My mom passed away last Thursday. It was not unexpected and yet...in some ways it's never expected. I was home last summer to help out as my two sisters who live nearby had been caring for mom 24/7 for about 6 months. I stayed with her about 10 days, with Paul there for part of the time. We talked about what the future might hold and that we were quite certain this would be the last time we saw each other in person on this earth.
As I reflect on that time, I'm thankful that I could be there to help her, cook for her (at least some...) and share her bedtime devotions. I'm thankful Paul could be there because she always enjoyed talking with him - and he and I were able to get her out in the car one night for a trip to the Dairy Queen. That was in late June and, by early August, she decided along with my sisters that she needed to move into an assisted care situation. That was a hard decision for all of them, but it's what needed to happen.
For a variety of reasons, she moved into a home in Beresford, SD where one sister lives. She still was able to have lots of visitors and the family who lived close was there virtually every day. She seemed to do okay until the last few days when she pretty much stopped eating and communicating.
It's hard to be far away when you lose a loved one. You wish you could have had that one more time just to look on their face, hold their hand or say "I love you." But it's also hard to be close by - to be needed at inconvenient times, to have your loved one forget who you are or be cranky when you visit...to watch someone you love drift away physically and mentally....
I am so thankful for my sisters who cared for mom so faithfully when I was far away. And I'm thankful we will be able to go home and celebrate her life with friends and other family. Paul will officiate at the service as that was one very specific request mom left. We leave here tomorrow morning (Thursday) and arrive into Minneapolis just before 1pm (thanks to the time change - it's really a 14+ hour trip.) Sarah will drive us to Sioux Falls where we'll stay in the house I grew up in and that mom lived in for almost 70 years. I'm sure it will feel different....
While we grieve, we also celebrate because mom had the hope of a life forever with Jesus. While we mourn, she is rejoicing and free from pain.
For those of you who'd like to read more about mom (Marion Roos) and/or remember her from some contacts through the years, here is the link to the obituary and service information https://www.millerfh.com/obituary/marion-roos
Thank you for your prayers for and encouragement to us and our family at this time!
With love, Kathy
If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can be given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc or mailed to Global Horizons, P.O. Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678. Please attach a note indicating Emmaus. Thank you!
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Monday, September 9, 2019
Summer Laughs
This summer some Australian friends rented a house on the Aegean Sea in Greece, and invited us to join them for a few days. Vacations in this part of Greece are very common for people living in Bulgaria, both foreigners and Bulgarians, so we were excited to join the trek. (Think going up north or going to the lake...)
Due to new EU regulations, we could use our Bulgarian phone in other EU countries for Google Maps etc. to find our way around. This was extremely helpful! However, I struggled with what exactly was available to me for data, etc. in a new country as the messages are always in Bulgarian. I decided to use my Google translate, which told me how much data I had available and other important facts. It also encouraged us to "drive carelessly". This provided a good laugh as we traversed the crowded and busy Greek highway to our destination!
Whether we are in Bulgaria or another country nearby, there are always interesting cultural experiences that we don’t have in the US. Upon our return to Sofia, Paul went to fill the car with gas and must have passed a certain threshold because, as he was paying, the clerk reached under the counter and pulled out a liter bottle of beer which was a free gift to him because of his gas purchase. We also got a good laugh about this.
A similar experience came when we were looking at refrigerators at a local electronics store. We’ve had a lot of problems with ice buildup and then water all over our floor due to a long crack in the back of the refrigerator. This has also lead to some other ugly things in the refrigerator which I will not describe... So, in looking at several brands of refrigerators we noted that there were free gifts involved, mainly a dozen liter bottles of a certain brand of beer. The deal did not provide the required incentive to buy a refrigerator but it did give us another laugh.
We find that it’s not just in our daily experiences but also in the church that our cultural differences come out. They may relate to the importance of being "on time", how we pray, what and how long we sing, what is expected in the sermon and how long we meet. For the most part we have enjoyed these challenges and the diversity, although sometimes it does leave us shaking our heads or chuckling to ourselves. God is Good and we appreciate the opportunities to share life and faith in this amazing country!
Blessings, Kathy
If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can be given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc or mailed to Global Horizons, P.O. Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678. Please attach a note indicating Emmaus. Thank you!
Due to new EU regulations, we could use our Bulgarian phone in other EU countries for Google Maps etc. to find our way around. This was extremely helpful! However, I struggled with what exactly was available to me for data, etc. in a new country as the messages are always in Bulgarian. I decided to use my Google translate, which told me how much data I had available and other important facts. It also encouraged us to "drive carelessly". This provided a good laugh as we traversed the crowded and busy Greek highway to our destination!
Whether we are in Bulgaria or another country nearby, there are always interesting cultural experiences that we don’t have in the US. Upon our return to Sofia, Paul went to fill the car with gas and must have passed a certain threshold because, as he was paying, the clerk reached under the counter and pulled out a liter bottle of beer which was a free gift to him because of his gas purchase. We also got a good laugh about this.
A similar experience came when we were looking at refrigerators at a local electronics store. We’ve had a lot of problems with ice buildup and then water all over our floor due to a long crack in the back of the refrigerator. This has also lead to some other ugly things in the refrigerator which I will not describe... So, in looking at several brands of refrigerators we noted that there were free gifts involved, mainly a dozen liter bottles of a certain brand of beer. The deal did not provide the required incentive to buy a refrigerator but it did give us another laugh.
We find that it’s not just in our daily experiences but also in the church that our cultural differences come out. They may relate to the importance of being "on time", how we pray, what and how long we sing, what is expected in the sermon and how long we meet. For the most part we have enjoyed these challenges and the diversity, although sometimes it does leave us shaking our heads or chuckling to ourselves. God is Good and we appreciate the opportunities to share life and faith in this amazing country!
Blessings, Kathy
If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can be given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc or mailed to Global Horizons, P.O. Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678. Please attach a note indicating Emmaus. Thank you!
Monday, June 24, 2019
The eyes have it! And more...
Many of you have wondered and asked how my eye surgery went. Thankfully, it was a great experience - the surgery went well in a new hospital that was finished last year. The surgeon was excellent and I was very happy with the overall care I received. Having this kind of an experience in a foreign country is always an adventure just because things are often done differently than "at home". (In case you think me particularly brave, let me assure you I am not!!!) The great thing is that God is with us wherever we are and knows all the details of any situation.
My vision has improved since the surgery, but the final outcome won't be known until 4 months so I have one more appointment before searching for new glasses. There is also the strong likelihood that I will develop a cataract in that eye within the next year.
Before the eye issues came up, I had planned to come back to the US to visit my mom. Due to my hospitalization, I was able to change my ticket for no charge and actually arrived back in the US on June 21st. So I'm sitting at my mom's house and grateful for the opportunity to spend some time with her. She turned 93 in May and is experiencing some significant health issues so time is precious.
We were blessed with a visit from 2 Lakeville friends who I actually flew back with. It was wonderful to share Bulgaria with friends I had shared life with for almost 20 years. And they got to experience a lot - the beauty of the mountains, the rich culture and history, venturing around the city and great restaurants, wonderful people at our international fellowship, as well as a short power outage, a few days with no city hot water (we have a backup tank for showers) and my map program taking us on a logging road during one of our journeys!
Paul wasn't sure if he would be able to come back, but we found a reasonable ticket and he arrived in MSP today. He'll travel to Sioux Falls tomorrow and spend the rest of the week here with mom. Then we'll both head up to the cities until we go back to Bulgaria on July 10th. These plans kind of all came together and we currrently don't have specific plans for our time in MN. We do know we have a few "life details" we need to take care of, but aren't currently sure where we'll stay or how we'll get around. Neither Peter or Sarah is set up to have us stay with them the whole time, nor able to provide transport so we're open to options.
We may try to pull together a "get together" option as we did last year. We'll keep you posted if that happens. But also feel free to call us as we'd love to get together as we are able. My phone is still 602-315-4375 and Paul is 952-200-5781.
Blessings, Kathy
If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can be given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc or mailed to Global Horizons, P.O. Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678. Please attach a note indicating Emmaus. Thank you!
My vision has improved since the surgery, but the final outcome won't be known until 4 months so I have one more appointment before searching for new glasses. There is also the strong likelihood that I will develop a cataract in that eye within the next year.
Before the eye issues came up, I had planned to come back to the US to visit my mom. Due to my hospitalization, I was able to change my ticket for no charge and actually arrived back in the US on June 21st. So I'm sitting at my mom's house and grateful for the opportunity to spend some time with her. She turned 93 in May and is experiencing some significant health issues so time is precious.
We were blessed with a visit from 2 Lakeville friends who I actually flew back with. It was wonderful to share Bulgaria with friends I had shared life with for almost 20 years. And they got to experience a lot - the beauty of the mountains, the rich culture and history, venturing around the city and great restaurants, wonderful people at our international fellowship, as well as a short power outage, a few days with no city hot water (we have a backup tank for showers) and my map program taking us on a logging road during one of our journeys!
Paul wasn't sure if he would be able to come back, but we found a reasonable ticket and he arrived in MSP today. He'll travel to Sioux Falls tomorrow and spend the rest of the week here with mom. Then we'll both head up to the cities until we go back to Bulgaria on July 10th. These plans kind of all came together and we currrently don't have specific plans for our time in MN. We do know we have a few "life details" we need to take care of, but aren't currently sure where we'll stay or how we'll get around. Neither Peter or Sarah is set up to have us stay with them the whole time, nor able to provide transport so we're open to options.
We may try to pull together a "get together" option as we did last year. We'll keep you posted if that happens. But also feel free to call us as we'd love to get together as we are able. My phone is still 602-315-4375 and Paul is 952-200-5781.
Blessings, Kathy
If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can be given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc or mailed to Global Horizons, P.O. Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678. Please attach a note indicating Emmaus. Thank you!
Friday, March 8, 2019
Windows...
We have a pretty nice view out these windows and, on many days, can see the mountains that surround Sofia. The first week in Dec., however, we had a day with really bad air pollution (it happens, but not often) - so bad that you could buy a ticket for all public transportation for 1 lev (about $.60) to use all day. (Normally 1.6 lev per ride) Since I'm a bargain hunter, and needed to be out that day anyway, it was great!
 |
| Fairly typical view w/out bars |
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| The bad pollution day.... |
For about 2 months we had guys outside our windows working on the insulation, painting, etc. Paul got to know them a bit when they wanted to cover our vent for the bathroom fan and he had to go buy a special piece for them to use to keep it open. One day they knocked on our window to see if we had anything to drink, so we found some soda and water. Paul had a few conversations with them (mostly using Google translate) and found out several of them were Seventh Day Adventist. When they found out Paul was a pastor, they wanted him to talk to one of their co-workers who is not a believer. Our most interesting experience with them was the day their lift got stuck on our level and they had to crawl through our window to get back to the first floor!
It's much quieter around the building now that the renovation is complete. And it definitely looks a lot nicer! But we kind of miss those guys!
In January, we had windows into what God is doing in the lives of 4 people in our church community. One is a French businessman, who started coming to church a year ago, sensing the need to renew his relationship with God. Another is our young Bulgarian friend who lost her 41 year old husband a year ago mid-February. The 3rd is a Bulgarian government official who has seen God deepen his faith and dependence on the Holy Spirit. And the 4th is with the US Embassy and has an incredible story of God's grace in preserving her life after a heart attack and near total heart blockage. What a blessing to see into these lives and how our God is active and at work! We are so grateful for a church community who care for each other and enjoy worshipping and studying together.
After struggling for a few weeks to find new musicians (several regulars moved away) we now seem to have a new infusion of talent. As with most things in an international church, this will only be for a season, but we are enjoying it. One week our musicians include a Russian, Bulgarians, Pakistani/Irish, Irish and a Nigerian. We have a great American couple who bring together a somewhat different group to lead worship every other week. They also work with our international youth in conjunction with Young Life and are a huge blessing to our fellowship!
My personal "windows" to the world have had some challenges lately. I noticed my vision had changed and thought maybe I needed new glasses until I realized it was just one eye with really goofy vision. This resulted in finding an opthalmoligist, follow up tests and ultimately a diagnosis of a hole in my macula. Because it is not quite all the way through, I was encouraged both here (and from eye consultants in the States) to have the surgery as soon as possible - which will be March 13th.
God has provided answers all along the way to confirm having the surgery here - both in raising roadblocks to go back to the US and providing excellent care options here. I have to lay face down for at least a week after surgery and wait a month to fly. I can share more with anyone who's interested - and am looking forward to my "windows" improving, at least somewhat.
Thank you for your continued prayers, friendship and interest in our work here. We are thankful for our connections back in the US and loved hearing from many of you at Christmas and via email.
Blessings, Kathy
If you are interested in giving to our work in Bulgaria, and Paul's consulting in Africa and beyond, gifts can be given online at Global Horizons/Emmaus Assoc or mailed to Global Horizons, P.O. Box 856678, Minneapolis, MN 55485-6678. Please attach a note indicating Emmaus. Thank you!
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