The answer right now is Moscow. I'm here for the remainder of the trip, and will basically be a tourist. This actually bothers me a bit, because I feel like I'm wasting time. I could very easily be home and back to work. Then I remembered, with the prospect of the doors being closed to US, maybe it is good for me to get to see some of these things and share them with you. I have taken plenty of pictures, especially during the tour of the Kremlin today (wow!). We also plan on taking a tour of all of Moscow tomorrow, and will be attending a ballet (Swan Lake) on Friday.
I must remember that plans change for a reason.
As for the places we travelled, we went to Maikop and Krasnodar which are in the souther peninsula of the Eastern European side of Russia. They are beautiful smaller towns (although apparently Krasnodar has grown significantly over the last few years--now nearing a little less than a million people!). There we got to see how God has been at work in many of the teachers lives. It is amazing their vigor for understanding the Word, for they asked some very deep theological questions that they have come up with from their studies.
Any way, I have written about 35 pages and taken almost 300 pictures of my experiences thus far, and I hope to share them with you when I return. Perhaps via email or letter--we shall see! All in all, I am very thankful for supporters prayers and love.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
6 minutes
That's how much time I have left. No, now five as it took forever for this page to load. So here's the basic scoop.
You know how the Holy Spirit stopped Paul from going into Asia? That has happened. I can not delve too much into details here, but I will say that I am not, sadly, in the Asian portion of Russia. Plans change, but God does not.
I will keep the details of my trip a mystery, but I will say that it has been an eye-opener. This is a beautiful country, with beautiful people who all seem to think that I'm a native. Crazy. I then use my broken Russian to make it obvious that is not the case, but they still smile at me. I have also gotten 4 marriage proposals thus far (my trip leader who keeps the tally says, "Yes, but who's counting?"), which has been the most ridiculous part of this trip. More ridiculous than the cows and chickens just crossing the street at their leasure.
Ok, I must go. I mean, I have two minutes, but I don't know how long it will take for this to load. До свиданя.
You know how the Holy Spirit stopped Paul from going into Asia? That has happened. I can not delve too much into details here, but I will say that I am not, sadly, in the Asian portion of Russia. Plans change, but God does not.
I will keep the details of my trip a mystery, but I will say that it has been an eye-opener. This is a beautiful country, with beautiful people who all seem to think that I'm a native. Crazy. I then use my broken Russian to make it obvious that is not the case, but they still smile at me. I have also gotten 4 marriage proposals thus far (my trip leader who keeps the tally says, "Yes, but who's counting?"), which has been the most ridiculous part of this trip. More ridiculous than the cows and chickens just crossing the street at their leasure.
Ok, I must go. I mean, I have two minutes, but I don't know how long it will take for this to load. До свиданя.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Support raising
Money came in from all parts of the US. People I didn't expect, people I didn't even send letters too!!
The most interesting was when I was a week away from needing to turn in all of my money. I was still around 1500 dollars short of the goal. I sent a message via facebook to friends asking them to pray for gifts, and was immediately responded to from someone who had been in none other than my Russian class. But let me explain further. This young man had graduated after my first year of Russian. I knew he is a Christian, but I also didn't really know him. Sure we sat next together for a lot of the year, but we didn't necessarily talk. Much.
I knew too, that he had gone to Russia for awhile post-grad, so perhaps there was a vested interest. But again, we hadn't talked since winter quarter even. After all, he was not taking the class for a grade, and didn't even show several days of the week (it was a 4 times a week class).
All this to say, he responded to my facebook message explaining that he sent a check in the mail. "Sweet," I think, "a little closer to my goal!" Until the letter, nor any letter for that matter, did not come. Not in three days. Not in four...
My parents had come in town this week, and after I had hung out with them for the day, I decided to come home to sleep. Again, there was no mail on the table. Frustration.
I had some belated thank you notes I needed to put in the mail the next day, and when I opened the mailbox, I realized the Banichs hadn't even checked the mail! "That explains it," I thought. And sure enough, my Russian friend's envelope, which I immediately opened when I had gotten into my car.
"Fifty." Dramatic pause. "No wait, there's another zero." Dramatic pause number two. "Five hundred dollars. Five hundr--!!!!" If I were standing, I think it would have been the first time for me to faint.
Should I mention that the very next day, God provided the rest of the funds through my church? Within two days, I collected over the expected amount (add in a couple other friends who sent money in). And as I type this, I believe that God does this all the time. It's proving that He is the one doing the work. As Louie Giglio had once put it (roughly), "I pick the little guy to do the God-sized task, so that no one can possibly mistake the little guy for God."
I must tell you, so that you may be encouraged. Because maybe you also haven't heard these stories enough, even though they do happen all the time.
The most interesting was when I was a week away from needing to turn in all of my money. I was still around 1500 dollars short of the goal. I sent a message via facebook to friends asking them to pray for gifts, and was immediately responded to from someone who had been in none other than my Russian class. But let me explain further. This young man had graduated after my first year of Russian. I knew he is a Christian, but I also didn't really know him. Sure we sat next together for a lot of the year, but we didn't necessarily talk. Much.
I knew too, that he had gone to Russia for awhile post-grad, so perhaps there was a vested interest. But again, we hadn't talked since winter quarter even. After all, he was not taking the class for a grade, and didn't even show several days of the week (it was a 4 times a week class).
All this to say, he responded to my facebook message explaining that he sent a check in the mail. "Sweet," I think, "a little closer to my goal!" Until the letter, nor any letter for that matter, did not come. Not in three days. Not in four...
My parents had come in town this week, and after I had hung out with them for the day, I decided to come home to sleep. Again, there was no mail on the table. Frustration.
I had some belated thank you notes I needed to put in the mail the next day, and when I opened the mailbox, I realized the Banichs hadn't even checked the mail! "That explains it," I thought. And sure enough, my Russian friend's envelope, which I immediately opened when I had gotten into my car.
"Fifty." Dramatic pause. "No wait, there's another zero." Dramatic pause number two. "Five hundred dollars. Five hundr--!!!!" If I were standing, I think it would have been the first time for me to faint.
Should I mention that the very next day, God provided the rest of the funds through my church? Within two days, I collected over the expected amount (add in a couple other friends who sent money in). And as I type this, I believe that God does this all the time. It's proving that He is the one doing the work. As Louie Giglio had once put it (roughly), "I pick the little guy to do the God-sized task, so that no one can possibly mistake the little guy for God."
I must tell you, so that you may be encouraged. Because maybe you also haven't heard these stories enough, even though they do happen all the time.
Ohch Rooski
I remember it was September-ish that I heard about the opportunity to go to Russia. I wanted to share this with you, dear reader, because I think it might be cool for you to see how God orchestrates events.
To begin with, it starts with taking Greek. Which, that decision was made because it was either Greek or Japanese. And since Japanese met five times a week at 8/9am, while Greek met three times a week at 1pm, I felt like the decision was fairly easy. haha. And the reason I wanted something different than the usual Spanish or French (the two languages most often taken in college to meet the foreign language requirement), was because I figured, when else would I have the opportunity to take this? When would arise another opportunity, pre-seminary, for me to learn from a good professor, this ancient language?
And who knew that by my sophomore year, the Greek department would open up a Greek language-based minor that could be satisfied by only four more credits than I had already completed thus far? This then, would open up my schedule by nine credits--6 of which would be Russian, and 3 would be Hindi.
Honestly, I didn't know why I picked Russian, except that I knew I wanted something different (per usual). German was a close possibility, but again, I think it was a time issue. So Russian it was, and I liked it so much, I took it for a second year. I found it very helpful that I had taken Greek before, because not only was the alphabet similar, but the grammar is nearly identical!
When I moved to Arvada, it turned out that the area has a large Russian immigrant population. To be honest, I haven't done as much as I would have liked with this, but I have run into a few Russian speakers. And I still have my second year textbook, which I review ever so often.
Amidst all of this, I was involved in Campus Crusade for Christ at Northwestern. I have many friends who then continued on post-college to go on mission trips across the world for a year or two. One friend was raising support around September. I got a letter from Cru in response to having the privilege to contribute to that support, and inside was information on another group, under Cru, that would take short trips across the world to work with teachers. I wondered if they went to Russia, and investigated.
It was a short investigation, because they went there ALL the time!! So a quick little email of inquiry, which was followed by 20 minute phone call shortly thereafter (from the headquarters of this organization in Colorado Springs--convenient), and I had no excuse. I mentioned the trip to my parents, as well as my host family here in Denver. I asked my boss about the possibility of going, and the weeks worked out perfectly. Really? It's that easy?
Yes.
And don't get me started on the support raising because that's just crazier, but I'll get to that in the next one. I've never been a fan of super long blog entries. I get bored too easily...
To begin with, it starts with taking Greek. Which, that decision was made because it was either Greek or Japanese. And since Japanese met five times a week at 8/9am, while Greek met three times a week at 1pm, I felt like the decision was fairly easy. haha. And the reason I wanted something different than the usual Spanish or French (the two languages most often taken in college to meet the foreign language requirement), was because I figured, when else would I have the opportunity to take this? When would arise another opportunity, pre-seminary, for me to learn from a good professor, this ancient language?
And who knew that by my sophomore year, the Greek department would open up a Greek language-based minor that could be satisfied by only four more credits than I had already completed thus far? This then, would open up my schedule by nine credits--6 of which would be Russian, and 3 would be Hindi.
Honestly, I didn't know why I picked Russian, except that I knew I wanted something different (per usual). German was a close possibility, but again, I think it was a time issue. So Russian it was, and I liked it so much, I took it for a second year. I found it very helpful that I had taken Greek before, because not only was the alphabet similar, but the grammar is nearly identical!
When I moved to Arvada, it turned out that the area has a large Russian immigrant population. To be honest, I haven't done as much as I would have liked with this, but I have run into a few Russian speakers. And I still have my second year textbook, which I review ever so often.
Amidst all of this, I was involved in Campus Crusade for Christ at Northwestern. I have many friends who then continued on post-college to go on mission trips across the world for a year or two. One friend was raising support around September. I got a letter from Cru in response to having the privilege to contribute to that support, and inside was information on another group, under Cru, that would take short trips across the world to work with teachers. I wondered if they went to Russia, and investigated.
It was a short investigation, because they went there ALL the time!! So a quick little email of inquiry, which was followed by 20 minute phone call shortly thereafter (from the headquarters of this organization in Colorado Springs--convenient), and I had no excuse. I mentioned the trip to my parents, as well as my host family here in Denver. I asked my boss about the possibility of going, and the weeks worked out perfectly. Really? It's that easy?
Yes.
And don't get me started on the support raising because that's just crazier, but I'll get to that in the next one. I've never been a fan of super long blog entries. I get bored too easily...
Monday, April 6, 2009
Some things I like as of late
- Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
- running--I reached 5.6 miles today!
- the fact that I'm leaving for Russia in 10 days!
- The Interpreter's Bible
- Rodrigo y Gabriela
- the fact that Allyson is getting married in August
- I get to go to Chicago for my birthday :)
- Orange and Creme chapstick
- prayer labyrinths
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Another visit!
John came to visit two weeks ago. It means so much to me for people to see where I live and what I do. John and I got to jump right in on that too, as High Point that night was a game of Incognito. All the leaders dressed up in disguises and went around the mall while the students, in teams, looked for us. We dressed up as nerds--very appropriate for Nerdwest, ahem, Northwestern. As you can see, I was a creepy/computer/works-at-the-movie-theater-with-drake-and-josh-kind-of-nerd.
Thankfully, John came in on Wednesday, because it snowed like crazy on Thursday! We were stuck at home, but that did not stop the fun. We played Sorry, watched Prince Caspian, played Boggle, ate with the Banichs.. a lot of our simple, yet favorite, forms of entertainment. yay!
Then Friday I gave him the tour of the church. We had lunch, went to the library, and then came home with a splendid idea:
Meet Belteshazzar. His eyes and his buttons are made from golf balls we found from the garage. And to keep the theme up, we went used golf clubs for they arms. But of course, no snowman is complete without a carrot for a nose!!
We finished just in time to leave and catch the 3-D version of Monsters v. Aliens. Very cool in 3-D. And we had just enough time afterward to play soccer with the youth staff!
Saturday!!! Off to a beautiful place about which I had only heard rumors--Red Rocks!
We walked, we talked, we took pictures :) We enjoyed some great Colorado-style pizza at BeauJos beforehand, and s'more reading at Barnes & Noble after.
Finally for Sunday we went to church! It was the beginning of a two-week series that ended yesterday actually, called "What are you wearing?" We asked students to identify who they were; to be real with themselves. The next week we could realize that Jesus' blood covers that. That even the good things--He makes them better by giving us the true motivations behind them. That the bad things can be covered, repented of, and changed. That ultimately, we are transformed by Christ's death. Something very important to remember going into Holy Week.
Thankfully, John came in on Wednesday, because it snowed like crazy on Thursday! We were stuck at home, but that did not stop the fun. We played Sorry, watched Prince Caspian, played Boggle, ate with the Banichs.. a lot of our simple, yet favorite, forms of entertainment. yay!Then Friday I gave him the tour of the church. We had lunch, went to the library, and then came home with a splendid idea:
Meet Belteshazzar. His eyes and his buttons are made from golf balls we found from the garage. And to keep the theme up, we went used golf clubs for they arms. But of course, no snowman is complete without a carrot for a nose!!We finished just in time to leave and catch the 3-D version of Monsters v. Aliens. Very cool in 3-D. And we had just enough time afterward to play soccer with the youth staff!
Saturday!!! Off to a beautiful place about which I had only heard rumors--Red Rocks!
We walked, we talked, we took pictures :) We enjoyed some great Colorado-style pizza at BeauJos beforehand, and s'more reading at Barnes & Noble after.
Finally for Sunday we went to church! It was the beginning of a two-week series that ended yesterday actually, called "What are you wearing?" We asked students to identify who they were; to be real with themselves. The next week we could realize that Jesus' blood covers that. That even the good things--He makes them better by giving us the true motivations behind them. That the bad things can be covered, repented of, and changed. That ultimately, we are transformed by Christ's death. Something very important to remember going into Holy Week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
