Me and the Black Sea

The rain stopped, now the weather is really nice! Hooray!

Me and the Black Sea

Botanical English

It's raining. A lot.

Yesterday we went to the Botanical Gardens in Batumi, and the first part of the trip was ok! It was a little windy, and a little rain, but not much. But THEN it started and it didn't stop. Some of our people went with some guy in his car and got to a marshutka and then they came and "rescued" us and the guy took us all the way home which was nice.

I got good news yesterday, someone asked me to stay in theis house this summer! So now I'm communicating with them about the details, like having Marina live with me (she's one of our DTS students- single mom with 2 kids) and I really hope it works out. It sounds quite perfect for us, so I'm really excited about it! :-)

Since it's raining, I think we will stay home today. We were going to go and help the other team (our DTS split into 2 outreach teams, at the beginning our teams were in different places, but now we are close to each other), with this English club they started in their village, but I guess not today.

I really live in a rainforest.

fireflies, mushmala and war

I saw fireflies for the first time in my life last night. I'd always seen/heard about them in movies and have always dreamed to see them.. and when I finally did, I was like bursting with excitement. Really.

Also I've eaten mushmala for the first time in my life. That's the Georgian name, I have no idea how to say it in English, but it's a super tropical looking tree with super tasty fruit. I don't know, it's sort of like a mix between an apricot and an orange, with 4 odd looking seeds inside.

Also, I'm at war right now, really. Inside myself. Battling all these things- wrong ideas & beliefs- that have been bred by my past. Like that I'm unloveable, that my friends will eventually get tired of me and leave, that people say that they like me but they don't really mean it.. and also my wrong behaviors that come out of trying to quench the need that's left or to ease the pain that comes from believing and thinking these things. I want to change. Today I was standing on our balcony (at our host home in Gonio that's like a 10 minute walk from the Black Sea), and the sun was setting over the sea. On one side it was dark and gray, on the other- where the sun was setting- it was sort of "messy" but incredibly beautiful. Bright orange and yellow light, whitish clouds, some still dark ones.. and I said to my friend who was with me: "That looks exciting", and I feel that it's a picture of what's happening with me.

I feel like I'm living in a rainforest, literally. Ok, vsio.

I LOVE Georgia.

I'm in Georgia! We just crossed the border and now we are on our way to Batumi. In my last email I talked about how we weren't sure where to go next... But God really opened up doors and we are on our way! We've already been in the van/marshutka for more than 4 hours, and we have 8 or 9 to go.


Please be praying for me/our outreach team, we have 12 more days in Batumi, then 1 more week in Tbilisi, and we are already a little tired! So PLEASE pray.

Sending my love from a red, Ford, 15 passenger van, Jenni

armenia

Hi there. I know that I haven't been writing here very much, which kind of defeats it's purpose (to tell you about my life and what I've been doing). But I can say much of the reason for my lack of writing is because I have to use an internet cafe computer, and I find it hard to be inspired here. But nonetheless, here I am.

Things in Armenia have been very busy! And very hot too. It's only the end of April and it really feels like summer. And the locals are more suprised than we are. It makes me wonder if this whole global warming thing is really true (some say it's not).

During our time here we were able to participate in the memorial day of the Armenian Genocide (it's in memory of the more than a million and a half Armenians that were killed by the Ottoman Empire (basically Turkey) and it's a source of much pain for Armenians even today. I think mostly because some people, namely Turkey, refuses to acknowledge it as a genocide. And so this pain is being passed from generation to generation. For more info see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide). I'm kind of afraid to write so "nonchalantly" about this. I can say it's only from lack of knowledge. So, go ahead and read about it for yourselves.

Anyways, we participated in this memorial day. We met with a Norwegian DTS outreach team and 2 of the staff from the Armenian YWAM base here, and began our walk with thousands (I can't necessarily say that I saw thousands of people, although my estimation skills are not that good, but I've heard that every year more than a million people participate in this event) in the blazing heat (we all came out with various forms of sunburns). We walked a very long distance carrying flowers, some carrying banners or photos, and ended up at a monument commemorating the genocide. In the middle is an eternal flame for the people who died. We took our flowers and put it around that flame, and then continued to walk to the finish. I think it took a couple of hours, although it could of seemed longer because of the heat, but it was still significant.

So yeah. We are here. Sometimes I forget that I'm in Armenia (and sometimes I feel like I grew up here), and then when I realize, I am very grateful to God that I'm here. And that I'm with the people I'm with (our outreach team). And that I'm learning the things I'm learning (a lot).

Jenni's Journeys #7

Pushing Forward

Oy mey! I am very tired. Partly because of lack of sleep (due to my inability to go to sleep early, while still waking up early) plus just the general stress of being in the 11th week of DTS, and the fact that we are leaving for outreach in 11 days! Oh, and the Armenian DTS is here for the teaching this week, which means double the people and double the food and I'm on dinner prep!

But in other news, some info about outreach: we are now going to Armenia for our first month and then we're hoping to go to a town in Georgia called Akhal Kalaki for the 2nd month. We still have a lot of details to work out, but that is our general plan.

Please be praying for us this week since we have so much happening now and so much to do! Also the teaching this week is really great and potentially life changing, about our personalities and why we do the things we do.
SENDING MY LOVE, jenniko

DTS- Team Building

Objectionable Content

So I'm pretty sure I just accidentally flagged my blog as having objectionable content. Oops.

Today we are having team building and then at 3 we will start a 24 hour prayer and fast. The team building will be different activities that illustrate various aspects of working in a team (it's like preparation for outreach). Like building balloon towers and macaroni pictures and stuff like that, really. But there's more to it than that! I think it will be really fun.

Other than that... the weather has been incredibly beautiful these past couple days and the sun really changes the mood of things. :-)

Technology ROCKS!

Hey friends! So part of the reason I have been very absent here is because our internet at home (Vazi) stopped working. But yesterday I bought a new cell phone and that is how I am writing this! Technology rocks.

So we just finished our 7th week of DTS and that means there are only 5 weeks to go before outreach! Our school will split into two teams for outreach: the team I will be on will be going to...ARMENIA!

I am very excited about this for 2 reasons. 1) I have never been to Armenia. 2) Although I am not 100% sure, I have heard that my birthmother who was adopted as a baby, was Armenian! So it will be a very interesting outreach for me! We will also spend half the time in Georgia...but we don't know where yet.

So, woo-hoo! :-) I will try to send out a newsletter soon to update you all better.

Anyways, sending you my love from my cell phone! <3

us

So we are heading into our 6th week of DTS now!


Here is us.

sorry!

I realized that my blog has been so incredibly depressing for way too long!! SO I am going to make a conscious effort to talk about the more positive aspects of my life!

I guess this is sort of an apology.

:-)

belonging

I feel so isolated. I was just hanging out on myspace and seeing peoples lives (from what you can really see on the internet) and I really feel disconnected. Not just from their lives, but from America in general. I have no idea what's happening. And I'm not sure if that really bothers me or not.

I just feel a little homeless. I feel pretty comfortable in Georgia, but not totally. And the thought that I'm beginning to feel like America isn't my home is kind of discontenting too. Where do I belong?

I'm not totally Georgian: I can't speak the language, people can still spot me as a foreigner, I don't always understand the way to do things. And I feel like I'm not totally American either: I can't speak English properly including articles and everything, I'm totally out of the "pop culture" or whatever is popular now...I have no idea, and I've a newly learned way of doing things with is sometimes different than the way I used to do things.

I just feel funny.

Judgement's Distance

It seems like the distance/time between my judgment of someone, and the realization that I am guilty of the same or similar thing, is constantly becoming shorter and smaller. And I am so amazed by this near certainty. Like, the other day, I was upset with someone and so I was having one of those conversations where you are talking to the person, but not really. Like, a "mind conversation" where you can say whatever you want, whether it's right or not. Do you know what I'm talking about? Anyways, it went something like this:

"You're SO selfish!! You can't just come and take MY things and use them without asking! It's so selfish of..."

"...me. Oh my goodness."

Do you see my point?

i can't even think of a good post title

Oy mey guys, the thought of sitting down and actually writing a blog post is nearly torturous to me... my brain is so full of thoughts, ideas, experiences, etc... and for some reason I've really lost the ability to just be free and write about what's happening in my life, really.

(That was a really long first sentence.)

In a lot of things, I feel more free than before, but for some reason I feel less free in this: communicating via blog, email, phone, etc. Really, it's like... horrible. I don't know if maybe it's the pressure of being a "real missionary" now, or if it's just me "growing up a little" and my focus is on other things. But whatever it is, I really don't like it. I like feeling free to write and to communicate in a real way, not with pretense.

Jenni's Journeys #6

Merry Christmas! I know I haven't been writing very much lately. Busyness + lack of ability to sort out thoughts=that. But here is a video. :-)

oh so tired, but it's worth it

Things have been BUSY around here.

We've had an outreach team from Bulgaria stay with us a few times as they've been traveling in/between Georgia and Armenia, and they were just here for 3 more days...and left this morning.

But before they even left, an Korean DTS outreach team (from Oregon) came early this morning. So Ira and I were up at 6:00 am welcoming people and helping others get ready to leave and...yeah!

And when the Bulgarian DTS left for the bus station, and the Korean DTS left to take care of some business downtown, I was in Vazi ALONE. Can you believe it? It's been a very long time since I've been totally alone (not that I necessarily dislike people, but it's just nice after intense activity!). So, I cleaned and it was just really good.

Then Nino Deda, she's the manager of Vazi (where I live), came and we talked about life and Jesus and the future. And purpose. She's going to be a student in our DTS, but she seriously is like MY teacher!

And I just went and got a copy of my passport (I'm working on my documents for my one-year visa), picked up some pants from the tailor and ate some khatchapuri. And I am really really tired now, as I sit in a dark room (one of the Korean ladies is staying in our room, and she's sleeping), with a full stomach. Oy mey. SO tired.

But I'm learning. Pushing on. I'm glad to be here. I really love Georgia.

With some of the Bulgarian DTS!

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!