Time is FLYING!!

So its been about a week or so since I last wrote.. I have finally gotten some time alone at the computer where I can think.

Things here seem to be going a super speed. It feels like each week flies by too fast. We have so many activities planned and spend so much of our time with the students and with our group it feels like the days just zip by! It is so much work, but also a ton of fun! We are getting to invest in so many students lives and hear their thoughts about faith and religion and share ours too. The students here are so open to talking about spiritual topics and almost expect to talk about them when they are with us now.

Most of the time that we spend with our team is doing activities together.. like walking in the park, planning out our week, exploring the city of Karaganda.. Whatever we are doing, we are having a good time.

The past two or three days have been extremely hot here. The temperature had to be between 95-105 degrees. It was insane. However last night it got very cold in the middle of the night and I had to get up and grab some more sheets so I didn't freeze. Hopefully tomorrow will be a normal temp.

Also over the past week I have gotten the opportunity to share the Gospel with two students. Both of them are Muslim. One more serious than the other, but it was still great to be able to have a conversation with them about these spiritual things. I am hoping to be able to meet with them a few more times before we return to the US.

Well that's all for now.. I have to get up a 6am to watch the Flyers play game six against the Blackhawks.

GO FLYERS!!

Settling in..

Hey everyone! Sorry its been a while, but we have been awfully busy here meeting students and getting settled in!

Over the past week I have been leading English Clubs, getting into discussions with students about religious topics and getting into the Word a lot! Everyday we are expected to read through the book of Ephesians at least once. It really sweet and I am definitely going to know that book better and any other by the time this trip is over.

I also have gotten to know one of the students here very well. He is a Christian and loves to talk and hang out. I was able to meet with him this past Monday and talk about how we both became followers of Jesus. It was really encouraging! Around these parts the people like to just walk around and talk, maybe stop at a cafe and grab some tea. So that is what my friend and I did.

Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on growing in our faith and most of all trying to reach students with the word of God. I know it will be a challenge to put myself out there and be continually asking students to hang out with me and also trying to bring up spiritual conversation. But it definitely seems like it will be easier to do here than in America... 1. because I am half way around the world.. if that doesn't motivate me.. idk what will 2. the people here are very friendly to Americans and will probably love to talk about these types of things.

I have learned enough Russian to go into a store and purchase things and ask people to help me. Most people know we are American by the way we look and will blurt out all the English words they know when the pass us haha. One of the most frequent terms we here is HELLO AMERICA!! We usually respond with Previet Kazakhstan!! its great!

Another thing that I have noticed is that after speaking to people who are bad at English it brings my level of English down so pretty soon I won't be able to speak Russian or English!! YAI!!

One last interesting fact that we all found out... while eating dinner at a restaurant in Kazakhstan, if they begin to play live music you will be charged for it when you get your bill! We all got charged about 3 bucks to listen to this woman and man lip-sink Russian songs for a half hour haha. who knew...

Adios!! Hope those Flyers turn it around it game three..