WILD LIFE

This is your look at Estonian wildlife. WELL, the first picture is not really wildlife. We went to Estonia's version of a zoo and saw European bison. They were pretty sweet!! We also saw reindeer, but I did not get a very good picture!! The reindeer was the highlight of my trip though!! The next picture is of a stork and it's nest. I have seen many stork and nests everywhere!! They have these huge nests on top of poles randomly around the country. Then they stand in their nest on one leg!! It is not anything I have ever seen in Ohio!! :)

Beautiful Girls

These are a few of my Estonian "girlfriends!" From left to right: Evelin, Eleri, Me, Daisey!! Evelin is one of my fellow interns this summer! It has been so great hanging out with these ladies. I just met Daisey a few weeks ago, but I knew Evelin and Eleri from previous trips! When I met Evelin 2 years ago she was not a Christian, and now God is doing amazing things with her! She is doing a great job as an intern you would not know she is only 17. Also, Eleri just became a Christian several months ago. God is just doing amazing things here!!

Living the Estonian Way

I just thought I would give you a glimpse into my life living like an Estonian. This is the building that I will be living in while I am not at camp! It is a one bedroom apartment which the Estonians would call a two room apartment. It is common to live in an apartment with just one room and a bathroom. The first week I did stay with a wonderful lady named Eva in a one room apartment. She took great care of me! I moved last night into my own apartment. If some you don't know, Kyli, my daughter, is flying over this Thursday with my mom. My mom will stay for 10 days and fly back, and Kyli will stay the rest of the summer with me.

Another tidbit of info of my new "Estonian" life is that I don't have a car this summer! I am taking the bus or walking unless I happen to miss the bus or something like that! Which has happened a few times already!! :) I am also understanding while Estonians go to the store every day. When you don't have a car you have to carry everything the whole way home! Some things don't seem so necessary anymore, especially when your arms start hurting from carrying heavy bags! Also, the other picture above shows how to do laundry. I am blessed to have a washing machine, and then you hang your clothes on this dryer! It takes a little bit more planning! Well, that is all for now! Have a blessed day!

"Lift" youth night

On Friday night all of us interns went to Lift for youth night. We ended up being guinea pigs for several things. This was one of them. They gave each group some random items to make us look like aliens. This is was the product of their creativity. I am the one all the way on the end in the trash bags. I felt pretty cool!!! :) It was great to get to meet some new people though. I met a girl that I had a chance to pray for which was very sweet!! It is awesome to see God moving!

First week in Estonia

Well, I made it on Sunday the 8th. Everything went great with the traveling. I even had to catch a cab from the airport and find the right bus to get to Tartu, but it went very smoothly!! Thankfully I had someone coach me exactly what to do!

Then on Monday we went to staff meeting and then left to go to intern training! The picture shows the lake right behind the building where we were staying. It was beautiful! It was also good to just take some time to refocus and ask God what His agenda is for me this summer! It was also a time to get to know the other interns that are here for the summer! We have one Estonian, and 4 American interns which includes me. Then last night we had a picnic with all of the Estonian teams from 5 different cities. It is exciting to see how God is using this ministry to pour into other churches and teach them what they have learned!

Last day of work

My last day of work was on Tuesday!!! sob, sob!!! I was really sad! I have made some great friends there, and had some awesome customers too! I felt so blessed though because they brought me balloons and a cake for my last day! I also got some very sweet gifts and cards! It is encouraging to see that people will miss you, and you did bring a spark of light into their lives! I just hope that I showed them a little bit of Jesus' love in their life!

Now tonight is my graduation for VLI! I am excited yet sad. This past few weeks have been filled with bittersweet emotions! Quitting my job and finishing VLI are huge parts of my life that are coming to an end! It is sad to not be able to see people that I see weekly and daily now! I am just trusting God where He is leading me, and am excited to see where He takes me in this new chpater of my life! Please pray that I make a smooth adjustment. Even going from American culture to Estonian culture will be quite an adjustment, and then when I get back it will be another big adjustment! God keeps reminding me that He has me in His hands and He won't let go so I am just holding on to that! Well, I need to start packing seeing that I will be leaving tomorrow! I better start sometime! Next time I write I will be on the other side!! :) Have a blessed day!!