2006 in Review

This past year started in Kyrygzstan with my friend Denis, his brother Misha, and their mom Galina, lighting fireworks out the 5-story building window. It ties with the last three years for first-place in New Year’s Eve memories. What did the year bring after that? Well, I…

Spent time in Kyrgyzstan, Germany, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Had my first office job for the summer

Bought a cell phone for the first time ever

Spent at least a night in: my Bishkek flat, my room at my parents’ house, Kim’s flat in Godolla, a flat in Slovakia, in a tent with Kristi on the Adriatic Sea, in a guest house with an Argentine woman and Brazilian boys in Split, Croatia, next to two homosexual men in the Frankfurt airport, on numerous trains, on the cold, cement floor of the Bratislava train station, in a tent in the Collegiate Peaks of CO, in Brett and Gnome’s house in Denver, at the William Carey dorm in Pasadena, with my friend Karen in Providence, my dorm room in Massachusetts, in a tent by the Zumbro River, on a plane, in a hostel in Cheski Krumlov, at Kim’s parents’ house in Dodge Center, on 11th Ave in Minneapolis, in an apartment in Spanish Harlem in NYC, at my aunt and uncle’s house in Maine, and in a Yurta (a nomadic tent in Central Asia)

Shook Charles Colson’s hand

Saw New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, and Rhode Island for the first time

Studied Koine Greek, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, American Puritans, and Missions in Asia

Ate a fish egg sandwich, fermented mare’s milk, dog, rabbit, Sumaluk (tastes no different than melted tree bark), and Shoro (cooked and chilled grains)

Hiked in some one of the worlds highest mountain range – the Tien Shan

Canoed down a river and over two dams in the Czech Republic with Kim and Kristi

Co-led a backpack in the Collegiate Peaks, CO

Joined the thousands of fans in Frankfurt at the Word Cup games

Was “adopted” by Galina, Denis’ mom in Bishkek… she loved having a “daughter” for five months!

Fell in love with Yevgeny Plushenko

Celebrated three New Year’s Days, two Christmas Days, and two Easters.

Had my first brown Christmas in Minnesota

Started my seminary career

Lost two cats and gained a dog

Spent hours and hours at the Old Folks’ Home in Bishkek, crying and laughing and playing cards with Baba Nina, Baba Sonya, Baba Paulina, and numerous others.

Said goodbyes to people I’ll probably never see again
Threw used toilet paper in a garbage can for half the year
Received two marriage proposals

Rode a camel
Joined a mass of Cathoic students who were holding a prayer/worship vigil in Salzburg as they walked up the castle hill singing and praying for the the church in Austria and in the surrounding countries

Spent Christmas playing Bingo with 45 close family members

Washed clothes in a bathtub (5 months) and heated my apartment with the oven

Used one pot as a mixing bowl, a clothes-soaking bowl, a dish-washing bowl, a serving bowl, and even as a pot to cook in!

Served pancakes for the town at the Goranson Family Breakfast

Taught English to university students and adults

Walked through airports in Bishkek, Frankfurt (x2), Budapest (x2), Minneapolis (x5), Chicago (x2), LA (x2), Boston (x3), and Moscow.

Led a Bible study with a random mix of internationals

Met the closest present-day Puritan… in Bishkek

Rode in a horse-drawn carriage

Played paintball for the first time ever

Watched the Swan Lake ballet for $3

Drank champagne with two strange men in a labyrinth in Budapest

Saw beautiful cathedrals and palaces throughout Europe

Watched my first marathon

Saw the tomb of George Whitefield

Made some of the most excellent friends overseas – Denis and Lidia especially

Got pushed and yelled at by a Russian babushka on a public transport

Celebrated Women’s Day – a much needed holiday here in the U.S.

Shared the gospel with numerous people, the most important to me being my student Denis

Taught the great game of baseball to people who had never held a bat and glove before

Struggled with conflicting work ethics and values of contracts

Climbed a tower not made for tourists

Spent one day a week at the Bible school in Bishkek with my friends Roma and Eliza

Learned to play the Mouth Harp

Struggled with interpersonal relationships, felt deceived by one closest to me, and struggled with forgiveness.

Met some amazing people who have become my friends here at school—people who have taught me much, make me laugh often, and who love the Lord.

Learned to give toasts

Had four roommates – Cat, Ify, Jane, and Esther

Started liking science fiction and became addicted to Battlestar Galactica (the new series)

Watched countless hours of America’s Next Top Model (hey… there was nothing else to do on those long winter nights overseas where you can’t go out, don’t have a good phone, don’t have internet, don’t have books to read, have all your lessons planned, and don’t have anyone to talk to! You learn to work with what you got!)

Climbed around in 250 year old rafters

Was challenged at the core of my being with pride, selfishness, and judgmental attitudes.

Met a full-time shepherd

Was hit on by Russian men countless times, often times by my student Maxim… oh the player he was.

Witnessed a Muslim funeral

Renewed my love for Taco Bell

Watched the Superbowl at 4:00 am with no commercials.

Went to the Minnesota State Fair for the first time ever

Witnessed the baptism of my friend Lilly that would officially excommunicate her from her Tatar family


I finished the year in my room in Massachusetts with the Lord, my partner in life, thanking him for the amazing adventures, experiences, lessons, friends, and loves he had brought into and taken out of my life this year. I can’t imagine the coming year being any more adventurous than the last for me, but I do know that there is magic in every part of life…even the most mundane.