guest writer

This summer has been crazy. I noted in my last entry that the pace was about to pick up, and that by the next time I'd have a chance to write, a great deal of things will have happened. And... I was right. In the last month I:
went to Russian camp, picked up my parents in Almaty, saw nearly every tourist destination in the city within a span of 3 days, took an overnight bus to Balkhash a train to Astana with my parents, saw the spectacular facade of country figuring out how to spend its oil money, took a train to Petro, visited four churches and a mosque in Petro, stayed up late giving toasts at dinner parties, took sunset strolls on Constitution street at 10pm, ate shashklik, drank beer, had two English clubs, two Spanish lessons, and an English picnic on the Ishim River, visited Yavlenka, played the role of tour guide, translator, accountant and tourist with my family, and on and on and on.

Because this list is so extensive, I've invited a guest writer to fill in the details from a perspective other than my own. Due to his persistent note- and picture-taking, his account is both lengthy and complete, and due to his professional training and experience as a Presbyterian minister his stories are colorful and full of expression. The coming passages, which I will post in managable sections, are adapted from e-mails written home to family and friends. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present: David M. Montgomery.