Well, we're halfway through! Less than two months left and I'll be done with DTS. Can you hear the joy in my voice? Honestly, I'll be sorry for this time to be over, but at the same time today I am ready to be done. But, God is my strength and He has called me here for now, so here I will stay!

Our team started our 'official' schedule last week. Tuesday and Thursday is Street Kids, Friday is Kid's Club, and Wednesday is College group. Lot's of youth. You might think, "Kids, kids, kids!" However, the difference between the street kids and the village kids that we do Kid's Club is astronomical. The street kids here are super smart, fast, and rough. If you get their attention for 5 minutes consider yourself lucky. On the other hand, the kids in the village of Agarakhi where we do Kid's Club are sweet, quiet and obedient and totally innocent. It's a brain switch to go from one ministry to the other. Different games, songs, skits, everything! I love doing both of these ministries though.

IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) is really great too. It's a bit of a break for us- no kids songs or games! I met a guy there last week. Quite a few guys actually (Georgian guys are pretty bold)! However, this particular guy was interested in my iPod so we got in to a conversation about music.

"Do you have any Celine Dion?" he asked me.

"No, not really," I said, "Do you like her?"

"Oh my God, I looooooove her! Celine Dion is GOD!" he passionately replied.

I'm sorry to say, but I burst out laughing in his face. I couldn't help myself! I don't know how people are about gay/lesbian lifestyles here (I don't think it's widely accepted) but that was one of the gay-est things I've ever heard! Literally! However, I pulled myself together, put my hand over my mouth to keep my giggles in, and said something about liking Celine Dion every once in a while too. What a night.

Besides him, no real prospects, though. I'm not too worried about it, though our whole team likes to tease each other when we see a cute guy/girl on the street or somewhere. The weather is still great here, sunny and in the 40's most days. Tell Albany that it better be warm again by the time I get back! Love you all, thanks for reading!

Adjustments, changes, and being stretched

Here I am, at Elvis Restaurant again, sitting on the Internet for what seems like all day. Hey, what can you do when there's one place in the whole city that has consistent and free Wifi?? Sing along to "Blue Suede Shoes" that's what!

Anyways, we're all adjusting to our new apartment. It's warmed up a bit in there, or maybe we're just getting used to being cold, but I'm pretty sure it's the former. Next week starts our 'schedule'. It's crazy to think we've been here for a month already and have barely done any consistent ministry, but that's what happens when you live in a country that has a month-long holiday season. Next week we begin working with the street kids ministry 2 times a week, the college student ministry on Wednesdays (why are all student things always on a Wednesday???), and our Kid's Club up in the village continues on Fridays after school. Things are shaping up!

This past week we helped out at a YWAM conference making lunches, dinners, and watching the babies. Let me tell you, babies are heavy! There was one little girl who refused to be put down, and even when I was holding her she still cried. I watched Wheels on the Bus and Old McDonald till I thought I would scream. Needless to say we were all glad for Friday to come. And needless to say, we're all still singing those songs!

Please continue to keep our team in our prayers. Our team is strong, but a lot of us have been sick (not me, thank goodness!) and that has the ability to chip away at people. We have a great unity and a love for each other, and I want it to stay that way!

Speaking of love, God has been teaching me a lot about how to love people, especially those you live with. It's surprised me just how much I have that I'm-American-so-I'm-always-right mentality ingrained in my mind. It turns out that just because I've been raised in a certain society and culture doesn't make it right for everyone and it definitely doesn't mean I have the right to push it on other people. Soooo, I eat that humble pie, and ask God to make me more like Him. That verse from James has been my banner flag the last few weeks: "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." Such wise words and so hard to put in to practice! If at the end of these next 2 months I am just a little bit more patient and just a little bit less selfish I will be able to say that God moved in a mighty way in my life.

Well, that's it for now. Hope you all are doing well. I'm loving it here, but I miss you all and I'm looking forward to seeing you again in just a few months! Love from Tbilisi!

Tbilisi, here I am!

Hey all, sorry for taking so long but moving into a new country is a little crazy. Also, I only get internet about once a week here so it's a little harder to keep up to date with "the real world". Sorry.

My team just got in to our own apartment the other day (we were staying at the YWAM base here, but it's way out in the country so a little inconvenient). Apartments here are like nothing I'm used to. You've got your basic rooms like everywhere else, but then there's only 1 heater in 1 room for the whole place, and water is shut off for 5 hours in the middle of every day. This is absolutely normal for Georgians, but I am not a Georgian!!! Oh, adjustment. I'll get used to it by the end of these 2 months.

Also, since it's still the holiday season here we don't have a set ministry schedule yet. Next week we're cooking lunches and dinners for a YWAM conference they're having here so that will keep us busy and by the week after that we should be connected with the ministries we'll be working with the rest of our time here. We started a Kid's Club in the village where the YWAM base is. It's only been 2 weeks, but it's been going really well! We had 18 kids come last week and 13 this week, not including parents who sit in the back and drink tea the whole time. Our whole team is excited for this ministry that we started from scratch and that we will continue to set up while we're here. The other ministries we're planning on working with is with the street kids of Tbilisi, a college group called IFES, Teen Challenge (probably teaching English classes at a rehab center), and possibly helping YWAM start another base in a village a few hours outside of Tbilisi. We're going to be visiting other cities in the future as well and doing work there.

Our team is made up of 4 girls and 1 lonely sad little boy. The'res Kate, our leader (from Michigan), me, Sevinch (a girl from Azerbaijan who also acts as our translator), Elya (a 17 year old from Ukraine), and Ruslan (the one boy, also from Ukraine). We have had some difficulty communicating across cultures, languages, and personalities so prayer for that would be appreciated. Overall however, we are doing really well and I can see us fighting for unity with one another rather than just letting issues build up.

That's about it for now. Thanks for being patient, thanks for loving me (I hope, haha), and thanks for reading! Love and miss you all!