A hot summer day in the life of Kim & Ieva

For most of the month of July this year, it's been HOT outside!! And I'm committed not to complain after living through the tremendously COLD winter we had this past year. This afternoon as I lugged myself & my sweaty baby through our front door, I chuckled to myself about the theatrics we sometimes have to put ourselves through just to get from point A to point B around here.

So, here it is: A Day in the Life...

Tuesday:
Andrew's at LCC managing a youth basketball camp in our gym, and Ieva & I also need to go there so I can attend a couple meetings. I make sure the diaper bag is loaded. Hat on Ieva's sweaty head? Check. Shoes on her sweaty toes? Check. (All babies in this part of the world MUST have their heads & feet covered while outdoors or they might contract some sort of bacterial disease floating around in the air...) With Ieva in one arm & the diaper bag on the other, I walk down our 3 flights to the basement door, and as I grab my keys to open the door, realize that our spare set of keys (I misplaced my set the day before) doesn't have a key to the basement on it. Shoot. Time for Plan B: trek back upstairs & load Ieva into the baby backpack & head back down.
With Ieva on my back, I can walk the usual route going up over the railroad bridge and get to the school within 20 minutes. It's a nice walk, despite the heat. I cut across the non-seeded field in front of the gym & head straight to Andrews office. I walk in, take Ieva off my soaking wet back & run to the meeting I'm 5 minutes late to. Thankfully, managing a basketball camp doesn't involve being in the gym the whole time & Andrew has time to hang out with Ieva in his office while I'm in my meetings today.

Wednesday:
Andrew's at the school again & again, I, too must go there to get some work done. I've found my keys, so Plan A should work this time. I load up the kid & the diaper bag, grab each & head downstairs. I unlock the basement door & set the diaper bag in front to prop it open. I take Ieva down the 5 steps & set her on the floor, keeping one eye on her as I put the long, cylindrical key in the hole in our storage room door & start turning it, hoping it will catch. It's the strangest (and most difficult) key & lock I've ever seen. Ieva's grabbed a piece of plaster laying nearby her from our neighbor's basement renovation. I stop the key turning, grab the plaster & toss it across the small basement space hoping that she won't go after it again. I go back to the key & 2 full minutes later have the door open. I pull out our stroller (otherwise known as Ieva's armored personnel carrier) and fight to get the big wheels up over the door jam while sharply turning it toward the steps. Ieva's found another piece of plaster & is spitting her pacifier out...which means plaster will be going toward her mouth in about .3 seconds. I bark a loud "no!" at which she gives a startled jump & looks at me with her huge, gorgeous innocent eyes and gives me enough time to push past the stroller, grab the plaster out of her hand, pick her up & return her pacifier to it's rightful place. With her on my hip, I wiggle the key while closing the door & sigh with relief as it latches. Then I grab the handlebar of the stroller & step by step, pull it up the 5 steps to our entryway. Since the stroller is now blocking the front door of our building, I quickly pull the diaper bag away from the basement door, swing it shut & push the stroller in front of it & out of the front door traffic. Basement door locked? Check. Ieva strapped securely in the stroller? Check? Time to walk the 30 minute stroller route? Nope. I head toward the bus stop & pray that one of the 3 that go to the school will be coming within 5 minutes. As I walk there, I also pray that people will help me get the stroller on & off the bus - that's always a bit tricky (to read more about public transport in Klaipeda, click here).
I get to the bus stop & check the schedule. Perfect. A #3 bus should be there within 5 minutes. I hope it's the stroller-friendly kind without steps. Or if it has steps, at least the kind that doesn't have a center hand rail. The bus pulls up & the door opens. Steps & a center rail. Shoot. I spin the stroller around & start backing onto the steps, only to have a friendly guy ask (in Lithuanian) if I need help. "Taip! Prasom." I tell him (Yes! Please) and he grabs the other end of the stroller & helps me navigate my way on. Once I'm on, I loop one arm around a pole & dig through my wallet for a ticket while using my other hand to hold the stroller. I punch the ticket in the small red punch box on the pole next to me. The bus is hot & smells like body odor (typical). Thankfully, it's not packed full. At the next stop a young guy from the back rushes up & quickly punches his ticket next to me...hmmm...the bus police must be coming on. Sure enough, as soon as the doors open, the bus police ladies are there, blocking the people getting off until they see their ticket. One comes to me & I hand her my punched ticket. She looks at it to make sure the punch code is the right one for this bus, tears it, and moves on to the next person. No one gets busted this time, although I've seen it happen before.
5 minutes later, the bus pulls up to the stop across the street from LCC. 3 of the people getting off in front of me all turn around to help me get the stroller off. What a relief. I thank them, cross the street, cross the field & leave Ieva with Andrew again and head to my office.

And now the real work begins.

Since Andrew & I will walk home together, we'll go the shorter 20-minute route & carry the stroller up over the railroad bridge. Then when we get home, I'll take Ieva & the diaper bag upstairs & he'll put the stroller away in the basement. I much prefer that system to doing it solo, but...it's all in a day's work in sweaty Lithuania!

Summer Language Institute 2006

This July, we participated in our 4th Summer Language Institute (SLI) at Lithuania Christian College. SLI is a 3-week intensive English program that draws primarily high-school aged kids from all over Eastern Europe. It is staffed completely by North American volunteers who come for the month to teach English, build relationships and hopefully share the love of Christ with students. SLI is an incredibly complex program, but under the skillful supervision of LCC's English Language Institute's director, Robin, it runs like a well-oiled machine. Andrew & I work with Robin each summer to coordinate activities for the students and teachers outside of the classroom.

There are a good number of teachers who come back to LCC for SLI year after year, and we have been blessed to build relationships with many of them each July. Many of them were eager to meet Ieva, since I was hugely pregnant with her when they were here last summer! One particularly close friendship that has been cultivated over the past 4 summers has been with Tim & Heather St. Peters and their 6-year old daughter, Emma from Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Each summer we spend more time with the St. Peters and each year our friendship has deepened. We are extraordinarily thankful for this family & the support and love they continue to bless us with...we just wish we could live in the same place for longer than 1 month out of the year!

This summer was special for all of us as Emma became Ieva's new best friend, and after they got here, discovered they were pregnant...and when I took Heather to my gynecologist for an ultrasound, learned they'll be having twins next spring! We were thrilled to share in this joy with them!

Another fun addition to SLI this summer was a new friendship with Tim & Jean Thompson from Wilmore, Kentucky. Tim is currently an RD at Asbury College and came to LCC to be an RD in our Karklu dormitory. Jean has been a teacher in Wilmore and taught English during SLI. We spent most evenings in July with Tim & Jean and Tim, Heather & Emma and had a great time together. We're already working on plans to try to connect in Indiana over Christmas break!

Over 300 students came to LCC this July and spent 6 hours a day learning English from North American volunteer teachers. At the end of the month, there were many tearful goodbyes as students not only improved their language skills, but experienced something far beyond what they could learn in the classrooms: that people care enough about them to give up a month of their summer vacation and pay to come to the other side of the world to love them through teaching them English. The long & loud standing ovation the students gave the teachers in the closing assembly said it all.

If you have interest in learning more about how you could be involved in LCC's Summer Language Institute, you can read more about it on LCC's website here.

Jen came to visit!!

Three days after we returned from the States, my dear friend Jennifer Swanborough came to visit and we had a FABULOUS time!! Jen is our first friend who came to Lithuania for the sole purpose of visiting us here, and I'm sure she would recommend it to any of the rest of you! (hint, hint!)

We packed a lot into the 10 days she was here. Since Andrew was managing a basketball camp at LCC for the bulk of the time she was here, Jen, Ieva & I got a lot of fun girl time together! Since the weather was so nice, we took Jen to two of our different beaches on the Baltic Sea. Those were Ieva's first Baltic beach trips & she loved it!

We also rented a car & drove to Vilnius for two days. After Andrew & I spent over two weeks there waiting for Ieva, I got to know the city pretty well and enjoyed giving Jen a walking tour of much of it. We went in an Amber museum, looked in linen shops, and did lots of perusing at the outdoor market vendors that are always set up on Pilies street. It was especially fun for me to walk past the apartment we lived in during our pre-Ieva Vilnius stay & look down at my beautiful 9 month old baby who I was longing to meet while staying there! We also frequented my favorite restaurant -- Double Coffee -- since Jen & I have similar tastes in cafes. On the way home we stopped at the famous Trakai Castle - a must-see for all tourists!

Jen wanted to experience another country, so we drove north to the border town of Liepaja, Latvia and were hosted by Agata (the LCC student who stayed in our place while we were in the States) and her family! Being in Agata's home & meeting her family was such a fantastic experience, as it helped us understand who she is so much more. She gave us a walking tour of the city, then after a delicious dinner in her home, we all went walking on the beach of the Latvian coast of the Baltic Sea. It was an honor to be hosted by such gracious people, and fun for Jen to leave with another stamp in her passport!

We also spent a full day in Palanga - the coastal resort town just north of us - picking up some new LCC colleagues from the airport and then seeing the local sights. We braved the crowds and walked downtown, popping into a couple shops and checking out street vendors, then out onto the pier that stretches out onto the Baltic Sea.

All in all, it was a tremendous gift to have Jen here! Sharing our lives with our friends & family is so important to us, and there's no better way to understand how we live than to come experience it for yourself.

If you would ever consider coming to Lithuania to visit, let us know! We'd LOVE to have you!

Back in Klaipeda!

After a long trip back, we're home again in Klaipeda...and so glad to be here! We're all fighting off jet-lag, but other than that, it's going well. It was great to be in the States, but no matter how great the travels were, it's always fabulous to come home. Our kitty, Asti, seemed happy to see us, too! Jen flies in tomorrow! We can't wait to have her here!

Family time in Michigan

After the ACSD conference, we were exhausted, and took full advantage of the comforts of my mom & dad's home and especially mom's home cooking. We cancelled a couple social engagements and instead, gave Ieva (and us!) some much needed R&R with Grandma & Grandpa Cliffe. It was a wonderful time together.


We spent a day in Niles, where I grew up, with some friends there. It was a great reunion and everyone was especially excited to meet Ieva! I'm pictured here with Scott, Tarla & Jenny.



On Father's day, my dad dedicated Ieva in his church and then we spent the afternoon at Lake Michigan. It was a special day for both my dad and for Andrew!

While we were in Michigan, Ieva's army crawl gained significant speed, and she also pulled her up to her knees on her own for the first time!

ACSD 2006: June 5-8

Two days after we returned to Michigan, we drove down to Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana for the 2006 national conference of the Association of Christians in Student Development (ACSD). This was my 9th conference and Andrew's 3rd and was another excellent time of professional & spiritual renewal. Each year, anywhere from 4-600 Student Affairs professionals gather on the campus of a Christian university for professional development, recruiting, networking, and a lot of fun. I've come to love these conferences as they not only remind me why I love doing what I do, but give me new ideas for how to do my job more effectively.

This year was a busy one as I was doing some major recruiting for the open RD (Resident Director) position on my staff, as well as presenting with my colleague Casey at one of the workshops.

Kim & Jody from Multnomah Bible College talking about life as an RD

Casey is on my staff here at LCC as the Intercultural Programs Coordinator. He & I presented a workshop on ways to educate students to identify and suspend their personal biases in order to be more effective leaders. There are 4 different workshop sessions throughout the week, each with approximately 15 different workshops for attendees to choose from. We were thrilled to have nearly 30 people in attendance at ours, and had some pretty lively dialogue.

One special element to this year's conference was that my parents, Buz & Barb, drove down to Marion & stayed in an apartment with us to babysit Ieva while we participated in the conference. It was the first time in my life as a mom that I literally left before Ieva woke up, came back only long enough to nurse her during the day, and then came back at night after she had gone to bed. That part of it was not fun for me...but her Grandma & Grandpa LOVED it!! They really enjoyed all the concentrated Ieva-time they got, and by the time the week was over had her drinking water from a cup and crawling with relative speed! It worked out so perfectly for all of us that we're already planning on doing it again next year when ACSD will be hosted in Minnesota!

Family time in Oregon

The greatest highlight of our time in Oregon was by far the time we got with family who hadn't met Ieva yet. That included Ieva's 4 great-grandparents, Auntie Hannah, and Great Uncles Jeff & David, Great Aunts Yvonne, Becky & Laurie, and 2nd cousins Colin, Clayton & Claire (although, to be technically correct, I think we discovered that they are actually 1st cousins twice removed or something like that!) Time spent with the Greats & Aunt Hannah was priceless for all involved!

Visiting Great Grandpa & Grandma Smith in The Dalles!

Looking at Great Grandpa & Grandma Stave

Playing with Auntie Hannah is fun!

We have a lot of time to catch up on together!

Oregon Time (May 17-June 1)

Our time in Oregon was a fantastic whirlwind of friends, family & dreams of the future! We spent the bulk of our time in SE Portland with Corey, Leslie & Elijah (my brother, sister-in-law & 5- year old nephew), but also had a few days in Newberg and in Eugene. While in Portland, we did a lot of driving or walking through neighborhoods in SE, wondering (and hoping!) if this is where we'll end up in a few years. Being there this trip really struck a chord in both our hearts, as we're now at a place in life where the idea of settling down in a neighborhood sounds more & more desirable. Since Portland real estate is outrageously expensive at the moment, we decided that it's a good thing we've decided to stay in Klaipeda at least two more years with the hope that housing costs will decrease by the time we consider moving back. This is something you can pray about for us!

One of the highlights in Oregon was reconnecting with some of our dear friends there! It was a especially fun to get Ieva together with her new friends Ava (born 2 weeks before Ieva) & Tenley (born 3 weeks before)! I enjoyed swapping mommyhood stories with my friends Kareena (Ava's mom) and Olivia (Tenley's mom), as we have all entered this new phase of life at the same time. A special thanks to Cara & Andy Copeland for letting us use their car the whole time & to Eric & Kareena Beasley for being our home away from home in Newberg!

Ava Louise (Sept. 12, 05), Tenley Grace (Sept. 7, 05) & Ieva Kirstine (Sept. 25, 05)

Another really fun connection was with my dear friend Sarah Baldwin & her family. Sarah has been instrumental throughout the past 10 years beginning when she was my RD at Spring Arbor the year I was an RA, and the reason I pursued a career in Residence Life after college myself! After leaving Spring Arbor, Sarah & her husband Clint went back down to Asbury College (her alma mater) in Kentucky where they stayed until the summer of 2005 when she was hired as the campus pastor at George Fox! It was really fun to go back to my old stomping grounds at Fox and to have Sarah there! We're so thankful for the ways God has continued to allow our paths to cross...and we joked that their next move with be here to LCC - but probably after we're gone! I hope that some day we'll be able to be in the same place at the same time again, as both Sarah and Clint are amazing people who have blessed our lives tremendously.

the travels continue...

...to Oregon! After a mere 48 hours in our home after returning from Portugal, we boarded a plane once again to head back to the States. We didn't even try to get Ieva adjusted to Lithuanian time again, as the biggest adjustment was ahead. Our favorite place to fly from is the tiny airport in Palanga - just a 25 minute drive from our home. It definitley beats the 3.5-hour drive to Vilnius! One of the primary destinations from Palanga is Copenhagen...who's
airport has become our new favorite since our discovery

of the children's play area! It was the perfect place to spend our 7 hour layover...one of us could sleep while the other hung out with Ieva. They have all sorts of stuff for kids to play on or with. Ieva's favorite was the ball gym! (& Andrew's favorite, too!)

2 Months with Grandma & Grandpa Stave & Auntie Ingrid!

It's amazing to think that in Ieva's 7 months of life - all which have been spent across the world from her family - she's been able to live 2 of those 7 months with her Grandma & Grandpa Stave and Aunt Ingrid here in Klaipeda. Here are some photos from their glorious time together:

First meeting!

I get lots of Grandma love now!!

Aren't we pretty?

Staying in the shade with Grandpa in Portgual


Helping Grandma knit...

I love my Auntie Ingrid!!

She teaches me lots of cool stuff...


Can you tell we're related?


How 'bout now?

Holiday in Portugal

As a final hurrah for our time together in Lithuania, Andrew's parents decided it would be nice to take us to a warm climate for a family vacation...and after the looong winter we'd had, we didn't complain!

The tiny coastal town of Santa Cruz, Portugal became our destination since Vicki has good friends there that she's known since the 70's. Jose, Madelena & their son Pedro were excellent hosts & found us a modest little white stucco house to stay in only a 5 minute walk from the town center & another 3 minutes further to the beach. We had a week full of clear blue skies and temperatures in the high 70's/low 80's during the days. It was perfect!!

We did a lot of relaxing together in the walled-in patio behind our house, but also took lots of walks around the town & to the beach. The beach at Santa Cruz is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen - surrounded by high rock walls with winding steps carved out of them, rock formations jutting out from the beach into the water with steps and small plateaus for sunning carved out, and festive red & white painted awnings over benches lining the beach for shade. The water was still a bit chilly for us to do too much swimming, although the locals didn't seem to mind!

Ieva spent one afternoon with Grandma, Grandpa & Aunt Ingrid while Andrew & I drove north to the tiny walled village of Obidos. Despite being hundreds of years old, the cobblestone streets and castle walls have been maintained, making it a popular tourist destination. From the top of the walls, we could look out over miles of beautiful rolling farm land...helping us understand how these walls once did a perfect job of defending the castle from potential attack. On the way to Obidos, we got to drive through the Portuguese countryside - winding through lots of tiny white-washed villages, rolling green pastures speckled with old fashioned windmills and rocky hillsides. At one point we pulled the car over & hiked up and around an area spotted with caves carved out of the hills.

On another day the family went into Lisbon and did as much as we could in a day while pushing a baby. We saw the city gate with the 'Terreiro do Paco' statue, walked up & around the castle overlooking the city, and took a bus to the region of Belem where we saw the majestic statue to the famous Discoverers and ate traditional Portuguese pastries in the oldest bakery/cafe in the city which has been in operation since 1837.
The week was wonderfully relaxing & filled with fun time together as a family with lots of good memories!

Announcing the Graduating Class of 2006!

Saturday, April 30 was LCC's 11th graduation ceremony. It was a full day, beginning with baccelaureate in the morning, the main ceremony in the afternoon and then the graduation party for graduates and staff and faculty in the evening. Since we entered LCC along with these students, we feel a particular bond with many of them. Watching an entire class of students go from freshmen to seniors is an incredible experience and one that we have treasured. The pictures tell it all...

The traditional graduate processional led by our theology department chair, Steve & our English department chair, Jackie. The graduates enter the buildling by walking through the LCC staff & faculty who line the sidewalk & cheer for them.

Andrew, Ieva & I in the line up waiting for the grads

Julija was on Andrew's student orientation staff for two years, was his teaching assistant for one, and has worked in the Career Development Center of the Student Life Office for the past two. Our department selected her as the recepient for the 05-06 leadership award from the graduating class.

Along with their diploma, LCC graduates also recieve a traditional Lithuanian sash with their name and graduation date on it.

Milda was also on Andrew's staff as well as being involved in many aspects of Student Life during her 4 years at LCC. We will miss her smiles & enthusiasm!

Enida was the only graduate from Albania this spring.

Some of our favorite girls: Rita, Jorune, Toma, Viktorija, Jolita & Milda
It is a Lithuanian tradition for family, friends & faculty to give flowers to the graduates!

The Lithuania Christian College graduating class of 2006!