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| Church on Spilled Blood |
A trip to Russia...I'm not really sure where to begin this post. It seems a bit surreal now that I'm home. And I could write many posts...but I'll just make one really long one.
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| View of the Hermitage through beautiful archway |
I have had my passport since 2007 in hopes I could go on the Amazon trip that occurs with some of our members annually. That never panned out (well, hasn't yet...you never know, right Julie?!). And I see why it hasn't now. Russia 2013 was the trip God had planned all along. .
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| Mosaics of Church on Spilled Blood...the entire inside is mosaics |
Our team of 11...Mark & Kim, Richard, Mathew, Tamara, Melinda & Larry, Emily, Blake, Josh and myself...left almost 2 weeks ago on a Friday afternoon. We knew we were heading to spread the love of Christ and to teach English.
You need to realize that:
1. I get car/motion sick and
2. I have anxiety over flying (not crazy anxiety, just the internal-knots in the shoulders-rolling stomach kind of anxiety). Not really the "mission team" star, huh?
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| Where Baryshnikov and Pavlova trained, on the other side, Tchaikovsky taught music |
I really wasn't sure why God chose me out of a church of 400+. Even during the trip I was just going along, not completely sure of my "purpose", although I was very excited to see Catherine, Justin, Lacy and get to know the team members better. Not saying I needed a purpose as in "making it all about me", that was actually far from my mind (surprising, huh?)..but I think anyone on a mission trip once in awhile will ask why God has them there, what they can do for HIM.
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| Nevsky street, sort of the "main" drag in St Pete...no traffic due to construction so people were walking on the street...very unusual for this busy street! |
So I just took it all in.
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| The Protestant church that houses 10 services each Sunday...one of which was the church service Justin and Catherine attend at 3pm. |
We first flew on Air Singapore for over 10 hours (in seat screens with movies helped!), landing in Moscow. My first view of Russia was old Soviet housing from the airplane.
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| All of the concrete structures as we are closing in on Moscow |
It was a drizzly day and was around 1pm in the afternoon. We then flew on a smaller airline from Moscow to Saint-Petersburg...yea, not fond of smaller, bouncier airplanes, but seeing Justin and Catherine Kirkwood in the airport with their two little cuties and Lacy Strong, (one of our now college kids whose parents were heading up our team), made it allllll worth it. Justin was our youth leader at church until he and Catherine felt the call to head back into missionary work in Russia late last fall. He had been setting everything up on that side of the world while we prepared on our side :-)
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| The door to our hostel |
They immediately took us for Russian Blini for supper (where they oddly put ketchup on chicken ceasar and on ham and cheese blinis) and to our hostel...which was much nicer than I had imagined! In fact the entire city was much nicer than I had imagined.
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| the four flights to our hostel and the electric-pulley type elevator we used for luggage |
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| The Girl Room |
Our first couple of days consisted of walking, touring the city a bit, breakfast at McDonalds, some more walking, the best coffee EVER, attending church with Justin and Catherine (complete with Russian and English translation AND tasty snacks with tea afterwards!), walking, riding the Metro, walking, lunch at a Carl Jr's (seriously, they have one...but you have to pay for ketchup!), a little more walking, Church on Spilled Blood (where Alexander I was killed), walking, The Hermitage (Czar's Winter Palace), and walking, a boat tour down the canals, walking, excellent Chinese food, a little souvenier shopping...and so much food! Oh...and some more walking, just in case you missed that part :-) I think I walked an extra 3Day while in Russia.
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| Changing over our money...yes, Superfrog made the journey with me :-) |
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| The Chinese restaurant |
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| Souveneir shopping |
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| Hangin' with the matrushka dolls |
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| The canal ride |
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| Beautiful shot of the canal from Nevsky...facing Church on Spilled Blood (taken by Melinda) |
And in case you are wondering why my lower half is a bit more toned than usual...4 flights of stairs several times a day to the hostel works wonders, even just over a week. While beautiful, the city is not really accessible at all. The only place I saw a wheelchair restroom was the mall. Stairs everywhere.
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| Panoramic of inside Church on Spilled Blood |
On Monday Justin introduced us to another Texas missionary who has been in the area for 11 years, Clint, who happens to be from a little town in Texas called Silsbee...where T and I lived for our first 5 years of marriage! He directed us to a local temporary orphanage for a few hours of playing and loving on some amazing kids. I wasn't sure I would be able to hold back tears for the first 30 minutes as I held a sweet little girl, maybe 2 years old, who would not stop crying. It was hard to not try and sneak one home with me...ok, two of them. Even with the language difference, playing is universal, as are hugs and tears. We were not allowed to take photographs inside this year but I doubt I will ever forget some of those sweet faces.
Even after this humbling opportunity, I am still wondering...."what is my purpose here, God?"
Tuesday afternoon, after a little more touring and lunch at a "pie" shop,
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| The "Pie" restaurant |
we finally met the Russian students who were heading to English Camp with us at the train station. This was the second year for English Camp with a team from our church and they had to turn a few students away it filled up so fast! Surely, THIS is where I will discover my big "purpose". I so wanted to be useful, in a physical and spiritual way. And I love teaching grammar and English so surely...
During a 2 hour train ride, I was on my own with one of the male students. His English was pretty good and it was interesting what he wanted to learn...things like "break a leg", phrases we Americans are so used to but sound completely off to Russians. What my husband's job was like, what I did daily, etc... I was sure I had bored him to death...especially after he asked me if I didn't want to "better" myself instead of staying home and teaching my son. The fact that I'm content and blessed to be able to do this wasn't adding up to him (which, after I got over feeling a bit ignorant, Richard found out later that this comment made complete sense because of events in the student's life that currently make him believe HE has to better himself...not letting God do it).
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| the village we walked through to get to camp |
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| main building at camp where we had meals, taught English lessons and played games |
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| pathway to the cabins at camp |
Our first evening, after Catherine and Lana (one of the students who ended up in the cabin I was in, and who ended up bonding with Tamara in a way only God could orchestrate...her upcoming wedding) met us at the train platform and directed us down a dirt road and over a river to the camp, we settled in and had supper with our new friends. Several of us sat around the campfire and introduced our new friends to S'mores complete with marshmallows and graham crackers Kim brought in her carry on from Lufkin and chocolate from Russia (they are very proud of their chocolate and it truly is incredibly delicious).
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| Telling everyone the schedule and how to find their cabins |
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| Justin and Kostya starting the fire |
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| Mathew and Rinat |
We then had our first Banya experience. Oh, the Banya. It's a deep, long-standing Russian tradition. It's a sauna experience and we had a student in our group who knew the tradition well. She lead us through each phase (hot sauna, then a cold dip in a tub of water, rest in the outer room, then back again), even getting "beat" with birch branches :-) It actually was a very relaxing event and we were able to do it both nights at camp! The second night we American females even braved up and did it Russian style (aka...only sheets as covering). Don't worry...girls only. No inter-mingling in the Banya.
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| The cold dipping tub...sauna is to the right, showers to the left |
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| The outside of the Banya at camp |
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| Sweet Luba holding the birch branches for our Banya night |
The next day was our full English camp day...here will be my "purpose" right? Well, if my purpose was to enjoy the camp, the people and the day, then yes. After three English lessons and lunch, I am still wondering why I am not maybe as "spiritual" as others on our team and why I am on the trip except for the fact that God called me, so I went. Even after semi-leading our small girls group in reading John 14. Yea, I'm a slow-learner huh? Don't get me wrong, I didn't fret over this continually, it just occasionally popped into my head. Just that human thinking that I needed to be useful because I was representing not only my church but Christian believers everywhere. No pressure.
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| Learning English |
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| Playing games |
We had the chance that afternoon to join in on some fun adventure activities. I took the advice I usually give to J before Lions Camp..."go ahead and try things because you don't want to regret not trying them and never getting the chance again". I can now say I have rafted a Russian river and completed the first two levels of the camp ropes course in Russia (no belaying there...you just self clip yourself on each element).
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| Masha getting her harness ready |
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| Masha helping the younger boys in front of her |
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| That's me...third back on the left, purple shirt! So much fun!!! |
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| Our crew with the instructor (far right) |
Bragging rights? Why, yes, I'll humbly take them, and I have the bruises to prove it ;-). Both adventures were amazing! I had a small three time fight with the rock wall on the ropes course (hence the bruises and dangling from my wedding ring at one point) but the wall lost the fight finally ;-)
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| That is just the left arm ;-) | | | |
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| we survived! |
While on the course, I thought I would be encouraging Masha because she had never done a course before and was very nervous. She ended up encouraging a young boy in front of her, there was no one more perfect than Masha, who was once training for the Russian Olympic team in swimming and now works with children, to be on that course. So I wondered yet again..."seriously, I'm having WAAAAY to much fun here and not sure I'm doing you any good, Lord". hmmmm, feeling a little selfish for sure, not how I wanted to feel on a MISSIONARY trip.
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| There were some very different and FUN elements on this high ropes course |
However, after the adventurous day, the Banya was a welcome end to the evening. Lots of laughing, talking and relaxing goes on in a Banya...the Russians sure know what they are doing. We marveled after camp about how fast friendships can be made there. In America, we say Hi to everyone, even strangers, but we don't really want to know everything and we don't really want to share everything. In Russia, not everyone says Hi, but once you have met, you do share and they truly want to get to know you. They are so ahead of us in many ways.
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| Svetlana (Lana), Luba, Olga, Genni |
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| Our Banya expert, Olga :-) |
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| Blake, Mark and Wei |
The next day, after three more English lessons, lunch (more meat LOTS of meat at this place) and quick hike to the lake, we all boarded the train for the 2 hour ride back. Tired is one word I could use for this point in the trip, melancholy describes my feelings a bit because we were almost done with our time in Russia, overwhelmed at the quick and beautiful friendships I had made with Olga, Lana, Nastya, Luba, Kristie, Masha, Ksenia, Janet, etc..., sore from rafting and ropes, content to be where I knew I was supposed to be and most of all, surprised at how excited I was to be around Catherine. Ok, that didn't come out right...I was excited to see her once I knew I was heading to Russia back in early spring. But I didn't realize HOW excited until I got to hug her neck, somehow God used a 12 hour trip to another country to bring her closer in my heart and I am so very grateful.
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| Sweet Alonia, Julia and Kostya's little girl |
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| Nastya |
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| Dennis and Lana, soon to be married |
During the debriefing back at the hostel I didn't have much to say...again I got that "crud, I'm not as spiritual as everyone else who was sent here...why am I here?" feeling. But I stayed quiet, just taking it all in and it seemed right. We stayed up all night because we had to leave for the airport at 3am Friday morning. Enjoying the last few hours with our team members, Justin, Catherine and the college students from A&M who had been there all summer (especially Lacy and Kacy), and then we prepared to leave.
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| Debriefing Photo Shoot ;-) |
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| We loaded Catherine UP with meds (legal ones, I promise!) |
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| Lacy, Kim and Kristie |
It wasn't until after the flight home (even after hearing what others on the team thought my "purpose" for being there were), while I was catching up on my book study readings for this Wed at church that it hit me.
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| Clint, Peter, Janet and Mary Katherine...from Silsbee with the Spiderman comics for J! |
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| Josh and Abby |
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| Tamara, Nastya, me, Yuroslaven, Kim |
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| Emily, Kim, Ksenia, Daniel, me, Tamara |
I didn't have to be there for a specific "purpose", I didn't even have to be there as an impact on a Russian student, I just had to be there. As you can see, I was assuming being on a missionary trip (this being my first one and all) meant God had a huge reason for me to be there. But as I am still processing the week, I realize that no...All I had to be there for was God. He holds the purpose and He alone determines when, how, who and why. And it could be lots of little purposes, some I might never see, but some I now understand and I am holding very close to my heart now...
...having similar life experiences as a sweet college girl and being able to share with Lacy who I am now so proud to know better,
holding and then playing with a beautiful 2 year old baby girl, with hopefully what she felt as comfort and safety, who was taken from her home just the day before,
hearing Catherine's beautiful voice as the other harmony in a group of Russians and Americans singing worship songs together,
meeting a missionary family from Silsbee, TX (who homeschool AND whose son had Russian Spiderman comic books he sent home for J!),
instantly clicking with Kristie from Oklahoma who not only has the rare degree of Therapeutic Recreation like myself (this is not common!), but went to seminary in Ft. Worth (close to where my Frogs reside) and she has red hair ;-),
meeting and adoring Ksenia and her husband Daniel who are Russian missionaries our church sponsors and who work twice a year at a camp in Russia for children with cerebral palsy...I KID YOU NOT!,
enjoying the fact that our group truly meshed well...cow bell Richard? need to pull out your Heather scrapbook Josh?,
working as a true team on a raft with only 3 Americans (Emily, Tamara and myself) and 7 Russian students,
a heart lightened by seeing our friends and now burdened in a good way to keep them forefront in my thoughts,
being reminded how very, very fortunate we are in the states with our freedoms...our homes...and how much more simply we could live,
amazingly thankful for Facebook of all things, because I can keep up with our new Russian friends, letting them know they are in my prayers and thoughts, reminding them of God's grace, presence and sovereignty.
