How God has been working

One of our daily devotionals from a week ago was focusing on Gideon.  Here is a quote from this devotional:

 “We have nothing to offer but our willingness to serve Him. It is not about our ability, it is not about our gifts.  It is not about our talents and it is not about our knowledge.   Just as it was with Gideon, it is not about our ability, it is about our usability.  It is about our willingness to be obedient to God and allow Him to do His work through us.  Like any good soldier we are asked to just show up for duty.  We do not have to ask why or how, we just have to report. We must learn to depend on God for every need.  His work in this world is never about you.”

It is very comforting to know that God’s plan is not dependent on my abilities, because if it was, I would be insufficient.

I have also been listening to some podcasts from David Platt. A couple of them that I listened to on Sunday focused on finding rest in Christ which was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment! I know this is going to be continually comforting to me.  Knowing that God’s satisfaction in me is not based on my works and focusing on resting in the fact that Christ will work through me is such a comforting feeling!  Realizing that nothing will be done by my power so I don’t have to work so hard to make it happen.  I just have to rest in Christ and follow where He leads and let Him do the work.

Side note: if you are feeling somewhat worn down in your Christian life (or even if you aren’t, this still might be good for you to hear)  Listen to David Platt’s podcasts titled : The Disciple’s Identity Part 1: You in Christ, and The Disciple’s Identity Part 2: Christ in You.  

I can already see God working in me in several ways.  For one, He is definitely leading me to build my prayer life and be in a much more constant state of prayer.  He has also seen it fit to remove many of the distractions I would normally be surrounded with (tv, internet, normal hang outs,)-so that I can be spending more time with Him!  Hopefully I will be persistent in building my self-discipline in these and other areas!

Some of our devotionals have also been focusing on ministering like Jesus.  I will probably be sharing some of these devotionals with some of you as well, because the things I am being taught through these could be extremely important to you as well.   Something that hit home with me is that I need to be willing to join God WHEREVER He is working (not just where I feel comfortable) and be constantly looking for how God is already working on those I meet.  God is speaking to each person’s heart already (they may or may not be listening, but He is speaking to them), and it is my job to be watching to see how He is working with them and then join in with that.  So, this is what I’m working towards now!

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I told you I would post the story about paying for school and finding out that we didn’t start school when we thought we were supposed to, so…. Here it is!

Yesterday (Wednesday), we had our first major cultural experience…

The first thing we had to do was paying for school.  We turned the corner and saw an incredibly Long line that stretched down the hall from the door to the bank (side note: we have to pay for school at the bank and take a receipt back to the school). So we stand in line for about 30-45 mins before we make it to the door to the bank.  Then when we get to the door, we can see that there are at least 100 people packed into probably a 12x20 room.  There were 3 open tellers, but there is no such thing as a line behind each teller window.  There are just crowds of people pushing and shoving towards the front.  With that many people stuffed into this small room, of course it is incredibly hot.  I had to get in the middle of this and push and shove my way through all these sweaty people to get to the window to pay for both Shannon and I.  But we managed to get it done in a little over 2 hours.

Then we headed to the university to give them the receipts and try to work up our contracts for school.  But they start telling us that the amount we paid was not enough and that we would have to write a letter to the director and ask for permission to pay more later and that the director could say yes or no.  But after a few minutes of trying to write this letter (and some quick praying), they told us that the director probably wouldn’t even see the letter until after we’ve paid.  Then as we are leaving, we ask about when and where we are having class the next day and they tell us that  we don’t have class tomorrow because they don’t have a classroom for us yet. 

So, in our first major cultural experiences we have discovered that while in Russia, there will be much less regard for personal space, and there is less of a strictly-followed structural order.  Things that seem definite may not be and plans can change.  We are definitely going to have to be very flexible and just go with the flow! 

But then, after teaching us these lesons, God chose to bless us for the rest of day.  We were able to get a jar of Peanut Butter and American style bread!  Then we were able to finally get our internet set up in our apartment.  Then we went to Kelly’s to watch a movie.  We were able to watch 10 Things I Hate About You in Russian!  Shannon and I both love this movie and it was just as good in Russian!  After the movie, we had a good time walking home with some of our new friends.  We were able to have some really good conversations and get to know some people better.  I could not have asked for a better ending to that day!!

Less than 15 weeks left...

Less than 15 weeks left…

We finally have internet in our apartment!!!  Getting internet access turned into a very large ordeal, but now we are set up! So, hopefully this will help me be more consistent in keeping this blog updated and getting to communicate with all of you!

Our first week in Russia has been Great!  We counted and this past Sunday was exactly 15 weeks before we head back to London.  In some ways that seems like a long time from now, but in some ways it seems like that is such a short amount of time!  It is hard to believe that I’ve already been gone for over 2 weeks.  It has gone by so fast, and I know the next 15 weeks will go by fast as well.  I know God has some big plans to us in the coming weeks!

In case I haven’t explained this very well so far, here is a short summary of who all I am serving with here in Russia.  Shannon Selby and I are Hands On teammates. Chris Carr is our field supervisor.  Chris, his wife Eileen, and their 5 kids have been serving in Russia for the past 12 years (specifically in Ufa for the last 10 years).  Kelly Warters is currently serving as a Journeyman here in Ufa under Chris’ leadership as well.  Kelly also participated in Hands On in Ufa last Fall.

We have met quite a few locals now.  Once a month, there is a Women’s Club that meets at the Carr’s apartment.  This month, we made pizzas, played games, and Shannon, Kelly, Eileen, and I sang a couple of songs in English.  I think there were close to 22 ladies there.  Several of them spoke some English and Shannon and I are excited to see if we can get to know and possibly hang out with a few of them. 

Saturday, the Carr’s planned a picnic at a park by the river (don’t ask me which river, because I still don’t know…).  We just hung out and played some soccer, volleyball, tossed an American football around, and ate some sandwiches.  Some of the people we had already met showed up and we met a few new people as well.  

Monday nights, The Carr’s host English club at their apartment. There is a beginner’s class and an intermediate class.  Shannon and I will be switching between these classes each week.  On average, each class has around 20 people coming each week.  Shannon and I were able to introduce ourselves in both groups and meet a few more new people and talk some more with some people we had already met.

I am understanding more Russian than I thought I would.  I still can’t speak it very well, but hopefully that will start coming in the near future.  A few of the people we have met want to practice speaking English with us, so Shannon and I are going to try to practice our Russian with them. 

We were originally supposed to start school Sept. 1^st, but now it is looking more like it will be next Monday (Sept. 5th). (in the next day or so, I’ll post a blog with the whole story of how we found this out and what all went on that day! It sure is an interesting story!)  Once we start school, Shannon and I will attend class each weekday.  Each day, we will spend at least 3 hours in class learning Russian language.

Shannon and I are getting settled in our apartment.  We have successfully ridden the tram to Chris and Eileen’s by ourselves a few times now and have successfully completed a few shopping trips on our own as well! We still need to get a few things that we will eventually need to cook with, but we have enough to get by for now.  Our apartment is directly above a New York Steakhouse, so we have to walk by and smell that deliciousness all the time! But, we have come up with a budget to save enough money to eat there about halfway through our time here. 

We have been able to make a few friends and have hung out with several people the last few nights.  Shannon and I have both been getting excited about the people we are meeting and hopefully getting a chance to share with them. 

Orientation and first days in Russia!

Okay, I know it has been a while since my last update.  Sorry!  We have not consistently had internet access yet. But here is a general update of all that has happened so far…

London was AMAZING!!! I loved it so much! We had orientation with 5 other groups that are now in France, Portugal, Germany, and 2 different cities in the UK.  I think the things we talked about in orientation will be helpful for my time in Russia.  We actually stayed in a smaller town outside of London called Kingston Upon Thames, which is one of the coolest towns I’ve ever seen. We also got to spend a day in London seeing the sights.  We were able to attend a service at Westminster Abby, see parliament, Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the new model of the Globe Theater, walk across the Tower Bridge, ride the Tube and a double decker bus, and visit Trafalgar’s square.  Shannon(my teammate) and I were both excited to get to Russia, but also both partially wanted to stay in Kingston because we loved it so much. 

Over all, my orientation time in London was great. Everyone was really nice and I’m hoping that each pair of teammates’ personalities can mesh well together.  I have started to detach from America, but I am also realizing with more clarity that 4 months is a LONG time to be away from everything I’ve ever known.  I’m hoping I can stay focused and handle homesickness and culture shock.

Our 2 flights from London into Russia were interesting to say the least.  I could tell you so many stories about these flights/airports, but for now at least I’ll just give you some highlights. First, apparently the airlines’ websites lied to me and I could have packed a lot more than I actually did! (I’m only a tiny bit bitter though)  We had to change terminals in St. Petersburg, which caused some confusion, but we were able to figure it out with some help from a man who had been in line in front of us at our check-in in London.  But, we made it safely and were able to find the people who were picking us up and get to her apartment to sleep for the night.

We are now moved into our apartment and have spent our first night here.  We are starting to get settled in.   Our first attempt at cooking was breakfast this morning…. FAIL!... haha  we attempted to make oatmeal, and have subsequently decided that we both hate oatmeal! Thankfully Kelly had given us some chicken salad and bread(and a few other things) to tide us over until we can get some groceries later today.  Side Note: the apple juice here in Russia is AMAZING!! J   Our first grocery shopping was interesting as well.  I think we did rather well for a first attempt!  I am actually pretty excited to try cooking in Russia. 

Side Note: our second attempt at cooking (chicken nuggets and spaghetti) went very well! J

So far, jet lag hasn’t been a huge problem. J  I am still a little tired during the day and haven’t slept all the way through the night yet, but it hasn’t been anything too terrible so far.  So, hopefully I’ll be able to get into a rhythm pretty soon.

Kelly has already introduced us to some of her Russian friends who can at least speak some English. Shannon and I are somewhat anxious to start school and begin to meet more people and get into some sort of a routine.

Shannon and I have decided to keep a “Blessings List” and list all of the special blessings that come our way during these 4 months.  Hopefully this will help me remember that we are not alone in this time and that this is for certain where I am supposed to be.

Blessings list... so far...

·         English man who was on our flight from London to St. Petersburg who helped us change terminals

·         English-speaking airport worker who helped us find the right check-in desk (and then double checked that we knew where to go later) and several hours later remembered that we spoke English and said “excuse me” in English

·         Tired laughing after boarding our last plane

·         Candy on Russian planes

·         Espanol! (some great bonding time for Shannon and I!)

·         Neon-colored toilet paper!

·         Our field supervisor and family (Chris and Eileen Carr and their 5 kids) for so many reasons I can’t even begin to list them!  They are truly amazing!

Prayer Requests

·         Adjusting to time difference

·         Homesickness!

·         That learning the language would come quickly

My last few hours in the States!

Well, I'm sitting in DFW right now. It is about an hour and a half before we start boarding. No problems at all so far.  My suitcase was actually under weight!!  that was a huge relief!!  It definitely was hard to leave.  There were plenty of tears, but I've made it this far.  And soon I will be boarding my first international flight and we will get to London around 3 AM Texas time. 

I know this is a super short post.  Sorry!  I'll try to fill in some more details later, but I just wanted to let everyone know that so far there have been no problems!

Love you all!

3 Days!!!... and random updates

Well I finished up at FBC Booker last week.  Mission Trip was great!  It was SO hot in Arlington, but these kids were so great and hardly complained at all.  The really connected with the kids at the apartment complex we were working at.  Overall it was a wonderful experience and I think God really worked in and through our students.  It was a really good summer working with the youth. 

I got to spend the first part of this week in Glorieta, NM for Collegiate Week.  What a great way to start my last week in the States!  It was at Collegiate Week last August that God really began to reveal His call for me this trip, so It was really encouraging to be back there and remembering all that I experienced that week and learning a few new things as well. 

In case any of you don’t already know, I got my visa!!  I only have a few little details left to get together.  Packing is proving to be a pretty intense challenge.  My 1 checked suitcase has to be under 44 lbs and my 1 carry on has to be under 11 lbs, which means that I have to pack for 4 months (2 of which will be very cold winter months!) in 55 lbs….. This is turning out to be rather difficult! Haha

I am very excited, but a bit of nervousness might be beginning to set in. Please continue to pray that I will be able to pick up the language!  Also, I would ask that you be praying for safe, conflict-free travel.  I will be leaving August 16^th and arrive in London the morning of the 17^th.  We will stay in London until the 22^nd and arrive in Ufa, Russia very early the morning of the 23^rd.