The Fortunes

The mid-term break was last week and so the kids had no school. On Thursday we loaded up and drove to Sheki, a beautiful little town in north-west part of the country. It is situated in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains and has a very ancient history. There is a new and modern hotel there which is a great place to stay. The distance between our house and the hotel is about 310 kilometers and takes about 6 hours to drive. Although they have improved the road greatly it still takes a lot of time. Road signs are not popular here and I missed an important turn which added an hour to the trip there. (So that meant a 7 hour trip rather than 6).

It was a perfect weekend weather wise. The leaves were turning colour and the sun was shining all the time. We had a great hike in the town of Kish. Kish is located outside Sheki and has a small church building that dates back to at least the 5th Century. However, there was probably a church there long before then. The building was fixed up a few years ago and is a great reminder of how early Christianity reached this part of the world.

After lunch on Friday some friends joined us from Baku and we hike to some other ruins that once served as a military outpost in the 15th century. Then we had an amazing drive up a very small and narrow dirt road. We needed our 4 wheel drive for certain and we were on edge for all 7 kilometers. But the view at the top was amazing. We were way above the clouds.

The weekend was a super little great away for our family. We came back by Saturday evening with a smooth trip home. It is always good to get

out of the city and see more of the country. It was beautiful.

Although we are in Azerbaijan we still manage to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. This year we had a smaller party but just as enjoyable. It was a work day but we had a great turkey dinner with all the trimmings. It’s never hard to find reasons to be very thankful for all we have and have been given. Our lives are rich with God’s blessings of friends and family. We hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Day and offered some prayers of thanks for your blessings.

About once a year the kids want to go and visit the Mud Volcanoes. Last Monday was a national holiday so we decided to head out to where the mud flows like…well mud. This was our third visit as a family and the place never gets old. It’s in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing else around, the Caspian is off in the distance. The volcanoes are just fascinating. How do they form? What is the stuff that bubbles up from them? Where does all the mud go?

Walking around them is a danger in itself. We are growing smarter with each visit. We take old shoes, walk barefoot, have lots of water. It had been raining so the drive out was a little dicey. You can only really do it if you have a four-wheel drive. However the Tiners made it in their GMC van. At one point I was really afraid I would have to get out and push in all that mud. In addition to the Tiners going, the Blains, the Carlsons and our new youth pastors, the Gilboys went. It’s never too soon to get out and see the sites in Azerbaijan. As always we had a great time but were glad to get home and clean

It was almost a year ago that we started getting the Pastor’s Wives in the city of Baku together.  We meet once a month for a chance to get to know other ladies  in similar situations, pray together and encourage one another in small groups and collectively.  It is a time designed specifically for Pastor’s wives.  At first we met at the BIF church office but now we are meeting in a room at a coffee shop in a central location in town.  The surroundings are pleasant and we serve tea/coffee and desserts.  The ladies are beginning to get to know one another and a rapport is beginning to develop.  It is great to be able to discuss things and offer support in a number of ways.  Our gatherings are lead in English and translated into Azeri and Russian.  This picture shows one table of ladies.  It is great knowing that we are all working for a common purpose and we are not alone in our endeavors.

Sunday started with a baby dedication of Nicki and Lala’s baby.  Her name is “Angel-la”.  This couple has been a part of our fellowship since we came and have been active members of BIF.

Thursday was a great day of welcoming our Ladies Bible Study into our home.  We will start our new study of the book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality this Fall.  In the Spring we were sad to say good-bye to a number of ladies but the Fall has brought in many new people.  Isn’t this a great looking group of women?

We ended the week (Saturday) with a trip to the beach.  We tried a new spot passed the airport, at the end of the Absheron Pennisula. We all felt it was a nice day to get out of the city and enjoy the sun-shine.  We packed a picnic lunch, walked/jogged along the beach, buried Erin in the sand, played catch, swam and read a little–I think I even had a nap!!!  It has been a good week.

When I was in Canada I bought myself an early birthday present. It’s a Kindle. Many people haven’t heard about them but I have been wanting one for quite a while. Since coming to Azerbaijan I have often complained that I couldn’t get enough English reading material. Well, I found the answer in my Kindle. (Amazon ought to pay me for this endorsement.)

A Kindle is an electronic book reader. It’s not primarily designed to read to you (although it can do that) but it allows you to download electronic books from Amazon and read them on the Kindle. The main screen on the Kindle is not like your computer but rather very much like reading a book. Amazon has thousands of books for download (although some I wanted aren’t yet available in this format) and most books cost $9.99. Once you have your Kindle you can log onto the Amazon site and download books from anywhere in the world. This is much more efficient for me than having someone ship over books or bringing back heavy books in a suitcase.

The problem for Canadians is that you can’t buy one. What! That’s right. If you live in Canada (or anywhere outside the United States) you can’t buy a Kindle. Actually, it’s not that you can’t buy one but rather they won’t sell it to you. In order to buy the reader you must have a US mailing address and a US dollar credit card with a US mailing address. Thankfully I have wonderful American friends who let me use their mailing address and credit card information. Then they shipped it to Canada for me. (This feels like I am confessing a crime.) Anyway, now in order to buy books I have to use coupons for Amazon to get around not having a US credit card.

It was worth the effort. I read every evening and am enjoying the wide variety of options that are available. I can even download newspapers and magazines. Currently I am reading two books: David McCullough’s biography Truman (I have been wanting this for years) and N.T. Wright’s book, Surprised by Hope (about where we go when we die.) I have a couple others waiting to be read as well. The Kindle can hold up to 1,500 books so I have lots of room.

So I thought I would let you know about my Kindle and since I do have a birthday coming up this month it’s never been easier to get me a present. Just click on this link, go to the Amazon site and purchase a gift certificate. You can do it now and set it up for delivery on the 20th.  How simple is that. (Boy, I’m shameless).  But, I really do like my new toy.

This past Sunday was an exciting day in the life of our church.  As we welcomed back many people after summer vacation, we also got a chance to welcome in many new people and families that are making Baku their home for the next season of their lives.

It was a busy morning:

The sound technicians and handy-men have been working hard to put in new speakers and sound system.  They installed a new screen for projecting our worship songs and power point.  The sermons are now recorded and placed on I-tunes, with the plan of having them linked to the church web-site.  There have been a lot of people working hard behind-the-scenes to get this up and running.  It is a great improvement.

Our Benevolent Fund offering was taken this morning.  This money goes to help those in need in our congregation.  A number of people set up clothes and household items to share with the church family.  You could shop for free and give money to the benevolent fund if you desired.

When the children were called to the front for their classes, the entire front of the church was packed.  We are bursting at the seams with young families and our Sunday School rooms are full of lively chatter and children ready to hear about God’s message of LOVE for them.

We were all invited after the morning service to enjoy a catered lunch in the cafeteria.  It was a chance to meet new people and connect with those we haven’t seen in a while.

BIF is a joyful place on Sundays!  It is a wonderful Oasis in the week where we can all go and meet together with like-minded people.  We are grateful for the opportunity of living in Baku and being a part of God’s great Church.

Our kids started school this past week, August 20th. It seems early but they do get a lot of holidays during the school year. Michaella started M4 (Grade 9) and is happy with her classes and other students she is with. She has really gotten to know the school system and the teachers and so that makes life a little easier. She is looking forward to art class.
Marissa is in M2 (Grade 7) and enjoyed the Middle School program that has a rotation of classes. She is not sure yet about all her teachers but as always takes it seriously and is well organized. Erin has arrived the end of the Primary Years program and is in P8 (Grade 5). They have a big project due at the end of the year and she is already tired of hearing about it. Her teacher’s name is Mr. Tiplady and he is new to the school. Jacob has Mr. Palmer and is in P5 (Grade 2). He is really starting to grow up and the work is getting more difficult but of course he is up for it. He seems to be happy being back at school.

Rhonda is back to school as well. She will be teaching the P3 and P4 Art classes this year. She has been busy arranging her schedule and getting her room all set up. She loves teaching the younger children and is looking forward to the year. She will be working Monday afternoons, Tuesdays and Wednesday.

It’s great to be getting back to routine and we are praying that everyone has a great school year!

David

A few days ago we returned from our summer trip to Canada. We had a good trip which means, the flights were on time, the kids traveled well and all our luggage arrived. The weather here is hot and dusty but that’s what we expected for the month of August.

While we were gone the people staying in our house said there was no water coming in from the city. They were using water from our holding tank. So on Saturday (our water day) I decided to go out and investigate. It didn’t take me long to find the problem. Someone (or something) had cut off our pipe out on the street. You can see the valve and pipe in the picture with Jacob.

Of course, none of the neighbours know what happened, it just did. So, what can you do? I’ll have to called a friend to bring over a plumber and fix it back up. However, I heard from people that the city is short on water and its unlikely we’ll get some flowing into the house anyway. So, that’s when I knew I was back home in Baku. And you know, despite the water problems, it’s nice to be back.

David

David and I are married 18 years today.  What a great 18 years we have had!  I am grateful to God for the man that he has blessed me with.  We have four wonderful children.  We are on an amazing adventure called life!!!  I look forward to the next 18 years ahead!  I love you hon.

Happy Anniversary!