Leaning on the Everlasting

I'm going to lean on the Everlasting...

This past week was an interesting week, and I got to meet many amazing people and made several new friends. But I learned a lot this week about people. It made me reflect back on all the times I've traveled and gone on trips. It made me wonder if I've ever had my priorities in mind, and not the ones of the Father.

I know that in the future, when I travel, I will always look to you, Father, and for Your will. I will not "lean on my own understanding", but I will seek and listen to Him. Please let me never forget the lessons You taught me this week.

Vacationing at Vityaz contd.

Here's another journal entry from my vacation…
Day 2
I ache in so many places! We hiked around 12 km (7 and a half miles) today. It felt like it was all uphill too! I'm so tired. Okay, more about that later, I'm going to finish up about yesterday.

So after helping making borscht, I took a walk with Julie and found really cool glass on the beach. It's been made smooth by the water and sand and I had to pick up about ten pieces, they are coming back with me to Texas. I also found half of a starfish. It was awesome! I've never found a real one on the beach, the ones I see are at the souvenir stores.

After that we came back, and I slept for several hours. Then, I woke up and had fish (fresh fish caught that day but Kolya I and Kolya II). It was wrapped in foil and cooked in the fire, yes in the fire. It was pretty good, considering that I do not really like fish.

So, back to today. We were promised a shower, which was good because it had been about 2 or 3 days without one(not even joking). Thankfully we weren't smelly yet, because it's been in the 60s and rainy each day. We were able to shower today, but not in the campground showers, those were broken, so the campground owner asked his neighbors if we could shower at their house. I was thankful for the shower, but a little weirded out going into some strangers house to shower! So after our showers we ate some lapshaw (which is like ramen) and then we were told that we were going on a stroll. In Russian, there is actually a verb "to stroll", and people often go on strolls around their parks and in the city. It's very common to use this word, more so than in English. So when I heard we were going on a stroll, I got excited. I asked Yana what to bring and she said maybe some water.

We started off walking and within about 5 minutes it became clear that this stroll wasn't a stroll, but a HIKE. I don't know about you, but when I go on a hike, I bring different items than what I bring on a stroll! We hiked all day long and it felt like it was uphill the entire way. When we got to the bay, it was beautiful! It was just our group and one other family about half a mile up the beach, we had the entire place to ourselves! I found an entire starfish and I planned on bringing it home, but it didn't make the hike back to the campground. There were huge shells, intact and unbroken, it was awesome!

After relaxing for a few minutes at that bay, our group decided to go to another bay that was up and over a few hills. While hiking, I felt like in was in Hawaii where they filmed Lost. It was so gorgeous! I've been on beaches in several various places, including Cancun, California, Greece, and Ireland, and I've never seen anything so beautiful! It was worth all the hiking!

The other bay had several little islands that you could walk through the water to get to. So Julie and I explored the two islands! It was awesome! I loved every minute! I wish that we could have stayed longer!

Standing there on top of one of the little islands and taking in God's creation made me wonder how any man can say "there is no God".

Well, now I am extremely exhausted and sunburned after our "stroll", but I say it was worth it! Tonight we're eating shashlik and I can't wait! What a great way to end the day!

Vacationing at Vityaz

So, I went on vacation to Vityaz, it's about 30 miles or so by water from the border of Russia and NK. I had a great time, but was a little cold. I made several journal entries about my time there. Here is day one...

July 7th, 2010
My life is an adventure! Yesterday, Julie and I went with some friends of ours, and some of their friends on vacation. So the names of the married couples are, Yana and Kolya, and Olya and Kolya.

It took about five hours to get here and the road were horrible! We thought that the firs two hours had bad roads, but that was nothing!!! the last two hours, I was bouncing around in the back seat. I had no idea that I could fly around like that! I've never been so rattled like this before. Sitting here now, thinking about the drive, I imagine it's how the settlers were when riding in wagons over the untamed land. Man, I feel sorry for them! This road was not a road, it was more like a mudding trail.

When we finally arrived, the weather was horrible! It was so wet and rainy. Probably in the low 60s and misty rain. After walking and then sitting in the rain, I felt extremely cold and went to bed with FOUR layers on and about SIX blankets on top of me. When I slept, I dreamed of warm gloves and hats. Haha! Thankfully, Yana gave us a heater for our room so we shouldn't be as cold tonight!

Now it's time to learn how to make borscht!

SPAM

Hi Everyone!!

I was spammed! If you're wondering if I got held up at gun point in London, please be assured, that I have never been to London and that I am perfectly fine out here in the Far East! Don't worry, I've already started working on taking care of the situation.

Thank you everyone for your concern and prayers!!

Alexa :)

Seeds, Deeds, Weeds

This past week, the Father revealed a lot of me. Some things I'd heard before, and I needed to hear again for the first time with open ears. Something that stood out was something Dr. Thom Wolf said, and this is me paraphrasing, "Sometimes we need to pull the weeds, so that the soil will be able to be good, so we can sow the seeds."

Wow! How true is that? Think about weeds, what do they do? They ruin the harvest.

We do need to sometimes get the junk out of our lives in order to get to the good fertile soil that lies beneath. It kind of makes me wonder, what weeds need to be pulled in my part of the world? Is there fertile soil that surrounds me, yet I can't see it because of all the weeds covering it up?

If people represent the fertile soil, what represents the weeds? Bad habits? Alcohol? Drugs? Or maybe, could it even be, dare I say, people?

What people, in the world that surrounds you, are weeds?

Get rid of the weeds, and I think you may be surprised at what lies beneath.

"Sow the seeds. Do the deeds. Pull the weeds."
-Dr. Thom Wolf

Dreaming

The other night I had this dream that I was back home and every time someone would ask me about Russia, I would start crying. Everyone thought it was because I was so happy to be home, but it was because I missed it so much. It hurts to think about leaving this place. It's now so much a part of me. Don't get me wrong, I cannot wait to see my family and friends and be back in Texas, but a part of me will always be here in Russia.

This dream made me realize that I have to continue living each day to it's fullest. I have to remember the reason I'm here and to do my best to not waste anytime. Life is so short and I've been given a huge task!

Father, I'm leaning on you and trusting you to help me do your will!

I'm still a plow.

I've said many times that I feel like I'm a plow here in Vlad and that the Father is using me to dig up the hard soil, after chipping away the concrete, to turn it and to get to the nutrients underneath. Well, I'm starting to realize that isn't always the most comfortable thing to be, I'm not sure that I want to be a plow anymore. It's not always comfortable to have to speak the truth to old beliefs. I've been put in an awkward situation, and I don't like it, but that's where I am. It's what I've been called to do and I know that Father will help me through it. But just for the record, it's not the most comfortable place to be when dealing with friends.