Today was another great day in Kazakhstan. Kevin got up early to try and fix our outgoing e-mail problem yet again, but unfortunately he didn’t have any luck (at least we can still read all your e-mails!). We think that we’ll start replying to your messages through another account (like AOL). Sorry for the delay!
After working on the computer, we had breakfast and then took our first Russian lesson through a CD program a friend loaned us. We learned how to say “Do you understand English” and “I am American,” although that last one has been unnecessary here (we stick out like a sore thumb; especially since Americans are a rare sight in Kazakhstan). At any rate, it was good to start practicing the language. Maybe when we leave, we will know a lot more!
At 1:15, we began our daily trek to the baby house. All in all it was a good day with Katie. She was in good spirits and we got a long time to talk. After an hour, she fell asleep in our arms so we got a good chance to just stare at her and admire her cute little face. We even broke the rules and took her hat off for a minute to see her pretty head of hair (luckily no one saw us!). At four o’clock we had to give her up again (sniff, sniff) but I think we handled it well.
After the baby house, we went to the market to stock up on groceries again. We got all the makings for Galoppsie (a traditional Russian dish), then went back to Jen and Jesse’s house with Dinara for a cooking lesson. Dinara showed us how to wrap the ground beef mixture inside cabbage leaves and fry it on the stove. When it was done, we all got to enjoy a great meal and some fun fellowship around the table. Once our plates were clean, Dinara got out her photo album and showed us all her friends and family.
All in all, it was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Kazakhstan and the daily lives of its people. We are really enjoying ourselves and have been extremely grateful that God has given us Jen and Jesse to keep us company. We hope you are all doing well and are enjoying the pictures. God bless!