Making Jesus Lord of Your Life - Sermon Jam

Yes, it's me!

My girls being awarded their white belts - I'm so proud! :)

My 'umble abode in Sweazy Hall

My buddy Harrison, from Montana, and I had a bit of a jam session at our Bible study retreat

Hello everyone - guess what? I'm still alive! I know, it's been forever since I posted anything on this blog - I guess I'm just terrible at blogging. Actually in a lot of ways, life is way busier here in California, than it ever was in Russia. Let me rephrase that - it's not that I'm busier - it's the things I'm busy with. That's right - for those of you who don't know, I'm back at school for a year! I'm at The Master's College ( http://www.masters.edu ) - it's pretty crazy and amazing!

I really miss Russia, but I know the Lord has me here for a purpose, and I rest in that. Church down here is amazing - I'm attending Grace Community Church, where Dr. John MacArthur is the pastor. What an amazing honor, to sit under the teaching of these awesome professors, and Dr. MacArthur!

Friendships are growing; I have a couple of jobs doing really awesome things, and I teach karate to a group of girls here! THAT is a blast.

In short - I still don't know exactly why I'm here at TMC this year. God does - and His leading and guidance was so clear, so I rest in that.

I'll try to keep this updated better; in the meantime, here are a few pictures!

North, to Alaska...

Well, as of Friday, I'll be back in raingear, sliming fish for the summer. :) Here are some pictures from last time I was there - pray for me. Pray that I'll be strong and be a true asset to those with whom and for whom I'm working, and that, above all, Christ's light would be evident to all while I work this summer. Ultimately, all that we do is for His glory, and His glory alone. Isn't that awesome?! I just pray that I have the strength to work hard, and honor Him with my effort. His strength is always there when we need it - even when things look ridiculously impossible (and you're exhausted...). Isn't that great?!

Snow is one of God's greatest gifts

Isn't God awesome?! One of the beautiful, amazing, awesome gifts He has given us is snow. Do you have any idea how awesome it is to be able to ski down mountains?! Okay, so until 2 years ago, I would have smirked and said 'yeah, that's nice for crazy people'. Now - I'm officially crazy. So I'm not incredible at skiing yet - but someday I will be!

I am soakin' up this sunshine - but I thought I'd let y'all know - I'm grateful for the snow. It's just all good! :o)

Here are some fun pictures:

Crazy blessings for 50 cents...

So today, I took a walk down memory lane. Music helped me along the way - actually, music was what took me there. Growing up, it seemed like we always had music playing. Actually, it didn't just seem that way. We did have music playing. All the time - except for when I was reading. For some reason, all thru childhood, I really had to have the house quiet to read (which may explain why I loved to sit on the roof for my quiet times...). Living in Russia has transformed me, though. Now, you could have music, TV, arguments, and a remodel job all going on at once around me, and I wouldn't even look up. Ask Shawna - she'll tell you I'm not makin' a word of this up. Actually, now I have a hard time concentrating when it's silent....
But that's not what I started writing about.

I went to the used CD store today, and I had a bit of time on my hands, so I looked thru the junk cd section. Y'know - the area they put stuff they just wanna get rid of. Usually you can find 47 copies of every album the Backstreet Boys ever recorded, those random Christmas CDs everyone on the planet already has, and the soundtracks to movies that didn't get famous because of their music.
But today, I found a treasure. Growing up in a Christian home, we always had worship music playing - the tapes of Hosanna Praise and other things. So there it was - the 25 best praise and worship songs from Hosanna Praise. Yes, they're old. Yes, I'm a little surprised they even made it onto a CD. And yes - the CD was only 50 cents. But - I bought it.
These songs are my childhood! Every song brings a memory (or a flood of them), and every memory brings praise to my lips. A few days ago I wrote on here about remembering. Turns out I'm getting pretty good at that!

This CD I bought today has 20 different songs that bring back amazing memories. I thought I'd share some of them with you.


"Celebrate Jesus"
Being in 5th grade and doing the overheads for church every Sunday morning; getting there insanely (to my 11-year-old mind) early so my mom could practice the piano before service started, and eating chocolate donuts for breakfast from Safeway.

"My life is in You, Lord"
I have a vivid memory of this song playing while we had a bbq at my parents' best friends' house, and I danced around their kitchen to it. I loved to sing this song at the top of my lungs around the time my sister was born.

"Holy, You are Holy"
they always sang this song an octave higher than I was comfortable with (or lower, depending on how you look at it...). This song definitely brings back Sunday afternoons at home, when my dad was taking a nap on the couch, my sister was still tiny, and my mom was making dinner. Ah...good times....

"I will call upon the Lord"
This song reminds me of camp. I hated camp. Funny - all my good camp experiences have been as a leader, not a camper. It's a good song, though

"I will celebrate/Jehovah Jireh"
I was 6 and we started attending a home fellowship of about 15 families. We met in our pastor's living room, the kids would sit in the service, too. They had the kind of carpet you can brush your hand over and make it a different color - when you ran your hand across, it appeared to be a dark rose color; if you ran your hand over the other way, it looked like a much lighter pink. We used to write with our fingers while sitting on the floor and 'listening' to the sermons....

"All hail King Jesus"
Back to doing overheads at church. The overhead for this song had a coffee stain on it.

"Fear not"
When I was 5, I 'accidentally' watched a movie at some friends' house about the end times and persecution. It terrified me to my bones, and I would lie in bed, just sure that soldiers were coming to take me and cut my head off because I wouldn't deny Jesus' name.
Shortly after watching that movie I heard this song. I used to sing it to myself over and over again in bed. Amazing words - "Fear not, for I am with thee, says the Lord"

"Be Bold, Be Strong"
They played this song when my aunt Shanni left for Eastern Europe on a missions trip. If any song in the world reminds me of Russia, it's this one. She was there long before I ever even dreamed I'd live in the former Soviet Union!

"Let Your Spirit rise within me"
This song always went too fast for me, but I love the words - and the hand motions we learned at camp!

"I will arise"
A friend of the family used to hold me in his arms and we'd sing this song at the top of our lungs (although as I think back now I'm pretty sure it was a solo performance - he got a kick out of my 5-year-old passion).

"Let God arise"
So I can't sing this song 'correctly'. From the moment we thought it up (just like every other Sunday school class in 1980s America), we could never sing 'let His enemies be scattered'. It's 'let His enemies be splattered', and that's just the way that song has to be sung. I think it's a Sunday-school law.

"I sing praises"
This is one of those songs I really started to think about, as I sang it. It spurred me to look into why in the world God's name should be praised. My dad rocks. I think he can explain anything.

"Glorify Thy name"
Another one of those songs that reminds me of 'writing' in the carpet.

"I exalt Thee"
This one brings back a memory from not too long ago - a candle-light service, everyone joining together to pray and spontaneously breaking out into song. It was incredible.

Well, wow. My heart is praising God for the amazing memories I have filed away in my brain.

Not bad for 50 cents, eh?

Inspiration

I saw this video for the first time a few days ago. My dad and I can't watch it without crying!
Talk about inspiring! I wanna be like these guys. For more information, google 'team Hoyt'. The story is...amazing.

God's incredible blessings

Far too often, I get caught up in living life today, and looking ahead to what will be. A theme that runs thru Scripture is 'remember, remember, remember'. Over and over again, we are called to remember God's greatness, remember His great deeds, the things He has done in the past, the prayers He's answered, and the mighty works of His hand.

So today, I'm lookin' back. Many of the most amazing, precious memories I have are from the past years in Russia. Some of these memories (okay, in one sense or another, all of them) bring pain - they are so near and dear to my heart, I can't help but think of the good things, the hard things, the bad things, and the wonderful things, all in one amazing overwhelming rush of emotion.

I'm good at looking forward - I love thinking of and preparing for what will be. I'm excited about going to work this summer, and college in the fall. I'm excited that *perhaps* I'll be able to go back to Russia for New Years. I'm excited to study the Scriptures. And, yes - most definitely - I'm stoked for the still unknown day when I'll get to return to Russia, long-term.

I'm not so great at looking back. It's just that things are so wonderful and difficult and emotion-filled, and I feel things so deeply, I guess I'm not capable of looking back un-emotionally. Yet as I look back, I see God's hand in everything - do you realize what He's done in my life, in 4 short years? What He's done in the lives of those we love? It's awesome. And what is still yet to come! (there I go looking forward again.... :o) )

Rejoice with me today in God's blessings. He is so worthy of our praise; He is amazing! Here are just a few snapshots of His glory (click on 'em for a bigger picture - they're a lot better bigger):

Moments, places, and people I cherish

One of the most beautiful places in the world:

I never tire of this view
(and yes, I swam in that water in the summer & crossed it, frozen, in the winter):

Why I think my life is so great:

It don't get much better than this!

The puddle

A hot summer day, bored little people, and...me.
What an amazing blessing it is to have moments like these to cherish forever.

Words of wisdom from Uncle Yuri

1. "Money is like dirt. If you look hard enough, you can find it anywhere."

2. "Anything that has any real value, you can't buy with money."

3. "Always keep your eyes open and your head thinking - watch everyone, and learn from their mistakes. If you can learn from someone else's mistakes, you won't have to make them yourself."

4. "There are no stupid questions. If you think of it, it needs asked."

5. "When you're learning something new, you should never be silent - always, always, always ask questions. If you aren't asking questions, you're not thinking, and if you're not thinking, you're not learning."

6. "Callouses should be in your head. You can't get good at things unless they become reactions; and your muscles only react to your brain's signals, so the most important place to build up callouses is in your head."

7. "Ice is stronger than iron." (there's a story behind that one)

8. "The very first thing you do, every single time you're on the mountain, is 'turn on your head'.

9. "As sportsmen our greatest enemies are adrenaline and euphoria. Both of them can be used to our advantage, but we must we wary at all times of their effect on us."

10. "Snow is the best instructor on the mountain."

11. "Snow is your comrade, your best friend; but you must battle the slope - it is against you, and you must conquer it."

12. "Even a boulder can go straight down a mountain, but nobody will notice its beauty or style as it does so. Why do people love to watch avalanches? Because they're beautiful, even in the midst of being terrifying. We're not boulders; we follow the pattern of avalanches as we go down the mountain."

13. "If you aren't planning on learning to ski everywhere, on any skis, in any kind of snow, and aren't willing to learn how to deal with every kind of weather condition nature will throw at you, why are you here?" (said to me when I declared rather irritatedly that it 'didn't work for me' to ski on an ungroomed, icy slope - he, uh, has a way of shutting you up when you think you've got a right to complain.)

14. "Stop thinking and SKI!" (said 3 seconds after ordering me to 'think, think, think, never stop thinking, turn your head on and think some more')

and the MOST important (to him) - the one thing you NEVER forget:

15. "The only proper answer to any and every question is 'yes, sir'." :o)

Yes, sir, Uncle Yuri. You're a great guy!

More...

A month ago, I didn't actually know the difference between slalom and giant slalom. I mean, I figured out the obvious - giant is bigger. That much I didn't need help understanding. :o)

However, the day after arriving in Kirovsk, I got to go up to the mountain to see Sasha's tournament in giant slalom. When I asked her the difference between slalom and giant, she rolled her eyes and said 'oh, brother - everybody knows that!' So, now I know. Being that Uncle Yuri is a stickler for doing things right (that is, his version of right), he insisted that after spending 4 days on the road, we take a day to recoup and just chill, and only the next day go skiing.
So Friday was a chill day (literally - it was in the -20s) - we went up to watch Sasha ski, then went ambling around their city. They were having this amazing snow-carving contest that takes place every year - unlike most places, they don't carve ice - they carve giant cubes of packed snow. The people carving it aren't allowed to use water or anything to create their shapes - only hand tools and more snow.

Here's a few pictures - even though we didn't go skiing, it was an amazing day - and we talked more about skiing that most people do in a month - Uncle Yuri wanted to make sure we remembered everything from last year - therefore he decided to repeat it. He has a habit of repeating the same thing at least 4 times as it is, so I think I heard 'remember, the snow is your comrade, your team-mate - but you will always be battling with the slope' at least 12 times that day (seems like more, actually...).

Arriving in the Arctic Circle...

Day 1 in Kirovsk:

it was one of my dreams come true. 11pm on a Thursday night, driving to Uncle Yuri's home from the train station - I saw the Northern Lights. Live, in person - it was amazing. We stopped the car, got out, and stared at the pink, purple, and blue dancing across the sky and reflecting off the mountains. I was in awe.

The temperature was about -27 c (I'm too tired tonight to look up how much that'd be in farenheit, but not balmy), and we stood by the side of the road and watched the amazing scene I'd dreamed of seeing for years.

After everyone but me got cold (that's right, I'm always the last one to realize it's cold outside, or hot, or too windy, or too anything, really...), we piled back in the car and continued 'home' to where we'd be living for 24 days.

Upon our arrival (about 20 to midnight), we had dinner. Which was nice, 'cause I, in my utter wisdom only bought 'bum food' (Russian top ramen) to bring with me on the train, and Shawna and I had both gotten sick of it by the last day traveling, so we were hungry, and tired.

After dinner, we crashed and slept hard - it was so crazy being back in Uncle Yuri's house, with his grand-daughter and wife - it was like nothing had changed since last year. Not even the crooked picture on the wall - to that day nobody had straightened it!

Kirovsk is a beautiful city. Here's a few shots:




(apparently the owner of this car walks to work these days...)




Shawna the olympiad!!!! (this is the apartment building Uncle Yuri lives in; he lives on 'Olympic Street', which is really a pretty cool name, if you ask me...)


A Sasha sandwich (say that 1o times fast!) -
me with Sasha, and her best friend, Sasha

winter time in Russia...I love it!

So much to write...

Hello all!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I've got thousands of pictures, so that makes me a millionaire! In words, that is.

Today, I'm going to post pictures and let them tell the story of our past 3 months in Russia. I myself am at a loss for words, to be honest. Looking at these pictures is still tough - they're just so close to my heart! What a gift, living in Russia. What an amazing God we serve. His grace is amazing!

So, let me share my heart today. These are snapshots of the things I hold dear!

try, try again...

It's been lots of fun, trying to upload pictures onto this blog. I've got a ton of them - but the computer doesn't seem to like the idea of letting me upload them. ??? This is my 7,324th try (well, right around there...) - hopefully I'll get some interesting pics uploaded so you can see our 'home', and the things we keep busy doing!

and....no. Looks like you'll just have to take my word for it, that things here are beautiful, and busy and interesting. We serve an incredibly amazing God, don't we?!

Lots of changes, lots of exciting things happening. I'll tell you all about them when I get the chance!

Please, continue to pray for us. Every day is full, every night, too, actually. Seems like sleep gets thrown in there once in a while, but mostly, I'm always on the go!

Serious prayer request

Last night, a lady we know well died. She was only 37, had a 13-year-old son, and a husband. Her mother lives in the apartment below ours. Her husband came to our house at about 2:45AM, yelling to open the door. The rest of the night they were crying, yelling, and then early in the morning he sat on the outside steps and cried until daytime.

Please pray for their family. She worked as a caretaker at our orphanage/boarding school - it's just crazy to think she's really gone.

Pray that somehow thru this, we'll be able to reach out even more to people here.

A month later....

Hello everyone!

Okay - don't fall over. Yes, you really are hearing from me - I really am posting on this blog, from Russia!

Apparently the filter that wouldn't allow me to get on my blog expired. That, or it got eaten by a virus. At any rate, here I am, posting on my blog, from Russia!

Here I sit in the director's office of our boarding school - it smells like cheap Russian cigarettes, and his daughter his waiting for her turn to download music from the only computer with internet anywhere around. BUT - I've got a couple of minutes, so I thought I'd write and give a quick update of what's going on in this li'l village world.

There's a lot to say, but mostly, I'll stick to the basics. (If you want more details, and you aren't already getting them, e-mail me & I'll put you on my updates list)
So it's official - for reasons that He understands & I am content to trust, God is only keeping us here in our 'Russian home' for 3 months. It's official - we didn't get Temporary Residency Permits. Turns out we didn't even get to give them our paperwork. So, here we are. We have plane tickets for the 24th of March - a mere 2 months from this day, I will again be in Oregon. What happens next?

That's a very good question. Ideas are flying - the most common one (the one 99% of the people here are telling us) is to come back to the states, apply for a 1-year visa, and turn right around and make it back here by planting season (the beginning of May). Is that how things are going to happen? I really don't know.
Part of me (a really, really big part of me) hopes so with all my heart. Whether we can get registered for a year or not is the big question with that one. The general understanding right now is that yes, we can. But we can't go on general understandings - we've gotta have concrete information. And, getting concrete info from the passport folks is like nailing jello to a wall.

Needless to say, that's what we're praying and hoping for. If, that is, that's what God wants.

There's other ideas. Perhaps He really is sending us in a different direction. The option of going to University, either in St. Petersburg or Moscow, has come up - to officially get documentation so we could work as translators. How long would that be? How much would it cost? Is that what He wants?
I dunno, yet. We're praying about it.

Of course there's a thousand other ideas, too. Most importantly, I want to see people here come to Christ. That's all that matters. How that happens, God is already aware of. But I know, that for the next 50 years or so, I desperately hope and long to be here, in Russia. It's a big country, with a lot of issues. Life is so wonderful and frustrating all at once - I love it!

So pray for me, if you would. pray that Shawna and I would sense HIS leading, and follow Him - wherever that may be.

Back in Russia

Update by Jenni's papa: Jenni, Shawna, and Nina got "home" fine, Jenni and Shawna got registered for their short stay and are starting to work on their paperwork. Jenni will write soon.

It's a wonderful life....

My life is a wonderful life. The past 2 weeks, I've been incredibly blessed to have my dear, dear friend from Russia here with me at my home in Oregon! She flew in from Russia on the 18th (of November...), and since then we've been having a blast. It was hard, to be absolutely honest, the first few days. Why? Well...I guess you could say I wasn't expecting to experience culture shock when she arrived - after all, I'm American, and I'm in America, and I already know her very well, and Shawna and I see her nearly every day in Russia (sometimes several times a day!), so I wasn't thinking it'd be...well, different. But it was. Of course my dear friend Nina has never been outside the Soviet Union before, so for her, coming to the USA was a shock in every way - and she absolutely loves it. :o)
It was funny, though - I didn't expect for my 2 worlds to collide so drastically. Not that they did outside, really - but inside myself, I found it pretty difficult - having Russia come to me, I realized I really am two different 'people', as it were - in that I'm American, and I'm also Russian. In Russia, Russian things make sense, the Russian way. And they don't bother me in the slightest.
In the states, I'm American. I understand why we do what we do, the way we do it, and the logic behind American culture - what makes us tick the way we tick.

I guess you could say I've learned both - and I've come to understand both. I've been feeling very analytical lately, thinking about what effects a society, and what makes people the way they are. Perhaps sometime soon here I'll get a chance to put my thoughts about Russia and the USA down in words, but for now, I'm enjoying to the fullest having my Russian friend here with me, in the states. We've been having a blast, going places, seeing things, and talking for hours.
I think what's fun is that she is enjoying everything, so much - going for a walk thru our neighborhood was filled with amazed comments and questions about everything from waterlines to what kind of windows to an amazement that people would have mailboxes out near the road.
Going to restaurants has been fun, too - I just love how excited she gets about everything!

So - I just thought I'd share that this dream that Shawna & I have had for the past few years, really became a reality. We were able to bring our dear friend and teacher to the states, on a vacation she never thought she'd really get to experience. Praise God!
I so pray that her time here will be spiritually challenging and encouraging, as well. You can pray with me about that one. How I long to see her realize, truly understand, what she was created for, and that He made a way to Himself, free of charge, thru Jesus Christ!

Nina is an incredibly perceptive woman, which has been fun to watch - she sees everything with a lot of depth. She's been amazed at my family, and church, at how people can be so sincere, and so real, and so nice, and display things like patience and kindness and strength, all at once. We spent Thanksgiving at my uncle & aunt's house, which was amazing - everyone loved Nina, and she loved everyone. She got especially close to my cousin Andy, though. She keeps remembering him, and his brother, and she keeps saying how amazing they were - they do what they're told, and they're always thinking of other people, and they can do everything themselves - in short, she was greatly impressed.

And it's been fun, to see the USA thru her eyes. It's been fun to explain things I never thought about not understanding.

Isn't God amazing? I'm still amazed, and oh, so happy, that He would be so merciful to me.

Good things are happening in regards to going back to Russia, too! We're finishing up the necessary documents, we've got plane tickets, and visas are being processed right now.

The most beautiful thing is that we found someone who has the authority to register us for the 3 months it'll take to apply for temporary residency permits! Our prayers have been answered yet again. Praise our awesome, mighty King!

So yes, it is indeed a wonderful life. Not a perfect one - that would be boring. You never appreciate the good stuff if you don't have any bad to compare it to, right? Right. :o)

Halloween with the greatest family in the world....

I think I've said it before, but just to re-iterate - I have the greatest family in the world. Perhaps that is a biased statement, but you have the right to disagree with me. Everyone has a right to be wrong if they want to. :o)

No, seriously, I love my family. I am so blessed by all of them - and it's always amazingly wonderful to get back together with them. 4 really awesome people live in Redmond, OR, and I got to spend quite a bit of time (or should I say bits of time - I was at their house 3 times, but it all added up to less than 2 weeks) at their home. We had a blast, 'cause all 4 of them are amazing Christians. Fellowship is an amazing thing, eh? I sure think so.

Besides beating them at multiple games of Phase 10 (alright, alright, it's not right to lie - I won....sometimes.....well, once), watching crazy movies, eating & cooking great food (not in that order, though...first we cooked, then we ate), playing random games (you're dead, Andy - your shields were not up), analyzing everyone we know using several different personality tests (that was fun - I found out I'm wierd! I'd always wondered...), & listening to all sorts of music, we just plain had awesome talks & I wish I could live there with them for about 10 years, without any time going by, so I could still spend that 10 years in Russia, too.

Truly, my Uncle Sean, Aunt Shanni, and cousins Josh & Andy rock. My aunt was my best pal when I was growing up - she was in high-school when I was born. Anyways, when she met Sean, the coolest thing in the world was that I didn't lose my friend, I gained another one! And later on, 2 more! Now they're 4 of my favorite people in the world! Isn't God just amazingly awesome?

The cool thing is, we get to spend Thanksgiving at their house! Haha - watch out, guys - this time, I'm not goin' easy on you - my Christmas gift had better be a T-shirt that says 'Phase 10 Champion forever' on the front, in BIG letters. :o)

Praise God for friends, who also happen to be family. When you see these pictures, smile, and then pray for them.

<-- This is Andy 'the' Cook (it's cool - his last name is 'Cook', and he likes to cook, so he says we should change his middle name to 'the').









His brother Josh is awesome (this is his halloween costume - he was a doctor). He wants to be a botanist - he's only 11 and he's got a pineapple plant, a pepper plant, a venus fly trap, and tons of other cool stuff! When I was 11 I didn't even care how things grew....the only reason I do now is 'cause I like to eat the things that I grow....

One of the coolest families in the world:

(personally, I like the sticker-tattoos the guys got at the harvest party...I was just too chicken to get one myself. Gee, I really am getting old...)

Another blog...

Hello everyone!

Just a quick note - I wanted to write snippets of 'life' from my kids' perspective - just to give a little insight into 'the way things are' - please read & comment, if you get a moment. I'll try to keep writing little bits on there (and here, as well).

Go to: http://www.orphanagelife.blogspot.com

Have a great day!

God is so awesome....

I still can't believe I lived here for a month - what an amazing gift from the Lord!

An Alaskan September....

Alaska?!

That's right - like I always say, never a dull moment in my life!

Here I am - in Alaska! My old boss called me last week, and said he really needed some help, and did I want to work for a month??? That was pretty incredible, considering I had just started praying seriously to find a job - and BOOM - the chef needs help!

So I got to fly up here to Alaska, where he's the chef at a fishing lodge (check it out: http://www.yesbay.com ) and so, here I am, in a beautiful place - until the 1st of October. On clear days I can even get online!

God is so amazing - He never ceases to amaze me. I'm in a stunningly beautiful place, the work is easy, I got to re-connect with my old boss (who's also a great friend of our family), AND, I'm makin' money!

Wow. Life is good. :o)

I get to fish, too. Did I ever mention how much I love salmon? The day after I got here, Larry (the chef) took me out fishing. I caught THIS!

I even have time to watch Russian movies in the evenings, after I finish working. Ahh....

I'm really here!

Y'know, I'm kind of starting to not like this blog thing. It seems like the only time I write, it's to give a quick review of stuff I really wanna go on and on about, but either don't have the time or the ability to do so. Then, when I do get posts up, they're all the same 'sorry I don't have more time, look at these few pictures and wait some more' story.

At any rate, here I am - and, believe it or not, I do actually have time and a computer in front of me! As you can tell from the little blurbs I've shared over the past 7 months, life has been oh-so-interesting, and oh-so-good. Tough. Intense. Challenging and exhausting, but then, I really, honestly, wouldn't want it to be any other way. If there's anything I've learned over the past few years, it's that tough times are the best times - in retrospect. When I look back on the first year we spent in Russia I always grin and get this fire in my eyes (or, so it seems to me...I don't generally look at myself when I'm thinking or talking, but you understand) and have memories that bring up absolutely every emotion - from being in situations so frustrating they were actually funny, to being more heartbroken than I thought a girl without a boyfriend could be, to having one of the best days of my life, simply because the lady at the store actually understood my broken Russian, and gave me exactly what I needed. Y'ever get that 'on top of the world' feeling, when you're almost sure that nothing short of an earthquake could ruin things?
Well, yes. In application to the past 7 months, I think it's safe to say that it's been anything but boring. :o)

When we arrived in Russia this past January, I was thinkin' life would pretty much be the same as it had been (logistically speaking) the past 2 years. I really couldn't have imagined that, between then and now I'd have been on numerous trips within and without the RF! God is amazing - He decided to send us first up North - about as far as you can go and still be in Russia, actually. When we went to Kirovsk, it was an adventure neither of us had really expected. It was interesting, too, from an eternal perspective. What kind of eternal impact can 2 weeks of skiing with a Russian miner have? You might be surprised. It is a wonder to me, that this guy (known to everyone in our village as 'Uncle Yura') so openly invited us to come stay in his home, with him, his wife, and grand-daughter. His twin sister is our next-door-neighbor, and he was born & raised where we now live. It's also interesting to me that somehow God gave us the push to go get train tickets, pack up our long johns and wool socks, and head North early one frosty Tuesday morning.



Two months later, back in our village and knee-deep (literally) in garden work, I happened to get this 'wild idea' (it was planted by our all-knowing God, and He, in His infinite humor sent random kids from the orphanage to water that seed of an idea until it grew big enough for me to realize it was from Him) of going to camp with the kids. They go to camp every year, but this year they got to go to a camp run by Christians and funded by Americans, intead of the regular government-run camp. A chat with the director assured me that he was for it, if I could get permission from the right folks. So, a few phone calls later, I had been 'hired' as a translator, and a couple days before camp started found me in a medical clinic getting tests done to prove I didn't have anything nasty or catching that I'd give the kids while at camp. And there I was - for 18 days of awesome challenges and excitement, and I even got paid $360 for translating!
Oh, what a joy, to draw pictures, and swim, and read the Chronicles of Narnia during naptime (in Russian, of course), and cut hair for kids the way *they* want it cut, and so many other great moments. I coulda stayed all summer, even in the midst of crazy challenges.

2 short, terrible weeks after arriving home from camp (terrible 'cause they were so short), Shawn and I realized it was really time to pack our bags and leave the country. It's silly, really, to even try to describe what it's like to have to leave Russia.
They were a really great 2 weeks, as well - which, to be honest, didn't really help our hearts in regards to having to leave.

God, in His incredible knowledge and plans, though, knew exactly what He was doing. He took us to the Czech Republic, to help out with an English Camp. It was awesome!!!
Now - here we are, back in the states, working on getting back to Russia.

For those of you who have the time and wanna hear, I'll be writing about all of the things i just mentioned above in detail, and posting pictures of skiing, orphanage camp, life in general, and English camp.

Thank you, once again, for your prayers. Life is incredible!

Camp in Russia

Remember I mentioned in my letters than I got to go to camp with the kids from our orphanage last month? It was amazing. I was there for 3 weeks, and I think during the course of those 3 weeks I experienced every emotion known to man - good and bad. I'd do it again, in a heartbeat. I pray I get to! Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever grow up - the place I'm most at home is in the center of a huge group of kids, running around playing games, drawing pictures, and helping everywhere possible. Enjoy these pictures - when I'm in the states, I'm planning on writing more about my time at camp...until then, look at these few snapshots and pray for all the precious little people in them!

We're in the Czech Republic!!!

Yes, that's right - I'm still alive, and taking pictures! I apologize to all of you for not posting pictures or writing on this blog for so long, but the computer on which I connect to the internet in Russia was updated with a very good filter, which was a very good thing. Unfortunately for me (and you), it blocked all personal sites, including my blog. Therefore I couldn't upload pictures, or even write!

At the moment, though, I am no longer in Russia. For those of you who read my e-mail updates, you already know that Shawna and I are in the Czech Republic. We spent 3 days in Lithuania, visiting a girl I know from back in the states who is working with Campus Crusade there. It was really crazy, seeing another country and being in a place where all the older folks still understand Russian, and there are so many different hints of Russian/Soviet influence, from 'back in the day', but yet be a completely different place.
Yesterday we arrived in Prague, CZ - after an early morning flight to Copenhagen, Denmark (where, as in Lithuania and Czech I was shocked when the passport control guy just smiled at me, stamped my passport, and motioned me on...we are definately not in Russia anymore), and then a connecting flight on to Prague.

And here we are in Malenovice, CZ, for training. Our English camp starts this coming Saturday (today is Tuesday), so until then we are here at this awesome hotel for training. I already have a thousand thoughts about being in Czech - what a beautiful, open, awesome place. The culture here is so much more laid back than Russia - it's like being on vacation, being in this place. Getting to know all the Americans and Canadians is really interesting, too - right now there's like 120 Americans here, training for English camps. Kind of like a dose of the USA, before actually getting there.
It's been crazy times - so many changes in so little time! Enjoy a few pictures, and pray hard for us, as English camp starts soon, and we're stoked about what God is already doing here. Good times! :)

A crazy Northern Adventure!

Hello once again from Russia! It's been a long time since I've been able to put anything on this blog - please forgive me! For those of you who don't get my e-mail updates, Shawna and I spent three weeks away from our village - we went up to Kirovsk, which is near Murmansk (which is near Finland). Last summer we were invited by our neighbor's brother to come learn how to ski in the mountains. It sounded pretty adventurous, expensive, and crazy, but he kept in touch, and finally all the ideas turned into plans, and the plans turned into reality! The awesome thing was, it didn't turn out expensive. We spent a total of 3 days traveling on the train, arrived, stayed with him, his wife, and his grand-daughter, and learned how to ski from a true professional. When I get a chance I'll ramble on about our adventures there, with a 59-year old Russian miner who never stopped yelling orders on the mountain and never stopped talking the rest of the time. It was awesome!

Here's a few pictures - when you see this guy, pray for him!

Da KIDS!!!

This our road -Shawna took this picture on Friday. The big house on the right is the one we live in - that is, we live in an 8th of it. It's a huge house divided into 8 apartments. We are truly blessed to live in such a beautiful place!

Morning in the city

These are some friends who live in the city; I got to visit them last Thursday. This little guy is hilarious! We had a lot of fun - I was only at their house for about an hour, but it was great anyway. Isn't he cute?!

Our Tiger...

This is our new buddy, Taraz. We brought him back with us from the city; now he's tearing around the house like a crazy man - he's a tiger! (well, technically he's a cat, but he doesn't know that.) :o)

English lessons and Andy Griffith...

This is my friend and English student Lena, and her sister Lera. They're awesome. Lena and I work a few times a week on English, and she's doing great. To help her be able to hear and comprehend what she hears in everyday conversation, we've been watching American TV shows on the computer together...and in my dear Russian friend, I have found a kindred spirit. My favorite TV show of all time is the Andy Griffith Show. When I brought some discs back from the states, Lena quickly became a fan, as well, and now we watch it together and discuss the random usages of words like 'y'all' and 'dy'ant to' (translates: do you want to) and all that good stuff. I never thought I'd be watching Andy Griffith with a 16-year-old Russian high-school student, but hey, wonders never cease! The only problem is, we can't whistle the theme song, 'cause according to Russians, if you whistle in a building, you won't have any money. Oh, well - we still have fun!

Life in Russia…

Is really busy! A blog is generally the place to just kinda go on and on about what’s on your mind, which is lots of fun – unfortunately, I don’t have time to do that on a regular basis. Forgive me; I promise, I will put entries on this blog as often as I can!

Well, we’re registered. For those of you who get my e-mails, you’ve already read about the…exciting and interesting process that was. J Actually, it’s all good. All’s well that ends well, right? My ‘Russian dad’ calls me an ‘infuriating optimist’, but I take that as a compliment. It’s all good, I say. The lady at the passport doesn’t hate us – not too much. She just does her job, and she does it very thoroughly. Like I say, though – my ambition in this whole situation is to somehow break thru the shell to reach her heart; by the grace of God Almighty, that’ll happen. Someday. :o)

I’ve made some interesting random observations over the past few weeks here in Russia – just cultural differences that seem to stick out. See, the culture here is a shame-based one. I’ve adjusted to that – it was tough the first year, but now, honestly, it doesn’t even phase me when my best efforts are always met with criticism; it’s just their way of showing how much they approve. Confused? Come live here for a few years. You’ll catch on.

That’s not what struck me this week, though. Though it’s not the best advice ever given, there is a saying in the USA that, though we wouldn’t necessarily agree right off, defines our attitude in life. Remember hearing “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”??? It’s funny, but if you’ve never realized it before, that’s the general American attitude. Here in Russia the ultimate punishment, the ultimate consequence for any negative action, is verbal disapproval. To be scolded or disapproved of is worse than death, at least in their minds.

I never really put my finger on the exact reason people here spend all their energies trying to please everyone around them – until the other day I was chatting with a neighbor and she said, ‘This is what’s so different about you Americans: You decide for yourself what is right, and what is wrong, and then you just do it. You don’t think about what people will think, or how they might respond, or if maybe someone would disagree with you. You probably actually assume people will disagree with you; but if you’re convinced that what you’re doing is right, you don’t care. That’s why your President is doing what he’s doing in Iraq. Whether it’s right or wrong, you have to respect him for doing what he is convinced is right. That’s what makes the USA so much different than everywhere else; they are doers. And everything they do is fueled by their convictions. Whether I agree with what you’re doing or not, I have to respect that.’

I wouldn’t go so far as to say every single American reacts exactly the same in every situation, nor does every single Russian. But overall, it was a fascinating observation. I was splitting firewood the other day when a girl walked by and said ‘why are you doing that? Aren’t you worried someone will see you and say you’re weird?’

I said it really didn’t matter what people say; somebody, somewhere, is going to disagree with me, no matter what I do. If I split firewood, someone will say ‘you work too hard, don’t do that’, and if I sit at home someone else will say ‘you’re so lazy, why are you even here in Russia?’, and if I work in the woodshop the director will say I’m wasting my time, but if I work on the computers, he’ll be happy, but his wife will say I’m being exploited. Why give myself ulcers trying to please everyone? It reminds me of the old story that goes something like this:

A father and son were going to market one day; the son sat on a donkey and the father walked alongside. People saw this and said ‘that selfish son – doesn’t he even care that his old father has to walk?’

So the son got down and the father rode. Then people said ‘look at that cruel father, making his young son walk while he rides comfortably.’

So they both got off and walked. Then people said ‘those stupid men, there they are walking when they have a perfectly good donkey to ride.’

So, the two of them climbed upon the donkey’s back, and people said ‘those cruel men – can’t they see the poor donkey is tired under the weight of both of them?’

So, they got down and carried the donkey. Then people said ‘look, those men are truly crazy, carrying a perfectly healthy donkey.’

So the men stopped listening to the people and continued on their way as they pleased.

Anyway, yes. All’s to say, it’s continually amazing to me, how people truly spend their days, and nights, worrying about what people think. It’s not just that – it goes deeper. For years, people here have had to think about every conversation carefully – because every friend and neighbor was a potential traitor, trust came slowly and paranoia regarding what people saw and perceived was almost like a religion. Now, there is left in most people a very healthy fear of people’s opinions. We in the USA have never experienced that, and therefore we are blessedly carefree. Who cares if that guy thinks I’m stupid? I don’t think he’s particularly an Einstein, either. So what if my neighbor doesn’t like me? It happens. I have better things to think about than impressing him. It is a blessed thing indeed to live in a country where the saying is ‘innocent until proven guilty’, and not the other way around, like here. Here, they arrest you first, convict you, then tell you ‘alright, there’s the conviction – now prove you’re innocent, if you can.’

The attitude we Americans generally possess can only be had by a person who never had to worry about being turned in to the police by their closest friends for things like ‘an intuition’.

So yes. We are a bit of an enigma, and fascination, to our Russian friends. And the fact that we don’t cringe in shame whenever someone says something disapproving is always shocking to them, as well. When I respond with ‘Yeah, I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t see things that way’, I get the most interesting looks. Wish I had a camera with me!

Anyhoo, yes. Those were just some random observations from this past week. So much to be thankful for here. I hope and pray I will stay for many more years. There’s still so much to do; the days are packed and I earnestly pray we will be able to figure out the very best way to stay in Russia for the long haul. I’m not too worried – God knows, and He who went before Israel into the land of the Amorites and delivered it into their hands is with me. He knows, and that’s enough for me!

Some pictures of this week....

Isn't the view from our window awesome?! I took this picture yesterday - winter has finally arrived!!!

Some pictures of this week....

This is Paulina - the director's grand-daughter. She's a lot of fun - I'd missed her!

From Russia

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to post on this blog; I apologize for that. Guess what? I’m in Russia! It’s beautiful here – it’s been between -10F and -20F the past week; winter is so beautiful here! I love it. 8 days ago, we arrived safe and sound in our village – it was an interesting journey, though! Wow. Y’know, it’s a long ways from here to there (or, rather, from there to here…) – first planes, then busses, then the Moscow metro, then a train, then another bus. Altogether, we left Portland Thursday evening and arrived at our Russian ‘home’ Sunday afternoon. J

This past week hasn’t been boring. It’s amazing to be back; the funny thing is, it’s really as though we’d never even left! We moved back in with the director and his wife, which is awesome. They’re amazing people.

So in order to live in Russia, you have to have a visa. Not only do you have to have a visa, you also have to register that visa. We got visas – that was the easy part. The past week we’ve had all sorts of adventures trying to get our visas registered. Finally today we got the paperwork right (after not one, not two, but five trips to the passport office) – the ‘Federal Passport Services’ officer is a lady who found out that what makes her happiest in life is making everyone else miserable.

I don’t blame her for not liking us – after all, it’s not like Americans show up at her office every day – I think we’re the first and only ones in at least 10 years. Anyway, the dear woman thoroughly enjoys telling people very loudly and clearly that they haven’t the slightest idea how to do something properly, and sending you to fill out forms, over and over again, until you get them right. Today she went over the applications for registration with a fine-toothed comb, and when at last she couldn’t find anything wrong with them, she scolded us about how long we’d taken to get this done, about how she’d told us what to do and we had ignored her (she actually didn’t ever tell us that, but hey, it’s okay – that’s life), how our attitudes reflected the entire United States of America, and therefore it made sense why everyone hates the USA. When I asked her what else I could do to make things right, she just looked at me and said ‘nothing, nothing, get out. I already told you, I’ll only register you for 180 days and that’s just the way it is.’ When I said that’s fine, thank you very much, she just said ‘well….you’re welcome. Now leave – there are people waiting in line behind you.’

Ah, yes. Good times. J

Other than registration, we really haven’t had any crazy things happen; culture shock didn’t really happen – mentally, that is. Emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, this place feels like home – like I never left, and like I’m supposed to be here forever. My stomach takes a little longer to adapt, though. I think I’m still trying to make up for those few sleepless days of traveling; usually I can stay up ‘til 12AM or later and still jump up at 7AM, ready to shovel snow and face the day with a smile. I’ve yet to quite be able to do that, though – up until yesterday I couldn’t keep my eyes open past 9PM!

Russian food definitely agrees with me, though. I can’t believe how much I love soup, tea, salo (salted pork fat…yeah, that’s right, you read that correctly), rye bread, salted herring, and other things I never would have dared eat in the USA. Yesterday we had pickle soup. Guess what? It was really good! (did I just write that?! Oh, heavens….)

I’m back to teaching English, as well. Between working in the woodshop, Russian lessons (yes, that’s right – now we’re writing compositions, extending our vocabularies, studying advanced grammar, and all sorts of other scholastic things. This is good for me…I just keep repeating that. Never mind I could care less why something is right as long as I know what is…apparently it’s not enough to speak properly in another language; you have to be able to explain why you said it properly. Pity me – I’d much rather just speak and memorize how to say things right, as opposed to learning all the particulars…isn’t language all about communication? If I can communicate, what’s the big deal? Okay. I’ll stop whining. That is the ultimate carnal sin in this country – whiners are worse than murderers to most Russians! J ), being with the kids, cooking, and having tea with everyone in our village, we’re already quite busy!

What a life. I’ll keep writing; y’all keep praying! God is amazing – He is working here, and I am humbled to be a part of things!

My dad

My dad is really awesome. If you've never met him, I'm sorry for you! I am so grateful for this guy. It's such a privilege to not only be in the same family, but be best friends with my parents. My dad and I have a lot of fun; I inherited his sarcasm (and his face, but that's obvious from the picture), so we enjoy a lot of jokes. What a blessing, to have parents like mine.
My father is incredibly wise and discerning - when I have a question, he's always the first one I think of asking. His character is incredibly strong, as well; I pray that I find a man with the same qualities I see in my dad someday!

I love you, Papa.

Kids 2006

On the road again...

Today I had a very incredible e-mail in my box. It stated that our visa applications had been approved to return to Russia, and the visas were granted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm very excited today. :o)

That being the case, I got the plane tickets I'd had my eye on for the past few weeks (that's right, I'm the weird one who always keeps tabs on what tickets are cheap to where...need plane tickets for cheap? I can help!). We fly on the 18th of January, which is a Thursday. We leave PDX late in the evening, and by Sunday afternoon we'll be back in our village, eating soup, drinking tea, and helping prepare banya!!!!!!!!!

God is so great, isn't He?! Rejoice with me in His awesome grace.

Y'know, as I think about what this means to me, I realize how strange it would seem, were you to take God out of this picture. It is only because of Him that I can love this life I'm living, and be too excited to sleep at the prospect of returning to a place most people wouldn't even want to visit for a week! And I am in humble awe that He would allow me to be His ambassador to this little place in Russia.

I don't know what the next year holds, but I know Who holds the next year, and I am content. Come what may, I only pray for the grace to see His glory in all things.

Thanks for your prayers. Thanks for caring. I'm continually overwhelmed by how so many of you have joined with us in prayer!

Christmas was great!

Yesterday was an incredible day. Christmas always is, but it was incredible to be in the States. It's been two years! It was awesome to be with family, see my cousins tear into presents with the excitement all little kids have, eat apple pie and my mom's big dinner (yeah, in that order...what can I say? :o) ), and sit talking about the Lord, how great He is, and just enjoy a celebration where nobody's drunk and we're actually all together worshipping God!



What a great day. I got to talk with my Russian dad (the guy in the picture - this was taken Christmas 2005), too. We chatted for about half an hour - it was great! I miss that guy. I miss everyone in Russia! He mentioned something cool - there's a possibility we'll be getting a cell phone this year (Shawna and I); a new company is building towers in our region, which is great, 'cause they offer some awesome int'l rates. We'll see - at any rate, it was just great to talk with him, and hear news from my Russian 'home'.

I'm heading out to Crooked River Ranch to spend a week with my awesome uncle, aunt, and cousins. We're gonna have lots of fun (well, *my* idea of fun) - watching reruns of the Andy Griffith Show (my Christmas presents! :o)), Little House on the Prairie, Home Improvement, and, oh yeah - the Rocky movies. Besides that we'll be holding ultimate wrestling championships (my 10-year old and 7-year-old cousins against me), pillow wars, Nintendo competitions, and Phase 10 to-the-death matches. I've been looking forward to this all year!!!

Enjoy your week, and keep your eyes ever on the Faithful One - He is worthy!

My brother in Christ

This is a picture of my buddy Vanya. Last year I had the great honor of sharing the Gospel with him, and seeing him surrender his entire life to the Lord. God has been working incredibly in this guy's life, and it's awesome! Pray for Vanya - and to those of you who prayed last year for him - thanks eternally! I can't wait to introduce y'all in heaven someday!

This is just to give you an idea of my life...this was last Christmas break - skiing with the kids from our orphanage. Just an interesting sidenote...we're all skiing on the frozen river! It was a beautiful day...the temperature was -10 farenheit, and all was well with the world...I miss it!

Welcome to my blog!

I've finally got a place to share pictures, stories, my updates, and other things about life in Russia. I hope you enjoy, and keep in touch!

God is amazing, and it's incredible to think back on what He's done over the past 2 years. I can't imagine what He's got planned over the next 50!