Paper Chain Excited

Hi Everyone,

In an effort to prove how excited I am about going to Lithuania, I made a paper chain to count down the days (and maybe to prove how much I follow through if I think something will be funny). It isn't a very long chain! There are only 20 links (days) left, and today I will tear another off!

Brief Itinerary:
We will be flying out on August 6, from Minneapolis to Chicago to Frankfurt, to Vilnius (the capital city of Lithuania). By the time we arrive in Vilnius, it will be August 7th. And then August 8th the Olympics start!

A week "off"

We have this week off from camp so we can get ready for Lithuania (see praises and prayer requests on the side of the page).
We've sent out support letters (if you haven't gotten one, it's because we don't know your address, or because it's still in the mail).
The information about supporting us financially can be found on the bottom of this page. I was thinking...if 300 people decided that they could provide ten dollars a month, our expenses would be taken care of! I don't think that this is exactly how we will raise all of our support, but I am trusting that God will provide for this adventure, being He is the one who put it on our hearts to go.
If you feel so inclined to give financially, that would be wonderful. If it's just not in your budget, we understand, but would love if you could support us through prayer and/or encouragement.

Also in this week off, we've already been blessed by being able to spend quality time with family - both the Hansons and the Clukas.

Hope all is going well wherever you may be.

Time is ticking away

Here's an update on the last few weeks.

For Memorial Day Weekend, we worked at Camp Lebanon, teaching kids club and getting ready for the rest of the summer.

May 31st: Got recertified for both CPR and 1st Aid.

June 1-7: Staff Training Week. Bonding with staff and getting ready for campers to come. A fun and tiring time.

Sunday June 8th: Got prayed for at Church (along with the rest of Lebanon's staff, as well as Lake Beauty's staff).

June 8-12: A cold and rainy first week of the summer, but just under 190 3rd-6th graders still had an amzing week at Camp.

June 13-15: Family Camped at Itasca State Park. Again, cool and rainy, but a very good time nonetheless.

June 15-20: Just over 150 Junior High campers had a great week at camp, the weather was gorgeous.

June 21st: First day of summer. Made a field trip to the bank, and then got more stamps than the cashier at Coborn's was ready to sell. Other than that, we're spending the day inside, sealing newsletters and putting the finishing touches on our mailing list.

Tomorrow it's back to Camp again, and we have a full week. The first part of the week is 3rd-6th graders, and the second half the week is 1st-3rd graders. A double header, but early bedtimes,

so we all should be able to get enough sleep.

Here's a picture I took at Lake Itasca/The headwaters of the Mississippi River. Could be a postcard for Northern MN.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Minnesota

In a whirlwind, we finished up in Beaver Falls. I worked my last shift at Starbucks, Steve graduated, we packed up the moving truck, and drove to Minnesota (all in just a few days!). It was emotionally and physically tiring, but we made it - it feels good to be home!

We'll be working at Camp Lebanon this summer. I'm in the office, and Steve is the Christian Education Director. On Saturday, we have to go be recertified for first aid/CPR, and then on Sunday afternoon, staff training week officially starts (as does our busy, busy summer!).

Until then, we've been working on going to the dentist and to the eye doctor, and getting Minnesota Driver's licenses (and other such errands of that nature).

In Lithuania news, we are currently working on writing support letters to fundraise the money we need to live there. I feel like we've been behind on getting that information figured out and sent out, but we're working on it and still trusting that God will provide!

Here is a photo album of our last week or so in Pennsylvania.

Language Lessons

In Lithuania, they speak "Lithuanian."
At LCC, classes are taught in "English."
We've heard that at the end of the day, the language of the dorms is "Russian."

The Sunday before last, we talked for a little while in church about where we're going and what we're doing, etc.

Then yesterday when we got to church, our friends who sit in front of us had a gift - The Rosetta Stone, Level 1 Russian (A cool computer program that will teach us basic Russian!). It was an incredibly thoughtful gift, and one that we will use a lot! We are very thankful!