Name Variations

So far on the trip, the kids (mainly the boys) have given my name a few interesting translations. I thought I'd share them with you.

So I started by telling them my name (Addie), which promptly lead to them thinking my name was Eddie.

They then made the connection to Eddie Murphy, so that became my name (which was really hard to drop.)

I made an effort to get rid of it by telling them my real name was Addison, which lead to them changing my name to Addison Murphison.

This morning one of the boys then turned Eddie into Freddy which resulted in my next name: Freddy Crouger.

I have also been repeatedly called Crazy Frog.

So there.

Addie.
Eddie Murphy.
Addison Murphison.
Freddy Crouger.
Crazy Frog.

Reflections and Updates

I think the way things will work with my blogging/updating is I will write a blog every night at around dinner time your time, midnight here.

Then I will upload it to my blog when we get our momentary internet access around 2:00 here, 7AM at home.
So each blog post will have been from the night before and will be more of a sort of reflection theme than an update theme.

For updates on general happenings with the trip like videos and other blogs, type in the faceless address (www.facelessinternational.com) Before you get to the website a Ukraine Trip page will pop up on your window and you can check out everything there.

It’s being updated regularly with blogs and videos, so look at it often! (Even though we only have a certain amount of time with the internet, they’ve set up timed blog postings so it sends later than when it’s actually posted and able to be seen online.)

Thanks for reading! (Hi mom.) ☺

Weeping

I just got access to the internet! I'll probably only get for a few hours in the afternoon each day, and even that might be limited. (I have no idea what time that is at home, check when this blog was posted.)

I thought for this brief post I would give you some bits of my journal so far: : )

Monday, May 25, 2009
We’ve arrived in the Ukraine. I like traveling a lot and I can see myself staying here for a long time. I’m not sure I like the capacity in which I’m here yet, but I can definitely see myself molding this experience into a job down the road.
…
There are Russian/Ukrainian boys outside my room laughing.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Today a guy in my group (who is a photographer and taking some hopefully awesome pictures) said during our morning debriefing that “when you travel, you have the opportunity to see God in/as a new face.”
I really love that. And I think it’s so true. God is here. But he seems really different.

Eric, another guy from Kansas City, talked about how he was studying John with his friends at home and how he had found a new meaning to the story of Jesus going to heal Lazarus and weeping because Mary and the others thought he had arrived too late to save him.
“Jesus wept.” I only knew the verse because it is the shortest one in the Bible and it was funny to quote to people. I never thought about how meaningful it is though. In a simple sentence, we see how Jesus sees the world. He weeps at how much we don’t get it. How much we don’t trust him. How much we think we’re in control.
Jesus weeps for the world. I’m weeping for these kids. (I’ve certainly been the only one to weep in our discussions so far.) : )

Jesus wept. I hope sometime you weep too.

It begins again...

Hello everyone, the blogging begins again!
Welcome to everyone who was directed here by one of my many postcard reminders. : )

I've started the trip. I spent most of the day in the airport waiting for people to get here and then we taxied/subwayed/walked to the Brooklyn Bridge to have pizza for dinner. I'm sitting here in the hotel in New York with two of my new friends, writing this and listening to them talk about religion. : )
I'm so exhausted though, so I don't want to write much tonight but I thought I'd say three things:

First, check my twitter this week: http://twitter.com/AddieDomske (It's a short blogging-like website that I can update from my phone.)
Twitter will also update my facebook status, so check facebook if you want.

Second, check out the Faceless site, (http://www.facelessinternational.com) where an official Ukraine link has been added when you first visit the site.
Note: if I don't end up having access to the internet or my phone, this is where you can get all your updates for the rest of the trip! : )

Last, I thought I'd copy a bit from an email I wrote today to my friends from General Assembly (since the last time I blogged I was actually with them at GA) for today's reflection:
"Right now I'm sitting at Gate D78 in the Pittsburgh airport, waiting to fly to New York, and then tomorrow the Ukraine. (I think I told you all about this: I'm working with Faceless International in an orphanage for victims of the human trafficking industry.)

I've been planning it for about 6 months and I'm really excited to go and meet the people I'll be going with tonight, and then meet the girls in the orphanage. I expect it to be life changing. : )

I come to this trip with a heavy heart though because my grandma is in the hospital. She's pretty much the strongest person I know so it's been hard to see her so weak the past couple of days.
The doctor says we should keep her in a comfortable state but that she won't make it through it. I'm fine with that; we just celebrated her 96th birthday last week. : }
I think I've figured out that I'm ok with death, I just don't like dying. My dog Charlie, who I've had for about 12 years is also dying and I would rather him just go sit by Jesus' dog in heaven (who I'm guessing is named Sampson--that sounds holy enough.) ;D

So that will be hard to go into the trip with. But I thought it was so providential that Maggie sent this out because it just helps to tell people who I care about. : )

I hope you are all well. (There is a group of big hearty Russians beside me, I just thought I'd point that out.)"

Time for sleep. Orientation at 10 tomorrow. : )
Domske out.

A Sick Ending to It All

So, yesterday I was putting things in my backpack to leave for the business meeting in the morning, and I suddenly felt sick.
I ended up staying in my room for the first business meeting, watching it online and sleeping.

When lunch came, I went out with my friends on a mission to find soup without milk or cheese as its main ingredient.
After going to about 5 places, I found a bowl of chicken noodle soup, ate it, and braved the business meeting after lunch.

As I sat there, I felt really nauseous and sick, so I took my computer and walked out, just to get some fresh air and maybe a drink of water, but on the way, I realized what I really needed to find was a garbage can.

So, for the first time and years, I "lost my lunch."

I decided it would be better to go back to the hotel.

My friend Nate, who had woken up at 4 in the morning that day to throw up, came and joined me. Apparently something like 40 YADs were missing yesterday.

So for the last day, when issues like gay ordination, gay marriage, the Palestine/Israel conflict, abortion, and many other important and interesting issues were discussed, Nate and I sat on my bed and watched it online, occasionally making a trip to the bathroom to throw up. Lovely.

I'm feeling better this morning, but I'm really hungry and I know if I eat anything I won't keep it down. Plus this was such a downer for my last two days here. No last meal, no last YAD caucus, no last meeting, no last picture. All the more reason to see these people again, I guess.

-----------------------------------------------

So, pray that I will make it for the next week.
Everyone has left but Nate; he leaves at 4 and I at 6.
Then I get to New York for the mission trip at 9AM when the youth group will be there more in the area of 9PM.

So, pray for safe and comfortable travels.

It's been lovely blogging. Don't forget to be loving, humble and just.