Ladies who lunch...

Friday morning I met my landlady - Danute.  She's probably about 50 years old and was very excited to meet me.  :)  I was on my way to the school when my neighbor (another LCC employee) introduced me to Danute.  Daunute doesn't speak English, but my neighbor speaks a little Lithuanina thus being able to make the introduction!  Danute then informed me (through my neighbor) that I was to join her for lunch at 12:30 that day!

So as I walked up to her apartment around 12:30, I was thinking about how I don't know Lithuania and she doesn't know English.  We actually managed to have a decent "conversation" during our meal with the use of hand gestures, pointing, and even some drawing of pictures!  :)

The meal was pretty typical with a few surprises thrown in!  She first gave me a shot of some sort of sweet liquor that burned all the way down! We then had a delicious main dish of a chicken & rice dish that tasted like something I'd make at home. She also had fresh tomatoes as a side, a jello cup with peaches and some sort of berries in it. Dessert was these tiny buttercream frosting type filled popovers. She made coffee the Lithuanian way - put the grounds in the cup, pour boiling water over it, stir it, and then only drink about 2/3 of it because the grounds are in the bottom of the cup.  (My boss had told me about this method of making coffee earlier in the morning - I am SO glad she did or I would've kept on drinking unknowingly!)  And then ti finish the meal we had another shot of liquor!  Certainly not my usual way to begin or end a meal! 

She sent me home with a plate of fresh fruit and some unidentified sauasge type meat slices. She also gave me a baby fern - which I fear I will kill!  EEK!

It was a fun experience.  I was very appreciative of her hospitality!  I think as I learn a bit more of her language it will be fun to get to know her.  She seems very sweet and eager to relate to me. 

A room (apartment) with a view!

Here are a couple photos of the view out of my window....

My apartment faces the south.  This is a view out of the window next to my computer in the dining room.  The big black thing is a statue/monument that represents all of Klaipeda - it has faces on it to represnt the various people of the city.  I haven't been able to find out the offciial name of it yet, but I'm sure I will eventually.

This is the view looking to the left/East out my window.

And this is the view looking to the right/West.  The sea is in this direction.

I like my neighborhood.  It is not an overly friendly place persay, but I feel quite safe here.  It is very noisy at night, but I don't mind that.  I have a fan in my bedroom that drowns out the noise when I go to sleep and other than that I like the noise for the most part - it makes me feel less alone when I'm feeling lonely.  And it's not much more disturbing than the air hocky/ping pong that used to go on in the KMY game room outside my apartment door at GC!  :)

a couple more photos..

Here are two more photos from my trip over to Lithuania...

They are adding on to the Frankfurt airport.  I thought this was a cool scene with all the construction.

This was the BEST airplane snack I've ever had.  It was a rustic "Brotzeit" snack.  It had wafer cookies, alpine cheese and vinschgau roll with butter and a little piece of ham.  It all came in that cute little red & white gingham bag in the left corner of the photo.  And the flight attendant gave me not one, but TWO little cans of Coke Light!  :)

Not quite there!

A quick update from the Frankfurt, Germany airport...

I arrived here a few hours ago and am now patiently waiting for my flight to Latvia to board so that I can continue the journey to Lithuania!  :) 

Yesterday afternoon three of my closest sisters in the Lord delivered me to O'Hare airport.  We stopped at my favorite restaurant - Buca di Beppo's for dinner in the Chicago suburbs.  We chose that because I wanted some of the delicious bruschetta before I left the states.  God chose our waiter because He's cool like that.  Here's the story....The waiter (Bryan) was taking our drink order and asked if we were there celebrating anything.  We explained that I was moving to Europe and that these gals were taking me to the airport.  He asked where I was moving to.  I told him "Lithuania" and waited for the typical "WHERE?!" that most people answer with.  Instead he said, "I'm FROM Lithuania!"  All four of us were like, "REALLY?!"  He then explained that his mom is from there and he's 100% Lithuania!  SO COOL, right?!

Me and Bryan - the American born Lithuanian waiter!

A few other photos from the trip so far

...please excuse the tear stained faces!  :)

Me, Tracy, Bonnie, and Patty

Me- checking in at the counter in Chicago!

me & Tracy

Kisses from my Bonnie

Me & Patty - tears a rollin'!

Here I go!!!!

After an 8 hour flight to Frankfurt.  I feel better than I look!  :)

Kim and Andrew from LCC are picking me at the airport in Lithuania and then taking me to my new apartment to get settled and to likely fall into bed exhausted!  :)  I will post again when I have internet aceess.

Thanks for all your prayers.  I can feel the presence of God in a very real way as I am making this trip across the globe!  It's wonderful to know I have such a great community of God's people praying for me along the way! 

Tomorrow I leave!

I leave for Lithuania in less than 24 hours!  I have spent a lot of time with loved ones during these past few days/weeks and have a few more important visits to get in before I leave tomorrow yet (Mom, the Rissers, my Student Life family at GC, my hairdresser, and a couple others likely.)  Some of my dearest sisters in the Lord are taking me to the airport tomorrow afternoon.  I fly out of Chicago, so we will get to stop for dinner at my favorite restaurant - Buca di Beppos!  What a bittersweet time that will be!

My main goal before I go to bed tonight is to figure out what to do about my luggage...I have entirely too much weight in my suitcases and need to continue to filter out what will and what won't make the cut to go to Lithuania with me this trip.  (And this is even after already filling up a suitcase of winter clothes for an acquaintance to bring over when he comes at the end of September!)

Amidst all  the emotional good-byes, details that have (at times) seemed to consume my life, the uncertainty of how God is going to work out all the financial provision, and the excitement/terror of starting over in a new place...I am still certain that this is what I am called to do for the next season of my life!  I am so looking forward to getting off the plane Thursday night in Lithuania and starting this new adventure.  I am eager to get started doing the work that I am called to do there and can't wait to see the ways the students of LCC are going to shape the woman I am and how God will use me to shape the young adults that they are becoming! 

I will post again soon...from Lithuania!!! 
I love you all!

You are going WHERE?!

This is a question I get asked almost every day!  :)  It seems that few people in my circle of friends and acquaintances know where Lithuania is.  And to be honest, I had to look it up online myself to see exactly where it was when I was approached about the possibility of taking the position.  :)

Here's a map to help you out in case you are curious as well!  Lithuania is the purple country on the right side of the map...just a little to the west (left) of Russia!

The town that I will be living and working in is Klaipeda.  It is a coastal city on the west (left) side of the country.

My visa is here!

Today I received my visa in the mail!  This important piece of paper glued in my passport was a very important piece of the puzzle needed for my departure in a little over a week (just 8 days now!).  I still need a letter from the school to carry with me on the flight, but other than that I think all the "official" work is done.

Things on my "to do" list (other than seeing friends) include things like stocking up on cooking supplies that can not be purchased in Lithuania - chocolate chips, brown sugar, certain spices, box mac & cheese, etc, packing clothing and personal items, deciding which photos to get printed to hang in my apartment/post in my new office, getting a haircut,. picking up my new glasses at the eye doctor, and countless other misc details! 

Things to pray about this week - that I can say good-bye to loved ones without too many tears, that I get all the things done that need to be done, that the Lord would move the hearts of those who are to support me financially to do so, and that I continue to stay healthy during this last week at home.

I am getting very excited!  In a little over a week I will be posting from my new apartment in Lithuania!  EEK!  :)