Nostalgia

There were a number of things last week that made me nostalgic. I spent some time with the incoming Link class and attended the commissioning ceremony for the seven planning to leave in the coming months. Link, for those you who don't know, is the arm of InterVarsity which sends staff to other IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) movements around the world. These two couples and three single people are headed to Turkey, Paraguay and Croatia. As happens every year at this time, I found a part of myself longing to be one of them headed overseas. But only part of me.

I also spent an evening this week with Nate, Jewel and Anya Mattke. Nate was my teammate in Minsk for a couple of years. He was also on the same summer project to Ukraine that got me involved in the former Soviet Union in the first place. I had a wonderful evening catching up with them & we ended the night praying over one another. I was encouraged.

On Thursday I spoke with my good friend and former teammate Katya. Katya is now an English teacher in a high school in Brest, Belarus. She's married Oleg, a doctor, and they are expecting their first child in the fall. The connection on Thursday was even worse than usual, but we still managed to laugh and trade stories and say "I miss you". I have yet to meet Oleg, so by the time I next make it to Belarus I will have much to catch up on!

Today I had a surprising opportunity - I was at Anna's house (Anna is one of the girls I mentor) and her family had a guest over. Sergei is a virtuoso accordianist who is from Ukraine but spent most of his life in the far eastern part of Siberia before moving the the States in 2001. He played some for us (wow!) and shared some of his story. I hope to get the chance to see more of him.

I also turned 29 this week - a not-so-momentous birthday which passed quite pleasantly. If you are interested, ask me sometime about a Japanese sign, a hand-me-down squirrel, a stolen balloon & blowing out unlit birthday candles.

Seminars are still not done. I am getting desperate... but not desperate enough to stay up all night. I just want them done! Done enough to invite 20 or so more leaders! Thanks for praying. If you'd like to help in other ways - let me know!