it's hard for us to believe, but a year of intense language school ends this week! we have been blessed this year to focus on learning the russian language to prepare for life here and working with contacts we'll be making through the chaplain program and it's hard to believe that the year is almost over. our teacher, tamara leoneedovna, is a wonderful woman without whom, we don't believe this year of studying language would have been as full and Christ-centered as learning language can be.
last weekend, tim and i had the incredible experience of leading the sophomore class at hinkson on a retreat. they approached us last fall, with the knowledge that junior year at hinkson is a tough one (lots of fundraising for various things, organizing school wide events, on top of a tough school load) and they wanted us to lead a weekend for their class (18 sophomores) of team building and bonding and getting more solidified as a class. the Grace of God made this weekend go better than we could have asked for or expected. tim and i, along with another girl leader at hinkson, led low ropes course initiatives, team building exercises, facilitated personality assessments and evaluations and guided the students as they developed their class mission statement. we had rich debriefing times after the initiatives, applying what happened in the activity to life, our relationship with God and our relationships with others. we used the lion-otter-beaver-golden retriever personality assessment to identify different personality types in the class and the students commented that they loved using this tool to learn more about themselves and each other, and how different personality types can work together effectively to accomplish a goal. not only were they bonded, but we bonded with them and established relationships that will last...that is why we are here.
we stayed in a primitive "dacha" (like a summer home or lake house without the lake) 2 hours outside of moscow in the country. here are some of the students in the lovely outhouse at the dacha.
feet on the "totem pole shuffle" initiative on the retreat.
i am continuing to feel great, and the pregnancy is going wonderful! and we found out a few days ago that we are having a boy! we are so honored and feel so blessed to be walking through this time and getting ready to welcome a new life. please continue to pray for health for him!
random pic of ally in front of saint basil's cathedral, red square.