Matthew and I have safely arrived and moved into our new home in St Pete. It is a two room that was once a one room but is the perfect size for us! It is well furnished and we have been collecting the remaining things that we need.
Yesterday, our first full day here, we both woke up around 5 am so we watched a show we brought with us and were able to sleep until 8:30. The hot water was off where we are in the city so we spent some time navigating the hot water heater (it was freezing or scalding for a while!) but we were able to moderate it. We have a really deep bath tub so I am waiting for a time to use it!
We have been to the school and seen our classrooms as well! Tammy showed us around yesterday and we were able to send out a quick email. My room has high ceilings and windows and Matthew's room is on the top floor. The building is orange and has some nice architecture.
After we saw the school (which is 5 min walking from where we live!), Wanda, who lives close to us and teaches K/1, took us out to Lenta and we bought dishes, linnens, and groceries.
She tod us to rest but because we are crazy we went out to Nevsky Prospect and went to Kazan Cathedral and then walked to the Spilled Blood. We went into Dom Knigi, a large bookstore, and when we were leaving th upper level what did I spy on a shelf but Neil Gaiman's face! He was on the cover of a what to read magazine and we bought it as a souviner. This has given me all new motivation to learn Russian! ;-P The area was really pretty though and we really enjoyed being able to get around.
We had less luck on th eway back though and took the wrong bus so we walked about 4 or 5 blocks home. But we did get back fine. We made dinner and I read a book for classes.
A very busy day but a good one! Today we will be inside for a majority of the afternoon since we are supposed to have internet installed. Hopefully they will actually show up!
Thank you for all of your prayers and we will have pictures up as soon as we have internet!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Big Day!
Tomorrow at this time we should be flying somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on the way to Russia. It's crazy to think that after over a year and a half of planning, praying, and working towards this that we are finally ready to leave.
At 5:13 Indiana time tomorrow we are scheduled to depart from South Bend for our flight to O'Hare, then to Munich, Germany, and then finally to St. Petersburg! It's so hard to think that this is really happening. Since we've been preparing so long we've gotten so used to thinking of this day as being forever in the future, but now its really upon us.
We moved all of our stuff out of Dr. Warkentien's condo (thank you so much for letting us stay there!!!) and cleaned the place and are now at my parent's house, waiting to depart tomorrow. We are so grateful to everyone who has helped us get ready. Amanda's family was here for the day and we got to say goodbye to them. It's all very bittersweet. We're so excited about what the future has in store for us at IA, but we're also sad about the wonderful friends and family that we'll be leaving behind.
Hopefully we will have internet set up within a few days after we've landed but please be patient with us. As soon as we can, we'll post an update with some pictures of our apartment, the school, and the city.
Thank you for all of your support and prayers. This adventure is only beginning!
-Matt
At 5:13 Indiana time tomorrow we are scheduled to depart from South Bend for our flight to O'Hare, then to Munich, Germany, and then finally to St. Petersburg! It's so hard to think that this is really happening. Since we've been preparing so long we've gotten so used to thinking of this day as being forever in the future, but now its really upon us.
We moved all of our stuff out of Dr. Warkentien's condo (thank you so much for letting us stay there!!!) and cleaned the place and are now at my parent's house, waiting to depart tomorrow. We are so grateful to everyone who has helped us get ready. Amanda's family was here for the day and we got to say goodbye to them. It's all very bittersweet. We're so excited about what the future has in store for us at IA, but we're also sad about the wonderful friends and family that we'll be leaving behind.
Hopefully we will have internet set up within a few days after we've landed but please be patient with us. As soon as we can, we'll post an update with some pictures of our apartment, the school, and the city.
Thank you for all of your support and prayers. This adventure is only beginning!
-Matt
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Apartment!
From Amanda
The wonderful Deb, who has been handling our apartment needs, signed a two year lease for the apartment in Russia that we will be in this morning!
It sounds like the landlord wants to help us out quite a bit and is willing to split the cost of some things with us (a vacuum, etc.).
Finding somewhere to live is always the big concern in Russia so we are very excited about the developments. I'm also very glad we don't have to move between year 1 and 2.
Thanks for all of your prayers!
The wonderful Deb, who has been handling our apartment needs, signed a two year lease for the apartment in Russia that we will be in this morning!
It sounds like the landlord wants to help us out quite a bit and is willing to split the cost of some things with us (a vacuum, etc.).
Finding somewhere to live is always the big concern in Russia so we are very excited about the developments. I'm also very glad we don't have to move between year 1 and 2.
Thanks for all of your prayers!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Good News!
From Amanda
We have great news as far as all things Russia are concerned!
1) We have an apartment! We were expecting something close to a one room flat but instead we have a 2 room apartment 5 min walk from the school we are teaching at! It is furnished and has a real bed (a big deal I assure you!) and a water heater for when they shut off the hot water in the summer! We are blessed/spoiled!
2) We have our Russian visas! A praise that we were approved and that they are arriving so early before we are due to fly out!
3) We have books and a clearer idea of what we will be teaching! I have been working on collecting activities and lessons for the books I chose and Matthew has received a copy of his Russian text book in the mail. He has used it before and really likes it and I love the books I am able to teach, so more blessings there!
Prayer requests:
- Now is the time we have to start saying goodbye. I personally try to avoid it so it is hard for me to speak my feelings at times like these. We have places to visit and say goodbye to as well as people.
- We also have to start thinking about packing. *Boo!*
- That I won't run out of books for my students! It may not seem like a big deal but that would be stressful!
- That even though we know adjusting will be rough, we will be able to settle in quickly and make Russia home.
Friday, July 2, 2010
More PFO and some Photos
The first week of PFO is now finished, and it has been a great experience. We have been given a lot to think about as we prepare for the emotional and mental adjustments of moving to a new culture and discover more about understanding and relating to the kinds of students that we will have in an international Christian school. I didn't think that spending a week sitting through over 20 sessions/activities in rural New York would be a great time, but it has been amazing. Just being able to meet 130 other people who are going to teach in Christian schools throughout the world has made it worth the trip by itself! It's encouraging to see so many other people who care so much about education, students, and other cultures. We've met so many great people and have gotten to bond with them on a deeper level in the semi-isolated environment. Now we have another week left before the end of PFO, and I am already beginning to feel sad at the thought of not being with the friends that we've made in just one short week!
Below are some photos from the past week (the top two photos and the group picture were taken by our friends Seth and Laura):
This is of an Arabic tea ceremony that we did one evening, conducted by a couple who lives in Northwest Africa.
Me drinking my tea (it really is tea and not just a tiny beer stein:-P)
A photo of the middle falls at Letchworth State Park. A group of people from PFO went to the park Friday night. The falls are over 100 feet tall and the view is spectacular!
These are our friends Seth and Laura. They are going to be teaching in the Philippines!
A picture of our small advising group of us and three other couples from PFO. From left to right are Bob and Janice, Amanda and I, Seth and Laura, and Lisa and Jay and their two children.
And one last picture- this one looking down from the top of the falls:-)
-Matt
Below are some photos from the past week (the top two photos and the group picture were taken by our friends Seth and Laura):
This is of an Arabic tea ceremony that we did one evening, conducted by a couple who lives in Northwest Africa.
Me drinking my tea (it really is tea and not just a tiny beer stein:-P)
A photo of the middle falls at Letchworth State Park. A group of people from PFO went to the park Friday night. The falls are over 100 feet tall and the view is spectacular!
These are our friends Seth and Laura. They are going to be teaching in the Philippines!
A picture of our small advising group of us and three other couples from PFO. From left to right are Bob and Janice, Amanda and I, Seth and Laura, and Lisa and Jay and their two children.
And one last picture- this one looking down from the top of the falls:-)-Matt
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
TCK PFO
By Amanda
For two weeks, beginning this past Sunday, Matthew and I will be in Houghton, NY for a Third Culture Kids Pre-Field Orientation. Done through the Association of Christian Schools International, this is to help us learn about the specific needs and gifts of students who grow up in a culture outside of their own and outside of that of their parents. It will also cover how to teach these students and how we as foreigners are to adjust to the cultures we will be entering.
So far things have been pretty good!
The airport we flew out of did not send our luggage on time so it ended up arriving in Buffalo hours after we had left. This in and of itself is not a big deal but we gave them my cellphone number to call when it got there (for when and where to find us) and it began to die shortly after we got to the college. We tried to get a hold of someone (ANYONE!) at the airport or at United who spoke English as a first language, but that did not happen. My phone finally died despite all efforts and I even set out asking many people if they had a charger that would fit my phone, and met great people that way. We were finally able to tap into my voicemail and another couple here who also was missing luggage was able to get through to the guy delivering it, so we waited and talked to them until it came.
While that was a stressful way to begin, we were able to meet people because of it so there was some good! And a good story!
While we know that the students at IA do not love the term "TCK" (there is a Facebook group about this!) it has been helpful to come to a better understanding of what others see in them and also what Matthew and I's culture is like to other cultures.
More updating to come!
If you want to see wedding pictures you can take this link regardless of if you have Facebook or not:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027583&id=62401192&l=b9bfaac3d6
It poured the day before the wedding and rained a bit the morning of but we were able to have the wedding outside and at the park all as planned. The lawn people were a bit far away because the grass was swampy but other than that everything was great!
Thanks for all of your prayers and support!
For two weeks, beginning this past Sunday, Matthew and I will be in Houghton, NY for a Third Culture Kids Pre-Field Orientation. Done through the Association of Christian Schools International, this is to help us learn about the specific needs and gifts of students who grow up in a culture outside of their own and outside of that of their parents. It will also cover how to teach these students and how we as foreigners are to adjust to the cultures we will be entering.
So far things have been pretty good!
The airport we flew out of did not send our luggage on time so it ended up arriving in Buffalo hours after we had left. This in and of itself is not a big deal but we gave them my cellphone number to call when it got there (for when and where to find us) and it began to die shortly after we got to the college. We tried to get a hold of someone (ANYONE!) at the airport or at United who spoke English as a first language, but that did not happen. My phone finally died despite all efforts and I even set out asking many people if they had a charger that would fit my phone, and met great people that way. We were finally able to tap into my voicemail and another couple here who also was missing luggage was able to get through to the guy delivering it, so we waited and talked to them until it came.
While that was a stressful way to begin, we were able to meet people because of it so there was some good! And a good story!
While we know that the students at IA do not love the term "TCK" (there is a Facebook group about this!) it has been helpful to come to a better understanding of what others see in them and also what Matthew and I's culture is like to other cultures.
More updating to come!
If you want to see wedding pictures you can take this link regardless of if you have Facebook or not:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027583&id=62401192&l=b9bfaac3d6
It poured the day before the wedding and rained a bit the morning of but we were able to have the wedding outside and at the park all as planned. The lawn people were a bit far away because the grass was swampy but other than that everything was great!
Thanks for all of your prayers and support!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Heading off
We have a date of departure now! August 2nd is when we will be leaving.
Now that we have a date it seems really close!
We've been married almost a month now and so far we just spend time with friends and family in the area.
Settling in has been pretty easy, though neither of us really look forward to packing everything back up again.
We will be attending a 2 week confrence soon as well so that should afford a bit of a break for us as well!
Thank you for your prayers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)