Peru). Overall, we had some of the best food, and best tours on this trip. We would love to come back in the future and tackle one of the mountains here.

Huaraz Day Two

2007-03-28T18:59:00.000+03:00

On the second day of our trip to Huaraz we went to the Chavin de Huantar ruins. It was only 68 miles away from Huaraz, but it took us nearly four hours to get there on a bus. We had to drive on an unpaved and twisting mountain pass about 15,000ft in altitude to get there! Although the trip was long and we spent a lot of time in the bus, the trip was very adventurous. We made frequent stops to checkout the scenery, shop in little towns, and for a landslide. Along the way we had to stop for quite some time while a crew cleared the road from a landslide that happened not long before we got there. While we waited we took photos and enjoyed the view.

This was our first stop along the way. It was at a high alpine mountain lake with a few mountain Peruvians living in the area. They lived in little hut homes made of branches and leaves. Here they raised llamas, goats, and sheep. This is one of the little Peruvian women we saw there.

Lagunas Querococha is the alpine lake where we made our first stop. It rests at about 13,000ft in elevation. I thought Alamosa was high in elevation. Imagine living 1,000ft below one of our 14,000ft peaks! These people are incredible!

Adam and I at the alpine lake on our way to the ruins. It was a great area for photo opportunities. Those are about 18,000ft mountains behind us, actually some of the smaller ones in the area!

Adam and Hugo making the most out of our little delay of the landslide. Almost everyone was out of the bus when it attempted to pass through the landslide area. We all walked past the area, and it is very surprising, Peruvians can drive through anything. They got the bus up and over the mess on a very narrow road with a drop off! They amaze me. It was cleared a lot from when we first got there, but it still was not what I thought would be "safe". I was just glad I was passing on foot.

Chavin de Huantar are 3,000 year-old ruins created by the Chavin culture. It has a U-shaped fortress temple that was constructed over several centuries. This culture lived in this region from about 1200 to 300 before Christ. They are considered the most ancient of the major cultures in Peru, and most sophisticated. It was interesting to know that they did everything in sevens. They measured in sevens, their sculptures were done in sevens, and drawings had something representing the number seven. The Chavin are considered some of the most influential people to have lived in the Andes until the Incan culture that came 2,000 years later. The ruins has many underground galleries and chambers. The amazing part was that some were open to the public. Here in these photos Adam and I are underground inside the ruins. We have seen many ruins, but never been allowed to tour inside. It was very labyrinth-like, with many twists, turns, and compartments. It was much cooler than the warm air outside and smelt like mud. It was very neat! Outside the ruins there were herds of llamas. Llamas, llamas everywhere! It was a very authentic experience.

There was a lot of very interesting sculptures around the ruins. The Chavin culture worshiped the serpent, bird, and feline. These animals can be seen in a lot of the art. This piece was taken out of the center of the ruins, underground, and brought out for the public to view. They have some of the neatest carvings and sculptures I have seen in ancient ruins.

Huaraz Day One

2007-03-28T06:31:00.000+03:00

When we first got to Huaraz, we booked our four day adventure tour with a guide for $30 a person, not per day, just per person! We traveled throughout the night on an eight hour bus ride and arrived at six in the morning. Our first day in Huaraz we spent touring through popular local towns and at lagunas lakes up in the mountains. Unfortunately it is the rainy season and the clouds came in and blocked the view of the massive 22,000 foot peak, Huascaran, in this photo. It was incredible. The whole area was absolutely gorgeous. This town is called Yungay, and was permanently marked by tragedy. In 1970 there was an earthquake (7.8 on the Richter scale) that was followed by a landslide/avalanche, that completely buried the city. The disaster killed 20,000 people in this city, almost the entire city population, and in total killed 70,000 people. The few survivors settled in a nearby area a half a mile away and farther away from the mountain. Now this city is only visited and serves as a large burial ground. It sure was pretty, regardless its tragic history.

This is a really big Jesus! Here you can see Adam at the bottom of the statue, showing how massive it is. This statue rests at the top of a large burial site for the victims of the 1970 disaster, in Yungay. Hugo and Sarita are a couple of our close friends at the Albergue. They are a married couple, that take care of 12 little boys. They have been saving up for two years to come on this trip and invited us to join them. We have had many game nights and movie nights over at their casita. They are a very neat couple. They are always doing special things for us, like cooking us a meal and leaving it at our door while they knock and run. They have taken us to a "Mexican" food restaurant, that was really good, but different, when we missed our food. They have brought us pizza and are always thinking of ways to do something special for us. This trip was a good time for us to repay them for all the wonderful things they have done for us. For us, things are very cheap, so we helped them out financially by buying some meals and their hotel. It was the least we could do for all they do for us. We will miss them very much.

This photo was taken at Lagunas de Llanganuco. It is a brilliant turquoise alpine lake, at about 13,120ft high. It rests at the base of the Cordillera Blanca's highest peaks, like Huandoy (20,976ft) and Chopicalqui (20,841ft). It was very cold and the rain came in, so unfortunately we missed the clear view of all the enormous peaks. It was still very beautiful.

After rowing on the lake, we walked into a sheltered area, where a Peruvian woman was making bread, coca tea, and alpaca hats. She used a pile of heated rocks as her stove and Adam and I warmed up with some coca tea. It was some of the best hot tea I have ever had. Don't worry, it is not processed, so it is not the drug. One thing I had troubles with is everyone uses the same cups. There are only a few cups, so when someone is done with their tea, the lip part gets wiped down (not really cleaned) with water and filled for the next person. But hey, how many times do you get to try coca tea? Here I am at Lagunas enjoying by coca tea and warm alpaca hat. It is recommended in our Frommer's travel guide book to drink coca tea for altitude sickness too. We didn't get altitude sickness, but we tried it anyway. Not bad.

Huaraz y Fiestas!

2007-03-27T02:01:00.000+03:00

Wow, it has been an incredible week! There are so many stories and so many pictures. I have 156 pictures that I would love to put on this post. Huaraz was absolutely one of the most beautiful places we have been in our lives! It reminded us a lot of Ouray, Colorado, but with much larger mountains, rich in the Peruvian mountain culture, and an abundance of coca tea and candies. We spent four full days in Huaraz, but Adam and I could have stayed a lot longer to climb some of the enticing peaks of the area. The mountain peaks ranged from 17,000ft to 22,000ft, making our 14ers look like rolling hills. On Sunday before we left for Huaraz, we were invited to a fiesta after church. I think the party was put on by the Peruvian mafia. The home we went to was like an oasis, or a resort. It was a very large, clean, beautiful home with gorgeous landscaping, numerous fruit trees, a DJ, and a large outside bar. Quite impressive! Well, it turns out that the home did not belong to the mafia, but a friend's uncle that was in a popular Peruvian band. Still very cool. Many of our friends were there and let me tell you... these Peruvians know how to party! It was quite an experience. First we had a tour of the property, then enjoyed some beans, rice, and goat for lunch. Well... some of us enjoyed it. After lunch we danced salsa, meringue, and other traditional Peruvian dances. The band later played a few songs for us. It was a very authentic experience, as they were all dressed in traditional clothing, and playing unique instruments.
The band just finished playing at another party, then came home and played a few songs for us. The woman dancing is one of the most elegant dancers we have ever seen. She flowed with the music and looked so soft and elegant while she danced. They were all very talented.
This is a good photo to show some of the clothing and instruments used. (Top) Left to right: Charlie, Elva, Liz, and Adam. Liz is the manager of the Albergue and our hefe, boss. She is also a very good friend and we will miss her very much. Liz is a very special person with a very caring heart for the kids. It has been a blessing to get to know her. She is sweet, funny, and does a great job of balancing friendships and being a manager, which I admire.
(Bottom) Liz and me at the party. Some beautiful plants!

Since I have so many amazing photos of Huaraz and many stories, I plan to post a blog for each day we were there. I will post them all in the next couple days. Hope you enjoy the photos, but just wait for the ones to come! Love you all and we will be back home soon. Saturday is our last day here at the Albergue. Then, off to Cusco and Machu Picchu!

Parties, Pulling Teeth, and Having Fun!

2007-03-14T22:08:00.000+02:00

School has started for all the kids, so it has been really quiet around here. There has not been too much going on. This week has been mostly catching up with laundry, reading books, helping out where needed, and applying for jobs. It is not too long until we are back in the States and having to get back into the swing of fast-pace living. Strange, we see ourselves being torn two ways, wanting to be here much longer and excited to return home.

This month has been quite difficult for me at times. Many long term missionaries we have met say the first two months are exciting and new, the third and fourth months are tough because that is when you really start to miss home. Then after the fourth month, things get a lot easier and you accept this is where you will be for a while. All is very true for me right now. We are entering our third month and I am about ready to see my mommy! We are still having a lot of fun, but with the kids off to school, I do not feel like I am needed as much. Now, I have been watching the little boys for one hour in the day (while Adam teaches English to the mothers), then wait until the kids come back from school in the afternoon. Their school schedule is very similar to ours in the States. They go to school about 7am and return around 2pm, Monday through Friday. When they return it is still very quiet around here, because they have a lot of homework. We are hoping we will be able to play at night before they have to go to bed.

Currently we have only a week and a half left at the Albergue. On Monday we will be going to Huaraz a beautiful mountain town (You should look it up online it is very beautiful!) with Hugo and his wife Sarita, a couple of workers at the Albergue. We are very excited for this trip and I can't wait to post some pictures when I return. Unfortunately, when we get back from Huaraz we will spend our last week at the Albergue packing up and saying good-bye. After we say good-bye, we will be on our way to Lima, where I will go straight to Starbucks, as there are many States chains in Lima. I can't wait! In Lima we will catch our plane to Cuzco, where we will then see Machu Picchu. We will spend five days in Cuzco, which is where Emperor's New Grove, the movie, is based (although many Peruvians do not appreciate the film).

Before school started we spent about every night with the kids. We would spend evenings at the boy's houses and play games and watch movies. On Friday we invited all the girls to our apartment to play games and watch movies... bad idea. Adam and I were exhausted after they left and we decided we wouldn't do that again. Boys are so much more well behaved! Mary Lou, I gave the girls your hair ties and they absolutely loved them. They almost ran me over when they saw what I had. They made them all very happy. Thank you.

Playing Jenga with the boys before school starts. Jenga is very popular here, and it was a lot of fun. we really enjoy spending time with the boys in Sarita and Hugo's house. We are closest to them and the boys.

Many of the boys are loosing their teeth now, and Adam pulled Bryan's. Bryan was the only one tough enough to let Adam do it, and was very proud afterwards.

We took some kids to a large park and then to eat at Rocky's, a nice restaurant loved by all the kids. Jesus (top) and Samir (bottom) spent the day at the park climbing trees. Above is Araceli, one of the children that were returned to the Albergue last week. She is adorable and very sweet. She is in good health and very happy to be at the Albergue. She came over for the all girl's party our apartment and was very well behaved and mature for her age. She was very excited about the hair ties Mary Lou (Adam's mom) gave the girls and was very thankful. As for one of her brothers (below, right), Yen is not in very great health. He was the one returned with a bloated belly and parasites. Today he was taken to the doctor and is in much better health than when he first arrived last week. We hope he continues to get strong and well in no time. He is shy and quiet, but very cute. At first he was a little timid of us, but now he shouts, "Tia" when he sees me. We are buddies. I can't wait for these little ones to be adopted into a wonderful caring family.

Little Yen, 2 years old

All About Me!

2007-03-13T01:13:00.000+02:00

Okay first thing's first! People are saying they enjoy the photos, but they want to see pictures of me too. I had a hard time finding a picture of me becasue, like Kim said in her comment, I am always behind the camera taking pictures. So after a long search, I found one, and here it is....

Here I am on the beach with Jonatan. I promise it is me. Hehe. Just kidding here are some others...

How is this for a photo!!! Not a bad way to spend the day. We have spent much time on the beach, since it is only 1/2 mile. Sometimes we go there to retreat and spend time for just the two of us, but it is fun to take the all the kids also. They love it on the beach and could spend hours running away from, and chasing waves.

On the beach with little Jonatan. Jonatan is an adorable two year old boy who lives at the Albergue with his adorable sister, Blanca Nyeli, who is 5 years old. We have a lot of fun with this little one. I am sure if he lived in the States he would be a football player. He loves to play rough, walks tough, and is a big ball of mass. He looks small, but is very heavy. He loves to tackle me when I am sitting.

Adam and I took the older kids and some of the workers to El Mirador, a day resort. I mentioned it in a pervious post. There were two pools, horse back riding, soccer, volleyball, great food, a mini zoo, live music, games, and ice cream! They all had a lot of fun. We took 11 people out and it only cost $60! Can you believe it, imagine where you could take 11 people in the States for that much money... that included food, entry, and all! And hey, look at that... there I am again! In the pool they tryed to see how high they could go by standing on shoulders. It was impressive.

Above is Maria on the horse. Below is Adam with Yamelit at the mini zoo!

Nuevo Niños

2007-03-09T19:42:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone, I thought it was about time we update you all again on what's been going on here in Peru. We have been quite busy for the last two weeks. The kids start school on Monday, so we have spent about every night playing games, watching movies, or doing something fun! This is our last week of our normal schedules, after school starts, I imagine we will be tutoring the kids with their homework.

In the last two weeks six children have came to live at the Albergue. One, named Junior, is approximately twelve years old. He was found on the streets in Trujillo with out a family. At the moment we do not know much about him, except that he is very, very happy to be living here. He is always willing to help out, and has very high energy. Junior is very sociable, but has problems communicating because he cannot speak and has difficulties hearing.

Junior is wearing green, he was in the garage helping the guys fix the bikes. Riding the bikes is his favorite thing to do at the Albergue. Also in the picture is Roberto, a friend of ours that came to visit.

The other five children are all from one family. Their story hurts your heart. For four of the children, this is not their first time living at the Albergue. They lived here for over two years before the new year. The five children come from three different fathers. One of the fathers was very abusive to the children and even drowned his new born. The mother decided to flee her home in the jungle with her children because of the dangerous circumstances. She had no money or means to care for her children. Along the way she met a woman who gave them shelter and told the mother about the Albergue. The children first arrived in October of 2004. After being here for over two years the mother appealed to the court, proving she had the means to care for her children. They were returned to their mother in December last year. However, less than three months later, the mother returned her children along with a new baby. One of the little boys, Yen, came back with a bloated belly, infected with parasites. The children had been malnourished, full of parasites, and covered with flea bites. It seams as though they are happy to be here and readjusting well. We are working at helping them recover and become healthy again. They are all adorable children. Now, the mother cannot come back for her children, and they will be put up for adoption soon. I will post pictures soon. Please help us pray for their recovery.
From left to right: Josue, Jesus, Karolina (sitting), Caroline, and Yamelit. These are a few proud students I have for art. They are holding their clay projects, which they all did an amazing job. I was very pleased! Jesus definitely shined in class while making his projects. He made a turtle, lizard, and snail, all very impressive. The kids really enjoyed this project, as it was something new and challenging. Luckily, I have taken pottery before and had a clue as to what I was doing, but that entailed going back to my high school years. Funny... in high school I would ditch history to spend more time in pottery class, and I am glad I did, as it prepared me for this exact purpose (Sorry, dad... am I grounded?). This project took two weeks to complete.

Adam and one of our favorite little girls, Brigitte. Adam joined us in my preschool class in the morning. Here we where doing puzzles and learning colors and numbers.

Again, some of my preschoolers, Isaias and Brigitte. Yamelit was my helper for the day, she helps me understand the little ones.

Like I said in my last post... they find joy in the little things, one of their favorite toys, the box!Preschool class is fun.

Adam spends his time doing the manly stuff. Elias, Adam, and Samir working on bikes in the garage. Adam says they can rebuild a bike with just about anything. Elias is Adam's hefe (boss), they have a lot of fun together.

Fogata

2007-03-02T19:27:00.000+02:00

Wahoo! PARTY complete with a block of cheese! I like the sounds of that. For those who have not read the comments posted by Trooper Kim, my sister, you should. She noted that they are going to have a party for us when we get home, so everyone should RSVP. It would be lots of fun and we greatly miss our family and friends and would love to see you all. She lives in Denver, read her comment (on the Just For Fun post) to find out more info.

Tonight we plan on having a slumber party, with games, cancha (popcorn), movies, and more. It should be a lot of fun and all the kids can hardly wait. We have two weeks with the kids before school starts, then we will not get to see them as much. At the moment we are in the process of buying our tickets and planning our trips to Machu Picchu and Huaraz, a town surrounded by the Andes mountains.

Last week we had a fogata, campfire, complete with s'mores, popcorn, games, and music. Adam and Hugo played the guitar for us. It was a lot of fun, but a little warm. The kids went crazy over the s'mores. It was a very fun night.

Adam prepared the s'mores and all the kids waited in line. Here Chito stares intently as he awaits his next delicacy!

Piero is all about the s'mores. This is good stuff!

Bryan enjoying the fire... well all the little boys enjoyed the fire! They wanted to throw everything into it, including each other. We had to watch it very closely.

Adam and Hugo, a worker at the Albergue, have become very close. They enjoy playing their guitars together and learning new songs. It was a great touch to the campfire.

Well, we miss you all and can't wait to see you all. I am getting a little home sick, but things are still going great here. It has been a wonderful experience.

Just for Fun

2007-02-26T23:32:00.000+02:00

We received an email from a friend recently that asked questions to get to know each other better. I usually do not fill them out, but this time I thought it would be fun (sorry). All the answers pertain to Peru.

1. What is your occupation? Jobless. As volunteers Kris teaches preschool, English, and Art. We just made sculptures from clay and painted them. The kids did a great job. They made turtles, snails, a coin dish, a heart, a flower, and a lizard. Adam does "manly" things in the garage and around the Albergue.

2. What color are your socks right now? Socks, are you crazy? It is a million degrees here! We prefer barefoot on the beach!

3. What are you listening to right now? Children laughing, Rocio singing in Spanish, kids running, and crashing on bikes.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? I am not sure, but I think it was a bird of some kind! Last week we had cow stomach, and tongue with rice... the rice was delicious!

5. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Um, if I was a crayon I would be chewed up, broken, or all over the kid's arms and faces! Oh, what fun we have in the preschool class.

6. The last person you spoke to on the phone? My dad in California. It was his birthday on the 24th and I had all the girls sing a happy birthday song in Spanish. It had to have been the COOLEST B-day call ever!

7. How old are you today? I am 23, but I feel younger than I was when I first got here. The kids have brought me back to my childhood years. I have had to use my imagination, play on the swing sets, and find the excitement in things that crawl! It's been great!

8. Favorite drink? Oh, how we long for a glass of milk! Here they have what they call milk, but it is thick, creamy, and tastes like half and half. Oh yeah, and it is not refrigerated! Yup, you refrigerate it after it is opened.

9. What is your favorite sport to watch? Well, the workers and kids playing soccer at the end of the day. Adam has been playing a lot of futbol!

10. Pets? Mosquitoes, flys and spiders. Just kidding, well kind of. At the Albergue there are two dogs, Tracy and Pebbles. Pebbles knows English because she belonged to a United States family. She is a basset hound, very old, and well fed! Tracy is a skinny, funny looking dog, but recognizable as a dog, as many are not. We have seen some very ugly dogs! There is also a cat.

11. Favorite food? MEXICAN FOOD!!! I can not wait for the day I have a burrito smothered in Green chili, a shredded beef taco, chips and salsa, a chimichanga, a taco salad, and green chili chicken enchiladas all sitting in front of my face! Peruvian food is not Mexican food! We will not be wanting rice or soup for a long time. I think my favorite also excludes stomach, tongue, or feet!

12. What was the last movie you watched? The Ant Bully in Spanish. We invited the kids over to our apartment to watch a movie on our 10" television. We laid out several mattresses, had popcorn, fresh squeezed O.J., and played games all night.

13. What is the favorite toy for kids at the Albergue? Their bikes, because there are not many of them and they are only allowed to ride them during certain times. Other favorite toys include: an empty cardboard box, a stick or block of wood, water, and tires. They have many toys, but they prefer to use their imagination.

14. Favorite fruit? Mangoes and apricots are fresh, sweet, and in season.

15. Favorite day while in Peru? Feb. 24th we took the older kids to El Mirador (Dad, we celebrated your b-day!). The 7-11 year old kids went to camp, so Adam and I took the older kids and some employees out for a fun day. At El Mirador there are two large pools, horse back riding, playgrounds, soccer, volleyball, great food, a mini zoo, and live music. It was a treat for my apoyos, or helpers, for doing a great job helping me with the small children. We were able to take 11 people out for only $62! That included 11 large meals, ice cream, entry fee, riding horses, transportation, everything! It was a very fun day. None of the workers or kids had been there before, so it was a real treat. It was rewarding to be able to do something so special for them all and spend the time with them. Another favorite day was working up in Alto Salivary with the Boston group, what an awesome group of people, we miss them.

16. Who is most likely to respond? To our blog... Kim and Mary Lou, they are troopers! We greatly enjoy the comments and hearing from you, so please keep 'em coming!

17. Living arrangements? We really are homeless, but currently, I can't complain living in Peru at the Albergue. We get three meals a day, a nice clean apartment, running water (most of the time), and electricity (most of the time). When we return we will live with my parents in Pueblo, until we find and can afford a place to live in Springs.

18. When was the last time you cried? Last Sunday... sometimes, but rarely, I want to be home. Not having any Mexican food is just too much to handle sometimes! Tee hee Tee hee.

19. What did you do yesterday? We went to church, went to a friend's house for lunch, then came home and slept all afternoon and all night. We woke up to eat and watch part of a movie. It was wonderful. El Mirador was a big day, the night before we were at a surprise birthday party until late, then after Mirador we went into town to watch Inca dancers. It was very neat, but we were very tired at the end of the week!

20. What are you afraid of? It used to be babies, now it is Peruvian taxis!

21. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather? Snow... it would be a nice change and like I said it is a million degrees here! In snow you can drink hot coco and wear layers. It is very hot here and there is no such thing as an air conditioner.

I forgot one life lesson last time... The world really is a small place. Of all people to meet here in Peru, we met a girl from Alamosa, Colorado. She just graduated high school and is here for one year. Crazy!

Life's Lessons

2007-02-23T01:23:00.000+02:00

We have come to understand and learn some of life's great wonders. This has been a wonderful trip. We came to be immersed in a culture we knew little about. We came to learn the language, gain experience, and to make a difference in the life of a child. It has been almost two months and the experience has been overwhelming and life changing. I would like to share some of the great lessons we have learned while staying in Peru. People go on mission trips to serve and make a difference; however, it is not until you reflect on the experience when you realize you where the mission. You go to make a difference, and indeed you do, but you come home a different person because of the people you meet. It baffles me that there are so many people in the world, and what a big impact one person can have on another. I can't say that just one person in particular has touched my life, but the many people we see and talk to everyday have, in their unique way, made a difference in my life. A little more than one month left, and we are sure there will be many great experiences and lessons to come. As for now, we wish to share some lessons and experiences we have had here at the Albergue.

Life lesson numero uno:
If we lost everything we owned, but still had our family and friends, we would still be happy because we have what really matters.

Numero dos:
Babies really are not that scary!

Tres:
It is easy to desire more than what we have and think the grass is greener on the other side, but I have realized that I am a very rich person. Even though we are jobless and homeless at the moment, we are rich. In the States I am considered low class and a poor college student, but I am able to attend college. I am considered poor, but I can feed my tummy when I am hungry. I am considered poor, but I have a place to call home. I am considered poor, but I have clothes to keep me warm. I am considered poor, but I have a place to live with electricity and water. I am considered poor, but I can drink the water that comes out of my faucet. I am not middle class. I am not upper class. I can't afford a ticket in first class. But I am rich beyond imagination, because I am richly blessed. I am blessed with family, friends, health (even though some say I am "All tore up"...sorry inside joke!), and all necessities I need to live life comfortably. I am rich and so are you!

Cuatro:
Kids are more than just noisy, smelly, dirty creatures! Okay, this may sound horrible to those who do not know me, but I had no idea what was to come. I did not like kids much, but after attending World Mandate (WM) in Waco, Texas (a missions conference), I became passionate about women and children around the world. When I went to WM something was stirred in me as I learned about how parts of the world treats women and children. I learned that it was not against the law to rape women in parts of Africa. That if a woman is rapped then she must have deserved it. I learned about little girls being forced to have part of their female parts removed by using sharp rocks as tools, so they would stay out of trouble with boys. Children being sold into sex slavery, forced by parents. Indeed I also heard about wonderful miracles and powerful stories. A positive story is that the first female president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (I admire this woman in many ways, Google her!), has made rape illegal and highly punishable, she is 69 years old and loved by her people. She is focusing on education and human rights for woman and children. I do not mean to sadden you with any stories, but things like this do happen. We may hear about these things and wonder why doesn't God do something, but He did, He made you. We can make a difference wherever we are. That is what I have learned while being here. I am making a difference in the life of a child, I love them, and they have shown us an abundance of love since we have been here.

Cinco:
Living with less is not bad or not fulfilling, just different than we are taught to believe.

Seis:
Peruvian food is not Mexican food... I had no idea I would miss cheese, beans, chips, tortillas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, salsa, mouth watering green chili from Campus Cafe, oh man... I need to stop!

Siete:
We are all part of a bigger plan. God has a unique, individual purpose and plan for us all. We may not know what exactly what that plan is, but not knowing is part of life's great adventure. He created us for something great.

Ocho:
I now know what it is like to be the minority. Although, I don't know if I should feel cool or awkward while walking along the beach little kids point and yell, "Mira, gringa!" (which means, "Look, white girl!).

Nueve:
When Piero and the boys came to visit when I was sick, they gave me a card, a hug, and prayed for me in hopes I would get better and be able to play soon. I am not sure what impact this had on me, but I was greatly moved beyond what my words can express.

Diez:
Whatever you do, do it with all your heart. We learned this while watching the kids play at the beach. They crashed into everyone because they were so intently focused on play.

Once:
If you have little give little, if you have much, give much. While working up at Alto Salivary with the water project, a woman made tortilla-like bread and passed it out to people in our crew. We were there to bring her water, a necessity of life, she had very little, but she still was compelled to give what she had.

Doce:
People need us to look at them through God's eyes rather than our own. Everyone has a story, their past, that shapes who they become for good or bad. Some of these children have sad stories. Knowing the children's pasts helps us realize why they act a certain way, and makes us have compassion. It is easy to have compassion for young children yet we judge older adults. These children will become adults and their past will not change. God loves us unconditionally, like a loving father to his child. I desire to not judge someone, but rather listen to their stories and possibly make a difference in their life, if only for a moment. In general, we want people to behave and believe a certain way, and then they can belong, but God accepts us long before we choose to accept Him. He looks at us through a different pair of eyes. Through unconditional love, kindness, and compassion.

Trece:
And yes, you can fit 56 people in a bus that seats 27! On our way back from the beach there was the Boston group (about 16 people), 29 children, and 11 other adults. Everyone had one or two kids on their lap! Unfortunately, one had a little accident... not on me!

Life at the Alburgue

2007-02-07T03:26:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone, finally posting an update. We have been very busy at the Albergue and have been having a lot of fun. We have many stories to share, but this time we mostly want to focus on the people and introduce you to the children and workers around us. They are all very special people and have found a special place in our hearts. Peruvian people are amazing in general. They are very kind, friendly, open, and welcoming. The Peruvian culture is built around friendships and family. We have made many friends while staying here. Many people we have met have invited us to go out, come over, or meet their family. Everyone wants to take us home to meet their family.

Here are some very special children and workers we want you to meet. There are 28 children at the Albergue, all very special and with unique cases. We have learned all the histories of the children and why they are here. For all children here, this is a great place to be, the Albergue really is a place for them to grow up healthy and thrive. There are two classes of children here, ones that have been abandoned and are up for adoption, and others who are here for protection (meaning their families could not provide for them, but hope to in the future).

This is a family we have become very close with while being here. Alex is a manager at the Alburgue. He has two adorable daughters, Adriana and Barbara, and one baby on the way. His wife's name is Nancy. I (A) have been able to spend a lot of time working with Alex. He is an amazing man that I definitely look up to. He calls me "Hermano Gringo," White Brother, we have a lot of fun.

It is extremely hot here in Peru and the kids find every opportunity to cool off. The boys decided it was their job to make sure everyone was nice and cool. Here they are taking Yuli (against her will) to get soaked.

Since then, Yuli has returned to her family and is no longer here. Sometimes this is a great thing, and other times it is hard to say. Yuli's mother abused her and strangled her before she was brought to the Alburgue. Please pray that this reunion will be a happy one.

No one escaped, here they are holding Maria under. From left to right: Josue, Isiais, Maria, Arnold, Jesus.
This is Jesus, nicknamed Chito. He is one of our favorites. Every time we see him he yells out Tio/Tia!, giggles and runs/dances in place. It is too cute. When we say, "Rico" (tasty/yummy) he shouts, "Rico Leche!" (Yummy milk) in the cutest little boy voice. The kids love rolling this tire around the alburgue as fast as they can and have become quite good at making sharp turns. Kris spends every morning with him while teaching the preschool class.

Maria is a very special young lady. She is smart, funny, always willing to help, and has taken on the role of big sister, as she is one of the oldest here. She is one of Kristen's apoyos (helpers) in the mornings with the little ones. Maria really shines as a helper. Her smile lights up a room. In this picture, the boys decided she needed to get wet and enjoy cooling off in the summer heat.

Arnold and Abel, boys will be boys! It was very touching for me (K) to see the boys play a "cops and robbers" game. It reminded me that we are all created the same, no matter what country we are in. A tear comes with laughter and sadness, a child giggles with joy and finds excitement in a bug, couples get butterflies in their tummies, laughter becomes a contagious thing, we laugh, we cry, and we love. On both sides of the equator, people are people, our cultures are what make us different. We are in a third world country, and I do not see our culture as better, simply different.
Here is Carolina playing on the swings. She is also a very special girl. She is very smart and likes to surprise us with her knowledge of English words. We asked her, "Como se dice?" and pointed to her dress. She told us in Spanish, then put her hands on her hips and said (in perfect English), "Dress!" She is very smart, fun and has a great personality. Unfortunately she was abandoned, adopted, then abandoned again. The woman that adopted her beat her and was very cruel. She is up for adoption, and we pray she finds her "forever family" that will let her know she is beautiful, desired, and loved.

Time to cool off again! This is a treat at the Alburgue. This fountain is very large and the kids have a blast... and so do we. It beats running through sprinklers.
Arnold is absolutely adorable, we love him. He is a newer member here. He is very sweet, funny, loving, and helpful. No one knows when he was born, but he is about 7 years old. His mother and uncle are deaf and mute. He has never met his father and has never had schooling. While his mother was begging on the streets, Arnold took care of his siblings. He was abused by his uncle. He cannot read or write, but is so eager to learn. I (K) teach English class and can always see his desire to learn, as he is quiet and bright-eyed in class. He is a very happy boy, whether he is contently sitting next to you staring with a grin, or trying to tackle you. Arnold is up for adoption.
This is Piero and Carolina playing in the fountain. Piero is a very cool kid. He is 7 years old and is very intelligent and funny. He can read very well and spell some though words. He is always ready and excited for English class. He comes 15 minutes early, then doesn't pay attention, yet still learns the words! He is very caring and loving. I (K) was very sick from food poisoning last week, which left me in bed all day. I never came out. At about 7pm there was a knock on our door. There stood 6 boys and Yulissa, the mother. They where in their house praying for me and Piero wanted to come pray with me. So they all made me a get well card and came to visit. After giving me the card Piero asked if he could pray for me. It was very moving as this little 7 year old prayed for me in his language, and so cute. How could I not feel better after that?
More fun in the sun, playing in the fountain.

We hope you all are enjoying our stories and pictures. Thank you for the comments, they make us smile. If you know anyone interested in adopting, or having children, please let them know about these little ones. They are all so amazing and the Alburgue is helping them grow into very responsible, educated, fun, passionate, and healthy children. They may have had difficult pasts, but it is exciting to witness the beginning of their healthy future. If you are interested in helping this mission, there are many ways, but most of all, please help us in finding their loving families.

January Birthdays

2007-02-06T20:07:00.000+02:00

We have been having a great time with the kids at the Alburgue. There are so many stories to be told, I can hardly tell them all on the blog. We are approaching one month since arriving to the Alburgue, which has hardly been enough time to get to know everyone. Just recently we went on our first solo outing. We are always with a Peruvian when we go to town, but this Sunday we felt confident to venture out on our own. We went to Huanchaco, a very popular beach town known for surfing. We were able to count money, order from a menu, navigate our way through the town, shop, know what buses to take, where to get off, and communicate. It was a lot of fun, and very rewarding. In church Adam was able to understand the sermon and was very excited. We are happy to still have two months so we can really get to understand and speak Spanish.

At the end of the month we celebrated all January birthdays, a tradition started by Janie Helm, who also volunteered at the Alburgue. It was so much fun and so rewarding to take the kids into town to celebrate. First we went to Rockies (a nice restaurant with a play area), then we went to the center of the city and rode in a train. They absolutely loved it and their faces glowed all night.

Adam and the birthday boys. From left to right: Abel, Kevin, Adam, Italo, and Edwin. On our way to Rockies to celebrate!

Abel turned 5 years old. He is always ready to help out and play. He cannot form many words or communicate well, but the Alburgue is a great place for him to grow and thrive. We also celebrated his brother's birthday, Italo.

Kevin is 13 years old. He has spent most of his life growing up at the Alburgue. His parents tried to drown him, and then left him in a bus, where he was then brought to the orphanage. He is very affectionate, eager to help, loves to play, but is somewhat timid. This is the largest expression I have seen on his face since we got here. He is a very happy kid, but seldom shows it on his face.

From left to right: Yulissa, Italo, Edwin, Abel, Kevin, Adam. Yulissa is a madre, "mother", for the kids.

Italo, 8 years old, is Abel's older brother. Italo has a very sad past. His mother is a prostitute and would dig a hole in the ground and place Italo in it while she was away. She would cover him up with dirt, to keep him safe. He is very affectionate, playful, and always helpful. He has trouble communicating, but with one on one attention he will surely thrive.

Edwin, 5 years old, was born with microcephalia. His father died and his mother is an alcoholic and could not care for her children. He is very loving and enjoys being the center of attention. He also has troubles communicating and pronouncing words, but has been doing better with one on one work and practice. He has quite a temper sometimes, but also lights up a room when he does something he is proud of. He is very determined in his work and play.

Abel and I on the train that circles the center of the city. They loved it. Adam bought them glowing necklaces that they thought were just too cool!

All of the children on this post are up for adoption. It is sad to know the past of these children, but it is exciting and a blessing to be apart of their future. It is wonderful to see them grow in a healthy and protected environment. Please keep these little ones in your prayers that they will find their "forever families."

Tour of Hogar de Esperanza

2007-01-31T02:44:00.000+02:00

Welcome to Hogar de Esperanza! Here are some pictures to show you where we will be until April. It really is great here and the accommodations very comfortable. We have been here for Three weeks and our room definitely feels like home. Our room is very large, clean, and colorful. There are three main buildings for the orphanage; two buildings for the children, divided into four houses (two boys and two girls homes), and then the main building, which holds the apartments, kitchen, laundry room, offices, chapel, and class rooms. There is a very nice playground and many lawns to play soccer on. Also, there are gardens and fields where they grow numerous types of vegetables. On the East side of the Alburgue are the sand dunes and mountains, and no more than a half a mile West is the ocean.

The West side of the main building. The class rooms are the doors on the bottom floor, and the apartments are the second floor. Our room is the window on the far right.

This picture was taken looking East. The Alburgue rests at the base of the sand dunes. The two white buildings are the homes for the children.

This is also an East-facing view, showing the playground, small garden, and part of the second floor. This picture was taken from the roof, it is a beautiful place!

Our bedroom is simple but very comfortable, with plenty of closet space and some beautiful Peruvian artwork.
Here is where we spend much of our time (the food is great, but it goes straight through you!). I can't help but think of my friend Andrea everyday because there are penguins on our shower curtain:)
Our living room is also very nice and spacious, and yes, those are fresh mangos on the table!!! I eat at least one a day!

We are both on the roof, where we like to spend time watching the sunset over the ocean. The sunsets are always so wonderful here. Look at how dark we are!

Changing hearts

2007-01-27T05:34:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone, I thought I should post a blog to let you all know we are not dead. Much has happened since the last time I wrote. We have been having a great time, and this week has been a lot of fun. Last week I failed to mention our ventures outside of the orphanage, so that is where I will start.

Our first big day out in Trujillo was the Sunday before last. We went to church with Liz, the manager here at the orphanage. It was a great church, where we immediately felt welcome. It was also a big relief, as one third of the people there are from the U.S. It was the first time we really were able to speak English. Everyone was so open and inviting, and we were invited to have dinner with several people. The church is very contemporary and similar to what we go to at home, but in Spanish. It was so amazing to see how friendly these people are. We hung out with people after church and made a lot of close Friends right away.

On Wednesday of last week we went to Pastor Ricardo's house for dinner. We had a great time as we got to know one another and share stories. His wife was a great cook, and she left out the chicken toes! It was an awesome experience to be invited into his home and have fellowship with other Peruvians.

Last Friday, a large group from Boston came. They are a very special group, in which Adam and I have built a strong friendship with. They came to start the Alto Salivary Water Project, which Adam has been working on. It is absolutely AMAZING to see what God is doing with this area of Peru. First, let me tell you about this area of Trujillo (Parents, don't be alarmed!) It is a very rough area, very poor, and the people cannot be trusted. They live in an area where they have to lie, cheat, and steal to survive. There is a young man that sits in the street in the heat and eats sand all day long. Alto Salivary hurts your heart when you see how they must live and survive. Currently, the people here must pay for dirty water or walk to the orphanage to fill bottles with clean water. They live on top the the sand dunes where the sun is very intense, and water is needed. This water project will bring fresh, clean water straight out of the mountains into their neighborhood.

When the Boston group first started to work on the project, locals would stand off to the side and watch. Some were happy to see us there, others were curious, and some were unsure of what to think. The first day there were minor complications, and the project was at a standstill. The workers sat down and prayed about the project. When it came time to put all the tools and equipment up a man from the village offered the space in his store. This is important because the man would not let us use his store before, but something changed in his heart when he saw the group pray. Since then many locals have been helping out. People are bringing their own tools to lend a hand, borrowing our tools, and returning them. Women of the village are also lending a helping hand, and are very tough workers.

A woman hard at work.

All week has been awesome, as we have been watching God move through the hearts of the locals. They have been witnessing something very foreign to them. The locals have realized that there is something different about these gringos. They are watching the Americans build a water tower for the people of the area, and it costs them nothing. They are watching the Americans care for their people and play with their children. People's hearts are changing in Alto Salivary as they see love, compassion, and hope be brought into their village. They have seen how the Boston group treats one another, and how they interact with the locals of the village. Relationships have been built and tears formed in the eyes of many villagers when the Boston group completed their last day in Peru. They plan to return in August. It was sad to see them go, and we will definitely miss their accent!

A very special family we met at Alto Salivary.

Adam shared his faith with some people our age. He is amazed at how responsive they are, they want what the Boston group has, a relationship with Christ. Several people at Alto Salivary have made the decision to have a personal relationship with God this week. The water tower, when completed, will out last the people who built it, and the decisions that have been made this week in the hearts of locals will last for eternity. Not only is God bringing fresh drinking water to this village, He is also bringing them hope, health, and a future.

The last day at the water tower site, with some locals that helped out.

Pastor John, of the Boston group, sharing some final words with the locals. It was very moving and the locals were sad to see the Americans leave.

Ups and Downs

2007-01-17T17:17:00.000+02:00

Everyone, we have an announcement to make. It happened sooner than we thought, and sooner than I had hoped, but I (Kris) helped change a diaper! Well, kind of, I stood behind the madre and used all the Spanish I knew to tell her I was afraid and had no idea what to do. After going into the boys' house I asked the madre, Sarita, if I could help with anything, well that was a dumb idea. She just looked at me and then the baby and smiled. I have been holding him more. His name is Jose David, and he always waddles up to me and reaches his hands out to me, it is kinda cute!

I had a melt down the other day. Things are going great overall, but on Monday I started Lectura, where I have to teach a reading class. For one, I have never liked reading out loud, I don't read in Spanish, and when I ask questions at the end I have no idea what their answers are, so I smile and say good job. I had a group of kids all 6-10 years old and did not know how to teach them, or control them. Since then, I have taught a couple more classes and things are going very well. I am learning very quickly, plus it helps me learn as I read children's books in Spanish.

Adam has been working on the water project, where they are making clean water available to the people of this area. As for now, Peruvians have to walk many miles to get water from the orphanage, or pay money for dirty water. It is a great project to be apart of, but Adam comes home tired and sore, as it is a lot of hard work. While being apart of this project, Adam has learned about the corrupt politics and policemen here. Some people do not like this project because it will affect them making money off of dirty water. Also, a couple days ago they got stopped by a policeman and had to pay money (2 soles about 75 cents) for no wrong doing. Unfortunately the ploice make up stories so you have to pay them.

Let the fun begin!

2007-01-14T03:43:00.000+02:00

This has been a very humbling experience so far. We have had a great time learning spanish and meeting people. We can already see our spanish improving, although I (Kris) did tell someone I have three husbands, in attempt to say I've been married for three years. I have become one of the following: a nerd, a good student, a very committed person, or just desparate, as I read the Spanish-English dictionary when we go to bed.

The food has been great here. We get three meals a day, which Adam loves, and everything is very fresh. I have had some very tasty, and juicy mangos. The food is almost always unique and colorful.

Yesterday definately broke me in for what is to come, as I completely had to let go of my obsesive compulsiveness. For starters, during lunch we sat with the girls. They were delighted to have us sit next to them. I was enjoying my meal when the cute little girl, Brigitte, next to me sneezed on my arm and plate. I admitt I was a little discusted, but here you just don't waste food. Another interesting experience was at dinner. We had chicken noodle soup, which included the whole chicken, even the feet. The girls loved them, they ate the skin and even sucked on the toes. God knows me well, my bowl had a piece of white meat!

Before dinner we spent time in the girls' house, where they sat me down, brushed my hair, and "styled" it. Then followed my new doo with lip stick and eye shadow. I guess my make up just wasn't dark enough. After looking magnificantly colorful, they soaked me in perfume. I was't fond of using thier lipstick and was afraid I'd get lice, but none so far. But like I said, what a humbling experience! It was hard not to worry about such things, but gratifying to put myself last and enjoy watching the children delight in our presence. They call us tia y tio (aunt and uncle). I don't know why, but they say it with much enthusiasm.

Well, it is now time for me to go play hide-and-seek with the ninos y tio!

Welcome to Peru!

2007-01-11T22:38:00.000+02:00

Wow, what a challenge! Not many people speak English, so we are on the fast track of learning Spanish. It took two days to get to Trujillo. Then we slept in the Lima airport until our bus at 8:00 a.m. Then it was an 8 hour bus ride to Trujillo from Lima. Sleeping in the airport wasn't too bad, we kicked back in the chairs, but really didn't get much sleep. We met a junior in high school named Sabastian, who has dual citizenship in USA and Peru. He helped us become familiar with the culture and what to expect. Aside from Sabastian, no one spoke English on our trip, which made it a tough two days. I know we will be learning fast, since we will be hearing only spanish for three months! We are excited to learn the language.

The bus was exciting, aside from Kris being car sick the entire time. It was a double decker bus, we sat on top. Sabastian told us that Peruvians make the sign of the cross before they get on a bus because they are so dangerous. Ours was nice and safe, although, we did pass a burning double decker bus on the side of the road... Yikes!

Once we arrived at Hogar de Esperanza (Home of Hope) the children were all waiting inside the gate for us. When we got out of the car they started to sing a bienvenidos (welcome) song in spanish. Then all the children ran up to us and gave us a hug and kiss on the cheek. The youngest is one year and the oldest is 11 years. They were all very excited to see us.

I, Kris, was very overwhelmed listening to everyone speak Spanish. It was very challenging, but I enjoy the challenge of learning the language and making a difference in peoples lives. Not being able to speak the language also challenges me to put God first and rely on Him, for it is in my weakness God gives me strength. I believe we will grow immensley on this trip both spiritually and as individuals. I am also very excited to share this adventure with my husband. God, thank you for this opportunity!