Winter has finally come!

Just when we all thought that winter was over, the temperatures dropped and we finally got some much needed snow.

Learning to Serve

This year our school theme has been "Learning to Serve" and our students have been given many opportunities to put this into practice. One such opportunity was to raise money to provide a group of widows living in a bombed out Russian school some of the supplies that they would need for the winter. My kids decided to have a "bake sale" and they throughly enjoyed themselves while raising a good amount of money to help these women.

The Bake Sale





Some of the supplies that were purchased


Some of the widows we were able to help

My Sister's Visit

For several weeks in December, I was blessed to have my sister, Sarah, come to town for a visit. She bravely flew all the way here by herself, making friends (as she so easily does) with people along the way who pointed her in the right direction. It was such a treat for me to have her here and experience what my life here is like. Here are some pictures from her visit.


Sarah and I squeezed in the front seat of the pick up during a trip to the bazar.


Lessons on packing and lighting a sawdust stove.


Grading papers! Sarah was a big help to me and my friend Mandy as we finished up the semester.


Learning how to make a local dish from our cook, Sahki.


Visiting a friend on base.


Sarah was a guest speaker in my class one day and shared about her experiences on a fishing boat in Alaska. Here I am struggling to get the Alaska map to show while she waits.


Sarah and I with my good friends, Mandy and Adrianne.


Sar was able to get to know a lot of the staff I work with. Here we are with all the women at a cafe' near school.

Sarah and I flew back to Oregon together for Christmas. It was nice to have a travel buddy. We also spent a day in Dubai on the way home and got a chance to swim in the gulf, ride a camel and exlore the dunes.

Out of the Ordinary

A few unusual sights...


Two of my housemates and I seemed to discover the same thing at the same time: the most beautiful K-town sunrise yet to be seen. We all clamoured out to the roof to watch before heading to work.


A shot from our undercover mission to eat Thai food on base....Shhh, don't tell!


Bulldozers in the "river"...


My sister visiting!!

Just for Fun

I'm adding a few more pictures just for fun...and because the internet seems to be working really well right now and who knows when that might happen again! Enjoy!



Getting ready for the second annual Pumpkin Party



My Ninja friends and Shredder too



Saying goodbye to a student whose family had to leave the country



Leslee and our new compound puppy, Max

Somewhere He opens a window

Lots of bad news has probably been filtering your way about this part of the world. Lots has happened this fall and in the midst of lockdowns and packing evac bags, I've found the small blessings that come my way are more precious than ever. Emails and phone calls from people I rarely hear from have encouraged my heart and comforted me. Sunrises and sunsets have brought the spark of beauty and hope, even in the middle of a dark and dirty city. The hospitality of strangers has allowed me to send and recieve mail from home at a time when I was feeling especially isolated and a safe place to visit when I was going stir crazy in our compound cage.
When the doors in our lives close and we are walled in and full of fear, somewhere He opens a window...a release...a way to stand up under it.