Novokijinginsk

October 2007 -

This last weekend I drove 4 hours outside of Ulan Ude to

Novokijinginsk. Over dirt, icey, and snowy roads. Actually

the roads were a vast improvement over the last time, so

I cannot complain. It's always soooooo good

to see Oleg & Lena & their kids Andre & Luda.

Group shot after Sunday afternoon's youth meeting.

Yup, that's actually Pastor Oleg in disquise - The theme
of the service was "Value" and he snuck into the service
dressed like this - no one knew who he was, and
the responses were interesting and varied, but they
got the point when he stepped to the podium & took off his hat.
We look so often on the outsides of people and forget to
consider what might be on the inside and that NO PERSON is
replaceable . . . all are necessary and important.
Prayer for the kids as they head of to Sunday School.

Men's choir worshipping.

Congregation

Preaching

Praying

See ya next time!

Xhabarovsk - Youth Ministry Course

October 2007 -

An 8 hour train trip to Irkutsk and one late flight later,

and I arrived in Xhabarovsk (pronounced "Ha-bar-ovsk") to

teach a 2-week Youth Ministry course at MTI, an extension

Bible Institute in the Russian Far East. BEAUTIFUL city

. . . I actually had some moments of culture shock

since the roads and landscaping were so different from the norm.

Fall City Center view from the 9th floor apartment where I stayed.

19 students plus the director and another

student from the other course.

Trying to teach, but everyone knew

someone was taking a pix, so . . . :)

Tonya - main, in-class translator - she's gold

. . . and not just her shirt!!!

Group assignment - creating a mock youth ministry.

Valera will return to Kyrgystan to begin Youth Ministry.

Okay, yes, Olya (my translator) and I ARE in the sauna

correcting finals, but it was the quietest hiding

place in the whole house. No the heat isn't on!

Xhabarovsk Missionary Team (Cecil & Tonya, Aaron & Beth, & Elf)

along with guest Missionary Professors Arnold & Joy Lastinger

eating shashlik (like shishkabobs) at a park on the banks of the

Amur River - this river separates Russia from China. We are about

6 hours from the Pacific Ocean here and north of Japan. Some beautiful Russian Orthodox churches in this town.

Cecil & Tonya's kids - Timothy, Vera, and Deanna . . .
it is very fun to be a part of their conversations
which are a constant mixture of Russian and English!

Sitting in front of another beautiful

Russian Orthodox Church w/ Beth.

Happy B-Day on Baikal

August 25, 2007 - Happy Birthday to me! I took 3 friends back to Ust Barguzine where the Ladies' Rehabilitation Center is near to Lake Baikal. The weather had been lousy for at least 2 weeks flirting with fall weather, but that day was AMAZING - everyone said it was God's special gift to me when the day dawned a perfect, warm summer day. Even better was when the following day was also sunny and beautiful but a very chilly fall day. Yup, God blessed me :)

Moms are good to send candles to make sure tradition is kept!

Olya, Natasha, me, and Luda at Baikal.

Thank you, family and friends, for the Birthday

packages and cards and emails. I opened

two boxes on the sandy beach of Baikal.

Everyone from the Rehab got in on the B-day picnic too!

No Russian Birthday party is complete without drama . . .

. . . presentations . . .

. . . and seranading!A truly perfect, beautiful day!

Cold? Yes, but not bad since Baikal's water is at it's warmest now!

This is the first time on a major holiday overseas that

I have not felt a huge piece of my heart was somewhere else

with family and friends in the USA. God has filled the gaps,

blessed me with friends, and given me a new home!

Ladies' Rehab & Kaluga Bishops

August 2007 - Meet Grigori & Olya, the Bishops (like Superintendents) of Kaluga, a region in European Russia. They came to see us in Asian Russia to speak at the all-Siberia Conference in Angarsk, and then we took them to spend some time along Lake Baikal.

Grigori & Olya on the shore of Baikal

We stayed with at the Ladies' Rehab Center . . . a beautiful setting that even has a "banya" - if you don't know what a Russian "banya" is, it could best be described as an intense sauna, but Russians would tell you that it also doubles as a meeting room where the real decisions are made! Here I am with some of the gals. On the far right is Snijona, a friend and one of the leaders at the center.

Bishop Ivan & Bishop Grigori praying for Olya who has just graduated from the Rehab Center and is making her way back into the real world.

Olya and I are giving my STL car a push through the TAIGA - The Taiga is the largest forest in the world, and several years ago when this trees began to burn, the world was rightfully concerned since 20% of the world's oxygen comes from these trees. Actually my car is just fine, but had you seen the roads we travelled to get to the Rehab Center, you would realize she deserved some TLC at this point :)

SUMMER CAMPS 2007 THREE

FIRST ALL SIBERIA ROYAL RANGER CAMP

Camping, hiking, extreme . . . Siberia LOVES it all, and guys and girls of all ages get into RR. I was recruited to help support the ministry team coming from various parts of Siberia to create an amazing camp setting on Lake Baikal for over 140.

I'm on the far right, standing at the bottom.

I personally drove over 4,000 kilometers over dusty, crazy, &

bumpy roads. Hoorah for a camp nurse who specialized in massage!

Crossed on the ferry at least 30 times.

Hauling leaders, kids, produce and STUFF.

Jumping from trees - I personally can say it WAS fun!

Karla Isom, "Big Cheese" for RR in Siberia,

is teaching a cooking class.

Tatiana, the head cook

Working it out

Never leave home w/o the computer :) Professional Kite Flying is popular on the WA Pacific Coast. Karla bought a couple, & I had fun teaching kids how to fly them . . . no way am I a professional, but thanks for the intro in Turkey, John Wilson!

SUMMER CAMPS 2007 TWO

BURYATIA YOUTH CAMP

Great group of kids - I taught on "Being Yourself," pulled out my store of dramas, built all kinds of new relationship key to the future, and had a great time.

Night time @ the bonfire - The pix a bit dark, but that's where we spent most of our bonding timeSasha - our fearless leader (Youth Pastor @ Way of Faith Church, Ulan Ude), and his fearless sidekick Masha.

Serious Bugs & 'SquitoesMy STL Car was a hit with the guys - I should have just opened the hood and charged a fee to support future STL projects :)
Drama @ Youth Evangelism - this was their day to minister in the local town
CREAMED - tooth paste? DramaMust be when I was teaching :)

Hiking & Swimming - W/ Natasha (half of the Camp Director team)

Great Climb

Team PowWow

Team Games

Mighty Men Building Nightly Bonfires
Last morning ridiculously early - no one slept!