Weekend at Sosnovo

A train trip to Sosnovo is always interesting. Sergey and I had made plans to go to Sosnovo again to meet with the director of the Day Center. It took me about an hour by metro to reach the train station. It was cold and when I arrived we had about 30 minutes before the train departed. On one of these trains called an “Elechka” which means it goes to a suburban area and is not for long distances. That is good as these trains have no heat, no bathroom, and wooden benches to sit on!

These trains stop every 3-4 miles to pick up passengers at stops along the way. I timed how long the train stayed at several of these stops. Passengers waiting to get on have 10-15 seconds to enter the door before the doors close and the train moves on. I saw some that didn’t make it as sometimes the doors are crowded with people and there isn’t enough time to get on. I guess the folks who don’t make it will have to wait 2-3 hours for the next train to come by!

After several stops, there was standing room only. Sergey and I were lucky to get seats for this hour and 20 minute ride. At one stop a man and wife came on board. They were standing near the f=door. We began to notice that the older man was sick and pale. Sergey offered his seat so he could sit down. His wife, a passenger sitting across from me, and I helped him off with his jacket. He looked like he barely had a pulse or was overheated. We tried to cool him down and fan him. All I could do is pray silently and ask God to help him. Soon I saw more movement and he slowly began to talk a little, but he was still week. Several stops before we got off he and his wife departed the train with the help of the man sitting across from me. Sometimes in situations like this I wish there was more I could do practically for a person, however sometimes the best thing we can do is pray, even though we are sitting right next to them.

Sergey and I arrived and went to a small store to buy some cookies and tea. It’s tradition here to bring something like this when you are invited as a guest to a home. We went to the home of Valentina. She had hosted us last April for a week and again the weekend before this when we visited the Sosnovo Orphanage. She had a big lunch prepared for us. Truly, we have been blessed by her and her hospitality. After lunch we all left to go to the Day Center for a meeting.

I had wanted to find out specific needs of the Day Center, the Church, and their program there. I was asking a lot of questions about how much things cost and to help with estimates on certain things. However, I had to be careful to set expectations. I had to explain that just because I was asking these questions, didn’t mean I was going to get all these things in the next month or two. Sometimes Russians that work in social institutions have the expectation that the American will buy these things for them just because they are asking about it. I had to explain that I needed a list of things and how much they cost, and then maybe Americans will see this need and the cost and want to participate. It’s a difference of perspective and it has to be carefully managed.

Our meeting lasted about three and a half hours. We shared ideas about woodworking to engage the older boys and ceramics to expand what they are already doing with plaster. All these ideas were to help bring light into this community where 80% of the youth are involved in drugs due to lack of positive activities and positive male role models. Sergey translated all the way and did a good job. By the end, everyone was tired of all my questions, but it was an excellent meeting and I learned a lot about the needs of this church and Day Center.

After the meeting we got on a Marchucka bus to go across town to Valentina’s home where we were staying. By coincidence, we ran into Rayisa, the director of the Sosnovo Orphanage. She was on her way to a second job. I had been asked earlier in the week to ask a couple of questions about the boy being adopted from there by an American couple that found our website on the internet seeing we worked in Sosnovo. I had been talking to them over the last several months. I only had moments to ask my questions, but she responded quickly and then got off at her stop. She had told me that the couple’s court date to finalize the adoption was at the end of the month. When I wrote them and e-mail when I got back to St. Petersburg, they told me that just hours later after getting my e-mail, the adoption agency called and told them the court date! I should add here that I don’t believe in coincidence. I think coincidence for believers is where God chooses to be anonymous. In this case, I think God chose the timing precisely and the concerns for future adoptive parents were relieved.

That evening we spent time back at Valentina’s home. Her son Stass had a lot of questions about religion and denomination differences. We agreed to meet later in the week when I could get a translator and someone to help explain those difference is his own language. I hope to meet with him Wednesday or Thursday of this week.

The next morning we went to church that started at noon and ended at about 2pm, which is typical for a Russian church. We also had communion. Bread that looked about the size of a pancake was broken and the pieces passed around by the pastor. We all drank from one cup with real wine, not grape juice as we do in the states. No, the pastor didn’t have to go back to the alter and refill the cup after handing it to me!

Our train left at 3pm. We had enough time after church to make a few greetings, drink some tea and head off to the train station. This time, the train started in Sosnovo, so Sergey and I had our choice of seats. However, it quickly filled up as the train made more stops. Soon it was crowded again and people standing in the aisles. We arrived back in St. Petersburg a little before 5pm where in time to have dinner with three of my four kids. Tanya was working and couldn’t join us that evening.

Yes, a train trip to Sosnovo is always interesting. You don’t know who you will meet, who you will help, or what seeds of Christian faith and deeds will be planted along the way. Certainly, I think in time we will find that our trip was not a coincidence in God’s plan.

It's Russia!

I hear it time and time again from the folks that live here… “It’s Russia” every time something doesn’t work out right or there is a degree of inconvenience. This past Friday, our last day of ministry at Child in Danger, this phrase was said more often than I would have liked to hear. Friday was a tough day in Russia.

That morning began by calling to see when the rest of the backpack we requested would be delivered. I wanted to give away 25 of them to the kids at Child in Danger on our last day. We had teddy bears and little flashlights to put inside as our “memory gift” as they call it here. That call started a serious of calls, call backs, and threats of me cancelling the order. They wanted to deliver the whole order at 4pm on Friday to the MIR office. Well, I was going to be at Child in Danger (across town) and would have no backpacks to hand out. After threats to cancel and them whining that they couldn’t do it, the business agreed to deliver all 140 backpacks to Child in Danger. Well, at least I could hand them out, but then we had to transport them out of Child in Danger and back to the MIR office. Then I heard those words… “It’s Russia!”

We didn’t get the invoice until 1:15pm. I needed to be at the metro at 1:45pm to meet a guest that would be helping that day. I didn’t have time for lunch and needed to exchange money now that I knew the final price. I also need to go to the hardware store to pick up some caulk for their craft project and batteries for their little flashlight gifts. I was supposed to do that the day before, but you know “It’s Russia” and things didn’t work out that day.

I made it to Child in Danger in time to briefly meet with Dasha and Sergey to review our plans for the day, the main part which was to share the Gospel! We were ready to begin at our appointed time at 3pm. Just as we are getting ready to start, the backpacks arrive. I’ve got to delay and unload the car holding 6 large boxes and pay the driver the amount of the invoice. We didn’t get started until 3:30pm. Oh, and then I heard those words again, “It’s Russia!”

It was Friday and the kids were used to us by now. That’s a good thing, but it also relaxed their discipline and chaos was about to begin. We started off with our Bible Study and an activity that has worked wonderfully with elementary kids in Sunday School before, but it didn’t work here. It was the “Index Card Walk Through”. The idea was to cut up an index card in a certain way so that it could be opened up and they could walk through. It was a visual way to demonstrate how what seemed impossible before is possible with God. Well, the kids were anxious to get on with the activity and would think they knew what to cut next. They didn’t and didn’t wait for the instructions. Half of the kids quit out of frustration and began throwing the leftover paper. Then I was told, “It’s Friday and It’s Russia!”

The crafts didn’t go much better and the caulk I had bought to use in place of the grout for miniature tiles arranged on a wooded cross trivet, didn’t turn out as planned. I know… don’t say it… I’ve heard it all day! However the kids loved the spin art project and would line up just to do that. Some did two or three of these, but claiming not to have done one at all! I thought the cross trivets would be their best and favorite craft activity. But of course, “It’s Russia” I’m told!

The day was over and the kids scattered. I now needed to get the rest of the backpacks to MIR. We had requested a Taxi and it arrived at the appointed time, but the driver refused to take the boxes in his car, even though the dispatch was told that we needed to transport boxes. The driver left and we scrambled to find another taxi. About 45 minutes later another taxi arrives and agrees to take the boxes. Sergey rode with the driver as there is no room for me and one ministry bag that also needed to return to MIR. I left 10 minutes later to take the metro to MIR and drag the ministry suitcase through the subway. I arrived at the MIR apartment and called Sergey. They were stuck in traffic. I had given him the key as normally he would have arrived earlier. I waited on the steps for about 30 minutes as the words echoed in my mind, “It’s Russia”!

I was exhausted, hungry, and felt defeated. Satan had His way that day and I never did get to share the Gospel, which in my mind is the whole point in being there. Most of the kids had never heard about God or Jesus before and so they needed a lot more basic information. Seeds were planted, the truth was shared, and God and Christ were introduced. We were “Jesus with skin on” and we loved on the kids and they were anxious to be around us and play. Certainly, we “…visited the orphans in their distress…“, but I didn’t get to share. I was disappointed, but I know I was following what God had wanted me to do… but it still feels like I failed. I’d like to paint a rosy picture of life on a SAC mission trip, but the reality of it is that it can be hard and difficult. After all, “It’s Russia”!

Child in Danger Kids

You know the kids at Child in Danger are comfortable with you when you sit down and have one in your lap and two on each side snuggled close to you. Sometimes fights even break out for that prime sitting position! It’s a sign that the kids see the love of Christ shining through us as we minister to their needs.

We’ve been successful in having the Bible Study at the beginning of our activities. The kids are anxious to sit and hear what we will share. Dasha, our newly hired SAC Program Director in St. Petersburg has been sharing the Bible story directly in their native language. Today Dasha brought a “sheep” puppet as we told about sheep and the Sheppard and how God is our Sheppard. It’s all basic for kids who never have heard of God and Christ. Some haven’t ever seen anyone pray before.

While Dasha is leading the Bible study, Sergey is setting up the crafts for the next activity. Once Bible Study is done, the kids run to the craft table to see what we have brought. Today the kids worked on a scratch art project that turned into a sun catcher. It was a little more interesting that the standard scratch art project. At the same time, Sergey choose a child one at a time to come to a separate table and do a spin art project. That’s where you use a machine that spins the paper and you drop small drops of paint on the paper while it’s spinning. They all seemed to enjoy that.

Soon the kids were restless and ready for another activity. The kids loved playing Duck-Duck-Goose. It’s a run and chase game that’s fairly controlled. Afterwards, the kids were back at the craft tables painting with water colors pictures of sheep in pastures with their Sheppard.

After everyone was done, we were able to take the older kids on an outing to go bowling. These seven kids really seemed to enjoy getting away for a couple of hours even though most had never bowled a game in their life. They wanted to stay all evening as they were having a great time teasing and taunting each other as they threw gutter balls awkwardly down the lane.

Friday will be our last day and our chance to share the Gospel with them. Many of these children are young and won’t understand the concept of a relationship with Christ, but several of the older ones will understand and so we hope seeds will be planted and God will open some hearts as we share.

No Inspection Yet at Child in Danger

We checked again on Monday morning before we left to see if the government inspection that they had anticipated (and would have prevented us from coming) had been scheduled. No inspection was scheduled so we were free to come and minister as planned! Thanks for your prayers for that as I had been concerned over the last few weeks of being able to even come to this ministry site.

Monday was great as we got to meet the kids! At about 3:30pm we began by having a snack time with the kids. We had purchased juice, small rolled torts, and traditional layered cakes. Meta, one of the long time workers at Child in Danger whispered to me with a smile and said, “Banquet?” which inferred that this was much more than they usually had as their afternoon meal. The kids were please and were anxious to dig in. After we introduced ourselves and prayed, the kids dove in and I began to go around the room and get the kids to introduce themselves. They laughed at my Russian and some of them did their best to introduce themselves in English! It was fun getting to know them.

The kids enjoyed getting to paint with watercolor set that we had brought. Our theme for painting was obeying the rules and working together. Of course, that didn’t set-in too much when it was time to play one of our balloon games! We’ll keep working on it!

Dasha is leading the Bible Study and Sergey is leading the craft activities. I help get their attention as they know I’m an American and they are anxious to please me at times. I even showed them a silly puzzle to figure out through the game called “Chinese Numbers”. It drives them nuts trying to figure out what I’m doing and laugh at the simplicity of it all when I reveal the secret! It’s fun for them and helps get the kids focused for Bible Study.

On Tuesday, we had three new kids that had been brought to Child in Danger the night before. So we have an active group! All the kids began by begging for us to give them balloons. Even simple gifts like balloons are entertaining to all the kids. We began today with Bible Study on how light pushes away darkness as comparing the light of Jesus to the darkness of a life without Him. Dasha is leading this directly in Russian so that there is no delay in translation from me. Dasha has done this with group before and I can see her experience as she leads. While Dasha was leading the Bible Study, Sergey is quietly setting up the craft activity. As you can see in the pictures, they are coloring velvet crosses. Sergey explained to them about how the colored parts of the cross represents a likeness of a stained glass window where the light of Jesus passes through the cross. These are all simple messages to introduce them to Christianity and a relationship with Christ.

After a wild game of “BloB” ( a tag type game), the kids sat down to paint bucket hats with fabric paint! With this many kids and two crowded tables, this is a recipe for a mess and arguments. I explained the rules to this and attempted to keep paint on the hats and on the table instead of each other. Mostly that occurred, but I was ready with a roll of paper towels just in case!

We ended with the kids quietly sitting in a circle as we ended in prayer. Now you ask, how does John get the kids to sit quietly in a circle? Well, all you have to do is tell them that they will all get a balloon if they sit quietly! In Russia, we call that a bribe! OK, I know, we do that in America too! But it works with kids. The kids respond and they have been great! I’m looking forward to tomorrow!

Backpacks Delivered!

On Saturday we had made arrangements to travel to Sosnovo, a small town about an hour north of St. Petersburg, where our teams have worked at an Orphanage and church Day Center for at-risk kids in the past. Traffic was congested as it took nearly three hours for us to arrive. The van that took us was usually used as a Marchucka (a small metro bus) and the driver had spent the last month driving his family over 7000km on vacation to the Black Sea.

When we arrived at the Orphanage the kids recognized us as we approached. They called out Da Da John (Uncle John) as they have called me before. Our visit was unannounced and the director was to arrive shortly. She was not happy that we had come without calling first, but I had lost her phone number. However, she quickly saw an opportunity as two guys who could help her move some heavy furniture. So, we moved three shelves from one room to another in amongst the renovation of several rooms. She was very pleased afterwards and our protocol misstep was forgiven!

We gathered the school-aged kids in a small recreation room to hand out backpacks. The kids had already seen us carry in the three big boxes and were anxious to know what was inside. I had them sit on the floor around me so I could talk to them. There were about five new kids, but the other ones remembered us talking about God in April along with some of the crafts that we had done together. I told them the ones sitting quietly would get to select their choice of backpack. As they selected they seemed happy to try out the zippers and parade around with the backpack on their back. One boy even collected all the tags on the backpacks for his personal collection!

In the hall I had a short discussion with the director. I had heard rumored through some other friends that the Orphanage would be closing soon and I wanted to hear from the director what was really happening. She told us that the Orphanage was not closing and instead will be adding a group after the first of the year. The building is undergoing extensive renovation in anticipation of this growth. They have also begun a foster parent program. Currently there are 21 school-age kids, 9 pre-school and toddlers, and 10 children in foster care.

I had the brief opportunity to see one child who will be adopted soon. Karill was in the youngest group and we spent a few minutes with them today. They had just woken up from their afternoon nap and he was still asleep when we arrived. We gave these kids backpacks even though they are not in school; the director said they could use them for trips to the hospital when the kids had to go for a few days. Karill was a little groggy from just waking up, but he soon perked up and was willing to have his picture taken.

After our short time at the Orphanage, we returned back to the apartment we had been invited to stay the night. Valentina had prepared us a big lunch and tea. It was good to be there and being just a five minute walk from the Orphanage. Later that evening, her son Alex came to visit us. I hadn’t seen Alex in over a year and half since we first worked at the Day Center in Sosnovo. Alex had just become a Christian and was anxious to be around other believers and help out.

Alex, who is now 21, lives in the area and had previously, had a job in cabinetry. Knowing he had woodworking skills, I wanted to get his advice on an idea for the Day Center I had come up with a few months ago. My idea was to find some project that the older male youth in the area would find interesting and would encourage them to become active in the Day Center and the church. As I explained my idea of making wood pens and what tools could be used he seemed interested and said it would be something that would be of interest to other guys in Sosnovo. He volunteered his time for a couple of hours twice a week to be involved in this project. He was anxious to get started!

Alex had to leave after a two hour visit, but later his older brother Stass came by for a visit. Stass, 25, is a first year medical student looking toward a career in pediatrics. He had many questions on religion and the different denominations and knowing which one is the “correct” belief. We discussed many issues and probably could have stayed up all night. We agreed to meet next weekend to discuss more of his questions. Please be in prayer as I share more about the foundations of faith!

Mission: Backpacks!

You wouldn’t think that buying children’s backpacks would look like an episode out of Mission Impossible, but my effort to get 200 of these gifts for the kids at the ministry sites proved to be a little bit of an “adventure”.

Dasha, our SAC program director in St. Petersburg had made arrangements with a commercial seller over the last few weeks for us to purchase some backpacks at a significant discount to give to the kids at the various ministry sites we serve. We made our appointment with this seller at 3pm on Thursday.

It took about an hour to get there. I had to exchange money first to pay for these and then we were off to make our selections and pay for the backpacks. When we got to this building after walking from a metro station for about 15 minutes, there was a delay in getting in. Apparently, this building used to be a high security government building. Even though there was no high security work being done there anymore, the building retained the security rating and only authorized personnel were granted entrance. Usually they need about 2-3 hours to work up paperwork to arrange for a foreigner to come inside the building, but the seller had not prepared this. I was just a customer of this one company that occupied part of the building that sold bags, including the backpacks that I wanted. Of course, the seller wanted us to come in as we were ready to make a purchase. So, as is common in Russia, you can always find a way…

Since entrance had not been prearranged, the seller spent several minutes making “other” arrangements to sneak me into the building. Ahh… the adventure begins! Remember, all I want to do is buy backpacks for some orphans in our ministry sites, but it’s not always so easy!

My translator was escorted into the building through one entrance. She was not a problem since she was a Russian citizen. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but I knew in situations like this from before that I just needed to be patient and wait to see what they were able to arrange. I waited outside the building for 10-15 minutes listening to a car alarm that evidently was too sensitive. Soon, the seller came out and told me (in Russian) that a car was coming to pick us up and take us in. The car came around and picked us up. I was told to sit in the front seat. The seller sat behind me. No one spoke English. As we got on our way, the driver handed me a brown document about the size of a passport without a picture. It appeared to be some document with stamps and official signatures. It was probably the driver’s or someone else’s security ID. He motioned and explained in Russian that I was supposed to open it and hold it up to the window when we drove past the guard at the gate! Oh boy, I thought… this will be interesting!

We rounded the corner and sped past security. They waved us on through and I didn’t have to hold the pass up to the window. So, I was in! I just kept quiet so others around me wouldn’t question why I was there. Of course, I was only a customer buying children’s backpacks, but the building security situation made for an interesting visit!

Inside the seller was very friendly and showed us a number of high quality backpacks to choose from. I was challenged to finds backpacks that would appeal to girls and boys along with young children and teenagers. After several minutes of calculating what would be best, I made the selections and received deep discounts as they knew the backpacks were going to be given to official Russian social institutions.

Then there was a little problem with the payment. I expected to pay in cash, but since it was a commercial purchase, they usually do purchase by bank transfer. Since I wanted to take several of the backpacks to Sosnovo this weekend, they quickly made arrangements so that I could pay for these in cash. We waited probably 30 minutes for them to prepare the paperwork to do this. At one point I saw a man carrying a cash register past us and I thought that maybe this was part of what they were trying to prepare! However, I think it was for something else. Within short order, the transaction was complete and they would deliver the backpack to us the next day. Now that the transaction was complete, they needed to be seek me out of the building again!

Again, my translator was taken out another exit. I was told to get in the backseat of another car that had darkened windows on the side with yet another driver. This driver spoke a little English and seemed pleased to get to practice it. I sat among other boxes in the back of his car. Again, we rounded the corner and the driver sped toward the gate. I sat quietly and watched as we got closer. The female gate guard appeared to stoop as if she was trying to see through the front window if anyone was in the back. Maybe she saw me and maybe she didn’t, but she made no motion to stop the car. We drove on through and rounded another corner and picked up my translator who was waiting for us. The driver then drove us onto the metro station where our little adventure came to an end!

Now it really wasn’t a big deal as the others at this place of business seemed to have had to do this before. It wasn’t illegal, but probably just a broach of procedural protocol. It just seemed to be a part of normal business in Russia to get around rules that don’t make sense to the business. Even though all of this, God knows my good intentions and my desire to help orphan kids. Passage was made for me with His protection all the way. With faith and prayer, God can provide for your needs too even when procedures and customs seems a little strange. He can even provide a little life adventure for the willing soul!

I've Arrived!

In the days before I left, there was a lot of scrambling to pack and get my bags so that they were under the required weight. I left Tuesday, worried that my bags would get through. As it turned out, I had no problem at the airport and no problem going through customs in St. Petersburg! Praise God! Thanks for all your prayers for this!

I arrived a little early in St. Petersburg on Wednesday evening. It took almost a couple of hours to reach the place I will be staying for the next couple of weeks. My son Sergey met me at the airport and as soon as we dropped off my stuff, we headed to McDonalds so I could have a late night dinner with all four of my kids. We had a great time and I enjoyed seeing the kids smile, laugh, and tease each other. I don’t think they had all gotten together like this since my last visit in April. It was good for all of us to be together.

I got back to the apartment I’m staying at about 11:30pm that night, after being up for about 30 hours. I was tired and went straight to bed. However, the St. Petersburg mosquitoes didn’t want to let me sleep! It felt I was up every 20 minutes or so turning on the light to swat another mosquito that was buzzing around my ears and making too much noise! I think I killed 6-7, but I didn’t get much sleep! So, I was up the next morning at 7:30am to do some unpacking and get ready for the day.

Sergey wanted me to meet him at McDonalds at 9:30am for breakfast. He likes to meet so we can talk and discuss things. It was good to sit there and visit with him, but it’s a 30 minute compute by metro to get to the nearest McDonalds close to his home in the Northwest part of the city. We had a great visit and there were several things he was anxious to show me and discuss. There were several serious subjects that he wanted to have a private conversation on including Masha’s situation. Please be in prayer as I continue to discern about what to do and how to best help her.