Q: How many people can you fit in a marshrutka?
A: One more!
This is not an exaggeration! On a typical 22-seater marshrutka (i.e. cross between taxi and little bus), it is not uncommon for 45 souls to be jammed in . . . couple that with the fascinating Russian belief that moving air makes you sick (i.e. all the windows are tightly shut), and you get the picture. I am thankful I’m not prone to anxiety attacks, but came as close as I’ve ever come when in the most stiflingly crowded marshrutka imaginable this week. Thankfully I had a seat, with C on my lap, so knew if I fainted at least I wouldn’t fall and hit my head, but then the guy next to me fell asleep and jammed his leg up against me, and another guy hovering nearby started coughing on us. He refused my offer of some “Halls” but I thought it was worth a try :)
The thing with riding marshrutkas is you never know quite what to expect . . . although they’re almost always fast and full! Our days have been like this week . . . here are some ministry highlights . . .
• C & I visited a friend in hospital on the extreme other side of town. A huge blessing for us is that we had the opportunity to pray for her and her four roommates while we were there. The Kingdom of God came in that room! I suddenly understood why Nancy P and others have a huge passion for hospital ministry. We were so tickled at our friend’s total shock that we found the hospital and made it there unaccompanied. It was quite an adventure – praise God for google maps, wall maps, cell phones, and my darling navigator Paul who is always helping me find my way around whenever I get lost anywhere in the world.
• Paul & I had the opportunity to speak with a Russian Orthodox acquaintance about Jesus, the Bible, hearing from God, and God’s provision. She was very interested in the idea that a non-priest can pray (we didn’t feel she was ready for an explanation of 1 Peter 2:9 yet . . .)
• I was invited last-minute to speak to a group of 16 Christian college students from all over the U.S. who are taking a Russian studies program this semester at the same university as Peter (one of them is our new friend Rebecca from Covenant College, the close friend of two of our closest family friends in Atlanta!) It’s a wonderful program lead by a humble gentle American Christian man who is employed by the university. I shared about missions and giving your whole life to God . . . it so blessed me to see tears on the faces of several of the students as God worked in their hearts! We’re looking forward to connecting more with this gang while they’re here (until early December) – several expressed a desire to spend time with our family and / or join us at the Vineyard.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
be flexible
You often hear it said that the first rule of missions is “be flexible.” Flexible is defined as “capable of being bent, usually without breaking; susceptible of modification; adaptable; willing or disposable to yield; pliable; not stiff or brittle”. We’ve had lots of those moments this week! We praise God for His abundant grace in each of these situations we’ve found ourselves in, and continue to look to Him for wisdom, revelation, and provision in all things. We’re learning more and more to view every situation as a blessing from God, knowing that He works all things together for our good!
• Root canal – Paul’s filling fell out, necessitating an adjustment of our plan to have all dental work done in the U.S. The blessing is that God provided Paul with a wonderful dental clinic across town with excellent hygiene and care, at a small fraction of what it would have cost in Atlanta.
• Bus routes – Sunday was Nizhny Novgorod’s 787th birthday, so amidst the many celebrations, all of our normal bus routes were changed. Being flexible included getting lost in a new part of the city. The blessing is that it was a beautiful day to do some unplanned exploring.
• Apartment rent – Today’s news includes a piece about the Moscow stock exchange closing partway through the day for the 3rd day in a row due to a significant market plummet – the Russian economy is at its lowest point in 3 years. This might possibly be the reason our rent increases next month by 20%, so we have modified our budget. The blessing is that our exchange rate is very favorable, and we thank God for His provision, although our hearts go out to the many people for whom the rapid inflation is causing significant financial difficulties.
• Translation – In Paul’s regular monthly meeting with our landlady, a translator is needed (it takes 2 to 3 hours to pay the rent because everything has to be discussed in great detail!). Through various circumstances, all of our regular translators were unavailable. The blessing is that our dear Korean friend Mark offered to help, strengthening our relationships, and displaying the love and unity of the body of Christ to our inquisitive landlady and her mother.
• Delayed schedules – Yesterday we took longer than expected to get to our weekly P.E. destination (ice skating). The blessing is that we wound up bumping into Yulia, the twins’ Sunday school translator, and the girls each made new friends on the rink because the later session included more school-aged children than we usually encounter.
• Church service – I’m thankful that at the end of last Sunday’s service, someone translated an announcement made earlier in the service (that we had only partially understood) that this weekend’s service is on Saturday, not Sunday! I was glad to know this, and moved my sermon prep time to earlier in the week. The blessing is that we will now have a whole family day together on Sunday!
• Root canal – Paul’s filling fell out, necessitating an adjustment of our plan to have all dental work done in the U.S. The blessing is that God provided Paul with a wonderful dental clinic across town with excellent hygiene and care, at a small fraction of what it would have cost in Atlanta.
• Bus routes – Sunday was Nizhny Novgorod’s 787th birthday, so amidst the many celebrations, all of our normal bus routes were changed. Being flexible included getting lost in a new part of the city. The blessing is that it was a beautiful day to do some unplanned exploring.
• Apartment rent – Today’s news includes a piece about the Moscow stock exchange closing partway through the day for the 3rd day in a row due to a significant market plummet – the Russian economy is at its lowest point in 3 years. This might possibly be the reason our rent increases next month by 20%, so we have modified our budget. The blessing is that our exchange rate is very favorable, and we thank God for His provision, although our hearts go out to the many people for whom the rapid inflation is causing significant financial difficulties.
• Translation – In Paul’s regular monthly meeting with our landlady, a translator is needed (it takes 2 to 3 hours to pay the rent because everything has to be discussed in great detail!). Through various circumstances, all of our regular translators were unavailable. The blessing is that our dear Korean friend Mark offered to help, strengthening our relationships, and displaying the love and unity of the body of Christ to our inquisitive landlady and her mother.
• Delayed schedules – Yesterday we took longer than expected to get to our weekly P.E. destination (ice skating). The blessing is that we wound up bumping into Yulia, the twins’ Sunday school translator, and the girls each made new friends on the rink because the later session included more school-aged children than we usually encounter.
• Church service – I’m thankful that at the end of last Sunday’s service, someone translated an announcement made earlier in the service (that we had only partially understood) that this weekend’s service is on Saturday, not Sunday! I was glad to know this, and moved my sermon prep time to earlier in the week. The blessing is that we will now have a whole family day together on Sunday!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
suddenlies
Even before I remembered that today was the sad anniversary that it became 7 years ago, the thought struck me this week that life can change so suddenly. When we arrived in Nizhny last week, it was summer. We went out in the gorgeous weather in our light jackets, not because we needed them, but to blend in ;) The trees all had their leaves, green, and I remember thinking that maybe they don’t have a turning of the leaves here like they do in Atlanta. Well, yesterday, autumn came and went, and today it was winter! At least, that’s what it felt like . . . yesterday, suddenly, the leaves all turned yellow and began falling, and people started bringing out their furs and gloves today.
God did some other “suddenlies” in our lives this week, too. Through friends in another city, the Lord sent us a young English-born Scottish theology student, who stayed with us for a couple of days. We were blown away – Simeon came to Russia mainly to pray (that in itself was a huge encouragement to us!), which he’s been doing for the last few weeks, very much a faith journey. He feels God has called him to this nation, and is seeking God’s specific direction & timing after his studies finish next year. It was such an obvious divine appointment for all of us, and we were all mutually encouraged in the Lord. We traded prayer walking journeys and other life stories. It’s so beautiful how God connected our hearts to pray for this country in such an amazing way that none of us could have orchestrated. Personally my faith has been so stirred and encouraged – I thank God for sending us this precious young warrior and leader.
Many rumors abound concerning Russia’s future . . . of course none of us can know unless the Lord reveals it, but we trust in the One who does. Whatever “suddenlies” may occur, we know we are to “be prepared in season and out of season” for whatever God has for us. Meanwhile, we want to be found faithful in loving and serving Jesus Christ every day, and bring glory to His name.
God did some other “suddenlies” in our lives this week, too. Through friends in another city, the Lord sent us a young English-born Scottish theology student, who stayed with us for a couple of days. We were blown away – Simeon came to Russia mainly to pray (that in itself was a huge encouragement to us!), which he’s been doing for the last few weeks, very much a faith journey. He feels God has called him to this nation, and is seeking God’s specific direction & timing after his studies finish next year. It was such an obvious divine appointment for all of us, and we were all mutually encouraged in the Lord. We traded prayer walking journeys and other life stories. It’s so beautiful how God connected our hearts to pray for this country in such an amazing way that none of us could have orchestrated. Personally my faith has been so stirred and encouraged – I thank God for sending us this precious young warrior and leader.
Many rumors abound concerning Russia’s future . . . of course none of us can know unless the Lord reveals it, but we trust in the One who does. Whatever “suddenlies” may occur, we know we are to “be prepared in season and out of season” for whatever God has for us. Meanwhile, we want to be found faithful in loving and serving Jesus Christ every day, and bring glory to His name.
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