Saturday, May 29, 2010

Partners In Crime

Last night we got to go join the Moorheads (our friends, neighbors, and teammates!) for their Family Fun Food night.  Nathan and Miriam love hanging out together.  It's really sweet because they refer to each other as "the baby".  They chose to get into a little bit of trouble but at least they were quiet during their mischief!

Here they are putting a bunch of little surprises into the water bottle!
And here they are making some yummy ice cubes. 
I'm not sure I'll be putting those cubes in my drink!  Oh, and I would like to mention that all the activities were Miriam's ideas..........Nathan was just being a good playmate and playing along.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Days 141-147

Someone joined me this morning during my Bible time. 

Nathan has now started hiding from me.  He thinks it's really fun when I can't find him.  He usually gives away his hiding spot by laughing.

 I tried making wheat tortillas but they didn't turn out too great.  They were edible and Jojo actually liked them but I probably won't make them again.

It's Spring cleaning time and today it was time to clean out the fridge real well. 

I love to color but Jojo doesn't.  I wish he was more interested in coloring because it is a nice quiet time activity.  This is my artwork.

I was doing a major cleaning in my bedroom and when I came out I found Josiah reading to Nathan.  So sweet, I had to go grab the camera.

Can you see that little  pink spot on top of Nathan's head?  It's gum.  He is obsessed with gum and has recently started taking it out of his mouth and playing with it!  This day he decided to get gum on his hair.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Petra and Thankful Heart

Often times when I find myself complaining or being upset about something I start singing "I have a thankful heart" by Petra.  Before today I didn't know it was a Petra song, I just thought it was a song from "the Band" when I was on high school staff.  Anyway,  I sing a few lines and then remind myself that I have much to be thankful for:
1.  I have a thankful heart because Christ is really all I need.  It doesn't matter as long as I have Christ.
2.  Our visa woes continue and it almost seems humorous to have come this far and come to such a huge roadblock.  I have been worried and losing sleep over it yet in the midst of it I am rejoicing because God is teaching me to be patient and wait upon his timing.  I remember when I was in college group at Grace our pastor taught on circumstances and that circumstances do not determine God's will.  And of our need to live above those circumstances.  I don't remember much else from that sermon over 14 years ago but that statement is as clear as day for me.
3.  I'm grateful for good friends and e-mail.  Today Angela Sowers (Pastor's wife of Jon's home church in Iowa) e-mailed me to encourage me regarding our visa situation.  She gave me this great quote by Matthew Henry "The delays of mercy are not to be construed as unanswered prayer".  These "words" were like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances. Proverbs 25:11
4.  Even as I write this I can see that I don't have the right font as #1 and #2.  Maybe a couple of years ago this would have driven me nuts but I'm so thankful that God is growing me and teaching me to set aside little things like this.  For example Nathan put gum in his hair the other day and instead of becoming upset I grabbed the camera and laughed.  On Monday I baked a huge pan of banana bars and I don't know what happened but the tray slipped out of my hands and landed upside down on the floor!!!  I chose not to get upset about that either.
5.  Today I'm especially praising God for my mother's doctor's appointment.  She has had serious stomach problems the last few months.  Today she had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy.  She called me to tell me that she was o.k. after the procedure.  The surgeon took 3 biopsies but told her she did not have cancer.  I don't know how he would know right away but I will take that as good news.  For now we will wait and see what the next step is and what the results of the biopsies will be.  

I have to confess that between our visa situation and my mom's health problems my mind has been preoccupied but I praise God because He is still on His throne and hasn't flinched one bit!  What an amazing God we serve!!!!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Penza

This past weekend Jon went away to minister in Penza.  He had the opportunity to teach on Bibliology to 60 people!  He was really surprised by the number considering he was only expecting 10 men.  Penza is not too far away but far enough where he took an overnight train to get there.  I can't believe it but he forgot his camera so the following pictures are from his iPhone.
This is Igor our good friend and Jon's translator sitting inside the "coupay" on the train.  It is basically a tiny room with 4 beds.
For those of you who know my husband.....well you know he is a big guy and let's just say the beds weren't very comfortable for him and he's not sure if he even got any sleep.  They boarded a train on Friday evening, travelled all night, arrived in Penza, taught from 9 am until 6 pm, got back on the train, travelled all night Saturday, arrived Sunday morning, and then went to church and taught in Sunday school.  He was exhausted!!!


The church where Jon taught in.

Getting ready to return to home sweet home!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Goat's Milk

Wednesday evening we went to our pastor's home for dinner.  As Victor was getting dinner ready Lena and I along with all the kids took a little walk to go buy goat's milk from the local neighborhood goat milk lady!  Buying goat's milk at the grocery story here is pretty expensive.  She is able to buy 1 liter of goat's milk for under $2.  It was like going to the zoo.  The kids were even trying to feed the goats some grass.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Days 134-140

Igor from Novosibirsk Seminary is here in Samara teaching our pastors about the history of the Russian Union of Evangelical Baptists.  We know Igor from the year we ministered in Novosibirsk.  It was fun having him for dinner and catching up on life in Novosibirsk. 

On this day we went to our pastor's home for dinner and he prepared шашлык (shashleek).  It was delicious but even better was the fellowship.

Waiting for our transport.  Here comes the tram but it's the number 4 and we need the number 3! 

I know, I know.  I let you all down but I totally forgot to take a picture this day and I can't believe it.  I felt like crying about it. 

Neighborhood boy at church watching the church kids play with chalk.  Our church is in a pretty rough neighborhood surrounded by a lot of gypsies and criminals.  Makes it a little tough to reach out to the neighborhood but everyone tries.

I had a little time for scrapbooking.....I am a bit behind.

Yay.....at this point we only had 3 more lessons to finish our "Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Lessons".   It was beautiful outside so we headed out in the warm sun to do some reading.

Continuing to be Thankful no Matter What!

As you saw in my project 365, there is a picture of our letters regarding our 3 year visa.....that we were actually approved.  Even though this is great news for us it has proven to be a bit more work to actually get that visa into our passports.  As I write this, Jon just returned from an office where we are supposed to get fingerprints done and to work out our current living situation.  It is too much to explain and difficult to understand even for us but I will just say that there are even more questions and even more roadblocks to actually get this visa!  Nonetheless, as you can imagine it has been quite frustrating and difficult for me to maintain a heart of gratitude but I am trying!!!  So, here are some things that I am thankful for :

  1. My ironing load has decreased mainly due to Jon being finished with teaching.....I am definitely so grateful for this!!!  Ironing is not one of my favorite chores.
  2. Kindergarten is almost coming to an end.  Josiah has done real well and I am so thankful we got to home school!  It is a great reward to hear him read, to see him write, and to see how he has developed a love for Math.....one of my least favorite subjects in school.
  3. So extremely grateful for God's Word and all the truth and promises contained in it.  Also thankful for God's faithfulness in my life and how Scripture is so clear regarding His characteristics.  Not only does His Word allow me to grow in my walk but it also allows me to cling to His truths for comfort.
  4. Thankful that Jon is starting to feel better.  He's been dealing with a sinus/allergy thing and it's been so hard on him and absolutely tires him out.  I'm just happy not to deal with a sick hubby in the home.  For all you wives...........you know exactly what I mean !!!
  5. Grateful for our friends/teammates/and neighbors the Moorheads who watched the boys Friday evening so Jon and I could go out on a date.  I always appreciate uninterrupted time with my husband.
  6. And extremely and abundantly and over thankful for my friend Christina and all her hard work on our behalf to help us with our visa.  Not to mention the amazing babysitter she is and how our boys love her.  Most grateful though for her friendship to me.!!!!!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Days 127 - 133

I can't believe how green everything looks!  This is the view from our balcony!!!  Nothing but green and concrete.

Boiling water for baths.  No hot water for a week. 

It's the letters we have been waiting for.  I haven't really posted about this yet because we still have a lot more work to do to get our 3 year visas but this is definitely an answer to prayer. 

It's our last student wive's group for the semester.  We are losing two wives........one student wife who will return to the city where they came from to minister and a staff wife and her family are moving to America. 

Mother's Day.  Jon wasn't home for most of the day but he did leave behind cards and a clue for me to find my gift.  It's a scrapbooking tool that I have been wanting forever!  I also got a movie.  He also came home in time for me to go hang out with my friend Christina so that she and I could go celebrate Victory Day.

The boys and Klassen kids playing at the park.  Look at Nathan go. 

Decorating wreaths with the women of Good News Church (the church we attend).

Friday, May 14, 2010

When Daddy Is Away

The month of May is proving to be quite a busy time for our family.  I actually enjoy the busyness and hectic schedules.  Jon will be doing a little bit of traveling this month and it is always harder on the boys than it is for me.  So, I try hard to keep them occupied when daddy is away.  This past Saturday we met up with the Klassen kids (and Heather) since their daddy was also gone.

"It's a good time, for the great taste of McDonalds!"  Once the weather warms up there is outside seating!
Brianna and Alisha smiling pretty for the camera! 

Nathan and Emily hanging out in Nathan's "car".  He go upset later on when some kids were sitting in "his" car.

Extra wide slide!!  So cute how they are all holding hands.  I love it!!!And I can't believe they are all looking at the camera!

Oh, we lost Bryce!  I think he is trying to be a daredevil back there!!!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Where are you from?

Living here in Russia, I often get asked where I am from.  Obviously from the second I open my mouth and speak broken Russian in a terrible accent people know right off the bat that I am a foreigner.  When I am in Southern California, I blend right in.  We all know that Los Angeles is a melting pot of so many cultures and tongues, and of course it is always assumed correctly that I am Hispanic and that I speak Spanish! 

The other day I was asked if Josiah and I were from Armenia.  This surprised me a little because I have never been asked that before.  I often get asked if I am from Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan or any of the other 'stan countries.  People from these countries are generally darker with dark hair and complexions.  For the most part it truly doesn't bother me but the longer I live here the more I see the prejudices people have against people from these nations.  It is a sort  parallel to the prejudices that people have against Hispanics in California...........sort of like "they're here in America and should speak English" or "they're taking all our jobs" or "they're here illegally" and so forth.  And here in Russia it is the same exact thinking against people from these former Soviet countries.

There have been several instances where I have felt discriminated or looked down on from Slavic Russians.  Not too long ago I was at a pharmacy and I was in a hurry to buy some bandages.  I began asking the clerk for the supplies I needed and I know that my grammar wasn't correct and I didn't know the name of one of the bandages that I needed.  She was quite rude to me, rolled her eyes at me several times, and it really felt like she was annoyed with me.  Maybe it wasn't discrimination at all, maybe she is like this all the time but I relayed the story to Jon's language teacher and she told me that most likely I was treated this way because the clerk probably thought I was a foreigner from Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan.  Our teacher told me to just start speaking English to people whenever I feel I am being mistreated so that they know right away that I am American.  I don't know if I will do that.  I don't really know what to answer when people ask where I am from.  At times I just say I'm испанка (ispanka) or Hispanic.  Other times I say I was born in Argentina.    I am not really afraid for my safety even though in Moscow there have been incidents  and news reports of violence against these "darker" people.  Last year we even received an e-mail from the U.S. consulate warning travelers in Russia of these "hate" crimes.  Thankfully, the stores that I frequent already know me and the workers are very friendly.  I always thought that discrimination was only an "American" problem but I see it first hand here. 

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Days 120 - 126

These strawberries were from Krasnodar, Russia and they were absolutely delicious and some of the best strawberries I have ever had.  I usually don't buy strawberries here because they are super duper expensive but it seems like the prices keep dropping every year! 

Unfortunately for the owners of this car, there isn't much left.  I have a feeling the car was stolen and then stripped of some parts and the license plate.  What a bummer.  Some friends of ours recently had their car stolen.  We have heard that Russian made cars get stolen often for the parts.  Thankfully we have a foreign car!

These are underground cellars.  People store their vegetables down in these.  In Novosibirsk they were everywhere but this was the first time I ever saw them here in Samara.

The boys are hunting for bugs.  This day we got to go to our church picnic and had a blast of course.

Grating carrots for a carrot cake.  Not crazy about grating much of anything.

 These beauties were in the untamed bushy area by the square where the boys play outside our building!  What a pleasant surprise.

WET PAINT!  Our benches in the square by our building got painted.  Which reminds me of the time I was pregnant with Nathan and I didn't know the benches were painted.  You can can guess what happened.  I sat down and when I got up my behind was all yellow!  Thankfully this time there were some signs.

Friday, May 7, 2010

The Tulips Are Coming, The Tulips Are Coming!

So, if you know me real well, then you know that I love tulips and I am happy to report that by next week they will be in full bloom and being sold on the street everywhere!  This past week I took the boys to the Afghan Memorial and not all the tulips had bloomed yet but there were enough to make me so excited about living in Russia and finding the beauty amidst all the concrete buildings!!!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Wive's Group

I am always posting our craft times on the blog and never our teaching times.  This year we studied through the book of Ephesians and we will continue with Ephesians in the fall.  The missionary wives take turns teaching.  Here is Heather teaching with Katya translating for her. 

It is really such an encouraging time for all of us when we come together.  I really enjoy the fellowship with these Godly women.