TRAN SIBERIAN ADVENTURE DAY 2

DAY 2
Saturday, January 28, 2012

6 am (Moscow time)

It’s now 6 am, not sure where, but the train stopped and woke me up. I can’t seem to stop sleeping. Michael is having some more Princess Noorah Tea. The bathroom is closed. Caleb is finally awake, but still not hungry. He hasn’t eaten since 11 am yesterday, he slept for over 12 hrs. The third passenger came. A young man and his baby, all papoosed up so cute. I know now it would have been so hard having “guests”. We have had 3 already and all were men, which means I would have to get on the top bunk and people coming in all hours of the day/night. We were all so exhausted, so very thankful the Lord allowed us to purchase the other bed.

Yay, I am finally awake enough for coffee. It seems we have travelled only 2 time zones (of 15) I have slept off and on now for about 15 hrs. It was refreshing since I have slept no more than 4 hrs at a time since leaving MS on Monday. I ate some lapsha (noodles) sort of like instant ramen noodles, except these are new and alfredo flavored. Didn’t taste much different to me. I love how the picture shows these big ole chunks of meat and all there is are little dehydrated pebbles. Frances and I laughed about that in Moscow together. I never once ate them in the states, or MCD’s for that matter. I am saving my bowl for some grits. I brought a can with me just for the train. Cracks me up: I never once ate grits those whole six months, but because we cant get them here, I brought some back. Humans are silly creatures we are. I also brought two boxes of poptarts for the train. Again never had them in the states. Haha. Why do we tend to crave what we can’t have?

Michael bought me an IBible for Christmas. I LOVE IT!! He is listening to it right now…what’s up with that? It really is cool and helps me stay focused. I like to listen as I read along in my Bible…he even made sure it was my favorite translation NASB… I really enjoyed it when we were at the Lake house in Kansas City with Grace, when we took her back after her Christmas break, just before she left for Africa. Sweet sweet folks we met at our last AGM offered for us to stay in their lake house. It was wonderful, to have a home away from home each time we had to pick Grace up and take her back (4 trips) to Kansas City. God has sure created some generous people and placed them in our lives. I woke up early each morning the 4 days we were there, snuck quietly into a special room. I called it the Africa room, there were all sorts of drums and jimbas. It had a sofa and a couple of chairs and pictures with peaceful, comforting Scriptures on the walls, and a verse even painted on the wall. I curled up on the couch and listened to my I Bible and listened to my ipod shuffle and prayed for everything you can imagine. How comforting His Word is. How much peace It brings, In simple, easy, difficult and hard times. He is my very present help!

2 Chronicles 20: 11,12
“Behold I say, how they reward us, to come and cast us out of Your possession, which You have give us to inherit. O my God, won’t You judge them? For we have no strength (might/power) against their great company that comes against us, neither do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

King Jehoshaphat’s armies were closing in on Judah, and this is how he humbled himself and poured out his heart before the people and the Lord.
I have several things going on in my life and in the life of those I love right now that causes me to be humbled like this king. The enemy comes in all sizes and shapes.

My brother and his sweet family…battling right now for the life of their son, who has been battling cancer is one of the things heavy on my heart. They literally have no power or might or strength for this battle on their own. Their faith is strong, their hope is strong, but in all honesty, they have absolutely no control over this illness or the consequences the treatment caused… There is nothing they can do, but their eyes are on HIM. Keep Troy and Mona’s eyes on You, Lord. Keep Justin’s, Jimmie’s, Jared’s and Katie’s eyes on You, Lord, no one or nothing but You. You are their very present help, Lord
.
The enemy tries to come against our marriages, tries to steal what God gave, unity, oneness. This is what he does he takes what God intends to be beautiful and lies. Yet, as believers, we know God is greater and we all need to be at that humble place of saying, God, we don’t know what to do, how to pray, we have no strength no power against the enemy, and wait patiently for God to step in,our eyes are on You, Lord, keep our eyes on You, keep Reagan and Robin's eyes on you Lord, no one and nothing but You, to look to You for victory, to look to You as our very present help. Please fight this battle. As a mother, there are many times that I feel helpless and dependent on You, and I praise You, Oh Father for that. I know that is just where I need and want to be. Give each of us humility and humble hearts in every trial and every victory we face. You are our very present help, Lord. Give Your wisdom, Your discernment, Your strength and Your victory.

Michael got off the train for the first time. I am so silly. Every time he gets off, I imagine what would happen if the train left him. HAHAHA. I honestly really think I might have to laugh. Now if he/we didn’t know the language and wasn’t so wise, I might be afraid, but for some reason, it seems like it would be kind of sort of funny. Why do I have to be so utterly honest and transparent?

Well, he made it back with water, chips and sunflower seeds. One carbonated and one not and both frozen. Our Russian friends would put it by the heater till it got warm, so as not to get sick drinking cold water…but we are super excited. It is so hot on this train, we are in shorts and tank tops haha… Oh and multi fruit juice (what would that be called in English?) several fruit juices mixed together ?? (he said the little babushka (grandmother) begged him to buy her juice and he couldn’t say no to her. It cost 50 whole rubles. “Malodoi chelovek, padzhalsta, tolka adin ostalos (young man, please, I only have one left) and Im so cold” I think it was because she called him young. Haha.

Caleb had some instant mashed potatoes when he got up, finally, he ate. The instant potatoes are much better than the lapsha to us. I had some tea, my first cup. I love the little cups on the train. Little clear glasses in the metal cup holders. (pic below) We have been on the train about 20 hrs now (sleeping most of it) I love my ipod shuffle that Michael got me. It was not as expensive as a reg ipod (i wouldnt let him spend that much money), but for me its perfect. I am not like our kids, they like to play certain songs and skip songs etc…the way I look at it is that if I like all the songs on my list, what difference does it make what order or whether I choose when they are played or not. I am going to listen to it and take another nap. I LOVE SLEEPING ON THE TRAIN, DID I MENTION THAT? OoH I forgot. I brought some cherry limeade instant packets that I want to try with the carbonated water, then I will take a nap. I am anxious to see how it tastes. IT AINT SONIC, BUT NOT BAD.

I awoke from my nap just in time to see the sunrise. AMAZING... if the window wasnt so dirty, I would get a picture. (as you can see below after i wrote, i decided to take one anyway) haha

 

We are still in European Russia. Here is a corny joke I just thought up: What happens when you wake up on the train after hours of sleep and the bathrooms are locked for the 40 minute stop and even more to get out of town? EUROPEAN IN YOUR PANTS....

We are just a few hours from Perm.

Listening to Matthew on my IBible. Matthew wrote to the Jews. Jesus is the living King they had been waiting for. Good News…Did you know there are 129 quotes or references from the Old Testament in Matthew, and most of those quotes and references referred to the coming Messiah, Jesus. How awesome is that?.... Isnt it amazing that God can do anything…even raise up children out of stones, if He wanted to. There is nothing nothing absolutely nothing, nothing too difficult for God.

Jeanine facebooked me before we left the capital and told me to contact them when we were close and if it wasn’t the middle of the night, they would try to come and see us. We just wrote them and they are going to meet us at our wagon WITH MC D’S…How fun and cool is that? We had such a sweet visit with Brad and Jeanine and Emily and Sarah, outside wagon 7. They caught us up on their family and ministry. God is so good! What a joy to see whole families serving the Lord together, being obedient no matter what. Such an encouragement !! Brad took our picture with his phone. I don’t know why, but I was so excited to see them, that I forgot to take my camera out. They are soooo sweet brought us big macs and fries AND PIES...oh my goodness it was sooo good. We havent had mc D pies in years. THANK YOU HORNE FAMILY.