A Tale of Two Dinners

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Olga and I have been very blessed by the great relationships God has given us here in Russia.  This was recently illustrated well.

We host a church home group at our apartment on Sunday evenings.  On Sunday afternoons, Olga teaches English to several people from our church.  In between is time for a meal and fellowship.  It’s great fun to have so much life in our house. The picture above is of the Sunday home group.

The next day, we hosted a pot-luck dinner for the workers at MIR.  Not everyone was able to attend, but we still had a good crowd. MIR continues to grow and do well.  Masha Oshkina (seated at right, below) is doing a great job as Executive Director.

MIR is now interviewing for the summer hosting program as well as preparing for other summer work.  We’ve added a new staff member, Tanya, seated second from left.

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You may notice that Oksana, the orphan who lived with us, was visiting.  She’s going through a tough time, and we’ve been very glad to have her around.

On Friday, Olga and I depart for a ministry road trip. We’ll first drive to Minsk, Belarus to visit Spring of Revival there. I’m especially looking forward to visiting the Minsk Family Home.  From there, we drive to Budapest, Hungary for a few days to visit with friends and explore opportunities for ministry.

Then, we go to Baska Petrovac, Serbia where we’ll visit friends and talk about partnership in ministry.

After this, we drive to Podgorica, Montenegro, where we get to see our newest family member, Andrej, and spend time with the church. Then we return with another stop in Budapest before leading up a Stoneworks retreat in Tallinn, Estonia.

It’s going to be a full few weeks, and we have gratitude for the great relationships we have in so many parts of the world.

Jesus promised that His followers would have abundant life, and we are thankful for it.

Another kind of anniversary

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Another note from Stoneworks missionary Liz Hulley —

This week, Russia celebrates 20 years of….McDonald’s!

I would like to leave the fast-food (health) debate for the moment and comment on the culture implications. This kind of anniversary is interesting when looked at in the light of what was going on the world at the time.

1990: I was almost 8 years old and probably didn’t know that the USSR existed. And I barely knew what McDonald’s was, as I wasn’t raised on fast-food.

Meanwhile, in Russia, an interesting “cultural” exchange was taking place. I enjoyed reading the accounts in Monday’s local paper (Metro) about people’s memories of the first McDonald’s opening in Moscow.

They speak of the lines, the intrigue, the scent of a new kind of food. People who had worked as servers describe the pressure they felt, then the relief as the idea took on.

I don’t know exactly which characteristics of American culture are represented by McDonald’s cuisine: Convenience? Mass-marketing? Consumerism? At any rate, in some ways this was a little crack in the cultural barrier. Something that could be “shared”?

An interesting excerpt from Metro (Feb.1, 2010).

How many hours do you have to work, to buy a Big Mac?

-in 1990: 2 hours, 10 minutes
-in 2010: 30 minutes

-in 1990: average salary was 297 rubles a month, a Big Mac cost 3 rubles, 75 kopecks

I asked a friend recently what her favorite restaurant was, and she said “McDonald’s.”

I suppose it is cheaper than other establishments in St. Petersburg, but it is still considered “eating out,” not something most people can afford to do regularly.

‘He is the most beautiful baby!!!’ — My sister’s words

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As you can see, this is Olga writing here.

Well, I had to be patient and wait five days for the pictures!  But today they have finally arrived!  I called my sister and heard a great news, that she is already at home with her baby!

She did say that she thinks him to be the most beautiful baby!  And to that she holds!  It is so much fun to talk to her and to hear her speaking of those little delightful things of daily care!

baby2He is really so cute and sweet!!!!!

I am so tickled to just get into the car and go to her!  I envy those around her now who can be with her and enjoy these moments.

I should not complain though.  Mike and I are going to be the first out of our St. Pete crew who will see him and get to hold him and help Alla with her tasks.  She already promised to use me to the fullest! 🙂

It is a very new feeling to me, and when I first saw my mom after we got the news, the two of us just held each other close and could not stop smiling!

The Lord is so good.

I know I am not saying anything new, and (using the Russian phrase) ‘I have not discovered America’ by saying that babies are the wonder and the gift from the Lord.

But I think it is the first time in my life that I truly feel this.

And I am so happy!!!

Aunt and Uncle —

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Good news! Olga’s sister Alla gave birth to a boy — Andrej.  The baby has some jaundice, but everyone is doing well. We’re very happy to be Aunt and Uncle. We’ll post pictures soon.

Alla is married to Zhelyan, a Montenegrin, and they live in Podgorica. And we will soon be in Montenegro.

(Click here for a quick guide to our Montenegrin connections.)

We’ll drive from St. Petersburg to visit the Stoneworks ministry in Minsk, then we’ll drive to visit friends in Hungary and Serbia, looking for ministry opportunities as well.

From there we’ll go to Montenegro to spend a few weeks with family and friends. We’ll follow basically this route, but now we have more personal connections along the way.

It will be great to be with our family in Montenegro, and we’ll be working on some ministry projects.

A Winter Walk

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winterwalk-2Yesterday I had to run some errands down town, and decided to walk part of the way back home.  Just before the New Year we had a record snow fall since 1881, so much that the city almost came to a full stop for a few days.  Things are a little better now, but it is still hard to get around.  Nonetheless the scenery is a delight!

Our past winters have not spoiled us for beautiful views.  We occasionally had some cold spells and some snow, but this time we are really having a winter!!!!   For a few days now we had this beautiful snow covered trees, and the city looks like a winter wonderland!

It is truly a joy to walk through streets and parks and enjoy the clean snow, the lovely trees and buildings covered with frost!  I forgot how much I love waking in downtown St. Petersburg.

I walked by Moika river.  They cleared a little path on the embankment.  The access ways to the water were filled with snow, so I was not able to get down to the ice covered river.

Earlier that day I read from a devotional book about getting to some quiet place where you can see the majesty of the Lord.

winterwalk-62Well, I would not call the city a “quiet place”, but I sure did feel His majesty and power even in the midst of stone and granite and power lines and cars. He showed me that He was still in charge, and that He can do whatever He wishes to do.

Men can do great things, they are, after all, made after His image and likeness, but He alone will order the day!

So yesterday I had this wonderful and surprising gift from my Father, and I am so grateful for it!

May the Lord bless you and delight you with small and big wonders!

Russian Christmas

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Here’s a good explanation about Russian Christmas and why it is celebrated on January 7 —

Russian Christmas

Thirteen days after Western Christmas, on January 7th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas, in accordance with the old Julian calendar.  It’s a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration

After the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations.  It wasn’t until 75 years later, in 1992, that the holiday was openly observed.  Today, it’s once again celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in incense-filled Cathedrals amidst the company of the painted icons of Saints.

Christmas is one of the most joyous traditions for the celebration of Eve comes from the Russian tradition.  On the Eve of Christmas, it is traditional for all family members to gather to share a special meal.  The various foods and customs surrounding this meal differed in Holy Russia from village to village and from family to family, but certain aspects remained the same.

An old Russian tradition, whose roots are in the Orthodox faith, is the Christmas Eve fast and meal.  The fast, typically, lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears.

The dinner that follows is very much a celebration, although, meat is not permitted.  Kutya (kutia), a type of porridge, is the primary dish.  It is very symbolic with its ingredients being various grains for hope and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace.

Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin.  Although all of the food served is strictly Lenten, it is served in an unusually festive and anticipatory manner and style.  The Russians call this meal: “The Holy Supper.” The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child.

A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christ’s swaddling clothes, covers the Table.  Hay is brought forth as a reminder of the poverty of the Cave where Jesus was born.  A tall white candle is place in the center of the Table, symbolic of Christ “the Light of the World.”  A large round loaf of Lenten bread, “pagach,” symbolic of Christ the Bread of Life, is placed next to the Candle.

The meal begins with the Lord’s Prayer, led by the father of the family.  A prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year is said and then prayers for the good things in the coming year are offered.  The head of the family greets those present with the traditional Christmas greeting: “Christ is Born!” The family members respond: “Glorify Him!”

The Mother of the family blesses each person present with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying: “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year.”  Following this, everyone partakes of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic.

Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness.  The “Holy Supper” is then eaten (see below for details).  After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened.

Then the family goes to Church, coming home between 2 and 3 am. On the Feast of the Nativity, neighbors and family members visit each other, going from house to house , eating, drinking and singing Christmas Carols all the day long.

The “Holy Supper” Continue reading →

Ghosts of Christmas Cards Past

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I recently told some Russian friends about something I did before I moved to Russia, and they asked if I’d post it on the web:

Years ago, when I was an old bachelor, I had the idea that it would be funny to have a different family each Christmas on my Christmas card.  One year at a church cookout I decided to go ahead and do it.

A friend from church was my ‘wife’, and we had three children.  I can say that it was quite a surprise to people when they got my card that year.  Several people thought I’d gotten married and hadn’t told them. (If you look closely, you’ll see that I have half a mustache; that was my way of saying ‘this is a joke’.)

The second year, I had a different wife and different children, a LOT of different children:

When my cousin got married, her mother (my Aunt Rose) asked if she could be on my next card.  We took this picture immediately after the wedding; the bride and groom are our best man and maid of honor.

As you can see by the groom’s expression, he was a bit befuddled as to why we were taking this picture on his wedding day, using the official photographer.

My church was located in an old movie theater in a strip shopping center.  One day after church, as I was walking to my car in the parking lot with many people going to and from the nearby shops, one of the ladies at church yells across the parking lot to me, ‘I want to be your wife this year!’  I yell back, ‘you’ll have to ask your husband!’

Later I thought about how very strange that must have sounded.

The next year, I was on hard times —

But by the last year, I had a trophy wife and a nice house!

And that was really my dog, Hank.

The story behind the last picture is fun.  I had scouted out this house to use for the card; it was on a large piece of property and quite imposing.  The day of the picture, we showed up and knocked on the door.  It took a little while for the owner of the house to understand exactly what we were asking, but once he got it he was pretty entertained and gave his permission.

I was soon to be married, and so the tradition ended.  Now I’m very happy to have the same wife each Christmas.

Burton Holmes in Russia

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Over 100 years ago,  Burton Holmes (1870-1958) traveled to Russia.  Holmes was an American traveler, photographer and filmmaker, who coined the term “travelogue”.  Travel stories, slide shows and motion pictures were all in existence before Holmes began making his travel films, but he was the first person to put these elements together into documentary travel lectures.

Here are some of the photographs from his book detailing his visit to Tsarist Russia in 1901.