Let the Festivities Begin

What a great time it has been since my last post.

For me the holiday season has always started on Halloween. Just a few days after Halloween is my birthday and then just weeks later is Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years.

This year is a new year with new kind of festivities. Instead of trunk or treat and Halloween parties I celebrated Halloween by watching a movie, then the next day was a Halloween party at English club with face painting, pumpkin carving, and Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Also the very next day I decided that a bit more celebration was in order and listened to Orsen Wells War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast. So what is usually a one night celebration in the States turned into a three day mini celebration in a country where the holiday is not even celebrated :).

Thursday was my Birthday!!! And it was amazing. I made brownies (not from scratch but from brownie mix sent from the states sorry) and took them to pilgrims. At Pilgrims I was very pleasantly surprised with a cake from Katie, the Pilgrims got me a traditional Ukrainian dress shirt and a giant stuffed penguin (for those of you that do not know I love penguins and in fact have a tattoo of chilly willy on my calf). But before I was presented with these gifts I was made to close my eyes as everyone dressed up as chilly willy (wearing caps and scarfs and many having come in black and white and orange socks). After Pilgrims I was met with many hugs and a few more gifts and can honestly say this was an amazing birthday!

But again on Saturday it was time for Halloween again!!! As you know there are a few of us young adult missionaries from the States here in Lviv. We try and meet weekly or every other week for fun and fellowship and due to bad planning we didn't get together for Halloween until the Saturday after, but it was amazing we simply watched The Lost Skeleton of Cadaver. If you have not seen it and you enjoy truly stupid movies this is a must see!!

I am having a blessed holiday season and am excited to see what other blessings God has in store for me as the rest of the holidays arrive (American Thanksgiving, St. Nicholas Day (dec. 19th), American Christmas, New Years, and Ukrainian Christmas (January 7th))