I know that I did not post in Georgia at all. While we had access to wi-fi, it was very difficult to try to post from my phone. Now that I'm back in the States, I will definitely attempt to do some follow-up posts and let you all know exactly how Georgia went. (It was wonderful, by the way.)
My computer is down right now, so I'm working in the lab, and I have a very busy week ahead of me, but I will get back to you ASAP, because I definitely want you to know how the trip concluded. Also, you'll have to see all of the amazing pictures!
Thanks for your understanding and all of your prayers that made this trip so successful!
Jessica
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
VIVA ARMENIA
TODAY WAS FANTASTIC.
Did you get that? FANTASTIC.
It was our last day building houses in Armenia, and that was actually very, very sad. I almost cried when we had to leave the family. The last days with the families were my favorites because we seemed to bond more and we took lots of pictures with the families. (Sidenote, Billy Jean by Michael Jackson is playing in the internet cafe right now.)
After we left the family, we went back to the hotel and rested before our farewell dinner. Then we loaded up on the bus and went to this fancy place for dinner. We had LOTS of toasts, and plenty of tender moments. My toast was to the families that we worked with this week and how blessed we were to be able to work with them. It truly has been a great experience, and there is still more to come. After our wonderfully filling dinner and receiving gifts from our Armenian leaders, we were invited to an Armenian engagement party next door. We all went and danced and had a great time. We also got to toast to the newly engaged couple. Armenians are so friendly and very willing to share their alcohol and a good time with us Americans.
Also we got some stats on all the work we've done, and in both houses put together, we mixed and hauled about 26 tons of concrete for the roof of one house and the floor of another. They also had stats about how much dirt and gravel we hauled as well, and it was a lot...tons, literally. We had lot of fun and did a lot of work these two weeks, and I'm of the mindset that life should be this way all of the time. Why work then play when you can work AND play?
I am looking forward to going to the Republic of Georgia tomorrow to work with the Evangelical Baptist Church there. Lots of prayers for a safe 4.5 hour trip and all of our sightseeing and mission work. We are all still having a wonderful time, and we are happy to leave part of our hearts here in Armenia as we leave to embark on the last portion of our trip. I hope that Georgia will be equally as rewarding.
Love from Armenia for the last time,
Jessica
Did you get that? FANTASTIC.
It was our last day building houses in Armenia, and that was actually very, very sad. I almost cried when we had to leave the family. The last days with the families were my favorites because we seemed to bond more and we took lots of pictures with the families. (Sidenote, Billy Jean by Michael Jackson is playing in the internet cafe right now.)
After we left the family, we went back to the hotel and rested before our farewell dinner. Then we loaded up on the bus and went to this fancy place for dinner. We had LOTS of toasts, and plenty of tender moments. My toast was to the families that we worked with this week and how blessed we were to be able to work with them. It truly has been a great experience, and there is still more to come. After our wonderfully filling dinner and receiving gifts from our Armenian leaders, we were invited to an Armenian engagement party next door. We all went and danced and had a great time. We also got to toast to the newly engaged couple. Armenians are so friendly and very willing to share their alcohol and a good time with us Americans.
Also we got some stats on all the work we've done, and in both houses put together, we mixed and hauled about 26 tons of concrete for the roof of one house and the floor of another. They also had stats about how much dirt and gravel we hauled as well, and it was a lot...tons, literally. We had lot of fun and did a lot of work these two weeks, and I'm of the mindset that life should be this way all of the time. Why work then play when you can work AND play?
I am looking forward to going to the Republic of Georgia tomorrow to work with the Evangelical Baptist Church there. Lots of prayers for a safe 4.5 hour trip and all of our sightseeing and mission work. We are all still having a wonderful time, and we are happy to leave part of our hearts here in Armenia as we leave to embark on the last portion of our trip. I hope that Georgia will be equally as rewarding.
Love from Armenia for the last time,
Jessica
Monday, August 1, 2011
the universal facebook
I would just like to start this post by saying that I have 2 Armenian Facebook friends to date, and I am waiting on a response for a third! Please be a little jealous, as I am very excited about this. International Facebook friends; what could be cooler? Not much, let me tell you.
Today we went back to the work site with our first family for the last time. It was such a bittersweet day. We had a ton of fun with everyone, and we got to give the family all of our gifts. At lunch everyone made wonderful toasts about how thankful they were to have people like us here to help them build their house. A group from the church in Yerevan, Etchmiatsin, showed up unexpectedly, and they sang us songs in Armenian. The bishop also made a toast to us, saying what wonderful Christians we were to come to another country to help people we didn't know to build a home. He was very gracious and thankful, as were all of the people we have met and served over the past week. It has truly been a blessing to us as well to come and work with such wonderful people. When we finally had to leave, it was actually a happy goodbye. We spent a lot of time taking pictures with the family and the children and everyone! Then we all hugged and said our goobyes. There were no tears, just lots of smiles because we know we will always keep them with us in our hearts, and they will have a little bit of us in their home, too.
After our work day we went back to the hotel for showers and rest before going to watch some of the local youth perform traditional Armenian dances for us. At the end, they even invited us up to dance as well. That was a lot of fun, even though I didn't really know what I was doing. Apparently the rest of our group did though because we got a lot of compliments on our dancing. Then it was off to dinner! We got to eat outside, and we were lucky that the weather cooled down this evening. It was HOT today!
I also want to say that I am very glad that I have my camera here with me, but I am also sad that I don't have my laptop so that I can process the pictures a day or two at a time. I have almost filled up a 16GB SD card with RAW photos. I have taken approximately 2,000 photos since leaving Georgia on July 21st, and I'm anticipating going through them when I get home with equal portions excitement and dread. It's going to take a long time and a lot of computer space.
Well, tomorrow is a work day with our new family, and I'm looking forward to meeting them. Then Wednesday is the lake day, which we are all looking forward to as well. It will be nice to find a place to cool off.
Thank you for reading. Keep up the wonderful prayers!
Jessica
Sunday, July 31, 2011
1/3 down.
So, this is the part in the trip where things get harder than they were in the beginning. The food is starting to take its toll on me, and I'm not really looking forward to 2 more weeks of being sick to my stomach, but I guess that's part of the experience. We're 1/3 of the way in, and even though I can't speak for everyone, I'm pretty sure we're all starting to get homesick to some extent. Of course I miss my family and friends, but I also miss the simple things, like sitting on my big comfy couch at home with a book. Plus there is absolutely ZERO alone time here, and if you know me, you know I usually spend hours of my day alone to re-charge. It really has been nice having people around to talk to and have fun with late at night when I can't sleep, though. I think that is something from this trip that I will miss.
Today we visited some houses that the Fuller Center has built previously, and we got to see the community of people who lived there. It was really neat to see finished houses and the people who lived in them. One lady, Marine, was so gracious when she invited us into her home. She insisted that we take all of the seats and offered us candy as well. It was amazing to see people who have so little be willing to give so much. It was also hard thinking back to America where we have so much, but comparatively, many of us give so little. Marine told us that she had previously lived in the "poverty area" for 20 years, where she had her 3 kids, and you could tell she was so thankful to be living in a Fuller Center house now. (Her house now was still small by American standards, but SO much better than the tin building she came from.)
We also met a young girl names Naira, who had just come back from a year in America. She was amazing. She played the violin for us while her mom played the piano, and we got to dance with all of the children in the community. I was still feeling HORRIBLE, but how can you say no to sweet little girls who just want to dance with you? So I took my turn and had a great time. All of the girls loved us and were so excited that we were there!
Also, today was a holiday in Armenia. A holiday where everyone gets to throw buckets or bottles of water at people. As Americans, we were prime targets for the water, especially us girls. It seemed like a fun holiday for the kids, but it wasn't so cool that teenage boys used it as a way to soak shirts of other girls. It seemed like the boys could soak the girls, the girls could soak the girls, but the boys wouldn't wet other boys, and for the most part, the girls didn't mess with the boys too much. Kinda sketchy. Walking through town, it was horrible to get hit in the face with buckets of water, but watching the kids play in the community was more fun.
Tomorrow is our last day with the first family we worked with. I believe they finished the roof yesterday, so we should be working inside tomorrow. I will surely miss the parents and the kids, Suzi, Siramarg, and Suren. They have been a blast. Tuesday we go work with the new family. Wednesday we will visit Lake Sevan for the day. Thursday we will work with the new family again, and do the same thing Friday. Then Saturday we are off to GEORGIA, and we have yet to see what we will be doing there. This has been the experience of a lifetime already, and I can't believe we still get 2 more weeks here. I'm still very excited about what is to come, but I'm also thinking a lot about my family and friends back home. Any messages, emails, FB messages you can send would be greatly encouraged! Thank you all for reading along and keeping up with me. I'll keep in touch!
Jessica
Today we visited some houses that the Fuller Center has built previously, and we got to see the community of people who lived there. It was really neat to see finished houses and the people who lived in them. One lady, Marine, was so gracious when she invited us into her home. She insisted that we take all of the seats and offered us candy as well. It was amazing to see people who have so little be willing to give so much. It was also hard thinking back to America where we have so much, but comparatively, many of us give so little. Marine told us that she had previously lived in the "poverty area" for 20 years, where she had her 3 kids, and you could tell she was so thankful to be living in a Fuller Center house now. (Her house now was still small by American standards, but SO much better than the tin building she came from.)
We also met a young girl names Naira, who had just come back from a year in America. She was amazing. She played the violin for us while her mom played the piano, and we got to dance with all of the children in the community. I was still feeling HORRIBLE, but how can you say no to sweet little girls who just want to dance with you? So I took my turn and had a great time. All of the girls loved us and were so excited that we were there!
Also, today was a holiday in Armenia. A holiday where everyone gets to throw buckets or bottles of water at people. As Americans, we were prime targets for the water, especially us girls. It seemed like a fun holiday for the kids, but it wasn't so cool that teenage boys used it as a way to soak shirts of other girls. It seemed like the boys could soak the girls, the girls could soak the girls, but the boys wouldn't wet other boys, and for the most part, the girls didn't mess with the boys too much. Kinda sketchy. Walking through town, it was horrible to get hit in the face with buckets of water, but watching the kids play in the community was more fun.
Tomorrow is our last day with the first family we worked with. I believe they finished the roof yesterday, so we should be working inside tomorrow. I will surely miss the parents and the kids, Suzi, Siramarg, and Suren. They have been a blast. Tuesday we go work with the new family. Wednesday we will visit Lake Sevan for the day. Thursday we will work with the new family again, and do the same thing Friday. Then Saturday we are off to GEORGIA, and we have yet to see what we will be doing there. This has been the experience of a lifetime already, and I can't believe we still get 2 more weeks here. I'm still very excited about what is to come, but I'm also thinking a lot about my family and friends back home. Any messages, emails, FB messages you can send would be greatly encouraged! Thank you all for reading along and keeping up with me. I'll keep in touch!
Jessica
Friday, July 29, 2011
Never have i ever...
Last night part of our group stayed up playing a game called 'never have I ever' where you say something you've never done, but if anyone has done it, they have to put one of their fingers down. The first person to put down all 10 fingers loses...or wins, depending on how you look at it. It is always interesting to see what kinds of things people have done, especially when it comes to travel and things like that. Anyway, that was just a little insight into what we do in our spare time here. We really get to know each other and bond over things we have on common!
Today we went back to work with the family from yesterday. We were all working together towards the common goal of finishing the roof. Never have I ever thought I would enjoy carrying buckets of concrete so much, but it's great work when you're doing it alongside the people who will be living in the house.
That's all I really have for now since it was a long day and I'm pretty tired, but I will try to write more later. We discovered Wi-fi in the hotel lobby, so we're set for the next several days. I'm still rolling with the punches (which is my personal theme for this trip), and I'm really enjoying life here. It is hard to describe how joyful I am working here with people who live in extreme poverty every day, but I guess it's really showing me where my heart is and what I may want to do for the rest of my life. :) I am so thankful for this opportunity, and it has been such a blessing to be here and meet and work with so many Armenians. Next time I'll try to tell you more about the people we've been working with. :)
Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers. You have been wonderful!
Love from Armenia,
Jessica
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Armenia the beautiful
Hello from the wonderful city of Vanadzor, Armenia. Today we went to Matendaran, which is an institute that has tons of archives of Armenian writing. They told us all about the formation of the Armenian alphabet, which has 39 letters, and we got to see all of these beautiful hand-written books and papers decorated with gorgeous artwork. It was quite the experience. It showed how proud Armenia is of their alphabet, language, and heritage. I've heard more than once from locals here that their language is a large part of what kept them together as one people even through the periods when they did not have land to call home.
After we finished at Matendaran, we went to the Genocide museum, and it was a powerful experience. I think the thing that caught my attention the most was the artwork of a survivor who is about 90 years old now. I will have to post pictures as soon as I can, but his art was very raw and real and there was no censorship whatsoever. I think that's the kind of person I am, so I can appreciate art that deals directly with such a raw subject. The paintings struck a nerve, just as they should.
It was also very eye-opening to hear our tour guide, a native Armenian, talk about the genocide. We have been learning about it for almost a year now, but hearing it from an Armenian had much more of an impact than just reading it in a book. I also saw a document in the museum where Atlanta, Georgia officially recognized the Armenian Genocide and declared a city-wide rememberance day in honor of the Armenians. In a world where many either do not know about the genocide or refuse to admit that it was as severe as it was, it was nice to know that Atlanta would recognize it, and that the document would receive a spot in the Armenian Genocide museum.
After the museums and lunch, we drove 2 hours from Yerevan to Vanadzor. The drive was absolutely amazing. It was filled with beautiful mountain landscapes, small villages, and farmers. As you can imagine, my shutter on my camera was going non-stop! It was really neat to be able to drive from the city, through the countryside, to Vanadzor. I've decided that all countrysides have something that makes them beautiful, and I love driving through them. When we got here, we unloaded our luggage and settled into our hotel before getting out and exploring. Kim, Ellen, and I walked down the street a bit to see the small grocery shops on the side of the road before heading back for dinner. Dinner is always a huge event, and I love it. We always have appetizers of cheeses, meats, and breads. Then we usually have a main course of hot meats or something. It has been wonderful!
I am in an internet cafe right now, which costs money, and I don't have much access to internet so I won't be on too often, but I'll do my best to update when I can.
Keep emailing, texting, and most of all, praying! I'm having a wonderful time, and I'm thankful for all of your support!
After we finished at Matendaran, we went to the Genocide museum, and it was a powerful experience. I think the thing that caught my attention the most was the artwork of a survivor who is about 90 years old now. I will have to post pictures as soon as I can, but his art was very raw and real and there was no censorship whatsoever. I think that's the kind of person I am, so I can appreciate art that deals directly with such a raw subject. The paintings struck a nerve, just as they should.
It was also very eye-opening to hear our tour guide, a native Armenian, talk about the genocide. We have been learning about it for almost a year now, but hearing it from an Armenian had much more of an impact than just reading it in a book. I also saw a document in the museum where Atlanta, Georgia officially recognized the Armenian Genocide and declared a city-wide rememberance day in honor of the Armenians. In a world where many either do not know about the genocide or refuse to admit that it was as severe as it was, it was nice to know that Atlanta would recognize it, and that the document would receive a spot in the Armenian Genocide museum.
After the museums and lunch, we drove 2 hours from Yerevan to Vanadzor. The drive was absolutely amazing. It was filled with beautiful mountain landscapes, small villages, and farmers. As you can imagine, my shutter on my camera was going non-stop! It was really neat to be able to drive from the city, through the countryside, to Vanadzor. I've decided that all countrysides have something that makes them beautiful, and I love driving through them. When we got here, we unloaded our luggage and settled into our hotel before getting out and exploring. Kim, Ellen, and I walked down the street a bit to see the small grocery shops on the side of the road before heading back for dinner. Dinner is always a huge event, and I love it. We always have appetizers of cheeses, meats, and breads. Then we usually have a main course of hot meats or something. It has been wonderful!
I am in an internet cafe right now, which costs money, and I don't have much access to internet so I won't be on too often, but I'll do my best to update when I can.
Keep emailing, texting, and most of all, praying! I'm having a wonderful time, and I'm thankful for all of your support!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Wow.
I cannot even begin to tell you all that has happened. I feel so behind, and I'm not sure when I'll ever catch up at this point. Let me just say that right now we are in Armenia. It is not at all what I expected, but nothing has been so far. It was dark when we got here, but from what I can see from the balcony now, it's going to be a mix of old beauty and just plain old. I saw mount Ararat faintly in the distance and it is beautiful. I am glad to be here, and I'm ready to get this show on the road.
The time we spent in Poland was a whole trip in itself. I never imagined I would get to go to Auschwitz and Birkenau, and it was like a strange dream come true. I say strange because concentration camps aren't typical places one dreams of visiting. But if you know me and my fascination with Jewish culture and the twisted psychology behind the Holocaust, then you will understand. I loved it. I'll write more later on that.
We also visited the historic Jewish Quarter and it was amazing and sad. We saw where the Warsaw ghettos were and one part of the wall around the ghetto still remains. Crazy.
We also did some shopping and we had AMAZING food. I'm looking forward to all that is to come and hopefully to having more time to tell you about it.
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