Becoming acquainted...first impressions

Wow, it's already been a week since we boarded a plane in Omaha, NE and began our trek over-seas. It's been a good week though full of lots of changes and introductions... So, here are some of the highlights...
*We were blessed by a great trip schedule... OMA-ATL-MOW...about 13 hours of flight with only a two hour lay-over!! We had very little traffic to our friend's place and were greated warmly by them. We freshened up and headed out immediately to have a "shashlik" picnic at the park. This was a great time to see some of their work and the fresh air helped us and the boys stay awake!! We managed to make it to bedtime before crashing. We had a blissful Sunday with our friends and then headed back to the airport on Monday for a smooth flight southward... We were a little worried about our extra baggage but it all worked out! Praise Him!
* We've arrived! We were greeted with open arms full graciousness! We were met at the airport by a couple we had never met, to take us to the apt of a family who we've never met who is out of country where we will stay till we find our own apt. The fridge had been stocked by our friends here and Andy headed out to take care of our registration with the aide of another couple that lives here!!
* The generosity, graciousness, hospitality, camaraderie and community of the expats here has just blown us away this week. We have been blessed as we make this transition. I've also made some "fun" discoveries---discoveries that ease this "city-girl's" mind! :-) There is a mall that has just opened!!! :-) While still over half-empty, there will be a movie theater to go along with the arcade, mini-market, bowling alley and a fast-food chicken place!! :-) I know that it's silly, but I'm so excited to find a bit of "city" in this place!! :-)
*We've also discovered that it really does rain about half of the time here so we already went and got MJ & NL little boy umbrellas!! :-)
*Another discovery which makes us all that more thankful for our temp residence is that finding an apt is a slow going process! We just keep praying for clear guidance on our future home...
*It's also been nice to find more smiles here...the Russian culture has always been such a stark contrast from the Latin one I was raised in so it's been so refreshing to find that life here is a little more laid back with a few more smiles!
*We've got so much to do in the next few months that at times it can be so overwhelming, but what has made an even bigger impression is already seeing His love among His workers just completely knocking over political and denominational boundaries with a passion to see Him glorified!

So, that's a bit of what's been going through my mind the last few days and my first impressions...

Not loosing sight -- Phil 1:12-20

Recently my heart has weighed heavily for the situation in the country where we are serving and in particular for the plight of 3 famlies there. After leaving their homeland to come and serve, after working hard to adapt to a less-than-friendly environment, after countless hours of language learning, their service has come to an abrupt halt. The situation has forced them to pack-up and move back. They join the other 9 families we have seen leave that city in the last two years for similar reasons. Some had served for eight or more years; others had been there little more than a year. That's not counting those whose mission was forced to relocate their people to a more neutral and centralized location or those blessed to simply finish their langauge time and move on to their final destination as planned...but that's off point. My thoughts & prayers have been focused on those whose plans, thoughts, and dreams have been abruptly changed.


This situation coupled with our experience back in the US has deinitely given more depth of meaning to the word sacrifice. So many times we were thanked, admired, and applaudded for our "sacrifice," for doing what others couldn't (or wouldn't) and all the while I sat there uncomfortable with the praise.


"Sacrifice' has an underlying shade of pain & saddness, struggle and reluctance. Those are all words I think we have all lived through in our area of ministry, but then again, all who live and breath have or will experience these feelings regardless of their situation. So, what makes sacrifice more than just these sad, dark, desolate feelings for what's been given up or denied? I think it's finding the purpose in the pain--the "pay-off", if you would.


That brings me to another question we've been asked a lot..."Do you like it there?" I really don't like that one! :-) On one hand it makes me sound either critical or forces me to be unreal if I respond to it. It also downplays the sacrifice of it all. We've been called and try to find the joy in it despite the struggle. However, if I lived doing only what I "like", what's comfortable, then I wouldn't be there.


His call is about more than what makes us happy, though we may find happiness in it. More often than not, though, true joy, fullfillment, purpose and "like" are the by-product of having come through the struggle, having fought the good fight, and having pressed fwd towards the goal.


The goal or purpose are coupled with the pain, the struggle, the saddness, etc to bring about the meaning or significance of the sacrifice... However, I can now see that deeper in all of this sacrifice takes on a more positive shade. The shade that was making me uncomfortable with all the thanks and appreciation. Why was I being singled-out, thanked and applauded for the privilege of serving Him?! Why, when so many more qualified and mature were having to leave? Why was the privilege mine for now? That last question has really been challenging me to get my act together, to pick-up the baton, to begin enjoying the call while I can--while I have the privilege. For now, while the struggle and pain remain and await us upon our return, they are still our privilege!


To those of you have come before, thank you for your work, thank you for your example and thank you for your sacrifice.



Blessed in His Service,

Jen

Moving, moving, moved?...almost

Boxes stacked and ready to go, we woke up this morning and with in the hour were ready to start moving ours and our teamates possessions into storage. I was so blessed today by all the help we received today. A big thanks to all of you! :-) So, we got home around noon, hung out with some friends for a bit, played games and then rested some. Now, it's time to refocus. Lots of odds and ends to finish up, but not really busy at all and that's a first in a long time! Not exactly sure what to do with myself! It's one of those odd feelings, where you just kind of sit glazed after one big task has been completed, and you know you have work still to do, but not really sure what to focus on...
Over the next few days, we'll say a few more good-byes, I'll take MJ tomorrow to a church Christmas thing, last minute packing and helping Andy on presentations before we fly out on Thurs...wow, maybe we are still busy? :-)

And so the New Year begins...

It's 2 am and I can't get to sleep. Been thinking about trying to blog more for months, might as well start now...Some of me has long ago given up on New Year's resolutions, but I do always look fwd to new beginnings and the chance at a fresh start--something that I'm grateful He gives us everyday! So, with that in mind, why not start the year with a new blog post in hopes of more to come...There will certainly be much to process these coming months... There was much finality to our 2009--December was full of good-byes and lasts.

We finished language school. After studying for 2 1/2 yrs, it was time for our last lesson, our last class get together, and many farewells. The school is actually closing it's doors after many years of faithfully teaching other M's and we all are going on our separate ways.

We had a wonderful final get-to-gether at our place with our Russian homegroup on Christmas Day. The next day, MJ went to his final gymnastics class/end of the year party and that afternoon we went to our last English service followed on Sunday by our last get-to-gether with Andy's students...

So on Monday, it was time to start packing. The tree came down, the kitchen stuff got packed away and by New Years, our living room was full of boxes! It's the 2nd now (well, I guess the 3rd since it's 2 am) and things are beginning to sink in. We've have had so much going on all the month of December, so many surprises and changes in the last 6 weeks and so much to get ready for, I can't believe all that happend in such a short time, but now,....now, is the lull before the storm.

A few more things to pack, a few more good-byes and then...and then we begin the year with many changes ahead of us--a year of firsts and new beginnings.

Our first furlough--Andy has been amazing trying to get all our dates set up for the coming months. We fly to Moscow on the 7th and then PA, USA on the 10th and NE on the 18th then down to OK on the 22/23 of this month, and that's just the beginning. We will be doing lots of traveling through May, visiting with churches, friends, and family. Before going down to Ecuador due to some techinical issues with insurance and not being able to get back to Russia till classes start in our new city in Aug/Sept. Then things get a bit vague...New home, new school, new city, new friends, all things new once again. It's exciting, terrifying and nerve-wracking all at once. It's bitter sweet, knowing that after 2 1/2 yrs here, I'm finally getting used to life, making friends, talking a bit more and being understood. That's encouraging. What's discouraging is knowing that in the Fall, I'll be starting the whole process again and hoping that this time it might not take as long, but it probabl will. Friendships are formed over time, but this time will be different, at least I hope so...This time we get to do it without a time limit. Lord, willing, we will be there for the long haul...after 10 years of moving around, I might finally get to settle down! It seems almost unreal! So, is it any wonder I can't sleep. My mind is spinning between reminiscing about what was, trying to figure out what all needs to be done in the next 6 days and wondering/dreaming about what's to come! The coming year is sure to be a full one and while visiting with all our loved ones, sharing our passion and call and enjoying our home-culture will be nice, I yearn for the Fall, for a new chance, a first in our married life, a first for my children, to actually settle down, a chance to carve out for ourselves a home, a chance once again to bloom where He's replanting!

Re-posting!

I read a fellow M's blog today in which she posted an amazing article written by a Canandian. It strikes me as a great western commentary on what we have seen and experienced so far. In cultural commentaries, it can often be hard to report the differences without it sounding whiney and negative, so it was to my pleasant surprise to read this... I hope you can enjoy and be enlightened... :-)

A CANADIAN CALL FOR RUSSIAN AID
I have always been proud of how frequently the U.N. has ranked Canada as the best place to live in the world. This title signifies that we, as Canadians, enjoy the highest quality of life there is.
However, after having lived the past few months in Moscow, I feel it is my patriotic duty to report that we have been gravely deceived. I now understand that our high-ranking and other international honors have all been part of a Kremlin-led conspiracy to keep us ignorant of our own suffering while its people secretly indulge in their many excesses.
The illusions end here! The following report will highlight just a few of the disparities I have uncovered between Russia and Canada, while living here in the Russian capital.
FOOD and DRINK:
Muscovites have better access to healthy food. Farmers' markets abound, and in them, produce is sold at a competitive or negotiable price and without the added expense of colouring or preservatives.
Their fast-food selection is also superior. A Canuck stuck for time will likely grab a burger or nuke something in the microwave. A Muscovite cooks up some wholesome pelmini (the little dumplings that began Russia's fast food tradition) or visits one of the million kiosks that sell either stuffed potatoes, pitas filled with every food group (Sharma), or anything one could hope for in fried pie form (Piroshki).
The latter may back up one's internal plumbing, but never fear they have Kefir, which works like "Drano"! In Canada there is a myth that milk eventually goes "bad". In Moscow they know that milk ages like fine wine and that when it tastes sour, smells strange or curdles it is only "maturing" into Kefir.
Of course, sour milk isn't the only beverage Russians enjoy in greater quantities than Canadians. In Canada (excluding Quebec) you can only purchase alcohol at licensed bars/restaurants or directly from the government, and you can be arrested or fined for drinking on the street. As if these restrictions weren't enough, the taxation is ridiculous.
When their government tried to restrict drinking rights in the late eighties, Russians had the good sense not to stand for it. Nowadays, it would be remarkable to walk 10 minutes in Moscow without noticing someone exercising his or her drinking freedom. Drinkers can be found on the street, the metro, at the office or on their way to school. Beer is a common choice for public drinkers. Cocktails are also becoming popular and are sold, pre-mixed in 1 liter bottles or cans, at thousands of kiosks throughout Moscow. They are advertised in the way that energy drinks are in Canada.
WORDS:
On a metro ride home from work, the only thing Russians consume more than drinks are books. Russians are always reading, and when they're not, they're talking. Their 33-letter alphabet has borne billions of words. In English Canada, we try hard not to choke on our tough, dry little words, as we mutter them bitterly in monotone accents. Russians relish the taste of their big, soft and succulent words, savoring them on their palates as they would the finest caviar, and when released, their voices bubble from their mouths like Russian champagne.
As if their own was not enough, many Muscovites elect to study foreign languages. Not only do the so-called "new" Russians strive to be linguists; the poorest of the poor have asked me for change in English, German, French and Spanish. One time a small boy appealed to me in all five languages, rendering my claim of not understanding him utterly implausible. At which point he reverted back to his mother tongue, which I then learned has more swear words than the other four combined.
SIZE:
Language is but one of the many colossal items to be found in Russia. Culturally, they boast an immense history filled with huge revolutions. Russia is also the largest country in the world and its streets, buildings and monuments are all gigantic. Within the great walls of the Kremlin, Russia proudly displays the world's largest canon and one of the world's largest bells.
One might add that the Russian love for language, with all its words and structures, leaves little time in the day for much else; that their history of revolutions has kept the people in a constant scramble to re-organize; that 75% of Russians live within the one quarter of their vast land known as the fertile triangle (in contrast to the infertility of the rest); that the world's largest canon cannot be fired or that their great bell cannot be rung.
However, one must not dwell on such trifles and miss the crux of the matter, which is that bigger is better. Besides, Russians have never been burdened by our Western obsession with efficiency, which brings us to my next point:
FREEDOM:
Of course, I am not speaking of freedom as the U.N. defines it (having already explained their part in our deception). Russians have the freedom to be politically incorrect, brazen in every way, discourteous and, at times, completely inept. Most of all they are free from order.
In particular I have observed the following acts of liberty: Apparently, a man can sneak up on a group of schoolgirls and successfully grasp not one, not two, but three breasts (and be reprimanded only by soft giggles). Children can dive from high cafe terraces into one-meter deep fountains, while amused adults applaud their most daring leaps. A slightly disturbing freedom I myself have experienced is the Russian Banya, in which naked men can feel comfortable getting sweaty together, swatting each other with twigs and cooling off with a romp in the snow or by sharing a pool or shower.
As well, Russian strangers need not feel awkward in staring menacingly at each other. In fact, I think they enjoy these staring contests quite a bit...whereas we strive to avoid eye contact with strangers and nervously smile at one another when we fail.
SECURITY:
Clearly our tendency to smile, in particular at times when we are not in ecstasy, is a sign of insecurity. Any Russian will tell you, as they have me, that this is the case. Our anxiety is also evident to Russians in our inclinations to apologize to one another over minor transgressions, to thank each other for things already paid for and all the other frailties we unconsciously suffer while thinking we're acting "civil".
Unlike us, Muscovites are strong and fearless, primarily because the population is toughened by rigorous daily exercise. The Metro serves as their main training ground. First one must overcome the entrance doors that swing wildly in both directions knocking any unworthy would-be passenger unconscious. That first hurdle overcome, one is faced with the crowds. During my sojourn in Moscow, I have not stood in a single line. At times, I was naive enough to think that I was in one but soon realized, while airborne, that I had simply chosen a random spot to stand.
The Metro mob spares no one, doors are rarely opened for the old or invalid, seats are not sacrificed and I'm certain if I ever collapsed, indifferent feet would trample me. Back home in the land of lines, order and apologies, the weak stand with the strong and our whole population grows soft. In Moscow, aside from family and friends, with whom Russians share everything, the socialist concept one for all and all for one never stuck. A much more appropriate adage would be one for one and all get out of one's way. Thus, the weak are weeded out of the populace and only the strong remain.
We also lack formal security precautions such as conscription, police checking passports at random 24/7 and a Metro deep enough to double as a bomb shelter. So, of course we are insecure. The States backs us at the moment, but deep down we know that if they ever decide to march north in search of fresh water, timber or beaver hats we would not be able to fight like "Hero-city" Moscow. Likely we would smile at them like idiots, thank them for their visit and then ask them to please go home.
WOMEN:
I should note the strength of Russian women. While young, they are beautiful. They flaunt this fact with all the clothes, perfumes and mannerisms that are known to excite male senses. They are not shy about their beauty and thoroughly enjoy all the attention it attracts, in part, because it is a great source of power in Russian society. They use this authority fully while it lasts and, when it fades, they undergo an immense transmutation. They shrink several inches, loose their silky curves in favor of solid muscle, dispense with their pointy high heels, buy a pair of work boots, fill some plastic bags with whatever can knock a man senseless, wrap their hair in a bun or hanky and become, the virtually indestructible, ''BABUSHKA''.
These terminator-like grannies put ours to shame. While most cultures are respectful of their frail matriarchs, only in Russia is there reason to both respect and fear them. If you open a door for one, she will thank you whole heartedly and your safety will be ensured, but if you dare to stand in one's way, be prepared to have your legs knocked out from under you, your bag torn from your hand and aimed squarely at your crotch. These tough old broads are street fighters.
I was once tag teamed by two. I hesitated for a brief moment while considering how to escape their path at an upcoming metro stop. When the train doors opened, they bowed their heads forward and I knew all hope was lost, they charged at me, hoisted me up off the ground like linebackers and carried me out into the station. Russian women were built to last. In point of fact, the oldest woman in the world has lived her 124 years in Chechnya (a region in which this young Canadian male would be proud to have lasted a weekend).
So, there it is Canada.
Having considered the evidence, I think all will agree that we are in a desperate state and that Russia owes us for its deceptive behavior. In closing, I propose Canada submit a call for Russian aid demanding the bare essentials: Pelmini, Kefir, canned cocktails, seven extra letters, and the world's biggest anything. As well as teams of scholars to complicate our language, police to complicate our days, architects to make our subway trips a violent journey to the center of the earth, some straight men armed with twigs and vodka, a beauty school for our young women and a boot camp for our grannies.
~Herb G. Terry

And when I can look upon these things with longing and endearment, I will be one step closer to blooming where I'm planted!

Trust His Heart

I was just sharing this song with a friend and thought I would add it here. This song has been a major part of my life--an encouragement and an inspiration. Enjoy!

Trust His Heart
Written by: Babbie Mason and Eddie Carswell
All things work for our good,
though sometimes we can't see how they could.
Struggles that break our hearts in two,
sometimes blind us to the truth.

Our Father knows whats best for us;
His ways are not our own.
So, when your pathway grows dim,
and you just cant see Him,
Remember Hes still on the throne.

God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you dont understand,
when you dont see His plan,
When you cant trace His hand, trust His heart.

He sees the Master plan.
He holds the future in His hands.
So don't live as those who have no hope.
All our hope is found in Him.

We walk in present knowledge,
but He sees the first and the last.
And like a tapestry,
He's weaving you and me
to someday be just like Him.

God is too wise to be mistaken.
God is too good to be unkind.
So when you dont understand,
when you dont see His plan,
When you cant trace His hand, trust His heart.

NL and his walker!

In one clip, you can see NL learning to walk, MJ & NL having "a conversation", NL waving and MJ signing to his brother as well as lots of smiles from both! Welcome to a typical evening in the Waldren home!