We Lure Her With Vegetables

As we have heard from other parents, it can be difficult to get your children to eat certain foods. Vegetables tend to be a particular problem, but Anneka seems to be like the rest of her family and is a little bit on the odd side. We actually will use vegetables to tempt her to eat other foods. In particular, she likes small chunks such as a pea, kernel of corn, or part of a green bean. She will turn her head in disgust at different types of cereal or pureed foods, but as soon as you put one of these small vegetable chunks on top, it turns into a delightful gormet meal for our little girl. Yes, that is correct, we use vegetables to tempt our baby to eat. In other news, the sports square is coming along great. It should be completed within the week. The only things left are painting, putting hoops on the backboards and a cement slab for the basketball hoop that is outside of the enclosed area. It is exciting to see how things are progressing. We're looking forward to using it and building relationships in the community as we enjoy this facility with our neighbors.

Updates

The day camps are continuing this week, but in a different neighborhood (10 minutes from here). Leif feels like his lines for the skits are more ingrained in his mind after having a week to stir around in his brain. This summer has been a huge language stretch for Leif (in a good way). It amazes me how he always steps up to the challenge.

Last Friday, I met two ladies at the day camp and we sat and talked for a long while. I know that God opened up that opportunity and gave me the courage to go and sit by them. That morning I'd prayed that He'd bring me people to talk with and He answered!



These are the main 4 men who are working on the sports square. They eat lunch here every day, and lately I've been making it for them. Inka and Elisabeth have made lunch a couple of days, too. So nice. These guys work hard and it's nice for them not to have to worry about buying/making something.



This is the progress on the sports square. Actually, today it looks even better, but I don't have a picture. You'll see it soon, though.

"Papa!"

Oh, what a wonderful thing that has started in our house! I (Leif) was laying Anneka down for an afternoon nap on Saturday and although she seemed tired, she didn't seem to want to sleep. I was just about to leave the room and let her "cry it out", when she said in her sweet little baby voice, "papa". Well, as you can imagine the thoughts of letting her "cry it out" suddenly went away and I sat there with her rubbing her back trying to both encourage her to go to sleep and continue saying papa. As with some of her other milestones, she has taken off with this one. As she's playing, waking-up, going to sleep, or sitting in her high-chair she will babble away saying, "papa, papa." We have tried to encourage her to say, "mama," which you may remember she screamed out a couple of months ago but seems to have given up on. She does sometimes manage to get out, "mapa." It is evident that her language skills are going to grow qickly as she is decifering sounds. Also, it is cute, she loves to sing with her mama. Maybe we can get a video with that at some point here :).

Special Request Granted

My aunt, Claudia, wanted to see a video of Anneka crawling, so I took a little snippet before her nap today. Be sure to read about the day camp below, as I posted close together.

Day Camps

This week our church is putting on a day camp right in our neighborhood! (the next two weeks will be in nearby areas). Leif's role is the "sport's instructor" and he's in a few skits. My hope is to get to know more people from our ring of apartments. It's a great way to connect. Each day starts with games (also Leif's role). The kids were divided into four teams and did various relays. In this one, they had to run around an area without breaking the toilet paper. Russian toilet paper is pretty tough, though! haha.



After the game/sports time, the kids had a choice of a different "station" to go to: drama, art, music, or sports. In this one, Leif is teaching the kids flag football.



The art, drama, and music groups share what they've done/learned with the rest of the kids. Each element fits into the program.




At the end, Sasha ties everything together for a talk about Jesus and how much he loves each person. 40+ kids were there yesterday, and hopefully more will come today and tomorrow!

Sports Square Construction

We ate breakfast yesterday to the sound of a big tractor outside... and when we looked, we saw that it was a bulldozer, preparing the land for the long-awaited sports square! Hooray! Leif has been out there yesterday and today, helping to dig posts for the fence that will surround the soccer field.



They need to dig 30+ holes and many of the spots have huge rocks in the way. When I went out to take this picture, the guys were discussing if there would be a way to get electricity and a jack hammer for the job. I sure hope so! Leif's hands were SO blistered after yesterday, and they had only done 4 holes and 2 half-holes. Already, many people from the neighborhood have come and asked what is going on. And the location is perfect! It's right in the center of a ring of the apartment buildings in our neigborhood. We'll keep you posted on the progress. Leif, especially, is very excited, as this is the beginning of his dream coming to fruition.

We'll miss you, Baba and Grandma!

We just saw "Baba" and "Grandma" off at the airport. It was sad to see them go, as we had a wonderful time with them.







Goodbye, Baba and Grandma! We love you!!!

A Trip to Lake Baikal

We just returned from a little trip to Lake Baikal with the mamas. We rode on the electric train to get there and enjoyed a nice time together.


The weather was nice and we went out on a paddle boat.


We played ping pong, and this sweet Buryat lady LOVED playing against us. She was so good!



We enlightened our moms to the "banya" or bathhouse/sauna. Don't worry, we didn't take Anneka in the super-hot part.



We had to eat some crab chips as we sat by the water.
If you come and visit us here in Siberia, we'll plan a trip to Lake Baikal!

A Happy Birthday

I had a nice birthday yesterday. Anneka and I dressed in matching Buryat dresses. Irene made me a cake that we brought to church and shared with everyone after the service. Then we had a leisurely afternoon, where my mom made me macaroni and cheese (my birthday favorite since I was a little girl) and yummy caramel brownies. I opened fun presents and we watched an episode of the Cosby Show (one of my presents). I love the Cosby Show, by the way. Then Leif and I went bowling with Chingis and Ksusha in the evening while our moms watched the two kiddos. It's been so nice to squeeze in dates and have time with each other. Thanks for a great birthday!

Linda's Siberian Impressions

Finding beauty in a place of ugliness

As us grandmas were pushing adorable Anneka in the stroller, we were looking at all the filth and garbage. Irene with delight said, “Oh look at the flowers!” It tickled me as, yes, here the morning glories were pretty, but back home they are an obnoxious weed.


When Jami, Anneka and I went downtown I thought I just might be a grandma to a 13 year old. Svetlana was hungry and dirty. We fed her and learned that she had no place to sleep. She told Jami that she wanted to go home with her and live, and compassionate Jami wanted to take her home. She called a friend who worked for the city, and he said that Leif and Jami could lose their residency if they took her in. We directed her to a place where she could get social assistance. It was hard for Jami, but we just couldn’t take her home with us. We prayed for Svetlana.

Almost everyday there have been friends come to Jami and Leif’s. It is customary to invite them for a meal. When we had friends over for lunch they brought their wash with them. We learned that the couple with their baby live in an 11 square meter home with no running water. To think about going to an outhouse in -50 degree weather is hard to imagine. It was encouraging to see though that even though their life is hard, they have the joy of Jesus in their hearts. To see beauty in people’s lives even though there is little beauty in Siberia is an encouragement.

Camp? by Mama Irene

What a day! It started out simple enough Linda and I (the two grandmas) got up, ate breakfast and read until about 10am. Then we called the kids and went over. Anneka just finished a nap, so we got a little “baby (lya-lya)” time before we had to leave. Leif and I were headed off to camp help with a children's day camp in Zakamensk, a town about 6-7 hours from Ulan-Ude. Jami, Linda and Anneka walked us down to the bus which came right away. We got to the marshrutka that would take us to Zakamensk and waited about an hour and took off. We made a few stops on they way including here by a lake.

After about 6 hours on the road we came to the check point. We all got off and they took Leif and my passports. It was taking so long the marshrutka took off to a café about a quarter mile down the road. We waited and finally the guards came and told us we could not enter the next region without some papers we could only get in Ulan Ude. Just a few days earlier Leif and Shannon (another missionary from their team) called to see what we needed to do to go into this region and through the check point and were told we would just need to fill out papers at the check point. The soldiers insisted we needed to go back. Our marshrutka driver brought back our backpack and duffle bag and we sat on the bench praying for a kind person to bring us home. There were no marshrutkas going back to Ulan Ude until the next morning and it was after 7pm. It was miles to the next settlement or any homes. All we could see was farm fields and rolling hills. Leif’s phone was in a “dead zone” so we couldn’t let the other campers or Jami and Linda know what was happening. The bugs were beginning to swarm us. We got out bug spray and some snacks and waited about 10 minutes. A spirited Buryat man and his extended family drove up to us in a Honda step wagon. He told us to get in and he’d take us to the café, but the soldiers were not allowing that. Then he said he’d go back and get documents and take us to Ulan Ude as they were headed for a wedding there anyway. About 15 minutes later he drove back and they rearranged themselves in the wagon so we could fit in. There were two sisters and I in the middle seats. In back was one of the sister’s husband, three little granddaughters and another older lady. Leif and the other husband, Sergei our driver were in front. Sergei and Leif talked for hours as we rode. They included us sometimes and I found out that his wife Dora who sat by me was also an elementary teacher and had taught over thirty years, too. We stopped for gas and I was happy to help. We also stopped for spring water and I thanked God I had my bottle with the filter. Then we made a stopped at Gusinozyorsk which was about 100 km before Ulan Ude. They said come meet our son and his family for tea. There we met the son, his wife, their 9 month old, Erdeni, plus the wife’s mother and some sisters (I think). They were so gracious. We shared a small meal of fried fish, sausage, veggie salad, bread with butter and fresh raspberry sauce, chocolates and of course the tea-a nice green tea cooked with milk. We took pictures and I talked with the daughter in laws mom who knew a little English from college.

We got back into the car and stopped at a house just before Ulan Ude. Everyone got out with bags and packages except Sergei and Dora. We suggested we could call a taxi and get home, but they insisted on driving us right to the door of the apartment which was another 20-30 minute drive for them. We were all very tired from our long day. As I got back into the apartment that Inka and Elizabeth so graciously allow us to stay in for our visit I was struck with the parallel of the story Jesus tells about the good Samaritan. Sergei and Dora and their family (by all signs Buddists) were surely our good Samaritans, and I thank God for delivering us from such an adventure that could have turned out much differently. I know He just has different plans for us this week.

Sharing Our Lives With The Mamas/Babushkas

It's been fun introducing our moms to friends here and showing them around Ulan Ude. Today we had friends over after church and our moms made lunch. It was really nice to be able to sit and relax and talk with guests. Also, today was the first time that I've been able to sit through the whole church service since Anneka was born. My mom sat with her outside while she slept, which was SO nice. She's recently taken a liking to her stroller and will fall asleep in it. The only problem is that since camp, she doesn't fall asleep (on her own) very well in her bed. Sigh. It'll take 3-10 days of training to get her back on track. I'm hoping it's closer to three!

The picture above is from church today. One of the ladies gathered some of us together and posed us. Tomorrow Leif and Irene will go to a small city 6 hours away to be a part of a week-long day camp. Mom and I won't have a lack of things to do, I'm sure!!

Anneka has two little Russian kercheifs that she wears now that it's summer. I love them. You can't see it too well in this picture, but it's super-cute!

English Camp

We had a busy/fun/cold/tiring/exciting week at camp. This was our little "home" while we were there. The students stayed in yurts (traditional nomadic homes).



I found that being at camp with Anneka was busier than I'd anticipated. She was my only "responsibility", but with a crawling baby and no place to put her except on the sand or dirt, I found myself carrying her a lot, and this gang (and more!) of children followed me around wherever I went. There were times when I was SO ready to have my space, but overall I enjoyed the kids. I also connected with some of the workers and students in ways that I wouldn't have if I'd been tied up with other responsibilities.



Every evening, a Russian speaker shared about the "key to life" and got the students thinking about important questions, such as why we are here. Here, some Americans are leading a worship song in English. Most of the songs were in Russian, but as an "English Camp", we sang English songs, too.



Anneka LOVED the sand and loved to eat it. She was so quick!



This is one of the kitchen workers, feeding Anneka. The camp is owned by the deaf church, and the staff was SO WONDERFUL in welcoming us and serving without complaint. There was a mixup and the staff didn't know we were coming this week. They were so gracious and flexible- it was amazing. Such a reminder of how we really do shine like "stars in the universe" when we don't grumble or complain.



Leif was SO busy at the camp. He was the sports instructor, and this included leading exercises in the morning, pre-planned games in the mid-day, lifeguarding at free time (or leading other sports when it was cold), and leading organized games in the evening. Many students said that this was their favorite part of the camp.



During the English lessons, Leif often helped in the kitchen. Here he is with Zhenya and Sveta, peeling carrots with sharpened table knives.



a picture of our little family



On the second-to-last evening of camp, the speaker shared about the hope that we can have in Christ and gave the students opportunities to give their lives to Jesus. Eight of them publically decided this is what they wanted to do. (these are two of them). Others of us lit candles as a declaration that we want God to shine through us.

For many weeks before the camp, there were only 6 students signed up. At the very end (the last two days!) many more signed up (maybe 40? I don't even know how many). Things seemed so scattered and overwhelming. It was amazing how God was the one who put the camp together. We are so thankful for the prayers of many and for a wonderful week!

Baby Swap and Welcome Moms!

Both Leif's and my moms arrived this morning to visit us for a few weeks. We thought it would be funny to play a little joke on them at the airport and hold someone else's baby. Our friend, Adriana, met us at the airport and gave us baby Kristina and she took Anneka out of sight. I was a little worried that they wouldn't think it was funny, but my mom laughed and laughed as soon as she saw the baby. Irene said that she thought something seemed a little strange because the baby didn't smile, but she also said she's not very visual and didn't want to say anything. But quickly, they were reunited with their granddaughter. Adriana even dressed Kristina in some clothes that I'd given her of Anneka's. haha.

We look forward to a fun month together! We still will post a blog about camp. We have so many pictures that we need to sort through them first.

Jeannie Cross

Late yesterday we arrived back from a week on the shores of Lake Baikal where we saw God work amazingly in the hearts of people who joined us there for an English camp and we will share more details about that, but we were also greeted with some very sad news as we returned. Our dear friend Jeannie Cross has been taken home by our Lord. We are grieving from here with those who know her, and in particular our hearts are heavy for her husband Scott and daughter Malia (11). We have shared with many of you about the battle with a very unusual cancer that Jeannie has gone through. There were many emotional ups and downs as hope was repeatedly given and taken away regarding her physical well being. Even as she went through this struggle, she was able to love many people and touch lives of people on her way. A piece of scripture that God impressed upon me this last week was Galatians 1:24, “And they glorified God because of me.” This is regarding Christians who praised God because of how He worked through another person. This has been true for us with Jeannie. We praise God because of her and how He has worked through her. We love how she and Scott have always taken time with us and for us. She was so full of joy and loved life and those in her life. She prayed diligently, sought deep relationships, laughed sincerely, strove for honesty and cared with all of her heart. She has been such a blessing to us and we will miss her so much! We love her and ask that you would pray for her family.

We're Off To Camp!

We're leaving in the morning for English camp. So far, only 15 students have signed up for sure and we were hoping for at least 70. We know that it can still be an amazing time and that hearts are more important than numbers. We appreciate your prayers!

A team of four Americans from California came to help and teach English at the camp (pictured right). Also, Danae (far left) is here for the summer as an intern to help out and Justin (far back)is here for a year as an intern.

Yesterday was a briefing time for the team. I made dinner for everyone after the meeting. Leif was SO nice and made some spaghetti sauce the night before. It's funny because I was a little prideful and thought, "I can do this, you don't need to do this" and then before the meeting, he got fruits and veggies all washed and began cutting them and again I thought, "He doesn't need to do this". But let me tell you, with a very busy baby in someone else's kitchen, I was extremely grateful for his preparations!!

I'm better each day, and I've prayed and decided that going to camp is a better option than staying here. My biggest concern is not having drinking water, but I really feel that God wants me to trust that He'll provide this, so that's what I'm doing. We'll fill you in when we get back!!

Shashleek

We went to a BBQ at some friends' house the other night and had shashleek. This is like a big pork kabob, roasted over a fire. It's very delicious. The guys hung out and roasted the meat and shot a matchbox on a fence with something like a bee-bee gun (how do you spell that?) The girls hung out in the kitchen and cut up veggies and bread and cheese. It's funny because I've been really careful to give Anneka one new food every 3-4 days (so we'll know what she's allergic to if she has a reaction). Well, I'd just started her on eggs, which is one of the potentially more allergenic foods. And while we were there, a lady gave Anneka a big piece of bread to gnaw on. And then later another lady gave her a hunk of cheese. Eggs, wheat, and milk products all on the same day... oh well. What can you do but pray?

We got lab results back from Moscow and one of the cultures showed that I have haempohilus influenzae. I've still been achey and tired since we've been back, and the doc in Moscow wanted me to start on another antibiotic today. So, prayerfully I'll be at 100% soon! We have camp next week, and I really want to go. And I really want to be WELL and rested. I probably shouldn't have gone to the BBQ because Anneka and I didn't get home until 11:00 and Leif stayed to do a banya (a bath/sauna combo) and didn't get home until 2:00... and I couldn't sleep until he got home. So all I plan on doing the next couple of days is resting and drinking lots of water. This afternoon I watched a movie while Anneka slept on me. It was really nice. Leif is sharing at church on Sunday(so has been preparing a lot for that) and is planning tons for the camp... and taking on a lot more at home. He's a super star. He needs your prayers, too!

Train Pics and "Thankful Fors"

We returned today to Ulan Ude after our time in Moscow. My throat has healed and each day my body is less and less achey. God is so good! We didn't do any sight-seeing in Moscow. All I did was lay there and Leif took Anneka out a lot so that I could rest. We are so thankful for God's many blessings. We know that all of this is His doing.

We took the "fast train" back, and it took four days. It was a lot less expensive than buying plane tickets at the last minute, and we thought, "When else will we have the chance to ride this far on the trans-Siberian railroad?" Other than being really hot and Anneka starting to crawl all over, it was an enjoyable trip. The kids on the train loved Anneka and came by regularly to stare.

Here are a few of the many praises from these past 10 days:

* Shannon picking us up to go to the airport
* Yulia agreeing to stay in our place
* Anneka’s ears okay on plane- nursed well (little girl behind us kept her entertained while she nursed)
* Getting to pick out our seats on the plane- extra leg room
* The plane leaving UU after a rocky takeoff
* Ralph and Myrna’s friend, Lena, who called and hooked us up with a hotel and taxi
* Robertson’s friend Joel picking us up from the hotel and getting to stay at the school
* Not having to pay extra baggage weight
* Anneka being as sweet as can be!
* Escalator at airport not working and I was worried about the lady who’d sat next to us making her next flight (with our delay and her slow pace). I prayed in my heart that it would work and it started working immediately. Leif said it had a sensor, but I know it was God reminding me that He hears me.
* My throat miraculously getting way better!
* My flu getting better each day.
* Jesus’ peace
* Being moved to prayers for people and being reminded of Christ’s compassion… and realizing that I lack it and want it and need it.
* When I felt forsaken, I realized that God has NOT forsaken me, and the reason is because He forsook his son- in my place- by letting him die on the cross. Wow.
* My appetite coming back
* McDonalds in Moscow and high calories!
* Salad
* The prayers of many people
* Marty and Tom’s warmth and letting us use their phone
* Getting our bank cards activated again (these weren't working!)
* Washing machines and DRYERS! in Moscow to shrink all my clothes
* SMSes from Shannon and Juli- their encouragement
* The ENT in Moscow saying we could call him from Siberia
* God helping me to sleep
* A wonderful husband who takes such good care of me!
* Anneka getting her immunizations and well-baby checkup in Moscow
* Buying a stroller for 1/3 the price of Ulan Ude
* Meeting a lady at the clinic from Ulan Ude who gave us money to bring back for her mom
* James meeting us at the train platform in Krasniarsk and bringing us goodies
* meeting a lady on the train from Ulan Ude who has a two year old girl and wants to get together
* Coming home to a clean house
* Our neighbor rushing home with a key when we were locked out
* pizza for lunch from Shannon
* receiving many encouraging emails that I haven't even finished reading yet
* and many, many more!

Back to Ulan-Ude

We are on our way back to Ulan-Ude. This will be a short blog, but we wanted to let everyone know that Jami is feeling much better and her infection looks so good. We feel so blessed that God has brought this healing to her. We, especially Jami, will need to take some good rest time the next few weeks so we decided to start that on the train. We are taking the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Moscow to Ulan-Ude. Since we'll be on the fast train, it will only take 4 days. This is a picture of Anneka with a little friend that she made at the doctor's office. She was a bit rough as she wanted to pull his hair and ear, but they seemed to like each other. After we get back to Ulan-Ude we want to write a blog to share about all that God has done for us in relation to this infection that Jami and the trip to Moscow. Again, thank you to everyone for praying for us.

Time to heal in Moscow!

Praise God! Our time here in Moscow has gone really well! We arrived in Moscow on Thursday morning and went directly to the European Medical Clinic. We arrived early so they worked things out for us to get in to see the doctor early. He was very calming in his analysis, and took some blood and cultures to be run and set us up to see an ENT specialist on Monday. He also prescribed a local antiseptic spray and nasal spray to help in the meantime. Well, God is at work because the infection in Jami’s mouth is looking much better as of today. She is still pretty worn out, and not sleeping great but she is getting rest and feeling better than she did a couple of days ago. After Monday we should know better what is going on and what our next step is. We have been so blessed by other people as well. We were given the phone number of a lady here who knows our fellow SEND workers, the Alexanders, and she made some phone calls and found a hotel for us to stay at for our first two nights. She was so kind, and as soon as we mentioned the Alexanders, it seemed like she was ready to do just about anything to help us out. We feel like this is such a witness of the goodness of this sister of ours, and a testimony of the witness that the Alexanders have been with her. In a similar way, we have now been taken in to the facility that our fellow Ulan-Ude workers, the Robertsons, used to work at in Moscow. The Robertsons wrote ahead and gave us contacts and we will likely be able to stay here for the rest of our time in Moscow. This is such a blessing because it is so much less expensive than a hotel here. It is again a testimony of the Robertsons witness that we are able to stay here. I should also mention that through all of this, Anneka has been such a wonderful baby! She is so well behaved and gives us such joy. It is fun to see how everyone loves her too. It seemed that she was particularly popular at the hotel where people from all over the world were staying. There was constantly someone or another smiling at her, waving at her, or coming over and tickling her feet and telling her how adorable she is. We took this picture with a member of a dance group that performs in a hall connected to the hotel.