It's Amazing What People Will Drive Around Here

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving, and we have so much to be thankful for. Tomorrow we will celebrate "officially" with a real turkey dinner at our teammate Shannon's apartment. Yesterday we made pumpkin pies and rolls with Shannon and will head over there early tomorrow to help prepare the rest of the meal.

Tonight was our "Compass" (student group) meeting, and we took the opportunity to share about Thanksgiving, give everyone a slice of pumpkin pie, and play "pin the feather on the turkey". It was a good time of talking with students and reflecting on God's goodness in guiding our lives. Leif made the turkey (pictured above). Isn't it cute?

We miss our families during this time, but are also filled with a peace that only God can give.

Little Siberian Tots

On my way home this week, I saw a Buryat grandpa toting his little grandtot on a sled. A lot of kids ride around on sleds throughout the winter. It is sooo cute. I love how they're so bundled up. I always want to squeeze them! (this is Leif writing, of course. Hahaha... just kidding)

Buddhism and Shamanism

This week we attended a conference on how to share Christ with people of Buddhist and Shamanist backgrounds. It was a very interesting conference that gave us a better understanding of both the history and the every-day mindset of people here. One of the most encouraging aspects was to see Buryats and Russians at the conference excited about reaching their republic for Christ! Local representatives from different churches here in Ulan Ude and other cities/villages were at this seminar. Today (the last day) Buryats and Russians proposed a plan of meeting regularly together to unite in prayer and in reaching Buryats for Christ. Among other things we went to a local Datsan (Buddhist monestary) to see some of the aspects of the religion. We were able to see things that we learned such as some of the symbols in the artwork as well as see first hand how religious practices are carried out. There is such an emptiness in the religious rituals. The first picture is of prayer wheels that are supposed to build your karma as they turn. An interesting thing we heard is that Dali Lama has actually endorsed prayers that you can download onto your harddrive (which spins much faster than the prayer wheels in the picture) to build good karma. You can also see in the middle picture coins that people have left as an offering in front of the idol. Lamas (Buddhist monks) actually invite spirits to live in different idols. The lamas will also often ask the spirits from these idols to posess their body (kind of a reverse exorcism). It really leaves you with a terrible feeling to see that people are asking evil spirits into their body, especially when you know that God loves them and wants to put His own wonderful Spirit into them to give guidance and strength in freedom. There is so much more that we could say, but I will just end by saying it has given us a lot to think about and pray about. We definitely need our Lord with us every moment.

God Is At Work All Over The World

We've had the privilege of having a Dutch couple, Yan and Nellie, stay with us for the past few days (center of picture). They are a part of a marriage ministry that travels to different countries. It is exciting to have them come to Siberia because many marriages here are in a terrible state. Also, many men who would never step into a church are willing to go to a marriage conference. At this conference, Yan and Nellie (along with a Russian couple), share about true love- including God's love and how He alone provides what people need to have strong relationships with one another. Often people give their lives over to Christ at these conferences... and the results carry through as husbands and wives love each other in ways that show to the rest of the world.

It occurred to us this week what a blessing it is to be in full-time ministry and to think of all of the amazing people we get to meet and all of the stories we get to hear of how God is at work all around the world. Last night we had a family who works in China over for dinner, and this week Vanya and Larissa (left of picture)are staying with us (Russian missionaries in the city of Irkutsk). We feel that our lives are very rich. It is so amazing how God gives different people different visions... and how He carries out His plans in many different ways.

Invasion

We'll I guess we have to blame Jami for cleaning. That at least is what brought us the discovery of our fruit fly invasion. A little over a week ago Jami decided to do some deep cleaning and moved some benches in the kitchen. What she discovered was a colony of fruit flies feeding off of old tomato chunks (explanation later). For the next few days they tried to take over the kitchen. We weren't sure exactly what to do when we go the idea of sucking them into the vacuum cleaner. I actually enjoyed this quite a bit and felt a little bit like one of the ghost-busters carrying around the vacuum with the hose and all. It seemed though, that no matter how may we sucked up there were always more. Then I made a discovery this morning. I was doing my rounds with the vacuum cleaner when I thought I should look in some of the cupbords and in the storage under the benches to make sure there weren't any hidden flies. To my horror, as I opened up one of the benches there was a bag full of rotten tomatoes. Actually, I could barely see the tomatoes beneath the black blanket of fruit flies. Needless to say, that bag of tomatoes made it quickly to the trash bin outside and I went to work again with the vacuum cleaner. The Buryat lady who stayed here before we came had stored hoards of tomatoes in the kitchen. When she moved out, we thought we'd pointed them all out to her and she took them away in boxes. Apparently, we'd missed a stash. I think that we have the upper hand now, and it's just in time as we have guests staying with us tonight and will have different guests here every day for almost two weeks. I must say too, that fruit flies are much better than coackroaches, fleas, beadbugs or some of the other various insects that could have invaded our house.

"Have you been smoking in the bathroom again?"

Jami had just left the kitchen after a relaxed breakfast on our day off when she asked me this in jest. I thought there was maybe a hint of smoke from one of the neighbors as you sometimes get here through the apartment building ventilation systems. The overpowering smell that hit me in the face as I stepped out of the kitchen made me think it was something more. At first we were worried that maybe something had burned in our apartment so we scrambled around to make sure everything was in order. As I was looking I decided to check outside, and as I parted the curtains, this is the scene that met me. Through thick smoke I could see the smoldering flames of a fire on the "grassy" knoll behind our apartment building. Of course I say "grassy" because there are some sprouts of grass mixed in the dirt and sand and weeds and dead leaves. I could make out some figures in the background and quickly realized what was going on. Just like people in the states will sometimes burn slash or fields or different things, here they burn the leaves that have fallen to the ground. They do a little bit of piling, but it reminds me more of burning fields. It definitly puts a lot of smoke into the air, especially if it is right by your apartment. After a few moments of relief and laughing, I thought I should get a picture. I wish I had thought of it right away when the smoke was thicker, but I think this picture gives the idea. Burning is very common here... pray for our lungs! This picture also shows the bars that protect our window. Everyone has bars on their windows and balconies for safety. This is where we live!

A Small Party

Earlier this week we got a call from our friend Sasha. He said that he had two questions for us. First, he wanted to know if we were interested in going to a small reunion party for another old friend of ours, Dianna, who was visiting from Moscow where she is making Christian music CDs. Of course we said yes to this as we wanted to see Dianna and to visit with other friends as well. The second question he had for us was, could we host the party? It was funny to be asked this, but we of course wanted to do that so we said of course. Sasha told us that it would be just a small party and that we wouldn't have to prepare any of the food or anything so that made it easy for us. Of course as you can probably judge by the picture a small party aparently means anything less than 40 people. That's really not that bad, but it does fill up the livingroom pretty quickly, especially because Russian apartments tend to be smaller than your typical American house. The part that was really funny to us was that Sasha, who had called us in the first place, never came to the party!?! It was a great time though, and we all got to hear about how God has been working in and through Dianna as she creates music to praise our Lord. It was beautiful to see God's family and to pray for our sister as she prepared to go back to Moscow to continue the work God has called her to.

On top of Holy Nose

Holy Nose is not a religious relic or what happens after someone says, "bless you" when you sneeze. No, Holy Nose is the mountain that I (Leif) hiked on this last weekend with the small group pictured above (left to right: Igr, Bairma, Leif, Ayuna, Dima and Shannon). It was crazy at times, but great to connect with people. When we were at the top (see the second picture) I thought, "this is exactly what everyone pictures Siberia being like all year." It was cold, snowy, icy, windy, and barren. If you look carefully you will see that the straps on my gloves are blowing horizontal and that everyone is barely opening one eye if any because of the wind. You can also see the snow blowing across the picture with a slight upward movement. Well, all the misery of the cold was worth it and not only because we conquered our goal of making it to the top of the mountain. During the trip everyone shared at least a bit of their life story. It was really neat to hear from Shannon today that she talked with Bairma and Ayuna (both non-Christians) afterwards and they were particularly struck by what Dima and Igr (both Christians) shared. They were also struck by how these guys served them in making food, carrying extra weight (even their entire pack at points) and generally showing patience and kindness. It is so great to see young men like Irg and Dima here because Russia is in great lack of men who will truly serve and show responsibility and kindness. Please pray for Bairma and Ayuna as they continue to search for what it is they are living for. And thank you for all of you who prayed for safe journeys. God really did protect us and showed us that He was with us the whole way.

The Blessing of Water

We got a telephone call at almost 11:00pm a couple of weeks ago. It was a man telling us that he was from the "Water Canal" and that they'd be shutting off our water for a few days, so store up! The ironic part is that I'd JUST gotten done telling Leif that I was done touching water for the day (my hands were so dry) and I'd slathered them in lotion and covered them in socks. So, what could we do? We filled up the bathtub with water, filled all the pots, pans, and bowls we could find with water, took a shower, and went to bed.

Well, days went by and we had water. The conclusion we came to is, "Someone is playing a joke on us!" (both relieved and slightly bothered by the conclusion). But Leif asked his friend, Chingis, who called the Water Canal for us, and- yes, the information is true. They just aren't sure when it'll happen... sometime in the next month. So, how long do we live with pots and pans all over the house? How often do we fill the tub with water? These are questions we've been pondering. In the meantime, each day I thank the Lord for water! Hot or cold, I love it all.

Leif went on a backpacking trip in the mountains this past weekend. He'll post some pictures after he swaps some with friends. His trip sounded like all of the stereotypes of Siberia- icy, stormy, windy, and bitingly cold. I'm happy he's back safe and sound! I went to a nearby village with some teammates one day and sat through an awards ceremony at a little school. The directors there presented us with medals around our necks- as the special foreign guests. Before the ceremony, someone passed out newspapers that spoke out against capitalism and promoted socialist ideas. It was really eye-opening that many people actually want to return to communism. I was especially surprised to see this in a largely-Buryat village. I felt like the trip helped me to understand a little more of Russian culture.

Marik's 2-Year-Old Birthday Party

Last night we were invited for dinner to Zhenya and Valia's house. They are a wonderful couple from the Sayani church that we attend... and they have 5 kids between the ages of 18 months and (barely) 5!!! They adopted two of the five, and their greatest desire is for each of them to know the love of Jesus and to live their lives for Him. We were blessed to be there for Marik's second birthday. He is the little blond boy holding the mega-legos. It was so sweet to see his pure excitement over the cake and two presents. We felt so honored to be welcomed into their lives. Oh, and the food was out of this world! (yummy mashed potatoes covered in a sauce with beef and carrots... Mmmmm)

Bowling in Siberia

We went bowling last night- yes, that's right- Bowling! Our teammate, Shannon, invited us for a night out on the town. Elisabeth, another teammate who recently returned from Germany, came, too. We were the only people at the bowling alley. It resembled alleys in the states except that it was much smaller and the lanes weren't flat! I personally liked the uneven surface because many times my ball was headed for the gutter and then it would hit a dip in the floor and veer toward the pins again! It was fun to get time with Shannon and Elisabeth in a relaxed atmosphere. Yesterday was actually the first time we met Elisabeth (well, Leif met her briefly 5 years ago, but it wasn't monumental.) Pictured left to right are: Elizabeth, Shannon, Jami, Leif

Old Friend and Workout Buddy

Something encouraging for Leif has been reuniting with his friend, Chingis. Chingis and his wife Ksusha only live 5 minutes (walking) from where we are currently living. In the mornings, Leif has been working out with Chingis and another friend, Pasha. They run around an asphalt track and do pullups on some bars nearby. It's a great time to connect as well as get into shape. Even more encouraging has been seeing how much Chingis has grown in his faith over the past 4 years! He and Ksusha are mentoring other young believers, and the last two Sundays Chingis has given the sermons at church. It's so neat how God is faithful to continue His work in His people. Chingis and Kshusha are expecting their first baby in the spring. They're very excited! Pictured above is us with Kshusha and Chingis.

Students from Compass

We're here on work visas through "Compass", a group for Russian and Buryat college students. Every Thursday evening there is a "Compass" meeting where every other week we discuss a meaningful topic and on the off-weeks, we play games. This past Saturday we went on a picnic with the Compass students. We played frisbee golf, American football, and roasted sausages over a fire. It was a great way to connect with students on a little deeper level (and, of course, to practice our Russian).

What does that say?

The Russian handwritten script can sometimes be a bit tricky to read. When I first saw it up on the chalkboard, I thought it looked like a bunch of "double-u's". This picture proves my point, with little exaggeration. When my teacher taught me this word last week, I had to take a picture! This word means "unnecessary" or "unwanted". Yes, I would tend to agree.

Mongolian Meat

We went to a Mongolian Restaurant yesterday, and for the most part, we were impressed. They had REAL SALAD there... with lettuce! But I couldn't help taking a picture of this meaty bone that was on my plate. This was just as it came- I didn't cut anything off of it. Funny, isn't it? I do think the plate is quite pretty, though!

God Delights in us Singing Praises to Him

We sat in the living room/dining room/bedroom of the humble, one room apartment. We were surrounded by warmth, love, and an abundance of Russian food. Tanya and her mother, Svyeta, had invited us over for lunch and to hear songs Tanya had written.
After our tummies were more-than-full, Tanya stood at the windowsill where here keyboard lay and played and sang the songs she'd written for God. We felt so priveleged to be included in this. We pray that many more Russians and Buryats will create songs, dances and artwork that brings glory to our Creator.

A Snow Picture at Buryat State University

Canadian Thanksgiving

This Monday we celebrated the Canadian Thanksgiving with our teammates, the Wicker family. Seated left to right in the picture above (after us) are Matthew (14), John, Heidi (11), Heather Ann (16) and Sharon. It was fun to celebrate this special day with them... and guess what!!? We had a REAL TURKEY! Yes, that is right. They found a turkey in Ulan Ude. This place is definitely changing.

It's always good to reflect on our loving God... there are so many things to be thankful for! After dinner, we each went around and shared something we're thankful for. We also shared a way that God shows Himself to us through His creation (based out of Romans 1:20-21). We shared how we're thankful for each other and for the body of Christ that reaches out to us wherever we are. I (Jami) shared how I sees God in people. I love looking around and seeing Buryats, Russians, little children... we are all made in the image of God, and yet we are all so unique. God is so creative! Leif shared about how God's parental love is shown in nature. For example, most mother animals would sacrifice their lives for their children.

Here are some other things we're thankful for:
-friends and family who love and pray for us
-hot water
-beautiful snow
-teachers we love
-our first box of books arriving safely
-Leif connecting with old friends and Jami fitting in with them, too
-playing games with Russians after church
-working heat, internet, electricity
-Kleenex and paper towels (yes, they've arrived here, too!)
-cheese
-sour cream
-Bible study with women on the team (for Jami)
-letters and emails
-God's love

The First Snow

The first snow of the season always has a little bit of excitement to it, but there is also a bit of a feeling of, "here we go," when you live in Siberia and know that it will be quite a few months before you really feel like just going out for a walk to enjoy the nice weather. It kind of took us by suprise because we both got ready to go to our classes without looking outside. We opened the door and looked through the door to the stairwell in our apartment building and saw the skiff of snow on the ground and a blowing wind that sent the snow flying directly into your eyes. We managed to make it to and from class and didn't get to cold. Actually, there has been little to complain about as far as the weather. We have had what they call a grandma summer--kind of like what we would call an Indian summer--where it has been relatively warm so far this fall. The whole grandma summer thing makes me think of the large elderly populations that move to nice warm places like Florida and Arizona. Maybe there is some wisdom that people get with age, but as long as the rest of the world hasn't figured out that it is nicer to live somewhere warm we will continue to share Christ and His love in cold places like Siberia.