Wagons East!

Hello Prayer Partners,
Well, we are moving closer and closer to our move to Krasnoyarsk! We have found an apartment and are looking at a move in August. God even gave us the opportunity to share a tract with our real estate agent, and we are looking forward to being able to share more of the gospel with her soon when we return. Please pray for the following items:

1) visa processing -- this will need to go smoothly to ensure a smooth transition
2) relationships in Novo -- we want to try to continue those friendships we have started but we know it is important that others come along to continue planting seeds in the lives of our friends.
3) open doors to people in Krasnoyarsk -- that we can begin ministering and helping people in Krasnoyarsk know the love of Jesus even as we continue in our language study.

Thanks for your prayers and more to come soon!

Photos from Krasnoyarsk

Hello Prayer Partners, blog readers, and others! Here are a few pics from our April trip to Krasnoyarsk. This was an excellent time of scoping out the city, looking at the area we will live and the ministry possibilities, and meeting with a few of the church leaders there. Overall, Krasnoyarsk fits the bill of one of the most beautiful cities in Russia, but obviously is desperately in need of the life changing message of Christ! Pray for us as we get closer to our transition to this city (possibly July or Aug) and that God will prepare the hearts of those we will work with there!

A little piece of Texas in Russia!

The train station in Krasnoyarsk:

Mountains, river, and birds -- beautiful!

Blast off!

Chattanooga choo choo!!!

Traveling by train in Russia is not just a necessity, but an experience all to itself. Our train left at 9:30 pm bound for Krasnoyarsk. With our arrival about 10 the next morning. We found it easy and fast to obtain our preordered tickets, and after a review of our passports by the platform agent, we hauled our bags up through the door and made our way down the hall to our second class cabin.

The cabin itself reminds me of a university dorm room --  2 bunk beds about 4 feet apart with a table in between. There is plenty of storage for bags and food items. There is even a shade to pull down to keep out the football stadium-like lights shining through in the middle of the night during one of the train's many pit stops.

You barely notice the train departing. In fact, I looked out the window and thought the train next to us was moving. When rolling fast, it is hard not to notice, but it is still possible to sleep relatively well with a few occasional disturbances during the night. It is still better than some of the economy motels in the US with noisy guests.

The downside to train travel is the lack of good food. Tea in the restaurant car was reasonable priced (under $5) but on the way back we purchased a fish sandwich -- consisting of two pieces of toast with slivers of raw fish -- for about $10. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It is not a bad idea to purchase food before leaving).

On the way back we upgraded to first class and did notice a difference in quality. The room seemed cleaner and there was a TV with 2 stations playing old Soviet films and a comedy show. The bathrooms are also a sizable improvement over second class. The toilets in 2nd class were little more than a hole over the tracks with a seat. The toilets in 1st class seemed like real toilettes. Also the sink worked in 1st, which is always a plus.

Although not the comfort of a hotel, train travel affords a decent night's sleep and I highly recommend it for a journey of several hundred miles.

The hallway in our train car:

Our cabin (on the return trip in 1st class):

The restaurant car:

Whirlwind of a month!

Greetings Prayer Partners and other blog readers!

Sorry for the long time between posts, but this past month was a whirlwind of activity. We traveled to Europe and spent a few days making a loop between Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava (the beautiful capital of Slovakia). If you have never visited these countries, I recommend seeing them at least once, as you can visit all three capitals by traveling about 150 miles. After this, we went to Turkey for a conference, where we were spiritually renewed and equipped with more training for how to successfully live and work in Russia. The times that always seem most exciting on trips like these are when we meet Russian speakers, as was the case in Vienna and Antalya, Turkey. The question always comes up "Why do you live in Russia?," which gives us the opportunity to mention that God wants us in Russia and to give them a Russian gospel tract.

Here are a few pics from our travels!

Beautiful scene of the mountains in Antalya at dusk:

Mountains in Slovakia -- reminds me of Colorado a bit!

Beautiful church in Vienna:

Budapest by the river at night:

Spring is on the way (although still a little ways off)!

Well folks, spring is rapidly approaching! We have almost successfully survived our first full Siberian winter. Although there have been a few trials and a little discomfort, overall I know that we have been blessed beyond measure and that God has and continues to use us as we thrive in a place so different from Texas. I see God's faithfulness, not just in looking back and seeing how He has met all our needs this winter, but looking at the 20 to 25 wonderful faces we get to see every Tuesday night in ESL, some of whom are believers, and some of whom are still wrestling with questions and doubts. For those who still struggle I pray the promise in 1 John 5:13 "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.” But it is not just in these, but also in the 5 people we have developed close relationships with and hope that they will eventually come to know the One who so radically continues to shape and transform our lives. Keep praying! James 5:16 reminds us that your prayers are both powerful and effective. Stay tuned for more!

They've got mail!

The post office, believe it or not, is a great place for Russian practice. A recent experience mailing a package to the U.S. underlines this fact. To understand the post office experience, you have to understand a little about how Russians gather themselves within the post office. For example, Russians have 2 different ways they stand in line. Sometimes it is straight back like it is in the U.S. and sometimes it goes off to the side hugging the counter. When there are several of these lines, things can get a little confusing. It is rare that someone will stand in line for 5 minutes without at least 3 people coming up and asking "Кто последный?" or "Who's last?" Even though the first line I was standing in , #1, said "отправить" translated "to mail," this was not the correct line. Fortunately the lines are all numbered, so the woman graciously instructed me to go to line 10. I filled out some paperwork, she put the item I was mailing in a package, and then she said I should go to number 4 to pay (which, interestingly, was right next to her line) but seemed to point to line 1 (across the room.) While standing in line 1 again, I got to have a brief conversation with a nice lady about how difficult the Russian language is before I was told (you guessed it) "you need to go to line 4." Although it was a little awkward, I'm now thinking, with all the Russian practice, maybe I should find something to mail tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day . . .

Christmas and the New Year!

One of the fascinating things about living in Russia is understanding how different holidays are observed. Sometimes here you may not understand how holidays work until you have actually already experienced one and had some time to think about it. For example, Christmas as we know it in America does not happen in Russia. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day is probably the closest day to Christmas, as this is the day when most people are off work, give gifts to each other, shoot off fireworks, and generally spend time with families and friends. The actual Christmas Day in Russia is on January 7th (this is when the Russian Orthodox Church recognizes Christmas), but most Russians we have talked to don't really give it much of a place of honor. My prayer is that God will use us to help our Russian friends to know that this season is much more than beginning a new year, but that it can (by trusting Christ) be the beginning of a new and eternal life with Him. This is possible because of what happened in Bethlehem 2 millennia ago, and yes, there is yet a reason to celebrate Christmas in Russia! Thank you for your faithful prayers as God continues to work in hearts and lives!!