Well, I guess you can tell from my numerous posts tonight that it has been a pretty busy week around here. (Aren't they all?) So, I will try to catch you up on some of the details of the week.
Terri Tarleton left for Moscow last weekend. She has become a dear friend to the whole family, but especially to Kellye and the children. They are counting the days until they see her again. As a matter of fact, tonight at supper John-John asked where Aunt Terri had gone and when he realized that she was not coming back to ILC he started to cry. Just another reason for getting to Russia as soon as possible.
We had a great time watching Gator football on the big screen on Saturday. (No, I have not abandoned my Sooners.) As many of you know, Kellye earned her graduate degree from the University of Florida so I have decided to take a Biblical approach to being a Gator fan. Matthew 6:21 says "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." So, I figure that UF has quite a bit of my treasure, they can have a piece of my heart on a Saturday afternoon. (Although I am praying for an OU/UF national championship game!)
Tonight was chicken killing night. Yes, you read that right. Each week we have extra curricular classes on specialized skills that people need to survive on the field. One week it was learning to drive standard transmission. We tried not to take the kids on our walks that week! Earlier this month Kellye took a class on how to cut hair and how to cook from scratch. So this tonight our friend "M" , who is going to the far East of Russia, taught a class on how to kill and prepare chicken and fish for our brothers and sisters who will be living in areas without a neighborhood Piggly Wiggly! I didn't attend the class, but I did go next door to sample some of the food afterwards!
And speaking of food, a special friend mailed us a couple of pies this week! Wow, what a treat that was. You may remember from one of Kellye's blogs that we don't often get desert around here, so when they came in the mail yesterday it was like Christmas had come early. We had one of our quad-mates pick up some ice cream on his way through Wal-Mart and we had a feast! It was wonderful. A special thank you to JW, our special friend for sending the pies!
Today has been my writing day. I have been taking a seminary class at the same time as FPO, so tonight I found a hidden spot on campus and wrote for about four hours. I only have two more papers to write and hope to finish them tomorrow. Then I start working on the closing video for our commissioning ceremony. I am honored to have the opportunity to produce this video and it will be fun to work on.
I have also been trying to work on my Russian language skills. Ed has been helping me learn a few phrases and I have also been trying to learn my testimony in Russian. I am going to see one of the barbers in town tomorrow who immegrated from Moscow about 12 years ago. Ed spent some time with him today and he said he would be willing to help me with my Russian, so I am pretty excited about that.
Friday, tomorrow, is our final immunization day. I think we are each scheduled for three shots a piece. John is a trooper. The boy feels no pain and actually looks forward to shot day. Hannah, on the other hand, starts crying every time we pass by the clinic just because she is thinking about getting her shots.
And melancholy started to set in this week. We are a mere 11 days away from graduation and while we are excited and ready to pack our things and head to the field we are starting to feel a little sad about leaving this place. (Kellye has just finished a cross-stitch plaque that reads "Quad Sweet Quad.") As you have heard us mention several times, we have made wonderful friends here. They are dear, sweet brothers and sisters with whom we will be life-long friends. So, while we are happy about approaching our final week of FPO, we are sad that this intimate time of friendship and fellowship is coming to an end. It has been said that a missionary's life is filled with goodbyes. And, so far, that has been true. I hope that in the months and years to come that the relationships we have forged over the past two months will stand the test of time and that we will have opportunities to spend time together again soon.
And speaking of goodbyes, remember that Kellye and I love each and every one of you and miss you very much. We appreciate your prayers, cards and emails and thinking about you makes us smile.
Blessings,
Marc
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