I'm Leavin on a Jet Plane...

Well, it has finally come down to the last day here in Lithuania!!! I am finishing packing and cleaning, getting ready to pay my land lady the last payment on the apartment, then heading over to Tony and Shastas...then flying out at 6am!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday I went out with Sharky and Zivile...I climbed a flippin' mountain and we ate Greek food and went to a cool bakery where they have warm milk and hot pastries...HOLLAH TO THAT!! It was a great last day. Today it is rainy and BLAH, but it might snow, so that would be SUPER cool!

This is a picture on the top of the mountain...well worth the hard climb:)

Love you all,

Halley

I Hit the Highway in a Pink RV with Stars on the Ceiling...lived like a gypsy

Hello Everyone!

I have been packing up today and my land lady is here right now showing my apartment to a girl who is thinking about renting it! I have less than 48 hours left here in this country...crazy for sure! But, the adventure is not over...with a few days in New York city and a train ride to Dallas, I am sure I will keep all of you...the few of you who read this, haha...posted on the adventures.

I leave here at 6am Thursday and fly to Prague, which is in the Czech Republic. Then, after a 4 hour layover, I will fly straight to NYC where I will meet Natalie and Joel and sightsee for a few days. After NYC, I will ride back to Hornell with them and catch a train in Rochester, NY to Chicago, and from Chicago go to Dallas. Finally, on the 10th, I will board a plane for Lafayette.

If you all could be in prayer for safety during all of my travels, it would be Oh So much appreciated...and pray that ALL three suitcases make it back to Lafayette in one piece!!

This picture is of a sweet woman from church named Maria. We never could completely understand each other, but she is like the grandmother of the church and I love her!

See you all soon,

Halley

"Night and day, you are the one"- Frank Sinatra

Labas!

It is already October 26th, which means I only have 6 days left here in Lithuania! My time here has continued to be well spent and wonderful, despite all of the challenges. I cannot think of any other place where I would have wanted to devote my time and energy other than this country.

I have made some lifetime friendships and gained a plethora of knowledge and skills that will be applicable throughout the rest of life. It has truly been a blessing. The Lord is so faithful and full of grace, I am reminded everyday how beautiful He is and how thankful I am to know him.

This picture above is from English club last night where I cooked Lithuanian food...let me restate that...I cooked the Lithuanian food, haha. It was so much fun and we had a new record of Lithuanians...19! It was especially exciting for me since it was my last English club for a while. The dish was some kind of potato pancake mixture stuffed with ground beef and fried...heavy for sure, haha.

Love you all, and I pray you have a blessed day!!

Halley

Fiesta Night

We had a fiesta night tonight for English club! We even had a pinata for one of the english club members whose birthday we missed...i made it and it was NOT cute, but he seemed to have fun beating it up and eating the candy:)

We ate tacos, bean burritos, sour cream enchiladas, and chili con queso dip...a lot of FOOD!!! The Lithuanians seemed to really enjoy it...they cooked it! We are doing a cultural exchange project, and tonight the Lithuanians had to cook something that the Americans picked out, and next week, the Americans will have to cook something that the Lithuanians pick out...i know, right...what have we gotten ourselves in to!?? But as long as it isn't big feet or cow tongue, I think I'm good...

Well, it's 2 weeks from today I'll be heading out...

Much love,

Halley

Belmontes and other findings

Hello Again!!

Today is October 14th, and what a day it has been. We had GREAT church today...13 Lithuanians, 5 Americans, and 2 Nigerians. Prayer and worship were really good, and the entire service vibe was rockin'. More and more of our English club friends are desiring to know more about the Lord and what a relationship with Him is...so EXCITING!

I have 2.5 weeks left here in Vilnius, and my leaving is truly bittersweet. I really feel like I have just now gotten to the point where I feel like this is my home, that I am adjusted and have a routine down...and now I'll be pulled up out of the ground again only to be replanted...but so goes life, right?

Peace,

Halley

Riga, Latvia

My travels have brought me to yet another country...Latvia:) The national conference in Tallinn was wonderful...10 people received the Holy Ghost and 4 were baptized! The group from Norway was a lot of fun to get to know and minister with:)

I will be returning to Lithuania some time tonight...3 weeks left here...crazy!! I am so excited to see all of my familia y amigos, pero I will miss my new friends church family here...maybe I'll come back!

Much love you each of you, and God Bless,

Halley

October 4th and all is fine;)

It is already October 4th...which means the Estonian national conference begins tomorrow! Groups from Norway and Latvia are arriving today, and Lynn St. John will be arriving later tonight. She heads up the children's section of the World Network of Prayer and while here, Lynn is going to be teaching a children's seminar for kids ministry to begin here in the Baltics.

It was become pretty chilly here over the past few days...overcast and blahh...haha. Someone told me it might snow before I leave...holla to that.

This picture is of the Tallinn Song Fest grounds. Every few years, children and adults come from every region of Estonia for Dance fest and Song fest. Marlene said that last year, there were 35,000 participants...that is not including people in the audience. Each region practices by themselves and then they all come together for the main festival...having never practiced all together. I watched the video, was AMAZED. You totally could not tell that they had never practiced together.

Hope you are all fine back home. Thank you for your prayers!

Halley

Tuhala

Yeaaa,

Well, it's the 1st of October and winter is moving in here in Tallinn. Today the Reynolds and I went for an excursion to the village of Tuhala to see a natural spring. I was able to drive their car for about 2 hours through the winding forest, which was pretty exciting. After about 2 hours of searching, we found the spring...which had run dry.

This picture is of the "sacred" juniper of Tuhala...there is a lot of pagan worship that goes on up in this area of Europe...sun, moon, stars, nature=gods. Anyway, I had to run through a crop field to get this picture, but it was worth it.

The conference is in 4 days! Groups are beginning to get here and things are starting to roll...thanks for your prayers and support.

Love you all!

Halley

This is actually Keila-Joe...pronounced "keelah-hoe"

Psalm 98:7-8

"Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that live in it. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the Lord..."

So, Keila-Joe is this really awesome park with water falls and old manor homes from the late 1800's, which were almost demolished during the Russian occupation. The above picture is of the Keila-Joe bridge.

There are locks on the bridge because, as Russian tradition goes, when a couple becomes engaged they must close the deal by placing a monogrammed lock on a bridge. This just happens to be a pretty popular bridge...hence all of the locks:)

God is so faithful, and I am really thankful to be here. Have a great day!

Halley

Keila-Joe

Shalom:)

And a happy day to you all! This is my 10th day in Estonia and I am seeing so many amazing things and meeting all kinds of interesting people. The conference is approaching quickly, which means we all became extrememly busy! I went to a Russian occupation museum yesterday in Tallinn...how crazy to think of what actually happened here during that time. The picture above is of the Stalin statue which was here in Tallinn up until the 90's when Estonia gained it's independence back from Russia.

Well, just wanted to share and say hello. See you all soon:)

Halley

8 days of the week

Hello World, This is my 8th day in Tallinn, Estonia and what a crazy 8 days it has been...good crazy:) It is autumn here, and all of the leaves have turned gold and orange. It is absolutely beautiful...i think my time here is more of a vacation than anything else, haha, which is fine with me! We have begun to prepare for the conference coming up at the beginning of October. The other groups are not here yet, but should arrive in 5 or 6 days. Rick and Marlene took me to the open market yesterday and I bought this hat in the picture above...at first i put it on wrong, and this very excited sales lady fixed it for me...she was hilarious. Last night we went for a prayer walk throughout the city and invited people to the conference. That was a really neat experience and I was able to get to know some of the church people of Tallinn better. The sun is shining today, and I think we are going to a park with waterfalls or something...i'm not sure exactly, but it sounded interesting:) I love you all very much, and am so thankful you are in my life!! Halley

TALLINN

Hey All,

Well, I am now in Tallinn, Estonia...right on the Baltic Sea...1.5 hrs south of Finland and 2 hours west of Russia! Things are going great and I am really enjoying the city. This picture is of the Russian Orthodox church here in Tallinn. Marlene took me to old town today and I was able to explore all of the ancient wonders! 41 days until I am back in the States:)

Love you!

Halley

Estonia

Well, I finally made it to Estonia today after a 9.5 hour bus ride from Vilnius to Tallinn. Even though the journey was LONG, the scenery was beautiful! Lithuania is full of lakes and rivers, as well as national parks. The bus also drove through villages with wooden houses and gardens...overall it was an enjoyable trip. The Reynolds met me at the bus station and we headed back to their house. They are really nice people! Tallinn is larger than Vilnius, and completely different. I can see the Baltic Sea from my window, and Marlene said that Finland is only 1.5 hours away by ferry...I think I might have to check that out... Just wanted to tag in with everyone and let you know I am well...though a little homesick:) 6 weeks until I land back home...so keep sending the love! Halley p.s. This statue is of someone called Adonis...i don't know the significance of it, but it looks pretty cool!

Sunday Sunday

Hey!! Church today was WONDERFUL! We had 19 people in service...which is SO amazing! A new person has recently joined our church. His name is Audrus and he has been leading the Lithuanian song service...he sings, plays the guitar, and the piano. He will also be leading Home Friendship Group and song service while Tony and Shasta are in the US. The Millers' are so excited that he has joined the church and that he is willing and excited to serve. Today was Tessa and Jurgita's last time to be in service since Tessa is leaving for the US tomorrow, and Jurgita is leaving for university in London on Tuesday. We had a special going away service for them and a small reception. We all cried a little, but are excited for the new chapters of their lives. I am going so see Tessa off at the bus station tonight at 9:00 and then I will leave for Tallinn, Estonia tomorrow morning. I am a little nervous about the 9 hr ride, but Tessa and the Millers have all traveled it before and they have said nothing but positive things. The Reynolds will be waiting for me at the station and I will spend the next 3 weeks helping them and serving their church. They are holding a national conference Oct 5-7 and people from Latvia, Estonia, and Norway will be present. I will keep you all posted on the details. Hope you all have great services today and a happy monday! Halley

Headed for Estonia!

Labas! It's about 1:00am Saturday morning and Tessa and I are packing her things into suitcases for her trip home. She has decided to leave Lithuania a few days early, so we are trying to fit 4 months of stuff in two bags...fun times:) Plans have changed for me as well. I will be leaving for the country of Estonia on Monday where I will remain until October 9th. I am SO excited to see another country and see how the Lord is present in another part of the world! It is going to be a great time. I will be living with missionaries there, and I hear they are sort of like grandparents...maybe they'll make me cookies... Lithuania is so great everyone...i think you should all try to come here at some point in your life...it's a hidden treasure! Please continue to pray for my safety and that doors would continue to open here in the Baltics. Also, the missionaries I have been working with here in Lithuania, the Millers', are leaving Tuesday for the US. They are going before the Mission Board to receive their appointment to Lithuania...please pray for them as the travel. Oh, and the post office is holding my mail until I get back here, so you might not want to send any mail until Oct. 3rd or 4th...just a thought, but you know you can ALWAYS send something anytime you want!! I love and miss you all very very very VERY much! Halley

Early September

Hey everyone, It is already September 9th! I can't believe how fast time flies here. In about 7 weeks I'll be making the long trip home!! Tessa came back from Estonia on Wednesday, which has been so great...I was tired of living alone! John came down from Latvia on Friday and we all hung out with Tony and Shasta for the weekend. Shasta is teaching Tessa and I how to cook...really!! Yesterday we went to a cool sculpture park where these massive stones were carved into different shapes and sponsored by different countries. The picture above is of a tree carving... i don't remember the country who created it. It was pretty cool! Thursday night was English club and we had a really good turn out...we didn't know what to expect because school has started here and Lithuanian studies are extremely intense, so most students don't get out during the week...but they came to English club! The students who are going to London that I mentioned in the previous blog have all asked for our help in finding churches! They were all English club members, and two of them were not really connected with the church here...but they were impacted, which is SO exciting! There is really so much more going on here than I write on this blog, but it kind of leaves me when I begin to type...i'll start writing it down for you guys:) Have a great Sunday! Halley

Newness

HI! I hope you are all doing well back home! I am doing great here and I have so much to tell you all, I really don't know where to begin... Last week was the first "real" English club that I helped with and was so much fun! The theme was "fashion" and we had three Lithuanian volunteers model different American fashion puns, i.e.: "lady in red," "balloon skirt," "man in black," "fishnet stockings," and a "muffin top." We used a red table cloth for the "red carpet" and had the three volunteers walk down the "cat walk." It was SO RIDICULOUS, but the english club attendants absolutely loved it! We all had a really great time. This Wednesday was our first Home Friendship Group and it was held at Tony and Shasta's house. We had 5 Lithuanian attendants and it was a great first meeting. Last night at English club we had a going away party for one of the members who will be leaving next week for University in England. Shasta fixed her a goody bag of Lithuanian things so she wouldn't get homesick. We are all sad to see her go. Yesterday I spent the day with my new friend Zivile. She showed me around town and made Turkish coffee for me...it was VERY strong. I hope to hear from you all soon! Thank you for your prayers! Halley

Thursday

Well, It is Thursday am here in Lithuania and I am sitting in my flat listening to the traffic of the city down below...wishing I had air conditioning...and reflecting on my time here. Not to sound all hokie and poetic or anything...hahaha. Everything is going great! Tonight is my first English club that I will have planned by myself...ee! The theme is "fashion" and we're going to have a small fashion show...of mixmatched clothes...and let the group vote and talk and stuff. It's going to be fun. This past Monday I met some friends at Chinese tea shop for a visit. It's one of those new-agey joints where everyone is one with the tea and the universe and stuff. The tea was really nice and the company was good too...but I discovered that I am not one with the tea. We have had some new people come to the church and they are all very talented in many different areas, which is so exciting! I really love the people I am working with. Thank you all for EVERYTHING, prayers and mail included! Love you! Halley

Dear family and friends...

Thank you all so very much for the wonderful Birthday wishes. I had a great day and it was made better by all of you! This picture is from the birthday shin-dig Tessa and Tammy threw me at 2 am on the 15th...craziness for sure.

God is good and I am enjoying my time here in Lithuania very much. Tammy flew out this morning around 6 am, so now it's just me and Tessa. We have English club at the church tonight and then a bible study tomorrow. I am meeting many new friends and seeing lots of new things.

Hope you hear from you all soon,

Halley

Happy Monday

Hello Friends and Family! Hope you are all doing well. It's about 11:30am here and Tammy and I are getting ready for another day around Vilnius. We have had so much fun! Saturday we took the train to Trakai, the castle in the picture below, all by ourselves...an adventure for sure. Church yesterday was really nice. It is small, but the people are wonderful! We had a planning meeting yesterday and I was filled in on my weekly "duties." It is going to be an exciting 2 months! Love you all, and God bless. Halley

HOLLAH

Hey everyone, Tammy is here! She flew in yesterday and we have been around the town seeing sights and taking stupid pictures that make the Lithuanian people here roll their eyes...funny stuff. We're visiting "Old Town" today and may go to a castle tomorrow. I am so GLAD she is here. We're getting lost together and having fun the whole time. She says "Hello Friends" to you all. EMAIL ME. Halley

Laba diena! So, this is my third day alone in Lithuania, and it has been interesting thus far. I am learning alot and seeing alot of beautiful things. I got hit on yesterday by an Italian man...oh so funny. And my friend from the States, Tammy, is flying in today, which I am so excited about. The missionaries here, Tony and Shasta, have been so kind and helpful, and my roomate Tessa has been as well. The people here are pretty nice, they really like Americans and enjoy practicing their english. There have been a couple times in stores or restaurants that I have had NO idea what something was and I have asked for help. They are always willing to assist. I am learning alot about the history of Lithuania and the former Soviet States while I am here as well. There are concentration camp remains throughout the country and monuments here in Vilnius where Jews died. So much tension still exists between the Lithuanian people and Russia. That's all I have for now, so stay in touch. I don't know if you can see my email on here, but it is Cake885@bellsouth.net. I'll post my phone number later. Email me and I'll send you my address. Much love, Halley

Lithuania

Hello Everyone! I am finally in Lithuania!! Things are going great here. My group from Plano left yesterday and I was pretty homesick after that, but I am better today and ready to start work here. This picture is from Trekai Castle not far from Vilnius, Lithuania. Such a beautiful place!! Thank you for all of your prayers, I am feeling them daily, and I know that the Lord is leading my steps. I'll let you all know how things go from here! Halley

Liverpool/St.Helens/Manchester/London U.K. and Wales

Hello all, What a beautiful country this is! Things are going so well. Our time in Liverpool and Manchester was absolutely amazing...we all were sad to leave. The people were so humble and open, they felt like family. We spent a lot of time with the youth and made some really great friends. The church took us to see a castle in Wales, which was so exciting. One of the church ladies also put on a proper English hight tea, with scones and clotted cream and the hats and all. These people are so open and loving, you would all instantly connect with them as we have. They are under so much oppression and pressure here, especially the teenagers. Please continue to pray for their continual strength, as well as the strength and leadership of the church. We have been in London since last night and have hit all of the major tourist attractions...Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, the Horse Guards Museum, Piccadilly Circus, etc. The trip has been absolutly wonderful so far, and i know it is because of all of your prayers. Thankyou for staying connected, and please look for more to come! Halley

Dallas

Hello Everyone! So, I am off...left for Dallas today from Lafayette and I'll be here until Wednesday when we fly out for London. I'll be getting connected with my team tonight and tomorrow, making final arrangments and tying up loose ends! Our team has really gelled well and we all bring so many different qualities to the group...I'm really excited. The rain in England is definitely a concern right now, so please be in prayer for our safety along the way. Stay in touch, Halley

Beginning

Hello all! I created this thing for all of my friends and family who are not already connected to me in some way...i.e.: Myspace, Facebook, etc. So, I'll be posting things and uploading photos frequently during my travels...please stay in touch. I miss you all already! Halley