**To see all the pictures from the trip, go here.
We Arrived!
It was quite the journey to make it to Tbilisi. We flew from London to Baku, Azerbaijan, and then continued on the short 45min flight to Tbilisi. It was then that I realized how far and how remote Georgia really was. Our plane was completely full to Baku, but all but 6 of us disembarked there, we took on no new passengers, so it was just the few of us for the final flight. As we flew across Azerbaijan and into Georgia there were almost no lights to be seen. Either there were no towns, or there was no electricity. It was then that I really missed Dexter and knew that if anything were to happen, there really was no quick way home. Thankfully I was able to talk to him (i.e. my mom/Sander's mom who was keeping him) often and was really at peace the whole rest of the trip.
We landed at 1am, so headed to the Steele’s apartment, got some sleep, and then first thing in the morning we began to unpack the bags. It was like Christmas at the Steele’s! As you can see Noah was quite thrilled with his Pirate’s Booty that arrived intact!
Sightseeing
The Steeles love to use Sunday mornings to get out and explore the countryside (church isn’t until Sunday night). It is a way for them to escape the chaos of the city and soak up the Lord’s creation. Since we arrived early that Sunday, they wanted to use the day to take us out to see their favorite spots. It was a great way to introduce us to the country and begin to understand a little more of the new culture they are a part of.
What I was most struck by on our trip that first day was how beautiful Georgia really was. I don’t know why I didn’t expect the beauty we saw, but it was truly breathtaking.
This picture was at Ananuri, a church and fortress up in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. On a side note – when we drove up and parked outside Ananuri, there was a Russian family that had their 3 year old son out posing with a toy assault rifle in front of the church. It was interesting to say the least.
Connecting
One of the best times of the whole trip was spending Monday night out with Gretchen and Becky. We went out to a café, had dessert and just talked until the café closed at 11pm. It was a wonderful time to share what life was really like, muse about what God was doing, and hope for the future.
Tuesday the whole team, plus two translators, loaded up in a borrowed van (as the Vaughns’ car is still in the shop) and the Steeles’ SUV. We headed through gorgeous foothills and then descended into the wide valley that leads up to the Caucasus Mountains. It was too hazy to get a good picture, but it was a stunning view to see white capped mountains stretching from east to west.
The translator in our car, Nutsah, told us that this valley was a hot tourist destination during Soviet rule. We saw the beginnings of an airport they were building to accommodate all the vacationers who were drawn to the area for its wine and scenery.
When we arrived in the first of the five villages, we stopped in at the guest house where the Vaughn family would be staying. The guest house is run by a woman not much older than I am. She is living with her mother-in-law as she awaits her husband's return. It was a sad story, but really wonderful to see how she bonded with the children and obviously loved hosting people in her home.
Here is the whole crew that arrived in Pankisi! The weather was beautiful – cool, but not too cold. We were able to enjoy the flowers in the guesthouse garden and LOTS of apples picked straight from the trees.
While the men took the kids out to sight-see, I joined the women in visiting the local shopkeeper that Becky had befriended on previous trips. While there, we were hosted with tea, and Hope (the youngest Vaughn) was treated to candy and sweet snacks. It was amazing to see the Georgians’ love for children! Everywhere we went, whether in Tbilisi or the mountains, vendors and other random people would give the younger children free food and/or trinkets and dote over them.
House Hunting
One of the main reasons we made the trip was to secure the final agreement for the Vaughns’ and Steeles’ future homes. I really enjoyed the opportunity to tour each one of the homes as well as meet the current owners. Each home is in really good condition, even though it does lack some of the conveniences we are used to enjoying. The good news is each home has a new outhouse, so it should last them the initial three years they plan to stay. I know if you asked Becky or Gretchen a year ago what they would want for their future houses, a *new* outhouse probably wasn’t one of their top choices!
Another plus is the homes they will be renting are only 3 houses down from each other! This, combined with the fact that they are in the 5th and smallest of the villages, means that even while living in the village they will still be able to have community amongst themselves. The picture above shows you a little what this village is like. There is one street that runs through the center, and all of the homes face this street. Most are behind large metal gates, like the green one you see above. This affords some privacy from the street and safety for the kids to play in the large yards behind.
Relationships
For me, I really enjoyed the time spent doing the normal, daily routine alongside Becky and Gretchen. I had a chance to accompany Becky and Gretchen to the Bazaar and saw what lengths they had to go to just to acquire the basic essentials. Along the way I also helped prepare meals, played with kids, and tidy up. Even though each day was full of its responsibilities and tasks to be accomplished, this time allowed for deeper conversation that was natural and so much better than what can be had over the phone or email.
While out, Becky always brought baby Phoebe along and it was hilarious to see the responses from everyone we met. I don’t think babywearing is big in Georgia…yet! Becky is a one-woman advertisement for it, although it did attract a lot of attention.
All in all, we so loved being there with our close friends. We played board games, laughed at old stories, cried over difficulties, and prayed for miracles. It was quite the trip!
To end our time with the team, we celebrated with a night out to Mtatsminda, an amusement park with a huge Ferris wheel that sits at the top of the mountain overlooking Tbilisi. We went at dusk, and it was an amazing way to end the trip – looking out over the city and the surrounding countryside with our close friends.
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