lari --> $

The exchange rate right now is, 1.62 GEL (Georgian Lari) =$1 USD. So, the lady wanted $74 for the coat at first, and then changed her mind to about $50. Just so you know (someone asked)!

(If you don't know what I'm talking about, read the post right underneath this one!)

:-)

randomosity

I am so tired right now, but I thought I would write you all a little something.

Did you know that I started to knit? Yup, that's right. Today at the School of Tomorrow (where we teach our conversational English classes), during the break times, Ira and I just sat in our room and knitted. I felt babushka-like (grandmother-like). But you know, I like it. :-)

Speaking of the School of Tomorrow. I left my cell phone there today too! But I think it will be safe and sound until tomorrow.

What else...OH! We had our first snow in Tbilisi on Friday, so like 3 days ago (?), and it was pretty cool. It didn't stick though, just turned into water and mud...but it was still kind of pretty.

I think I'm forgetting English. Today, Ira and I were walking and she said something about "potentinal energy" and I was like, "oh yeah (blah blah blah)"...and THEN I realized that "potentinal" isn't even a word.

And the other day at the "bazroba" (the bazaar/market) I was looking to buy a coat, so we were going from place to place looking and asking for prices. And this one lady saw that I was a foreigner (I think she heard us talking in English) and we asked how much this one coat cost and she was like "120 lari". 120 lari!! Yeah right, it's like way too expensive. So my face made that shocked looked and I was like, "Dzviria!! (it's expensive)" and we ran off to the next place. But the lady yelled after us, "gogoebo (girls!!) 80 lari, 80 lari!!!" So, I guess that's the Georgian way of doing things. Take note of this if you ever want to come to Georgia and buy a coat.

:-)

Okay, Vsio (that's all).

Jenni's Journeys #5

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Not to be totally switched from the sort of down post that I wrote yesterday, but here we are! I really am sending my love to you!

--- I ---

I want to write a lot! Of interesting things. Of "spiritual" things. Of something. But to pour something out, you have to first put something in. I think that's a pretty basic law of living. Not that I'm totally empty everyday, but I just feel a bit like that today. Lack in my responsibilities. Lack in my faith + endurance to stand up against temptation. Lack in my fullness of God's love (and therefore searching for other, temporary means of filling that hole).

I know it won't last forever, and I really praise the Lord for that. But that empty feeling still goes down to like the depths of yourself, all the way through everything inside.

I can't understand how people can live like this for their entire lives. And I can understand how people can live like this for their entire lives. It's really not a paradox.

squiggles

I'm beginning to think that you can usually tell when a book is going to be good/helpful by two criteria. 1) In the introduction the author gives the credit to God, in a very sincere way. 2) There are a lot of references to Bible verses, so it encourages me to read it.

And so I've determined that this book I've started reading, "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard J. Foster, will be good. But, to know for sure I will have to wait until I finish the whole thing to understand what I really think about it.

But I really like this passage, and it's only in the first page of the introduction:

"It is a wonder to me how God uses squiggles on paper to do his work in the hearts and minds of people. How are these squiggles transformed into letters and words and sentences and, finally, meaning? Oh, we may congratulate ourselves on knowing a little about the function of neurotransmitters in the brain or about how endorphin proteins affect learning and memory retention, but if we are honest, we know that thinking itself is a mystery. Doxology is the only appropriate response."

I think that I will like it.

trust

I've been thinking a lot about trust lately.

And this is something I'm beginning to learn: Trusting God is not just about trusting that He will help me to survive the 45 minute van ride from Gardabani to Tbilisi (when the driver is dodging in and out of traffic, oncoming cars, people, etc...and speeding), or trusting that He will help me find a great husband. It's also about trusting that He will work in the people AROUND me, just as much as He's working IN me.

I know He's got a handle on things (did I use that idiom correctly? I can't tell). But I find that I think (sometimes) that I can cause people to have revelations of God. Like if I do my best to put them in a certain situation, then maybe they will have their "wake-up call" and change their lives. Or if I say/don't say something then maybe they will feel convicted. And thoughts similar to those. But really, I don't know what these people are really thinking or what is really inside of their hearts, because they only show me what they choose to show me. And it's not always truth (just like I don't always show the truth about what's inside of me, although I try to very often). God is the only one that knows. Not me. Not YOU (I say that to "engage" you a little more in this post)! And if I see that He is working in my life, then I can TRUST that He is working in other peoples' lives too.

God is ultimately clever.

Sometimes it's hard, because I want everyone to be okay and for us to all have happy lives. It's hard to watch other people go through difficult times. It's hard for ME to go through difficult times. But difficulty usually brings change. And change is good, as much as we fight it.

mourning

Yesterday we found out that one of my good friends' (here in Georgia, and on staff with us) brother died. It was such a shock. She thought at first that her mom was sick, so she went very quickly and then found out that it was her brother who had died, he was in Moscow.

It's so hard to understand. It's so hard to know how to be the comfort that she needs.

And the mourning process here in Georgia seems so different. We went and visited her, and her mom was sitting in the living room, her friends were sitting around her, and she was really like "wailing". It was hard to hear. And I guess that it will be like that for 3 days. When the person dies and is actually in the country, they leave the body in the house for 3 days or something (first they do an operation and put some preserving stuff inside). But yeah. It seems really different than what I've experienced.

So it's partly hard to know how to act, because culturally I'm not sure what is acceptable and what is not. For example, when we were going to visit her I wanted to take a CD player and some CDs for her, because she really likes to listen to music and it helps her. But then I found out that it's not "acceptable". No TV, no music, no computer, not supposed to be any laughing or something like that. Just lights, people, food if you can make them eat (the people who are mourning) and like that's it. Of course I'm still learning about the culture of this all, so maybe I don't have it all correct. But nonetheless, it's very different.

So, anyways. Please be praying for her and for her mom.

streeee-eee-eee-tching.

I am feeling very stretched in my ability to be friendly and selfless with the people I'm constantly interacting with. God has been teaching me a lot about sharing and patience, and about letting little things that don't really matter go, and stuff like that. But it is very difficult!! Especially right now, because I am tired and emotional (you know how it goes). But I believe it's like it says in James:

"...when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." (James 1:2-4, NLT)

Lord, please give me the strength to be patient and loving, like you are with me!

Wednesday

This was my day (Wednesday the 31st) in pictures, and some words.

My roommate Diana and I at Narikala!

We had some guests (stumrebi) from America here for a couple days. So, on Wednesday they came with us to the School of Tomorrow (where we teach English) and then around Tbilisi. Dennis (base leader) drove us up to Narikala, and showed them around a bit. Diana and I spent most of our time trying to take good pictures. I think I had like 20 of me, and they were all funny for some reason. I'm pretty sure this is the best one that turned out. :-)

Me and one of my "gypsy" friends!

Me and Nino (I think that's her name, I'm pretty sure she's told me that her name was something different before...but this time she said Nino) and she said this is her baby, Aisha. I'm not sure about that either. But, she's one of the girls that I call my friends downtown. I'm not sure if they are really for sure Gypsies, but I know that they hang out downtown and beg for money, and they've been doing it for a long time. I'm building friendships with them, and it's really cool, although most of the Georgians walking on the street look at me like I'm crazy! Anyways, the other day I took one of the other girls not pictured here, Sabina, to a Cafe and ate pizza...and the rest of the kids like really wanted me to take them to cafe too. But I couldn't. So, when I saw her on Wednesday, like the first question she asked me was, "Can we go to the Cafe?". I didn't take her then, but I think I'll take her next time. I want to find out who she really is!

My Bebo (grandmother) Luba and I on Rustaveli!

This is my "bebo", or grandmother! She also begs for money downtown, but I think it's because she either has no pension, or it's too small for her to live on. And I don't think she can much work. But I met her when I was in Tbilisi this last time. I can't remember if she was there when I first arrived, but I know she was there before I left to have some time in the States. And she remembered me this time too! Her name is Luba. :-)

(L-R) Kierna, Me, Diana, Trissa

And this was the end of our day. After some great khinkhali, msvadi and other Georgian food at a restaurant! These 2 girls are the American guests that we had. They came to bring some vitamins to an orphanage. And there was another girl too, Diana #2, who is taking this picture. She's the girl that came from Canada, but who's Georgian...and she's pretty cool! I have one picture of us, but it's really not very good (one of those Narikala ones!)...so hopefully I'll get one soon and I'll post it. While we were waiting for the bus, the girls saw the director of the orphanage they visited. And we don't know for sure, but Diana #2 said that she saw a vitamin bottle in one of her bags...maybe they were filled, I don't know. But I've heard that it's very common when people bring things to orphanages, that the kids never actually get it. I just hope that that was not the case in this situation!

It was a very good day. A little cold, and we were very tired at the end. But it was very good. Trissa and Kierna left late that night to continue on their trip, but they really loved Georgia and hope to come back. So we will see!!