Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime!

***

Thank you Dad for my hilariously appropriate Jewish holiday card.

 

 

 

 

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!

Mike knows it's stocking time.

The stockings hung by the chimney with care.

Dad telling Charlie about his Regal gift card. Bless it Lord.

Sneaky snake.

Here's the baby of our family, Charlie Chang Geyer.

Daddio showing off his groovy peppermint chap stick.

Sprite decided to grace us with her presence.

 

 

Jordan (brother) opening up his stocking.

I had a pretty princess moment.

 

 

 

Pas*sion

[pash-uhn] 

any powerful or compelling feeling

It has been such a treat to be able to spend the holidays with my friends and family. I am thankful that I have had three enjoyable weeks of love and laughter. Although I am sad to leave the U.S., I cannot wait to go home to eight of the most precious kids.

 ***
Being home has given me a lot of time to think about my life/ministry in the Ukraine. My mind has been preoccupied with where I need to be in the next few months.
One day I decided to start researching Christian organizations in the Ukraine. I spent a few hours looking through various organizations that ministered to orphans, foster children, youth, rehabilitation patients, Ukrainian Jews, gypsies, single mothers, etc. A fire of desire (Woah. Dr. Seuss moment.) began to burn within me.
If you think that a certain ministry stuck out and I heard a booming voice from the heavens saying, "This is where you need to go!"...it did not happen. I know, I thought it would happen too. 

I want to be a catalyst for Ukraine. My biggest passion (right now) is to bring ministries such as Samaritan's Purse to western Ukraine. I'm uncertain where this dream will lead me, but what an adventure it will be. I ask for your continued prayer and support as I continue to discover what my purpose is for living in the Ukraine.


 

"She..." 
[by Kobi Yamada]

She must be something special. She is. Celebrate her.

***

She loved life and it loved her right back...celebrate her passion.

She listened to her heart about all the other voices...celebrate her wisdom.

She pursued big dreams instead of small realities...celebrate her priorities.

She saw every ending as a new beginning...celebrate her resiliency.

She discovered her real measurements had nothing to do with numbers or statistics...celebrate her self-esteem.

She was kind, loving, and patient...with herself...celebrate her tenderness.

She woke up one day and threw away all her excuses...celebrate her accountability.

She realized that she was missing a great deal by being sensible...celebrate her spirit.

She turned her can't into cans, and her dreams into plans...celebrate her goals.

She ignored people who said it couldn't be done...celebrate her independence.

She had a way of turning obstacles into opportunity...celebrate her magic.

She went out on a limb, had it break off behind her, and discovered she could fly...celebrate her faith.

She discovered that she was the one she'd been waiting for...celebrate her self-reliance.

She added so much beauty to being human...celebrate her presence.

She walked in when everyone else walked out...celebrate her friendship.

She just had this way of brightening the day...celebrate her radiance.

She made the whole world feel like home...celebrate her warmth.

She decided to enjoy more and endure less...celebrate her choices.

She decided to start living the life she imagined...celebrate her freedom.

She colored her thoughts with only the brightest hues...celebrate her optimism.

She was an artist and her life was her canvas...celebrate her brilliance.

She ran ahead where there were no paths...celebrate her bravery.

She crossed borders recklessly, refusing to recognize limits, saying bon jour and buon giorno as though she owned both France and Italy and the day itself...celebrate her joie de vivre.

She held her head high and looked the world straight in the eye...celebrate her strength.

She not only saw the light at the end of the tunnel, she became that light for others...celebrate her compassion.

She designed a life she loved...celebrate her joy.

She took the leap and built her wings on the way down...celebrate her daring.

She said bye-bye to unhealthy relationships...celebrate her happiness.

She remained true to herself...celebrate her authenticity.

She made the world a better place...celebrate her.

"Danny, this just makes me love you more!"

So. Last night my Mama and I were doing research on the stars from White Christmas. No need for judging. This is what we found on Danny Kaye (who plays Phil Davis):

 His parents are Ukrainian Jews.

This made my Christmas 2010 experience just a little bit merrier!

(Now you have a great conversation starter at holiday parties. You're welcome.)

Shchedrik (Ukrainian Carol, later adapted to become Carol of the Bells)

*Beautiful, isn't it?

"I Trust You, Lord"

  Wow. I can't believe I'm actually home in Knoxville after three months. It's a great feeling to be sitting near the fireplace with your pet shih-tzu at your side. Home has never felt so welcoming. 

Let me re-cap on the adventures of getting back to the U.S. of A. It was rough.

Thursday morning was spent looking at a vehicle for one of the family's close friends. Thankfully, he ended up purchasing the car which is wonderful because Ruslan and Archie are planning to buy his old vehicle. Oh, I forgot to mention that winter hit Ukraine like a ton of bricks that day; heavy snowfall and icy roads. So, Ruslan and I got to the airport and my flight was delayed and hour. My stomach started to tangle up in knots. It seems like no big deal, but I had only 45 minutes to get to my connecting flight in Paris (to go home to Atlanta). I put it in the back of my mind so I wouldn't become overly anxious about the situation.

Thank you Ruslan, for your awesomely thoughtful prayer. I couldn't help but tear up a little when he said things like, "I pray that all of Raegan's family and friends stay well so they can spend as much possible time with her while she is home." Isn't that awesome? Anyway, I'm off on my way to a (very) long journey back home. Even though I boarded on time, I sat in the plane for another hour due to weather conditions. Crap. When I left Ukraine, I KNEW I had missed my flight in Paris. However, I stayed as optimistic as possible. When I arrived in Paris, I ran to my gate. When I got to the security checkpoint, they informed me that my flight was long gone. Problem? There were no other flights to Atlanta that day. I had missed the last one.

An overwhelming sense of disappointment, fear, and heartache all rushed in at once. Even though tears were collecting in my eyes, I bucked up and said out loud, "I trust you to get me home, Papa. I will be reunited with my family and friends." I stood in line for three hours with many disgruntled travelers trying to get another flight home. Thankfully, they put me in a hotel and gave me a meal voucher to use in the airport. I took some time to walk around the airport, purchase all my cheesy Paris souvenirs, and make a quick phone call to my family. While I was on the phone with my Mama, I began to cry. I told her that I was completely fine until that moment when I was talking to her. I was afraid. Here I am. A 19 year old girl. completely alone in another country. She left me with a verse that I repeated over and over until I landed in the Atlanta airport- "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." (Psalm 56:3, NIV)
You know what's really ironic? The week before I left Ukraine, I wrote in my Jesus journal-"I trust you to get me back to my home." Maybe it sounds super preacher's daughterish, but I felt like Peter. I had to walk out into the unknown, trusting that He would meet me there.
...“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

   “Come,” he said.

   Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

  And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”--Matthew 14:22-33 (NIV)