Jet-lag Is Not A Pretty Thing

According to the clock on my computer, it is almost 1PM.  However, the clock on the wall says that it is almost 5am.  The preferred, and logical, explanation for this is that the clock on the wall stopped working this morning.  However, the reality of the situation is that my body is now eight time zones behind my body, and although I am exhausted from traveling almost 23 hours yesterday, it is early in the morning and I am fairly wide awake.  So, that gave me time to write a little blog.

Currently, I am at my parents' house in Maryland.  The IMB media personnel are having a conference in Richmond, VA this week, so I took that chance to spend a little time at the Hooks Homestead.  Tomorrow I will have the opportunity to speak at my home church in Westminster about life in Moscow and the work in Russia and then will head off for Richmond.

While I am so grateful to be back in the States for a few days, I must say that it has been a little bit more overwhelming than I imagined it would be.  Standing in Kennedy Airport yesterday afternoon, I was almost totally overcome by the sights,sounds, and smells of America.  And, it began almost immediately.  There is just something special about bypassing the long lines of people at Passport Control because you are going to the line that says "US Citizens" and then having the guy behind the desk smile, stamp your passport, and say (in English) "welcome home."  Even as I write this, the thought has me a little choked up.  

Sounds are funny too.  When you live in a foreign culture, your ear gets used to hearing that language.  And, even though you may speak that foreign language, you never really stop having to work to understand the things that are being said around you.  So, when you live your life surrounded by the sounds of a different language, when you hear somebody speaking English, your brain automatically keys into the familiar.  If somebody is speaking English in a large crowd, my mind will automatically focus on the familiar.  However, standing in the middle of the airport in New York where EVERYBODY spoke English, it was kind of like having my radar jammed.  I didn't know where to look or whom to listen.  Very strange experience.

If you know me at all, you know that I love to eat.  So walking through the airport where I saw Chili's, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts...it was almost more than my poor little nervous system could take.  Dinner with my parents last night was a Texas Roadhouse for a good old-fashioned American steak.  I have no idea what the rest of the week will hold, but I am beginning to think that maybe I should pick up a few pairs of pants with elastic waistbands because I am not sure how long it will take me to lose the 75 pounds that I am sure to put on after this week.

Of course, being with family for a few days is a treasured experience.  And, I am not sure what more I can say about that.  It is nice to walk through the gate of the airport and see your parents and realize that no matter how old you get, you are still loved and they still like to see you come home.

So, my American adventure begins.  I am looking forward to the week.  I miss my family and wish they could be here with me.  But, I have promised to return with all kinds of American goodies.  I hope that makes me being gone a little easier for them to bear.

Blessings,

Marc

Long time, no blog...

I feel like it has been forever since I have had a chance to sit down long enough to gather my thoughts and blog.  And, while my thoughts are far from gathered an unfortunate accident last week that left me with a broken pinky toe has given me lots of time this week to sit around and catch up on life in general.

If you haven't heard by now, the big news in our lives is that this summer we will be moving to Prague, Czech Republic for me to take a new position with our company.  I will serve on the Forward Communications Team for the European Affinity Group.  While that is quite a mouthful, what it means is that I will be working with missionaries from across Europe and not just in Russia.   Of course, this was a very difficult decision for our family to make.  While we do not usually enjoy life in Moscow, we do love Russia and Russians, and we believe that we will always work with some kind of Russian ministry.  We are very excited because we have many friends that life in and near Prague and it will be a joy to live in such a fairy-tale city.  At the same time, we will miss the dear friends (both American and Russian) that we have made while we have been here.

The Engage Russia project continues to roll on at full pace, although I am on the injured reserve list this week.  Tim and Jimmy will still travel to Bryansk this weekend where they will shoot interviews for another partnership profile.  The thing I hate about missing this trip is that I will not get to see a winter river-side baptism where they will cut a hole in the ice in order to baptize.  I hate to miss seeing that firsthand.  Next weekend we are scheduled to go to the Arctic Circle and the city of Murmansk.  Believe it or not, it has been warmer there than it was during our trip to Siberia!  We are grateful for all of the people that have come alongside of us during this project.  Several weeks ago we officially launched our new web site (www.engagerussia.org) and as of today we have 222 members on our Engage Russia Facebook group.  That is truly amazing!  In addition, we have made contact with several churches who will be staging a 4-week prayer campaign for the Chuvash people group and two churches are sending volunteer teams to Cheboksary over the next six months.  God is good.

I am starting to realize that my time with my children is starting to slip past.  In recent weeks I have had the opportunity to catch up with old friends through Facebook.  And, as I look at some of the photos from our high school days that have been posted, I am often shocked to think that Sarah Beth is now the age I was when many of those photos were taken.  Where has time gone?  I have no idea.  While I am excited to listen to her make plans for her future (which at this point include OBU), I often realize that my time with her is quickly slipping through my fingers.  I wish you could know what an incredible young lady she is.  She is funny, smart, and so in-tune with God.  She makes me laugh and smile and I am so proud of her.  I know that I am her Daddy, but you really should get to know SB if you have the chance.  Hannah and John are equally amazing and it always surprises me when I look at my kids to see how different they are.  Hannah is sooooo smart, and such a hard worker.  She is constantly making sure she is where she needs to be in school and she studies non-stop.  She is also incredibly creative.  I love to watch her sit at the computer and create.  She also crochets, knits, and makes all sorts of interesting things.  She tries to be funny, and sometimes succeeds.  But, she always makes me smile and I love it when she curls up with me just to snuggle.  John is...well, John is just John.  He is one funny kid.  He is so creative, and incredibly computer savvy.  He amazes me each week as we get a new spelling list.  There is rarely a Monday where he does not know how to spell all the words for Friday.  John is very social and adores his friends.  Nothing about life in a foreign country seems to bother John.  While he is learning Russian in school, communication never seems to be a barrier for him, even if he does not really understand what the other person is saying.  John is going to love all people and God's "little guys" (bugs and anything creepy crawly) no matter what.  He loves to memorize his Bible verses for the week and will be the first to correct you if you misquote (or even use another translation.)  So, while my job keeps me very busy with travel, I am especially thankful for the times I have at home to spend with my children.  I think I will cherish them for as long as they last.

And, speaking of cherish.  I can never say enough about my wife.  Scholars have not invented enough words for me to tell you about Kellye -- in English or Russian.  (OK, maybe they have in Russian.   But if they have, I haven't learned them yet.  And if I did, I have forgotten them already.)  My wife is one of the greatest people I know and she is not just my wife, but my best friend too.  Last night we were sitting on the bed together, watching television and eating pizza...not really doing anything, and it was my favorite part of my day.  Just a quiet moment that we got to share together.

So, what do the next couple of months hold?  Next weekend we will travel to Murmansk.  Following that I am attending a media conference in Richmond, VA and have arranged to spend the weekend before and after the conference with my parents in Maryland.  So, I am really looking forward to my time in the States, seeing family and friends, and speaking in churches about the Engage Russia project.  I will be here in Moscow to celebrate birthdays with Hannah and Sarah Beth and then it is back on the road again.  There is a possibility I will be traveling to Rome, Italy to work on a video project and following that I will take a quick trip back to Surgut to get video footage of a traditional Khanti festival.  Then our family will lead a mission team to Cheboksary to work with the Chuvash.  We will renew our visas in April and will be out of the country for a few weeks while those are processed.  And, in May my pastor, Alan, and I will travel to central Siberia to shoot video for an Engage Russia project.  In June we will lead another team to Chuvashia and then head off to Greece for our annual conference.  The week we return from Greece we will finish packing our apartment and make the move to Prague.  So, as you can see, the next six months will be both busy and exciting.  Pray for our family as we travel, minister, move and say hard goodbyes.  

Again, let me thank you for following us on this journey and for keeping us in your prayers.

Blessings,

Marc

Trying to catch my breath...

I have not written much in this space lately.  And, quite frankly, the main reason is that I have been so busy writing things for other places, that I have neglected my own space.  So, while I have a few minutes of quiet this morning I thought I would try to catch up just a little.

Last Monday we officially launched a new web site (www.EngageRussia.org) which is the centerpiece of our Engage Russia initiative.  This website is the central hub for the campaign and is what connects folks from around the world with what we are doing here in Russia.  We also have a profile page and group on Facebook and are hoping the 200+ people that are part of that group will begin dialoging together about how they can cooperate together and form partnerships with field personnel here in Russia.  If you haven't joined already, you should!

If you don't know already, it is my primary responsibility to create media which connects people from around the globe with our field missionaries in the hopes of forming partnerships that will engage the unreached people groups of Russia.  What does that really mean?  It means that I am constantly on the road or connected to my computer creating video, writing materials, sending updates, or promoting these unreached people groups.  And, so far, I think it has been quite successful.  In the two months since our first trip to the Republic of Chuvashia there have been around half a dozen churches who have committed to pray for, and in some cases, physically engage the Chuvash people.  That is pretty exciting for me.

Last week we went to Northwestern Siberia in search of the Khanti people group.  We never found them.  It was too cold and too dangerous for us to go on an expedition to find this semi-nomadic tribe of reindeer herders.  But, it was a good trip and we learned a lot about the people that will be useful in the future.  We hope to complete that project in the spring.

This afternoon we leave for Udmurtia.  I am looking forward to it.  I love the Udmurt people and taking the overnight train is always one of my favorite things.  We will be gone until Monday shooting a video feature on a couple of volunteers who are working in the area this week.  Why?  Because we want to show that there is no one "profile" for the kind of person who would come to work with the unreached of Russia.

Well, time is running out and I must pack my bags and pick up a sack full of chicken sandwiches to much on while on the train.  More updates next week.

Blessings,

Marc

Off on another adventure...follow along

Team Engage Russia is currently in sub-zero Siberia working on a feature about the Khanti people group. Although our Internet connections are spotty right now, you can follow us on our adventures in several ways:

1. Follow us on Twitter. Throughout the day we will be posting updates, and sometimes photos, as to what we are doing. Our Twitter ID is: engage_russia. You can link to our Twitter updates through the Engage Russia website or blog. Or you can link directly through the Twitter website (www.twitter.com)

2. Read our blogs. Marc, Tim and Jimmy will all be posting stories and updates on our blog. The address is www.engagerussia.blogspot.com.

3. Connect through our newly-created website. There you will find Twitter updates, links, stories, photos, etc. The address is www.EngageRussia.org.

More from me in this space when we get back to Moscow next week.

On a personal note, please pray not just for our team as we travel, but for our families as we are away for them.

Blessings,
Marc

Bringing in 2009 from Red Square

Remembering Aunt Lee

I am sad today.  Last night I received the news that my Aunt Lee died after a bout with cancer.  Now, the good news is that last week she prayed to accept Jesus as her saviour and that today she is with Him.  Nonetheless, I am still sad.

As a child, Aunt Lee was always there for me.  She was always just a phone call away anytime I needed her.  And, there are many aspects of my adult life and the man I am today that I can credit to her influence.  My broadcasting career started in the school where she was an assistant principal.  When I would come to visit she would let me sit on the counter by the intercom and call different rooms by flipping the switches and talking into the microphone.  My love of photography and photographic eye came from her as well.  She purchased my first camera for me (and many subsequent cameras as well) and she taught me how to properly compose a shot and about the mechanics of photography as well as the art.  My love of travel was also greatly influenced by Aunt Lee.  As I was growing up she made it a point to take me on many trips (always with camera in hand) and we went to exciting places: Colonial Williamsburg, Amish country in Pennsylvania, etc.  My first train ride was with her on the Strassbourg Railroad and ever since then I have been in love with train travel.  She retired from the school system when I was relatively young, and spent the rest of her life traveling the world.  And, she would always return with souvenirs and trinkets from the many places she traveled.  We would look at her photos together and she would tell stories about the different things she had brought home and I would imagine getting to travel to some of those far-off places.  And, even in recent years we were able to share stories about our travels to the same locations.  She even visited Moscow before the end of the cold war.  And now, I write this while sitting in my Moscow apartment.  Who would have ever imagined?

She loved books and literature and had a special love for children's books, which she shared with me.  Her favorite children's author was A.A. Milne and many hours of my childhood were spent having conversations with Pooh, Piglet and the rest of the gang as she voiced the characters from the other end of the phone.

I remember helping set up her first computer, a Commodore 128, if you can believe.  She wanted to embrace and learn that technology as quickly as she could.  And, as computers advanced and email became accessible to everyone, Aunt Lee became the queen of the E-Card.  There was never a birthday, holiday or family event where my inbox was not flooded with E-cards when I awoke.

Aunt Lee was always willing to share one of my favorite meals with me... steamed Maryland blue crabs.  And when I came home, a crab feast with her was always on the agenda.  She even participated in several crab feasts that we threw for my high school buddies.

I could spend countless hours recalling the many stories and important moments of my life that she was involved in.  But I guess the thing that I will remember most about my Aunt Lee is that she was my biggest fan.  If I did it, then (to her) it was wonderful.  

So, today I am sad.  I will miss her very much.  And, I suppose for the last time... To Eel, from Cram.

Blessings,

Marc

Chuvash Videos

It's that time again for Southern Baptists - LMCO - or Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
This annual offering for international missions allows us and more than 5000 others to serve the Lord throughout the world.

This week has been a busy one. Tim Wicker and I have been trying to get some video promotion pieces ready for you and your churches to use as you pray and give and think about joining us in the work overseas.

We got a lot done and the fruit of our labor can be seen at www.engagerussia.org
There you can see some of the videos on the Chuvash People of Russia.
There you can follow the links to download these videos and handouts for use in your churches.
There you can learn more about how to join us as we seek to Engage Russia with the Good News.

Even if you don't plan to use them in your churches, I would encourage you to check this site out, watch the videos and pray together with us for the work among the Chuvash people. The site is brand new and under constant revision - so bookmark it and follow along.

Today is Saturday, and we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with our English Club.

Blessings,
Marc