Reflections on Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving in Lithuania always makes me reflective. For some reason this holiday holds more emotional connection for me than any other...especially during the past 7 years since living here. Maybe it's because life here the last Thursday of November is so completely different than it is in the States, and we know just what we're missing. But instead of feeling the loss, this year it's put me in a reflective mood. I truly have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving 2009, so I thought I'd jot down a few of my thankfulnesses (that's not a word, is it? I'm making it one right now)!

Kim's Thankfulnesses 2009:

• Andrew: nearly 10 years of marriage to a guy that I'm so thankful to be with. He's taught me a ton on this journey and I can't wait to see where the next 10 years take us!
• Ieva & Isak: what a gift it is to be a mom to these two. I may want to pull my hair out at Ieva's 4 year old antics at times or plug my ears & scream when Isak won't stop crying, but I can't imagine it any other way -- they bring me more constant joy & laughter than I've ever known & I simply LOVE being their mom!
• Our extended families: I couldn't ask for more supportive & loving parents & in-laws -- all of whom are so great at encouraging us to go where God wants us to be, even if it takes us far from them. Their selfless love is a reminder of why we're supposed to be here, doing what we're called to do.
• Our local community: we are so rich in relationship here! And the best part is that we don't get to choose who we're in community with - it ebbs & flows with every semester & the staff, faculty & students who come & go which only broadens our perspectives & teaches us how to love those we may never had the chance to love before.
• Our community of supporters, friends & family abroad: how amazing you all are!!! The emails, facebook notes, cards, prayers, financial support & so many other ways that you let us know that you're keeping us near to your hearts is truly humbling. We praise God regularly for the great cloud of angels he's surrounded us with!
• LCC International University: working here in such a culturally diverse & spiritually ecumenical environment over the past 7 years has developed me professionally more than I ever could have been working anywhere in the States. Having the honor of serving students from 20 nationalities, alongside staff & faculty from a broad cultural spectrum themselves has expanded my worldview & challenged me in phenomenal ways. And more than that: I LOVE the effect this place has on our students, as it introduces them to a style of education radically different than they've ever known & for many, to a God they never knew they could have a personal relationship with.
• Klaipeda: I truly love this city! Having the contrast of an urban environment bumping right up against the beach of the Baltic Sea is totally my ideal location (okay, it could be a little warmer...) but I can't tell you how many times I've thanked God that LCC is located here, rather than nearly any other city in Lithuania!
• Our apartment: When we had to move out of our beloved little 'house in the trees' last December, I was heartbroken. But when God brought us to this place...which is so much bigger & has so many more perks that the last place did...I was amazed! As I stare up at our Christmas stockings hanging from the banister leading upstairs or hear the hum of the dishwasher or lay in bed watching the snow fall on our bedroom skylights, I always thank God for this place, as I know we have been so truly blessed.

There is so much more I could list: my fluffball of a cat purring next to me, the smell of the Christmas candle burning on the counter, hearing Ieva request to watch Madagascar 2 in Lithuanian rather than in English, watching American TV shows online without commercials, Andrew Peterson's, Sandra McCracken's & Jill Phillip's music, driving our car, the genius of video skype...the list could go on & on & on.

And Lord...it's all a gift from you. A free gift to one so tremendously undeserving of the love, the grace & the mercy you give to me every day. Thank you, thank you, thank you. For all my thankfulnesses, I give YOU the glory!

Fall Break; Part 3 (Transport)

The most adventurous part of our little road trip through Poland & Germany was our car problems! Soon after leaving Poland, our transmission light started flashing, but everything seemed okay (and really, what choice did we have?) so we kept going. Just outside of Berlin (approximately 200 km after the light started blinking) the car started having problems shifting gears. And as soon as we entered the stop-and-go traffic of downtown Berlin at rush hour (no less!) the transmission couldn't take it & the car died. After letting it cool off for a few minutes (we needed a potty break anyway), Andrew managed to get it going again -- for a couple more minutes. It took us well over an hour to get 3 km to our apartment. But we made it!
So much time in the car!! (the kids were great road-trippers!)

Andrew & Sabine took the car to 2 different mechanics - one who didn't work on automatics & the other said it was a computer problem that would take days to figure out...and we had to drive another 350 km up to Sassnitz the next day. He said if we had to drive, we probably could, as long as we went slowly. Isak & Ieva on the ferry

So on Saturday, we had to be in Sassnitz to check onto our ferry by 3:00, for a 4:00 departure. We gave ourselves twice the time we assumed it would take & headed out -- averaging about 55 km/hr (35 mph) on the autobahn while cars whizzed past us at speeds of around 200 km/hr (125 mph). We limped along, slowly but surely...until...the poor car didn't want to go anymore. 45 km short of the ferry terminal in Sassnitz we were stuck. But amazingly, the place the car stopped at was an outdoor farmer's market with a play area for kids & a tourist information booth. We could have been anywhere -- on the side of the highway miles away from anything -- but God allowed us to make it there. It was phenomenal. The guy at the information booth spoke decent English & called a tow truck for us, as well as the ferry to tell them we'd be coming (via tow) late. Ieva got to stretch her legs at the play area while we waited for the tow truck. At 3:30 we were towed right up to the cargo hold of the ferry. Thankfully, the car started & rolled itself into the cargo hold (amongst train cars & semis; without knowing if we'd be able to get it off, we didn't get to be with the rest of the passenger cars)!

Our knight in yellow armor got us to the ferry, just in time!

Silhouettes in the cargo hold

With a huge sigh of relief, we collapsed into our tiny room & praised God that we made it! The next 18 hours on the ferry were uneventful & we enjoyed experiencing a new form of travel that didn't depend on us or a faulty car. Upon our arrival to Klaipeda, the car started & drove out of the cargo area, all the way to the gate that separates the ferry port from the city. And there, yet again, it died. It was Sunday morning around 10 -- every friend we could think of with a car would be at church -- but we started calling anyway. And finally Raimis came to our rescue & rope-towed us home (don't worry -- me & the kids were in his car). We were so glad to be home!

A great adventure and great memories!

Fall Break; Part 2 (Germany)

After 2 full days on the road & 2 days in Polish cities, we went to Berlin. We've spent significant time traveling in Germany, but most of it has been in the western half of the country since that's where our friend, Sabine, and her parents live. Sabine lived with Kim's family in Michigan during our senior year of high school (1991-1992)when she was an exchange student (wish I had an electronic photo to show you of those days). We've stayed in close touch ever since, including me going to Sabine's family's home to visit in 1994 & again in 1997 in their tiny village of Lamersdorf, near Koln. Sabine's wonderful parents, Hedweg & Josef, have adopted me as their American daughter, much like my parents have done with Sabine. Our families have a wonderful bond.

Our original plans were to drive all the way to Lamersdorf to visit, since it's been since 2004 since we have been there. But since it would require another 7-hour day of driving, we asked if Sabine & her parents would be willing to come & meet us in Berlin instead. They happily agreed.
In March, Sabine had her 1st baby, a daughter: Antonia, who we were excited to meet. They were also excited to meet Isak. We spent a wonderful 2 days with them: the first exploring Berlin & the 2nd at the Berlin Zoo. Berlin is an amazing city with an extraordinarily dramatic & very recent history. In fact tomorrow (Nov. 9) is the 20 year celebration of the fall of the Berlin wall & Germany's unification. Only 20 years ago!!! That was just a couple years before Sabine came to live in the States with us. Being there to see what has developed in the last 20 years was fantastic. We'd love to go back & spend more time.

At the Brandenburg Gates: which used to be a check point to go from East to West

This brick path runs through the city to show where the Berlin wall used to stand.

In front of the Parliment building - we got to go in the globe on top & had an audio tour of what we could see of the city: an impressive view!

Sabine, Hedwig & Josef in the Holocaust Memorial

The Berlin Zoo was also a great experience. They claim to have the highest number of species than any zoo in the world! It was certainly an impresseive zoo & very fun for Ieva.

Such a great time with such great friends!

Fall Break; Part 1 (Poland)

Last week was fall break at LCC International University. Since we didn't go anywhere over the summer we decided it was time to get out of Klaipeda. And since we have a car now, we thought a road trip would be a fun way to do it!

So we decided to do this loop:

It started here in Klaipeda, went through Poland, up the north eastern side of Germany and then brought a car ferry back across the Baltic Sea to Klaipeda again. It was a total of 1,630 kilometers (1013 miles) on the road.

Our 1st day's drive took us to the capital city of Poland: Warsaw. We've been there a number of times before, but only for transit -- never to explore. We spent 2 nights in an apartment in the heart of the city's old town & spent the entire day checking it out.

Ieva in Warsaw's Castle Square

Part of the castle wall around Old Town Warsaw

A horse-drawn carriage in Warsaw's Market Square

breakfast of fresh Polish doughnuts at an old town cafe - yum!

After our 7-hour drive to Warsaw & a full day there, we drove another 7 hours to Boleslawiec on the western border, the home of the famous Polish Pottery. Again, as in Warsaw, we spent 2 nights & one day there exploring.

Boleslawiec doesn't have much going for it outside of this amazing industry of Polish Pottery. Nearly every roundabout in the city has a display like this one. This pottery is sold throughout Poland & in many places throughout the world (google "polish pottery" & you'll find loads of American sites that sell it), but buying it here -- directly from the factories who make it -- is the cheapest way to do it. It's all hand-painted & there are hundreds of designs. We had a fun day checking out the factories where it was made and of course, had to bring some home!

We ended our time in Poland with a side trip to the Polkawice Aqua Park! After dragging Ieva through pottery shops the day before, we wanted to give her something she could enjoy. Isak seemed to like it too!

Then, on to Berlin!