Hello from sunny southern California.


I have been here for two and a half weeks now, and I have been busy from the moment I set foot in Pasadena. Busy can be bad at times, but in my case it has been great! I am learning so much and feel that I am really being equipped well to teach and minister overseas. I thought you might be interested in seeing a piece of my schedule, a day in the life of a Teach Overseas teacher during training, so here is what I did yesterday.

6am- Wake up for a walk with my roomie Jamie from Arkansas.
7am- Breakfast
8am- Team devotionals
9-1030 TEFL (teaching english as a foreign language) training in large group.
**Large group consists of all the new teachers of Teach Overseas going to China, Vietnam, Morroco, Hungary, Czeche Republic, and the CIS.**
1030-12 TEFL, small group-just my team going to the CIS, which includes, Russia, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and the Ukraine.
12- Lunch
130-3- Group Dynamics "Handling Culture Shock, Depression, and Grief"
3-415- Language and Culture
430- Prepare for teaching
530-Dinner
7-830- Teach English at a local church
9- Prayer and debriefing

Some classes change from day to day. So, luckily I don't have to learn about culture shock and depression daily. There are many more up lifting cultural classes that I have had. In one such class we learned what is considered to be rude and acceptable in Russia and the rest of the CIS, and also different cultural myths. For example, putting the sole of your shoe on a chair is very offensive. You should not blow your nose in public for it is seen as rude. Bread is seen as sacred in the CIS and should not be thrown away. Also, you should NOT shake hands in a doorway. Some myths include: If a woman sits on a cold stone she might not be able to have children, and you'll have a good trip if its raining when you are leaving.

I usually have part of the weekends off and I have gotten to explore Old Pasadena and Santa Monica with friends. Last Saturday was my first time ever seeing the Pacific ocean. It was a really fun experience, and the pictures on this site include pics from both mini trips.

I hope to write on this site often so that I can keep you all updated on what is going on. It means so much to me that all of you have supported me in so many ways. This trip that God is preparing me for includes all of you have given to me your love, your prayers, and your finances. I literally could not do this with out all of you. Thanks for blessing me with your kindness. I am praying for you.