Monday, January 30, 2012
Woke up at 3 am moscow time, which would be 8 am in our city. Maybe jet lag will not be so bad. Spent a long time praying and reflecting. Put my ipod shuffle in and listened to music as I watched the sunrise somewhere over Siberia. Michael and I just had a poptart and played hand and foot. I beat him again, poor thing, the funny thing is I really don’t even care if I win. Haha. Caleb is awake now. SNOW SNOW SNOW and more SNOW. All along the journey it is so pretty and clean, and village after village of people, small houses and smoke stacks. It always boggles my mind that people actually live here. I love people and I love to hear their stories. How did they end up here and why? Most people we meet wonder the same thing about us, but for different reasons. It boggles their minds that we would actually choose to leave America and come and live here. Actually it boggles my mind too. What boggles my mind even more is the fact that Jesus would leave heaven to come to earth for me. During the reign of Stalin, many innocent people were sent to our region and specifically our city. Our city name actually means – city of exile. Most of them were sent here as prisoners and were guilty of nothing. They were specifically sent here, because of the harsh winters and hard living conditions. Now the Lord has sent us here to help to set them free. There is no prison worse than spiritual. There is also no freedom greater than freedom from sin, death, hell and ultimately separation from God, our creator. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is true liberty. Thank you, Jesus, for paying the ultimate price, coming to this horrible place to set me free. Help me to remember what I am saved from. Help me to remember what you have saved me for. Help me to remember that You have specifically sent our family here to this region. Help me to be Your light to show them Your way, Your hope, Your forgiveness and the good news of salvation. Help them to listen, to understand and to be set free – truly free in You.
When our journey ends, we will have travelled all the way across Russia, the largest country in the world, located in two continents. If travelled all at one time, it would take over 200 hours from East to West. In 2008 we travelled from Moscow to Riga Latvia by train and last year we travelled from our city to Vladivostok, and now from Moscow to our city – a total of 107 hrs
It is a very long way and very wide. I reminds me how my gracious Father has thrown my sins as far as the East to the West. What grace, what mercy, what love.
I just listened to Teri’s song, in English and Russian. I have a couple of her songs on my ipod shuffle. IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL. It is well, It is well with my soul. What a beautiful grandbaby girl she and Ed have, sweet Virginia Ann. What a miracle life is, what a gift. I praise the Lord for the gift of Teri’s life, while it didn’t seem long enough. Our God is sovereign. Always faithful. I am so grateful for the influence she had and still has in my life. I brought Ed back a surprise, made a small photo album of the photos that were posted of sweet baby Gia, there weren’t many, but I just couldn’t help myself. I love my album so much and thought since he hasn’t gotten to see her yet, he would have something to show her off.
Sweet precious Eli was born almost 2 months ago. Wow. Time flies. He is so beautiful and perfect. Oh the prayers I have prayed for him, even before he was born. What a privilege prayer is. Bryan and Hannah are wonderful and caring parents. I praise the Lord for how He is blessing them. Their love for one another is sweet and strong and their desire is to serve the Lord together, the way it should be. I pray for them to never take one another for granted to encourage, care for and respect each other. I pray they will stand for Christ and obey Him no matter what. That they will fall in love with God and each other over and over again. That they will always be alert to Satan’s schemes and lies and on guard, staying in His Word and with their eyes fixed on Him. To trust Him for all their needs. To continually examine their hearts and stay repentant and pure before Him. To be holy as He is holy. Give them wisdom, Lord, as only You can do.
Just passed Krasnoyarsk. Reminded me of Amazing Race. Always thought it would be fun to be on that show. Michael got off the train and got back on….KURI GRILL- GRILLED CHICKEN. Yum yum, real food, not instant. We ate all but 2 legs… It was soooo good (picture of magazin (store) below.
Went to wash my hair earlier. Got my sink all disinfected and then realized there was no water. Will try again later. We had our 6th guest. It was a lady this time. Everyone has been so kind to go to the other bed. I started the book Bryan gave me, Immanuel’s Veins (dekker) interesting so far…sort of. I finished book one that Frances gave me…No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, they are fun books set in Africa, which makes me think of my girl. It was actually cold last night… I cuddled up in the blue fleece Frances gave me.. very soft and cuddly. (picture below)
I finally got my hair washed, it felt REALLY good. We watched a movie last night before we went to sleep…Paycheck… sort of out there to say the least. Woke up the second night in a row to clear and starry skies, so beautiful to see all the stars. Got some messages from Frances on the phone, she is so sweet to keep me updated and my family updated on our journey. She said that Grace was back on FB and teaching TLW (true love waits) She loved the clinic she got to go to.
The train attendant, Victoria, (picture below) stopped by and chatted a little with me. She is really young, didn’t realize it when we first saw her. She said she is alone, completely alone. Her father died and her mother lives far away. She is working 10 days on and 10 days off. She is finishing school and this is part of her “finishing” (like an internship with the govt to pay back her education). She doesn’t like her job and told me I should be so grateful to have a husband and family. I prayed for her. I am truly grateful, so very grateful.
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