A Special Thanks!

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

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 at the school I teach. My school is an elite private school. Much of the student body is comprised of families with money and status. One year tuition for a student of any age K-12 costs approximately $15,000. Although there are numerous healthy loving families at the school, some students and their families are consumed with wealth, status, and materialism. I would be a liar to say I myself do not caught up in these things at times as well. However, there are times when I learn of few student situations where they are removed from family relationships and are lacking guidance, love and quality time with parents.

When school started in August one of my students told me they 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! This student is a kind, polite student in which I know nothing of his own personal family situation. But again, the wealth that exists within our school walls was where I experienced my own culture shock.

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 these few students that were challenging and withdrawn from instruction and activity in my classes  took on a new attitude and started to do their best in class and show respect.

While attending games, I found the bleachers on the field very lonely. Where were all the parents? A few staff, students, and several parents would be there to support the school soccer team, even during 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.

Many students are dropped off and picked up from school, not by their parents or families, but by their body guards or drivers. At times drivers will even 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. Many children at our school have everything they could possibly want. A six year old has an iPhone, 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, but Matthew 5:3 says "Blessed are the poor in spirit...". These few students lack important family relationships. Some lack  love and belonging within their family, when that is were we should receive it the most. 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

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!

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

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?

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

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!