July 19-20, 2002
Wow- it is so overwhelming to be on the other side of
the world! After a long couple of flights, one to JFK
and then one to Moscow, I am tired and in shock. We
circled for about half an hour over North Carolina en
route to JFK and then the flight to Moscow was delayed
for about an hour and a half before we boarded and took
off. That went surprisingly well, as we headed
North-West over Canada, then crossed the Atlantic for a
4 1/2 hour leg, and then towards Moscow to complete the
journey. The trip was made at 10 KM over the earth,
which kind of freaked me out, and started off really
bumpy, which had me concerned about a 9 hour flight!
But things calmed down and the last 8 hours of the trip
were pleasant and smooth. We had a smooth landing in
Moscow and and I took my first steps overseas. We were
greeted by a long line to get through customs, which we
eventually got through in time to wait on a bus for
several more minutes, and then wait on a bus ride to
the hotel, which was about half an hour away from the
airport on the outskirts of Moscow. The first surprise
I encountered in Moscow was the first song I heard-
"Survivor" by Destiny's child! I didn't expect to hear
any American Music, but a large percentage of the music
here that I have heard has been in English! The realization of just how far away I was from home hit me as I was a foreigner in a foreign land and among foreign people who speak in a foreign tongue. They don't smile much, and at first glance they seem to be a people who are hurting, because of their tragic history, but at the same time are honest and friendly when spoken to. Additionally, they seem to be living very hard and honest lives, a bit unlike much of what I have seen in America. The Orthodox church is very hard on them- emphasizing our worthlessness before God and how ugly our sin is to Him. (On top of this, their solution for the people is to be active in the Church and do good- according to one of the Orthodox priests we ran into later.)
We had our first team meeting tonight, which basically just consisted of basic introductions to each other and the schedule which we would be following the next several days. My first introduction to Russian food was Borishe, a soup
sontaining beets, cabbage, and some interesting type of
meat, which reminds me of chopped up hot dog meat! It
smelled horrid, but I choked it down and at least it
hasn't come up yet! After this first course, came
chicken which was actually very good and gave me hope
for solid food the rest of the trip. As I started, so
I will finish- I am still overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by
the ministry and the people- I have only experienced a
brief introduction, yet it has already been eye-opening
being a foreigner on the other side of the world from
home! Please pray for me! I know God has already
used me to encourage the other missionaries, but I am
here because of a calling at this point in my life to
minister to Russians. Pray for boldness, love,
courage, wisdom, good health, and God's blessing in my
heart. I need joy and peace. God bless you for your
prayers! I'll try to keep you up to date!
July 21, 2002
Today was a day of preparation. I was able to attend a
seminar of several sessions, describing how to do
icebreakers, small group presentations, and Gospel Bead
Bracelet presentations. I was able to enjoy much
fellowship today and grow comfortable to my
surroundings by spending time in Moscow, getting used
to being around the Russians. We went to Red Square
and walked around inside the Kremlin (Which I got some great pictures of, available in the album for today), then after a good
dinner we walked around in a park just outside
the hotel which had a couple weenie roller coasters (a
severe joke, compared to six flags, or even an American
fair!), many shops and games, fountains, and a 21 story
farris wheel that we rode on and I got some great shots
of Russia on. Moscow is such a beautiful place and I
hope you enjoy the pictures I went through great effort to get on the website! I now feel equipped and
ready to start intensive ministry outreach to the
Russians. Tomorrow we will be working with invalids and presenting them with the Gospel.
I am reading through 1 Peter, and being
blown away by it again! This morning I read in 1 Peter
1:22-2:3, which talks about having a fervent love of
the bretheren. Please pray that God gives this to
me (even now, as I live daily in Texas)! None of this trip is about me, and if it were, it would be a waste of time, money, and energy. I must have passionate, God-given love for the kids as I share with them. I must love them as myself. I must view them and minister to them unselfishly, and not be concerned about the distractions or self-absorbtions that so easily entangle us and draw us from productivity and joy in Christ. These come from God, and the message I meditate on and am here to tell is that through God's love, these things are made available to us.
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