May 8 - She learns it from her Momma

To my momma, who I love dearly.

I am learning more and more every day who my mom is as a friend, and I love that! She has married off a daughter this year and moved her to another state. She welcomed home the other one (me!) for a full 2 and half month of living at home. She has also had to say goodbye to me again to move back overseas. She has been a mom to my crazy brother who still lives in my hometown. Most of all, she is also a huge supporter of my dad. She is his wife and loves him. She has taught me what is means to be a helper to your husband.

Below: Terribly blurry! My momma and her daughters. She is our mediator when times get rough, and our mom when we (I) cry. She will sit there when I sob about nothing and everything at the same time, and understand now that I may just need to cry it out. So very carefully she will look at me and say, "I think you just need a moment to cry, and there is nothing I can really help you with here. So I am going to go and come back later."

My momma braved crossing the ocean to new lands with my dad to come see where I lived for two years. What a blessing it is to have parents that support you and desire to come visit you! She says that she could never do some of the things I do, but I beg to differ. I learned that I could do have the things I thought I couldn't. 'Just set your mind to it, and you can,' she has said countless times before. My dad did too. They encouraged me to travel, see the world, live life to it's fullest. (I do see how I may be over-doing the 'see the world' part in their book. ;) )

She even taught me bravery in crossing trans-continental bridges - even if this one is only a miniature of the real one. ;) There are so many other times that she was brave in the face of scary and uncertain times. I hope to face my life with that same bravery.

She brought running into my life when I was younger. I ran cross-country all throughout junior-high and high school. In college, I picked it back up my senior year and was inspired and encouraged to run my first marathon. I even ran in a few races, including a couple of half-marathons, while I was overseas.

I am very thankful for having her this long, and I pray for many more years to come.

Love you Momma.

May 4 - Easter Time

Oh was a blessing time having others here to celebrate the love the Father has shown to us. He gave his beloved son to die and rise again! What would Easter be without the resurrection!? This is just one of the many ways JC is set apart from all other prophets and teachers!

I was able to spend a day with a family in another city. The kids made up this program below of our 'service.' It was just a small group gathered in a home sitting on pillows on the floor praising the Father, but what a joyous time it was!

Another day we went to a 'sunrise' service meaning more less that it was at 8 am. The sun is up by 5 AM now-a-days here, and there is no way I was going then.

K and I also dyed Easter eggs for the local staff. We had a little bit of college pride burst through here.

and here.

This one was for my last and current roommates who both went to UNC. This is a shout out to you!

Front side.

Of course we got a group shot.

We also has a couple of our local staff working that day. They came and helped out. You just never know what you might get...

This one is an Indian man with a Turban...

Another one of a person...

Our helpers. I think if we did any basic VBS type craft with them they would love it. I am thinking about getting some suncatchers sent over for another day's craft.

Eggs for Easter are a symbol of new life, and we were able to explain how JC brought new life to us.

Below: our set up.

I hope y'all had a great Easter celebrating what JC did for you because He loved you!

May 3- Purdy Purdy sewing

One os the local workers here has several daughters. Every time we go visit their house, they always have a new sewing project they are working on. I am completely impressed everytime!!! This is a pillowcase they are working on. The design is all done by hand!

Below is the final product. I love the colors!

May 2 - May I please just eat on the floor?

Your wish is my command!

Here in my new land we have a new, well more or less an 'old', way of sitting on the floor to eat with the locals. They all have a heavy duty plastic that they roll out on the floor than place the food on top so that no food get on the floor.

And when you are guest, there is always... I mean, ALWAYS a feast. Don't think you can get away with only eating a little. It is not possible. They know. Really, they do.

These pictures are from a group that came in recently. One of our local workers families invited us to eat local style with them. It was so wonderful.

It can be a little challenging eating with your food a little lower than you. Us westerners have to work a little harder reaching to get food and not to get your headscarf in it at the same time. It is also another challenge to sit on our bottoms, cross legged, sideways... for any given amount of time. It is amazing how much we do not sit like that once we pass childhood. So Dad, if you come visit me, start working on sitting on the ground for a couple hours a day ok?

(Below) We even have a place to eat at our house for when people come visit. I like to call this K's Korner because she sits there a lot. We also have another space with a small couch and chair nearby, but every time a local comes into our house, this is where they sit.

May 1 - Mantu

Mantu- Central Asian food that can vary from country to country.

In Turkey it was a small pinched dough with a teeny tiny bit of meat in it. They serve it, in a bowl, with a garlic yogurt sauce on top along with this butter/oil/red stuff. You could sprinkle it with a little green spice goodness or some yummy crushed red peppers.

This mantu is a little different, but it is pretty much the same concept. These look a little more like steamed Tibetan mo mo's. They have a little bit more ground meat hand-wrapped in the dough... yes, made by hand - every single one of these delicious guys.

They also put yogurt (regular for the foreigner and one with a little bit of a sour kick for the locals) and the oily red stuff on top. There is a wide variety of what is actually in that oily red stuff. (Sorry, wish I had a better name for it.) I have had two different kinds. I like one way better than the other - one had more beans than lentils, another had a lot of big lentils that were still crunchy. I am not a crunchy lentils kind of person. Please cook them well through for me - please and thank you!

Yum! One of my favorite meals here! Maybe I can learn to cook it and make it for y'all at home!

In Honor of May, My Mom, Mother Day, Mulberry season and all things beginning with M...

I have decided to write a post a day for the month of May. I know! Lucky you! This may not seem that difficult for you, but I am looking at my calendar right now... thinking "Why would you try to make that goal for May???" It is going to be a very busy month with some meetings and traveling involved. However, I am determined!

Hopefully this can catch everyone (or whoever reads this still) up on my life the last 4 months... or year... etc.

This may be the best Mother's Day gift ever! Right Momma?

Just kidding, I actually got you a gift.

and yes, I am working on my newsletter...

Anyway, this is for all those who support me out there. You are awesome ta-boot!

Time Zones in favor of Central Asia!

For once the time zones where in our favor! We are actually ahead of England on the times. KD and I went to party with some other foreigners to celebrate the royal wedding! We were asked to dress in our local wedding bling, and I do believe we represented!

The party was complete with decoration brought from London! We even had William and Kate come visit us!

Some days the electricity can be iffy and come and go... well, we did have a few scares but thankfully we were able to all the important parts!!! (Who really needs to see all the other famous people getting out of their cars anyway?)

Proof of us 'being there'

There is a whole other part to this room, and it was packed! There were probably 40 people at any point of time in this room!

We even took pictures with the wedding couple.

I thought the best part about the wedding was all the scripture that was read! It was amazing to hear what was said while millions were watching! That is my biggest thanks to the sweet couple!

What did you do to celebrate?