Team Project in Zaigraevo

A few months back, we as a team decided to do a project together this summer. We are often busy throughout the city, but it is a rare event that brings us all together. We wanted to do something that would be an encouragement to others as well as build up our relationships with one another. As Inka is helping to plant a church in Zaigraevo, we knew that that would be a great place to invest our time and energy and resources. The pastor of this new church thought that building a fenced-in soccer field (hockey in the winter) would be a great way to show the community that they are there to serve and to meet kids and youth in the neighborhood. There was a perfect plot of land right next to Inka's house! When we got there, we saw that the land hadn't been leveled as much as we'd hoped and there was no truck to move the big beams on location. So Leif spent hours with a shovel and wheelbarrow, shoveling and leveling the playing field. And many on the team hauled these huge beams to the field.



There are a few benefits of being pregnant, and one is not having to lift heavy things in 100 degree weather! We prayed for no rain and we got it! I helped Inka as best as I could in preparing meals for everyone. She had an amazing menu for all of us!





One of the cool things about making this soccer field is that some kids from the neighborhood came to help out! They worked with us and ate with us... hopefully these connections will continue! The first job was to dig 32 holes over 3 1/2 feet deep. Matthew Brubacher was the measuring stick to make sure the holes were deep enough:


The kids loved helping out and playing. It was good for them to get quality time together and to be OUTSIDE!




Anneka would live outside if we'd let her. She especially loved playing with Inka's dog, Emma. She also found a stray puppy and held him for a really long time... until I called her in for lunch. She sat so still with him and sang him a little song until he went to sleep on her lap. She said told me she had made up a special sleeping song for dogs. She really wants a dog. Too bad a life crammed in a small apartment is such a sad one for a dog. And a messy one!



Ella really liked being outside, too. She sat and explored the dirt, rocks and plants with little Vera for quite a while. (Vera is pastor Valeri's daughter)



After the holes were dug, they hauled rocks and filled them in the holes around the supporting beams. And then they started building the fence. It was so fun seeing everyone work together!!


Leif and Valeri, discussing details of the soccer field and how much metal fencing to purchase



Leif made a quick trip into town to get the metal fencing. This went on top of the wooden sides. The metal fenching longer than we anticipated! We had hoped to do the whole project in 2 days, but it took 3.




As you can see behind the "mud monster" (her own words for herself), we camped out in Inka's yard. Five tents crammed into a small yard and garden= lots of fun!


Anneka enjoyed making mud and burying treasures with 6-year-old Ryan.



And of course we all had bucket baths, as we were caked in dirt.



A group from the church will come and sand and paint the wood on the soccer field, but we were happy to have finished all of the building work. We could tell that Pastor Valeri was very pleased, too, and we pray that this project brings about much fruit in Zaigraevo!

Remont

There's this great word in Russian that describes repairs and renovations much better than any English world. It's "remont". We always use this word, even in the middle of an English sentence. It can be used to describe something big or little. Right now we are doing "remont" on the apartment we'll be moving into soon. I'm SO THANKFUL we don't have to live there during all of the dust and noise right now. What a blessing! So, one of the things about Russian apartments is that most of them are all cement and the walls are covered in wallpaper. These walls get dirty and torn after years of use. So you just strip it all down and put up new. Since we've moved here, there are all sorts of new options for wallpaper, including paintable wallpaper. You can put seven or eight coats of paint on top of it. This seems like the best solution for our family- it's a lot easier to put on a fresh coat of paint (or patch small areas with paint) in a few years than to go through all of the stripping again!



Heidi left us all sorts of wonderful pictures and witty words on her walls. Most of what she wrote were inside jokes from years of fun memories together. We love it. Here's a picture she drew of our family.



And we let Anneka draw pictures, too. It's not very often a little girl is encouraged to draw on the wall! As you can see here, her hair is wet from a bath. Our hot water was out for a few weeks, so occasionally we got clean at the new apartment.



This will be our living room. I thought Ella looked so little standing next to this cement wall!



Ella and I ran up to use the bathroom and I let Anneka stay in the courtyard. I could see her out the window, and she was happily teeter tottering with a little girl (the picture turned out blurry). So many people in our new neighborhood are so friendly and there are lots and lots of kids. Even on our same floor is a family with two boys- one Ella's age and one a couple of years older than Anneka.


And this is our kitchen! I cringe a little when I see this picture, as the kitchen was the one room in the apartment where the wallpaper looked nice! But it's my dream to knock down the wall between the kitchen and living room. In this picture, the kitchen looks big, but Russian kitchens are in truth very small. You can sit at the table at your meal and reach anything you need from the cupboards or get a glass of water from the sink without getting up. I think it'll be really beneficial to be able to have moms and kids over and not all be crammed in the kitchen. We'll have more room for guests and I can more easily keep an eye on the kids while they play in the living room. All that said, pretty soon this wall will be knocked down! I'm so excited! Leif and his friend took out the cupboards and stove to protect them. Six tiles from the backsplash were broken (out of 20 total) when the new window was put in- so we decided to get new. So that left just a strip of wallpaper at the top of where the cupboards go. So we just decided to take it down, too. It's amazing how things can kind of pile up!! We're hoping to be moved in fully in less than a month!

Trip to Mongolia!

As many of you know I had the privilege of going to Mongolia two weeks ago. I went with people from our churches here to help with a children's day camp. It was such a great time, and I'm so thankful. Even on the bus rides there and back God set up opportunities for me to meet brothers and sisters from around the world that could lead to further partnering together to see the nations hear the good news of Jesus, as well as times to share with people about the hope I have in Jesus!



Our Russian team was invited to come and do a children's camp, and you can see some of the different ages of kids in this picture. There were about 60 kids that came, and they all had a great time and had opportunities to hear about our God who loves them so much! Then 15 of them came to the church service the day after our last day of camp. It will be great to hear how God uses this in the hearts and lives of these young people and their families.



This young girl attached herself to me the second day of the camp, and made it her mission to teach me Mongolian. I was thankful for her kindness in this and for having studied Buryat, but there were also times that this limited knowledge of the Buryat language just confused people because, although it is related to Mongolian, they are not the same language :). She was very sweet and gave me a photograph of herself and a picture that she drew of everyone on our team on the last day. I love how people can be so open and generous if you show them some care and love.



We were blessed with a great place for this day camp too. We were outside most of the time, but on the second day it rained and the school where we were holding the camp let us move everything inside their gym. This picture also shows the great youth leader from the Mongolian church that we worked with, as he is sharing with the kids about God. He had great passion for God and for the kids and blessed everyone at the camp.



One of the reasons that the Russian team really wanted me to come with them is that they were having an easier time finding Mongolians who knew English than Mongolians who knew Russian. So I worked together with this new friend of mine and a few others to keep communication open going from Russian to English to Mongolian and back.



Here are a few more people both from our Russian team as well as from the team of helpers from the Mongolian church. This was probably the biggest encouragement to me. They were all so ready to help and sacrifice and try to do all that they could. They really blessed us and I know that God will use them to do great things. There was even one young man helping out who had attended a camp last summer that this Russian team had put on. He gave his life to Jesus and is following Him. The church started a youth ministry following last year's camp and this young man has been very active in that. The church has also helped him through some amazingly tough times including dealing with the murder of his father. I am always amazed when I see someone who has gone through such a difficult thing, who is so filled with love and joy and is ready to move forward in life.



Finally, I wanted to show a picture of the Russian team. Actually it is missing Lena, our pastor Sasha's wife, but the rest are here. We were blessed to have two young Russians who have spent most of their lives in the USA. We had a great time explaining to people that they were Russians who lived in America, and I was an American who lived in Russia. The team did a great job, and I was so excited to see them grow in their understanding of working with people from a different culture. I think this will help even in reaching out to and understanding the other cultures that live here in Russia.

A Non-Scary Trip To The Dentist

Anneka loves to play doctor and dentist. She loves pretending to give us shots in our mouths. She delights in us having pretend cavities... especially when we pretend to cry. This is all good as a game at home, but I had the thought that Anneka should have a real-live dental experience here... under happy terms. That way, if she ever does have a cavity or chips a tooth, she will have positive feelings about the dentist. Our schedule cleared up the past couple of days, so this morning I asked Anneka if she wanted to go to the dentist today. "Yeah!!', she exclaimed. I told her to open her mouth for this picture. It turned out pretty funny. I really wanted to take a picture in the hallway, as they were doing MAJOR renovations and it was crazy! But I decided it wouldn't be an accurate picture of what the office is normally like and that it may be a little weird to take a picture there. =)

Anneka was a champ in the dental chair, letting the dentist check and clean all of her teeth. She even spoke a little Russian! The total price was $19.20- a good price indeed! I want to be proactive in the medical department whenever I can- learn about the system, etc.... and it's much easier to do on a day when it's not urgent then when one of the girls is in pain or sick. So I'm thankful for today. I find myself getting more and more brave the longer we live here. (sidenote: the strangest part was when I went to the sink to wash my hands and the two denists yelled at me, "no! not allowed!")

Gramma Irene left on Monday. Our apartment feels so quiet! The hot water came back on the day after she left. It was off pretty much the entire month she was here. She was so nice to always do the dishes- what a help! The girls miss they're fun playmate.

It's been hard to find time for blogging. I feel like I've left big gaps in our summer. I may do a little catchup one here soon. Leif will post soon about his time in Mongolia. It went really well! I was thankful that Irene was here with me while he was gone!

Birthday Party

A couple of weeks ago our friend Gleb's daughter turned one. He invited us and others to the river to have a feast to celebrate. A difference that I've noticed between Russian and American culture is in food prep. The norm in America would be to prepare salads and foods ahead of time and bring them in tupperware containters to the picnic. At the Russian picnics I've been to, people bring food from the grocery store, bowls, water, knives, cutting boards, etc... and we all prepare it there. Here's a pic of some of us ladies getting the salads ready.



The river was so warm that day! I was kicking myself for not bringing my swimming suit. If the weather is nice tomorrow, we plan to go to the river with my new friend and some of her family. The forecast says rain, but I'm wanting one last swim of the summer!





A tradition here that I like is that each person gives kind words, well wishes, or some sort of blessing for the birthday person. Here, we're giving kind words to the little one. (newly shaved head, as she's one now!... another tradition)



The girls enjoyed playing in a little kiddie pool. It was nice to meet new people outside of our normal group of friends.

God's Smile When We Were In a Bit Of a Pickle

I can't load pictures on, as our computer isn't working and our super-old computer freezes up even if I try to add one picture to it. So I'll just tell you a little story.

Yesterday Martina and I got together with the mom that I told you about from the playground. We talked as the kids played outside, and it was nice. Meanwhile, Irene (my mother-in-law) was back at our new apartment, painting the girls' room door and their dressers pink. I was very grateful, as the paint fumes were SO STRONG and I didn't want the girls to be around that (or myself, being pregnant). I'd told Irene I would call her after an hour to check in, but she didn't answer. At first I thought her hands were sticky or that she was taking a shower (we don't have hot water where we're living, but there is hot water at our place-to-be). But after several calls, I thought it was a little odd.

Still, we talked a bit more as the kids played. When I'd been gone 2 hours I thought I should head back, as I still hadn't gotten ahold of Irene. Martina and the boys headed home and my new friend and her son walked me and the girls to our new place. When I ran the special phone for Irene to let me in the apartment building, it rang and rang and rang. My alarm-level went up. We waited for awhile until someone exited the building so that we could get in. And then we rang the doorbell several times. After a bit, I heard Irene yelling that she was trapped... and then she started coughing really hard. This totally freaked me out, as I didn't know where or how she was trapped, and I remembered just how strong those paint fumes were. I yelled some questions to her but got no response. I'd given her the key before I left so that she would have freedom to leave in case she needed to go somewhere. When she let me out, she'd dead-bolted the door. There was no way I could get in to her. And if you know anything about doors to Russian apartments, they are steel and VERY strong- made to keep anyone out.

Anneka started freaking out and crying. I said, "It's okay, Anneka. God will help us. Let's pray". So we prayed right there in front of our new friends that Jesus would help Irene and to help us to get to her.

We went outside and started shouting up at the windows. No answer. I went around to the back of the apartment and heard her! Irene had taken the door handle off of the door, but hadn't removed the inner workings while she was painting. The window had been open, and a big gust of wind slammed the door shut (and dumped the can of paint all over). There was practically nothing in the room for her to use as a tool to try and open the door. She'd tried for over an hour and had had no success.

I went back to my friend and had her call our friend, Erdenei, for me (as she could explain all of this way better over the phone in Russian... I don't know the words for deadbolt, etc.) He was calling for help and would get back to us. Meanwhile the girls and boy were shivering and eating cookies I'd bought them. My friend said that we needed to go to her home so that the kids would be warm and we'd wait for Erdenei's call from there. Just as we were leaving, we heard this voice from out the window, "I got out!". Irene had found the casing for a screw and had attached it to the end of her paintbrush and inserted it into the mechanism in the door. Hoory! We thanked God and went up to give our congratulations.

I told my friend that I was so thankful she'd been with me for this. It's kind of an odd thing to happen in the beginning of a friendship, but it's neat how God allowed it to work for good. He showed how He loves us and answers prayer, and he put me in a position where I needed my new friend. I love how fun God is!

Washing Babies and Making New Friends

Anneka lately has been very attached to her baby dolls. Usually at least one of them (if not both) is under her arm at any given time. And if she's not holding on to them, she makes sure that one of us will babysit them. If we neglect her babies by leaving them alone in a room, she gets quite upset. Because these babies travel so much, they get very dirty... in the sand, on the ground by the outhouse, in muck by the river, etc. I told her that we should give her babies a bath by putting them in the washing machine. "No!", she exclaimed, "You would never put a real baby in the washing machine!" I convinced her to give them baths in a little tub. But when I suggested hanging them on the clothesline outside she said, "No! You would never hang a real baby on a clothesline!" She enjoyed washing her babies and after bedtime, I gave them another "special bath". Nice and clean.

This week I got together with another mom that I met at a playground awhile ago. I was so happy and surprised that she called me! She invited me and Anneka over to her apartment (Ella, too, but I left her home with Gramma). Anneka was shy at first but then warmed up when the little boy (4 years) accidently let the parakeets out of the cage and they flew around the room. And when she got to play with all of his boy toys, especially his machine gun. While they played, I had a great conversation with Irina! I look forward to continuing this friendship, as she lives very close to where we'll be moving in August. I love how God places people into our lives, even when we don't expect it!

Gramma Irene Is Here!

Leif's mom is here for a month to visit us. The trip wasn't originally planned, but when we were in Germany, we found out that I'm pregnant! And I knew that with moving this summer and being tired and nauseous, I would need help... so we invited her last minute, and she came! We're so happy she's here, and the kids are thrilled to have Gramma around. She's even sharing a room with them. A tiny room, I might add. She's pretty brave!



This picture is from the first day she arrived. We had to go downtown to register Irene, so we checked out a new fountain by the main square. I didn't get any really good pictures of the fountain (silly me!), but it's so beautiful. And every so often, music comes on and the water dances with the song. It was so cute because the first time this happened, Ella immediately began dancing, all on her own. Irene and Anneka joined her. Celebration!

A Little Construction

Our church is hoping to have a new room completed before the cold sets in so that there will be a place for a the kids during the service. Right now we have lots of little ones and they roam around or get fussy and it's challenging for parents and children alike.

Leif helped Denis and Dave last week with the frame that will go around the furnace. Dave has been working other days to encourage and help Denis with this construction. All of the parents are especially happy about the progress! =)

Summer Camping

Anneka and I had the wonderful opportunity to go camping two weeks ago. The bad news is this was supposed to be a trip where the whole family went. Unfortunately Jami hurt her back the day before we were supposed to leave and we decided that a long trip on bumpy roads and sleeping on the ground might not be the best thing when she couldn't even straighten her back. We decided that it might actually be more relaxing for Anneka and I to be out of the house so off we went with a bunch of people for our church to camp on Lake Baikal. Jami and Ella did well and had a great time and thankfully Jami's back is feeling a lot better now.



We spent a lot of good time hanging out together with people around the campfire, eating meals and spending time on the beach. We had good times praying together and studying the Bible too. I was so thankful that there were other kids there that Anneka could play with. She especially liked having the Brubacher boys there (Nathan and Matthew). One of my favorite moments was hearing them playing in the background and hearing Nathan yell out, "I'm the knight!" Matthew yell out, "I'm the king!" and Anneka yell out, "I'm the princess!" In fact on more than one occasion I heard Anneka making up games where she was the princess :).



Here is my little princess enjoying some of the wonderful treasures in nature (i.e. rocks, sticks and flowers).



These cows where the closest thing to wildlife that we saw, but it was still pretty fun, and the kids enjoyed watching them walk through the camp down to the beach.



Anneka and I got to share a tent together too. She liked having this little temporary home.


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But probably most of all Anneka loved playing in the sand on the beach...



and getting very, very dirty!!!!!

If you want to see more camping pictures, you can check out the Brubacher's blog.

Summer Fruits

We're enjoying summer fruits- watermelon, plums, peaches, and strawberries!


On a much more serious note, it's been a stressful and emotionally charged last week for Leif as he's been part of the process to help guide a church through a difficult time. We see God's hand at work amidst opposition from Satan, and yet it still is not easy. Pray for incredible wisdom as these local leaders and the local church make big decisions.

Uh-Oh!

Ella's favorite new word is "uh-oh". She says it all of the time and purposefully drops things so that she can say it. She's already much better at saying it then when I took this little clip. =)

The Goats Are Out

What are goat owners called? Shepherds? Well, they're out with their goats in our neighborhood again. They like to eat all of the grass. The name of our neighborhood is "green" in Russian. It's one of the greener areas of the city, hence the name. On the fourth of July, we walked out to the road to meet the Wickers for dinner. It was a hot day, and Anneka had on a cute sundress. But on top she had on several layers of dress-up clothes from her toy box. She loves to wear these, and was very happy that we let her wear them out in public. She also loved walking up close to the goats. Thankfully they didn't try to butt her. (is that what you call it when they ram into you with their horns? That looks so funny written out).




And here's a duck that Anneka drew all by herself. Her artistic skills are growing every day!

Until We Meet Again...

It was a sad day on Tuesday when we drove the Wickers to the airport to say goodbye. The Russian word for goodbye literally means "until we meet again". I like that. I explained to Anneka what we were doing and that we'd be saying goodbye to our friends for a long time. "Yah," she said, "and Heidi is my really best friend". We're thankful for these last years with this wonderful family and cherish many memories with them (and hope for many more to come).



The week leading up to their departure, we spent as much time with them as they could spare. We had a picnic together at the river one evening (a few minutes drive away).


And we celebrated Heidi's 16th birthday.



And made a day trip to Lake Baikal.



They shipped a bunch of luggage by train to Moscow and had to sew them into these bags. I went over one day to help Sharon and Heidi helped me by taking the girls outside. Some help I was! The fabric was so thick and I had to push so hard that the needle went all the way through the bottle cap I was using as a thimble and all the way through my thumb!

It's hard for me to get used to all of the goodbyes we'll have in our lives as missionaries... and in that all of the goodbyes that Anneka will have. I know that God has called us, and therefore He'll take care of all of our hearts. I hope that we will continue to seek and have deep relationships always.

At The River and Exciting Things

It's been really hot the last days. Right now it's 95 degrees outside! It's perfect weather for going to the river. Last week Rebecca, Natalia, and I along with eleven kids went to the river to swim and have a picnic lunch. It was a lot of fun. Natalia lives in Rebecca's neighborhood and they met through both of their sons being the same age. Natalia used to help Andrew with his Russian homework while Rebecca helped Vadim with his English. A friendship formed and over time, Rebecca was able to share Jesus with Natalia. She received the news with joy and grew rapidly in her faith.



Since that time (1.5 years ago), Rebecca has been discipling Natalia and they've been reaching out to other moms in the neighboorhood. Just this spring, they've seen several other women come to Christ!



I love going places with Rebecca because not only is she really fun to be with, but I feel like I learn a lot from her. She's really good at striking up conversations with new people, and she's sincere and warm. People are drawn to her. I know that much of the fruit is through years of prayer and years of forming relationships here. But it's so exciting to see and be a part of!



I pray that I can take lessons I've learned through Rebecca and implement them in my own life and neighborhood (in ways that fit with my own giftings and strengths.)



Rebecca will be going back to the States for a year. I will miss her and her family while they are gone!