First, an update on the dryer.
Now that I am feeling just a little bit more calm about the situation I can share with you that I have made my peace with the fact that we will not have a clothes dryer. No big deal, really, just one of those niceties from home that you like to have, but not a necessity. Yes, I would love to have a fluffy towel instead of a crunchy one. And even more so, I would love for Kellye to have the feeling that it is possible to be caught up on laundry. (A nearly impossible task with 5 people in the house.) But, the fact of the matter is that most people in Russia (missionary personnel included) live perfectly fine lives without a clothes dryer. Without going into a lot of detail (since it really does not matter anyway), the repair company called later in the day telling us they had found another of the little plastic part we had been waiting for over the past three months. However, they wanted $300 for the part and another $150 to install it...and that was in addition to the $100 we had already paid for the diagnostic. So, we thanked them very much for their offer and hung up the phone. It makes me all the more thankful for the washing machine and thanking the Lord that we are not washing our clothes in the bathtub as some of our other friends and colleagues must do.
A Heart for Russia
I love to travel. Seeing the world is a great pleasure to me. A couple of weeks ago we had the chance to spend two weeks in the Czech Republic visiting friends and traveling the countryside. And it was fantastic. Wonderfully friendly people and beautiful scenery. And, I would be lying if I told you that I didn't consider switching assignments to live there. It would be delightful to serve in that part of the world and to be close to dear friends. But God has put Russian people and the geographic area of Russia in my heart. While in Udmurtia this past week I was able to get my first taste of life in Russia outside of the big city...and I loved it. One of the highlights for me was to be able to attend a small Russian Baptist church on Sunday morning. There were about 20 people present and I had a wonderful time just sitting and talking with them. As we were driving back to the larger city, I thought to myself..."God has given me a heart for Russia, I cannot possibly leave this place." So, though other places in the world may be great places to visit and can be enticing, I thank God that he has placed in our hearts a love for the people we have been asked to minister to.
Engage Russia
We have lived in Moscow for a little over a year now and have spent much of that time studying language, and trying to carve out a ministry with the Russians we have met here. And, while we have enjoyed most of that time, I have been chomping at the bit to really get to work and to do what I do. This month I started work on an exciting project we are calling "Engage Russia" where we will spend the next 8 months or so traveling around the country and creating media pieces which will be used to promote cities and people groups where we do not have any personnel in place. Our travels will extend as far north as the Arctic Circle, to Siberia, and to the Far East of Russia. So, it will be an exciting time for me. During that time I will be on the road for at least one to two weeks a month, so please continue to pray for Kellye and the kids while I am away. I will continue to blog about my adventures and soon we will have a special website for the project, so stay tuned!
Udmurts!!
A little more than two years ago Kellye and I took Sarah Beth to Oklahoma to attend a missionary conference. At that time, the emphasis for the IMB was on a people group known as the Udmurts. They are located in the western foothills of the Ural Mountains and their religious background is mainly shamanistic. Well, Sarah Beth fell in love with the Udmurts. She would leave us notes around the house reminding us to pray for them, she would talk about them and would often joke about adopting a "little Udmurt baby." So when I found out that I was headed off to Udmurtia for one of my media trips I just had to take SB with me. We had a great time traveling together and were joined on the adventure by my project partner, Tim, and his teenage daughter, Rachel. The girls spent much of their time laughing and giggling at nearly every turn. And the Daddys enjoyed watching our daughters develop a heart for the Russian people and share their faith with them. It was a very special time and one I will treasure for years to come.
Well, I have had to amend the title of this blog to Part One. The children are up and going and the house is abuzz with activity. Today is a great football day, so it is time to run to the store to get the fixins for chili. There are more reflections yet to come...
Blessings,
Marc
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