Hank Williams - Hey Good Looking

This is the video that Sashka was trying to sing. Some people said it was hard to tell. Then he got distracted and remembered a joke about a fence.

Roses and Pizza

I am stepping out on a limb and making a very bold statement. Despite all the not so tasty food I have had here I am convinced the Russian pizza place, called the Pizza Facotry, has the best pizza I've ever had. My team says this is a very bold statement but I am holding to it. I wish I could send you all a box.
Roses, I promise you've never smelt roses like the ones here. Last night I went to a Mary Kay meeting. It was an awesome experience and my new friend Irina bought me a Columbian rose from a street vendor. Its a neat circle of Godinsedences.
Igor is D.Jay's student and thats how we met. Igor has been going to western protestant churches although he doesn't claim to be a christian. He has been doing this to practice his English for years. He feels he has a debt to us because we are "different" than the christians he has met from America before. This is why he was so nice to escort me and translate for me. His mother Irina lived in Columbia for a while because her husband is a Russian diplomat. During that time she learned a little Spanish and grew to love Columbia. We spoke through Igor and Spanish together as we discussed the differences in Mary Kay in Russia and in the US. We also talked about our goals and encouraged eachother. It was an amazing experience. This kind of stuff beats all tourism. You really learn about a culture and a city this way.
God has blessed me beyond my dreams. I was adorned with gifts at the meeting. Check out my new pin and necklace and of course the columbian rose. God started working in Russia to weave this special night for me long before I even thought about comming to Russia. I have been reading this book "Captivating, unlocking the mystery of a women's heart" In one chapter the book talks about how God romances us, by knowing what we like and delivering those special little gifts to us in a surprising way just to say I love you and this is for you. Not literally the new jewelry and flower but the entire expereince I beleive was a little gift from God to say, "You see Gynna even the best planner in the world couldn't of organized all this, just trust me, my sweet daughter, I'll take care of you". We serve an awesome God.

Two fights in one day!

I saw two fights in one day. They were halarious! The first one was when Denise and I were posting advertisement about our English lessons. As we walked up on the scene I asked Denise... why is this man laying on the ground? About that time he got up and stumbled around prompting another man to fight. He could barely stand up himself. Its funny there are some things that are cross cultural and have no language barriers and a man prompting another man to fight needs no translation. It was clear what was going on. He tried to kick the man and almost fell. I tried not to laugh as passerbys convinced him to walk away.

The other was on my second trip to the grocery store tonight. I took a second trip because during the first trip I caught a guy watching Aaron and I talk. I asked this guy if he spoke English. He did although it was very broken. Oleg, was very excited to meet us and get to read with us this week before we leave. I did not have any information with me so I told him I would come back. So when I did there was a fight begining in the liquour and beer section of the store. Again, halarious but Dennis hurried me along although I would have been glad to stand and watch.

We are taking another day off tommarrow. The first goal... to sleep in. Then we are going to eat pizza and then to a famous muesum. You can tell we are working hard when we'd rather take a leisurely day then to race around and site see.

Ohhh with all the excitement I forgot to tell you about the Russian circus... go to my teams site www.moscow2007.blogspot.com to read about the amazing circus.

So much to tell you!

My goodness! So much to tell ya'll! My team is forcing me to write about our meal... issues. I have not enjoyed or gotten enough food since we got here. The food is very bland and I am just not crazy about it. The portions are very small and we are on a very strict budget with LST. So, I have been griping just a little about being hungry all the time and that I'd realized they weren't gonna give us enough money to get good food here I might of atleast done something different. Well, Sunday Natasha noticed that I looked like I had lost weight. Which I have, my clothes are fitting a little loose. She thought I was trying to loose weight and I explained I have just been starving for two weeks. So, anyway, that day we went out to eat at a place called My My (pronounced Moo Moo) My friend Sashka (see the video below) highly recomended this place for the good food and good prices. I picked out the most expensive food and liked it the least. I was soo frustrated! I ate it but just enough to get rid of the pain in my stomach. Atleast everyday if not everymeal. I say "I don't like that" Sometimes beofre sometimes after I try something.
I think this pickyness comes from my recent weight loss. I have tried so hard to change my habits and mind set to only eat when I am hungry and there are so many things I do like... why would I eat something I don't really enjoy.
I say all that to say... Dennis MADE me try this eggplant salsa stuff called Lecho. I told him atleast 4 times "I don't want to try it I won't like it I don't like eggplant." He persisted and I finally said ok I'll try it! So I got a tiny spoonfull and put it on my plate. Like a rebelious child I put it in my mouth and prepared to tell him "See I don't like it." Ya'll... it was GOOD! Its the closest thing to Mexican Salsa I've had here.I was embarrased to get another big spoonful, but I did anyway. My team naturally made a big deal about it. "A miracle has happened Gynna liked Dinner and got full!" I even declined icecream when they guys offered to go get some after dinner, which was very surprising. They couldn't believe it but I was really full. For the first time in 2 weeks. I hope yall find this as humerous as my team thinks it is.

I had a great reading session with Olga last night. Its so interesting to hear how she grew up. She grew up during Lennon's reign and was taught Communism. When the fall of Communism happened her neighbor took her to the orthodox church and she was baptized. Its amazing to me to hear about peoples life without God. She asked me great questions and we were getting into great converstations and her phone began to ring at first she ignored it and never took her eyes from mine. After a while it continued to ring and it was her ride waiting for her, so she had to go. As soon as I let her out the door I came to the back of the apartment and prayed for her with Aaron and Dennis. Its amazing how God works. I was just thinking when she sat down she is doing well language wise but I not sure the Bible lessons are pricking her heart at all. Boy was I wrong. Our God is a trully awesome God!
On another note, one of my readers Katya took me to breakfast this morning. It was really nice. I enjoyed the time with her but as usual the food was just ok. We walked and talked to a kiosk and got belini. I enjoyed the time and I hope I am helping to open doors.

Two down, one to go

We had our second party tonight and allthough it was a lot of work, it went extreamly well. We had a great turn out from the church members and they were able really make some connections with our readers. So we all feel better about the relationships we've built over the last 2 weeks, that they church memebers will continue to cultivate these relationships.

We have a little friendly competetion going on here about whose readers love them more. I am convinced it is mine. They always bring me food and take me out on the town. Yeasterday, Katya brought me bananas and then the next hour Euginia brought me icecream and made plans to take Aaron and I out to see the city at night on Monday. Finnaly, Olga arrived with Pizza which was perfect because we wanted pizza but couldn't find a place to order or go get any, so we bought frozen pizza and had just started to eat when Olga arrived with fresh pizza from the Pizza Factory! It was sooo good. Olga has also brought me candy that I didn't like much so everyone else ate it. She is also going to take us around Moscow next Sunday. But best of all everyone had to agree my students love me most! But I love them too and I really lucked out on students too. I don't have any that are too clingy or stinky like Denise and D.jay. Ohh I just remembered I told one of my students I didn't like the milk here in Russia and she explained its because its all powdered and that you have to get it imported from Finland to have real cows milk. Soooo, she is going to bring me real cows milk this weekend from her Dacha where they have 2 milk cows! A Dacha is a country house and most everyone goes to it on the weekends here in Moscow.

D.Jay's students are even great to me! Igor is comming to pick me up on Wednesday and taking me to a Mary Kay meeting! What an experience! I can't wait! I am so excited! What a nice guy. I am so bubbling over with excitement!

Here are some pictures from our Pirates of the Carribean party.

Its stinking cold here!

It is very overcast and cold today. I could barley get out of bed and although I have been drinking hot tea and am wearing a turtle neck I am still walking around with chattering teeth. The Mosow Times says that the high today is 18 degrees celsius which is about 64 degrees F. But somehow it feels so much colder than that. I know why Moscowvites drink so much hot tea... its the only way to keep warm.
It is a very small world. One of D.Jay's readers, Igor, was talking about his family and told D.Jay that his mom sells MaryKay. Of corse D.Jay said wow, so does Gynnalyn so today when Igor came to practice his English I happened to be the one who answered the door. I talked to Igor and arranged a meeting with his mom and hopefully an American MaryKay director here in Moscow, I can't believe it. Its such a small world. I am very excited to meet these women and hear about Mary Kay in Russia. They are leaving soon to go to Dallas for Seminar! I am hoping to develop a friendship with them and maybe show them around Texas when they get there.

This is a video of Sashka singing and telling a joke. You have got to watch. This can't be missed!