Marc Ira Hooks-Personal Blog

Confessions, Prayers, Contact Info, and Our Schedule

2010-11-30T17:09:00.000-05:00

Confessions

First, let me confess. I know that I have been bad about keeping up with my blog over the past year. Social networking like Facebook and Twitter have allowed me to post snippets of information throughout the day and consequently I have been reluctant to take the time to write detailed blog entries about my experiences. With that being said, I am trying to renew my commitment to blogging on a regular basis. However, in the meantime, if you are not friends with me on Facebook or if you do not follow me on Twitter, let me encourage you to do that because I communicate more using those tools than any others.

Our time in the States has been fantastic so far. We have been able to visit with family and friends, and are slowly starting to readjust to life in America. Sarah Beth is in her freshman year at John Brown University in Arkansas. The kids are in school and loving it. Kellye is teaching at Fleming Island High School for the year we are home and I am working on getting some seminary hours and continuing to work on some of my projects from Russia.

We are also using this time in the States to speak with as many churches as we can. We have a pretty rigorous schedule in December and January and many of you have asked when and where we will be. So, I will post our schedule at the end of this entry.

How can you pray for us?

One of the great things about being called as a missionary is that God changes your heart so that you come to love the people and places you are called to serve. This has certainly happened to us and there are many days we are homesick -- not for our old lives here, but for the crowded, snowy streets of Moscow; our small Russian-speaking church which met in a rented room; our group of Russian English students that came to our home every week; or the corner fruit stand that we would visit on our nightly walks. So please pray that our time in the States will be what we need it to be. Pray that it will be restful, filled with chances to spend time with family and old friends. Pray for Kellye as she works and for myself as I complete classwork. And pray for the children as they continue to experience the many things that make their lives in America different from their lives in Europe.

Please pray for strength and stamina as we travel and speak with churches. Also pray that we effectively share the Good news about what God is doing in Central and Eastern Europe.

And pray for God to return us to the places and to the people we have been called to serve. In the midst of all these other things we are doing, we must complete the mountain of paperwork that will allow us to return to the field as career missionaries. This is no small task. Pray also for our IMB consultant, Bonnie, as she shepherds us through the process of returning to the field. If we are able to complete all of the things we need to this year, we plan to return to Europe in the fall of 2011.

As always, thank you for your continued prayers, support, and gifts. It is because of your faithfulness that we have been able to fulfill our calling.

Blessings,

Marc

Our Speaking Schedule (December & January)

Wednesday, December 1

FBC Bushnell (Marc Only)

Bushnell, Florida

5pm

Friday, December 3

Cresthill Baptist Church

Savannah, Gorgia

5 pm

Sunday, December 5

Amelia Baptist Church (Marc Only)

Fernindina Beach, Florida

9 am

Salt Springs Baptist Church (Kellye Only)

Salt Springs, Florida

10:15 am

FBC Maxville

Jacksonville, Florida

6 pm

Sunday, December 12

FBC Middleburg (Kellye Only)

Middleburg, FL

9 & 10:30 am

FBC Interlochen (Marc Only)

Interlochen, Florida

10:45 am

Monday, December 13

Kellye & Hannah Mini-Concert for Seniors

FBC Middleburg

6 pm

Sunday, December 19

Forest Heights Baptist Church (Marc Only)

Tallahassee, Florida

9 am

Sunday, December 26

FBC Palatka

Palatka, FL

9 am

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Long Branch Baptist Church

Jacksonville, Florida

11 am

Tuesday, February 8

FBC Glenn St. Mary’s

McClenny, Florida

11 am

Contact Information

Stateside Address:

Marc Ira Hooks

2234 Parsonage Street

Middleburg, FL

Email: Marc@EngageRussia.org

Office Phone: 904-371-4269

Mobile Phone: 904-495-3737

Twitter: hoomar

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mhooks

Blog: www.marcirahooks.blogspot.com/

Russian Easter in Plzen

2010-04-05T06:38:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to the Russian Baptist church here in Plzen. It was the first time we had been. We were greeted warmly by every member (only about 20) at the door who gave the traditional "Kristos Voskress!" (He is risen!) to which we replied "Va-eestinu Voskress!" (He is risen, indeed!)

While we were waiting for the service to start, the pastor spent a lot of time talking with us. I had met him at a meeting about a year and a half ago and he remembered me from that time. Also, in Russian Baptist culture it is very important as to who you know, so we spent a lot of time with us asking each other "do you know this person...do you know that person...i have worked with him..." And, I guess when I demonstrated my pedigree he asked me if I would speak that morning.

Of course, I thought I would just get up and introduce myself and explain a little about my work. However, I guess I had a lapse of sensibility and had forgotten where I was. When the pastor introduced me, he explained my work and the fact that I had worked with many of the senior pastors that he knew in Russia (basically everything I had prepared in my mid to say) and then invited me to the pulpit. So there I was...

Of course, I have preached in Russian before and I have found that you just have to follow Mark Twain's advice: Write what you know about." So I started telling simple stories about congregations that I have met during my travels and reminding them that "We are not alone." That no matter how large or small your congregation is, that no matter how many people you feel that you are NOT reaching for Christ, that we, as believers, are not alone. Now, I must admit that I did turn to the pastor's son, who also speaks English, for some assistance in translating. But, considering that I was totally unprepared to speak, I was pleased that I was able to bring a 10-15 minute message.

After the service, I was explaining to the pastor that I travel quite a bit. However, when I am in town, this will be our church home. He asked me if I was going to be in town on the 18th because that is the anniversary of the day that Stalin had has grandfather and many others executed. He explained that he and his family would be attending a memorial service that day and asked me (I think) if I would stand-in as the pastor that Sunday. So, I am waiting for his email to confirm this. But, it appears that at the least I will be preaching again (in Russian) at the church on the 18th. I must say, that when I came to the field nearly three years ago it never really entered my mind that this would be the role I would fill.

Yet another reminder that life on the mission field is NEVER, NEVER dull.

Blessings,

Marc

Vancouver-Day One: Olympic Fever

2010-02-10T21:45:00.005-05:00

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Team Engage Russia is on the move again! Never content to stay in one place too long, we have been working on an Olympic edition of Engage Russia. Three weeks ago we were on the banks of the Black Sea in Sochi, Russia – host city for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. And this week we are on the other side of the globe in Vancouver, Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics!

It is not hard to get Olympic fever around here. It starts as you get off the plane and just continues to build. We even saw the Ukrainian Ski Team unloading their gear at the airport, as well as a number of athletes from Sweden. Already we are seeing similarities between the two Olympic cities. Both have a large portion of the city situated along major bodies of water (the Black Sea in Sochi and the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver) and both have spectacular snow-capped mountain ranges within eyesight of the shore. In addition, the temperatures in both cities have hovered around the mid-to-upper 40s – mild as compared to a lot of other cities which have hosted the Winter Games.

Day One was spent, as usual, getting acquainted with a new city. We spent the day walking the streets, figuring out the public transportation, and taking in the sights of the city. The day started off with a few clouds, but by the end of the day it was quite chilly and rainy. Of course, Olympic venues are under very tight security, so there are many places (like the Olympic Village) where you are only allowed to be if you have the proper credentials. However, our purpose for being here is not to actually cover the games, but to find out how Southern Baptists are using this event as a stage for outreach and evangelism.

This week more than 500 Southern Baptist volunteers will make their way north to Vancouver. Most are partnering with a multi-denominational organization called More Than Gold, a relational network organized in response to the Winter Games. More Than Gold’s mission is to extend radical Christian hospitality to the estimated 300,000 visitors expected for the Olympics. More information about the group can be found at www.morethangold.ca.

After having just come from Sochi, it was exciting to find the “Russky Dom” (Russia House) where workers were busily preparing to cheer on the Russian athletes and to promote the 2014 games in Sochi. The Russia House is located in Vancouver’s bulbous science museum just outside of the Olympic Village.

Tomorrow we will join up with the volunteers and More Than Gold officials. It will be exciting to see how God will use the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to grow his kingdom. Stay tuned!

More photos from day one can be seen at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047089&id=1072353850&l=4a9aacd5d3

Wrapping up in Karelia

2010-01-10T06:54:00.003-05:00

Sunday, January 10, 2010 – Petrozavodsk, Russia – Republic of Karelia

We are wrapping up our work in Karelia today. As with most places in Russia, I really hate to leave.

This morning was disappointing. When we arrived in Karelia we had the address and phone number for a congregation of believers in Petrozavodsk. While we were able to find the church building, the phone number we had did not have enough digits, so we were not able to make telephone contact with the pastor. However, the church had the times of the services posted on the two and twice we tried to connect with the believers here, but to no avail. This morning we watched as 10:30 came and went and there was no sign of life at the little church building.

We don’t know what happened or where the believers were. But they were certainly not there. Their absence could have been due to the fact that Christmas was celebrated this past week and they chose to cancel services for the rest of the week. It could be that due to the expense of having electricity and heat, the congregation could be meeting in a home to save money. (I did notice one car parked on the street that had a “Jesus Fish” on the back of it. Common in America, very out of the ordinary here.) Wherever they are, will you keep them in your prayers? Will you also pray about how you might become involved in this area?

Photographs from our morning can be seen here.

This evening we will get back on a train headed for Moscow. We are due to arrive around 9am. We will then start making our way to the airport for the second leg of this journey – Sochi, which is located on the Black Sea and will be the home of the 2014 Winter Olympics. And, this may come as quite shock to our bodies which have adapted to the near 0F temperatures. Sochi is forecast to be 50-degrees WARMER than it is here!

Please continue to pray as we travel, not just for us, but for our families who are at home without us. Due to travel, I will probably not update blogs until Tuesday night. However, I will try to keep my Facebook and Twitter status’ current for those of you who like the “blow-by-blow” accounts of our adventures. Thanks for praying and for following along!

Blessings,

Marc

Northern Stars and Well Water

2010-01-09T14:20:00.005-05:00

Saturday, January 9, 2010 – Petrozavodsk, Russia – Republic of Karelia

It is a clear, albeit cold, night in Petrozavodsk. As we were walking back to the hotel I stopped by the lakeshore in the hopes to see the Aurora Borealis. However, we are not quite far enough north to see that amazing sight. Oh well, I guess I have to have a few things left on my “Bucket List.” Maybe during my next trip to Murmansk it will be clear enough; it was not last year during my first trip.

I am not sure that I have ever seen the stars in the way I did tonight. I must confess, I actually forgot about looking for the Northern Lights until I was walking back and something caught my eye. It was Mars. It is no surprise that I am pretty geeky anyway, but it was so cool to see this planet tonight. It just seemed to be popping out of the sky. And, there was no mistaking what it was. I have never seen it look so red. Really quite amazing. My favorite constellation is Orion, and he was easily identifiable as he crossed the northern sky. There is just something comforting about being in an unfamilar place, but seeing the stars from home.

I have been thinking a lot about water today. We met three women today as we were shooting stand-ups near the artesian well where the people from this part of town to get their water (yes, many places in Russia still do not have running water in their homes…fortunately, our hotel does.) One of them was sharing the history of the 45-year old well and she explained that the lake (which was about 500 yards away) has very dirty water. And, that the water which comes out of this well is very clean.

For the rest of the day, my mind has been consumed with the thought of how important clean water is. These women certainly recognize the importance of getting clean water and what it means for their own health and for the health of their families.

Quite some time ago in a place far from here, there was another woman who came to a well for water. Like these women, she met a stranger - a foreigner - at the well who told her that what she needed was “Living Water.” Of course, that man was Jesus. The Message version of the Bible says Jesus told her, “When you drink this water (from the well) you will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life."

One of the things that occurred to me today as I pondered the events of the day and the story from the Bible was this: our world is so polluted with religious messages. Many think they are getting what they need. They think that what they are getting is good for them. After all, who would think that water could be bad for you? Water is water, after all. However, these three women at the well today reminded me of an important fact. Getting water is not enough. To be healthy we must have clean water.

Let’s make sure that as we come into contact with people -- no matter what country, culture, or society you live in – that you are pointing people to a clean source of water, not just any puddle or lake. There are a lot of bodies of water that, on the surface, look clean. A walk through the streets of Prague will reveal many posters leading you to some of those different bodies of water as they offer better living through meditation, exercise, and a host of other religious options.

As Christians, we can put up signs and posters that lead people to Living Water. We can build fancy buildings that cover the well and hope that people will recognize that as a place to come to get the Living Water. We can build a water park and have events where we hope that people will be attracted to the fun and adventure of the Living Water. And, we can even spend our spare time updating our Facebook and Twitter status’ to talk about the blood of Jesus and hope that people will feel guilty for not having the Living Water. But, wouldn’t Jesus be happier if we just sat down by the well and invited our friends to join us as we share a drink with him? A drink of Living Water? Maybe then there would be more people coming to the well and less people pulling water from the lake.

Blessings,

Marc

This was a light day?

2010-01-08T14:09:00.005-05:00

Friday, January 8, 2010 – Petrozavodsk, Russia – Republic of Karelia

Today was not as busy as others, but physically it seems to have taken its toll. As with most places in Russia, we walk almost everywhere we go, and the main section of Petrozavodsk is not very large. An average day consists of 3-4 miles of walking. Today, however, I think we put about double that amount under our feet. That is a lot of mileage under good circumstances, but add to that snowy and icy sidewalks and a couple of inches of new snow to that and the going is even rougher. Needless to say, tonight we are pretty worn out.

Temperatures here have also played a factor. This morning’s high of 14F quickly dropped and shortly after noon it was around 5F with wind chills below zero. Tomorrow’s highs are expected to be 3F.

We have spent the past couple of days collecting research on Petrozavodsk, the Republic of Karelia and the Karelian people. The task of the day was to shoot video of me in different places around town sharing that information. So, we did not cover a lot of new ground, but revisited a lot of familiar territory. That task will continue tomorrow as we ran out of sunlight faster than we wanted, and felt the temperatures dropping.

Of course, no day here seems to be without adventure and today was no different. Petrozavodsk is located on the shore of Europe’s second largest lake, Lake Onega. Right now the lake is covered with two feet of ice and another two feet of snow. What better conditions than to join the other ice fishermen on the lake? We trekked about 200 yards from the shoreline over the frozen surface and quickly struck up a friendship with Vladimir who allowed us to join him for a little bit. As we were talking we were able to pull a few small fish out of the ice and had a couple of others that got away. It was a strange experience to know that you were sitting in the middle of a lake and visions of the opening scene of “It’s A Wonderful Life” kept running through my head. However, it is an experience that I shall cherish and never forget.

More photos of Vladimir can bee seen here.

According to the sign on the door of the church that Tim found yesterday they were supposed to hold services tonight – a prayer meeting we think. We were hoping to make contact with the pastor and other church members so we could start working on a story about what God is doing in this part of Russia. However, when we arrived at 6:00pm tonight, the lights were off and the doors were locked. We are praying that was just because this week has been a holiday week that the doors were locked. I can’t imagine anything sadder than to find a church has had to close and lock their doors. To our knowledge, this is the only evangelical church in the area, and possibly the entire Republic.

Continue to pray for us as we work. We have more stand-ups and video of the city to shoot tomorrow. And since we are not used to the bitter cold it seems to be zapping our energy levels more than expected. Also pray for the church here. We hope the closed doors are not a permanent condition.

Blessings,

Marc

An "Air-Bus", Wooden Churches and More...

2010-01-07T14:01:00.005-05:00

Thursday, January 7, 2010 – Petrozavodsk, Russia – Republic of Karelia

С Рождеством Христовым (Merry Christmas) from the Russian north! Today is the day that Russians celebrate Christmas. We could talk about that, but will save that discussion for another day.

If anyone ever tries to tell you that missions work is boring, they are lying! Today was another day filled with fun and adventure. And, every time I think that this country can no longer amaze me, I am wrong. Mother Russia has plenty of surprises up her sleeves.

The day started before sunrise (9am) as I motored toward the airport in the taxi. Due to limited space for the excursion, Tim and I had to split up today, which meant I would be going to the ethnographic museum on the island of Кижи (Kizhi).

Since some have asked the question already, Ethnography aims to describe the nature of those who are studied (i.e. to describe a people, an ethnos.) In the biological sciences, this type of study might be called a "field study" or a "case report," both of whi

ch are used as common synonyms for "ethnography." (Thank you, Wikipedia) So, an ethnographic museum is a place that tries to capture and/or describe the nature of a particular people group. Often times these museums are outdoor exhibition centers. Many of you have visited Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. This is a good example of an ethnographic museum. And, when we are traveling to new parts of Russia, we often seek these museums out so that we may better understand the culture of the native ethnic people of the area. It can sound a little boring when you describe it, but getting to see it first-hand is far from boring.

When I booked this trip, with the help of the wonderful workers at our hotel, I was told that I would be taking an “air-bus” to the island. But after walking onto the airfield from what had to be the smallest airport I have ever been in, I soon realized that our “air-bus” was a helicopter! And, after a 30-minute ride at 300 meters above the frozen lake below, we landed opposite one of the most beaut

iful Russian Orthodox churches I have ever seen.

This link will take you to more information about the island and the buildings found there.

Most of the wooden buildings on the island were constructed in the early 1700s. The churches are native to Kizhi, while the other wooden structures were brought to the island to preserve them and so they could be part of the exhibition. I had a wonderful, English-speaking guide who gave me a tour of the complex. We talked some about native Karelian life and she echoed what we have come to learn…the Karelian way of life is dying. The Karelian language never did have a written form, and fewer and fewer people speak Karelian in this modern age. She added that most young people were leaving the Karelian villages and going to live and work in the big cities, such as Petrozavodsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow. Consequently, only older people remain in the Karelian villages of the Russian north and as they die, their culture is dying with them.

A link to some photo highlights of the day can be found here.

While I was off exploring the island, Tim was up to his own bit of exploring. His task for the day: find the Baptist church. That task may sound like an easy one if you are living in the rural south of the United States, but here in Russia, that can almost always be like finding a needle in a haystack. We knew that several years ago Russian Baptist church planters had been able to start a Baptist congregation here. However, we did not really know where and how to find them. But, Tim succeeded! According to the sign on the door they will be having a service (of some sort) tomorrow night and we are hoping to attend and make contact with the pastor and other church leaders.

So, continue to pray for us as we brave the frigid temperatures in this area close to the Arctic Circle. But, even more, pray that we will be able to make contact with our Baptist brothers and sisters tomorrow night so that we can tell stories about how God is at work in this area. And lastly, begin praying now about how God can use you to minister to the people of Karelia.

Blessings,

Marc

Photos from Karelia-Day Two

2010-01-06T16:50:00.000-05:00

Photos from day two can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2043954&id=1072353850&l=4fa402f8d2

Photos from Karelia-Day One

2010-01-06T16:46:00.001-05:00

Photos from Day One of our Karelian Adventure can be seen here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2043859&id=1072353850&l=e4d9e3d76c

Karelian Assimilation

2010-01-06T11:47:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 – Petrozavodsk, Russia – Capitol of the Republic of Karelia

It is Christmas Eve in Russia. Not the Christmas Eve that you and I usually think about. However, Russians celebrate Christmas based on the Orthodox calendar and tomorrow, January 7, is Christmas Day. Most Russians have been on vacation since New Year’s Eve and we have seen many families enjoying time together in the city. Later tonight we will attend a midnight service at the large Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the center of town.

Our first day in a new city is usually spent trying to get ourselves acquainted with the people and the culture and this trip has been no different. It seems that no matter how much research you do before hand, there is always so much that you never know until you get your feet on the ground.

Worth mentioning, however, is how friendly people seem to be here. After living and working in Moscow for two years, it is often easy to forget that outside of the mega-cities people tend to be very friendly and willing to help strangers. The staff at our hotel has been invaluable in this regard and they have assisted us in numerous ways. We also received a warm greeting at one of the museums we visited this afternoon.

According to statistics, there are around 130,000 native Karelians in Russia, and most of them live in the Republic of Karelia. However, that number only accounts for less then 10-percent of the population here. Karelians are one of two minority peoples who are native to this area (the other being the Veps who are more closely related to the neighboring Finns.) And, as a result of centuries of this land being shared between the native peoples, the Russians and the Finns, it is almost nearly impossible to identify native Karelians by their physical features. However, they more closely resemble Russians, than the fairer Veps.

As with most Russians, the majority of Karelian people identify themselves with the Russian Orthodox Church. However, we have found several Catholic and Lutheran congregations here. This is also a result of this land being occupied by the Finns and Swedes over many generations.

I suppose that at the end of the day, several things about Karelian people have caught our interest. First, and probably foremost, is that the Karelian people and culture seems to be a dying way of life. Most native Karelians identify themselves as being Russian. And the people, as a whole, seem to have been all but totally assimilated into Russian culture. One of our guides, a native Vep, said that she is unable to identify native Karelians during everyday activity.

We also learned that life in the villages today is almost identical to village life over 100 years ago. Most of the Karelian natives found in the northern villages are wheat farmers and still work the land using animals and simple hand tools. People in the villages earn a living by selling wheat, milk, and other byproducts of farm living. However, in order for them to have the money they need to survive the man of the house will usually travel to the city and find work there to help support the family. Once he has earned enough to last the family for several months, he will return home and then go back to find itinerant work in the city when that money has run out.

As with much of Russia, however, only a small number of people still live this way. Most are abandoning village life and are moving to large urban centers, such as Petrozavodsk – which explains much of the assimilation of the Karelian culture with the Russian culture that surrounds it. Only 25-percent of the people in the Republic of Karelia live outside of the cities.

As you are praying for the Engage Russia team, and our travels, take a few minutes to pray for the people of the Republic of Karelia on this Christmas Eve. Most in the city of Petrozavodsk will not attend a church service tonight, or give thought to the birth of a baby in a stable. Others will stand in the midnight cold in order to receive their annual blessing from an Orthodox priest. Pray that God will make himself known to the people of Karelia and that they would find hope in the manger tonight.

Blessings,

Marc

Engage Russia: The Karelian Odyssey

2010-01-05T15:09:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, January 5, 2010 – Train from Moscow to Petrozavodsk

There is something majestic abou

t a train ride though the northeast of Russia in the winter. A thick blanket of clean snow wraps the countryside in a pristine calmness that I have yet to be able to adequately capture in a photograph or on video. And, it is a reminder of just how vast this country is.

In Russia, the most cost effective and efficient means of travel is by train. We usually travel in a “coupe”, a compartment with four beds – which means that we are usually traveling with at least one, and usually two strangers. This, in itself, adds flavor to every trip we take. We have had rides, like this one, where our traveling companions say little, if anything. However, long train rides have also allowed us to make new relationships, strengthen friendships, and often provide a very natural opportunity to share the Gospel.

You never can tell what kind of experiences you might have as the wheels clickity-clack against polished steel rails.

The most fun stops are in places where local vendors come out to peddle their wares. We have seen everything from sodas and candy bars to the absolutely ridiculous such as crystal chandeliers and taxidermy of local animals such as foxes and badgers.

This kind of travel is not for everyone and it is an experience that you either love or you hate.However it is a truly Russian experience as most Russians cannot afford to fly and driving across this country is impractical.

This afternoon we will arrive in Petrozavodsk, the capital of The Republic of Karelia. Due to its northern location, it will already be dark when we arrive and the sun will not rise until 10am.Tomorrow will be spent exploring the city, visiting museums, and collecting information about the Karelian people. We will also begin our search for groups of believers so we can talk about what God is already doing in this northern part of Russia.

Stay tuned as we Engage Russia!

Animoto.com

2009-12-24T14:15:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Hooks Family-09

2009-12-24T11:11:00.001-05:00

Jet-lag Is Not A Pretty Thing

2009-02-21T04:47:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-02-06T00:57:00.004-05:00

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...

2009-01-29T01:52:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-20T12:23:00.000-05:00

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

2009-01-02T09:16:00.003-05:00

Remembering Aunt Lee

2008-12-14T02:50:00.003-05:00

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

2008-12-06T05:08:00.001-05:00

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

Don't forget to give to Lottie this year!

2008-11-28T16:27:00.002-05:00

With grateful and happy hearts...

2008-11-27T00:54:00.003-05:00

What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! To announce your love each daybreak, sing your faithful presence all through the night, Accompanied by dulcimer and harp, the full-bodied music of strings. ~ Psalm 92:1 (The Message)

It is good to be home again after spending most of the months of October and November on the road. In that time, on two different occasions I spent a combined three weeks in Prague, a week in the Republic of Udmurtia and have just returned from another week in the Chuvash Republic. The remainder of this month and December will be spent at home, and I am looking forward to the time with my family.

I hate that it usually takes a special holiday, especially Thanksgiving, for us to stop and recall all the things the Lord has done for us and for all the many things for which we should be thankful. We really should do that on a daily basis, but it seems that (at least for me) life always seems to get in the way of pausing to reflect on God's graciousness and to think about the things for which we should be thankful, but become part of our daily routine. So, here is an abbreviated list of some of the many things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving...

~ Of course, I have to start with my God, who provided the ultimate sacrifice to save me from my sins. That sounds preachy, but really. To just imagine that someone who knows my every thought, motive, and generally crappy nature would still lay down His life just to make sure that I can approach the throne of God. Wow! Now that is something to be thankful for.

~ My wife. I don't tell you who read this, or even her, enough what a special woman God gave me in my wife. Kellye is a truly wonderful woman who supports me in every way. In many ways, she is the embodiment of the Proverbs 31 wife and here are just a few examples from The Message version of that proverb:

"She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast
for her family and organizing her day...
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work,
is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
diligent in homemaking.
She's quick to assist anyone in need,
reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn't worry about her family when it snows;
their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her;
her husband joins in with words of praise:
"Many women have done wonderful things,
but you've outclassed them all!"

Is it any wonder that I am thankful for her??

~ My children. Sometimes, in the midst of life in another country it can be hard to remind yourself to be thankful for your children. Life here can be difficult and life here with three children who share a room in an apartment can be a little challenging at times. And, as a result, it can be pretty hard to remember to be thankful for your children at times. However, they are each very special and I love watching them growing into the people that God is molding them to be. Sarah Beth is silly and compassionate and makes me laugh. She has a great eye for video and photography and spending a week with her in Udmurtia was one of the greatest joys of my time in Russia. She has a great heart for God and for lost people and I am excited to see how God will use her. Hannah is growing into quite the young woman. She understands that following God's call is not always fun or easy, but that obiedience to that call is important, even if what we want to do somedays is go home. Hannah is funny and creative, a great writer, computer savvy, and has a unique way of seeing the world. She is also a joy to spend time with and I love that she still likes to snuggle up with her Daddy just to be close to him. John-John...well, what can you say. He is my boy. Not only does he look like me, in many ways he acts like me too. He is curious and inquisitive. He wants to know everything about everything. He also is computer savvy, even though he is just 7. He, unlike his father, likes to study Russian. He has never met a stranger and is never bashful to tell people about Jesus. He has a heart for God and all of "God's little guys", no matter how repulsive. I am just glad that we do not live in Brazil! I have no idea what John will be when he grows up, but I can already see signs that he will be a great man of God. As you can see, I have much to be thankful for.

~ Our family back home. I don't want to camp out on the fact that life here can be difficult. However, life here is always made easier by our family back home. They pray for us regularly, call for no particular reason, help us deal with stuff back home, spend countless dollars to help make life easier and send boxes of silly things like KoolAid and 3 Musketeers bars. This year I am specifically thankfull for Kay and Cathy, who are the sisters I never had while growing up. But mostly I am thankful for two sets of parents who raised Kellye and I to hear God's voice. I am thankful that we were raised in Christian homes. I am thankful that our parents always held us accountable to standards of Chrstian living, even when that was difficult. I am thankful that our parents made it possible for us both to attend OBU, or I never would have met my wonderful bride.

Time is starting to run short, so I will try to get in as many things possible...

~ Our churches. We could not stay on the field without their help and support. We appreciate everybody who helps by praying, giving, and going. A special thanks also to the many Sunday School classes who have sent cards, letters, packages and donations for things like warm winter clothing.

~ My travel partner, Tim. Getting to travel around the country would not be nearly as much fun without him by my side. More on that at a later day, but you should know that I am thankful for the fact tht he is my partner.

~ Friends around the world who read this blog, many of whom I have never met. Most days I wonder why this blog would be of any interest to anyone other than family or friends, and yet you continue to read and to pray for us. I am thankful for you.

~ Old friends with whom I have reconnected via Facebook. How cool is that, really?

~ Snow on Thanksgiving morning. It would not be a Moscow Thanksgiving without it. Seriously, I love it.

~ Our English Club. Having relationships with this special group of Russians that God has given us to share our lives with is just great and we love them.

~ Our "Mission Friends" here in Moscow and around the world. Too many to name everybody specifically, but you know who you are. I am thankful for you.

~ Our cat, Notchka, who makes our apartment feel a little more like home.

~ A company who makes sure we have a place to live and food on the table and who has a vision of reaching all peoples on earth with the Gospel. We are also grateful for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering which makes us being here possible. Please start praying about what you will give this year.

As you can imagine, this is far from an exhaustive list of all the things I am thankful for. And, if you put them on a scale, they would far outweigh the yucky stuff about missionary life. Thank you again for being part of our ministry and for reading.

COMING SOON...

~ A recap of my trip to Udmurtia.
~ A full report from my trip to the Chuvash Republic.
~ New videos from the Engage Russia project.
~ The world premire of the Engage Russia theme song, "You and I" by the Jud Kossum Band.

STAY TUNED!!!

Where in the world is Marc???

2008-11-19T09:16:00.003-05:00

Over the next six months I am scheduled to travel to nearly a dozen cities spread across Russia. So, it may be difficult for me to sit down and write regular blog entries, however I will attempt to do that as often as possible. However, in the meantime, I will be posting regular updates on Facebook, which I can do from my phone. So, if you are on Facebook and have not added me as a friend, send me an invitation, I would love to hear from you.

I have also created, a Twitter account and will start updating that soon as well.

Thanks for praying and wanting to stay connected.

Blessings,

Marc

On my way out the door...

2008-11-19T09:11:00.002-05:00

Well, it seems that time for reflection lasted for only a couple of hours before life started getting busy again. In less than an hour I will head out for the train station and will spend the night on my way to Cheboksary, the capital of the Chuvash Republic. This media trip will be the second in a series of trips I will be taking as part of our new "Engage Russia" project. I will be telling you more about that as we roll out the new website and first video features...hopefully just after Thanksgiving.

I will return next Tuesday and will update you on this trip, plus add a few more comments from my Udmurt trip at that time.

Blessings,

Marc

Time to Reflect--Part One

2008-11-01T02:11:00.003-04:00

It is a quiet Saturday morning... something that comes none too often in our home these days, so I thought I would take the opportunity to reflect on the past couple of weeks.

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

Great Expectations....and consequent disappointment

2008-10-28T04:03:00.003-04:00

Today was supposed to be a banner day. After more than three months of waiting, the part for our broken clothes dryer was supposed to be installed this afternoon. However, it seems that as we get our hopes up in the morning, we often spend the end of the day saying, "Well, that's Russia."

This morning the company called to tell me that the part from Germany contained a factory defect and they would not be sending a repairman today. So, where does that leave us? Back to doing a minimum of two loads of laundry a day and waiting for them to crunchily dry on the rack. It leaves us praying that they can get the part ordered and delivered from Germany in less than another three months time. And it leaves us with a clothes dryer that only worked for a week and has since just been something to sit other stuff on top of.

Well, that's Russia.

After my trip to some small towns this past week, I keep telling myself that the things in Moscow that make me whine are nothing compared to the life that other Russians endure every day. Many have no running water or indoor plumbing. Many struggle with how to heat their homes. So, there is much more to life than a dryer that is not working. However, when away from your home you cling to small comforts that make life a little more bearable, and that was one of them. So, today please pray for Kellye and I to have patience. And pray that the company is able to get a new, non-defective part delivered in a relatively short amount of time.

Blessings,

Marc

Back from our first adventure...

2008-10-27T13:32:00.003-04:00

I have returned from my first media trip outside Moscow. We visited the Republic of Udmurtia and worked with Russian Baptists and a volunteer team from the States. Sarah Beth and my partner's daughter, Rachel accompanied us on this trip and we had a great time bonding with our daughters.

There is much to write about and many pictures to post, but here are a few highlights for you to be looking forward to:
1. Christian lessons from the life of a chicken.
2. "We go to banya."
3. Flaming coffee.
4. RLMs4RLUs

I will try to start writing tomorrow so that I can document things before I start to forget them. In the meantime, here are three photos from Udmurtia to give you a sense of what life there is like.

Blessings,
Marc

When time stands still...

2008-10-04T01:40:00.003-04:00

I am a blessed guy. I really am. If I were to take the time to write about all of the blessings in my life, they would have to create more space on the Internet. Of course, Kellye and my kids would have to be at the top of the list, but very close to the top would be good friends.

Have you ever had friends that are so close, so in-tune with who you are that when you are apart time stands still? You know, the kind of friend that when you are together it does not matter whether a year or 20 years has passed since you were together last, it feels like just yesterday? While some people are never lucky enough to have those kinds of friends, I am blessed to have two sets...guys that I went to college with, and some people who went through missionary training together in Richmond. I suppose there are some similarities, we both lived together in pretty close quarters for some time. But the biggest similarity is that these couple of people in my life just "get me." And, conversely, I just "get them."

Ya know, missionary life is not always easy. As a matter of a fact, some days it can be downright hard. It can be discouraging, lonely and sometimes it makes you wonder why God has called you to serve in this way. But I think that there are rewards, and one of those is that He provides friends to help you get through those times of discouragement. Friends who somehow transcend both time and distance. Friends who will make you laugh so hard an for so long that you don't want to go to bed no matter how tired you are. Friends who will celebrate your victories with you and encourage you. Friends who understand that sometimes you want to toss a family member (or two) out of your balcony window...and then stick around just to watch them bounce. And friends who will tell you that you are wrong when you are. These are the kinds of friends God gives missionaries.

This week is a special one for our family. We will have the opportunity to spend time with these unique friends in our life. We will laugh. Some of us will cry. (Oh, man-up and get over it!) We will eat foods that we cannot get in our own countries. We will worship and pray. We will be tourists together. But most importantly, we will be friends for each other.

I pray that God gives you at least one "time stands still" friend in your life. And, if He does, that you will get to spend as much time together as possible and that you will cherish that.

Blessings,

Marc

PS-There are more photos and video of this magical cit to come, so stay tuned!

Video from Prague

2008-10-03T17:09:00.003-04:00

I love this city.

Meeting with Russian Brothers...In The Czech Republic!

2008-10-03T03:10:00.004-04:00

We are spending this week and next in Prague, Czech Republic as we attend some meetings, spend time with dear friends, and enjoy our first vacation since arriving on the field a year ago. (I know, I cannot believe it has been that long either!)

During this time we have been staying with our good friends, Larry and Melissa, who currently live in Prague, but will be serving in Plzen starting in the spring. Yesterday Larry was invited to a meeting with the head of the Czech Baptist Union who wanted to introduce him to some Russian Baptist missionaries who will also be moving to Plzen to work with Russian-speakers in the area...so he invited me to tag along. It is hard this morning to put that experience into words, but I will try.

First, if you were a fly on the wall you would have needed several language dictionaries to keep up. The meeting was conducted in English, because that was the most common language. But it was a strange mixture of English, Czech and Russian. It was exciting for me to sit with the head of the Czech Baptist Union and hear him talk about his heart for reaching his nation and to hear how excited he is about reaching Russians as well as native Czechs. And it was invigorating to hear how God is bringing resources from around the globe to this city in Western Czech Republic to bring the gospel to the people there. In addition to the work they were involved in, God has also brought others who are working with the Roma, or gypsies in the area. And, I must admit, it was also exciting to be in Prague and speaking Russian with Baptist brothers...one of which spoke only Russian and not Czech or English.

An interesting side note. When we speak to our friends in Moscow about the time before 1990, they refer to this time as either "communism" or "when we were the USSR." But here in the Czech Republic they refer to 1990 as "the revolution" and the time before that as "under totalitarianism." It is interesting how the perspective changes as to whether you are one of the conquering or the conquered. And yet, none the less, the believers here still have a desire to see native Russians who are living in the Czech Republic come to Christ. Isn't that itself a testimony to Jesus living in us?

I may have said this in this blog before, but this seems like a good place to repeat it if I have. A funny thing has happened over the past year. When I left the States I considered myself a media producer whose job it was to assist church planters in Russia. But now, after living in Moscow for a year, making friends with Russians, and learning to speak the Russian language, I consider myself to be a church planter who uses his media skills to help reach Russian speakers. Will we always serve in Moscow? I don't know. Will we always serve in Russia? I don't really know that either. But, after yesterday morning what I can tell you is that God has given me a heart for native Russian speakers, regardless of where in the world that they live. Yes, I have become a church planter, and it is my heart's desire to see God use the Russians with whom I am able to share my faith to then go and share that Good news with their Russian friends. Of course, English will always be my first language, but when I hear Russian it speaks to my soul. Now really, who would have ever thought that would have happened this year?

We are looking forward to the rest of the weekend before our meetings start on Sunday. Today we are going on "photo safari" in this magical city and I cannot wait to share some of those images with you. Our friends from all over CEE will be arriving on Saturday evening and I can only imagine there will be lots of laughter over the next week as we share our experiences from the last year. It is my prayer that wherever in the world that you are when you read this that you have as good of friends as we have.

Blessings,

Marc

Camping with the Scouts

2008-10-03T02:44:00.004-04:00

Showing off his first Swiss Army Knife!

Sitting around the campfire.

Whittling a stick to roast weenies on.

The Hooks Men head for the woods!

Last weekend the Hooks men escaped the concrete jungle of Moscow and headed into the wilderness for a camping trip with the Cub Scouts. Well, I say the wilderness, but it was actually a dacha about 2 hours south of town, but we were surrounded by a patch of woods so I guess that counts. Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I love the outdoors. I like to hike, love to build fires and cook over them, and life is even better if I am near the water. However, sleeping in tents is just not for me... especially when there is a perfectly good house only 25 feet away.

This was John's first camp-out and we had a really good time. Our big man got his first Swiss Army knife and learned to whittle and we built a birdhouse together. We roasted weenies over the fire and made a "hobo" dinner where you wrap your food in foil and burry it in the coals of the fire for 40 minutes. So, it was a lot of fun. The weather, on the other-hand was horrible. We had rain for most of the weekend and overnight temperatures hovered right around freezing. As a matter of a fact, when we packed the tents on Sunday morning there was ice all over the rain covers! Did I mention that I think this is a perfectly good waste of a house?

Anyway, it was great to be out of the city. I saw stars for the first time in over a year. And, not just a few of them. As a matter of a fact, I am not sure I have ever seen as many stars as I did on Friday night. It was simply breathtaking and caused me to take a minute to sit and stare in awe and remind myself of the majesty of God.

All in all, the weekend was a big success...but I am glad the Scouts only do it twice a year!

Pirates, Bible Study & Cold Feet

2008-09-19T05:59:00.007-04:00

Avast, Mateys!

Today is one of me favorite days...it's International Talk Like A Pirate Day. (Don't believe me? Check out www.talklikeapirate.com ) However, I for the sake of this blog I will keep my pirate talk down to a minimum.

Kellye is outside of Moscow for a few days with the teachers from Hinkson during their annual staff retreat and that left the English Club teaching duties to me last night. So guess what the theme for last night's lesson was? You guessed it....pirates! We watched a few sections from Muppet Treasure Island, learned some pirate vocabulary, and created a comic strip about pirate life. But the best part of the day actually came this morning when I received an email from one of our students written entirely in pirate-speak. Now, how cool is that??

Bible Study Update

In my last post I wrote about our attempt to move people from English Club to Bible study and I am pleased to report that we had one of our students show up the following Sunday. He had never read the Bible before, so I gave him one (an NIV Study Bible that had been translated into Russian) and we started with the basics. "The Bible is divided into two sections. It contains 66 different books, etc." After which, we started to read the Gospel of Mark together. We have been reading a chapter a day and then discussing on Sundays. And, last week the student who came brought his younger brother with him. So, just like English Club we started with one person, then went to two. And, in the near future, I am hoping that we will continue to expand and have more and more people coming to our home on Sunday's to study the Bible. One of the things that we, as a team, have adopted as one of our core beliefs is that "The Word of God is the change agent in people's lives." While I considered using some books, study guides and other tools, I have to believe that if we really put stock into this statement that spending time reading and talking about God's word with lost people will result in life-changing faith. So, that is exactly what we are doing. Is it church? No. But it is the first steps of exposing a group of people with no religious background and no knowledge of God's word toward finding out the special purpose God has for their lives.

Please continue to be in prayer for these two special men. Pray that the Word of God will penetrate their hearts and minds and that the Holy Spirit will draw them to Himself. Pray also for Kellye and I as we lead these discussions and teach. Sometimes explaining Biblical concepts can be difficult enough in your own heart language, but even harder in a language that you are learning. (Our lessons are a strange mixture of Russian and English and sometimes there is a dash of German thrown in.) Pray also that as these men study that they will feel led to bring their friends with them so that we may study together.

Cold feet!

No, I am not nervous or scared. My feet are quite literally cold! The weather really took a turn last week and the temps dropped and the rain and wind moved in. Everybody in the house got sick and Kellye and I are still coughing and have runny noses all day long. (Nice visual, huh?) Even though it is a little warmer this week (low 50s), this is still my least favorite time of year in Moscow. Usually once the snow starts there is a strange sense of warmth about the snow, even when the wind is blowing. Ugh, but the rain, now that is another story. It seems that no matter what you wear you always feel cold and wet. And on a related matter, I think I am going to write a book called "Moving to Moscow: What they don't tell you in the brochure." One of the first chapters will be called "A thermostat? What is that?" If you didn't know before, now you will know that the heat inside all buildings is controlled by the government and no matter what the weather is, it only operates from November 1 to March 1. Not only does the government control the heat, they control the temperature, so you can usually count on the inside temperature being anywhere from 80-100 degrees. I only wish I was exaggerating for effect. Chapter two will be called "What do you mean I have to take a cold shower?" Another quirk about living here is that the government (remember the guys who control the heat?) also controls the hot water. And, in the summer months they do maintenance on the city's hot water system. So for around two weeks (if your are lucky) each summer there is no hot water available in your apartment. Fortunately for us, our landlady installed a contact water heater for the shower, but that still does not help with things like washing clothes and dishes.

There are more chapters to the book (those of you who are hoping to visit or live here will have to stay tuned for more), but right now my feet are so cold I cannot remember what else I was gonna write about.

Next weekend is the big Cub Scout father/son camp-out, so my blog will be delayed by a few days, but I suspect that it will be chock-full of John-John stories. Speaking of which, Long John Hooks (his pirate name) is waiting for the Captain to make his way to the galley and fix him some pizza and grog 'else I may have a mutiny on my hands and have to walk the plank!

Arrrrrrr!

Spending the day with my Russian friends...

2008-09-06T14:46:00.002-04:00

We were invited by a group of our English Club students (Jane and Dasha) to a picnic today and we could not pass up the opportunity. It is always good to get these invitations because Russians are usually pretty guarded about inviting new people into their intimate circles, let alone foreigners. So, even though Kellye and the girls had prior commitments John and I went out to enjoy what will probably be one of the last warm weekends we will see for the next six months or so.

Little did I know that Jane actually lives in a small city outside of Moscow that took us about 40 minutes on the Metro and another 30 minutes by bus to get to. (Which makes me appreciate even more the fact that she comes to our home every Thursday night.) And, after the two-mile hike into the woods after the bus ride I was more ready for a nap than for a picnic. As you can imagine John was enjoying being in the woods and looking for and then talking to all of God's "little guys."

We joined the many others who had made the trek to the large lake in the woods that was surrounded on most sides by a sandy beach. Frankly, it was hard to believe that we were as close as we were to a city of 15-million people because the setting was so quiet, beautiful and totally different to what we have become accustomed to in the city. The men (John-John, Sergey, and myself) built a small fire so we could grill our meat while the girls spread out blankets and the rest of the spread.

They had asked me to bring some recreation stuff, so I grabbed John's frisbee and at the last minute decided to grab the football off my shelf. When I unpacked my backpack and they saw the oblong ball they nearly went crazy. It was the first time any of them had ever seen, let alone touched, an American football and they were dying to learn how to play. Now, I don't know if you have ever tried to explain how to play football to someone who has no concept of the game. But try then to explain it in another language...one that you have only scratched the surface in learning! We had so much fun they have asked me to organize a football party for them in a park nearby our home.

On a more serious note, we have been working with these students, along with about 25 more, in English Club for the past six months. During that time we have tried to live our faith out in front of them and be an "incarnational witness" for them. This week we sent an email to each of them inviting them to join us for a Bible study in our home on Sunday afternoons, starting tomorrow. We are praying that God's spirit will move in them and draw them to our home on Sundays to study more about what God might have for their lives and how they can join us on our journey of faith.

On the walk back to the bus station, Sergey asked me about the invitation. "It is something about the Bible, right?"

"Well," I said. "Our family studies the Bible every day."

"Oh yes, I know that," he replied.

"So it is something that is important to us and we wanted to share it with our Russian friends," I said.

So, please start now to pray for Sergey, Jane, Dasha and the rest of our English Club students as they consider our invitation to join us to learn about what God is doing in their lives. While we will be surprised to see any of them tomorrow we would be thrilled if any of them decide to come. I do feel that God is moving in their lives and that we were prompted to make this invitation when we did. So, we are excited to see what God is going to do in the lives of these young Russians.

Finally, it is time for Sooner Football, so this is were I wrap things up. It was an interesting day and I believe that God is orchestrating these opportunities for us to live our faith out in front of folks who don't have any more of a concept that Jesus can be a real part of their lives than they do of how to play American football. Fortunately, I happen to have a copy of the rule book...for both!

Blessings,

Marc

Feeling like I should blog...

2008-09-06T03:16:00.002-04:00

This Morning...

It is Saturday morning and Kellye and the girls have gone to Mega to shop and pick up a few things. John and I are hanging out at the house for a few hours before we join some of our Russian friends who have invited us to a picnic this afternoon. We treasure these invitations because they are tangible signs that we are being accepted into their everyday lives. I cannot tell you how much we have enjoyed working with these young people each week and how much their friendship keeps us going some weeks.

Now, I must admit that I have been feeling a little discouraged as of late. The details are really not all that important. However, when discouragements sets in it is a hard feeling to shake...even when you can see external signs that things are looking up or that your discouragement is not really rooted in reality. So, as you pray for us this week, please pray that God would help me work through this season quickly and that discouragement will be replaced with enthusiasm for our lives here.

We Finally Made It...

For months I have praying for us to just hold on long enough for September 1st to get here. Why September 1? Because that was a couple of weeks after the start of school. That was the date I was praying that our lives would feel just a little bit easier. And, you know what? It does. Thanks to some very generous gifts from people back home we were able to enroll our kids at Hinkson Christian Academy and have our first semester paid for. Kellye is also teaching a couple of classes there to help defray the costs. Why has this been so imoortant? Well, I think the biggest thing is that this school is where all of the missionary kids in Moscow attend. So, to be a homeschooled kid many times means that you get left out...even if it is unintentional. It also provides tremendous social opportunities for our children who have not grown up in a home school atmosphere or on the mission field. So, to be honest, this has released our family from feeling like prisoners in our own home. Sarah Beth is playing on the girls' soccer team, Hannah is taking piano lessons and John-John is getting involved in Cub Scouts. And, Kellye is getting to exercise her gifts as a teacher and is starting to have a ministry at the school in addition to all that she does for our family and through English Club. So, this is a time to give praises for the changes in our lives. Does that mean that every day is a good one? No. But it was not at home either, right? Thanks again to all the people that are helping make this possible.

Football and Feeling a Little, No...A Lot, Home Sick...

For those of you who read this and know me pretty well you know that on most occasions I am a pretty happy guy. And not just happy, but joyful. I love living in Moscow. I love the big city, all the different things there are to do and see here, and even riding on the buses and metro. But last Saturday I was swept by a wave of homesickness that was pretty hard to overcome. As you know, I am a nut about college football. (BOOMER SOONER!!!) And at home my day usually started early by making a pot of chili and then watching CollegeGameDay on ESPN followed by 12 hours of football games. Last year I missed most of the college season. On a few rare Saturdays we were able to watch a few games during our field training in Richmond, VA. But once we got to the field I was limited to watching the little game-tracker graphic on my computer with no audio or video. In December our family purchased a piece of technology that allows us to watch American television through the Internet on my computer. So, we were able to watch the bowl games and enjoy those, despite yet another Fiesta Bowl Sooner loss. So, I had spent month looking forward to last Saturday. We were gonna put ESPN up on the computer and watch GameDay and all the games into the wee hours of the morning. And, as the show started, I stood in the kitchen and wept like a little girl for what was only minutes, but felt like hours. I was so overcome by homesickness. Silly, isn't it? I was doing exactly what I wanted to do. It was not that I was accustomed to being AT the games, I was watching in the kitchen just like I always do. But I was so homesick and lonely. I eventually got over it and was able to watch and enjoy the games and plan to watch the Sooners tonight. But, this one little thing reminded me how much my life has changed over the last year. In most ways I would tell you that it has changed for the good. But, man, when homesickness and discouragement come, they come heavy and hard.

FaceBook

This past month I became part of the FaceBook generation. If you don't know what this is, you really should try it. It is an Internet tool for networking with family and friends. Well, in the past two weeks I have made contact with and become reacquainted with friends that I have not seen or talked with in 20+ years. It really has been amazing and such a tremendous blessing to me. So, to all of my FaceBook friends, thank you for encouraging me over these past two weeks and making me smile.

Well, I had planned to tell a few more stories and share more with you, but the time of the picnic has just been moved up by two hours and I have to get going.

Blessings,

Marc

Address Change

2008-08-16T12:37:00.002-04:00

Since arriving in Russia we have asked that when you send packages that you send them to our office address. However, we are in the process of relocating our offices and have been asked to have to have all packages sent to our personal addresses. So, if you are planning to send a box of goodies from America to Russia, please use our apartment address. Thanks!

Moscow 117485 Russia

Ulitsa Akademika Volgina

D. 8, K.2, Kv. 54

Marc & Kellye Hooks

RUSSIA

A lot of catching up to do

2008-08-15T06:17:00.004-04:00

Well, it has been ages since I sat down to write a blog. And, I could make lots of excuses for why I haven't done that. But instead I will try to just bring you up to date on all the things around here.

UNEXPECTED FRIENDS

Several weeks ago we received a phone call from one of our friends and colleagues who serves in the Far East of Russia...the area that almost connects Russia with Alaska. It seems that due to a SNAFU with the airlines there was a team of volunteers headed for the Far East and they were stranded in Moscow. Of course, I suited-up and headed for the airport to pick them up and helped arrange for a place for them to stay while they were in Moscow. Now, as it turns out, some of those folks are regular readers of the Hooks family blogs, so it was great to get to meet and spend time with people who pray for and support our ministry. After several days of negotiating with the airlines we were able to finally get them to their final destination so they could help with a youth camp. (By the way, there were a large handful of youth who accepted Jesus as their savior during that week.) I cannot tell you how wonderful it was and how encouraging it was to spend some time with these new friends of ours. It was a very special time for our family and we enjoyed getting to know them. Sometimes it is easy to forget that there are faithful friends back home who pray for us regularly, so this was really a time for encouragement.

STONES OF REMEMBRANCE

It is good to have times and places where we stop and evaluate our lives. For Kellye and I this usually takes place every summer as we celebrate our anniversary. I can honestly say that I never really expected to celebrate an anniversary in Moscow, Russia. And I really never expected to call that place my home. However, God has done some great and mighty things in the 18 years that we have been married. I think if I were to recount them all I would probably overwhelm the servers of the blogging network and cause a world-wide shutdown, so I won't do that. However, let me say how blessed a man I am that God gave Kellye Hodges Hooks to me. She is a tower of strength and the premiere example of what it means to be a godly woman of faith. She is not only my wife and best friend, but a wonderful and loving mother to my children and I am a blessed man. If you want to read more about the kind of woman she is, turn to the last chapter of the book of Proverbs and start reading in verse 10...you will see her described there.

SOME BITTER WITH THE SWEET

Unfortunately, our anniversary will also remind us of the passing of our dear friend Teri Tarleton. It was on this day that she went to be with her Jesus and left the rest of us to carry on the work here without her. She was not only a dear friend, but a godly wife and mother and example to us all of how to live on the mission field with hearts filled with joy regardless of circumstances. She will be missed by our family very much. We will miss her smile, her playful attitude, her cooking, her patience, her love for us and our children, and a myriad of other things. And, while we are saddened at her passing we celebrate a life lead for her Lord.

MOVING INTO MID-LIFE

We also celebrated Kellye's 41st birthday recently. It is amazing that a woman that looks so young and beautiful could be "into" her 40s. Wow! How blessed am I?

THE QUEST: MISSION UKRAINE

Most of the folks with our company who work in the Moscow offices are in the process of obtaining new work visas and work permits that will allow us to stay in the country long-term. Now this is a rather difficult process and the Russian government does not like to make life easy for foreigners. ("The Russian government does not like to make life easy for Russians either," said Dema, one of our Russian friends.) So several weeks ago we packed our bags and headed for Ukraine to obtain our new documents. In the recent past our folks had been able to get their new documents in Kiev. However, two weeks prior to our trip the Kiev office decided they were not going to process those kinds of documents anymore, so we had to go to Odessa. So after an overnight train ride to Kiev, we got Kellye and the kids settled into a company-owned apartment in Kiev and I jumped on a "bus" (it was really an 18-passenger van) headed for Odessa. Maybe one day this week I will write the full account of my very interesting trip, but for this blog's purposes I will summarize. Six hours later I arrived in Odessa... aptly named because the dictionary definition for odyssey reads "a long and eventful or adventurous journey." I arrived on Thursday night and was told at the consulate on Friday morning that my new documents would be ready that afternoon. After sitting in the waiting room for the entire day on Friday I was informed at 4:30 that getting the documents that day would be "impossible" and that I should return after 10am on Monday. So I spent the weekend exploring Odessa and then spent the entire day on Monday sitting in the waiting room waiting for my paperwork. Finally, around 4:30 on monday the consulate handed me our passports with the new visa stickers. Woo-hoo! Then it was back on the "bus" to Kiev. We spent a fun day at the zoo with friends of ours who live in Ukraine and that night we were back on the train to Moscow. OK, as I write this overview I now know that this week I need to tell the whole story, so stay tuned for that one. Needless to say, we arrived home safely and realized that we are starting to think of Moscow as "home."

THE RUSSIA FAMILY

Immediately upon our return to Moscow we started final preparations for our Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was being held at a retreat center about 2 hours south of Moscow. Kellye's description of this event in her blog does as good a job as any of describing the week-long meeting with our colleagues from around Russia, so I will refer you to her blog for more information. But let me add that there is something refreshing about sharing time together and swapping stories to be reminded that we are not alone here. In many places where we have personnel, their nearest contact with anyone from our company can be as much as several thousand miles away. So it is nice to be reminded that we are not alone here...that we all hate language school...and that we all face similar struggles and though we may not be seeing them in our own back yard, there are success stories from across Russia. God is at work in this place and this was a good reminder of that.

So, as we spend the weekend sharing a few more precious moments with dear friends who serve on the opposite end of the country, let me say to you that the one thing that we all have in common is that we are grateful for the people around the world who read our blogs, who pray for us, who give to missions offerings, and who remember that God has called all of us to missions whether we are living in the States or in a city or village where the language is not our own.

Blessings,

Marc

PRAYER NOTICE-Tarleton Family

2008-07-28T15:02:00.003-04:00

Friends,

I will write more personally in the days to come, but want to share a press release from our office with you. Teri was a dear friend of our family and will be missed greatly.

"It is with broken hearts that we inform you that Teri Tarleton passed away Monday, July 28, 2008 at her home in Moscow from an apparent heart attack. She was 49 years old. Teri was scheduled for heart tests later in the week.

At this time arrangements are being made. However, it will be several days before final arrangements can be confirmed. We will notify you of those arrangements at that time.

We know that Teri loved her Lord and we do not grieve as "those who have no hope" yet our tears are shed for our loss and for our friends. We encourage you to join us in prayer for her family and friends at this time."

MAT Video (Part Three-Bible Study)

2008-07-07T11:55:00.002-04:00

MAT Video (Part Two-Our Strategy)

2008-07-07T11:45:00.002-04:00

Moscow Arts Team (Part One-Events)

2008-07-07T11:29:00.004-04:00

The past few weeks have been like a whirlwind. We have all but stopped taking language lessons, brought new people into our English Club, moved a Bible study to our home on Sunday and said goodbye (at least for now) to our dear friends Jeff and Karla who are headed back to Florida for their Stateside Assignment. Before Jeff left we worked long and hard to produce a couple of videos about our work here in Moscow so he could share them with his students at Baptist College of Florida and the churches where he will have an opportunity to speak. So here is part one of our Moscow Arts Team DVD. If you would like more information about our team or would like to contact Jeff about coming to your church while he is in the States, please visit our website at www.hope4artists.com or email Jeff at: jefpul@everyheart.net

Photo from House Church

2008-06-30T15:30:00.002-04:00

Since it was Jeff & Karla's last Sunday, we posed for a group photo.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

2008-06-30T02:18:00.003-04:00

In many ways this week has been no different than most here in Russia. There have been soaring highs, crushing lows, days that you desperately want to pack up and go home land later (even on the same day) you can't imagine being anywhere or doing anything else. The week was filled with both language failures and successes. And, in a period of a week, the Russian Football (soccer) Team took made our spirits soar and then brought us crashing back to the ground as they just barely missed being able to play in the championship game. With all of that being said, it is funny to me how we have started to feel nationalistic about our adopted country in such a short time. Even when we are at our lowest and the suitcases come out of the closet we stop and ask ourselves "but what about..." and then we start to list the names of Russian friends we have made who have not had the chance to give their lives to Jesus. And that list is becoming longer. Every week we seem to make new relationships and we pray that God will use our friendship to allow the Gospel to be shared. And I don't think we will ever feel that the work here is finished because as soon as one gets saved, there will always be another new friend that we couldn't bear to leave until they were saved too. In a city of around 15-million people, I think we could be here for quite some time.

Let me add this on a total side note. I am finishing a video about our team and their strategy and I hope to post that here sometime later this week. However, I think it is important to remind folks back home that most of the people that we work with are"totally lost" in the sense that they have no background or concept of religion to work with as a starting point. Many who are a little older (25+) have told me that under the Soviet Union, Communism was their god. "Lenin and Stalin were our gods and we worshiped them," one lady told me. So, sharing the good news of Jesus and his sacrifice for our sins is not as simple as meeting for a cup of coffee at Country Cabin and finishing lunch with the "sinner's prayer." It is about forging deep relationships and personal trust which then gives us the right to share our faith. It is about them realizing that our lives and our family is different from theirs and them developing a hunger for wanting to understand what about us makes us different. The work of sharing the Gospel here is slow. However, in the end what we will find is that we have made a host of new friends and pray that they will one day meet us in heaven. That makes the daily struggles worthwhile.

OK, my sidebar is over.

Our team leader, Jeff, and his family head home this next week for their year of Stateside Assignment. Jeff and Karla will be serving as the Missionaries in Residence at the Baptist College of Florida in Graceville, Florida. Our whole family will miss them very much. They have not been just our team leaders, they have been our friends and I assure you that without their friendship, guidance, advice, shoulders to cry on, etc. that we would have given up and left Moscow long before now. So, I am grateful to them and ask that you pray for them as they transition back home this week.

And that brings me to the long list of changes that are in process...

First, let me tell you about church yesterday...all six and a half hours of it!!! That's right, you did not misread. We met as a church for 6 1/2 hours. For weeks you have been praying about our decision to host a Bible Study and yesterday was the first meeting in our home. It was truly amazing. Jeff and his family joined us for their last meeting with the group and we were also joined by another missionary family who has just moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow. But more importantly, there were 7 Russians who were with us yesterday! That meant that we had more than 20 people crammed into our living room as we sang songs of worship and studied the Bible. Our worship time and Bible study was at least three hours. Then we shared a meal together and fellowshipped. We played cards for awhile and then we had another spontaneous time of praise and worship again. It left us so excited about the decision we have made to host this group and it is so encouraging as we watch our new friends wrestle with the Word of God and see the Holy Spirit working in them. We are also excited by the fact that they are already stepping up and sharing in the leadership roles. We thought it was very important that they begin taking ownership of the group and started leading as well as participating. So, one of the guys has volunteered to play guitar each week and another (very shy) girl has agreed to facilitate the Bible study portion...a huge step for her. Next week we will start a six-week study on the life of Peter. Please be in prayer for our group as we use the life of this disciple to draw us closer in our relationship with Jesus.

Change number two...we are down to just six hours left of language learning!!!! As the Russians would say, "Oooo-rrrrah!" Our teacher in on vacation in Turkey this week so we will have the week off as well and then will study for three days next week and be finished...at least for awhile. Now, before you think us arrogant, know that we are nowhere close to knowing all of the things we need to learn and still struggle just to watch television and understand what is being said. However, we are grateful for what this break means in our lives. We are looking forward to spending more time with our children and doing things as a family. And, we are looking forward to our language learning taking on different forms...like actually talking with people. One of the drawbacks to full-time language study is that when you spend your day studying lessons and doing homework from textbooks it leaves you very little time to get out of the apartment and actually talk with people. So, I am especially looking forward to that. There is a possibility that in the fall I will start taking lessons again for six hours a week. But, none of that has been set in stone so we are reveling in our accomplishment and looking forward to the freedom it will bring to our lives.

Change number three...we are getting a vehicle!!!!! Our Moscow leadership decided this week to let us use the van assigned to Jeff and Karla while they are in the States. We are so excited about this decision because it will make our lives here just a little bit easier. It will also allow us to pick up Lilliana for church each week. She is 82 and could not attend if she had to take public transportation. We are trying to be cautious about how we use this new asset because it could be re-assigned at any time and will certainly go back to Jeff's family when he returns next year. And, when that happens we are back to using our feet and public transit, so we will try not to over-use the van while we have it. However, in the meantime it will allow us to transport groceries in large quantities from the store...and that, my friends, is worth the price of admission.

Change four...this week I officially transfer to my "real job" as the Russia Field Media Coordinator. This change, for me, is probably the most exciting of all because it means that I finally get to put my concentration on the things I am good at, and to finally be able to do the things that God called me here to do. I will tell you more about my new job throughout the summer, but my primary functions will be to (1) visit cities where we do not have any personnel and produce media pieces that will create interest in future personnel serving in these areas; (2) assist current personnel in the field with creating media pieces about their work in Russia; (3) work with the Russia Leadership Team in creating support pieces for our work here. As you can see, my life is getting to be radically different and I will most likely spend around 10 days a month away from home. Please pray for Kellye and the kids as we transition into this radically different lifestyle.

Change five...and this is not a good one...visa laws. The government changed their visa laws again this week and fellow colleagues are having trouble obtaining their new visas/work permits. We are scheduled to get our new documents in August. We were supposed to travel to Kiev, Ukraine to get this done, but have now been told that the Kiev office will no longer issue the documents we need, so as of today we really don't know what the plan is. Please pray that God will make a way for us to stay in Moscow to work with our friends here.

This week is the corner we have been waiting to turn for some time now. It is hard to believe that we have been in the country for nine months. It is hard to believe that we finally feel we have at least a base knowledge of the Russian language. It is hard to believe that we have made relationships with Russians and that there is a group of them studying the Bible in our home each week. And, it is hard to believe that most days I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life right now. That does not mean that all days are happy ones. As a matter of a fact, it generally means that we are under attack much more frequently and that makes life hard. If you never have before, I ask that you pray for our family over the next two months. If you have been praying all along, I ask that you double that amount this summer. While most of these changes are great ones we are aware that this time in our missionary career is a particularly sensitive one and is usually the point where a family either takes off and soars or crashes and burns. Pray that this week especially will be the one where we begin our ascent.

Blessings,
Marc

Here are some photos from house church yesterday:

I didn't have a wide-angle lens for my camera so you can't see everybody, but this gives you an idea of what our very full living room looked like.

Our "Russian Cowboy", Cyrill, singing during our praise and worship time. Notice his sweatshirt. Cyrill loves all things American and usually wears cowboy boots and a cowboy hat...quite a sight in Moscow.

Jeff leading us in worship.

Dema and his nephew Vita.

Lilliana...'nuff said. :-)

By The Numbers... (June Edition)

2008-06-21T11:05:00.004-04:00

Because next month holds many new changes in our lives and because we are looking forward to those changes, this past month has felt rather monotonous. School is out, but Kellye and I continue to study language. We have said goodbye to friends as they have left the field, some for good and others for just awhile. And, we have suffered through Moscow's little annoyances like our dryer breaking after having it for just a week. So, as I took time this week to get excited about the week ahead (there is some fun stuff coming and I will tell you all about that next week), I also decided to take a look backwards and let the numbers do the talking. So, here is the June 08 edition of "By the Numbers."

265 - The number of days we have lived in Moscow.

492- The number of classroom hours we have studied Russian.

328- The approximate number of hours spent doing Russian homework.

820- The approximate number of total hours spent studying the Russian Language.

23.54- That is how many Russian Rubles we get for every American dollar.

232- The cost (in Rubles) for a kilogram of cheese.

424- The cost (in Rubles) for 24 half-liter bottles of Coca-Cola.

1,997- The monthly cost (in American Dollars) for the rent of our 2-bedroom apartment.

3 to 7- The number of miles we walk each day.

1- The distance, in miles, to the nearest Metro (subway) station.

25- The number of Russian students "enrolled" in our weekly English Club.

2- The number of students we started with on the first week of our English Club.

9- The average number of Russian students who now attend each week.

90- The number of blog posts I have written.

3,740- The approximate number of visits to this blog since October 2007.

40- The approximate number of countries represented by the people who read this blog.

14- The average number of visits to this site each day.

So, whether you are one of the 14 people who check this site every day, or just one of the people in one of the 40 countries around the globe who are interested in what and how we are doing in Moscow...THANK YOU!!! Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. Thank you for praying. We could hardly do more than get out of bed without your prayers and support.

Next week... "Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!!"

A lot of catching up to do

2008-06-13T13:57:00.002-04:00

They say that you start to slow down once you hit 40, so that is the excuse I am using for not posting since my birthday a couple of weeks ago. The truth of the matter is that part of the reason I have not written is that I have been pretty busy over the past couple of weeks. The other half of the reason is that nothing of consequence has really happened and therefore there is not much to write about. However, at the prodding of my family I am going to attempt to bring you up to speed on the not-so-exciting adventures of daily life in Moscow.

Let's start with my birthday. My wonderful wife, Kellye, went above and beyond to make this a special birthday for me. As you can imagine, living the missionary life does not leave you with a lot of money in your bank account for extravagant birthday gifts. So Kellye took this opportunity to make this a memorable birthday not with the expense of the gifts, but for the sentiment. At a dinner party with our Moscow missionary family, Kellye presented me with a scrapbook filled with letters from friends and family around the world wishing me a happy birthday. Many of you who read this blog contributed to the book and it was truly wonderful. I heard from friends that I have not seen in over 15 years as well as missionary friends from around the world. Those of you who know me well know that I am a "weeper" so it should be no surprise to you that as I read greetings from these important people I had tears streaming down my cheeks. In addition, Kellye's parents sent a truly amazing quilt made from t-shirts I have collected for 20 years. There were shirts from Oklahoma Baptist University, from radio stations where I have worked, from t-shirt logos that I designed and a variety of other memorable times in my life. It is really cool and very special. During English Club that week we had another party to celebrate my 40th and my students wrote acrostic poems using the letters in my name to describe me. Also very special. They also were very generous and gave me a few gifts, including a t-shirt with the Russian flag on it.

Our language lessons continue. And, while they can be very frustrating some days, I feel like we are starting to have some degree of success with the language. We even felt comfortable enough with our language skills that we returned a DVD to a store the day after we bought it because it was not working properly. And, while we did not get our money back, we did get them to let us choose another movie. All in all, a language success.

Our "new" clothes dryer that Kellye has been so excited about died a week after we got it. We are currently waiting for a service man to come out and tell us if it can be revived or not. Until then it is back to crunchy jeans and underwear from the drying rack.

I am about two weeks away from transitioning from the Moscow Arts Team to the Russia Field Administration Team. What does this really mean? It means that after nine months on the field I will finally get to start doing the things I came here to do. I will start working on media projects, traveling the country, and creating media pieces which will hopefully draw new missionaries to the field. It also means that I will spend more language learning time in OJT and less in the classroom and I am looking forward to that.

As Kellye has mentioned in her blogs, we have a lot of people from Moscow who are moving back to the States. Some are going just for the summer, some for a year and some for longer. While this is difficult, we are celebrating that God has brought friends from St. Petersburg to Moscow to live and our children are already becoming fast friends. Tomorrow is movie night at our house and we will have a full house as we watch Horton. We have also started a weekly Phase 10 night with friends and this is one of the highlights of my week.

Many of you have joined us in prayer as we were presented with the opportunity to host and facilitate a Bible Study/Church for Russians in our home. We have felt God's leading in this matter so this week we will start meeting with the existing group and three weeks from now we will officially move the group to our home. We are excited about this because it will be yet another opportunity to share our faith in a very real way. And, having the group in our home will also make it easier for us to invite those attending our English Club to our Bible study. Please continue to make this a matter of prayer.

Whew! So, that about sums it up. A lot of activity, but not much else to say. Life here continues to be interesting. There are good days and bad, but the days we want to get the suitcases out and come home have all but disappeared. I still don't like Russian food, but am starting to look like "an olive on a toothpick" because Kellye keeps my belly nice and fat with her great cooking and my legs are getting skinnier and skinnier from all the walking we do each week.

Know that we love each of you and enjoy hearing from you.

Blessings,
Marc

PS- Each Saturday we write a prayer letter update from the past week that is sent to the leadership of our partner churches. Some of you have expressed interest in getting this letter so we have started posting our weekly letters on a different blog site. The address is: www.hooksworldprayer.blogspot.com Please feel free to share this address or print these updates and share them with your Sunday School classes, WMU groups, etc.

Also, if you would like to read stories about how people in Russia are finding saving faith in Jesus Christ, you can read our new newsletter "Blessings 4 Every Heart." It can be found at www.hope4russia.org/blessing or you can subscribe to the weekly email by filling out the form in the top left of the page.

The up-sides of 40...

2008-05-26T00:43:00.003-04:00

So, I woke up this morning another year older. No big deal. Just another day, right? Yeah, sure...until you say it out loud..."I'm 40!" Wow! That kind of stings a little. However, I am determined to make my 40th year a banner year and to do and see things that I have never done before. Pretty easy considering that I live in Russia, but none the less...

Now by nature I am a pretty optimistic guy, so I thought I would try to take an optimistic view as I enter my fourth decade. One of the best things about turning 40 is that I am the last one in the club. Among our friends I have always been the youngest. I am younger than Kellye, Cathy, Kay, Mike, Teressa, Neil, Robert, and Larry (ok, only by a couple of weeks, but it still counts). So, while this worked to my disadvantage (and I took quite a bit of teasing about it) 20 years ago, I can spend the rest of my life knowing they reach the great landmarks of time before me!

It is tradition for Russian men not to celebrate their 40th birthdays. When I asked why, I got a vague explanation about something about Moses and him being 40 but they were not really sure of the reason. I have chosen to embrace the day, but I also decided this morning that I would do a Biblical search for the phrase 40 years. I mean, 40 is one of "God's numbers", right? That would imply that there was some pretty good stuff happening when you turn 40. Here is what I found:

- Isaac married Rebekah at the age of 40 (Gen 25:20) and Esau married Judith when he was 40 (Gen 26:34) Those are both pretty good. I am glad that I found my wonderful bride 20 years earlier and didn't have to wait until I was 40. But getting a good wife is certainly worth waiting 40 years.

- The books of Exodus and Numbers provide no comfort. They are filled with references to the Children of Israel suffering for 40 years. I think I will pass on that one if God doesn't mind.

- Deuteronmy 2:7 is a good one. It says, "These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything." That is certainly true. My family is a living testament that God has been with me and has blessed me. Of course, this verse refers to the 40 years of suffering in the desert, but it is good to know that even in the midst of suffering that God is with us and provides for our needs. In other verses the Old Testament talks about the children of Israel not even needing new clothes or shoes. Considering I have already gone through one pair of shoes since we moved here that would not be too bad either.

- Joshua was 40 years old when Moses sent him out to explore the promised land. (Joshua 14:7) Like Joshua I feel like the important part of my life is just beginning. Everything I have done before now has just been training for the mission God has given me in Russia. Sure, I get homesick and there are days I would rather do anything but speak Russian. However, I can tell you that most days I feel more comfortable here and with what God has called us to do than anything I ever did in the States. He has gifted me with a wonderful and Godly wife who stands by my side and encourages me every step along the way. It is exciting to look back over the past 40 years and see how God has used my different experiences (both good and bad) to shape me into the man I am today and to prepare me for what lies ahead. I am sure that Joshua felt excited as he crossed that first ridge into the promised land. I can relate to that and am glad that he did not send me when I was younger.

- Saul's son, Ish-Bosheth, was 40 when he became king of Israel. (2 Samuel 2:10) Now that is a pretty good gig. He only reigned two years though and kings usually lost their thrones by winding up dead, so there might be a few drawbacks there.

- In Acts 4:22 we read of a man who was 40 years old when he was healed by Peter and John. Not a bad birthday present.

- It was at age 40 when Moses left the palace of Pharaoh to visit his fellow Israelites and witnessed their suffering. (Acts 7) Just before I left for training I found that part of my family immigrated to America from Ufa, Russia. While I would certainly not presume to compare myself with Moses, I think I understand a little bit how he felt when he left his place of privilege at age 40 to see his kinsmen. I am inexplicably drawn to Russia and her people. Even on the worst of days I love them. Perhaps because in some way their history is my history. Regardless of the reason, I am always a little awed that God would wait until Moses was 40 to start using him for His purposes. I hope that in God's timeline I am coming to an age where I can be used by him more and more.

So, on my 40th birthday I choose to celebrate. I choose to celebrate that God has redeemed a worthless life and allowed me to live this long. I choose to celebrate the wife with whom He as gifted me. I choose to celebrate the family He has surrounded me with. And I choose to celebrate that no matter how old I am, I am still younger than my friends!!

Recovering from RamCorps

2008-05-24T04:52:00.004-04:00

We have had a great week ministering with the students from the University of Mobile. Their group, RamCorps, spent last week in Moscow playing one or two concerts each day in various locations around the city. While the concerts were certainly great, the students quickly came to understand that their purpose was less about the music and more about making connections with the Russian people they got to meet along the way. As a result, we already have seen three new people join our English club this week and have deepened relationships with people who were already familiar with our cultural exchange work.

As you can imagine, we are exhausted. So today our schedule is clear and although there are many things to be done, not the least of which is housework, we have dedicated the day to resting and getting our bodies back on schedule. I plan to write more about the RamCorps visit in the days to come, but in the meantime here is a brief video from their week in Moscow.

Blessings,
Marc

PHOTO ESSAY - Victory Day 2008

2008-05-10T10:07:00.008-04:00

On Friday, May 9, Russians celebrated their victory over Hitler (or Gitler, as they pronounce it) and the Nazis in World War II. That afternoon I went to Парк Победа (Victory Park) where millions gathered for concerts and to celebrate and honor veterans of WWII. Here are some images...

This is a victory gate located just outside of the park. It commemorates the Russia's victory over Napoleon.

The park entrance. The sign says "Victory!"

This emblem was at the top of a long column near the entrance to the park. Notice the letters CCCP (or USSR). Russians continue to use these initials on Victory Day because it was the Soviet Army that defeated the Germans, and not just soldiers from Russia.

One of the many veterans that donned their old uniforms and medals so that they could be honored.

Notice the flowers in this soldier's hand. It is customary to present the veterans with a long-stemmed carnation.

Their were flags everywhere. The wind was blowing this one backwards, but if you put it up to a mirror it spells "Russia"

To me, this is what a Russian WWII veteran should look like.

Many of the millions of people were carrying Russian and Soviet flags.

I was surprised at how many female WWII veterans were at the park proudly displaying their medals.

Veterans and babies...could you stage better photo-ops?

I love this monument. It is to memorialize the cooperation Russia received from other countries in fighting the Nazis. The two soldiers on the left are Soviet, the right-center soldier is an American and the soldier on the right is British. On Monday in Red Square we met a Veteran Soviet General who told us we should remind our folks back home that "Americans and Russians fought shoulder-to-shoulder to save the world."

And finally, this is me with my Russian Federation flag (that is now in my bedroom) in front of one of the monuments.

I almost ran away from home this morning...

2008-05-07T14:10:00.002-04:00

After struggling with, and then giving up on, my homework this morning I wanted to run away from home. After all, how easy would it be to go to out to the store and then disappear into the sea of millions that inhabit Moscow. But then I remembered that I hadn't brought my Russian Language notebooks to the store with me and without them I would not be able to tell people to put things down, to lie things down, or to hang things up. And, to make matters worse, I haven't yet learned how to pick things up.

So...

I came home.

Not seeing what is in front of our eyes...

2008-04-27T00:41:00.005-04:00

Today is Easter in Russia. Due to the fact that the Eastern Orthodox churches use a different calendar to calculate their holidays, most often we do not celebrate religious holidays at the same time as most of the rest of the world. This does have its advantages though. For one, we get to celebrate twice...once with our traditions and once with theirs. But I think even more importantly it usually brings me back to familiar scripture passages more than one time a year. And each time I read them I gain new insight.

Since our first trip to Russia more than a year ago I have been struck with a singular thought and lingering question...how can a people be surrounded with the truth and not see what is before their eyes? This morning I re-read the Easter accounts in all four Gospels - a practice I have held on Easter morning since I was a teenager. So, you would expect that it would be difficult to see anything new. However, it seems that each time I read these passages I see something that I have never really seen before.

Russia is not what we would classify as a "heathen" nation. In fact, Christianity has been a part of Russia for centuries. Almost everywhere you look you can see at least one brightly-colored onion-shaped dome capped with a cross marking a Russian Orthodox church or cathedral. There are even several within the Kremlin walls. And, much like in America, Russians are surrounded by the symbolism of Christianity. Religious holidays are celebrated by nearly everyone in the country - believers and non-believers alike. And most know the religious stories tied with the holiday. How is it then that a nation who knows the stories of Christ can not see the the truth locked in the stories and traditions? This question has bothered me for the better part of a year...not just for Russia, but for my home country as well.

Yet this morning as I was reading it hit me. The Jews of Jesus day were not really any different than we are today. The answer to my question is this...it is because most people are not seeking answers from what is placed clearly before them.

Let's take a quick look at the scriptures to see what I am talking about. First, the women who came to the tomb were not looking for the resurrected Jesus. They were coming to mourn. They were not looking for an empty tomb. When Peter and John went back to the tomb, were they looking for a risen Jesus? No. The men on the road to Emmaus were not expecting to be walking down the road or sharing a meal with a man they had watched be crucified just days before. Even after he explained the scriptures about himself to them they did not really understand what was plainly in front of them until he allowed himself to be revealed to them. And when Jesus appeared before all the disciples in the upper room he proceeded to give them a lesson in the scriptures so they could understand how the teachings of Moses, all the prophets pointed to Him.

You see, the Jews of Jesus' time were surrounded by a religious culture. One with religious holidays and festivals and customs. And, just like us, they were blind to the real meaning and significance of those holidays. This is not a new phenomenon. I imagine that the priests of Jesus day had to remind the people that their was deep, significant meaning behind the ceremonies and customs that surrounded the High Holy Days. (Who knows, maybe they even had bumper stickers made for the back of their ox carts that read "Moses is the reason for the season.")

So what can we take from this blindness to things that seem so obvious to us as believers? First, I think it is important that we not assume that just because we are surrounded by the truth that everyone understands that significance. Secondly, I think we must remember that it is not their fault that they do not recognize that truth. And thirdly, and most importantly, I think that we need to remember that none of the people in the Biblical accounts of Easter came to the realization of Jesus' resurrection on their own. In every account, Jesus had to open their eyes. And, in many cases, he used the scriptures, holidays, and customs to teach them that all of these things that they were familiar with all pointed to Him.

I think it also important to remember the response to His teaching. The men on the road to Emmaus returned to Jerusalem saying, "It's really happened! The Master has been raised up!" Mary Magdalene called him "Rabboni" and clung to him and wept. And Thomas fell to his knees and proclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" You see, revelation of the scriptures and the true nature of Jesus as the Christ comes only after He opens our eyes.

Our responsibility, no matter where in the world you are when you read this, is to help those around us understand how the holidays, traditions, and most importantly the scriptures point to Jesus. To explain to them how and why God came to earth to live a sinless life among us and how he chose to sacrifice Himself to save us from our sins. And, to remind our family, friends and neighbors that the tomb of the man know as Jesus remains empty to this day. We are to tell them that having a relationship with the living God is more than ritual and religion. It is our responsibility to share that true Christianity comes from asking Jesus to forgive us of our sins and inviting Him to live in our hearts.

We cannot open the eyes of those around us. Only God can do that. But we have the responsibility to tell others what we know to be true. All of creation and history points to Him...Jesus, who is the Christ and who is risen!

христос воскрес! (Christos Vos-kress! He is Risen!)
воистину воскрес! (Va-east-a-new Vos-kress! Truly He is Risen!)

Blessings on this Easter morning,
Marc

Photo Essay - Messanic Passover Seder

2008-04-20T05:14:00.004-04:00

These are some of my favorite photos from last night's Passover Seder.

During dessert we were entertained by the musical group, Patmos.

There are just some faces that beg to have their picture taken. His was one of those.

What would a Jewish celebration be without singing Hava Nagila, a Hebrew folk song meaning "Let us rejoice."
I loved the smiles on the faces as they sang.

The benediction.

Another great face.

Remembering the ten plagues of Egypt. In the ceremony wine is poured out of the cup in remberance of each of the ten plagues.

One of the four cups of the Seder.

The breaking of the bread. The Passover service requires the use of unleavened bread known as "matza."
The bread and bitter herbs. "To remind us of the bitterness of slavery." This woman was also reminded us of the bitterness of her sin. At the end of the service she was one of two people who gave her heart to Jesus.

Prior to the service these two women studied the scriptures together.

"And you shall tell it to your son on that day, saying, 'Because of this God did for me when He took me out of Egypt'" (Exodus 13:8). The words and rituals of the Seder are a primary vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from parent to child, and from one generation to the next. Messianic Jews take this opportunity each year to share about how Jesus' death on the cross became the ultimate Passover sacrifice using His blood to cleanse us from sin and save us from eternal separation from God.

If this woman had red hair she could have been my Nana. She was sweet and precious. And, at the end of the evening prayed to have Jesus forgive her of her sin and to live in her heart.

Creating "Missional Space" is much more fun than it sounds.

2008-04-19T02:43:00.004-04:00

As most of you know, our team is focused primarily on reaching the artists of Moscow. And, much like in America this segment of the population is not usually prone to go to church or church-related functions, so we have to find other ways of connecting with them and forming relationships. On paper it is a little more involved than this, but in a nutshell this is what we call creating "missional space" -- a place where we can find common ground and interest that will allow spiritual conversations to flow naturally out of a developing relationship with each other.

About a month ago our team hosted a conversational English class that was advertised at many of the music schools around town. We had about 45 people attend the week-long class, mostly students in their 20s and early 30s. Since then, Kellye and I have been hosting an English Club in our home every Thursday night and have been averaging around 10-13 people every week.

A couple of weeks ago after class we were drinking tea and snacking and talking about the different kinds of music that we enjoy. Of course, I mentioned that I enjoyed American country music. One of the guys in our club, Alexey, a former MIG pilot and now a music student, asked me if I would be interested in going with him to watch one of his friends play country music. "Sure," I said. "That sounds like fun."

Well, this week Alexey called and his friend's band was playing on Friday night and wanted me to go. Now, as a quick aside here you have to know that it has been a rather horrible week around our house. The weather changed back to cold, rainy and depressing. Everybody was at each other's throats. And, to make matters worse, we found that a Russian man that I have been trying to develop a relationship with has been stealing expensive electronic equipment from us. So, to say that I have been in a good mood and wanted to go out on Friday would be the far from the truth. But, since invitations and opportunities like this do not come along often, I jumped at the chance even though I really didn't feel like going out.

I met Alexey and his two friends at the metro station and then walked to the bar/restaurant called Кантри Бар or "Country Bar." No kidding. The Russians have a real flair for naming things! The atmosphere actually reminded me a lot of Longhorn Steaks and included photos of John Wayne along one wall. At this point I should say that Alexey reads and writes English very well, but speaks very little. As a matter of a fact, I speak much more Russian than he does English (and that is not saying too much.) So, between his little English and my little Russian we were able to converse most of the night. His friends are intermediate English speakers and gave us some extra help in translating for each other, but we did fairly well without them.

Alexey introduced me to his friend Vladimir, who (and I am not making this up) told me to call him "Bob." Bob plays guitar for the band and is quite talented. He also plays in a jazz/fusion band with Alexey and some more of his friends. The music started shortly after and they played a lot of my favorites, including Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Hank Williams and Jimmy Buffett, not to mention some BB King and Chuck Berry just for fun. As a general rule I haven't really gotten homesick since I have been here, but sitting there in an American-styled place and listening to country music really did it for me.

I got home this morning around 12:30 am and was pretty exhausted, but felt good about the time I had made to expand some "Missional Space." I have been invited to several more concerts featuring Alexey and/or his friends - including the chance to hear Bob play country music at an Independence Day concert at the American Embassy. So I am looking forward to these opportunities to spend time with my new friend Alexey and his friends.

I would love to tell you that while sitting in the bar and listing to music I had the chance to lead one of these folks to Christ. I would love to tell you that I had the opportunity to share the Gospel or even my testimony. But I didn't. However, what I did have was the chance to start some friendships with a few people based on our mutual love of various kinds of music. And, as those friendships deepen and our conversations broaden, those opportunities will come. Until then, I am enjoying the chance to meet some new people, use my conversational Russian in a practical setting and listen to some good music.

One last thought before I close. Creating "missional space" is not something that is exclusive to missionary work around the world. It is something that we should be doing as often as possible whereever in the world we are. So as you go about your week, look for chances to develop relationships with people and see if you can't create a little missional space of your own.

Blessings,
Marc

Our New Addition

2008-04-12T12:15:00.009-04:00

We want you to meet the newest member of our family, Ночка (Notchka-- pronounced "notsh-ka", which means "the night").

As many of you know, when we left America we were forced to give up our beloved cats, Beacon and Scout. Since that time everybody in our family has been terribly lonely for a pet. And, with the expenses associated with having a pet in Russia, we thought it impossible for us to have one while we live here. However, our God is bigger than all that and knows our needs better than we do ourselves.

This past week Sarah Beth and her friends found a stray kitten outside of the school grounds. She brought it home in the hopes that we could adopt it, but again, the expenses of spay/nutering the animal, getting vacinations and all of the other papers we would need to have a pet made it impossible. After sending her downstairs in tears, our hearts were broken.

Well, not more than an hour after that we received an email from friends telling us about a teacher at the school who was looking for a home for her cat. She (the cat, not the teacher) had been spayed, has all of her shots, and even has a passport making it possible for her to return to the States with us when we go. So, much to the surprise of our children, this morning Notchka came home to live with us.

Now in connection with this story I must share with you my "Language Blunder of the Week." It has been a particularly bad Russian language week for me and I have spent a majority of the week at a loss for even the simplest of words and phrases. And Wednesday night was no exception. Before we could bring the cat home we had to get permission from our landlady for us to have a pet in the apartment. I called her Wednesday night to ask her permission. Well, of course, our landlady speaks Russian, but also speaks a little English. However, I try to communicate with her in Russian whenever possible. So I explained to her that since leaving America my children had been very homesick and that Kellye and I were trying to find something to make them feel better. I then proceeded to ask her permission for me to purchase a "coat" for them. That's right...a "coat". So she asked me to repeat my question. And I did...two more times. Finally she said, "Why don't you ask me in English." So, this time in my language, I asked her if she would allow me to buy my children a "cat." "OOOOhhhhh, you meant kush-ka...not kut-ka"

So, our children once again have a pet to scare, chase, and upon whom to shower their affection. She is already becoming part of the family and has spent the evening lying on the hallway floor watching the goings and comings of the family. A few minutes ago I heard John-John tell Kellye that, "This was the better than any present we could have gotten." I don't think there is anything I can add to that.

Blessings,
Marc

Hannah's 11th Birthday

2008-04-12T10:29:00.005-04:00

Apples!

Oranges!

My Banana!

Stand up and yell if you love Hannah!

YEAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I can't tell you how many years ago I started doing that cheer with Hannah. It has been our special thing since she was very small. And now she is 11 and not too many years away from being the tallest person in the family.

Hannah is truly an amazing child. While transitioning to life here in Russia has not always been easy for her, she is usually one of the first to remind us why God brought us here. She has a heart for Jesus that grows and grows every day and I am proud of the young woman that she is becoming. She understands missionary life and that God has called us to this place for this time in our lives. She is not only stunningly beautiful, but very smart, funny, talented and loves to create things. Hannah spends many hours each week creating things by using the computer and I can already see that she has an amazing eye and is quite talented. She loves all things Hannah Montana and can sing and dance along with High School Musical with the best of them!

I love spending time with my Banana. Whether it is sitting in bed with her resting her head on my shoulder, going for our special McDonalds dates, or just singing our cheer in the hallway of the apartment, time with Hannah is always fun and never boring! So, Happy Birthday, Hannah! Your Daddy loves you!

Hannah gets a new song...

2008-04-10T15:16:00.000-04:00

Not locked in a Siberian gulag...

2008-04-04T02:28:00.003-04:00

It has been awhile since I have written, so I wanted to assure you that I have not been locked away in a Siberian gulag or set adrift at sea...

I have, however, been quite busy working on several different projects. And, for those of you who know me well, I would much rather be busy with project work than having too much time on my hands. Frankly, it is nice to finally feel useful here.

One quick note about language before I go. Most of you know that on Thursday nights we host an English Club for Russians. It is truly a great experience and I plan to write more about that later. However, I thought that I would look forward to that time because it was a time and place where it was appropriate to speak with Russians in MY native tongue, and not theirs. However, what I have found is that when I am speaking to a Russian person, my brain automatically switches to Russian language and I begin to think (and often communicate) in Russian! It really is the wildest thing! So, while I am helping them with their English, they are helping me with my Russian. We really enjoy our time together. So, at this juncture I have to give proper credit to Irena, our language teacher. I may not always enjoy how I am being taught, but whatever she is doing seems to be working. At times like these it makes the long hours of language study (ok, maybe not the grammar part) worthwhile.

And, speaking of which, I have some grammar homework to finish before my lesson this afternoon. So, hopefully this weekend I will have an opportunity to write "The Kiev Chronicles" and bring you up to speed on some of the other happenings in our lives. Until then, know that we appreciate you taking the time to read our thoughts and pray for us.

Blessings,

Marc

Better Than A Puppy!

2008-03-29T01:55:00.003-04:00

We hosted a Sweet 16 party last night. And, while I realize that back at home March Madness abounds, this party had nothing to do with college basketball and everything to do with Sarah Beth. It is hard to believe that she is really 16 years old.

For months Kellye and I had been struggling with what we should get SB for her birthday. This was 16 after all, but life in Moscow is different that life at home. There would be no driver's license on her 16th. And there certainly wouldn't be a car -- not that there would have been if we still lived in Middleburg. But we wanted to make this a special and memorable birthday for her. So we were always on the lookout to see what kind of meaningful gift we could get her for this milestone birthday. And, we were struggling. Until one night around 4 months ago when SB was sitting in her room making plans for her Sweet 16 party. Things were going along pretty well, but I started to hear sobs coming from her room. When I went in to check on her, she looked at me through make-up smeared eyes and said, "my best friends isn't going to be here for my party."

Time to digress and give a little background. Last year before moving to Russia Sarah Beth had the opportunity to come to Eastern Europe and live and work with a missionary family in Prague for 6 weeks. During that time she was able to attend the region's annual meeting where all of the missionaries (and the missionary kids (MKs) get together for a week. During that time she made wonderful friends. She didn't even want to come back home, just meet us in Moscow when we finally got here! And that is where she met Anna. Anna has lived in Russia for most of her life and she lives in a city that is a full day's travel north of Moscow. She and SB became fast friends and they communicate via Internet nearly every day. And, while SB has many friends here in Moscow, Anna is her closest. So when Kellye and I found her sobbing about Anna not being in here for her party we knew immediately what her "big present" would be. I don't even think I waited for her to go to sleep that night before I hid in my room with my computer and sent Anna's dad an email asking if we could bring her down for the weekend.

The timing of this surprise was tricky and it was a coordinated effort to keep the cat in the bag. Anna arrived Thursday night and stayed with other friends of ours (and hers, of course) in Moscow and even attended a play at Hinkson that night. Thankfully we had just returned from Kiev that afternoon and SB was too tired to even ask to go to the play. Then SB went to school for her chorus class on Friday, so we had to make sure that none of her friends accidentally mentioned that Anna was in town or that they had seen her at the play the night before. As time for the party arrived it seemed as if "the package" was still a secret and SB was still hoping to get a pet for her birthday present.

So, this was the scene as the teenagers arrived for the party...

We had a really great time last night. SB has a wonderful set of friends who are truly a joy to be around. We are blessed that God has allowed us to serve in a place where there are lots of teenagers who are believers and who provide SB with such a wonderful network of friends. And, let me say again how proud we are of Sarah Beth. She is a wonderful, smart, funny and beautiful young woman who adds immeasurable amounts to our family. She has dealt with this transition extremely well and has become a leader to her siblings. We are quite blessed to have her as our oldest daughter.

In the days to come I will be sharing my version of "The Kiev Chronicles" -- the account of our first trip out of the country and four days of Russian language immersion. So, stay tuned....

What you didn't know about Easter in Russia

2008-03-23T01:34:00.004-04:00

If you literally translate the Russian Bible's account of the Easter story it reads something like this:

"And sitting on the rock outside of the tomb was a man dressed in garments as white as snow. Which made him very hard to see. And the women said to him, "Where have you taken our Lord?" And he replied, "He is risen, just as he said. Look! Follow his footprints in the snow and you will find Him!"

Ok, so maybe that is not what it says, even in the Russian translation. But I do think that I have discovered why Easter is a whole month later on the Russian Orthodox calendar...because nothing says Easter quite like a fresh coat of snow on the ground! That's right, we had over an inch of snow last night. So as you are going to church this morning in your pretty white dresses and Easter hats, we will be trudging to the Metro in our snow boots, and scarves!

I have many favorite sections of the Easter story, not the least of which is when Mary Magdalene realizes that she is talking with Jesus. Don't you wish you could have seen that? Another favorite is when Jesus appears to Thomas. We often criticize Thomas for his doubts and unbelief, but many days I wonder if I would have been in the room at all. So, I try to give Thomas a break.

This year as I re-read the Easter account in the gospels my attention was drawn to the men on the road to Emmaus. Can you imagine getting a Bible lesson from Jesus himself? Now I am sure that those who were there for the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus' other teachings were captivated by him. Who wouldn't be. But just imagine these two guys. They had Jesus...God himself...walk them through the Old Testament and passage by passage he explained how the symbolism, the sacrificial system, and the prophecies all pointed to his death on the cross and His resurrection which occurred just hours ago. Wow! If we get to choose what we get to do in heaven when we get there, that will be one of the first things I want to see!

Well, it is time to get the kiddos up and see if we have been visited by the Easter Bunny, the Easter Beagle, or maybe even the Russian Easter Bear (ok, I made that one up too).

I hope that as you read this you will take hope in this...HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!

Blessings,

Marc

Much too young to be this dang old...

2008-03-17T03:47:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday to my Boo-Boo!

It really is impossible that 16 years have passed since your Mom and I spent countless days in the Medical Center in Columbus, Georgia waiting for you to arrive. We spent many of those days dreaming about what kind of person you would become. However, I don't think any of my dreams compared to the wonderful daughter you have grown to be. Not only are you beautiful (like your mother) but you are funny, compassionate, kind and have a heart for Jesus. There is rarely a day that goes by that you do not amaze me with the kind of person that you are.

I hope that your 16th birthday is everything you dreamed of it being. Just remember that your family thinks that you are awesome and we love you very much. Our lives would not be as rich and full without you in them.

May God bless you on your special day.

Love,

Daddy

Moscow Arts Team Conversational English Master Class 2008-Our First Ministry Project!

2008-03-01T14:24:00.005-05:00

As you will see in this video we have been pretty busy this week. I don't have time to write much tonight because it is getting late and I have come down with a small case of the flu, but we wanted to share some of the fun we have had this past week.

This week-long camp was hosted by the Moscow Arts Team and classes were taught by volunteers from First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas. The goal was to reach our target group (artists) with an opportunity for them to study conversational English with native speakers. Yes, I know that many will argue that Texans are not necessarily native speakers, but for our purposes it was close enough! :-)

Starting next week our team will follow up by hosting weekly English Clubs in our homes with the hopes that these relationships based on a common foundation of speaking English will lead to deeper relationships, discipleship, and hopefully a church plant in our homes. We had nearly 50 Russians attend our Master Class this week and as you will see it was a wonderful time.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Blessings,

Marc

Finding the Good in Freezing Children

2008-02-18T04:23:00.004-05:00

Every Sunday night we "attend" church at Southern Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma City via their webcast on the Internet. This past month the pastor has been preaching about the life of Joseph -- one of my favorite Bible characters. At the climax of the story, Joseph is sitting in a position of power and prominence in Egypt when he finally gets to address his brothers who tried to kill him but decided to sell him into slavery instead. At this key meeting Joseph tells his brothers "Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good..." (The Message)

Honestly, I meant no harm to the small children in the apartments above us. I really didn't. And there was no harm or evil intended. Honestly! However, as is His way God has used that event for good instead of harm.

As I have said before, Russians are very closed and difficult to get to know. I have been told that once they get to know you they are very welcoming and inviting. However, getting to that point is difficult, at best. I think that comes from a combination of things, not the least of which are long cold winters and years of communist dictatorship. On a brief side-note, I came across these next verses this week that reminded me a lot of the Russians that I encounter on the streets, stores and metro every day. As soon as I read them I thought that the people of Russia must not be much different from the people Isaiah was asked to talk with every day.

"But this is a people battered and cowed, shut up in attics and closets, victims licking their wounds, feeling ignored, abandoned...Their whole world collapsed but they still didn't get it; their life is in ruins but they don't take it to heart." Isaiah 42:22, 25 (The Message)

So, back to my story. On Thursday Kellye and I arranged to meet for lunch along with two other couples to celebrate Valentine's Day at an American steak house here in Moscow. I was really looking forward to it because I have not had a steak since September. Kellye was coming from school and I had a language lesson that morning and was walking from the apartment. As I approached the street I was greeted by someone yelling "Privet, Marc!" Now this was strange for a couple of reasons. The most obvious being that nobody except for missionary friends call me by name. The second was that someone would shout out my name from a distance...Russians are typically very quiet people, especially in public. And lastly, I was greeted with "privet" which is the greeting reserved for friends. Outside of missionary friends, the only other people who have greeted me with this word have been brothers and sisters at our new and wonderful church. Well, I suppose you have guessed by now that the person calling my name was Эдик (pronounced "Eh-dick"), the handyman for our building who had come to turn the heat back on for the poor children upstairs.

He asked me where I was going and we discovered that although we were going two different directions part of the route was the same, so he asked if I wanted to walk with him. We talked about the weather and he showed me a photograph of his daughter as we briskly made our way up the street. (And yes, for those of you wondering, we spoke entirely in Russian because Эдик does not speak English.) When it came time for us to part company we said our goodbyes and turned to go opposite directions, but not before he turn back and invited me to call him sometime!

So I spent the rest of the week trying to figure out what I would say if I called, what we would talk about, etc. And, I had planned to call him today to invite him out to get a cup of tea and talk, but frankly I was pretty nervous about it. I was kind of relieved when I found out that my day would be taken up running business errands and that I would not have time to meet with Эдик. However, God had other plans. So as I returned from my daily walk to the store this morning I saw Эдик outside of my building as he was getting ready to enter one of the other doors in the building. Notice my wording here...I saw him...he had not seen me yet. I could almost hear Jesus out loud as he walked with me down the sidewalk, "Ok, Marc...so now what are you going to do. If you don't call out to him, he will go inside and you will go upstairs and nobody but you will know. You asked for a friend and I helped make the first move, so what are you going to do with it?" It is so uncomfortable when Jesus talks to you like that... So even though I was quite uncomfortable doing it I called out to him. We had a brief chat while new snow fell around us and I took the opportunity to invite him to have tea with me this Thursday after my lesson.

So this week I am thankful that God has heard my prayers and used a simple thing like being too hot in my bedroom, causing me to turn off the heat, which caused the repairman to come, etc. to help me make a friend with a Russian national. As you read this I have two simple requests for you: The first is that you pray for me this week as I will have an opportunity to spend some time with Эдик and hopefully develop a relationship. But the second is that if you come across someone this week who does not speak English. Be kind to them. Speak to them first. Ask them what they are doing and maybe you can go along, even if it is a short distance. But most importantly, give them an opportunity to maybe make the first friend they have outside of people who are just like they are. They will be glad that you did.

The Super Bowl and Freezing Small Children

2008-02-07T11:46:00.000-05:00

There is good and bad news out of Moscow this week.

First the bad news. Apparently the new Americans in the building (yes, that's us) inadvertently shut off the heat of a section of the building in the six floors above us, causing the small children in those rooms to be very, very cold. How did we find this out? Because this morning at 8:30 the building handyman was at our door! He was a very nice man, but he was speaking Russian at about 90-miles-per-hour! If you know me at all you know that I am not particularly a morning person anyway and on the days where I have my lesson at 9am it is all I can do to speak Russian at that time of day, let alone try to figure out what someone is saying to me. So, picture yourself standing in front of a fire hose and that is a little of what I felt like.

Now we had a really good reason for turning off the heat (honestly we did.) Even though the temperatures have hardly risen above freezing since we moved here in October. Our apartment is heated by a series of radiators. There is at least one in each room and they make our apartment unbearably hot...especially in our bedroom. Usually we keep the windows open all of the time and that helps some, but it also creates a wind tunnel in the apartment and doors are constantly slamming shut, etc. Anyway, several weeks ago I developed a very bad cough that seemed to be aggravated by the dry heat of the radiators and sleeping with the window open at night, so since the radiator in our bedroom has valves on it (all but one other don't have any control at all) I decided to shut off the heat so that we did not have to open the bedroom window at night.

If Paul Harvey were here he would now tell you the rest of the story...apparently the radiators in the building snake through the walls in an s-like pattern that go upward from one floor to the next. So the kitchen heat is tied to the kitchen heat on all 14 floors, the living rooms are tied together, etc. You get the idea. Unfortunately somewhere in the six floors of rooms above us live small, small children who for several weeks have been suffering because the radiator in their room was not working. This was a bad way to start the day.

However, I suppose some good has come out of this. The best news is that today's temps were around 36-degrees, so it was not that cold. Secondly, we met the handyman and how have his name and number in case we ever need him for anything. (I wish we had that in December when the electricity was off for four days.) And, I was able to communicate with the handyman, though if you were him you probably thought I spoke like a retarded caveman and was only slightly more literate than if I had been using a series of grunts and clicks.

Now for the good news of the week...

Today we received a package from Miss Spicy's Sunday School Class at Westminster Baptist Church, the church where I was raised. It took two months to get here, but we were thrilled to see the many goodies from the States. The kids were especially excited and they have spent the rest of the afternoon playing with their new gifts. We are so grateful when people back home demonstrate their love for us with special treats like Orville Reddenbacher popcorn, Hot Wheels, and a box of new crayons!

And finally...thanks to a generous gift from our family at Christmas we have been able to share the treasure of watching American television with our mission friends here in Moscow. Early Monday morning (around 1am) around 25 people descended on our tiny apartment to eat chili and other snacks and watch the Super Bowl. We had a great time and were very thankful to not have language lessons later that morning! We love our Moscow mission family and enjoy spending time with them every chance we get. It really was a great time. The photos below are from our party.

It is Russian custom to take off your shoes as you enter someone's home. (And if you saw the mud, snow, ice and other muck that we walk in every day you would understand where that custom came from.) This picture is from our entryway and more than 24 pairs of shoes.

A shot from our living room. There were more people in other rooms too!

Long about the 3rd quarter I needed a little catnap on the couch in the hallway.

I hope that you are having a good week and that the people living in the apartment below you have not turned off the heat.

Blessings,
Marc

Watching the snow fall and other simple pleasures

2008-02-03T02:47:00.000-05:00

It has been a pretty average week for us in Moscow. In language learning there were both good days and bad. The weather has not been terribly cold by our revised standards. (It is still below freezing, but days that are close to 32-degrees are considered to be warm.) And life just continues to roll on. One of the things that I have come to appreciate about missionary life is to take joy in the simple pleasures. So this morning I thought I would tell you about some of the simple pleasures of our lives.

1. Watching the snow fall. Even as I write this I am sitting in front of my bedroom window watching large flakes of snow drift to the ground. At times it snows so hard that the buildings that surround our apartment actually disappear. There is something refreshing about sitting at the window with a hot cup of coffee and just watching the snow fall. I think that if given the opportunity I would do it for hours on end.

2. Cinnamon rolls and hot coffee. I love cinnamon. As a matter of a fact, I think that is what heaven will smell like when we get there. At least it will to me. My wife can do fabulous things in the kitchen. And when it comes to baked goods she really is an artist. Add to this that any time we want we can go to the local grocery store and buy freshly made packages of bread dough. So the result is one of my all-time favorite treats...cinnamon rolls. There is just nothing like starting your day with freshly-baked home-made cinnamon rolls and a hot cup of coffee.

3. Small language victories. It is easy to get discouraged when every day you struggle with a new element of a foreign language. It is even more discouraging when you stop to review and find that you have forgotten most of what you have been taught. However, there are days with small victories and boy are they sweet. This week I had two. The first was when we were reviewing vocabulary and I was able to take a huge stack of flash cards and move them from the "study" pile to the "learned" pile. The second came yesterday afternoon when the phone rang. Now, there are few things more intimidating than answering the phone and hearing a Russian voice on the other end. There is something about not being able to see a person's face that makes that conversation much more intimidating. So the woman who called yesterday was doing what we would equate to a Neilson survey. And, thanks to my fantastic language teacher, I was able to understand the woman on the other end AND answer her questions on the survey...all in Russian. I must tell you that was pretty cool.

4. A working elevator. We live on the 8th floor of a 14-floor apartment building. And most days that is not a bad thing. We are high enough to have a nice view and we love our apartment. However, many days we do not love the building in which it is located. This past week government officials came to inspect our elevators and discovered that the managers of the apartment had misplaced the paperwork that certifies that our elevators are safe. So the elevators were turned off. That's right folks, turned off. And, to make matters worse it was the day of our semi-monthly shopping trip to the Mega-Mall where Kellye is able to purchase meat and juice in bulk. Let's just say that dragging my belly full of cinnamon rolls up 8 flights of stairs is not an easy task in itself, but add a full backpack and two armloads of groceries and I was hurting pretty badly by the end of the second trip. Thank goodness for our friend Frances (who drove Kellye to the store in her van) and Irena who both helped Kellye and I take all the groceries upstairs. You have no idea how wonderful the simple pleasure of riding up an elevator is until you push the button and the light does not light up. The elevators were turned on yesterday afternoon and I am thinking about riding them up and down a few times today just to celebrate!

5. Quiet time. As you can imagine, having five people ranging in ages from 6 to 40 crammed into a small Moscow apartment in the middle of winter does not provide much of an opportunity for quiet. But Friday afternoon Kellye and I experienced "the perfect storm"...all of the children were out of the house at the same time and we had nothing on our calendar! It was the first time in over 100 days that we have been totally alone. As it turned out all of the children wound up spending the night at different people's houses and Kellye and I were able to spend nearly 24 hours alone in our apartment. We even watched a movie without being interrupted. I realize that one day in the distant future the sound of silence in our home will be a bad thing. But this week it was a precious gift.

6. A full and noisy apartment. Conversely, we are blessed to have made wonderful friends with our Moscow missionary family. Tonight, (early tomorrow morning), as most of you who read this are watching the Super Bowl in your living rooms, we will be doing the same thing with more than a dozen missionaries. Thanks to a gift from our family, we are able to watch the game via my computer hooked to a projector. Our Super Bowl party starts at 1am and will end around 6 or 7am. There will be Marc's chili, Kellye's cinnamon rolls and who knows what else to eat. We love to fellowship with our missionary brothers and sisters and are blessed that our family has provided a wonderful piece of technology that allows us to watch American television and share that gift with others here in Moscow.

7. Homemade salsa. One of our "mission friends" has shared a recipe for fresh salsa with us and it is some of the best salsa that I have ever had. It is one of the simple things I enjoy in a week.

8. My family. Though it can get noisy and tempers can flare in these closed quarters, I love spending time with my family.

9. Technology and high-speed Internet service. Many of you remember our struggles with getting Internet service when we first arrived. It felt as if we had been cut-off from the rest of the world. Well, one of my simple pleasures is the fact that I can communicate anywhere in the world with a few simple keystrokes. On Sunday evenings we watch a live webcast from a church in Oklahoma City. On many evenings I am able to chat with missionary friends around the world and we are able to encourage each other through our struggles. Thanks to Vonage our friends and family back home are able to call us on the phone as if they were making a local call. I am able to watch American television, especially football. And I am able to share this blog with friends from all over the world. (If you haven't done so already, check out the map at the bottom of my blog...clicking on it will show you the different places around the world where people are reading this post, although it still baffles me why anybody would want to.) Living a missionary's life is hard enough. I cannot imagine how difficult it was for those who went before us whose only form of communication with the outside world was a letter or semi-annual phone call. I am certainly grateful for the simple pleasure of technology and the benefits it brings.

10. Your prayers. I know that the people who read this blog pray for us regularly and many of you pray for us on a daily basis. And your prayers have been heard, answered and felt on this end. I hope that we never take your prayers for granted and we thank God for each of you who lift us up before Him. So, thank you.

Wherever in the world that you are today I hope that you take a few minutes to reflect on some of the simple pleasures in your life. Sometimes I think we work so hard to provide big memorable things (Disney vacations, etc.) that we forget to stop and see the simple joys of life that surround us each and every day. Enjoy the snow, or the warm sunshine, or the smell of bacon and morning coffee, or the fellowship of your Christian brothers and sisters, or the sounds of your children (even if they are fighting with one another), or just the simple fact that when you go to the store and someone speaks to you that you can understand all of the words that they are saying.

Blessings,

Marc

"O Happy Day!" or "There is light at the end of the tunnel...oh wait, that might be a train!"

2008-01-29T10:52:00.000-05:00

The day that many of you have been praying for has finally arrived...this morning we received a phone call informing us that this was our last week of full-time language study!

So, what does this really mean? Does it mean that Marc and Kellye are fluent in the Russian language and can speak as the natives do? Hardly. Does it mean that our language lessons have ended and we are left to figure out the rest on our own. Of course not. However, what it does mean is that we now have the flexibility to include ministry activities into our weekly routine and we are now able to serve alongside our team members in reaching the lost of Moscow.

While this news has invigorated us mentally, it is bound to exhaust us physically, so please don't stop praying! In very practical terms this switch in our status will keep us very busy because I will continue to study four days each week and Kellye will study language two days a week while incorporating ministry into our weekly routines.

Well, it is taco night and while they do make me think about Jesus, they also make me think about how long it has been since I have eaten today! We will try to keep you updated with more news as often as possible. Thanks again for praying for us and we hope that you will celebrate this milestone with us.

Blessings,

Marc

Russian Exams (Thankfully not mine)

2008-01-29T00:44:00.000-05:00

Many of you have heard Kellye and I talk or write about our language teacher, Irena. She is a wonderful teacher and we really can't say enough about how patient and kind she is. You may have also heard us talk about her son, "Erik" and the problems he is having with his exams at the university here in Moscow.

Now, I won't pretend to know all of the ins and outs of the Russian university system, so let me just say that you need to continue to pray for him. After successfully passing the test he needed to in order to be eligible to take his battery of exams, he is struggling with the exams themselves. He has another today and another later this week and yet another next week. If he performs poorly on too many of these tests it is possible that he will be removed from the university and compelled to join the Russian Army. And you can only imagine what kind of life that could mean.

So, please join our family in prayer for Erik and Irena this week and next as he studies for and takes his exams.

Thanks!

Blessings,

Marc

Photo Essay-Part 3

2008-01-23T03:41:00.001-05:00

I am entitling this portion of my photo essay "Ironworks." You see, I love bridges, statues, and have a strange affinity for lampposts. So here are some things made out of metal. :-)

This is the footbridge leading to Christ our Savior Cathedral. If you look closely you can see the hundreds of padlocks left there by newly-weds.

The same bridge and cathedral.

This is more a photo of one of the Kremlin towers than it is a bridge, but I used the ironworks of the bridge to frame the shot.

Another Soviet design carved wrought into the frame of this bridge which crosses the Moscow River and provides an excellent view of the Kremlin.

A statue of three horses located in the Alexander Park adjoining the Kremlin grounds.

I loved this lamppost, especially with the new snow topping it off.

One of the many lampposts on the grounds of Christ our Savior Cathedral.

This mini-statue depicting the the cathedral is in between each of the lamps on the post.

More lampposts at the cathedral.

This bronze relief nativity is one of many relief statues on the outside walls of the cathedral.

Photo Excusion--Part Two

2008-01-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

These padlocks are several of the hundreds of locks attached to the foot bridge near Christ Our Savior Cathedral. Just-married couples will lock a padlock to the fence, and together they'll throw the key into the river - as a symbol of the strength and "unbreakable bond" of their marriage. Many of the padlocks have the names of the newlyweds and their wedding date engraved.

Moscow does an incredible job when it comes to snow removal. This is one of several photos that I took of a crew clearing the courtyard outside of the cathedral.

The view across the Moscow River of the monument to Peter the Great. The statue is 94 meters and is built on the riverbanks.

A typical Russian man. (This photo was taken on Red Square just before he spent five minutes chatting with me and then begging me for money.)

Winter in Moscow is a rather magical time, especially when there is new snow on the ground. In January an ice rink is assembled in the middle of Red Square (seen in the background.) I just love Russian children. These sisters were having fun playing in the snow while their parents posed for photos in front of St. Basil's Cathedral.

The obligatory St. Basil's in the snow photo.

This little fellow was posing for photos in the courtyard outside of Red Square. Who can resist monkeys...especially ones with their own snow suits and boots!

This statue of Marshall Zukhov, hero general of WWII, is located just outside the entrance to Red Square. Zukhov sent over 30,000 soldiers to their deaths trying to break through to Berlin.

Photo Excursion - Part One

2008-01-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

Kellye and the little kids were at school today and my lesson finished at noon which left me with an afternoon to kill. It was actually the kind of day that I have been waiting for. Over the past few days the city has been blanketed with around 5 inches of snow and we continued to have a light snowfall when I left the apartment this afternoon. My goal--a photo excursion in the center of the city. I tried to capture some of the "essence" of living in Moscow and to do that I shot close to 200 photos of places, people and everyday life. So, since a picture is worth a thousand words, here is part one of my latest photo essay.

This is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals which was constructed by Tsar Alexander to commorate Russia's victory over Napoleon and was dedicated in 1883. During communism Stalin had the cathedral blown up and the foundation was used as a public heated swimming pool for several decades. It was reconstructed in the 1980s and restored to use in 2000.

This soviet hammer and anvil is one of many cast into the ironworks of a bridge that crosses the Moscow River. From the bridge you can see a breathtaking view of the Kremlin and if you look closely you can see one of the Kremlin spires in the background.

These mounted soldiers were patrolling the outside wall of the Kremlin in the new-fallen snow.

One of Moscow's many "babushki" (or "grandmother") taking a rest on a snowy park bench just outside of the Kremlin.

This is Russia's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, dedicated to the Soviet soldiers killed during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. It is located at the Kremlin wall in the Alexander Garden.

A statue of Lenin which sits outside of the Lenin Library in Moscow. It's size and importance are comparable to the US Library of Congress. It is the national library of Russia.

This statue is located in the garden outside of the Christ Our Savior Cathedral and is officially called the Monument to Emperor Alexander II, the Liberator Tsar. An inscription at the base listing his accomplishments says that he "freed millions of peasants from centuries of slavery." The 16-foot statue sits atop a 16-foot pedestal. Alexander was assassinated in St. Petersburg in 1881. The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was built on the spot where he was murdered in memory of the Tsar.

Sometimes there is nothing better than curling up with a good book. This is one of the many bronze reliefs adorning the outside of Christ our Savior Cathedral.

The view of the Kremlin, Kremlin Palace and Red Square from one of the bridges crossing the Moscow River.

Facts and information contained in this essay are taken from Wikipedia.com.

"My Family" Essay

2008-01-15T06:58:00.000-05:00

Life here in Moscow has become rather mundane in the early part of the new year. We have language lessons every day and spend much of the rest of the day doing homework, going to the store, or trying to do things with the kids. Frankly, that does not make for much of an exciting blog. This week I began studying the last of the six grammatical cases in the Russian language. (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and prepositional for those of you who are keeping score!) One of the hardest things about learning Russian is that words (and even names) change depending on what case they are. And, depending on how it is constructed you can even have several cases all within the same sentence.

As Kellye has mentioned in her blogs, as a general rule I am rather fearless when it comes to speaking Russian to people outside of the home. I have found that it is the best way to practice what I have learned and I learn so much from my many mistakes. And there are many, but they usually don't stop me from talking to folks when I can. I have fairly decent pronunciation and my vocabulary is growing each week (though not nearly at the rate that I am being taught). However, I just hate to read and to write in Russian because, like in English, I do not spell very well and it is harder to cover grammatical errors when they are in print. So, as we finished learning the ins and outs of the instrumental case, my homework last night was to construct a short essay about my family. Now, rest assured that after three months of study we can do more than talk about our family. However, this essay was supposed to contain certain information about each person to make sure that throughout the essay I used all six of the grammatical cases. So, since I really have not done much each day other than study Russian I thought that I would share my essay with you. I have provided the translation at the end of each paragraph. I hope you enjoy seeing what we do each day and I ask that as you read this you continue to pray for our language acquisition skills and for stamina and endurance.

Blessings,
Marc

СЕМЬЯ ХУКС
HOOKS FAMILY

Меня зoвyт Марк Хукс. Мoя семья живёт в Москвe недолго. Но мы из Америки. У нас троe детей –– один мальчик и две девочки.
My name is Marc Hooks. My family has not lived in Moscow long. But we are from America. We have three children -- one son and two daughters.

Mне тридцать девять лет. Я работаю видео продюсером и миссионером в ИМБ. Раньше Я был журналистом. Сeйчас Я занимаюсь русским языком дома с препoдавателем. Потому что у меня хороший препoдаватель Я гoвoрю неплохo пo-pусски.
I am 39 years old. I work as a video producer and missionary for the IMB. Before, I worked as a journalist. Now, I study the Russian language at home with a teacher. Because I have a good teacher I speak Russian not too badly.

Мне нравится смотреть Американский фyтбoл и Я интересуюсь командoй «Оклаxомa Сунерс.»
I like to watch American football and am interested in the Oklahoma Sooners.

Этo моя жена. Её зoвут Kелли. Я люблю жену. Раньше она была препoдавателем, но сейчас она работает миссионером и занимается pусским языком. Она тоже учится дома с препoдавателем.
This is my wife. Her name is Kellye. I love my wife. Before, she worked as a teacher, but now she works as a missionary and studies the Russian language. She also studies at home with a teacher.

Eй сорок лет. Она интересуется литературой и истоpией. Ей тоже нравится петь.
She is 40 years old. She is interested in literature and history. She also likes to sing.

Это моя дочь, Сара Бет. Ей пятнадцать лет. Она учится дома.
Ей нравятся мальчики и магазины. Тоже, Сара Бет интересуется музыкой.
This is my daughter, Sarah Beth. She is 15 years old. She studies at home. She likes boys and shopping. Also, Sarah Beth is interested in music.

Эта мои дети Ханна и Джон. Ей деcять лет и ему шесть лет. Они учатся дома но занимаются спортoм в Хинксоне. Джон интересуется биологией и Ханна интересуется Американским фильмом «Ханна Монтана».
These are my children Hannah and John. She is 10 years old and he is six years old. They study at home, but study sports at Hinkson. John is interested in animals and Hannah is interested in the American (rv show) film "Hannah Montana."

Oh what a year it has been!

2008-01-06T03:22:00.000-05:00

I have taken much of the last 10 days to reflect on the year that has past and to plan and dream about the year that awaits us. As you can well imagine, 2007 was a year filled with change. In 12 months our family took our first trip to Russia, had our final interview with the IMB, sold nearly all of our belongings, closed my business as Kellye finished a successful teaching career, said goodbyes to friends and family in Florida, moved into a mission house, spent 10 days in Baltimore with my parents, moved to Richmond, VA where the entire family had 8 weeks of classes designed to prepare us for the mission field, were commissioned as IMB missionaries, said more goodbyes to family, moved to Moscow, started learning the Russian language, spent nearly three months without reliable internet connections, and celebrated our first Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's in Europe's largest city...our new home. Wow! That makes me tired just thinking about it. The past year has surely been one of those landmark years that you spend the rest of your life looking back on.

This morning I was reading from the 14th Chapter of Luke where Christ is teaching about the cost of discipleship. The Message reads this way:

25-27 "One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters -- yes, even one's own self! -- can't be my disciple. Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple.

28-30 "Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: 'He started something he couldn't finish.'

31-32 "Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? Ad if he decides he can't, won't he send an emissary and work out a truce?

33 "Simply put, if you're not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can't be my disciple."

I share that passage with you not to elevate our family or to call attention to what was left behind, but to bring specific attention to verses 28-30. This has been a difficult year. It is one thing to stand up in your home church and profess your love for Jesus. It is quite another to turn your back on a profession that you have spent your adult life building, to tell family and friends that Jesus is more important than they are, and to count the cost of discipleship with your spouse and children. My friends, we did not get to Moscow without first counting the cost. And that is ok. My largest fear is that we will be like the man who gets the foundation of his house laid and then runs out of money. I do not want to be the man of whom people say, "He started something he couldn't finish."

So that brings me to the present year. While 2007 was filled with change, 2008 will be a year of running the race. And, as races go, it will not be a sprint but a marathon. Come to think about it, it will probably be more of a steeplechase or triathlon with courses that change and many obstacles to overcome. When Kellye and I married 18 years ago we decided that divorce would never be an option and therefore no matter what problems we may encounter so therefore it would not be something that we would discuss. We have had to take a similar approach to the thoughts of going home. It is not an option. Jesus has called us to Russia for this season in our lives and the cost has been counted. Going home is not one of the options at this point and therefore we have had to ban that vocabulary from our lives. No matter how bad our days feel the suitcases must stay in storage. So, my friends that is my prayer request for the upcoming year. Pray that we would be faithful. Pray that we would continue to build the house that God has asked us to build here and that we would build it to completion. As I have shared with you before, life here is not always easy. As a matter of a fact, it is typically more difficult than the life that we left behind. And, homesickness is a real thing. We all struggle with it, the girls in particular. Please pray that in 2008 that we will not look foolish. Pray that we will be able to finish what we have started.

As for the year ahead, here are some of the things that we are looking forward to:

~ Learning enough of the language to have conversations with those around us.

~ Traveling our new city and country to see things we never thought that we would ever see or experience.

~ Working with the missionaries of Russia to help them produce the media pieces they need to support their work here.

~ Hosting volunteer teams from the States who will join us in our work here.

As you head into the new year please continue to remember our family in your prayers. Pray that each day will become easier than the day before and that we would be able to share the light of Jesus with the Russians that we meet. Pray for the children as they continue to adjust to their new home and pray that Kellye and I would be the kind of patient understanding parents that we need to be.

I look forward to see what the new year will hold not just for our family, but for you and yours.

Blessings,

Marc

No Christmas in Russia

2007-12-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

There are twinkling lights, tinsel and decorated trees, but there is no Christmas in Russia. There are presents wrapped in shiny paper, but there is no Christmas in Russia. You can even find Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, but there is no Christmas in Russia. There are no nativity scenes, no Christmas carols, and no holiday specials on television. There are no Christmas cookies, no Christmas punch, no sausage balls, and there is even a lack of fruitcake! As a matter of a fact, December 25 is just an ordinary day here. And while much of the city looks like it is getting ready for Christmas, once you learn how to read Cyrillic (the Russian alphabet) you realize that all of the fanfare, including the huge fireworks that you can buy in the grocery store, is not for Christmas at all, but in celebration of the new year. Even in our evangelical church, this Sunday's service was nothing out of the ordinary. There were no carols, no mention of Jesus in the manger, no wise men, shepherds or angels. Even the other American missionaries (not IMB) who attend did not greet one another with "Merry Christmas."

But guess what? Christmas came...it came all the same. It came without pageants. It came without lights. It came without sausage balls, cookie cutters or Christmas punch. It came without all of the things that we think make the season Christmas-sy. It came all the same.

When I was feeling particularly low this week I was reminded that Christmas is not about all of the "things" of Christmas. It was not when we saw John-John looking at the packages in front of our teenie artificial tree muttering to himself, "It's not about the presents, it's about Jesus...It's not about the presents, it's about Jesus." Nor was it late on Christmas Eve when we gathered with friends and had a candlelight service. (Though that was great and I am sure that Kellye will write about it in her blog.) But it was Sunday night when I was feeling my lowest and turned on the television. Now I don't really recommend that you take any of your theology from cartoon sitcoms. And I should not really admit that I am a big "King of the Hill" fan, though it is hard not to be if you have ever known or been friends with anybody who is a native Texan. (Well I'll be dipped.) But Sunday night they were running Christmas episodes and as I tuned in Hank found himself in an old-fashioned tent revival on Christmas day. "He doesn't have to, but He is working on His birthday," screamed the preacher. And all at once I was reminded about the many sacrifices that Jesus made when he came to earth. Do you think that anybody really cared about what that small child had given up to be there? Do you think anybody really understood that this child (and later a man) was used to walking the streets of gold and sitting at the right hand of the father? I don't think so.

It has been very hard over the past few weeks not to become irritated with the Russians around me. They don't celebrate Christmas. There are no mangers, no baby Jesus and no Silent Night. Now we have no record of it, but I would like to think that when the Bible talks about Jesus going off alone to pray early in the morning that on occasions he looked to heaven and said things like, "Why did you send me here?" "Why is it that nobody around me can see what is so obvious to me?" or "I am so sick of these people. Nothing about them reminds me of home." And, I can only imagine that if Jesus did say any of those things that God sat back on his throne, folded his arms and waited quietly for his son to finish venting and then whispered, "You know why you are there. How else will they know how much I love them?" And then Jesus bowed his head, wiped a few tears from his eyes and went back to work...even on his birthday.

I can truly say that this has been one of the best Christmases ever. No, we didn't get to share the Gospel with our Russian neighbors. We were not invited into the homes of those around us. While we opened presents on Christmas morning the busses still ran and the construction workers continued to work in the bitter cold. The stores were still open and to most in Russia this was just another day. And it was not good because of the gifts that were exchanged, although it was as sweet as usual and we even managed to make some new traditions for ourselves that had a distinctly Russian flavor. But it was one of the best Christmases ever because we were reminded once again that this is His story and we get to play a small part.

We hope that wherever in the world you are today that you are reminded of why we celebrate. Take time to remind yourself that the creator of the universe wrapped himself in frail human flesh so that we would know how much God loves us.

We love and miss each one of you, especially during this special time of the year.

Merry Christmas!

Poking Jesus at the Breakfast Table

2007-12-15T01:07:00.000-05:00

This week was like many of our other weeks here in Moscow. There were days that were good..days that were bad and days that Russians would call "nee-chee-vo" (a great Russian word that means that things have not changed and are just "normal.") Our language skills are improving and we can now hold a pretty meaningful conversation in Russian...as long as we are speaking to a 3-year old! And, we are looking forward to speaking with several of our partner churches this week and next as part of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering emphasis that Southern Baptists have during the Christmas season.

This week as I was getting ready for my language class and the kids were at the kitchen table eating breakfast I overheard a conversation that has tickled me all week long. As usual, John was picking on his sisters, and as usual they didn't like it. This was the dialogue that followed:

Kellye: John, that does not make Jesus very happy when you do that.

John: I wasn't doing it to Jesus. I was doing it to Hannah!

Now if you are a regular reader of our blogs you will know that Kellye is generally the one with deep theological insights (Jesus and taco night is my favorite.) But this one has been eating at me all week long because I am so guilty of saying the same thing as John...over and over again. You would think that after nearly 40 years I would stop saying it. But how many times a week do we find ourselves getting caught in our sin and responding the same ways as John-John. "I wasn't doing it to Jesus..." But the reality is that when we turn our focus off God, even for just a split second, we are no different than the six-year-old caught poking his sister at the breakfast table.

This morning as I was walking to the grocery store I was listening to John MacArthur teach about Christmas. His sermon, entitled, the ugliness of Christmas reminded us that while we try to paint Christmas as something beautiful the reality is that Christmas was necessary because we have sinned. If our lives were not tainted with the blackness and ugliness of sin then there would not be a reason for Jesus. Man would still live in The Garden and God would not have had to put on human flesh for the sole purpose of becoming a sacrifice for our sins.

Now for a moment of sheer honesty and transparency. I was the one this week who said "Why are we even here?" and then I added that I was feeling like God had made a mistake by sending us." Guess what, folks. I was tired, frustrated, homesick, angry, sad, disappointed, and a million other negative emotions. I was yelling at my family and was not really thinking about God all that much, except for to be pretty upset with him for bringing me to a place where I do not feel like I excel in ANYTHING. But the reality is that in that moment when John answered my question by saying "Because God told us to" I broke down and felt tears coming to my eyes. Not because my feelings had changed, but because I knew that what I was really saying was "I didn't do it to Jesus..." But I was and he was sad.

So I had to come to grips with some stuff this week. First, we are here to stay and to imply otherwise is a sin...no matter how I am FEELING that day. Secondly, there will be hard days and that is alright. But most importantly, when we are feeling selfish, having a pity party, or any of other multitudes of sins, we are not just doing those things to ourselves, or to our family and friends, but we are doing them to Jesus as well. The same Jesus who lay in a manger and the same Jesus who hung on a cross. But most importantly, the same Jesus who left an empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning and who lives even today!

It is funny what you can learn from your kids at the breakfast table.

Merry Christmas from Moscow

2007-12-14T15:24:00.000-05:00

то будет Россией - Часть Два (That's Russia-Part 2)

2007-12-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

It has become my custom to update my blogs and write email, etc on Saturday and Sunday mornings since they are usually fairly restful days for us. However, this weekend was yet another "That's Russia" exception to the rule. We were excited about the weekend, too. However, if nothing else, our experiences in Russia have taught us to appreciate the "little things" that we take for granted. For weeks now, one of those "little things" has been the Internet. However, this weekend the "little thing" that turned into a big thing was electricity! That's right, we spent 72 hours without electricity in our apartment. And let me tell you, when the power was restored this afternoon at 4pm it was as if Ben Franklin himself had hand-delivered the magical source of power! I am sure that it is not culturally appropriate to carry the workmen around the room on your shoulders and cheer "huzzah!", but I certainly thought about it.

So, power is restored. Our high-speed Internet is working at smoking-fast speeds and Kellye is in the kitchen cooking a hot supper. Life is good, my friends!

I will catch you up on the week past and what we have in store for the week ahead in the next day or so.

Blessings to all,

Marc

FAQs

2007-12-01T02:01:00.000-05:00

It has been a pretty quiet week here in Moscow, so I thought I would take a few minutes this morning to update you on a few of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

How is the weather?

I have found, more than ever, that this is a relative question. Put simply, it is cold. But even that has become relative. This morning when I woke up it was 18-degrees outside. And, because I left the window open overnight it was around that in the living room. By anybody's standards 18-degrees is cold. Earlier this week we had a warm snap of a couple of days where the temps rose to just above freezing. And, frankly we considered that to be a warm day. Now I remember a time in Florida when our children would shiver and complain if they were able to see their breath on the way to school, but that has become our new normal and any day that is above 32 is a warm one! But never fear, even though it is freezing cold outside, it is plenty warm inside. (Which is why our windows are usually open most of the day!)

Those warm days also present their own forms of problems. You see, we have had snow on the ground for at least three weeks now, so when it gets that warm during the day things begin to melt, but when the sun goes down at 4pm things start to refreeze leaving the sidewalks a solid sheet of ice. So, we pray for snow. In actuality it snows almost all the time. It is usually just flurries, but there is snow in the air nearly constantly. We have about four or five inches on the ground right now and the forecast usually calls for snow four or five days a week. Usually it is a very different kind of snow that you typically think of though. Even when it is snowing hard, the flakes are generally very small and grainy...almost like white sand. But every now and then you get bigger flakes.

Yesterday was my favorite kind of day, weather wise. It was just below freezing and the wind was not really blowing hard. There was a light snow falling and it was just a lot of fun to go walking in. I love to take the shortcuts through the areas of town that have a lot of trees, especially when it is snowing. There is just something dreamlike about the whole scene. And, with Christmas quickly approaching it is even more exciting to get out and walk in the snow. While Russians don't really celebrate Christmas the way that we think of it (their big celebration is the New Year) there are "New Year's Trees", lights and decorations all over. It really is beautiful. My absolute favorite time to be out is right around twilight when it is nearly dark, the holiday lights are lit and glowing and the snow is falling. Wow. I hope I never get tired of that!

My goal over the next few weeks is for us to try to start experimenting with some winter sports. We have a fairly large section of woods behind our apartment and I am hoping to try cross-country skiing. I also want to take the kids ice skating. And, of course, we are trying to find the best place near us to go sledding.

How is the language study going?

Let's make no mistake here. This is probably my least favorite part about living in a different country. And, there have been many days when I wanted to go back in time and beat up those folks in ancient Babel who ruined this whole language thing for us. If it were not for them, I would not be studying Russian right now! (Read Genesis 11 for the background on that little rant there.) However, this week I really turned a corner in my language learning. First, I have been given in incredible peace in this area and have almost come to look forward to my lessons each day. And that helps.

While I am reminded daily that I have forgotten more half of the things that I have been taught, I am starting to slowly get a grasp of the language and the vocabulary. It is a very rare occasion when you find someone here who speaks English, so I have really stopped asking and forge ahead with my Russian when I am out of the apartment. There are many occasions where I have to explain that I speak, or read Russian very poorly, or that I have only been studying the language for two months, but as a general rule people have been very friendly and understanding.

So this week when considering my language skills (and I use that term loosely) I thought I would concentrate on the positive and tell you about some of my successes and some of the things that I can do, rather than the things that I cannot do. So here are 10 things that I can do in Russian:

1. In just six "short" weeks I have completed nine chapters in my Russian language textbook!

2. I can tell you all about my family and friends. I can tell you who they are, their relationship to me and what they do for a living. I can also tell you where they live.

3. I can tell you the things that I have or want.

4. I can tell you what I did yesterday and by the end of this next week I should be able to tell you about what I am going to do today and tomorrow.

5. I can tell you that something belongs to me (or someone else.)

6. I can order my own food at McDonalds and get the order mostly correct!

7. I can purchase the family's metro and bus passes or other things from kiosks.

8. I can order meat from the deli counter (though I rarely want to!)

9. I can translate simple paragraphs to Russian from English and from Russian to English.

10. I am starting to be able to watch Russian television and understand what is going on. Last night I was able to watch a sitcom and catch enough of the dialogue to understand the plot. AND, I even correctly solved the puzzle on the Russian version of Wheel of Fortune!! Wow, was I excited.

Have you gotten high-speed Internet yet?

The answer to this one is that we are optimistic about what the week ahead holds. We now have a contract and the equipment with yet another Internet service provider and have been assured that this one will do the trick. The service is supposed to be activated within 10 business days, so we are hoping that we will be online and surfing by the end of the week, but it may take a little longer. Once we are connected we should be able to use Skype to make audio and video calls and we are hoping to have our Vonage phone hooked up so that we have a US "batphone" that will connect us with the States.

What are the kids doing for school and how are they doing?

All three kids are doing there academic studies at home with Kellye as their teacher. However, this week Hannah and John started going to the American Christian academy (Hinkson) in Moscow on Tuesdays and Thursdays. While there they attend PE class and have lunch and recess with other kids their age. They also have access to the library, which is a pretty huge thing in our house. So, I would tell you that things are going very well.

What can we do for you?

Pray. That is the most important thing that you can do. When you are on your knees you are on the front lines of our ministry. While care packages and other things are nice and appreciated, the best thing you can do is pray.

There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of you, my friends. Know that you are loved from around the globe. I hope that you are enjoying this Christmas season and that you will make time to share Jesus with someone else during this time.

As usual, peaceful Saturday mornings give way to busy Saturday afternoons.

Blessings from Moscow,

Marc

Our First Thanksgiving in Russia

2007-11-22T13:58:00.001-05:00

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
he chastens and hastens his will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:
sing praise to his Name, he forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
thou, Lord, wast at our side: all glory be thine!

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
and pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation:
thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

What a glorious day!

You know, by the time you get to be our age you have become pretty set in your ways and your notions about what things should be like are pretty set in stone. That is especially true of holidays. So, as Thanksgiving day approached I was pretty apprehensive about how the family was going to react to our first major holiday away from home. For that matter, I was not sure how I was going to react. I like sleeping late on Thanksgiving morning and watching the parades in my pajamas. I like cooking a big turkey and smelling all of the wonderful goodies that Kellye prepares throughout the day. I like sitting around the table with my family and hearing all the things that we are thankful for. And, I especially like my afternoon nap on a big cushy couch while Kellye and the girls watch "It's a Wonderful Life."

Well, as you can imagine this Thanksgiving was different...but it was great. We spent most of the afternoon with our mission family here in Moscow. Including the children there were around 70 people, mostly missionaries, who gathered together in the cafeteria of the Christian school to celebrate the holiday. There was turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beens, and pumpkin pie. We sang songs of thanksgiving, talked about the things we were thankful for, and spent the afternoon enjoying each other's company. After dinner the kids went out to play in the snow while the adults and teenagers played board games. Hannah went home with a friend and SB went with the other teenagers to a friend's house to watch movies and hang out. When we got home our internet connection was working well enough to call home and talk to family, as well as some of our mission friends around the world. It really was a great day.

So today I am thankful for many things, including the fact that our first holiday in Russia was a happy one and not one filled with sadness and longing for home. As a matter of a fact, we are slowly able to call this our home...and that is something to be thankful for.

Some of the other things I am thankful for include:

~ My wife, Kellye. I adore her and am thankful to God for giving me such a wonderful woman to stand by my side.
~ My children. I know that one day you will have to move out of the house and live on your own, so for now I am thankful for a house filled with the noise of an active family.
~ Our family back home. We miss them all and appreciate their love and support.
~ Snow! Yes, it is beastly cold. But the snow adds a cheeriness to the otherwise bleak weather.
~ Small victories. Today on the way to lunch I was able to read a sign I had never seen before and understand what kind of place it was. (It was the post office.) Earlier this week I took the kids to McDonalds and ordered in Russian. This time there were only two items on my tray that should not have been there! You get the picture.
~ My two best friends, Mike and Neil. I know that the thought of me serving overseas as a missionary is still funny to you. But it is even funnier to me. Thanks for being my friends, no matter what the circumstance, for more than 20 years!
~ Our language teacher, Irena. I cannot tell you what a blessing she is to our family. Not only is she a gifted teacher, and she must be to teach me, but she has become a treasured part of our family. Although I am thrilled to have a four-day weekend, I will miss having her in our home tomorrow.
~ Ed Tarleton. I have known Ed for around two years now and every time I hear him speak to a group I am just in awe of this Godly man. I am proud to work with and for such a missionary.
~ Our Moscow family. We have a great group of IMB folks who live and work in Moscow. Every one of them has been loving and kind as we have made the transition here. I am especially fond of our team, but the entire mission family has taken us in and we are thankful for each of them.
~ Our FPO family. What a treat it is to get to chat with our dear brothers and sisters from FPO who are serving around the world. Kellye always knows when I am getting to talk with one of them because I am always smiling when she enters the room.
~ My pastor. What can I say. We would not be here today if it were not for my friend and pastor, Alan Floyd. I love this guy.
~ Email. I can't even imagine what it was like to serve overseas before email. I am sure that every letter from home was precious. While the method of communication is different, let me tell you that your emails are no less precious to our family. We love to hear from you and are thankful when you take time to write to us.

Fortunately, I am a blessed man and have much to be thankful for which means that I could continue to write about them for hours. However, it is getting late and the sounds of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" are coming from my living room which means that I need do go. Tomorrow evening we will pull a few precious Christmas ornaments (including a few dorky reindeer) out of a box and decorate our small tree for Christmas. While we do we will watch White Christmas and sing along. One of my favorite songs is in that movie and it talks about counting your blessings. I hope that tonight before you go to sleep you will take time to count your blessings and thank the God who has made every one of them possible.

Oh, and I am thankful that after six weeks you have continued to read our blogs! Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings,
Marc

2007-11-18T12:55:00.000-05:00

There comes a point in which a man has to admit to himself that he is not quite the man he thought he was. Today I found that point…it turns out it is right around 19-degrees!

We have had a busy week since I last had a chance to write. We have enjoyed a glorious week off from our language studies. This was in order to allow us to attend a team retreat Monday through Wednesday. So, our teacher decided to take the rest of the week off to visit her parents in Kiev, Ukraine. We have tried to take advantage of that time and do some fun things in addition to our normal routines, so I will try to bring you up to speed.

“That’s Russia!”

We have heard missionary friends of ours say “well, that’s Russia” before, but we are really starting to get a feeling for what that phrase really means. On Monday morning the family hiked a mile up the street to the nearest metro station (with three suitcases and four backpacks in tow) to meet our team and load the “bus” for our annual retreat. It was about 30-degrees and as we walked it began to snow. By the time we arrived at our meeting place the snow was falling heavily and the roads were getting slippery. As we started to load up we realized that the company had only sent a 17-passenger vehicle for the 20 of us. That’s Russia. We then drove the 70 kilometers outside of Moscow to the retreat center that we had booked for the week.

Russian Retreat Centers: Making RA Camp Look Luxurious

The only word I could really think of as we drove through the front gates of the retreat center was “gulag.” However, I am told that this was one of the nicer Christian retreat centers in Russia. Let’s just say that I don’t ever want to visit a bad one. As we popped out of the van like clowns out of a VW, we lugged our things to the second floor only to find that only three of the four adult couple’s rooms had bathrooms in the room. Guess who got the fourth. That’s Russia. The next morning I padded down the hallway in my jammies to take a shower. I turned the hot water on and waited….and waited…and waited some more. Then I turned on the hot water to the other shower on full blast…and waited. Stone cold. (And you have never felt cold water like the cold water here.) So I padded back to the room. Luckily our room did have a sink in it so I gave Kellye and John fair warning and started my day with a sponge bath. At breakfast I commented to a teammate about how cold the shower was and he told me that he kept getting the water too hot. It turns out that the lines to the shower were reversed and the hot water was in the opposite direction from which I was turning the knob. That’s Russia.

Capture the Flag and Other Feats of Physical Prowess

Our first evening at the retreat center ended with most of us spreading out around the campus to play “Capture the Flag”. If you have not played it, it is kind of like a mini war game where you can be captured and put into jail if you are caught behind enemy lines. I haven’t played capture the flag since I was in college and it seems that while my mind still believes it is 20, my body was in for the stark realization that it is not. To make matters worse, by this time it had been snowing for at least 12 hours and the ground was beginning to be covered with ice and snow. Now, I won’t tell you just how bad my body decided to rebel against me under these circumstances, but I spent the rest of the retreat being known as “Mr. No-Vertical-Leap” and my colleagues doing impressions of me attempting to hurdle the hedges in order to escape capture. I spend a lot of time in “jail” that night.

Never Eat S’mores With Your Gloves On

We were blessed to be joined on our retreat by a couple from Colorado that lead us in Bible study. Mark and Christy served on the mission field for many years before making Colorado their current home. More on that later, but one of the wonderful things they did was to bring suitcases filled with goodies. Candy and CDs for the kids, magazines (including MacWorld just for me) and books for the adults and a special suitcase filled with all the fixins for s’mores. So despite the six inches of snow that was already on the ground and the steady snow shower that was pelting our faces we gathered firewood and built ourselves a nice little bonfire. It was more like a campfire, but trust me when I say that nobody there wanted to camp by the fire for long. After one of our Journeymen discovered, the hard way, that you should not eat S’mores while still wearing your fuzzy mittens we doused the fire with snow and headed back indoors for the night, all the while looking like an army of snowmen (and women) making their way down the path.

Breaking Down Incrementally and Going Out In Joy

I am not sure that the timing for our retreat could have been any better than it was. Life in Russia is not easy. No, it is hard. And…that’s Russia. We all experience it. Whether you have been here for 13 years, two years, or just six weeks, after living in America, life in Russia is hard. To Russians it is just life…but for those of us used to the conveniences of the Western World everyday life here can be frustrating…and that is on the good days. You have probably guessed from our infrequent posts that we are still without dependable Internet service and I can’t really express to you the frustration that brings. Add to that the inability to communicate with those around us and the frustration of learning our new roles and it is usually only a matter of time before your first breakdown sets in. And, after spending time with our teammates we discovered that it happens to everyone, but some of us crash and burn all at once while others of us break down in increments. The secret, however, is to stay rooted in your call and to live in joy, regardless of your circumstances. I can never express enough gratitude to Mark and Christy who took time and money to leave their comfortable life in Colorado to share with us about living in joy. Yes, these are things that we all knew. But it is good to be reminded every now and again by someone who has walked the path that you are on. So remember that wherever in the world that you live or whether you speak the same language as your neighbor or not your life is supposed to be filled with joy. Whether you have high-speed Internet or just a hamster that runs around a wheel in a box to power your network connection you are to be filled with joy. How do you get that joy? It only comes from one place…a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Once you have that I promise that no circumstance or incremental breakdown can rob you of your joy.

Dining at an Oasis

Having the week off has given us some time to do some fun things. The kids and I have taken a few minutes to play in the snow. But even more notable has been yesterday’s trip to the Starlite Diner, an American-style diner in the heart of Moscow. We had pancakes with real maple syrup, bacon and probably the best cup of coffee that I have had since Miss Penny served me my last cup at Country Cabin. All the while we ate a fresh layer of snow fell from the skies and we listened to American rock-and-roll classics blaring from the jukebox. It was a little slice of heaven. I cannot wait until Kellye and I get to go back for date night in December so we can try their hot wings! After breakfast we got another treat…a trip to MediaMarket— think Best Buy on steroids! They had one of the largest flat-panel tv screens that I have ever seen. We bought a hair dryer for the girls and I got a DVD of Looney Tunes cartoons that are overdubbed in Russian. Hey, if you are going to learn a foreign language you might as well make it fun!

Plowing Concrete and Long Cold Winters

I think there is something about how constant cold, snow and ice effect a person’s personality. Russians are not unfriendly, but they are not an outgoing gregarious society either. We have been jealous as we have read the blogs of other missionary colleagues who have been invited into the homes of national friends, neighbors and others that they meet. Quite frankly, we are jealous that they have forged relationships with any nationals at all. Before arriving we were told that the work here can be described as “plowing concrete” and so far that has been a pretty accurate description. While others are enjoying meals with neighbors, we are happy when any of our neighbors nods their head at us in the elevator or on the sidewalk outside of our building. This week I had the opportunity to speak with several different people and while my communication skills are limited at best, I was still able to have brief encounters with these Russians. I will write more about these encounters, as I am able to begin to develop relationships with them. However, in the meantime please pray that we would be able to reach these people and eventually have the opportunity to share the Gospel with them.

Praying For Us…

As Thanksgiving approaches this week we are reminded for all we have that we are thankful for. I cannot tell you how thankful we are for you. All of you who take time to check our blogs regularly and pray for us. We can’t tell you how much that means to us and what an important part of our ministry it is. As you head into Thanksgiving week and the Christmas season, please pray for the following things on behalf of the Hooks family…

1. Dependable Internet service.
2. Language acquisition.
3. Wisdom in making decisions about the children, home situations and other matters that will need Godly discernment.
4. Joy in all situations.
5. That we will begin to have an impact and ministry in Russia.

Blessings,
Marc

Headlines from Moscow

2007-11-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

(After some gentle chiding from a missionary colleague I am making myself sit down and write a post for my blog. It is not that I have forgotten or lost interest, but have started three or four entries that never got finished. So, here is a catch-up blog.)

Many of you know that in one of my former lives I was a newspaper writer and editor. While that was not my favorite job in my media profession it did have its own set of rewards, one of which was writing headlines and seeing them on the paper the next day. You see, writing a good headline can be an art. It needs to be short, snappy, grab people’s attention and sum up the story in just a few words. So, when I start writing blog entries my brain automatically switches into “reporter mode” where I begin thinking of a headline at about the same time that I start writing the blog. So I got to thinking, how would I convey our Moscow experience thus far by using only headlines. And this is a few of what I have come up with…

“Nat King Cole may have loved Paris in the springtime, but I love Moscow in the fall.”

“Deaf, Dumb & Blind—Going Shopping in a foreign land.”

“Life lessons from playing charades.”

“Are you there God? It’s me, Marc.”

“Frustrated missionary murders tutor at dining room table using nothing but a Russian Language textbook.”

“The fetal position…not a bad place to be.”

“Baby, it’s cold outside.”

“Dancing Bears and a good night’s sleep.”

“Lewis & Clark could not have found good Internet in Moscow.”

“Patience is in a jar on the top shelf next to the peanut better…oh wait, they don’t have that here either!”

“Let’s play ‘What’s That Smell!’ That’s right Sergi, it’s fish and cigarette smoke…again!”

“I’m a katchka in a shopka!”

“Spa-see-ba Bog and other dinnertime prayers.”

“WWLMD…What would Lottie Moon Do? And other questions from the field.”

“We’re still having tacos for dinner and Kellye can tell you how that reminds us of Jesus!”

I hope you have enjoyed the headlines from Moscow. Trust me, there is a story for each of them and one day I hope to be able to write them all. If you see one that has peaked your interest, leave a comment and ask for the whole story. I will try to write and publish them as as soon as possible.

Thanks for joining us in prayer. I wish I could report that life here is easy and fun all of the time, but I cant. I wish I could report that 20 new churches have been planted since we arrived, but they haven’t. I wish that if you called me today I would be able to talk back to you in Russian, but I won’t. But what can report is that the God of the Universe has called us to this country to help spread the word about how people here, including missionaries, don’t have to live in a world without hope. I can report that our God is alive and well in Russia and that my family is happy to be part of that work…on the good days, the funny days, and even the bad days.

I will leave you today with words that God gave me this week from the book of Isaiah. Now I understand that when they were written they were speaking about Jesus and well we all know that the comparison stops with the fact that we are both Jewish men. However, they spoke to me this week and so now I share them with you…

“I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”

Wherever you are this week, and whatever you are doing, remember that the Lord has called you too to be light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and to those who dwell in darkness from the prison. Won't you take your light and search the darkness of your workplace, your community and your own family so that the light can be seen?

Blessings,
Marc

Russian Language and "The Quest"

2007-10-27T03:08:00.000-04:00

“Ruski Izzihk” (That’s Russian Language)

My language training starts each day at 9am when Irina rings the “doma-phone” (the intercom at the front door of our building) with her usual cheery greeting of “Dobre Utra!” I spend the next three hours tied to a medieval torture device as she shoves a red-hot poker in my face screaming, “No! You got it wrong again! Why can’t you be more like Kellye!” OK, maybe that isn’t what really happens every morning, but some days it sure feels like it! Needless to say, language learning is not my gift and more often than not my tutor is tortured much more than I am. If you want an idea of what I look like when I finish my daily “exercises” click here and then click on the pig’s nose. OK, if you did that then you get some sense of what the past two weeks has been like for me. Two down…only 10 more to go!!!

And let me add here that we have WAYYYY too many friends and family members that are teachers. Why do I say this? Because the word for teacher in Russian is nearly impossible for me to say. “Pre-pa-da-va-teal” Yep, looks easy when you do it like that, but try saying it over and over again. My tongue just won’t do it. I always get the syllables mixed up and in the wrong order. And, if I do get it right, it is always slow and sounded out syllable by syllable. If I ever need to use it in actual conversation people will think I am “a very special boy.” So many of my lessons over the past two weeks have been done sitting in front of a stack of photographs with Irina asking me who people are and what they do for a living. Again I say…too many teachers. So, I thought I would be clever. When I got to Kellye I said “missionaire.” “And….,” Irina said, before forcing me to say it. When I got to Mikey I thought I would try “video producer”. “E” (that’s the Russian word for ‘and’) so I thought I would try “universitit professor”. “Neyt. Eeeee?” Prepadavateal. Dang! Got me again. And if the word does not sound scary enough, this is the way that it looks in Russian: преподаватель. That's right, kids. Don't try that at home!

So what have I learned over the past two weeks? Well, I have learned to introduce my family and friends and tell what they do for a living, which will be important if you come to visit. Today I learned a handful of adjectives, which will be important because now I can describe you to other people when you come for a visit. (Though I am not sure that hot/cold, heavy/light, short/long, etc. will be very helpful during an introduction. For example: “This is Kellye’s good, long, light, sister Kay.” But probably the most important thing that I have learned to say is, “I am studying the Russian language and speak Russian very poorly. Do you speak English?” There are usually three responses that come after that question. The first is the least common, but it does happen more often than I would like. It is when the person hears the question and rolls here eyes and turns away in disgust. (That happened yesterday when a girl asked to borrow my cell phone and I told her that I didn’t understand her and asked if she spoke English. The girl at the table next to mine gave me a similar look as she handed the first her cell phone to borrow.) The second response is most common. It is a smile accompanied by much giggling. Even the men giggle a little when they hear me. And the third response has come from probably more than 99-percent of the Russians that I have talked to. “Angleski? Nyet.” I cannot tell you how few people I have found in Moscow that speak English. It is a little surprising, especially considering that our building is right next to the dorm of a college campus and there are young people all over the place. Yet, very few speak English. However, they are almost always more than willing to help and they almost always do so while speaking Russian about a hundred miles an hour in the hopes that if they keep talking the words will magically be translated and I will understand what they are saying.

Well, while all of this is terribly amusing (if you are not me), I tell you these stories to tell you another one. So, here goes…

They said there would be days like these!

For all of my FPO buddies: “So there I was…”

Do you know how when you are being trained to do something new people always tell you stories about things that happen and you think to yourself, “That won’t happen to me. I am much more competent than that!” Wrong again, my friend. Wrong again. Well, anybody that knows me even a little bit knows that I have to constantly be “wired” to the world. The Internet has become has important to me as getting three meals a day. It is how I get information (in English) and, most importantly, it is how I stay connected to my family and friends and all of you who take the time to read this blog. Since we arrived we have been stuck using dial-up Internet, which in it self is bad enough. But the worst part about dial-up here is that you have to pay for it by purchasing an Internet card which are usually available at one of the kiosks outside of the Metro stations. That is not too bad, but the speed is not fast enough to download anything of any significance and as a result that burns your Internet minutes. And you ALWAYS seem to run out of minutes at a time when you want to be online the most and/or you are not planning on going to the Metro.

Now, Moscow has high-speed Internet. As a matter of a fact, every other missionary in Moscow has some form of high-speed Internet in their apartment, but for some reason we could not find a single company that would service my building. Needless to say I was getting frustrated. We have a college dormitory on one side of us and a Mercedes dealership on the other and we cannot find a company that will put a high-speed line into our apartment. I was nearly at my wits end when I discovered that there is a company that has a high-speed wireless network in the city, but as luck would have it, their service area ends on the other side of my street. I discovered that if I put my laptop out on the balcony of the kids’ room I could pick up their signal, but that was the only place in the house. However, I found that if you purchased three months of service they would give you an antenna booster that would improve your reception. Frankly, that should have been my first clue, but you have to remember that after two weeks in the city, I have become a desperate man.

At this point let me add that I realize that missionaries have survived on the field or decades without Internet access and that I sound like a whiney baby. This I realize, but even all IMB communication comes via email and/or web pages.

So last Saturday I had determined that I would go to the center of the city where their offices were so I could pick up one of these antennas and finally get a decent Internet signal in the house. As I was leaving my apartment I met my next-door-neighbor for the first time. She and her boyfriend spoke English (two of the one-percent in Moscow) but unfortunately I met them as they were moving out of the building, so I am hoping that when I get a new neighbor he/she/they will speak English too, but I am not counting on it. Well, during the conversation I found out that there was indeed an Internet company that would service the building and she gave me their name and phone number. So, I decided to stay home and have our team leader help me speak with the company on Monday.

I finished my lesson at noon on Monday and had determined that I was going to have my Internet issues resolved by the end of the day. Jeff had called the company and told me that I had to go down there in person to get my account set up. He had a full day of meetings, so would not be able to go with me, but I figured I was a big boy and could do this all on my own. And, I was pleased to find that the office was located on the street perpendicular to mine – Ulitisa Mikukho-Maklaja. (Nope. I am not making that one up.) I have been walking the neighborhood on a fairly regular basis, so I know my way around and figured that it would be easy to find. So I got the address from the web site, wrote it on a piece of paper in Russian just in case I would need it, and with Hannah in tow, headed out the door. According to Jeff, the office was located on the 4th floor of building 23A. I pulled out my map and could not find building 23A listed, but building 23 was one of the large buildings that is a part of Pushkin Institute, the university in our neighborhood. I thought this was a strange place for the office of an Internet company, but I figured that maybe since our building is located on campus that they service only the university. When I got the fourth floor all I found there were classrooms. That took me back down to the main floor where I asked several people if they had heard of NetFort. Nobody had ever heard of the company. One nice guy tried to give me some help in Russian and wound up pointing me to one of the building’s security guards. He didn’t speak English either, nor had he ever heard of NetFort, nor did he know where building 23A was. So he pointed me to another guard. Same story. I then went outside and started walking back to the intersection of my street, Ulitisa Akademika Volgina, when I ran into the first guy who helped me. He pointed me back toward my apartment, which I knew was wrong because the address was Mikukho-Maklaja and not Akademika Volgina. So, I ventured up the street in the opposite direction. After asking three or four more very amused non-English-speaking Russians for directions I headed the other direction with much the same results. I again ran into the first guy who didn’t know where I was going, but was willing to help me guess. Looking at my map I discovered that Akademika Volgina has a 23A that is across the street on the other side, so we went off to find that building. We stopped into a women’s clothing store where a couple of young women proceed to giggle at me. They also pulled out a map to discover that 23A was not on the map, but they did point me in the other direction. (It is a good thing that Jeff had taught me the Russian word for crosswalk just two days before.) So, it was back to the area around the Institute. I found a couple of guys in the parking lot and decided to ask one more time, pulling the piece of paper out of my pocket, pointing to it and shrugging my shoulders. They pointed me to a small building behind where we were standing and said they thought that was the one. Hannah and I went traipsing through the mud, through a construction site on the way to this building, asking a couple of construction workers for help along they way and they confirmed that we were finally on the right track. We finally got to the building, which was surrounded by an iron fence and guard shack. “NetFort?,” I asked the guard. “Da,” he said as he activated the gate for us. Finally. Now we are getting somewhere.

We took the stairs up to the fourth floor because we couldn’t find the elevator and buzzed the intercom at the front door. They let us in and I went through my usual speech about not knowing Russian and asked if they spoke English. And then I heard music to my ears…English. However, what she said was, “Can you come back in about 15 minutes, it is lunch time.” It was around 2:15pm. So, I agreed and Hannah and I left the building. As we rounded the corner we discovered that we knew exactly where we were. We were standing on the back side of our own apartment building! The office was located right behind the dormitory that is next door to us!

Well, we had some time to kill and Kellye had given me a grocery list, so we headed up to the grocery store to pick up a few things. By the time we got back to the office, 45 minutes later and with hands full of groceries, we had walked no less than three miles that afternoon. We finally found the elevator and headed upstairs where there was someone who spoke English waiting for us. Once in her office she explained that it would be at least 10 days before they could get an installer out to our apartment. I said that was fine and she told me I would have to sign a contract…that was all in Russian. By that time I think I would have signed almost anything. I told her that was fine and that if she would give me a copy I would have a friend read it for me and I could come back the next day. So far, so good. She then asks what kind of computer I have. When I told her that I have a Macintosh she looked at me funny and said, “Only work on Windows XP.” This didn’t make much sense to me, so she called her tech support guy (who didn’t speak English) and he came up with the same conclusion. I thought that we were finally getting somewhere when she pulled out a piece of paper and began writing, but what she wrote for me was the name and number of the wi-fi company that I had planned to go to on Saturday!

Dejected, but determined Hannah and I walked the 50 yards back to our building and headed upstairs where Kellye was just finishing her lessons for the day (3pm). By this time I had decided that I was not giving up and not going to bed until I had some form of high-speed Internet in the house. So I traded children and Sarah Beth and I caught the bus to the metro and headed for the center of the city. The street the office was located on was just a couple of blocks from the Kremlin and I sort-of knew where I was going since we had been there just a couple of days before. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Russian addresses are a little funny. The address of this particular office was 9 Gazetny side-street Building 2, Office 5. So, I set out in search of Building 2. We got to the end of the street and on one side were buildings 1, 3, 5 & 7 and on the other side of the street were buildings 4, 6, & 8. Back to my map and broken Russian as I approach a police officer who motions to the end of the street where building two wasn’t. Well, we finally find that the office is located in building 9, which is divided into two sections. The girl at the counter spoke English and I was on the way home after sending a one-word text message to Kellye… “Success!”

After eight hours of trekking my way around the city on a wild goose chase I was able to connect my computers to the Internet at a speed just slightly faster and less dependable than dial-up. The good news is that I don’t have any time limits and that I am supposed to be able to connect most anywhere in the city…except for my building, which I am nicknaming “The Cone of Silence.” So, the quest for decent Internet service continues.

Assuming that I can get connected for long enough to post this blog, more updates are on the way. Thanks again for praying.

Blessings,
Marc