Living Generously

We shared Thanksgiving again this year with the Stremetski family. We have been friends with them since the day we arrived in our city over 3 years ago. It was one of those Godly things. You know, when you meet someone and hit it off right away. It's like we have known each other all our lives. We have so much in common it is amazing. They are Russian we are American. They are some 10 years younger than us. They have 7 of their own children, we only have 4 of our own (with sasha now, makes 5, hee hee). Volva and Michael are great friends, and Sveta and I are too. Grace is really good friends with their daughter, Caleb is really good friends with their son.

This was the 4th Thanksgiving we have had them in our home with all the traditional American holiday foods, and we spend every Christmas eve in their home, with all the traditional Russian holiday foods.

Sveta was saved from a life of going from one bad relationship to another searching for love in all the wrong places. Volva was saved from a life of drugs, alcohol and violent gangs. He watched many of his friends grow up to go to prison or die. Neither of them had one Christian that they knew from their family or friends. Through amazing miracles and divine appointments, God sought them and they sought Him and they were saved. They have been believers now for about 14 years. He has been the pastor for about 5 years now. They love Jesus, love people, love the lost, love His Word and love their 7 children that the Lord has given them. They have 4 sons and 3 daughters, ages 5-21. the youngest three are boys ages 5, 6, and 8. The children are beautiful, well behaved and the most loving people you would ever want to meet. They are looked at very strangely in our city and maybe even by the world, because they have so many children. You see, there are still people in the world who have hope in Him, who feel that children are a blessing from the Lord, a gift from Him and dont see them as a nuisance or burden, who realize that providing a loving Godly home is more rewarding than a materialistic home filled with things, money and alot of times strife.


We live in a city of about 300,000 people with some low rise apartment buildings and alot of single/double dwelling homes (mostly old log home styles) There are even some log/wood apartment buildings (with outhouses) Like most of our friends, they live in a small wooden house about 900 square feet. It is heated by coal or wood and someone has to feed the Pechka ( like a wood heater closed in by brick/concrete) continuously to stay warm. They have no running water in their home. They have to fill water jugs/cans/barrels from different places around the city for their water. They have a well for water for washing/cleaning. They heat their water for cleaning and cooking. They use an outdoor toilet, and have a banya, sort of like a sauna (bath house where they heat water/stones) and go there for their thorough bathing. They grow their own vegetables and can them for the winter. Like most homes, they have a podvalka (cellar) to store their potatoes, cabbage and carrots etc...

REGULAR APARTMENT



USUAL SINK IN HOME WITH NO RUNNING WATER



EXAMPLE OF A CELLAR














WOODEN APARTMENT





WOODEN HOME












PECHKA
HOW THEY HEAT THEIR WOODEN HOMES AND WHERE THEY COOK





FILLING WATER JUGS; TYPICAL OUTHOUSE; CHOPPING WOOD FOR PECHKA















THE STREMETSKIS ARE SOME OF MY HEROES


Last month the Lord began speaking to them about His orphans, and how much He loves them. Last night they welcomed 3 more little boys into their loving home, ages 3, 5 and 6. Now they will have 5 boys home aged 6 and under.

There were 4 little boys 6, 5, 3 and 1. Their father abandoned the mother and 4 boys last year, as he could no longer live with an alcoholic woman. Just a few months ago the youngest little boy died of neglect, so they came and took the other three boys from their alcoholic, neglectful mother.

What a blessing to know such people to add to their 7, 3 more to care for. I called last night to check on them and one of the girls answered the phone and said that mama and papa were reading to the Bible to the little boys to call back later or tomorrow. We will need to add 4 more chairs around the table at Christmas this year, we will have 4 more boys: Our sasha and their Max, Igor and Andrushka.

I tell you, I am crying even now as I type. These little guys are now going to be raised in a Godly home. They are hearing the Bible read to them for the first time, and seeing it lived out for them for the first time. They are in a warm home with food (maybe the home is small and the food is scarce) but they now have a family that will love them and care for them and most importantly teach them about God.

What's our excuse?? Couldnt we all (no matter what age or how much money we make, or what size of home we have) do more ??

I praise you, Jesus, for people like the Stremetski Family who do not look at their ability, but make themselves available to You and are willing to obey You at all costs. Help our family to serve and give out of our poverty and not out of wealth. Help our confidence, security or trust not to be in man, jobs, government or money, or in our case in IMB or Lottie Moon or Cooperative program, but in You and You alone. Help us to hear Your voice and fully, carefully, completely obey no matter what.