Khuzhir

A couple of years ago our team decided to do a team project together as a way to build unity and physically serve the church and the community.  It was such a success that we decided to try to make this an annual event.  This year we decided to take on a project down in the small Buryat village of Khuzhir in the Zakaminsk region.  This village is an eight hour drive south and west from Ulan-Ude, and we have to get special permission to visit there because it is right on the Mongolian border.  Currently the larger project in Khuzhir is still in the dream, plan and preparation stages, but the idea is to take this couple acre property and turn it into a sort of half way house for people who have come through drug and alcohol rehabilitation or through prison, and to offer them a place where they can learn more about God and get job training at the same time.  This sort of work has helped bring many to Christ across Russia.  So our part was helping to put up a building that will be used as a woodworking shop.  After a very long trip there on Thursday (arriving 11 hours after we left our house) we spent Friday and Saturday working before taking Sunday off to participate in the local church service and then going back to work for Monday and Tuesday.

They had hoped to have the foundation in place before we got there, but weren't able to do that so our first task was to help dig holes to a certain depth (over 1 meter) to get past the frost line.  I certainly prefer digging trenches and pouring foundation in forms that way, but they had decided on a sort of pillar foundation.  We didn't have the best equipment so we used tin cans like this or garden hoes to dig out the bottom of the hole!

Anneka really liked to come out to help and really enjoyed getting down in the hole to help dig things out :).

I couldn't pass up showing this picture.  It was tough to hang our heads down in the holes to do this work, but we were happy to help serve the church in the area that is working on this project.

The first day was the hottest day as we were digging out the holes, and Art here is showing how we all felt at the end of the day :).

After digging the holes and putting some rebar and forms in place we began the process of mixing and pouring cement.  Anneka came out and helped with this for a little bit too.  When she was there I would shovel in the cement and sand.

And then Anneka would pour in the water until we had the right mix.

The first couple days we had beautiful weather, but then it began to rain on us.  We have fewer pictures of the rain, but this gives a little glimpse of how we were working out in the mud.  It reminded me a bit of working outside in the Pacific Northwest.

After getting the foundation to a certain point we were able to lay the square logs that became the bottom of the walls.  Actually typical construction here uses these logs to build log houses.  One reason the local church was happy to have us come was that some of us have experience doing framing which they call "Canadian Technology" here, and that was how they wanted to build this building.

Finally on our last day of work things were ready for us to start framing.  We set up an assembly line of moving boards, cutting them and then stacking them to be put together.

Ella and Ike liked playing with the blocks that we made in squaring and trimming the boards.

Then the moment finally came when we started putting up the walls.  It is amazing that you can spend days of work in preparation and then in just a few short hours put up four walls on a building.  Those last hours are very satisfying, and we were particularly encouraged to see the huge smile on the face of the pastor there who is in charge of the project.  

I got to "volunteer" to climb the wall as no one else was excited about getting up there.  This is a little test of faith in the work we had done up to this point.  Actually I have always liked the different perspective you get when you look around from a little bit higher up.

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Here is a picture of pastor Aleksei checking to see if things look level, and one of the neighbors looking on with interest.  Please pray for Aleksei and others who are living and serving in the area.  One reason they want to do this social outreach work in this Buryat village is to tangibly show love and to be a light that will draw people to Jesus.  Even as we were there for a week we saw how the believers who lived and worked there with us had opportunities to interact with and care for the neighbors, but also how the Buryats there do see people not from the village as outsiders.  This will be a difficult work, but we are trusting that God wants to do great things among these precious people.

Here is a picture of what we left them with when we were done.  Of course we would have loved to help put up a roof and sheet the walls, but we were all very satisfied and happy with what we were able to accomplish.  We are so thankful that we could bless and encourage the local believers and in some way be a light in this land with so little hope.  We trust that God is building something far more grand than this here.

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I just had to add this last little picture of Ike too.  He is always so curious and finds whatever he can to play with.  Here he found a couple of tools that were just "left laying about" and decided he needed to take care of them.  

Day Camp

     Last week we got to help with a day camp in our neighborhood for 5 days.  Sixty kids came and loved the games, songs, skits, crafts, and messages about Jesus.  Anneka got to go, too, and she really enjoyed it.  Her friend, Maria, was there each day, and they were usually seen holding hands at any given moment.  The kids were given prizes for memorizing a Bible verse each day.  And the weather was great!

     In the evenings we reached out to high school and college-aged kids (not pictured).  Leif played soccer with them and had several really good spiritual conversations with some guys that were really interested.

   

     The team that put on the day camp came to our place for six meals, laundry, and showers.  I think I counted between 19 and 23 people at each meal.

     I was sooooo glad that Inka was here for those days.  She did most of the meal planning and cooking and it made it so that I could enjoy the time instead of feeling stressed! 

     She brought some fresh vegetables from her garden.  Here, Ella was helping her prepare the zucchini.

 

     The day after the day camp ended, the whole neighborhood was invited to a fire show that this same team put on.  Many people were there!  We invited a bunch of people and two came.  It was a bit disappointing because the show started late due to tecnical difficulties (people were getting very angry that it was starting so late), so they ended up cutting out a skit and small talk about God.  But hopefully the song that one girl sang was a testimony, and hopefully this show helped to build bridges with people for the future.  

     Overall, we're happy with how many people heard about Jesus throughout this week, and we pray the the seeds planted will grow on fertile soil.  Pray for a hiking trip this upcoming weekend with the teenage/college crowd (people who were interested in having more conversations about God)!

Ust-Barguzeen

     After our family time on Lake Baikal, we continued north up the lake to Ust-barguzeen.  We were pleasantly surprised, as the drive used to take 7+ hours but now just takes 4.5, as they have paved a lot of the road.  We were greeted by the Buikov family.  They were very warm and hospitable.  They have six kids, which is not common here (most families have one or two kids).

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     I've determined that 9-year-old girls are WONDERFUL!  We have been with several 9-year-old girls this summer, and they are so sweet and helpful with the little ones.  And responsible and fun.  This girl, "D", made dinner for us when we arrived, as her mom was working in the potato garden at church.  She was so competent.  And I think it was great for our kids to see their family all working together to do what needed to be done.  

     Our purpose of going was to encourage this family, bring them groceries, and for Leif to give the talk at the service on Sunday.  But a defnite benefit was that they also lived by the lake and the weather was warm.  Usually it's windy on the beach, but the evenings were pleasantly still.  "D" and Leif gave Anneka swimming lessons.  Even though the water was icy, she was soooo excited to try out the doggie paddle.

     And all of the kids liked jumping off of this little hill.

     Sergei is the pastor of the only Christian church in this village, and he also works as a car mechanic with a garage on his property.  He owns a couple of very fun motorcycles.  Here, his son is blowing bubbles with Ike on the bike.

     On the evening of my birthday, we went down to the beach.  There were these fisherman there, pulling in big nets.  There were only a few small fish in the net after all of that pulling!

     Something that always surprises me is how much food-prep people do here while camping or having time on the lake.  It seems like in the States we either make salads at home first or pick up a bucket of potato salad at Cosco or something.  But here, you bring your onions and potatoes and big soup pot and chop-chop-chopity chop!!  I actually enjoy the time preparing with others.  And as long as I can slip little snacks to my kids to keep them happy, then it doesn't matter if we don't eat dinner until 8 or 9.  Here, we were peeling hard-boiled eggs for a salad.  I had a bottle of water handy for when the kids dropped them on the dirty ground.  =)

     Waiting for the soup and fish to cook over the fire.  And if you'll notice, it's the 9-year-old girl, keeping close watch on Ike so he doesn't get into the fire.  I'll have to remember this when my girls are 9.  It may be reason enough to have another baby.  Ha!

    Enjoying my kids as the sun set at the end of a great birthday.

And I got my birthday wish- our whole family got to ride on the motorcycle together!

     The next day, after a nice church service, we all headed on a ferry across the river.  In the summer, the Buikov family tries to cross over the river to a little lake on Sundays for some family time.  We were thankful to get to come along!

Ella was SO excited to be on the ferry.  She kept saying, "I'm so excited!"

And once we got to the lake (which wasn't icy cold like Baikal!), Anneka enjoyed playing with several frogs.

... and floating on the surf board with Papa.

And Ella enjoyed eating this potato in the water.

... and sitting with Papa.  And of coure, Ike and I enjoyed the water and the family and the Buikovs, too.

 I didn't get any pictures of the Buikovs daily life or of their church... just mostly fun pictures outside.  But when summer just comes for a short blip every year, it's no surprise that this is the case!

The Kvas Lady

     Over the past few weeks, we've gotten to know this lady who sells kvas in our neighborhood.  She is going to college in the school year and working over the summer.  She has two small children who are in the village with her mom over the summer, and she misses them so much!  We visit her several times a week and really like her.  Anneka especially likes this lady because she gives Anneka free kvas.

     Kvas is very popular in the summer.  It's best explained as fermented bread water.  If you want to make some for yourself, put pieces of bread in a pan of water, add a little sugar, and place it on the windowsill for a few days- Whal-la!  You have kvas.

     This lady knows textbook English but wants to have some practice speaking it.  I've agreed to be a sort of language partner for her.  So far we've just spoken in Russian to one another, but she will come over to our place for practice in English.

     I'm excited about this relationship.  I love how God brings people into our lives when we least expect it!

Baikal Adventures

     We've been planning for a couple of months now to make a trip to Uzbarguzeen to visit a pastor and his family there and hopefully bring a little encouragement.  But when we were making the plans, we remembered how long it took to get there the last time we went (7+ hours) and with bumpy roads and carsick kids and kids who nap and kids who need to stop and go potty, we were anticipating even longer.  Needless to say, we decided to make a little family trip out of it and stop halfway there for a little family vacation on Lake Baikal.  We decided to just try to find a place along the way to stay.  Our tent isn't big enough anymore for our size of family and we knew to book through a tour guide would be expensive.  So we prayed and knocked on doors and found this grandma and grandpa who had a little cabin that they rent out to people.  Usually places here charge per person instead of per room, but they didn't even charge us for the kids!  It was perfect.  While Leif and I were unloading, Anneka invited herself and her siblings inside the couple's home.  We found them drinking fresh cow's milk on the veranda and eating homemade waffle cookies that the lady had made.  They all made themselves right at home.  In the picture above, you can barely see Ike under the chair, chasing the cat.

     There was no vacuum cleaner in sight, so Ike grabbed the next-best thing.

     And Anneka fell in love with the cat.  The kids also got to hold goslings and interact with bigger geese, pigs, and chickens.  

     Apparently the place we stayed isn't the favorite place, but we loved it, as the beach wasn't packed and we had a couple of sunny days.  These guys drove by in their boat and asked us if we wanted a ride.  I thought it would be fun for the kids to have a boat ride.  Leif guarded our stuff and Ike and us girls went for a spin... and it was a spin!  I hadn't noticed that they guys had been drinking.  I was happy Ike wasn't in the boat with us, because I had to really hold onto the girls so they didn't fly out!  They drove really close to the shore and even between two swimmers.  Craziness.

     Nettie brought us marshmallows from the States, so the second evening, we made a fire on the beach and had s'mores.  It was so fun.  This grass was up next to the beach, and I thought this picture was fun of Anneka.

     It was was rainy the next day, so we watched a movie in our little cabin.  Ike fell asleep, and Ella wanted to hold him.  He was SO out of it that he didn't stir with her kisses or tugs.

     There was a building down the road that said "Cultural Center" on it.  I thought it would be fun for our family to get some culture.  But it turned out to just be a little auditorium... not the museum I was thinking it would be.  But we had a nice walk in the rain.

     I read a fun novel that Leif bought me for my birthday on the kindle.  It was fun snuggling with little Ella and reading.

The kids just loved being at the beach and playing in the water!

     Because of the rain, the grandchildren of the couple who's house we were at came (their family had been camping in tents and got water-logged).  Our kids enjoyed playing with them.  This little couch was outside and was a fun place to sit.  Here, Anneka was teaching the kids how to play "Rat-a-Tat-Cat".  I'm not sure how she did that in Russian, but they all seemed to be playing it and having a good time.

     We left Friday morning for Uzbarguzeen and stopped again along the way to play on the beach.  Leif made this sand castle with the kids.  =)

Ike loves playing with water!

Such joy!

Our happy guy

Always busy

Leif and I both went out in deeper water with Anneka.  She loved that time with us!