Dress Up. Save the World.

Superhero Week in Sidewalk Sunday School.

Princess Ashley waiting to be rescued :)

And here are our noble heroes

Princess Tea Party 4/20/2008

So much fun for the girls! They all got princess dresses provided by Women of Excellence Foundation in CA and they had a nice banquet and they learned that they are princesses in God's Kingdom ...by the way... so are we! our youngest princess

My Reads

At the moment I'm reading "Troubled Sleep" by Jean-Paul Sartre.

The book depicts the fall of France in 1940, and the anguished feelings of a group of Frenchmen, whose prewar apathy gives way to a consciousness of the dignity of individual resistance and solidarity with others who are oppressed.

It is easier to build boys and girls than to repair men and women

What can I say? Preschool Rocks! Done it again. Here are some pics from today.

Amish roots

I visited my friend Deanna in Lancaster, PA last week... And today I saw this hat in our Kids Church storage... I couldn't resist taking a picture :)

Pirate Week

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

We have just finished Week 4 of Sidewalk Sunday School.

We've done the Pirate Week and pretended to turn our Sunday School truck into a pirate ship.

The lesson was on guilt. We were encouraging kids not to carry their guilt but give it to Jesus.

My Very Long Birthday Party

My longest birthday party ever! It lasted SIX DAYS!!!

This year I celebrated my birthday with my Sidewalk Sunday School kids. We did an entire Birthday Week. Every day I baked 96 cupcakes for each site (240 cupcakes on Friday)... and our wonderful an amazing interns ended up having to frost all of them... they didn't complain and still smiled even after having plastic spoons break inside a container of frosting. He-he-he :) Our cupcake grand total for the week was 528 (44 dozen) cupcakes... and a box of Dunkin Donuts munchkins.

The kids who came to Sunday School were encouraged to bring a self-made birthday card. The best card from each site won a prize. The one below is one of my personal favorites (try to read what the text says).

I had a great time. Our attendance this week was 800 people. That's one big birthday bash.

Bye Bye for now...

I said, "YEP"

That's exactly what I said to... Bryan asking me to marry him. It was very beautiful and romantic (which I guess was the effect he was going for :) )

We went to the beach right by my Sidewalk Sunday School site. He told me to close my eyes and gently lead me somewhere. When I opened my eyes, I still couldn't see anything but the... beach? so what was the big deal? Bryan pulled out a bouquet of white & red roses and started telling me how great I was, etc., etc... and then he turned me around and I saw this:


Bryan stood on one knee and pulled out the ring. Here comes the moment! I said, "YEP"...

We had our picture taken by a random man who happened to be walking on the beach. When he saw us he tried to turn the other way as not to disturb our little romantic picnic so Bryan had to chase him down to ask him to take our picture. He said he's been happily married for 45 years (that's encouraging :) )

I'm BACK!!

Hi there...
Quick observation - I survived a month without much internet - and I enjoyed it :)
Spent time with God, my boyfriend and friends, drank coffee and read books. It was great.
I think all www lovers should do that once.

Bye Bye For Now

So...
I will be doing a 30-day online fast. That means you will not hear from me on this blog, myspace, etc. until April. Exceptions: I will still check my email once a week and make online bill payments when necessary. I also will be going online once a week to listen to Pastor Sunday's sermon (www.pastorsunday.com) but that's it... so if you want to know what's going on - call me (he-he) or even better - come visit :)

In Search Of Simplicity - Law 1

Law 1: Reduce.

Author writes: The best way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.

Problem: My room is cluttered & uninviting; I feel like there's not enough room for mny stuff. I have looked through some of my things - stored in far corners of my room and realized that some of them I have not even seen since I moved here over a year ago.

Solution: Garbage Bags. A-ha!
Unused for years clothing goes in a laundry bag to take later to a rehab center for some of the ladies I've been working with. Other stuff (and how much stuff there really is) is either thrown out or put in bags to be given away.

Note To Self: Be careful to remove only what is unnecessary and has no emotional value attached.

On The Other Hand: I really don't need as much as I think I need. I won't miss some of the things that I think I'd miss.

Result: 2 garbage bags out the door this morning. A lot more stuff to go through over the weekend. Feeling of accomplishment. Cleaner room.

In Search Of Simplicity

Simplicity is the property, condition,

or quality of being simple or un-combined.

It often denotes beauty, purity or clarity.

Simple things are usually easier to explain

and understand than complicated ones.

Simplicity can mean freedom

from hardship, effort or confusion.

It may also refer to a simple living lifestyle.

(Wikipedia)

I love simple. My life is overscheduled, overcrowded... with people, things, pressures...
I found the 10 laws of simplicity online and I am determined to try...

Prayer Requests

The prayer of a person living right with God

is something powerful to be reckoned with.
(James 5:16)

Please Pray:

1) N. 19 yrs old – left rehab program on Wednesday for some guy she met while in the hospital, the day before she was supposed to visit her daughter. Please pray that God will protect her from harm and that she will come back into the program.

2) E. has been denied parental rights of her daughter. According to court she cannot appeal.

3) M family was all very close to God once. Now the family is all falling apart with one child often in psycho ward, one in group home, and others not well taken care of, and the mother so bitter that she is totally oblivious to the destruction in her family. They have all turned away from God.

4) We're starting Sidewalk Sunday School next month. Please pray that God will give us as a team wisdom as to how better reach people this upcoming semester.

5) P. used to come to church faithfully every week. Now she cannot get on the bus because of the problems with her back. Please pray for healing.

6) my green card situation is still unresolved... so if you're not weary yet - please keep praying

Six-month-a-versary :)

What a word... basically to say that Bryan & I have been dating for 6 months.

A friend of Bryan's from Arizona sent him some money with a note "Do something fun with Helen". We decided to take this money and use it to celebrate our six months together.

After some discussion we decided to go to The View - the revolving restaurant in the middle of Times Square. Here're some pics.

brrrrrrr

It's 20 degrees that feels like 9 (because of the wind)... and it's cold out there...

Bryan had to be introduced to "babushka style" when he forgot his hat :)

Other than that - it's all good. Tomorrow we'd have been dating for 6 months (oi).

I will be leaving for my last Connect Group in Palladia rehab today. I'm sad about it because I loved spending time with the ladies and sharing God's love with them and I will miss that. I'm happy because I know that Ali will keep going there. Please pray for the ladies to keep growing in God.


God bless you!

The Happiest Place On Earth

Disneyland is a work of love.

(W.Disney)

How could I say I have visited California without seeing Disneyland... Bryan & I were blessed by his family with passes to Disneyland for the time we were there.

I have very mixed feelings about Disneyland. There're things about the grandeur of it all that bothered me a bit. Yet, I can't help but admit that Disneyland very well could be one of the happiest places on earth. Being there, going on all the rides, seeing characters, shows, even landscaping was a very special treat for the little girl inside of me.


I wonder if there's anything in Disneyland that doesn't come in mickey shape :)

Random Thought: As I read Disneyland's catchphrase "The Happiest Place on Earth" I couldn't help but wonder - why can't the church be the happiest place on earth. I think it should be...

Andrei & Sarah's Wedding

There is nothing more admirable
than two people who see eye-to-eye
keeping house as man and wife,
confounding their enemies,
and delighting their friends.
(Homer, 9th century BC)

I have just returned from a great vacation in California. Bryan & I had to go to a wedding of our dear friends - Andrei & Sarah. We met them at Metro and their relationship helped us develop our friendship.

Andrei & Sarah + Bryan & I

Their wedding was so beautiful & personal. It was so wonderful to see them commit their lives to each other. A new experience for me was being in the wedding party.

I never could have thought how many little details are there to keep track of. Oi...

It's you I like,
It's not the things you wear.
It's not the way you do your hair,
But it's you I like.
The way you are right now
The way down deep inside you
Not the things that hide you
Not your diplomas...
They're just beside you.
But it's you I like,
Every part of you,
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings,
Whether old or new.
I hope that you'll remember
Even when you're feeling blue,
That it's you I like,
It's you yourself, it's you
It's you I like!
(Mr Rogers)

Palladia Valentines Party

Our Connect Group in Palladia Rehab is happening every Thursday.

This week it meant we were having it on Valentines Day. So we decided to throw the ladies (and gentlemen) a Valentines Party... to protect the ladies I have decided not to post any pictures here that could easily reveal their identity...

... instead - here's the picture of cupcakes we made for them :)

They were so happy. Bryan & I made little Valentines for them (with God asking them to be their Valentine), and they were so excited like you wouldn't believe it. Some kept repeating that they wouldn't eat "God candy" and keep it forever :) One said that this was the best gift she's received in a long while... Please continue to pray for these wonderful ladies to grow in the knowledge of Christ.

I want to know what love is...

This year was my very first real Valentines Day (very American thing that is slowly finding its way into countries of the former Soviet Union now but was not common while I lived there). I wasn't quite sure what to expect or what was expected from me. Everyone was giving me ideas as to what a perfect Valentines Day should consist of. My heart was pounding. What was I going to do?

I guess I was so overwhelmed by the pressure to make it perfect that I didn't do much (oops). I did make a decent Valentines Day breakfast... hope that counts...

Bryan seemed to like his heart-shaped pancakes (oi, a little while back I would laugh at anyone who'd do something like that and now look at me...)

Bryan, on the other hand, exceeded all my expectations (or whatever ideas i might have had in my head about what it would be like)... I got it all - card, chocolate, flowers...

... and a lot of undivided attention... and that's only in the morning.

After work, I came over to Bryan's house and he had a candlelight dinner set up for me...

...and we even had homemade chocolate fondue

The craziest thing we've done: we started watching Hitch and there's that scene there that has Sarah and her friend at Rice to Riches. We look at each other and...

It was wonderfully spontaneous. After Rice to Riches we walked down to Battery Park and then took a train to our respective homes.

The sweetest thing: Ephithany (a teenager from the Bronx who insists on calling us Mom & Dad) wrote Bryan a step-by-step Valentines Day instructions. so cute :)

So there's most of my Valentines Day adventures. I will post some news on my Valentine Day Party @ Palladia Rehab in a separate post.

The Battle Cry

Over this weekend I have gotten an opportunity to help out at the Acquire the Fire event for the Greater New York area.


It was quite an experience. When we first came to the Continental arena - it was empty...

... yet just a few hours later it was FILLED with teenagers and youth ministers. Some of our young people from church attended as well...

The event was called The Battle Cry... for the young generation of people who do not know Christ. In the words of Ron Luce, the founder of Teen Mania Ministries and Acquire the Fire, "With the battle for their hearts and minds more fierce than ever before, this generation is at a crossroads moment that will shape the future of our country."

We worked really hard, my feet were burning by the end of the day, and I barely had any time to sleep... but it was totally worth it.