Well, it’s pretty much time to wrap up!
This week I teach Monday-Thursday and then Friday is our
cleaning day where we clean the school in preparation for next semester!
Only 4 more days of teaching… which means I only have 24
more lessons! That may seem like a TON still, but at one point I had over 400
to teach, so really I can do 24—piece of cake!! (So I teach 6-30 minute lessons
a day plus opening and closing so I teach 4 hours every day).
The closer it gets, I realize how much I am going to miss
the kids! I just hope they turn into good individuals and make good choices-
that is all I want. I don’t care if their English is perfect or not, I just want
them to be successful and happy :) . They have made an impact in my life. The 6 year olds
try so so hard to try and speak to you! It is so much fun to watch them try and
communicate with you! :)
Just an update about my life- things are about the same. I am just trying to make every moment count as my trip comes to a conclusion!
Things are great though!
Here is a simple update!
The weather here is so abnormally warm for Voronezh. All the people keep talking about how it is not normally like this. There has been so much rain, and roads and sidewalks in Russia are very "holey" and "bumpy" and so basically puddles are EVERYWHERE!!!
This is one of the milder puddles. Man they are intense! It is a game to try and find places that aren't covered in water! So although there is no snow, there is still moisture in the form of rain!
The food at lunch is still the same!
Here is a prime example! We have potato soup, a potato pancake, and potato fries! haha It's fun to dip the potato pancake in the potato soup- we never count carbs or calories while we eat lunch!
I am still healthy! I have manage to not get sick for 4 months! I still wake up with a runny nose, but I thought it was all to do with me having a cold forever- but after talking to Tessa, I am pretty sure that I have allergies! I have never had allergies ever, but I am allergic to Russia! Haha I think it has to do with the old apartment buildings with dust mites as the heaters have been kicking on. So man to all of you who have suffered from allergies- I now feel why it is miserable! :) hehehe! Yay for hayfever! Colds don't usually last more than 10 days and I have been like this for a long time now.
Because the heater is so hot and we have no control over it, we also sleep with our windows wide open, so who knows what I am allergic too! I guess bring on the rain!!!
Life at the kindergarten is dandy! This is me and Sami chilling before classes start! Notice i'm repping the Erda shirt :)
I still don't love teaching, but I am understanding it so much better!
Look at these cute kids!!!
This is me, Jallyn, an Tishoma playing a game with a bouncy ball. The ball fell in the toilet (we washed it off), and Timosha would run around and rub it on us yelling "TOILET BALL! TOILET BALL" Gross!! haha but it was fun playing with him!! We will all miss Timosha! He is a cutie! :)
Daniel, Me, and Daniel. The one on the right is my host brother! I said I wanted a picture with them! I told them to smile... not sure they understood! But really not very many Russians smile for pictures. They are very reserved and serious in photos!
So it will crazy to have my own room back in Erda! This is my bed that has been so comfortable for me the past 4 months! There is my wall of happiness! Photos, quotes, goals, scriptures, and an awesome picture Daniel painted for me! I sleep so well every night! This Russian trip has been more like a vacation because I get 7.5-8 hours of sleep every night- when does that ever happen at home or especially at college?!?!
Here is a typical picture of the street! So across the street is a bus stop and there are so many busses going to and from different places. Like I said before I am blessed to get to walk to school. 4 of us can walk and the other 4 have to take busses to get to the school! I have to take a bus to get anywhere else though. (Church, city center, mall, etc.)
We have started saying goodbye to all of our friends, and it is getting so sad because really I won't ever be here again nor see any of these wonderful people!
Here are some pics of some of my friends from church!
This isn't all of them, but I want to share some:
Me and Alla, she is my also singing buddy! :) She such a sweetheart!
I love the sister missionaries!! Sister Williams, Sister Kuessling, Mikaela, Sister Dick, and me! These ladies are amazing!
This is Yulia! She is our Relief Society translator, and just finished translating Jesus the Christ into Russian about a week ago! :) She is great!
This is Yulia, she is the choir director and in charge of the primary also! She is so dedicated and wonderful!
This is me and Yorgi! He comes to our English Sunday School class! He is so incredible! He has done so so many of his ancestors temple work- he is the king of Family History!!
And of course the FROSTS!!! :)
They are the BEST!!!!!!
Um so this past Saturday was Luke's 20th birthday- so to celebrate we went to the huge CITY GRAD PARK mall! It has an ocean-aquarium, an ice skating rink, a movie theater, a grocery store, a furniture store, an arcade, an amusement park, a sushi bar, a food court, and TONS OF STORES! It is the most intense mall I have ever ever been in! So to celebrate we went ice skating and shopping!
Here are some pics of the day:
This was a Russian mime! He may or may not have spoken English to us!
"That Russian mime just spoke English"
Bahahaha
SHOPPING!
The grocery store had a giant stuffed cat!!! :)
Got my ice skates on!
For all of those who know me well, know that I am the world's worst ice skater. I may or may not have had a freak out on the ice! I never knew I was so scared of ice skating. However I lived through it, and did a slow lap around the ice rink without holding on to the wall! Hahahaha! Wahoo!
It's all about progress!!
Here are just some more pictures of the cute kids!
Fedya and Yaromir!
This is Vanya- Man I love this kid- he has the most luscious hair ever invented and the world's best personality!
Slava and Slavic!
Vladyk and Vova are brothers! Vova is always crying because he is only 3 but they are so cute together!!
So switching around again (this is the most sporadic blog entry yet- I apologize!!!)
After Church me, Mikalea, and Ryan went to find Baba Yaga! I heard there was a statue around and we found her!
Baba Yaga! AHHHHH!
K is for Kelsee or Crocodile!
So really that is all! I will miss Voronezh a ton, seriously- I have had the best experience here ever! What a blast this has been! I have had the best family, group, school, kids, branch, and adventure! I am so grateful for it! I have learned a lot and am so excited to go back to America, I have definitely gained a greater appreciation for it!
This time next week I will be packing to leave- it is going to be a long trip home! :)
Mixed emotions-
Love ya!
Kelsee
ps- check out this sweet brain my host mom created!
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