Mad Ramblings

Mad Ramblings from the Other Person on this Journey...

I realize that I have not talked much on the blog so I thought I would type a little on some random thoughts on our trip.

Food – I miss it! Big bags of chips instead of small bags of meat flavored chip (YUCK); regular pizza instead of a land that has no clue what pepperoni is; Bar-B-Q anything but would love some ribs; and shouldn’t the US help a country that does not have Chips and Salsa? Box me up some Pizza Hut and send it over!

Our one ray of sunshine is MacJohn’s. Jenni may have typed about it but it is as close to US restaurants as we’ve got. I had a hotdog sandwich that was unlike anything I had before. It was really good but designed more like a sandwich you would get at a fancier restaurant. Great food and the owner treats Americans like celebrities. It also helps to have an English version of their menu. I could eat there daily but I am still ready for some El Campesino or Pizza Hut.

Driving – They save a lot of money here by not painting lines on the road but they would just get in the way. Imagine there is a 3 ½ lane road without lanes. The right one is generally for regular traffic and the left one is for its traffic. The 1 ½ in between is a free for all and you’re very comfortable driving within an inch or two of each other. WEEEEE!

It is worse in Almaty where they drive and park in open spots of the sidewalk but its still fun! Misha, our driver is very good though and feel very safe with him. I teased him today (through charades) of wanting to drive which he got a chuckle out of.

New Friends – Misha (driver), Olga (coordinator), and Aliya (interpreter have been great. They are doing well with our brand of sarcastic humor, even the ones who don’t speak English. We really enjoy them and they make the trip much more enjoyable.

I think the most fun times are when we get to tease with Misha, whether it be through Aliya or charades. He has quite the mischievous sense of humor. For instance, Aliya talks a lot which we enjoy but Misha likes to tease her about her talking. Yesterday, Aliya took a day off and her sister, who used to work for the agency filled in as an interpreter. She does not talk as much. Misha told her yesterday that compared to Aliya, the sister is deaf and mute. Maybe you needed to be there.

I think the worse was when I was teasing Aliya today that I was going to find her a man which made her nervous as we walked through the Atrium. When we got in the car, I told her to tell Misha that I was trying to find her a man and what kind of man did he suggest. She did not want to but I kept bugging her till she did knowing he would join in the fun. However, as she tried to tell him through her laughter, I realized how mean it is to enlist help in teasing someone by forcing the victim to interpret for them. I’m surprised she didn’t change what I said to get me back.

Churches – I’m not going to say a lot on here about the local churches because I want to hold some back for talking at church. For those who don’t come to the church, I will give more details later. However, they are very different than our church back home and really, any church from back home. Going to the few here, it is powerful and beautiful but also more like going to a museum.

We talked through with Misha and Aliya what our church was like by playing them sound files and showing pics. This is kinda building on our many talks as they have been interested in the fact that I’m a pastor. They both really like the concept and set up of the Fellowship but there is nothing like it here. Please continue to pray for us as we get a chance to talk to them more while we are here. We are building on the witness of others who have been here before. When Josh prayed at our church that we would be bold and be able to share the gospel in this country, I knew it would take the Lord to open that kind of door here. I’m glad He has and pray more will be open.

Home – I miss it and want to be home. Want to see my son. Want to see our families. Want to see our friends. Trying to enjoy what we can because I know we will miss the people once we leave but come on…………

Emily – BEAUTIFUL………It is great to see her everyday but it’s hard to leave her twice a day. The fun part is we still don’t have to change diapers. However, I would add that to my plate to have her with us and not have to leave her and sit in this apartment knowing it’s just a matter of time and paperwork before we can bring her home to all of you.

Speaking of you – Thank you….thank you for your love, support, prayers, and thoughts. We love you all and will be home soon…..as soon as possible. May God bless you!

-Tom