Here and Now

Hey People,

It's a chilly Saturday night in Klaipeda. Not too much going on. Just some reading, Russian TV dramas with roommates, and further experiments for dinner. The quiet time is nice, though, after a positively dizzying two weeks. As far as any sort of summation goes, I'm not sure even where to begin. My thoughts (and emotions) have been so strong but scattered that, for now, I'll provide you with a brief recap of my Lithuanian life thus far.

On the morning of Monday, January 3rd, I left Toronto, Canada. On the evening of Tuesday, January 4th, I arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania. I (and two travel companions) were promptly ushered into a taxi with a driver who spoke no English and hurried across the city to our three-day-hostel-home, just in time to head out for dinner with 18 strangers (fellow American students from various places, with a few Lithuanian helpers) to order from a menu we could not read food we had never eaten. Wild. But great.

The following two days were spent in Vilnius -- walking for miles, snapping pictures, eating out, mangling basic Lithuanian phrases, meeting new people, and all the while still meeting each other. It really is a special experience to be thrust into such intimate quarters with people you've never met, especially with the added expectation that these new faces are to become your close friends throughout the adventure. But I've been blessed to meet some great people and have some solid companions as we all embark on this adventure. [to see more of Vilnius, see my bookFace page]


It's fun to mangle words.

So by Thursday night we were in Klaipeda, greeted by staggering wind and sleet. But it was great to finally get settled in the place that will become our home for 4 months. In a funny way, it wasn't until classes began on Monday that my life began to slow down. The past week has been one of rather serious adjustment, but also some great exploration and fun. To be truthful, this adventure thus far has been a roller coaster of excitement and apprehension, anticipation and anxiety, but if you are really interested in those details then perhaps we could talk directly. But above it all, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, and all the lessons I have learned even in this short time. Simply put, fearful uncertainty is being slowly replaced with bold certainty in God's faithfulness and my own need to be challenged.

Classes in this context have a much different feel, but I am excited for what I will learn from that very context, in addition to the material itself. I'm taking three psychology classes (Abnormal Psych, Theories of Personality, and Research Statistics), and Introduction to Lithuanian. I was also just approved for a practicum/internship at a local institution. Though there is much to be determined, it will likely be at a local orphanage. So in the meantime, any prayers for that endeavour are much appreciated. 

It is now quite late. I acknowledge that my recapitulation has been rather brief and somewhat vague, but I assure you that more details (and pictures) will come with time. I have many things starting up this week, and I'm very excited to become more involved with this new community (both on campus and off).

If you are reading this, then I assume that you care about my adventures in some way. For that I thank you very much. It can be an isolating thing to be so, well, isolated, but support from all of you is a great encouragement. So thank you. Or, as they say it here, Aciu!

Sudie! (Go with God)
jmb