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Curious Strangers

2009-11-07T08:00:00Z

Yesterday our team decided to go to lunch together and spend some time hanging out before our lessons. We were just finishing our lunch at a cafe when an older gentleman came over and asked Curtis where we are from. Between the four of us we were able to communicate that we are American teachers here with our spouses and that this guy has a daughter working in America. At the end of the conversation he kept saying something about "house" and making a little roof with his hands, but we couldn't quite make out what he wanted.

It's pretty common here for curious strangers or shopkeepers we visit to ask us, "Where do you live?" Of course we don't tell strangers we just met where we live, so we're never quite sure how to respond to this. Sometimes complete strangers will also make an open invitation for us to come to their house, which again is awkward.

The other thing the man did was he kept making a writing gesture and saying something that led me to believe he wanted to exchange phone numbers. Again, this is common, even among strangers here. We didn't have any paper, and just kept repeating that we are teachers at the school down the road, hoping that would satisfy him. But it didn't. After we paid, he followed us out of the restaurant to his car parked just outside the door. We waited while he found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote his phone number for us. We took it politely and went on to school, never expecting to see this man again.

But we were wrong! He showed up at the school several hours later and David was called out of his class, which was taking their midterm exam. David decided he would prevent cheating and use the class as translators, so they all went out to see what this guy wanted. It turns out he was offering us a place to live! David had the students explain that the school provides housing and everything that we need, but we appreciate the generous offer.

language learning, the final chapter

2009-11-04T08:07:00Z

If you are reading this and you are a pastor or worship leader then I want to ask your forgiveness on the front end. Seriously. I am not a pastor nor a worship leader though I have been a pastor before. I have never tried this nor even thought of it til now. I know that Sunday comes around every 7 days and your weeks can become quite full. The last thing you want is for someone who is currently not doing this to try to suggest some new ideas for worship. Thus, this is my asking forgiveness on the front end. Maybe some day I will pastor again. If I do I think I would possibly try these out.

Our idea is how do we help our church learn a foreign language?

Here are my "what if''s"

What about getting a translator and have your sermon translated into another language one Sunday? Warning: If you typically speak for 30 minutes you would need to cut down how long your sermon would be since the translator repeats every word you say. smile.

What if the worship leader could teach the church a worship song in the desired language? This would take several weeks but I bet after a few weeks you would be surprised how well the people do. I have heard "Shout to the Lord" in at least 8 different languages so it the words are out there. Be sure to have the slides done correctly in the other language.

Read the scripture in another language. Print it out in English and the other language.

Have the prayer in a different language. (I am not talking about tongues. smile)

If you have a printed worship bulletin what about identifying some key words in another language?

Hola - Hello
Guten Tag- Good Day
Oracion - Prayer
Amistad - Friendship

Find ways you can introduce vocabulary words to your church. Perhaps with having bi-lingual posters or banners.

Play background music from another language or culture in the foyer or community areas of the church.

What if you did a little of this each week? In other words don't just do this on a mission emphasis Sunday but do this for an entire series or make it a part of who you are as a church.

The BIG thing that we must realize in language learning is that most often it is a life long journey. We have to be learners!

Do you have other ideas that we could try?
Have you tried any of these?

more soon!

Pursuit of the Strike!

2009-11-03T09:07:00Z

Here's a little video from our bowling outing with students this weekend!

** This is my first time posting a video here, so we'll see how it goes!

November Photo Album

2009-11-03T08:12:00Z

It's a new month, so you know what that means--a new photo album! Here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=156374&id=669709178&l=57b8a1ec23

PS - I also added some pictures to the October album from our Halloween festivities.

language learning

2009-11-02T08:59:00Z

I recently spent some time talking with Sarah Perkins who is a Language and Culture Resource Specialist for IMB, Europe. Thanks Sarah for your work on this and for passing it along for others to use.

Here are some of her ideas and some great links. This can be helpful for new workers coming to the field BUT I think there are some great ideas for churches who are wanting to be prepared to have an incarnational presence on the field whether that is a one week trip or sending long term teams. Here you go!

Language and Culture Preparation Before Field Arrival

Some Suggestions…

Read about cross-cultural expectations and adaptation.

American Cultural Baggage, by Nussbaum
Cross Cultural Connections and Cross Cultural Servanthood, by Duane Elmer
Culture from the Inside Out, by Alain Cornes
Figuring Foreigners Out and The Art of Crossing Cultures, by Craig Storti

Become familiar with principles and methods related to language learning.

How to Learn Any Language. Resource with lots of principles, ideas, etc. about learning languages in general
Language Impact Some ideas for language learners
Program In Language Acquisition Techniques (PILAT)
Language Acquisition Made Practical (LAMP), by Brewster and Brewster
Lingua Links
Other resources, by SIL
Language Coach and Language Learners CDs by Institute for Cross Cultural Training (ICCT)

Begin language learning now.

Use Internet websites and computer-based software. Here are a few. Surf the web for others.

Social language learning online.
BYKI language learning program
Rosetta Stone. Online or computer-based language learning program.
Online language learning.
An auditory learning method.
http://www.pdictionary.com/
http://www.quia.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

Take classes at a local university
Hold language classes at your church and taught by a qualified teacher

Some practical suggestions:

Learn at least the following things before arrival in the country:

Alphabet (if other than Latin-based)
Basic greetings and leave-takings
Basic expressions of politeness
Numbers
Basic expressions needed for shopping
Basic expressions needed for ordering food and drink

Learn about the country (history, current events, important people, worldview, etc)
Read the newspaper online
Listen to music in the target language
Locate speakers of the target language for conversation groups (such as language teachers in the local schools and universities)
Follow the progress of a national sports team in the country where you are going

November Wallpaper

2009-11-01T13:09:00Z

Wow, I can't believe it's November! This month's wallpaper is a photo I took during our trip to Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. I'm always impressed by the architecture and detailed art of mosques, but then I remember that the people who enter there are not followers of the Way. So this month, enjoy the view but look beyond the art. Please yarp with me that the people who meet here will come to understand the Truth about who G'd is and what His Son has done for them. Yarp that this building will one day hold Worsh!ppers.

Click on the photo above to open the full size image, then right click and save to use on your desktop this month.
Click here for the Widescreen version.

Culture

2009-10-30T09:20:00Z

I know I am in the middle of my "Church Learning a Foreign Language" series. I have my next post ready for Monday and it is full of some great links and ideas from a person who is a language coach for overseas workers here in Europe.

Learning language is important. However, another aspect of living overseas is being able to adapt to the culture. I have seen people who have done well in learning a second language really struggle in adapting to another culture.

Last night we went to Herbstmesse in Basel.
It is quite a BIG event. I read where it has been going on for almost 500 years. It is like going to a county fair but in an urban setting and it is totally spread out all over the city. I love the giant Ferris Wheel in front of the church. It is quite fun. I did not see the livestock or petting zoo. I did not see the "Fairest of the Fair" contest. I doubt they have one. However, there are a lot of food options. Check out this link.

But it is an important part of the city life in Basel during this time of the year. It is an important cultural event. We have been every year that we have lived here and love it. I must admit it costs quite a bit per ride (the exchange rate is not friendly to us right now) so we do not do many rides but the kids love it and it is chance to hang with their friends and a chance for us to try some yummy food.

What are the events you should go to in your city? How important is your presence there?
What do you learn about the people when you go to these festivals.?

Can learning be fun? I think so.

Earthquakes

2009-10-30T05:46:00Z

Twice now I have reported feeling earthquakes in my Facebook status! The first one was a week ago and the second just last night! Both of the quakes originated in northern Afghanistan, about 350 miles from Shymkent as the crow flies. They both measured about a 6 at the epicenter, but here I just felt a little sway under my chair, the hanging light fixtures swayed and a window rattled once. There's no damage and most people slept right through it! Just wanted everyone to know there's no need to worry :-)

If you want to see where the ground has been moving within the last 7 days, check out his map from the US Geological Survey any time at:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/

Problem Solving

2009-10-29T19:04:00Z

Everyone can identify the problems within their own society, but it doesn't mean they want it pointed out to them by foreigners. Instead you have to approach it as a learner. What are the problems in your city/country? What is the cause of these problems? Then you discuss possible solutions. Again, foreigners will not be accepted as problem-solvers because they are "outsiders". So you must point nationals to their own solutions. But in a former communist society, the most common answer to a problem is "no one can change it" or "only the president can change it, but he's not interested in trying".

Some interesting discussions we have had in my class:

- Problem: Corruption is everywhere. You pay a bribe to the police officer who harasses you, you pay to get your medical degree, you pay to get your job, you pay to get your driver's license. It's not fair and it's not right. It can even endanger someone's life. Response: We hate it but we depend on it. We know it works! We'll never get rid of it.

- Problem: People don't vote in elections. Response: Why should we? The administrators of the polling places have already been told what the outcome will be. It doesn't matter if we vote...Do you think your vote counts in America?

You're Normal!

2009-10-29T18:47:00Z

We have had some interesting conversations with nationals lately. They begin with the sentence, "I was watching this American TV program MTV..." Sadly, this is the image that shapes what the world believes is an average American. Then they proceed to point out all the perverse, immoral, unhealthy behavior displayed on these TV shows. I'm sure I don't have to describe it for you. Then they continue, "but all the Americans I have met in our country aren't like this. They don't drink alcohol excessively, they don't do drugs, they don't sleep around, they're not gay...You're normal!" They say it with genuine surprise and confusion. Basically, they want to know which one is the "real" American?

God AND....

2009-10-29T18:21:00Z

Everyone in Kazakhstan is curious about this strange American holiday called Halloween. They think it's interesting that kids go door to door for candy, but no one asks for money. They think it's funny that we pay money to be scared in a haunted house. They think bobbing for apples is crazy too. I took this opportunity to give them some history about this holiday and also the different ways children and young adults might celebrate, but I didn't want to leave it with that.

Every week we teach two lesson plans, so I decided to make this week's second lesson a bit more thought-provoking. We began with superstitions and proverbs, then progressed to the differences between the ideas of luck, fate, God and ourselves bringing the good and bad in life. What controls the events in our lives? I got a chance to ask them which one they would say they believe in most. Most people chose some combination of God+Self, God+Luck, God+Fate, etc.

Although I was encouraged to hear that there is some surface belief in God being in control of the universe, it did not seem to be enough for them. There was always God AND something. Yarp that these students will learn to trust HIM in ALL things and that HE will be ENOUGH for them!

Start Up Ideas for Language Learning, part one

2009-10-29T12:00:00Z

Here are some ideas about a few ways your church can get started learning a foreign language. Grammar and vocabulary are important. I love being able to say this. I hear this all of the time from my German teacher.

First up...

If you have an extra room in your church why not set up a computer lab or learning center? You can make use of such products as Rosetta Stone in the language of your choice. There are plenty of software packages around. I have enjoyed Rosetta Stone in Spanish and German.

Buy multiple copies of Rosetta Stone and make them available at your church for people to check out. Be sure to let people know about this option and but plenty of copies to go around. I would suggest putting a time limit for how long they can have the software checked out.

Do a google search and find a few online language learning tools that you can promote to the people trying to learn a language. Ask someone to be the resource person for your church in this endeavor.

Go online and find out if there are language learning schools in your city. One church found a site where they could learn Italian http://www.italianforfun.com/index.cfm located in their own city.

If there is an University or Junior College in the city find out if you could hire a professor to teach a class for a semester at your church or better yet encourage your people to enroll in a class at the university or Junior College. Offer some scholarship funds for people completing the course work.

Find out if you have a few language experts in your church and see if they will become tutors for your students.

Encourage your college students to take classes in the desired language.

Promote the idea amongst your college students to go to a country and do a study abroad program for a semester or two. They will not only learn the language but they will also have ministry opportunities while there.

Same suggestion but for people who have retired and can take several months to study abroad.

What are some other ideas?

Next Up .. Putting your language learning to practice in your own community.

Time to Start Teaching!

2009-10-28T02:57:00Z

Today I spoke with Cindy, who is second in command here at Renacer and she is tica, about how I was feeling about the program and the girls. I told her that I was really impressed with the quality and set up of the program and how the girls respond. She asked me with what phases of the program I would really like to work with. I told her I really didn’t have a preference and I believe I could do work well with all the phases.

We also discussed what my role would be, Formacion Cristiana (Christian formation) or Trabajadora social (social worker). I went out on a limb and asked if I would be able to split my time between the two since I would love to do both and feel that I’m qualified to do both.

The result was that I would start with tallers (workshops) from the social worker perspective with the highest two cottages (Deborah and Tamara) and I would do Formacion Cristiana with the first two phases (Rut and Ester). She asked me if I would start by doing 4 tallers next week, one on each of the 4 core things; respect, responsibility, honesty, and acceptance.

As you can imagine I was a bit overwhelmed by this task. So I asked if I could just do 2 and gradually work up to the 4 since it takes a lot more time to prepare in Spanish. She said yes and gave 2 tallers on respect and responsibility, which will be an hour and half each. She also wants me to come up with a sport type activity that combines the two, which also is an hour and half long. I have to have my write ups in on Monday.

Wow! This is really happening! I’m overwhelmed, but excited as well. I’m glad to start my actually work now. It’s time to start planning.

Boot Shopping

2009-10-27T09:11:00Z

The forecast for this week is predicting falling temperatures and precipitation. Although it's still early, the chances for some ice or snow overnight are becoming possible. Of course with daytime highs in the 50's and 60's, it won't stick around. But in anticipation of winter, I decided it was time to go boot shopping. I bought some very Kazakhstan-esque boots last year--black leather knee-high boots with a modest heel. Although I fit in with the style, my knees weren't so happy about the heel. So I donated those boots to the next teacher and set out to find something flat this year, which didn't seem to be a problem, since I haven't seen as many people wearing high heeled boots here in the south.

It turns out my teammate was already planning to go shopping with a student on Sunday, so I tagged along. She knew a street with several shoe shops close together. The first shop had some cute stuff, but was a little too pricy. The second shop had something I liked, but the girls encouraged me not to buy the first thing I saw. "We can came back," they assured me. After a few more shops that didn't sell any flat boots, we crossed the street. While my teammate looked around, I wandered to the back of the store. That was where I made my discovery!

At training, back in the hot July sun in LA, I had heard all kinds of stories about these wonderful boots called "Uggs". For those of you like me who live overseas or don't read fashion magazines, Uggs are an Australian boot made from sheepskin. Apparently they're super warm and comfy and everyone in LA wears them because they're cute (obviously not because of the cold). So I was shocked to find Ugg boots in a shop here in Shymkent! I invited Katina to take a look. We debated the authenticity of the Australian boots made in China, but they had all the logos, tags, original boxes, etc to suggest they were real! And for less than $50 Katina was willing take take the chance. They were the same price as all the other boots we looked at, but more her style, not to mention her size, which had been hard to find up to this point.

So, Katina walked out satisfied with her purchase. Just as we got to the door to leave, I looked back at the display window and saw a pair of boots that hadn't been there when we came in. A cute little pair of ankle-high brown boots. I decided to try them on. Of course, they were the last pair and had a broken zipper! But they fit, so the shopkeeper offered to have the zipper repaired for me if I would come back the next day. She quoted me a price for the boots plus repair and I agreed.

So today it's windy, rainy and the heat's not on. The perfect excuse to break in my new winter boots!

3 Ran Away and 1 Returned

2009-10-27T00:55:00Z

I planned on writing a very different blog today but I will wait until tomorrow. Instead I will tell you about what happened today at work.

First of all, you must know that I love it up there with the girls. I’m building rapport with the girls and staff members and tomorrow (Tuesday) we will be discussing what my exact responsibilities are going to be.

Second, let me introduce you to three girls that this blog is about. Wendy is about 15 years old and has been in our program for 1 ½ months. Last week she just moved into the second house and phase of the program. Wendy came straight from the streets and had spent a long time there. I was told that everything about her was of street manners and behaviors, but she has changed so much in just the short time she has been here. She and I have connected some and at times she will rush to be the girl who is sitting or standing by me. She has a sweet heart and a very hard exterior.

Shenara is also about 15 years old and she has been in the program for 4 months. She is in the second phase and I believe the second level of it. She is a sweet yet quiet girl. She interacts well with her peers and has come a long way from where she was at. Shenara has a family but I don’t know what her home life is like.

Carolina is 16 years old and has a birthday coming up. Today was her 1 week anniversary. She is a short and quiet girl. Her parents are not involved and she is part of a program called PANI which is what our foster care service program is in the states. She appeared to be making friends and starting to adjust to the program.

So back to today’s events. We had been at work for only about 10 minutes when we looked out the window of the cafeteria and saw Wendy walking up the road to the gate. We got worried that she was going to try to run. I thought it was going to be pretty hard since the place is surrounded by high gates with barbwire and barbwire gates as well. But she climbed right up that thing and struggled a little with the barbwire before she was gone. Staff went after her but she refused to come back and hid.

This sent many of the girls into a panic of anger and sadness. While the more advanced girls (in the program) tried to comfort those who were hurting. It was incredible to see the family life that they have created and how they do try to look out for each other.

After our devotional service, about an hour later, all the girls were doing their daily chores when all of a sudden Shenara was gone. She climbed a barbwire fence and went through a little forest area to the street where we saw her meet up with Wendy and they began walking away.

At that moment Carolina was getting mad at one of the social workers and out of her anger she ran up to the gate, with staff in pursuit. She was screaming and being irrational but couldn’t be talked out of it. She climbed up the gate, with much struggle, and got caught on the barbwire for a few but finally made it over. Staff went out the gate to try to get her in but she refused to and took off down the mountain, trailing close behind the other two.

Once again many of the girls were really upset. While the girls were in groups Wendy and Shenara came back but Shenara would not stay. Wendy reports that she was really scared once she was out there. She knows what the streets are like and didn’t want to go back. She apologized in the group and said she is happy that she is getting her third chance and is committed to change. She didn’t want to go back to that lifestyle and knows she has it well off here at Renacer.

So that was today. Please be praying for Shenara and Carolina as they are out there, who knows where. Pray for safety and that they will find help and not turn back to the lives they came from.

TCFL - Teaching Churches Foreign Languages

2009-10-26T16:47:00Z

The Idea

I mentioned before about a conversation that I had with a church leader about his desire to see his church learn another language.

This thought has grabbed my attention so I thought what would I do if I pastored in the states again. Perhaps if any church needing a pastor reads my blog it would take care of that possibility but here goes the thought.

TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is a program that many universities and language schools have throughout the world. I guess our new institute can be called TCFL (Teaching Churches Foreign Languages) Okay, so that was bad. I really do not have a institute but this is the idea. How can a church learn a foreign language?

I guess before we get to the “how” we need to look at why would we even consider such a thing.

Many churches today that I work with have an interest in reaching a particular people group with the gospel. They have been going on short term trips all over the place and I hear quite often they are tired of being spread out and they are ready to focus their efforts.

As they think about the “going” implications they also realize that in many cases those same peoples live in North America and often in their own cities. They begin to think about how can they connect with them in their own community. Therefore when they are putting together their mission strategy they are thinking both where they are and in other parts of the world.

They are also saying that they feel the Great Commission belongs to the church and that they need to be doing more and outsourcing missions less. They want to be involved strategically.

With this being the context one key aspect of cross cultural missions is how do you have an incarnational presence amongst the people? Language obviously is one element of that. These churches are thinking "how can we be better prepared?" If it is one person or a family then they normally arrive on the field and start language school for an amount of time until they can become proficient in the target language. What needs to happen if you do this for an entire church?

Here are a few foundational points that I think are very important if you are really serious about TCFL.

Vision of leadership - I believe key leaders in the church have to have the vision to see this as important. I think if they are trying to learn the language and using the language themselves it will go a long way in creating ownership of the vision to the people. Some how the church has to constantly put this vision before the people on a regular basis. More ideas on this in another post.

Time and Resources- The church has to find some ways to put this into the two important value checkers: their calendar and their resources.

Think Small Groups - One of the best places to start is with the small group structure of the church. Perhaps it is with the first groups going out locally or internationally.

Committed locally and internationally- It is important to be trying to find ways to minister to the people in that language group locally. So this means the church needs to focus on the group(s) they are wanting to work with.

Identify your language talent in your church. Chances are you have some people in your church that are fluent other languages. Discover those people and the languages that they speak and start working with them.

I will post some ideas on how to see this happen soon.

Fruitful Teaching

2009-10-23T09:58:00Z

Last week Frank reminded us that the qualities of a good teacher are the Fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. As be!ievers we should have no lack of these fruits. I have been reminded this week that I need to be sure I am filling myself so that I can be poured out into the lives of my students and friends that I came here to serve.

With this focused attitude, my classes this week have been really fun and rewarding. My students are eager to learn and enthusiastic about the lessons I've prepared. They are a joy to teach. They are not afraid to discuss and debate, even when there is disagreement or they are explaining a less than positive aspect of their culture. Between classes we're also getting to know a little bit about them as they stay to talk and ask questions.

Service Abounds!

2009-10-23T09:47:00Z

18 October 2009 - Sunday

Today the guys on our team were invited out to a village to practice English conversation with some students there. Although the format of the meeting was changed many times, from an informal gathering into what became three full-time classes, it was obvious that they wanted our help.

Karabulak is a village about 30 minutes outside our city completely made up of families from Uzbekistan (a neighboring country). The students' language and customs are traditional Uzbek and their access to Russian and English is very limited. Their desire to learn these additional languages is so strong that after a six-day school week, they agree to come on Sunday to study foreign language!

We aren't sure yet how involved we will be able to be in this village, but we are excited to have our eyes opened to yet another place where service for the Kingdom is needed and open before us! Would you consider coming and teaching English as a practical tool for people's lives, as well as a doorway to Kingdom-building relationships?

Fulfilled Promises

2009-10-23T09:28:00Z

15 October 2009 - Thursday

The school where we work is part of a joint effort to serve this community's many needs. Today we found out that it all started with the G'd-given vision of one man from England. Frank came to Kazakhstan just after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He quickly saw that the Enemy was already moving in to spread its kingdom of materialism and hedonism. He asked for laborers who were willing to take risks and advance a greater Kingdom. He began to get a vision for reaching out to this city. He saw promises from G'd about how He would move. One of those was through a distribution center. Shortly after a small plot of land and a single shed were purchased, a couple from Australia called to ask how they could begin a distribution center to fulfill the needs of NGO's and service groups throughout Central Asia. Today that distribution center is called Crossroads! On that same plot of land, away from the center of the city, Frank saw a school where students could gain skills and improve their economic condition under the influence of g*dly teachers and administrators. Where relationships would be built out of the fruits of the Sp!r!t. Today we teach at that school, the English Center! Today there is also a medical clinic for children with cerebral palsy and other debilitating illnesses on our site.

A marker was put down in this city, this neighborhood, for the Kingdom and the promises are being fulfilled every day! Now our team is asking what our part is in this movement. Who are we here to serve? We are asking for Dad to put specific students and friends in our path and on our hearts to pursue loving relationships in the hopes of d!sc!pleship. Please lift this up with us. Pr@y for light to shine in us and draw others to our Father.

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music

2009-10-23T08:21:00Z

14 October 2009 - Wednesday

Last Friday afternoon we boarded a train south to the neighboring country of Kyrgyzstan (keer-giz-stan). Although it is a 14-hour train ride, it was traveling overnight, so we thought it was the best option for getting rest at the beginning of our journey. We were wrong! Just after dark, before anyone had really settled down for the evening, the train stopped in a city and police came on asking to see everyone's passport. Apparently some guys were drinking vodka on the train, which isn't allowed, and so the police were called to inspect. Two hours later the overhead lights remained on until we reached the Kazakhstan border checkpoint. Customs agents boarded the train, looked at everyone's passports, stamped the passports of the foreigners, and did random bag searches. I'm not sure what they were searching for (guns and drugs probably) because the guy in our bunk had several sharp tools in his bag, including an ax head! Nothing was confiscated from him. We too were carrying a kitchen knife, which is standard procedure when you have to bring your own meat, cheese, bread etc on the train. After an hour and a half (about 1am), the train was released to proceed. We were a little surprised when the Kyrgyz border checkpoint didn't come for another hour. This one only took about 45 minutes, but David had to get off the train and take our passports to be stamped. Our train wasn't scheduled to arrive in the Kyrgyz capital until 5 am, so we were looking forward to at least a couple of hours of sleep. But no. After the checkpoint, everyone started changing clothes and rolling up their beds. We thought maybe we were way ahead of schedule--which presented its own problems since we had no phone to call our contact in the arrival city. But we weren't that early. Apparently people were so anxious to get home that they didn't plan to sleep until they got there!

Our friend of a friend met us at the train station and kindly took us to his apartment for some tea and a couple of hours' sleep. We had to catch a taxi in the morning, but nothing would be available for a few hours. At 8:30am we were back on the road. This time it was a 5 hour taxi ride through the winding mountains. Although there were some great views, I slept through most of them! When we arrived in Naryn at lunch time, our teammate Gary was there to greet us! We hadn't seen him since we all parted ways in Karaganda last spring, so it was good to see him again. The first order of business was checking in at our guesthouse and finding lunch. After that we did a little exploring. The town is so small you can walk the whole thing! It's basically one long street (about 5 miles) with a series of roads crossing it about two blocks on either side. Because the town is so small, the whole place shuts down around dinner time. There are no buses are taxis after about 7pm! That meant we got a nice long night to catch up on our sleep!

Sunday morning we woke up refreshed. It was hard to get out of bed, though, because the chilly mountain air kept our room at a steady 60 degrees inside. Eventually we did get out to explore some more. Once we got out into the sun it was nice and warm. The city is bordered by the Naryn River, which was a beautiful shade of blue-green, and runs straight down from the mountains. During our two days in the city I took lots of pictures, so check them out in the October photo link. The interesting thing is that whenever I took pictures near children, they would stop and stare or try to jump into the photo. I always offered to take a picture of them and they said yes. Two small boys even ran back a few minutes later and gave me a small amount of money!

We also got to spend time with another American teaching in the city, Marie. She was so hospitable and made us lunch on Sunday. While we were getting to know each other and getting filled in on life in this small town, her national friend stopped by. He is actually the assistant p@stor of one of the local fellowships. He didn't have time to stay and talk, but we all agreed to come back that evening and share our life stories. That night we met his wife and three small children. They are a be!ieving family who has served faithfully despite persekuti*n. Family members have been denied proper burials, their fields have been denied water, and their children have been beaten for their f@ith. The man's father is harassed for not raising his children correctly. In spite of this, family members continue to turn to JC and the fellowships are active. It was an encouragement to hear their stories.

The official purpose of our visit to Naryn was to visit our teammate and meet the administrator of his school. This is our company's first partnership with this school/city so we had some things to discuss. This particular school was founded by a Xian NGO and is run by be!ievers. Again it was an encouragement to hear that they run their school for the service of the King and have many avenues for reaching out into this isolated and poor community. After the business meeting we went to lunch together. They even took us to a few small museums in the town.

Our visit to the mountain town ended too soon. Tuesday morning we were back in a taxi to the capital. In the afternoon we caught a mini-bus to go back across the border. The mini-bus actually turned out to be more relaxing than the bustling train, where people constantly walk back and forth and want to meet the visiting Americans. We spent the night with our teammates in Taraz and in the morning it was back to Shymkent, just in time to teach a lesson!