From Russia With Love

2009-11-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

Well, we have been pretty busy since we've been back. We are Trying to get the bios and pics done for the sponsorships at the orphanages. This is a chore because it's so hard to get all the kids in one place at one time. So, we get what we can when we visit. You think it would just be a matter of getting the case workers to round them all up...better said than done. We keep working at it though. It's awesome just being able to visit with the kids.

We are starting our photography project "Through These Eyes" with the kids at one of the orphanages tomorrow. The vision of this project is to

teach children goal setting while introducing them to the art of photography and create advocacy about life in a Russian state ran orphanage through the eyes of a child. We chose 7 children ages 10 to 17 to participate. They will learn a little about photography and then take pics of their lives over the next month. We will give them disposable cameras and turn them loose. We always see their lives through our lens. It will be interesting to see it through theirs. We will document the progress through video and photos of our own. These will be done by our children...so the whole project will be shot and documented by children...this should be a blast!!

We are leaving for Estonia on the 23rd of this month. This trip serves 2 purposes. We need to renew our visas and we have to be out of the country to accomplish that. We also feel like God is leading us to explore the possibilty of helping some ministry to Russian orphans there. Estonia is considered Eastern Europe but was once under Soviet rule, so there is a large Russian influence...and quite a few Russian chilodren in orphanages. They are children with no citizinship. They have no country to call home. The Estoonians don't want them because they are orphans...and the Russians don't want them because they are orphans. We will see if there is a possibility that Big family can be a help to any one ministering to them. We will be there for a month. Please pray that God will give us safety as we travel and stay there. Also, pray that the trip will be fruitful.

I was blessed to be able to work with a team from America and made some new contacts here in Lomonosov. I met a Baptist Pastor named Andre that I think opened up a door for someone in our church to start going to a children's hospital here in town. I have found that lot of what we do here is just being at the right place at the right time. Through these encounters we are learning to be obedient.

This Week

2009-10-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week for us here. Tuesday there was a prayer meeting at MIR. We went to the orphanage at Luga on Thursday. We had a great visit with the kids there. Our main reason to be there was to get pictures for the sponsorship bios but it was nice to visit with all of them. We don't get to make it there very often because it's so far away.

Friday I went to the drug rehab center at Kotley village. I met with the director about the photography project we are wanting to do. It was awesome to hear that they are offering us anything we need to make this project possible. Praise God!! I was also able to visit with my friend Andre. We visited a cafe that the rehab center has as part of their adaptation program. It's for those people who have finished the rehab program and want to get integrated back in to society. It gives them a job and they can get used to being out in the world again. The rehab program is pretty intense so it's a good thing they have something like this.

Saturday we went to Ukki. again, the reason was to update pics and bios but it was so good to hug all of those kids. we missed them so much!

Ian had his 14th birthday and he got 2 books as well as well as his favorite meal of pellaminis and mashed potatoes with fried green beans. Eve's birthday is in 2 days so we decided to go to Ikea and go ice skating for her special day. She'll be 9. Man, they're growing up so quick.

Back in Russia

2009-10-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we are back from our trip to America. We had a great time with family and friends. We are glad to get back though and are ready to dig our heals in for the winter.

Here is an update about some things that are on the burner for the next few months. We are updating all of the profile pics and bios of the kids for Big Family. We went to Luga yesterday and are going to Ukki on Saturday. I spoke to Pyotr from of the foster families that Big Family works with and we are going to schedule to go visit them here soon. Next Thursday it's the orphanage in Gatchina and then to Max and Ira's to fisit the foster family in Kommunar.

Tomorrow I am going to Kotley village to visit the drug rehab center to talk to the director about some things. It will be nice to visit my friend Andre while I'm there. I don't get to see him enough and I miss him.

We have a photographt project we are starting with some of the kids here in a couple of weeks. I will put up a seperate post on that in a couple of days.

It is a busy season but we are looking forward to all the stuff that God is doing. Keep us in your prayers that we will accomplish all God has for us to do while we are here.

Needing a car

2009-05-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

does any one happen to have a vehicle we could borrow while we are in America? We will be home from June 17th to August 25th.

A reminder

2009-05-04T10:29:00.001-07:00

We see things here all the time that remind us that we're not at home in the comforts of our own country. Sometimes we come across something that tugs at our heartstrings. This little guy almost brought tears to my eyes. We don't live in a third world culture here in Russia but when I met this boy I felt like I was in a village in Guatemala. We met him and his mother near the market where they were begging for money.

His mother wouldn't let me take her picture but I can say this: I've never seen so much sadness in one person's eyes. I can't even explain it really. It was like I could see her life through her eyes. It was sad and it was rough.

They were not Russian. They were immigrants...from where I'm not sure. They didn't speak Russian or English. She spoke to me briefly and I thought she said something like Kadjik. I'm not sure if that is where they are from or the language they spoke. It might have been the boy's name.

I wanted to sit with them and try to communicate to them but they were so distant. If they were Russian I could have gotten by a little and had a broken conversation with them. I've never felt so helpless to speak the Gospel in my life. I came home and said a prayer for them that God would bring someone to them that could share His love to them in their own language.

Subcultures exist here. There are gypsies and other people groups that are the "vagrants" of society in the eyes of the government...but they still have needs. I think that we have found a comfortable place even here in our home away from home...today I was pulled back out of that comfort zone and reminded that there is a great need for the Father's love in this country. Our heart was tugged on today by a little homeless boy who said nothing. Lord love on them in a way that only You can!!

God's Provision...Again!!

2009-04-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you about something cool we learned about recently. We have been praying that we would be able to go home and visit this summer. We miss our friends and family and we wanted to do some fund raising while we are home as well. We know that we didn't have the money for this but we felt like the Lord would provide. We then get a call from a family member who said that a friend of ours had a ministry auction and he set a couple lots aside for our ministry and that we should be expecting a check here soon. It's almost half the money we need for tickets home. God is good!

Provision comes from the funniest places. Often times we try to plan out how we will accomplish something...or start making plans as to how we will try to make something happen...God then steps in and does something totally out of the blue. I love when He does things like that. It keeps us in check as to who is actually in control.

God's Provision

2009-03-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Who says God doesn't care about the little things in our lives. Here is proof. As you know we are working on moving into a flat in Lomonosov. God provided one in just the right time. We are wanting to move in by April 1st. The flat needs a bit (ok a lot) of TLC...the owners are paying for most of it though. We just have to pay up front for the supplies and they will reimburse our rent over the next few months. We were hoping to get all the work done before we move in. That means wallpaper, flooring, paint...as well as a touch up in the kitchen.
As you can see it needs a bit of work. This is where things get cool. We were going to take our tithes for the month and finish everything before we moved in so we wouldn't have to be working on it after we live there. Then we were going to just pay double tithes next month. This didn't sit well with us though and we began to think about the reasons for moving in the first place. We want to be a blessing financially in whatever way God calls on us to be. Living in a cheaper place is one of the changes we decided to make to help this happen. So you see it kind of defeated the purpose and we felt like we were trying to take control of the situation. We prayed together and asked God to help us. We stood in agreement that God would take care of everything. We went ahead and gave our tithes as well as an offering for a need that God laid on my heart.

One of the things we are going to do is replace the kitchen sink and put in some cabinets. I get on the internet Monday and guess what I find? A family is moving out of St. Petersburg and they are selling...you guessed it. Cabinets and a sink. Who sells their sink when they move!? I was like, "WHAT?" They are even moving out the same time we were planning on putting the cabinets in our flat. We will save so much money...and it's better than the ones we picked out to install in the first place..LOL!!

This is one more thing that God has done to show us how much He cares. We are still trying to squeeze our pennies so we can get everything done before we move in...pray for deals. We still have a lot of work to do over the next week and a half but I think we can do it. Praise God!!

2009-03-12T04:39:00.001-07:00

Jennifer told a story about how hunters catch monkeys...I think the kids liked it.

Our Flat

2009-03-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered what a Russian flat looks like? Hopefully this will give you a glimpse into our lives and where we live here in the Motherland. This is our home for now...as some of you know we are moving to a suburb of St. Petersburg. This is a blessing to us because we are closer to the church we attend and across the street from friends. we will show you a video of that one too once we get situated.

Found a Flat

2009-02-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

I am going to try to keep up our blog on a more regular basis. I got some technical advice on how to edit different things on the blog so it will be a work in progress for a bit. Please bear with us. I'm learning little by little to handle all of our editing and posting. I'm coming to realize I'm not very techically saavy.

We have been looking for a flat for some time now. We are wanting to move out of St. Petersburg to save some money. We felt like the Lord released us to do so and we've been looking in a suburb called Lomonosov. We found one last week and it looks like we'll be moving at the end of March. It's a nice little 2 bedroom. It needs a bit of TLC but the owner has agreed to pay for the supplies to refresh the apartment. It needs it.

This is a huge blessing though because the rent is half of what we pay here in the city. Our prayer is to be a blessing to others here financially with any opportunity that God gives us. It has been really hard to do that when survival is the number one thing. We felt like we were just surviving there for a bit. It got rough but God never let us go hungry and we always had enough.

We are looking forward to the opporrtunity to make a connection at one of the orphanages there. We are still going to visit the one we have a connection with here close to the city. We feel like we are supposed to stay at this one. God knows where we will be the most effective.

Singing With the Kids

2009-01-10T08:49:00.001-08:00

I sang a song with the little kids at camp. It was fun. We did half of it in Russian and half in English. The kids helped out with the instruments. They did a good job, don't you think?

Praise and Worship

2009-01-10T07:47:00.000-08:00

This is the praise and worship team from the church in Lomonosov. I remember seeing these guys on my first trip to Russia. Back then all they had was a snare drum, an acoustic guitar, and a bass guitar. They sure have come a long way.

Eve Singing With Her Team

2009-01-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

Eve sang a song with her team at the winter camp we helped with. This is the first time she has connected with a group of Russian girls since we've got here. We were so proud of her. I think she is starting to settle in a bit.

Another Christmas Party We Helped With

2009-01-09T12:49:00.000-08:00

One of the Christmas Parties We Helped With.

2009-01-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

Trying to keep updating!!

2009-01-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

So I've been trying to keep the updates coming. It appears that I let them build up from time to time. Combined with the fact that our internet seems to go out on a regular basis...ugghh!! So I have some videos that I put together from some things we've done here recently. I hope you like them.

This is the holiday season here in Russia. It's a bit different from America. The New Year is the largest holiday here. They put up a tree but it's a New Year's tree, not a Christmas tree. Christmas is like an after thought. Everything revolves around New Year's. It is celebrated with tradional foods and fireworks...it's kind of like the 4th of July, New Years Eve, and Mardi Gras all wrapped up into one...and it goes on for a few days. It's interesting to see how the Russians celebrate.

We celebrated at a winter camp for kids. It was a blast! We didn't sleep much...we're used to that being in youth ministry for 10 years. We helped with the teams. It was so cool. The kids put on little plays and they sang songs, and did activities...and we had some great services. The praise and worship was so refreshing.

As far as Christmas goes, we helped with two Christmas parties at orphanages that Big Family works with. Those were so much fun. I loved seeing the reactions from some of the kids when they received their Christmas gift. It was priceless!! I can put one picture that sums up what makes it worth it to be here. You can see some of that in the videos.

All in all it has been a fun holiday season here. We have been blessed by our friends and family back home that helped with our Christmas season. Thank you for the words of encouragement and the help with finances. We thought we might have to come home but it has all worked out. Praise God!!

Culture Shock: Part 3

2008-12-01T05:24:00.000-08:00

OK so back to the culture shock article I read. Here is a bit more:

The first stage of culture shock is the honeymoon, or tourist stage; this is the fun part. This is the stage where everything is new and novel and exciting and fun and different and cute and quaint and happy, and all the quirky little cultural anomalies you run across make you smile. Since I actually entered the first stage of culture shock while we were still in the States, it did not take me very long after arriving in China (like, the next day) to go from happy little tourist to spoiled, ugly American. I went from "Aren't those pedicabs cute?" to being mad at all the pedicab drivers because they didn't speak English.

I went from being fascinated with China to being nauseated by the sight and smell of Sichuan food. I went from desperately wanting to learn the language to not being able to stand the infernal racket of their constant, unintelligible chattering, and of course there was no doubt in my mind that they were all always talking about me. As I moved into the third stage of culture shock, I began to reject everything that China and the Chinese had to offer.

This is an interesting part because we have experienced this same thing. It's funny when you look around and wake up and start missing the things you had in America. We have on more than one occasion thought people were talking about us knowing we were American. We have also realized how spoiled we were in the states. We start to see things we took for granted. At the same time however, we stopped appreciating the differences the this country has to offer. Like I said before, the stages of culture shock for us has been a roller coaster.

We miss some things, like the day I traveled for 3 and a half hours by metro to find the fixins to make chili...but oh man when it was done...we had a chili feast for 2 days. Then we had Thanksgiving miracle when we found popcorn. We get excited over a different set of things these days...usually it's little things that make us the happiest these days.

Then we see things that we love about being here. The fact you can get anywhere around such a big city by jumping on a number of different public transportation choices. You can travel city to city or just make a trip to an historical monument here in the city. The architecture is amazing and there is so much to see. We try to embrace their cultural differences and understand that we are in THEIR country. We have to play by their rules. This is challenging at times but we love being around the Russian people and listening to their beliefs and thoughts. It widens our thought process.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Motherland

2008-11-27T04:43:00.000-08:00

It's a bit strange trying to celebrate Thanksgiving here in Russia. There's no pictures of pilgrims, or turkeys, or the cornstalks all tied together in neat little displays. No smell of turkey coming from the kitchen. There are no hints of it anywhere. Not that I expected there to be considering it's an American holiday. I do have a lot to be thankful for though.

I'm thankful that God is by my side first and foremost...I know that's so cliche...I sound like I'm giving a speech at an Oscar ceremony. Seriously though if it wasn't for Jesus Christ, I wouldn't be where I'm at.

I'm thankful for an awesome wife. I can't even begin to describe how much I love her. There are not enough words to describe how amazing she is to me and our children. On that note, I''m thankful for two awesome kids who are so smart and creative...not to mention well behaved. That's always a plus.

I'm thankful for all of my friends who have laughed with me, cried with me, and stood by my side through thick and thin. I'm thankful for having two parents who have showed me that love can surpass money any day...and there's always enough left over to get through tough times. I'm thankful to have a Pastor who is like a father to me and who has a heart like no one else I know. I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord in a foreign country. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience. I'm thankful for all the people whose prayers and support have made this possible. I can go on and on because I have so much to be thankful for.

Thank you Lord for all you have given me and all you have done for me. I only hope that I can be useful to you for all the rest of my days here on this earth. Use me for your glory...send me where you want me. I can lastly thank You for being faithful and trustworthy. You have never failed me. I have never been rich in my wallet but I have always been rich in my heart since I met you...and for this I am yours until I breathe my last breath.

Big family partners in Kommunar

2008-11-25T05:33:00.001-08:00

Big family partners in Kommunar
Originally uploaded by From Russia With Love1

We had a meeting in a nearby city Kommunar yesterday. We have some friends that are partners with Big Family that does ministry in an orphanage in Gatchina. It was a great meeting. Good food, good company, and good progress. I love the people that work with Big Family. It's so nice being a part of such a caring organization. I can see God doing some cool things and it's encouraging to us. Max and Ira hosted us. They are a foster family with 9 kids. WOW! They are so brave to take on so many kids. They are awesome with all of them though and you can see that these kids love them so much.

Trip To Ukki

2008-11-22T06:07:00.001-08:00

Ukki
Originally uploaded by From Russia With Love1

We went to an orphanage in Ukki this week. It was so nice to finally be able to start visiting. It seems to have been one thing after another that has kept us from going. God's timing is perfect though and we know now why He has halted our attempts to get started. It's awesome to see some of the big picture coming into focus. There's still a lot of pieces missing to the puzzle but we are starting to see an outlilne at least. To quote the great Hannible from the tv show The A-Team..."I love it when a plan comes together." It's encouraging to see glimpses of a purpose that we have been wondering about for months. Stay posted. As we see more, we'll share more. We are learning to trust Him in everything we do...from the mundane every day living to the big ministry decisions that will shape where we will be in the future.

Culture Shock: Part 2

2008-11-14T02:50:00.002-08:00

Part 2 of the article:

When my husband's company offered him a job in China, we jumped at the chance. This would be the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to see the world, a great way to experience a new, exciting and mysterious culture. And get paid for it!

I was really excited. The first thing I did was run down to the local bookstore and buy a whole bunch of books about China, the Chinese people and how to speak Chinese. I even hired a Chinese friend from Taiwan to teach us the language (and whose first lesson of course was to explain that Taiwanese Chinese was completely different from Mandarin Chinese, but fortunately for us he spoke both). We had a whole three weeks to get ready, and ready I was going to be. I would walk like they walked, talk like they talked and think like they thought. I would eat their food (I loved Chinese food!), drink their (warm) Tsingtao beer, dress like they dressed, dance like they danced, learn to sing kari-yucky (karaoke - the Chinese national past-time second only to staring at the foreigners) and sleep on a bamboo-grass mat.

(I can be really naive sometimes.)

I was going to China! Wow.

Things like this just didn't happen to people like me!

Those three weeks flew by, of course, and before I knew it we were getting off a plane in Chengdu, Sichuan. I had not yet figured out that Chinese food in China was not anything like Chinese food in America, and I had not yet developed a taste for warm beer. But I could say hello, thank you and goodbye in Chinese, I was excited and happy to be there, and I was more than ready, willing and able to start my new life in China. The honeymoon wasn't over yet, and I just didn't have a clue.

I can relate to the range of emotions going on in this woman's mind. We were thinking the same thing. We will learn to be Russians in any way we can. We thought we would fit right in. I realized however that the first thing I found was that I missed beef jerky and I wasn't able to switch to fish jerky...just one of the many things that are different. It's a shallow thought but I'm being honest. I can't say I was in deep thought over the cultural differences at first. we are learning to embrace the differences...some are wonderful...and some are annoying. I think it's not so much about becoming a Russian. I will always be a foreigner, no matter how long I stay here. I think it's more about accepting their way of life no matter how different it is.

At Church

2008-11-14T02:50:00.001-08:00

At Church
Originally uploaded by From Russia With Love1

We had a visitor from the US. One of the Pastors we know from back home had some work to do here and we were able to get together and hang out. Pastor Grant works with a ministry called Russians Reaching Russians. It was awesome seeing him. He was able to bring a power converter for us as well. Jen was able to straighten her hair for the first time in over 3 months. For some reason the little power converter we had just wouldn't work with her flat iron. Yay for Jen!! I was also able to see my buddy Dennis as well. I haven't been able to see him since we moved here. It was nice.

Culture Shock: The Little Things Count in the Biggest Ways

2008-11-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

I read this article on an expat site that was very insightful and encouraging to me. We didn't have any "formal" missionary training. This kind of training probably would have went over this exact topic. We prepared ourselves the best we could and dove into the water...the water being a foreign country. We are doing well I think with the occasional bumps here and there. Overall, I think we are adapting. Some days I love it and other days I wish I could hop on the next plane home. This is something we expected though. I think I'll do this article in a few pieces so as not to make one dreadfully long post.

So here goes the article:
One of the first things I noticed about China was that all the men carried purses and the women held hands. This phenomenon shot straight to the top of my list of "Weird World Wonders" and stayed there until a mere five minutes later, when I went looking for a bathroom at the airport and came face to face with my first squatty potty.

This was culture shock, pure and simple, and I was already moving from the first stage of it - the honeymoon, or tourist, stage, which I had entered before we ever left the States - into the second, the irritation-to-anger stage. Culture shock can mean many different things to many different people, and any kind of move - whether it be across town, across the country or across the planet - can create different kinds of trauma in different kinds of people. Kalvero Oberg first identified the five distinct stages of culture shock in 1958, and we know them today as:

* The honeymoon, or tourist, stage;
* The irritation-to-anger stage;
* The rejection/regression stage;
* The integration/assimilation stage;
* The reverse, or reentry, stage.

So here is a thought. we have been here a little over 3 months now. I have found us going around the honeymoon stage and the irritation to anger stage and a little bit in the rejection/regression stage, and then back to the honeymoon stage. At least we're not standing still. One of these days we will be back in America and missing Russia...

Princess Eve

2008-10-23T10:34:00.001-07:00

Princess Eve
Originally uploaded by From Russia With Love1

Eve was princess for a day. We had her birthday party on Sunday. The royal dinner for the day was spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread. We invited over a couple of friends and just hung out for the evening. It was nice to have the company after the mess with our wallet the day before. we have some great friends here that are such a blessing and encouragement to us. Eve got a cash register and the fairy stuff you see here. She also got a craft set to make bracelets. She got to spend more time on Nick.com than usual...she thought it was a pretty nice day. We did too...

Missing Home

2008-10-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

I miss home from time to time. I get a bit homesick and I miss friends and family members. I think it's harder when one of the kids are having a rough day though. I found our daughter Eve staring out of the window this morning. She wasn't being her usual self if you know what I mean. Usually she's a pretty chipper person in the morning. Can I play? Can I have some breakfast? Can you color with me? Can I chase the dog around the flat a few times? You know...things that an eight year old likes to do. When we asked her what was wrong all she could spit out before the tears came was, "I miss home."

It's a hard part about being here. She has friends here that she adores. She always wants to see them and play with them. She looks forward to the next time she will see them...but she gets so homesick for her cousins and friends back home.

It passes and she's soon chasing our dog Piper around the flat again...it just tugs on our hearts to see our children hurting at all. It's something we have to work through and it stretches us to trust the Lord to comfort us. I know that this is part of the process and it grows us in ways we don't even see yet...but growing pains still ache.

A friend of ours has a quote on her facebook that says, "His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding hour by hour, The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower!
From Hannah Hurnard-Hearing Heart. I like this quote because it is a pure message of hope when you are stepping into the unknown and needing some reassurance.

Moving to Canada

2008-10-14T08:16:00.001-07:00

With Sasha and Natasha
Originally uploaded by From Russia With Love1

We met Sasha an Natasha in America. They've spoke at our church before. They used to live in Chicago and have been back in Russia for a few years now. They are moving to Canada this week. We've been able to hang out with them a couple times. It's been nice.

From Minister to Missionary

2008-10-10T10:55:00.001-07:00

I'm finding myself kind of lost right now. For the last ten years I have been consumed with ministry. I have seen people come and go from the church. I've seen the walls change colors...a few times. I have seen staff move into new chapters of their own lives. I have seen more events come and go than I can count. I have played, cried, worshiped, laughed, sweat, bled, and lived ministry.

Switching gears from pastor to missionary has been a bit more challenging than I thought it would be. I guess I'm so used to preparing for the next thing. When one event would end, that just meant it was time to start planning the next one. I have no services to prepare for. I have no events to plan. I have no staff to cultivate. There is no discipleship class to teach. No late night gaming parties with the guys. I feel a little out of my element and like I'm a bit in limbo right now trying to figure out what it was I was supposed to be doing in the first place. I know this is where God wants us. I think I'm not having culture shock as much as I'm having ministry shock.

God gave us a rest when we got here. Believe me, we needed it. Ten years will wear a person out. I think we're rested now and ready to get to work. I just need to figure out to drive this missionary vehicle. It's like switching from an automatic to a stick shift and I'm grinding the gears a bit trying to figure it out. I guess being stubborn is a good thing sometimes because I won't give up easily.

Ian's Birthday

2008-10-06T10:11:00.001-07:00

Ian's Birthday
Originally uploaded by From Russia With Love1

Our Son Ian turned thirteen yesterday. WOW!! We have a teenager. We had a couple friends over and let him choose what he wanted for dinner. He chose fried chicken, Mashed potatoes and gravy, and spinach. We had a nice time. He got a really cool engineer's compass, a decorative knife and a fishing pole. His sister Eve also wrapped some things for him...they were actually things that were his and she's had them in her room for awhile. Eve decorated the front room for his party. She's such a sweet little artistic sister. She actually said to me, "Daddy, I'm actually happy for Ian that it's his birthday. That surprises me because I'm usually mean about it." We had to laugh.

It's the first birthday we've celebrated as a family in Russia. Ian really had a great time and we were happy to see our son turn into a teenager while experiencing another culture...that's a cool thought.

Guests

2008-09-25T12:27:00.001-07:00

Visitors
Originally uploaded by From Russia With Love1

We had guests this evening. Our friends from Lomonosov stopped in for tea. Andrew and Nastya were in St. Petersburg visiting Nasya's sister Ulia and they gave us a ring. We love it when we get to hang out with them. They're fun to be around.

Yep...Our God is Good!!

2008-09-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

We got news today that our visa applications were accepted and we are good for another year. Praise God! The best part is that we don't even have to leave the country to get them renewed and it's only going to cost us about $250. The Ovir just extended our present visas. That is so awesome! Natalia, the director of the Swiss center, is still in disbelief that it actually happened. We are so excited about this news because it's one more testimony we have to build our faith and trust in the Lord that we're doing the right thing. Thanks for your prayers.

Walk in the Park

2008-09-22T11:43:00.001-07:00

Walk in the Park
Originally uploaded by From Russia With Love1

It was so nice this evening that we decided to take a little walk in the park. The weather has been pretty rainy and the temperatures have been in the 40's. Today it was like 62. We were waiting for a plumber to come and fix our faucet because it's been leaking. It was so hard waiting because it was so nice out. We called our landlord to see what time he was going to come and she told us that he wouldn't be able to make it until Wednesday. So we were out the door. I love going to the park. It's so quiet and nice.

Churches

2008-09-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

We've been visiting some friends at different churches around S. Petersburg. This is the church in Sosnovy Bor. We have some great friends there...like Leosha. I love to hook him up with new music from time to time. We really enjoy visiting with all of them there.

This is Misha Kotoff's church. It's probably the largest church in St. Petersburg. We visited his church Sunday. We liked it. They had a man from Finland speaking that morning. Our translator was with Ian in youth group and Jen was with Eve in Children's church. So there I was...hearing 2 languages...and I couldn't understand either one of them...it was interesting. The worship was great and Misha displays such a passion when he preaches.

Russian Graffiti

2008-09-17T02:42:00.001-07:00

056
Originally uploaded by From Russia With Love1

I haven't seen any dead people yet but apparently someone has...and they wanted everyone to know.

Not Child Friendly

2008-09-16T12:33:00.001-07:00

We had to get AIDS tests to renew our visas. Eve was not very happy about this at all. She kept asking me how it would feel and reminding me that she hated needles. She asked me afterwards, "Daddy, are you proud of me...I didn't scream." That's my girl. She was very brave. No screams, just a little bit of tears. It took 4 hours to get tests done. By the time you walk to the station, ride the metro (stop at this little shop and grab some of these yummy chocolate things that they call potatoes...yeah really, that's what they call them.) take the bus, and find the creepy place where they do the testing...get back on the bus, ride the metro, walk home from the station...you are now pretty wore out.

The place we had to go to was not very child friendly though. I thought, "Stven King must have designed this place. I didn't know he lived in Russia." (little known fact: We used to live close to Steven King and the town they filmed Pet Cemetery in was about 5 minutes from our house.)
This place is not very settling on a child's nerves when they know they will have to get stuck by a needle when they go inside. I was even creeped out by this place...definitely not child friendly.
Ian said this place looked like a level in the video game Half Life...I was looking over my shoulder the whole time after he told me that.

So that was our experience at a Russian Testing Center. I hope we don't have to do that any again any time soon. However, the test results are at the Ovir's office and we await their response. This has been an interesting experience, dealing with the Russian government and a lesson in faith building...hmm, I wonder if God is trying to teach us something??

We're Here

2008-09-15T00:54:00.000-07:00

I never thought the day would get here and now we've been here for almost 2 months. We have internet now so we can post updates. I've never been a regular poster in my blogs but I will try to keep this updated with pics and thoughts on a regular basis. I told everyone that we would put in the original post about our visa situation on here so I will do that. I'll also put in the post we used in case you don't get our newsletters. Please sign up to be on our mailing list if you haven't already.

Original Post:
Our Registration got mixed up. We were told to register somewhere we shouldn’t have. Now we’re registered as tourists and not students. Yep, you read right…and we’re coming to find out that it’s more than just going to the Ovir (special division of Russian authorities) and asking, “Can you fix this?” We’ve been told (by Russians) that the Ovir is not human, they are machines. They have no emotions, no compassion, that they don’t care about our predicament. I do believe that our God is bigger than the Ovir though. Amen?! So what they are saying is that we have to start the whole visa process over again. In Russia that is very expensive. Then we have to leave the country to get our visas. We’ve been told we have to go back to America…or Finland…or Latvia…or Estonia. Pray that we get a solid affordable solution to this.

New Post:
When I first wrote this article we had an urgent prayer need. Our registration got mixed up and we were forced with the fact that we were going to have to leave the country and possibly come back to America to renew our visas. Jennifer urged me to meet with the Ovir to explain our situation. Long story short: Natalia, the director of the school went with me and we plead our case to the Ovir. Surprising our director the woman took the paperwork and said she would look into it. Natalia still told me not to be optimistic. Two days later we are in our language class when the director stuck here head in the door and said, “Congratulations, you’ll get your one year visas.” Can you say “We serve a God that does the impossible?” You can read the original article on our website under updates.

So this is a huge praise report. Please keep praying as the situation is still in the Ovir's hands. We had to get some testing done for the renewal and it was supposed to be in this afternoon. The results won't be back until tomorrow and we haven't heard anything today from the school. Pray that the Ovir will let this just pass through when we get ther results from the tests.

Some updates

2008-06-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well...what has happened since our last update. We went to Massachusetts to speak at a slavic church. It was all Russian and we needed a translator to speak there. It was pretty cool. We went over to someone's house that evening and had tea. Now if you've ever been to Russia you would know that tea can mean a 7 course meal. That's what we got and it was deloicious! The Russian people are so hospitable. I love them. We met some really cool people and were able to make some contacts to help us when we get over there. On the way back to Ohio we stopped off at Niagra Falls. It was quite a nice pit stop.

We bought our plane tickets yesterday. Our apartment is lined up...and the visas are in process. Man this is really getting close. July 22nd is our launch date. Keep us in your prayers. we're nervous but know this is what God wants us to do.

Off to St. Pete

2008-03-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Today we're off to Russia for a preliminary trip to meet some of the folks we'll be working with over there. Jennifer's not going so I'm a bit bummed about that but Pastor Jim is going with me. It seems to be a pretty packed schedule. Sosnovy Bor, Kommunar, Luga, Ukki, St. Peterburg...all in 8 days. I am really looking forward to this trip. It will get my feet wet a bit because I will be on my own in St. Petersburg on Friday. I'm meeting with a man I met there who is a missionary with his family. He's given me some good advice and I'm looking forward to spending some time with him again. I'll try to post hwile I'm there if I get a chance.

Seperation Anxiety

2008-03-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Well...our sale is over. We decided not to have another one in 2 weeks. I'm not very fond of having sales. We actually didn't do too bad considering the blizzard and all. We sold most of it at rediculously low prices...but we got rid of alot of it. You never realize how much stuff you have until you decide to get rid of it all.

Why do we get so attatched to "things"? I found myself not wanting to let go of some things that I've grown to like alot. I mean we kept some of our most prized possessions, but most of what we've collected over the last 15 years had to go. I think it comes down to the fact that one man's trash is another man's treasure...or vise versa in this case. Everyone wants the deal of the century. We ended up giving alot of things away. That was a little hard. I felt like I was having seperation anxiety for my "stuff". It was wierd. The fact that we sold our bedroom suit for food stamps is a bit amuzing but it spends like cash in my house. What can ya do. On buyer backed out of buying it and the other wanted it but didn't have enough cash...so we sold it to them. we gotta eat too right!? I sold our computer as well so I need to get a laptop now. we didn't have any room in our new place to keep a desktop pc. That will have to happen soon because I'm now computerless. I feel lost without one.

I got some good news about the visa situation. It looks like we might be able to get a charitable work visa. The new law doesn't seem to be affecting those types of visas. That's great news! Pray that doesn't change over the next 4 months.

A Blizzard

2008-03-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

We are trying to have a sale and liquidate all of our belongings and Ohio decides to go and have a blizzard. Thursday it was nice out and now it's snowing. That's Ohio weather for ya. We're probably going to try to have another sale in 2 weeks. That will be Easter weekend but I think we'll have it on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We're moving in with Jennifer's Dad and will be there until we move in July. Pray that we can liquidate as much stuff as we can. That will make it easier on us.

This realization struck me the other day. we're trying to sell things pretty cheap to get rid of it...so we're basically selling our life here in this house for a laptop and a camcorder. Kind of puts it in perspective when I think about it like that. I need a nice laptop though so if anyone knows of any good deals on a laptop let me know. That's about it for now.

2008-02-13T13:11:00.000-08:00

Dr. Jesse duplantis came to Springfield Monday night. He is one of my favorite preachers. We were able to set up a booth at the event. Thanks Pastor Kevin!! We had a few people sign up for our newsletter. I was a little discouraged though at the amount of interest. We were packing up to leave after the event was over when my pastor came up to me and says, "someone wants to meet you." No it wasn't Jesse Duplantis. He had to leave because they were trying to beat the snow storm that was about to hit. It was however one of his staff. She prayed for Jennifer and I and spoke some words from the Lord over us. It was much needed encouragement. She gave us her card and wanted us to keep in touch with her. come to find out, she has had a heart for Russia for aawhile now. I feel like if that was the only person God wanted us to meet up with there...then I'm cool with that.

Why do I find it hard to trust God at times. I feel like I always need a reminder from him that everything is going to be alright. He has told us time and time again that He has everything under control but I let myself be talked into believing that things are just going to fall apart or something. I wish I wasn't so thick headed about this. He has never let me down in the past so why would He start now.

Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

Another Church Partner

2008-02-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

We were able to speak at a local church this last weekend and it went great. We had a businessman donate the printing and mailing of all of our newsletters when we leave. That's awesome because I was just thinking about that the other day and wondering how we were going to be able to handle that. God is awesome. He's putting it all together for us. Just keep the visa process lifted up in your prayers.

Fundraiser Lunch

2008-01-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

We had a fundraiser lunch at our church Sunday. We had a great turnout and made a pretty good profit. We served carnitas and shredded chicken with spanish rice and black bean soup. Yum yum! We even had salsa music playing to set the mood. I was very pleased with the turnout and we had alot of fun doing it. Thanks to everyone who helped make that happen. So now we have enough money for plane tickets and visas and such. We can get there but we still have a long way to go for the monthly support side of it. Pray that God brings partners on board with us.

Pennsylvania Trip

2008-01-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

I firmed up a trip today to go to Pennsylvania and speak at a church in March. The directors of the ministry we are partnering with were able to get us into their church. That's a blessing. God has been creating quite a few opportunities to speak in churches in the area and even out of state. Pray that more churches become partners with us in this adventure.

Up To Speed

2008-01-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

So I thought I would bring every one up to speed as far as where we're at in the whole process of preparing for our move. To start off, we've decided to step on board with a ministry called Big Family. Big family is an outreach ministry to Russian orphans in St. Petersburg and some of the surrounding areas.

We've been in contact with the directors of this organization for awhile now. God kept redirecting us back to them. Every time we would make a contact with someone in Russia it would lead back to Big Family. We felt drawn to them from the start.

We met the directors through our church. When they came out to spend some time with us (and make sure we weren't crazy) it just seemed to fit. It was an answer to our prayer that God would clarify our purpose over there. We're really excited to work with them and are looking forward to what God is going to do to build this relationship.

That's it for this post. I'm sure I'll have many more thoughts to put on here but I'll end for now.

Welcome!!

2008-01-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our updates page. This is where we will keep all of you informed about what's going on with our move to Russia.