Fun and games...

The big "gym" set up high school
dance style!

Elena, our Russian teacher,
sporting a Memorial Mustangs
T-shirt! Made me laugh!

There has been a lot going on here lately, and I am really behind with the updates.  Here are some of the highlights of the most recent events with the exception of our shipment--that is a whole other post in itself!

A few weeks one of the residents moved back to Houston, and we had a huge going away "western" party for her.  There is a huge building here that looks like a bubble where we have parties and gatherings--in this case boot scootin' and burgers!

More friends, Hannan, Azim,
Carrie and Red


                    

Emmie and Matt

Good excuse for boots!

The large busted woman in our parking lot. They burned
a similar one out in the field as part of the festival

Bunco night with the ladies!

Once a month we have ladies' night at Olypmia where we have started playing Bunco--always a fun time!  March is officially spring time in Russia (believe it or not) and they have a festival called the Ма́сленица Festival.  Traditionally the people here eat blinis and burn a huge scarecrow woman signifying the end of winter.  Here is a picture of the large busted woman in our parking lot.  A little creepy if you ask me, but then again I had to explain Easter egg hunting to the Russians...everyone has their customs and holiday traditions!

There is a huge ice arena here where they hold hockey games and other events. A couple of weeks ago a group of us went to see an ice circus. It was interesting to say the least!  I try to explore some of the local culture where I can, but being so remote, there are not always a lot of opportunities.

Last week the ice had all melted, and the snow was gradually going away exposing some green blades of grass! The pavement was all clear, and I only needed a light jacket to walk outside--the 40's here are like the 60's in Houston. However, the snow is back now for a few days, and there is already a new blanket of white covering our sidewalk. Such is life!

I look forward to my trip back to the US next week where I can wear flip flops again!  Excited to see my friends and family and shop for our upcoming vacation--woohoo!

More later,
Allison

Remembering Grandma Proch

God blessed our family with some incredibly amazing individuals, and I am fortunate to have spent a good amount of time being influenced by them.  One of those people is my dad's mother and my grandmother, Constance Alberta Rickel Proch (known as Connie).

Sadly, my sweet grandmother went to be with Jesus a few weeks ago after several months of health complications associated with her heart and diabetes.  She passed away peacefully in her sleep and did not suffer, and she even shared some quality time with my uncle the night before as they shared a meal and had a good conversation. 

My grandparents on their wedding day

On her 95th birthday in December 2012

This lady was probably one of the strongest women I have ever seen. To steal from my mom's poignant recollections: 

She lived 95 years always doing for others: caring for her parents as a teenager and watching them both pass, helping to raise her sister's 5 sons, then raising 2 brilliant sons of her own. She and her husband Mike were born and raised in Pennsylvania, but came to Texas just after WW II to seek a new life in Galveston, then in La Marque. Connie was a den mother (both sons became Eagle Scouts), a Sunday School teacher, a school volunteer, among other endeavors.  She worked for many years as the administrative assistant to the superintendent of the La Marque ISD--when she retired, three people were hired to take her place.  She is survived by her sons and their wives, 1 grandson, 4 granddaughters (and a great-granddaughter on the way), her sister Elma (100 years old), and brother Jack (90 years old).  She will be missed mightily.

One of my favorite moments, sharing joy at our
wedding in October of 2011.

In addition, my grandmother was a true example of Christian living. She read her Bible every day, was humble, gentle, kind, disciplined, hard-working, and always put others first. Until her dying day, she insisted on paying for everything herself with money that she saved by being very frugal her entire life.  After taking care of her parents and siblings and working hard during her first 30 years, she was 31 years old when she married my grandfather in 1949.  Because of that, she was always encouraging her granddaughters to wait on the right man who would "love us the best." I am fortunate to have had her at my own wedding.

My hope and prayer is that I will learn to be as strong and humble as this magnificent lady.  After outliving most of her family and her soul mate of over 50 years, she stayed busy serving others and still found a purpose for living well into her 90's. I have peace knowing that she is finally resting eternally with in Heaven with my grandpa--this I am sure of.  I will miss her very much and am grateful for days that I was able to spend time with her before moving overseas. 

We love you always, grandma!

What a difference a year makes!

Jesse having one last Longhorn moment before boarding the plane.

March 7, 2012: It was exactly one year ago today that my dear husband and I boarded a 6:30pm flight to the UAE and  embarked on our brave, newlywed adventure as expatriates.  It is amazing to think about how much has happened in the last 365 days of our lives and reflect upon the long and winding journey that has brought us here.

In the last year, we have:

• sold a house and two cars
• bought and sold a car, 5 appliances, and a yard full of tropical foliage 
• lived in a two bedroom town home, a hotel room, a 6 bedroom villa, another hotel room, a one bedroom apartment, and finally a very normal 3 bedroom house with no marble to be found!
• been to 7 foreign countries (8 if  you count California, jk jk)
• learned the importance of reliable luggage (although the Lulu suitcase is still kickin' it)
• acquired four new Apple products
• said good-bye to old friends, managed to make new friends, said good-bye to them, and made even more new friends--all of them exceptionally awesome people!
• endured 115 degree and -16 degree days, sandstorms and snowstorms
• acquired four new Apple products
• experienced some of the absolute worst and best days of our lives (sometimes the same day)
• seen what it is like to be loved deeply by friends, family, and our gracious Lord
• celebrated one year of marriage and two birthdays (all in one weekend)
• prayed for miracles and witnessed them
• consumed numerous cups of coffee...and a few bottles of wine, too :-)
• cried tears of pain and suffering, joy and happiness 
• learned how loving people transcends all cultural and language barriers
• and finally, shoveled our way out of a 6' of snow!

While life brings many challenges, I cannot help but give thanks for all of these times that made us stronger and closer to each other.  God knows that we have learned enough to write a book, and we give him all the glory for bringing us to Russia in one piece.  

The best part about this adventure is that I got to share it with my very best friend in the whole world--my rock, my Habibi, my муж, my love!  I look forward to all of the exciting new experiences we will have in the next year, knowing that the best is yet to come. 

This picture sums things up pretty well--sometimes when you're buried in snow and it just keeps on falling, God hands you a shovel and somehow creates a clear path.  And when the storm is over, the sun is shining even brighter than before.

Always thankful,

Allison

In my free time...

The days here seem to pass very quickly, which has been surprising to me and Jesse, too.  The guys tend to work long hours here, so the ladies have several ways to stay busy throughout the day.

Several of the completed Matroyshkas

One of the wives here is Russian and goes to an art studio in town where she invited some of us to take classes. Over the last few weeks, I have been going with some of the other girls where the Russian teacher uses a specific technique to decorate all kinda of traditional treasures. She is a master at painting Matryoshka nesting dolls, and some are even on display at museums.  I have just completed this egg which she will finish with shellac, but some people have already moved up to the dolls.  Our teacher is so patient and tries to teach us new Russian words each week!

One amazing aspect of living on a compound here is the opportunity to serve others with our time and resources.  I'm really thankful that God is using our time here to show us perspective and teach us how to love people better. Yesterday I went to a training facility in the city where ENL has set up a program for local Russian workers to learn English.  Once they have received the necessary technical training and can pass a very difficult English exam, the men have an opportunity to work on the rigs and have well-paying jobs in the oil industry.  Some of the ladies volunteer once a week by meeting with the students for an hour or two to go over their English skills--basically just carrying on a conversation and correcting grammar here and there.

A few of the men I talked to have been studying for over two years in order to pass this exam.  Wow! So impressed with their determination--not only the fact that they can speak clearly, but also that they have a grasp of English grammar and rules that are difficult for some Americans.  After 5 weeks of Russian class, I am still learning numbers and simple phrases.  Turns out God does have a sense of humor after all because he knows that I am most effective serving others with my "gift of conversation." Haha :-)

Next week I get to go to a local soup kitchen to help nuns at the Catholic church serve some less fortunate people in Yuzhno.  The ladies here take turns going once a week to serve and to wash dishes. There is also a family in town that runs an orphanage and transitional facility for teenagers.  The expats here support them by holding fundraisers and collecting supplies, household goods, etc. to assist them.  Some of our friends have been going each weekend to play with the kids, too!

Like my Bible study leader says, we are all here for a reason and not by accident.  Hopefully over the next few weeks, we can find ways to effectively serve people and continue to be humbled by these experiences.

It is time to go shovel some snow and prepare for the snow storm coming this weekend!

Пока на данный момент,
Аллисон

Geography 101 and Simple Math: My New BFF's

Until I became an expat and moved thousands of miles away from the United States, my knowledge of world geography was sadly lacking.  Truth be told, without Google Earth and Trip Advisor to the rescue, I would be completely clueless.  Many people travel for their jobs, and it just so happens that oil is most plentiful in faraway lands that no one has ever heard of--save the occasional political uprising or natural disaster, of course.   Living in the US, we take direct flights for granted. So much so that the thought of connecting more than once was completely unreasonable, and most major airlines operate daily so there is no problem, right?

It turns out that living on a remote (and altogether unheard of) island off the mainland of Russia presents some interesting challenges when traveling, most importantly getting OFF the island.  There are seasoned veterans in our compound that have lived here for 5+ years, and they seem to have it down to a science with several resources available to help me.  Talk about overwhelming! Then there is my friend, The International Date Line, which requires a little more consideration depending on which direction you go. It is 17 hours ahead of Houston time here, so by the time you get to the US it is essentially the same day you left Russia.

There are two ways outta this place through Japan and Korea (and I guess Moscow if you want to go the wrong way).  These flights are limited to 5 certain days of the week, and then there is typically an overnight layover somewhere among the 2-3 connections...Ha! Luckily my sweet husband assisted me in getting a great deal for my trip back to Houston on April 16th, so I will see you then!

In order to get through the next few weeks of this:

I am dreaming of sitting on a beach here:

Arriving July 2013...

I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!! Finally, I can tell people the exciting news that I have had to keep hush-hush for so long. My sister Lindsey and her husband Lee are expecting their first baby and the first grandchild in our family this summer!

Over the holidays, I was able to spend a lot of quality time with my sister and brother-in-law.  Little did I know that they were withholding a super-duper, exciting secret!  On Christmas morning they had all of us open gifts that revealed this joyous news, and since Jesse had to leave for Russia the week prior, we found out first!

The onesie says "I heart My Uncle Jesse"

Baby Newsome's first picture!

We are so excited for Lindsey and Lee, and truth be told, I am pretty sure Jesse is more thrilled than anyone to be an uncle.  He and I both look forward to spoiling this kid rotten, and I know that the grandparents are even more overjoyed!  

Everyday life here in Yuzhno!

Seriously, I have got to get better about sitting down to write because too much happens here! Because my last post was so broad, I figured I would elaborate a little more on what it is like living here so far. I can honestly say that I have not been this busy in a while! There is so much to do here, and it seems like every day is different.

The Compound

38 duplexes make up our expansive gated subdivision. There is also a large community center near the entrance that houses a gym, workout room, weight room, restaurant/bar, game rooms, and a small convenient store.  Because it is 30 minutes or so from the city, going to run errands takes a little more time and planning than I am used to, especially because there are company cars that take us around.  Then there is the whole process of getting dressed to go outside!

Jesse dressed up to shovel our way to the street after a huge snow storm!
Playing basketball in the large gym.

The Skiing

Being a beach person my whole life, winter sports do not come naturally to me, but I did enjoy my first outing with some ladies a couple weeks ago.  It is so easy to get to the mountain and relatively cheap to rent skis, too. I am looking into lessons!  Jesse and I bought helmets and goggles the other day and hope to hit the slopes very soon!

Me with Emmie and Adriana--the beginners unite!

Snowshoeing

There is a huge field behind our houses surrounded by tall trees where people have blazed a nice trail for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.  I went with a few ladies the other day, and then went out again with Jesse since the sun was finally shining!

Church

Several people here attend on Sundays, and I am so grateful for an opportunity to worship at the local church, even if it is in Russian!  Some friends brought us last week and introduced us to a very talented Russian woman who is fluent in English. She sits behind us during the service and translates the songs, sermons, everything!  They are very gracious to cater to the expats in this way, and the people are so inviting and kind...it is an amazing picture of what church should be.

The Baptist Church--the pastor and several of the English speakers!
Most of the people shown live in our compound

Grocery shopping

Most of the time a few ladies will share a car and make the journey into town to visit 2-3 stores.  Everything is in Russian, so we are learning some of the food names in Russian class right now to help distinguish what is what!  Obviously we are limited with some of the familiar name brands, but people make do with what is here just fine. Or bring in a ton of food/household goods from home in suitcases! I've been able to experiment and make several things from scratch that I normally just buy.  There is a small convenient store in our community center where we can find several items.

Usually stocked with frozen foods and fresh produce.
The other side of the store is mostly chocolate and beverages :-)

One of the stores at the "mall"--lots of furs here!

They sell baby sled strollers here, and I think it is awesome!
Things you don't see too often :-)

Hanging out

We have enjoyed socializing with several of the families here so far.  Jesse and I are so fortunate to work and live amongst amazing people!  Getting groups of people together for dinner or games or trips to town is a lot of fun.  I look forward to getting our shipment so we can entertain more. Also, the ladies have a lunch every Tuesday up at the restaurant followed by an afternoon of cards, which is a nice way to sit and chat and meet people.

The game room is huge with several card tables and pool tables. It is adjacent
to the bar where you can order a variety of things.  This is where we play cards
every Tuesday afternoon after the ladies' lunch.  Notice which flag is front and center :-)

Going out
Obviously the selection in this remote city is a far cry from the abundance of restaurants we were used to in Houston and Abu Dhabi, but there are some nice hidden gems that people frequent here.  Our date nights so far have been surprisingly good--sushi, Indian food, and some French cuisine, too.  Most of the nightlife here happens after midnight into the wee hours of the morning, so I doubt we will stay up long enough to partake in anything too crazy!  It's bad when 8am is still considered "late night."

The left picture is date night at a fancy restaurant.  They even have a "Cowboy Bar" here although I
don't know that the Russians know what that means.  It does have saloon doors though.

That is all for now, but I hope to post more frequently in the future.

До свидания и Бог благословит вас,

A and J

OUR CONTACT INFORMATION:

Jesse and Allison Chando
c/o Exxon Neftegas Limited-Sakhalin
PO Box 4490
Houston, TX 77210-4490

Phone: 832-254-7736 ***Note that we are 17 hours ahead of Houston time, but feel free to call!***