letter8

Dear Family and Friends,

This e-mail is going to be slightly shorter than e-mails in the past, but I
have to get home to spend quality time with the family and eat dinner! But,
I thought I'd tell you about a Sunday evening with Iva. I marvel at the
experiences I have every single day in Bulgaria and I am the first to admit
that all the glory does indeed go to God.

Anyway, I got home from working with a group of teacher friends to prepare a
group lesson and Iva, as usual, greeted me with a big
Iva-hug. From that moment, I knew that my plans to eat dinner, study
Bulgarian, and go to bed early were pretty much shot. I heard a saying the
other day that said, "The best way to make God laugh is to make plans."
This is especially true in Bulgaria! So, the next thing I knew, Iva and I
were outside in the street playing "Featherball," a game which Bulgarian
children enjoy which basically involves hitting a birdie back and forth with
rackets. So, we got really silly as we played, pausing occasionally to move
out of the way of the goats and cows and to talk to someone. Now, I have
done this a few times and, whenever I am in the street playing "Featherball"
with Iva, the crowds always seem to gather, most-likely to observe the
American as she makes a fool out of herself. I talk to people, smile a lot,
and swing my racket like a mad man. Every time we do this, atleast three or
four other people insist on taking Iva's racket to hit the birdie with me
and experience my "Americaness," Featherball never involves just Iva and I!
We had a great time and we were even offered ripe yellow plums that a cow
herder had wrapped in newspaper and tucked inside his shirt, obviously he
had just picked them while herding his cows through the hills. After
awhile, I insisted we pause for a drink and a Pocheefka (break), which
seemed to take us to the center of town after Iva had spoken to her father.
I have the toughest time telling this child no! She definitely already has
me wrapped around her little finger!

We walked and walked as Iva said she wanted to go visit her aunt, who, she
insisted, lived nearby. She can be a very headstrong and insistent seven
year old! So, we ended up at her aunt and uncle's home at 10:00 p.m. and
they, believe it or not, actually had tile, a toaster, a microwave, and
surround sound . . . unusually wealthy indeed. So, I ended up having a Na
Gosti that I had not planned on having, but it was nice. Iva's teenage
cousin showed me lots of pictures and even gave me a signed picture and they
all enjoyed laughing at my Bulgarian. Luckily, I have learned to say,
thanks to one of our morning "phrases of the day", "Az Ctavam Rano", which
means, "I get up early!" This has proven to be a very useful phrase in
Bulgaria! So we got home and I got to bed much later than expected, but I
love how God is making me so much more flexible and easy going than I have
ever been. What a great Sunday evening with Iva! Well, I better get home
to do homework and eat dinner. Write soon and keep me updated! Send cards
and letters if you want (my address in on my webpage) because getting actual
mail is a big deal around here! Keep in touch!

Love Always,
Chantel