Friday, December 31, 2004

DCU Garden

I are starting to get some direction for my position here. The university is located on about 22 acres of land. Part of this is used by the buildings and parking lots but the majority is unused grassland with sparsely populated trees. The current plan is for me to till up a small piece of land in the spring and plant a large vegetable garden. The majority of the vegetables will be used by the school's cafeteria, but we will also look to maybe sell some at the market and analyze the possible revenue.
I grew up on a farm, but have very little experience in the area of gardening. Being the nerd that I am, I have been reading books and websites devoted to the topic in hopes of learning the basics. Everyone writes that the key is experience. I hope to experience at least a little success. Many people on campus have small gardens and several of them have already helped me find places to buy seeds and other supplies. I hope they continue to advise me in proper times to do things as well as techniques so I don't end up with a big garden full of dry grass in the fall. I am getting really excited about the task and have started inquiring about starting a compost pile with the scraps from the cafeteria. I also want to start a miniature greenhouse in our living room. We have almost nothing in there right now (and Laura is ok with the idea). I hope to grow some herbs and other small things in there. I will also need to do a lot of seed starting in coming months.
Next semester there is a league of businesswomen coming to campus to teach a basic business class. We gave the instructors a list of business possibilities for the students to explore. This will be the first, most basic type of such business ventures.
We hope that this will lead to the construction of a small greenhouse in the summer months. The goal is to get a lot of student involvment in the planning as well as the labor so they can get some practical business experience. We will continue to write about the progress as well as other possibilities.

Dave

Thursday, December 30, 2004

Christmas Holiday

We are back from our Christmas holiday in Zaporozhye. Zaporozhye is about 3.5 to 4 hours away by marshrutka (small van), and is home to the MCC Ukraine central office, as well as several MCCers. This was our first trip out of Donetsk by public transportation, and all went smoothly. We traveled with a fellow SALT worker who lives in Makeevka, a town close to Donetsk. We stayed in the apartment of our country director, who was away for the holiday, and hosted three other MCCers for a traditional Christmas dinner. Otherwise our time was spent relaxing, walking around town, watching movies and spending time with other MCCers. It was fun, but didn’t really seem like Christmas. Both of us were able to talk to our families on the phone, which made us feel a little more connected to the festivities that were taking place in the U.S. Now that we’re back, the staff at DCU is preparing for their holiday break, which begins tomorrow and lasts until Jan. 10. We’ll use this time to prepare for next semester, as we will both be teaching English – Laura to university students and Dave to community members.

Staff members here at DCU received some MCC material aid just in time for Christmas. Yesterday Laura walked past a classroom in the administration building and witnessed much commotion and excitement as staff and their families sorted through MCC clothing bundles. This morning the rector announced that staff will be given cans of MCC meat just in time for Orthodox Christmas. It is exciting for us to see those on the receiving end of MCC material aid, especially after we toured and helped at the material aid warehouse during orientation. Dave was especially excited about the meat distribution because in addition to helping on the canner, his family hosts the meat canners when they come to Mountain Lake.

Our experience in Ukraine has showed us a different kind of need that isn’t always recognizable at first glance. In the past, when we thought of people in need, typical images of children in rags living in dirt huts came to mind. Here, people are very concerned with appearance and dress well – better, even, than we might in the U.S. Winter coats, for example, are frequently made of leather and trimmed with fur, with hats and gloves to match. At first glace, these people seem well-off. But when we realize that their monthly salaries amount to less than $100 per month, we know there is need here; it is simply concealed by external appearances. Because of this, it is easy to forget. We are inspired by the faith of the people here, who trust God to provide no matter how large the need.

Dave and Laura

Friday, December 17, 2004

Financial Issues

This morning we attended the last chapel of the semester (chapels are held every Monday and Thursday morning for staff and students), and although there was a feeling of relief as the semester comes to a close, concerns were shared about the financial situation of the DCU. Currently the university is $5,000-$7,000 in debt, and certain basic needs such as electricity have not been paid for in some time. Thus, the powers that be have threatened to shut off the gas to the university on Monday. No one knows if it will really happen, apparently non-payment of utilities is a common problem throughout the country, and in some cases much threatening takes place, but little action. Salaries of the national professors and staff here also have only been paid through October.

About finances at DCU: from what I’ve gathered from the bits and pieces I’ve heard is that when communism fell in 1991, Ukraine and its neighboring countries in the Former Soviet Union had the world’s attention, and money flowed in freely from the West. DCU was founded, new buildings were built, and students came from all across the country. Slowly, though, funds from the West have diminished, as have numbers of students, partly because now there are many Christian universities to choose from, and partly because being a pastor or a missionary, the professions which the students here are studying for, generally do not provide enough income to support oneself in Ukraine. That’s a whole other complex situation (lack of monetary support for pastors and missionaries) and at this point I don’t know enough to speak intelligently on the subject. So many students choose to go to a trade school or national university where they learn a profession with which they can support themselves. Can’t really blame them for that.

Thus, DCU is exploring ways of becoming financially self-sufficient. To raise funds, our English department offers Saturday classes to the public for a good price. For the past two years DCU also has offered the public two-week intensive English classes in June and July, taught by English teachers and volunteers who come from the states for service trips. I have agreed to coordinate this summer’s English intensive classes, so by the way, if anyone is interested in seeing the sights of Eastern Europe and stopping by DCU to teach/help teach English for a couple weeks, please let me know.

Dave’s job here is tied to financial issues as well – he is exploring options for teaching students a trade to earn a living by once they graduate, and possibly establishing a similar project for the university to use to support itself. These options include a garden, greenhouse, woodshop or various other projects that all need some experimentation. Having been here for so little time, there is really so much we have yet to understand about this complex situation, but there is a general overview. We can only hope that our work here will help facilitate growth and change. Please keep DCU in your thoughts and prayers, especially during the holiday season.

Laura

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Christmas Preparations

As the token American couple on campus, Dave and I have been asked to give a presentation about American Christmas traditions for the Saturday English classes held here at DCU. Such a presentation has prompted us to think about what we do to celebrate Christmas, and makes us realize what really is different here during the holiday season.
One important difference in Ukraine that you might not realize if it wasn’t explained to you is a remnant of years of communist control. In an effort to quash religious celebrations of any kind, the communist powers transferred the traditional Christmas festivities of giving gifts, decorating the tree, baking goodies, gathering with family, etc. to the New Years holiday. Therefore, people could still celebrate a holiday and enjoy themselves, just not associate it with any sort of religious celebration. In this way, Christmas here really is a celebration of Christ’s birth only. The glitz, gifts and Grandfather Frost (Santa Claus’ Ukrainian equivalent) are all a celebration of the New Year.
Another difference is the calendar. Because of the high Orthodox population, Christmas is generally celebrated on January 7, according to the Orthodox calendar. In places like DCU, where Westerners and nationals mix, celebrations may span from December 24 through January 7th, and even beyond (someone just told me today to expect celebrations to last through January 14). The best of both worlds, perhaps. So far we’ve happily participated in an elaborate decorating contest among departments at the university, and witnessed a Christmas program, complete with vocal ensembles, skits, riddle-solving, lots of cookies and candy, a sermon and the Christmas story read in Russian. (We witnessed much more; the list above is simply what we understood more or less).
As our understanding increases, so will our involvement in the festivities – and people are always very interested in how we celebrate during this holiday season. I’ve already received a suggestion to for us to organize an American Christmas party for the whole university, as has been done by other Americans in the past – maybe next year!

Laura

Monday, December 13, 2004

Posting Photos

As you can probably tell, I was finally successful at posting photos. I am so excited that it finally worked. I can't tell you how many times I failed before it finally worked. I promise to continue to post photos periodically (if our camera continues to work).
I posted five photos from the past month. Three of them have direct connection to previous blogs. There are a couple from our trip to Chortitza island near Zaporozhye. The island is famous for its connections to the Cossacks. They are sort of the founding fathers (or historical heros) of many Ukrainians. Supposedly they held their meetings under this tree before chasing the Poles out of Ukraine (with Russia's help) a long time ago. Anyway, it is a historically significant location that some of you might like to see.

-Dave

Shakthar-Barcelona


For those of you who are soccer fans, here are teams from the soccer game. Notice that Barcelona is playing without their three most well-known players. Posted by Hello

Yegor and Dave at the Soccer Game


Yegor and Dave at the Shakthar game (on the "eventful evening") Posted by Hello

First Dinner Guests (Photo)


This is the dinner party that Laura referred to in a previous blog. Pictured left to right: Debby and Robert Martin-Koop, MCC Europe Directors, Sasha (Ukrainian MCC worker), Ionka Hristova, MCC Ukraine Country Representative and Dave.  Posted by Hello

Liz on Horse


Our fellow MCCer, Elisabeth Harder, was gracious enough to take us around Zaporozhye when we were there in November. She says that a visit to the famous 600-year-old oak tree is never complete without a ride on the horse. Posted by Hello

Laura and Dave by the Oak


Dave and Laura at the famous oak tree on Chortitza island (in November). Posted by Hello

Thursday, December 09, 2004

Political Situation

Many have recently asked how the Ukrainian election turmoil is affecting us. The election has affected us, but our perspective is probably quite different from that of other Americans across the country. The area in which we live is very pro-Russia and for the candidate declared the winner in the election, partly because he is from this area. We are also simply closer to Russia and there are more Russian nationals living in this area. (Russian is spoken predominantly here, in contrast to areas of western Ukraine where most people speak Ukrainian). There are no election protesters here, no one wearing orange, which stands for the other candidate. In general, Americans (and Westerners in general) have gotten a bad reputation here because our government poked its nose into Ukraine’s business and declared the Ukrainian election fraudulent. Thus, we make a concerted effort to keep our voices down in public (to not be heard speaking English) and try to blend in as much as possible. Everyone at the university has been very supportive and is always looking out for us. We are very happy to have such a community surrounding us, especially now during our adjustment time. Things are also quieter now that the Supreme Court has voted to hold new elections on December 26, so everything seems to be on hold. The Parliament passed new regulations on elections so the next election will be less corrupt, but has also passed new laws that give less power to the president and more to the Parliament.

Laura

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

An Eventful Evening

Yesterday was an interesting day for me. Everything was normal until after my language lesson (approximately 5pm). I hopped on a bus marked 11, which is the one I always take home. We left the station and headed in the right direction, but turned at a strange intersection. I had been hearing the conductor saying something, but that was nothing new (they always seem to be talking). Since I never understand anyway, I sometimes tune them out. I am aware that is not the greatest idea, but it is so easy to do when so little is understandable. After a while I realized she was saying "Chetviorti marshrut" which means "4th route." I was confused because the bus was marked 11. The only thing I was able to do was ask the lady next to me if it was in fact 11. She frowned and shook her head. Fortunately I sort of knew where I was so I got off and had a walk ahead of me.
I squeezed into another bus, the doors closed and a fight broke out between the two men in the doorway (directly behind me). They were in very close quarters, yet still able to punch and shove very well. They were also yelling, but I have not learned that vocabulary yet. I tried to mind my own business and prayed that it wouldn't escalate to somehow involve the stupid American. It calmed down in time for me to squeeze by them on my way out the door at my stop.
I arrived home shortly before 7 and was just beginning to calm down and help with supper when the phone rang. My friend, Yegor, had been in town and had found out there was a Donetsk Shakthar (soccer) game. I know little about soccer, but I had heard that Donetsk is in the European Champions League. That is a big deal in Europe and quite an accomplishment for the Donetsk team. Anyway, Barcelona was in town and the he bought me a ticket (about $0.50) for the game which started at 9:45pm. I asked him if it was safe to go out at that time. He assured me that it was and we headed to town again.
We entered Olimpic Stadium by passing through three lines of police officers who each patted us down. I thought this was maybe a bit much, but Ukraine does not pride itself in its efficiency. Anyway, we took some pictures and became situated before the crowd stood up suddenly and started chanting "Ya-nu-ko-vich, Ya-nu-ko-vich,..." I turned around and there was the presidental candidate of choice for the Donetsk region, waving to the crowd from a balcony no more than 50 feet from where we were sitting. This occurred several times throughout the game. The game was an exciting one, Donetsk scored first and I pulled out my camera (like any good tourist would)to catch the moment. The large, intoxicated man who was sitting next to me and had been talking to me throughout the opening minutes (none of which I understood), thought it was time for a big hug. It was a bit unexpected and happened to knock the camera from my hand. I am happy to say that it still takes photos, we just have to be happy with the permanent 3x zoom. Donetsk won 2-0 and the stadium was somewhat chaotic. It seemed to be the only thing people talked about all the way home.
Even though the evening was eventful and exciting most of the time, I was ready to get home to a place where I felt a bit more secure. It was a memorable evening and, now that it is in the past, I am sure that I will be talking about it for many years to come.

Dave

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

First Dinner Guests

Dave and I hosted our first dinner guests Monday evening: Robert and Debby Martin-Koop, MCC Europe directors, Ionka Hristova, our MCC Ukraine country rep., and Sasha, a local Ukrainian who works for MCC. We realized soon after we began planning a menu and shopping for ingredients that such tasks would take much more effort than we are used to. We scoured the market as best as we could with our pathetic Russian, then for the last few hard-to-find items resorted to a more North American-style grocery store where we could pick out our own groceries and be a bit more anonymous in our ignorance. Dessert proved to be the most difficult item on the menu. I baked a carrot cake, which turned out well, but the frosting was a challenge. Powdered sugar was nowhere to be found and cream cheese was difficult to identify. Cheese is a popular item in Ukraine, so we figured we could pick out a substitute and get by. We picked a container of cheese similar in size and design to cream cheese as we know it back home, and also a little squishy to the touch. It also had a baby on the package eating a lump of the cheese, which seemed somewhat strange. But we decided was a good sign, since the cheese needed to be soft, perhaps creamy, for the baby to eat it. However, after arriving home and sampling the cheese, we realized it could not be substituted for cream cheese. Although white in color, it tasted like Velveeta. Thus, Dave and Yegor, a Ukrainian friend, began a search for cream to whip. That also was fruitless. They even found Cool Whip, but only chocolate and coconut flavored. The last resort, something we should have thought of in the first place, was ice cream. It is a very popular dessert in Ukraine, no matter what the season, and Dave and Yegor came home with a 1 kilo tube of it. Carrot cake with vanilla ice cream was enjoyed by all, especially Dave and I. The evening was fun, and we even gained a few chairs for our apartment, bringing the total to four. Both of us enjoy cooking and entertaining, but now realize our recipes need some adjusting with Ukrainian ingredients in mind. Before we came to Ukraine we were told that we would be able to find almost any food that we were familiar with in the U.S. But we have since realized that finding such foods might take the better part of a few days, which isn't quite worth it. We've also since learned that if we really need powdered sugar, we can make it by running granulated sugar through a coffee grinder. Who'd have thought. For now, we'll be doing without, and enjoying our мороженое (ice cream).

Laura

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Language Learning

Today a native Ukrainian asked me how many Russian words I know. It was merely something that he was interested in and he was probably just trying to make conversation, but I had difficulty not taking it personally. It isn't as though I can count the number of words in my vocabulary on one hand, but sometimes it feels that way. It was a quantitative question, which is normally my forte, but I could not estimate how many words I know (maybe the nerd in me will make a list and start keeping track). My response was: "Not enough." As I thought about it I began to wonder if I will ever feel that I can answer that question differently.
I also began to wonder why a part of me took that question personally. It is very difficult for me to say that my primary responsibility is language. I would classify myself as a "doer" and it doesn't really seem like I am doing anything. I just can't classify learning a language as service, which is what I came here to do. In the communicating I have done with former service workers, there has been one common theme in all of their testamony... spend a lot of time learning the language, it goes a long way. I have heard this over and over again, but for some reason their wisdom just won't sink in. Oftentimes I lack patience.
At my third language lesson I struggled with reading one simple paragraph out loud and putting the emphasis on the right syllable. I started getting really frustrated because it felt like I just wasn't getting it. I had read it before and it was supposed to be easy this time. My teacher, Marina, encouraged me to take a step back and focus on what I already know. Maybe I am stupid and she was just patronizing me but I realized that I am actually learning things. I was able to successfully buy a mechanical pencil and 0.7mm lead at the store today. Now I know that sounds pretty minimal, but it was not in sight and I requested both items without even wasting too many words. I won't be giving any eloquent sermons anytime soon, but I am still pretty proud.
The market is very intimidating and sometimes the salespeople seem to lack proper training in customer service. The phrase "the customer is always right" must be a foreign thing. Here they seem to think "The (American) customer is always mentally ill." However, the people at DCU are very helpful. A couple people have gone to the market with us at different times and many have offered to do the same in the future. I realize that we won't learn as much as we would on our own, but at least we won't be so intimidated and shy with a little support. We will continue to work on it and I am sure our repitoire of language miscommunications will continue to grow. I'll keep you posted and that will help to keep me humble.

Dave

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving has come and gone here without much ado, which is what we expected. Dave went to a Russian lesson and I worked on lesson plans in the English office during the day, and in the evening we headed to a get-together with some other Americans working for various missionary/service organizations. Although turkey is not widely available here, our hosts found one somewhere and we enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal, complete with pumpkin pie. Even though we knew very few people in the group, it was nice to have some English conversation and make some connections with people. So our first holiday in a new country is done, with a few more to go in the coming weeks. In Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated on January 7, according to the traditional Orthodox calendar, so we'll have two Christmases to celebrate, with New Years in between. Classes will be over for the semester by then and we hope to do some traveling to visit other MCCers in the area.

Laura

Friday, November 26, 2004

Finding Understanding

Being a mathematical-minded person, I devote a great deal of time finding understanding. I want to analyze things and further my understanding. Naturally, I also want to know a bit of what is going and feel comfortable. I have never had as much difficulty doing this as I have in the past two weeks. I realize that it is quite likely that I won't understand much by the end of our time here. It will take most of the time to get used to the customary activities. I don't know how much I understood in my home country, where I had 25 years to analyze and adjust. But I throw myself at the task anyway.
No matter how much time we devoted to preparing to come here, it was not a possibility to be truly ready. There is just too much change. On a superficial note, even though multiple people told us about the fashion here in advance, it was not possible to be ready to see what is in style here. Men carry purses. Now, this isn't me just being Mr. Masculine and unnaccepting man bags. These are actually purses by North American standards. We were also told several times that people wear really pointy shoes that curl up at the front. While you try to visualize that I will point out that I still haven't become accustomed to seeing men wearing elf shoes. I heard about these fashion trends, but could not fully realize them until I saw them firsthand. The question is, will I ever become comfortable with them or even understand them?
Fashion seems like a pretty small aspect of culture and it might seem as though I have a hang up on something petty. It is probably true, but it is also merely an example of all of the different realities that we are experiencing all of the time. When we were driving away from the airport a mere two weeks ago and I was a bit shocked by the buildings I saw. I thought it was a craftsmanship thing. More than that, it was so much different than what I was used to. Two weeks have passed and it seems like the city gets nicer every time we go there, but will it ever seem normal and comfortable?
I tell myself that language is the first main obstacle that I have to navigate in my journey to find some understanding. Once I am able to make small talk in Russian or simply be confident when people seem to be yelling things (possibly obscenities) at me on the bus, then I will be ready to become more comfortable in the new culture and gain greater understanding of it. Will I ever understand or be truly comfortable? No, but the mathematician in me sure finds it fun to try.

Dave

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Ukrainian Presidential Elections

I thought I'd post an update on the unfolding drama regarding the recent presidential election Ukraine, as it is very big news here. We don't know how much coverage this issue has gotten in the U.S., but here everyone's talking about it, and the outcome might produce big changes for Ukraine. Viktor Yanukovich is the candidate aligned with a closer relationship with Russia. He is the current prime minister under outgoing president Kuchma, whose term has been full of corruption and human rights abuses. Yanukovich himself has several criminal convictions and is supported by the mafia, as well as some people on the eastern side of Ukraine. He also has many supporters in our area of Donetsk, which is where Yanukovich is from. Viktor Yushchenko is aligned with the west and favors moving Ukraine towards a more western-type democracy, with possible membership in the European Union, less governmental corruption, etc. Last Sunday was the runoff election between the two and although exit polls showed overwhelming support for Yushchenko, "official" results declared Yanukovich the winner by about 3 percent yesterday. Apparently the election was rigged, with Yanukovich supporters receiving multiple absentee ballots, voting in multiple precincts, and Yushchenko voters being intimidated and harrassed. Since the election, several hundred thousand protesters have gathered in Kiev outside the parliament and camped there, demonstrating for Yushchenko and a fair election tally. No winner has officially been determined, because we've heard that several officials on the election commission have refused to endorse the "official" election results that name Yanukovich president. Protests are taking place in other cities throughout Ukraine, especially in the western part, where Yushchenko is widely supported. So far, all has been quiet in Donetsk. We and others here get our news from the Internet, as all Ukrainian media here is controlled by the Yanukovich camp. The variety of news sources and different information coming out produce many rumors and hearsay, and our Ukrainian colleagues are always talking about it.

Laura

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

First Day of Class

I just finished teaching my very first class of Exploring Theological English, and I'm happy that it is now behind me. It took a lot of time to prepare for my first class - not only the first class I've ever taught, but also the first class I've ever taught to Russian-speaking students. I'm sure I'll learn more cultural differences as we go along, but things today went pretty well. I have seven students, all seniors in their course of study except for two juniors. They are a very energetic and talkative bunch, as long as they understand what I'm saying. If not, I get blank faces and lots of chattering in Russian. Today already I had one diligent student reminding the others to speak "English only!" With such a small group, it's easier to see who's understanding and who's not, which is a plus. I did do a lot of repeating and clarifying. Since there is only a month left in the semester, we will have to cram a lot of information into a short time and students will have to study a lot. However, other English teachers have told me that students work very hard and end up surprising teachers in the end by how much they learn and understand. I'm looking forward to getting to know my students better - at this point when Dave and I speak little Russian, it's hard to make connections with students.

Laura

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Going to the Market

I will begin this posting with the promise that we will have some pictures posted early next week. We know that a lot of you like visuals and we will try to be accommodating. Sometimes it is a struggle to pull out the camera and be a tourist, but we will try.
Laura and I went to the market this morning. Our friend Sergei, a New Testament teacher here, took us there and helped us with a lot of purchasing. It was an outdoor market similar to the few that I visited in Guatemala. There was a small canopied area with lots of little shops. There were also vendors all around the perimeter of the place selling almost anything you could imagine. There were lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. I tried to purchase a few things on my own, but again realized that I am pretty helpless. I was excited to find that carrots and cabbage only cost $0.21 per kilogram and these crazy mushrooms that we had never seen before were also very cheap. We hope they are edible.
Tuesday will be a big day for us. Laura will be teaching her first English class and I have a meeting with the academic dean to discuss possibilities for my time here. I also have my first language lesson that day. We thought we might have a lesson last Thursday, but we just met the teacher, Marina. She seemed very friendly as well as qualified. I am going to have lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Laura will have them on Saturdays.
Thursday we took the bus to town (alone) with little difficulty. We tried to take it home as well, but it was dark and we had not paid close enough attention to landmarks for our stop. We got off a stop too soon and ended up walking an extra mile or so in the misty darkness. The walk and conditions lent themselves well to open communication. We are getting along well. I wish I had a cool way to sign off the postings, but I don't.

Dave

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Figuring Things Out

Laura and I used public transportation to get downtown for the first time yesterday. Igor, an Old Testament teacher at DCU, was kind enough to show us where to get on and off the bus. He also showed us around town a little bit before taking us to a church meeting in the city. It was informative and fun. Downtown Donetsk is very modern and maintained and should allow us to do all the exploling we can handle. It is about a 15 minute walk to the bus stop and about a 30 minute ride (for only $0.07).
We will travel there again this afternoon to meet our Russian teacher and maybe even have a short lesson. We are excited to learn the language so we can begin to understand what is going on. Many people at the university speak English well and can translate, but they are not always around and we need to learn the language to be effective (or at least feel like we are being effective).
We are getting settled into our apartment and it is starting to feel like home. It is somewhat small and empty, but it serves our purposes. It is located in a building where many other faculty members live and that is very nice. We eat breakfast and supper there but we eat lunch in the cafeteria. The food is good even though there are some meals we are not accustomed to eating. The main course yesterday was liver over rice and it was pretty good. I never thought I would hear myself say that liver was good.
After one week in the country, I can finally say that Laura and I have fully recovered from jetlag. It was crazy to wake up in the middle of the night and totally feel like it was time to wake up. I had never experienced that before. The sun begins to set at 3:30 (or 15:30 as we now refer to it) and that makes for a long evening.
We were invited to spend (American) Thanksgiving afternoon with some other teachers from the States and are looking forward to that. Hopefully Laura will have a class or two under her belt and will be feeling well and I will be able to ask "Where is the bathroom?" in Russian.

Dave

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

In Donetsk

We have now arrived in Donetsk and moved into our apartment at Donetsk Christian University. We'll spend the next few days getting settled and learning our way around. The University is on the edge of Donetsk, and currently has about 70 full-time students and 30 part-time students. We've been told that although DCU was one of the first Christian universities to open (in 1991), many more have opened since and enrollment has declined over the past couple years.
I will begin teaching a class called Exploring Theological English next week, to a group of seven students. It is a fairly advanced class (taught completely in English) in which students learn theological vocabulary and how to read theological literature written in English. I'm looking forward to the challenge of teaching for the first time, and appreciate the notes and plans that have been left by previous teachers!
Dave will be starting Russian lessons and working intensively through December, until a more specific job is estblished for him. I will start learning Russian on a less rigorous schedule. Our tutor is a professor at the national university in Donetsk, and has gotten good reviews from previous MCCers.

Laura

Saturday, November 13, 2004

Zaporozhye Stopover

We arrived in Ukriane Thursday afternoon. We made it all the way from Philadelphia without too much trouble. It was a 18.5 hour trip with about 15 hours in airplanes. We found it difficult to sleep in planes (and especially difficult to turn down an airplane movie). By the end of the trip we were exhausted. When we got to Ukraine, we slowly negociated our way through passport control and customs. We found the customs officers very helpful (I was a bit worried that would not be the case) and all of our luggage made it safely (at least we think it did). Liz Harder, fellow MCCer in Zaporozhye, was there waiting for us and drove us to the MCC office. The remainder of the day consisted of balancing exhaustion and friendliness while meeting a lot of people and trying to make positive first impressions.
We have spent the last two days trying to figure out some MCC FSU basics while seeing the sights and recovering from jet lag. The scenery is different and will take some getting used to but we are excited. We head to Donetsk tomorrow and that is when we finally get to unpack our suitcases and say "we're home."

Dave

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Leaving Akron

Dave and I have spent the last two weeks in Akron, Pennslyvania, at MCC orientation. We've learned more about our assignment, cultural differences and MCC as a whole. We've been with a group of about 20 other orientees from all over the U.S. and Canada and it's been fun getting to know them before we all scatter to our service locations. On the weekends we've done some sightseeing and hiking in the area, and visited some friends and family. Last weekend we headed to the Washington D.C. area and took a day-long tour of the capitol. And now we're ready to leave! We fly out of Philadelphia to Washington D.C. to Vienna to Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, where we'll be picked up and head to the MCC headquarters in Zaporozhye. We plan to spend the rest of the week in Zaporozhye recovering from jetlag (Donetsk is eight hours ahead of the Central time zone), meeting fellow MCCers and doing a little sightseeing. Sunday afternoon we'll head to Donetsk and move into our apartment and get settled. We've lived out of a suitcase for a long time, and are excited about unpacking in a place we'll call home for the next three years.

Laura

Sunday, October 31, 2004

Profile Photo


Dave and Laura standing outside the room at orientation in Akron, PA. Posted by Hello

Tuesday, October 26, 2004


Dave with Bub in Minnesota Posted by Hello