FOPC Russia Team Trip

Last Day in Russia

2011-06-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

It's Sunday evening. Today was our last day in Russia. We catch a flight home tomorrow. It has been a great trip and we very much enjoyed visiting with our brothers and sisters in Kostroma at our partner church. They are are true servants of our Lord. We will be posting Carl's notes and Chris' photos about our time in Kostroma after we arrive home. Check back later for that. In the meantime here are Harriett's notes about how we spent our last day here.

For the past couple of days, while in Moscow, we have been staying at the Moscow Theological Seminary (Baptist). We left the seminary at 10am this morning in a drizzle. After a walk, a bus ride, and 2 changes on the Metro, we arrived at St. Andrews Church (Anglican). Ellen frequently attends St. Andrews and the services are in English. After church, we had coffee and pastries with them. Caffe Presse in Moscow!

We walked from St. Andrews to Moo Moo and had a Russian lunch. Then we walked to Pushkin International Museum. After seeing works by Matisse, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Renoir, Picasso, and more, we visited the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Stalin destroyed the church in 1937 but the ground would not hold the structure he wanted to build in it's place, so a large swimming pool was put on the spot. The church was rebuilt in 1994-2001. Then we walked out on to a bridge next to the church to view the Moscow River. It provides a great view of the Kremlin which we saw from the inside yesterday. We rested at Starbucks for a bit and then headed back toward the seminary by foot, bus, and metro.

We'll be home tomorrow night.

Russia Team

Kostroma

2011-06-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

Thoughts from Toni

2011-06-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

God never ceases to amaze me. I had great concerns about the travel schedule and the lack of time allowed for jet lag -- everything has gone well without problems. One of the lessons that is important to learn in Russia is expect the unexpected. All of the materials that were sent in advance to be translated were not translated. The handouts that were to be translated and copied were not. We were able to get most of those translated and distributed. Moral of the story: get done what you need at home and bring it with you in your carry on bag!

The conference was a great success. We had couples from several different regions of Russia. Several traveled more than 7 hours to get there. They will influence people coming to future seminars. The information was received very well. It is a blessing to work with Cliff. He is a gifted teacher. We shared a lot of information about marriage, communication skills, forgiveness and being forgiving. The participants were engaged, taking a lot of notes, elbowing their spouses, laughing and a lot of head nodding.

We had time with Cliff and the men and Toni with the women. There was great conversation and sharing. Of course, what is shared at retreat, stays at retreat . . . even in Russia! We were blessed with excellent translators at the conference, Yuri and Lydia. In addition, Kristina and Ellen have been so helpful the entire trip. Cliff and Toni were available after sessions to consult with pastors and/or their wives. Several people took advantage of that and there was some spirited discussion and stories shared that were sometimes difficult to respond to. We did our best. Before the end of the conference, they were asking about dates and locations for next year.

The feedback that we received from several participants was a blessing. It warmed our hearts and we could see that we made a difference. Pastors and wives work so hard in ministry. They are not often afforded time to just be together, fellowship, and invest in each other. How wonderful to give a gift of time and reflection to these servants of God and minister to the ministers.

I know that our mission trip is not about food AND let me tell you, we are being fed, and fed, and fed. The food at the camp and everywhere we have gone has been good. No one will lose weight or even maintain their weight on this trip. The soups are bountiful, the tomatoes and cucumbers have more flavor than in the states, the salads are delicious. Everything is tastey and good. We are being treated to a lot of home cooking which is delightful. Tea and sweets are a daily blessing. The Russians could write the book on hospitality. They are so gracious with their time, food, homes, and affection. We are so blessed on this trip.

-Toni

The Marriage Counseling Workshop

2011-06-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

Day 3, Wednesday June 8, 2011

2011-06-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

It is now Wednesday about 10:15am so it has been awhile that I have written anything. We actually arrived at the airport (DME) yesterday on time at 10:45am. We all managed to make it off the plane and make it through passport control. We collected all but one piece of luggage. Joyce's bag of clothes for the orphanage was AWOL. After several inquiries, we learned that it was still in Washington. Apparantly, when they put Cliff's bag on the plane another piece had to be taken off. We filled out a lot of paperwork and were promised that it would be delivered to Misha's church within the next couple of days. Those of us that had not exited through customs/control then do so and we gathered everyone together and headed for Misha's van out in the parking lot with all of our luggage. After much rearranging we finally got everything in the van. Then we all climbed in.

We all believed that we had a short ride to the retreat center, but soon discovered that we needed to go pick up Kristina who had just arrived at the OTHER Moscow airport about 60 miles away. She had a flight from Altanta via Kennedy to join us.

On the way we took a small detour to give all of our passports to a lady on the side of the road. It seemed a little odd to all of us but Ellen told us it was OK. We needed to register our passports with the government and we would get them back later.

Another hour down the road we stopped at a grocery store and picked up Kristina who had gotten a ride there from the airport. She had two more bags that had to go in the van. Somehow we got the luggage and Kristina in, but if we had Joyce's suitcase still with us, something would have had to have been left behind.

More to come...

-Carl

Day 2 - Tuesday, June 7, 2011

2011-06-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

It has only been a very few hours since I jotted the last notes but the night has slipped by without ever getting dark and the sun is above the far horizon. While we all tried to sleep, little sleep was actually obtained. We saw Greenland and Iceland covered with ice and snow. And temperatures here at 35,000 are well below -65 degrees fahrenheit.

Presently we are about 1/2 way between Iceland and the west coast of Norway. We are 3200 miles from Wash. D.c. and 1700 miles from Moscow. In Sacramento, it is probably about 9pm and time to go to bed, but everyone here is waking up and moving around. I am going to try and rest for awhile.

-Carl

Day 1 - Monday, June 6, 2011

2011-06-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends,

Well, we all arrived at the Sacramento Airport between 6-7am. Everyone got all their bags checked, made it through security and gathered next to the Starbucks counter. Shortly after 7am, we started to board our flight UA290 to Washington, DC. Cliff and I managed to be the last two people to board, and about 20 feet before we got to the door of the plane, Cliff was stopped and told that his bag was too big and had to be checked. So we waited while someone got him a baggage tag and took his bag down the stairs. Nevertheless, we are all on board, and we departed on time. As I write we are cruising along at 35,000 feet somewhere in eastern Colorado (I think).

...

We arrived in Wash. D.C. on time and had just over one hour to get to our gate for our Moscow flight. Surprisingly, no one got lost, and we all boarded UA964 to Moscow. We are currently at 31,000 feet headed towards Montreal, Canada. About 9hr 15min more to Moscow. Our plane is a B767-300. Toni is sitting up in Economy Plus while the rest of us are here in the back. (sic: because Toni chose to pay for the upgrade on her own.)

-Carl

2011 Russia Team

2011-06-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

Standing:

Cliff Graves

Joyce Fritz

Toni Horvath

Harriet Kuhn

Carl Kuhn

Sitting:

Kristina Ignatenkova

Chris Patterson

the pre-trip packing party

2011-05-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

Homes

2010-07-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

Notice the colors and the gingerbread around the windows. The path and fence lead to a Roma home.

Team Russia 2010

2010-07-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

Members of the team: the group; Kelly, Ellen and Mary; Ken, Stan and Lydia; Vic and Carl; Carl, Emma, Sasha and Hanna.

People in Kostroma

2010-07-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

Pastor Sergey and Anya; Ellen, Al, Meg and Emma Smith; Hanna, Carl and Sasha at lake; devoted companions, cooks and drivers.

Mission Wrap Up

2010-07-18T15:50:00.001-07:00

Carl Kuhn - Presentation to FOPC Mission Potluck - July 13, 2010

Listen to these words from the 5th Chapter of the Book of Job:
Verse 8: “But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him.
Verse 9: “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”

In a recent AARP survey it was found that 80% of people over the age of 45 said they believe in miracles and 84% of those said miracles happen because of God.

I would suggest that a miracle is an incredible event that cannot be scientifically explained, that it is a personal God reaching into space and time to work remarkable acts. Perhaps, it is a God that cares about me so much that he allows something special to happen.

Well, I think it was a miracle that brought together this remarkable group of 12 people to be part of this ministry team to our partner church in Russia. It was a miracle that provided more than 350 financial supporters to fund the major portion of the cost of this ministry, and many more prayer partners and others who participated in various fund raising activities. To all these supporters we want to give thanks and express our greatest gratitude. You made the miracle happen.

Our recent journey, the fourth from FOPC since May, 2006, was the first for 7 members of our group and for 6 members it was their very first mission trip. The primary focus of our ministry was to continue to develop a relational partnership with our bothers and sisters in the Kostroma Evangelical Christian Church.

Various studies done recently reveal that Russians, more than almost any other people in the world, see religion as insignificant for their everyday lives. When asked which institutions should shape their moral values, only 4 percent mention the church. Recent indications suggest that at most 5 percent of the population regularly attend church, despite the fact that as much as 80 percent of the population claim to be Orthodox.

These rather dismal details, in part, are what have motivated us to try to develop a Christian present with this small Christian church in Kostroma. Our visits have permitted us to participate in their church services, all the men got to peach, and the women have all given testimonies. We have led bible studies and discussions with the men of the church; we have organized all day retreats for the women of the church and the larger community. We have participated in their Sunday school programs and conducted VBS activities. We have delivered tents to be used in the Summer Youth Camp. We have talked with people about the benefits of sports ministries. We have been invited into homes to share meals and fellowship, we have heard stories of Russian life, and we have developed friendships, visited the sick, and have prayed together. We have visited Roma communities and learned about their way of life, we have provided food to the hungry. We have been inside Russian schools and orphanages and seen how this small group of believers is reaching out to improve conditions and to bring about a Christian rebirth and renewal. We have been asked to bring help and resources to train pastors and others in marriage and family issues. We have provided encouragement and support to help develop young potential national pastors and leaders.

We believe God will perform many more miracles among our brothers and sisters in Russia, and we ask for your continued prayers that everything we do is in the center of God’s will and that He will be glorified in all things.

Now, each member of our team is going to take a moment and share with you something special about their experience.

Team Russia Report

2010-07-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Team Russia’s primary objective was to meet and support the Kostroma Evangelical Christian Church in their outreach and programs. Our goals included leading or launching several programs. Here’s a rundown:

Carl Kuhn organized and led our team, planning our travels, our itinerary and our outreach to the people of Kostroma Church and the church in Yaroslavl, to list only a very few of his many duties and responsibilities.

Toni Horvath, Carl Kuhn, Kristy Johnson and missionary contact Ellen Smith met with pastors from the Moscow and Tula regions to discuss a training conference in 2011 and topics for pastors, deacons and church leaders related to strengthening the family

Children: Vic Davi, Mary Bieri, Kelly Thomas, Kristy Johnson and Hanna Johnson conducted two Vacation Bible School sessions at Kostroma Church. Each was about three hours long featured Bible study, games, crafts and art. The boys outnumbered the girls by 13 to 1 on Sunday and 14 to 3 on Monday. The children were well-mannered and attentive.

Stan Betts led Men’s Fellowship and Bible Studies on Monday and Tuesday nights. There was great sharing and lively discussion concerning how to lead families and instill obedience in children. Team Russian members also participated.

Ken Friedman presented Upward Basketball to churches in Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Moscow and Kirov Vhepsk. There is keen interest in launching these sports programs, which include Bible verse memorization and devotions for kids from Kindergarten through eighth grade.

Lydia Betts and Harriet Kuhn planned the Women’s day-long retreat at Kostroma Church with Toni Horvath serving as one of the speakers. The other speaker was Valentina Nikolaevna Guseva of Kostroma Church. One of the church members, Zanaia, read original poetry and sang. All the other women on our team assisted with craft projects: tissue flowers, beaded bookmarks and decorative picture frames.

Tinka Davi blogged about the mission for FOPC’s website and kept the daily trip journal.

Ellen and Al Smith and daughters, Meg and Emma, who live in Moscow were our missionary contacts and traveled with us throughout our time there. They translated for us and kept us safe, not allowing any of us to go anywhere without them. As Ellen said, “We’d rather go with you than have to find you.”

Brother and sister, Anton and Sasha Afanasenko, two students from the American School where Al Smith teaches, were with us also as interpreters and great helpers with the children in VBS.

We worshipped at Kostroma and Yaroslavl enjoying 2 to 3-hour services filled with music and prayers and sermons in Russian. Each of the FOPC men gave sermons; the women told their testimonies.

We traveled to Nikolskoye to visit orphanage for children ages 8-18, who have difficult situations – parents are alcoholics or in prison, the children have been taken away or they are true orphans without parents or families. Work with them is “terribly important,” according to Pastor Sergey, who said the orphanage is another ministry for the Kostroma church. Members are planning to repair the orphanage, which is in disrepair.

The team delivered tents for a summer camp the Kostroma Church is holding. We also visited the campsite, which needed knee-high grass cut down and the building rebuilt and refurbished. Members planned to get the camp ready in just two weeks.

We met with Alexander who has an outreach program to help the Roma (gypsies) and their families who lack resources for food. We visited his apartment and the home of a Roma family.

We met with Pastor Yuri, the bishop at Yaroslavl, and attended church services at the Baptist Union Church there.

During one of our evaluations, Ellen reported that she was told, that “our group was so easy.” She noted they’d been with other Americans in the past and they felt so much more closer to our group. She also said they loved the Vacation Bible Study and loved the Men’s Fellowship.

Through our visits and side trips to Moscow and St. Petersburg, we learned about life in Russia and got to know the families in the church. We enjoyed sharing meals, visiting homes, worshipping, singing and praying together and developing special friendships through our common bond in Christ.

Our days, which started with breakfast at 8 a.m. and ended after dinner and visits at 9 p.m., were packed with activity. Each one of us has special experiences to remember and to share. We thank the Lord we were able to serve on Team Russia 2010.

Welcome!

2010-07-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

Top left: Toni, Anya and children; top right: Carl, Stan, Pastor Sergey, Piotr; Middle left: Lydia and Valentina; right: Tea at Tanya's; bottom: Olga

The Russians are gracious hosts and feel it’s an honor to host visitors in their homes. In fact, visits to homes are an important outreach for us and for our hosts, too. Some of our visits were short – just a quick stop, while other visits were longer, such as our evening tea at Tanya’s and the afternoon spent at Nina’s home in the country (see Toni’s blog for details).

Guests remove their shoes at the door and leave them near the many pairs of shoes belonging to family members. We would step onto beautiful, colorful, patterned area rugs – often more than one in a room. They were soft and comfortable under our feet.

Our hosts always greeted us warmly with hearty handshakes, hugs between the women and wonderful, welcoming smiles.

Conversation was easy thanks to our wonderful team of interpreters and our common commitment to the Lord.

Mission Menus - Mmmmmmm

2010-07-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

People have asked, “How was the food in Russia?”
Well, we were well fed, thank you.

Breakfasts, included at our hotels, were typically European. We could choose from fresh fruit, yogurt, rolls, pastries, hard boiled egg (or omelet), salads, cold meats and cheese, hot cereal, juice, tea and coffee. Not everything was served at each place; seminary breakfasts were usually cereal, hard boiled egg and beverage.

For lunch we had a choice of foods at 100 Metpobka in Kostroma as it was similar to a food court. We ordered by pointing at the food items on display at each counter and could choose delicious Russian borscht (vegetable, chicken, beef or beet soup), small hot plates (chicken, beef, potatoes, noodles, pizza or spaghetti), beverages (soft drinks, tea, juice, coffee) and ice cream. In Yaroslavl, we ate at McDonald’s – quick, convenient, familiar and clean).

Our dinners were lovingly prepared by a group of women at Kostroma Evangelical Church and served to the 12 Team Russia members, the Smith family, the two students, the pastors, driver and, often, their families. The dedicated women peeled lots of potatoes as we had them mashed at almost every meal. They were decoratively swirled onto our plates, garnished and served with chicken, beef, ground meat or stuffed cabbage rolls, sliced fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, a variety of cabbage slaws, bread and dessert – cookies, cake or pastries. The women the church in Yaroslavl also cooked for us during our visit there.

We ate enough food to gain weight, but there were no scales to check. We got plenty of exercise by walking miles and climbing lots of stairs just about daily.

Experiencing God

2010-07-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

As we wrapped up our week in Kostroma, Russia, our team to Russia pondered the question, “Where did you experience God?”

Toni: Friday at Nina’s.
Kristy: In the peace of nature.
Tinka: The Beautiful music at Kostroma church.
Ellen: Fellowship.
Mary: At Nina’s.
Vic: While working on my talk, I heard a woman singing like an angel.
Toni: The Bishop’s preaching at Yaroslavl.
Ellen: He spoke about translating God’s word for the eunuch and talked about partnership and friendship.
Lydia: In the faces and hearts of the people; in a new way I saw Christ in them.
Stan: Personal sacrifice on the part of Ellen and Sasha as interpreters.
Kelly: The faces of the people, their smiles and connections.
Harriet: The first Sunday here; felt the Holy Spirit was there. It was powerful.
Ken: Relationships.
Hanna: I lost cards and thought about self, but Sasha found them.
Carl: Putting together the team. Months ago I asked, “Could we?” and turned it over to God.

We all experienced God and saw the Holy Spirit in many other instances. We will continue to do so as we think back on our 2010 Team Trip to Kostroma and share stories about God’s work there.
June 20, 1020

Visiting Nina

2010-07-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

Nina, one of the women at Kostroma Church, asked to have Kristy, Mary and I come to tea on Friday afternoon. Pastor Sergei drove us to her home, which was out of town from Kostroma. Nina showed us her beautiful garden where she grows herbs, vegetables and flowers. We walked to her summer house near the Volga River. Her son has built a lovely two-story, small home that demonstrates his remarkable wood work. Nina wanted to take us on a walk back to her home. All in all, I think we walked for two hours. It was beautiful. We walked along the Volga River, through meadows and birch forests. There were wildflowers growing abundantly. The colors, textures, and sweet fragrance filled our senses. I can't remember being in a place where God's presence was so evident in all of the surroundings. It was peaceful, beautiful, and an example of God's creation.
After a two-hour walk, we returned to Nina's home where we were treated to tea and delightful treats that she offered. After a lovely visit, Nina and the three of us walked across another meadow to make our way to the rural road and wait at the bus stop to get back into town. The irony of the afternoon is that we needed time to prepare for the Women's Retreat on Saturday and we didn't really have four hours to spend at tea. That timing caused some anxiety as we needed to get back to town because we were taking the women, including Nina, who had cooked for us all week to dinner at a restaurant. We were very late and we missed one bus. Yet, the time in the country was an extraordinary blessing that I will never forget.
When I got anxious, I kept praying to God silently and surrendering control. Be in the moment. "Be still and trust that I am God". This was a holy day – seeing God in all our surroundings and in the simplicity of life.
Posted by Toni Horvath

Miracles

2010-07-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Photos:
Toni with Sasha interpreting; Valentina with Anton interpreting
Fellowship and crafts at Women's Day

The Fellowship Hall and Dining Center at Kostroma Church bustled with activity on Saturday (June 18) as the women of Kostroma and FOPC gathered for a day of inspiring messages, fellowship, food and crafts. Patterned after FOPC’s Women’s Retreat, the theme was “Miracles,” based on Job 5:9: “God performs wonders that cannot be fathomed and miracles that cannot be counted.”

Toni Horvath spoke about the baggage women carry – everything from daily chores to addictions – and explained how we hide behind certain bags, like being a wife, mother, volunteer or doing things for others, which prevents us from actually taking time to be with God. “Sometimes we get so busy and we hide behind our business,” Toni said. “We are afraid if people knew who we are that they wouldn’t want us around them. But regardless of who we are God loves us. We need to take off the layers to be authentic.”

Valentina Nikolaevna Guseva of Kostroma Church also gave an inspiring message (in Russian) and Zanaia sang hymns and recited a poem she had written for the retreat. We couldn’t understand the words, but we saw and felt her love for the Lord in her face and her beautiful voice. We sang hymns iwith our respective languages blending beautifully. And, of course, no gathering would be complete without a delicious luncheon prepared and served by church members, including some of the men.

Like FOPC’s retreat, the women enjoyed crafts sessions, with everyone making tissue paper flowers for the tables and beaded bookmarks for their Bibles. The retreat booklet, which was printed in both Russian and English, had instructions; however, it was easy to demonstrate through hand motions how to make the items. There was great communication via smiles.

The women were given photos of themselves, which they inserted into frames they decorated with “jewels” and took home as a memento of the day. Their smiles demonstrated that women from different cultures can easily join in fellowship in worshipping the Lord.

Upward Basketball

2010-07-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Photo: Al Smith, Ken Friedman, Pastor Alexander and Sergei

Ken Friedman certainly scored points with his Upward Basketball presentations in Russia. The idea was well received at the five churches where he talked about the program. Presentations were made to the Presbyterian Church in Kostroma, the Kostroma Evangelical Church where we worshipped, and Grace Church in Kirov Vhepsk, a community he and Al Smith traveled via an overnight train ride. He also presented the program to the Baptist Union Church in Yaroslavl and lastly to a church in Moscow.

The program, which has been in existence for 25 years, is beneficial to children who participate and a big time commitment to those who become coaches and referees. Both boys and girls participate in the kindergarten program while teams from first through eighth grades are boys only-girls only. Upward Basketball provides a box of supplies that includes hats, sox, T-shirts, balls, whistles, referee vests, bags and Scripture. Coaches are given a playbook which calls for practices plus Scripture and devotions geared to each age group.

Practices are held once a week and games once a week. “We don't keep score,” Ken said. ”It's not about the game of basketball, but about the child. The motto is 'Every child is a winner.’”

Ken provided a detailed report of his and Al Smith’s visit to Kirov Vhepsk where they met with Alexander Timofeyev, pastor of Grace Church, and were introduced to Sergei who is in charge of the Life Center. Members of the church had purchased the facility from a company that was closing down, dismantled the building and moved it to the present location. The process took seven years. The Life Center rivals any facility we have in Sacramento. There are meeting rooms and a basketball court, which is also used for volleyball and a form of ball hockey. The facility has locker rooms, showers, fitness and weight rooms as well as rooms used for a medical center. The upstairs area allows spectators to view the sports activities on the court. Additional meeting rooms are also there.

Ken and Al attended a VBS at the facility and participated in group activities, which included singing, skits and prayer. Ken spoke to the group with Al translating.

A meeting with the pastor and others to discuss Upward Basketball went very well and Ken believes the church will start the ministry. Ken provided them with Upward materials in Russian and exchanged contact information. Ken reports that this was a wonderful trip where he and Al met many Christians who see the reason for outreach and community support. “We can all learn from this example,” he said.

Posted by Tinka Davi and Ken Friedman

VBS x 2

2010-06-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday and Monday, June 13 and 14, 2010
Posted by the VBS (Vacation Bible School) Team: Vic, Mary, Kristy, Kelly and Hanna
Emma, Anton and Sasha assisted during the programs.

On Sunday at 3 p.m., we were greeted by 13 active, energetic boys and one precious girl who were ready and anxious to participate in the program. (Or anything, Mary said.).They ranged in age from four to 13.

We had planned to start out by quizzing kids on their Bible knowledge by playing Bible Trivia. But, like all plans, we had to change due to Vic’s coat not showing up. He left it in the car after lunch.

We started with project number 2 – making a magnetized note holder. The kids had to put several pieces together and stick on foam objects. The fence was decorated with flowers and a birdhouse and on the back of the fence was a magnet so it could be attached to any metal surface like a refrigerator. During the project, we told them that the fence represented the dividing line between belief and unbelief in Jesus. They had to choose which side they wanted to be on. They couldn’t sit on the fence; they had to decide because even the fence is unbelief.

All were intent in doing the project. Vic’s observation: the difference between Russian and American kids is the enthusiasm to participate. The Russians were very intense about their project; whereas American kids might become bored rather quickly. It seems that American children need to be entertained, while the Russian children create their own entertainment and become immersed in their activity. The Russians seemed more disciplined. The kids shared and cared and helped each other, and were very careful applying the glue, rather than globing it on.

We showed a video of our Sunday school children singing and waving to the Russian kids, who, in turn, with the help of interpreters Sasha and Anton, sang a song for us to take back home.

We had the kids do a free-watercolor based on the miraculous catch of fish in John 21. This is where Peter and the disciples fished all night and caught nothing. Jesus called out to them, “Lower your nets on the other side of the boat.” And they caught a huge number of fish. The kids’ watercolors were terrific and showed great detail, capturing all of the story.

All the kids thoroughly enjoyed painting the scene of Jesus after his resurrection on the shore while Peter and the other disciples had gone fishing but caught nothing. There were some very creative watercolors and one thing we all noticed was the intensity with which the kids created the scene. Prior to this project, we had told the kids the story where Jesus told the disciples that they needed to lower their nets on the other side of the boat for their miraculous catch. We explained how Jesus told the disciples that he would make them fishers of men.

The children decorated popsicle sticks and made picture frames for the photographs we took of them. They each had something special to take home.

The response from Pastor Sergei and the others at Kostroma Church said our program was a big success. They and the children loved VBS.

Internet Challenges

2010-06-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

The internet and wi-fi connections are intermittent at best and often not available.
We have sent e-mails that we hope you received and so has Ellen. I have a backlog of blogs that I will send when possible.

In the meantime, we are all safe and well, but a tad tired.

Blessings to all,

Tinka for Team Russia

Yaroslavl

2010-06-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Cathedrals and building in Yaroslavl
Pastor Yuri with Anton interpreting

Thursday, June 16
9 a.m. – Leave hotel for Yaroslavl
On way out of town, Visit Sasha and Olga’s home, then Piotr and Valentina’s home.
Drive to the site of Kostroma Church summer camp, about 40 km from Kostroma.
The camp is another new ministry for the Kostroma Church.
Lunch at McDonald’s (!) Meet Ken and Al there.
Lunch here is clean, consistent and inexpensive
Visit the Baptist Union Church and Bishop’s office in Yaroslavl.
Walk around Yaroslavl with the Bishop – Pastor Yuri Eliseiech
6 p.m. Evening: worship service
Testimonies: Mary and Toni
8 p.m. - Dinner at the church
Ken – Upward Basketball talk
11 p.m. – arrive back at Kostroma

The vision of a summer camp is a new mission outreach for members of Kostroma Church. Just a short time ago, the church was given permission to use land near Yaroslavl and members plan to clear off knee-high weeds and rebuild an old wooden home that’s in need of major repairs. Their faith is remarkable. They plan to open the camp in just two weeks! We hiked through the weeds and examined the old building, noting that it will be a major undertaking, but confident that this group of devoted Christians will complete the project. They appreciate the tents we brought for them.

Our visit to the church in Yaroslavl was enlightening. The Bishop, Pastor Yuri, talked about the history of the church and pointed to historic photos of members. In 1921, the newly built church had 1,000 members, but that number dropped drastically to just 24 by 1925. The small congregation (12 members in 1955) continued to meet and eventually increase in numbers. A new, beautiful building was completed in 2000 and approximately 250 attend.

We walked around Yaroslavl with Pastor Yuri, past many beautiful buildings and orthodox cathedrals. There are about 150 churches around the downtown area, but few people attend. Yaroslavl is a city that was built 1,000 years ago along the Volga River and has 100,000 population.

Worship that evening was beautiful in the tradition of the Russians, with much prayer and praise and music throughout the two-hour service, which began at 6 p.m. Mary and Toni gave their testimonies that evening and Ken presented the Upwards basketball program during dinner. The meal was prepared by the women of the church following the service. We headed for home, finally arriving back in Kostroma at 11 p.m., tired but uplifted by the Russian Christians and the day full of blessings.

Russian Orphans

2010-06-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 16 -Russia has 700,000 orphans, maybe one million, says Ellen. “Kids here feel like they’ve been thrown away. They don’t have parents and they don’t have mentors.” The lucky ones live in orphanages; the rest live on the streets.

Our team visited Nikolskoye Boarding School, an orphanage with 87 children. Natalia Yevgenina, the director, filled us in on details. Twenty-eight of the children are orphans, ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old; the rest are eight or nine years and older and are at the orphanage because their families are too poor to care for them, are alcoholics or in prison. Many of the kids have health issues.

The children were away at summer camp during our visit, which, in one way was good. We didn’t focus on the kids; instead we focused on the facility, which is in terrible condition. Paper-thin linoleum is peeling away on most of the floors, the paint is also peeling; and many doors need replacing while others have doorknobs but no screws to hold them together. Curtain rods in the sleeping areas are too old to hold any sort of window covering. The bathrooms need fixtures; the showers are in the basement, which is dark and probably moldy. As we toured, we could see the disrepair. “Our financial situation has gotten worse because of the budget crisis (in Russia) so we make do with what we have,” Natalia said.

On the good side, the focus on education, sports and routine almost makes up for the lacking facilities. Natalia credits a devoted staff with helping the children. “The kids have their warmth and love which makes it a good place to live.” The children get up at 7 a.m., exercise, eat breakfast, attend classes, have a second breakfast, and attend more classes until a 2:30 p.m. lunch. (Younger kids have a shorter day.) In the afternoon they have crafts, sports, and study time with care-givers. After dinner, there’s additional time for homework. Lights are out at 9 p.m.

We met the sports coordinator and toured the gym and exercise rooms. One wall of Natalia’s office is filled with certificates and medals the school has won in sports.

The children learn basic life skills, including how to clean floors, carpets, furnishings, how to pick up and organize objects on shelves and how to cook – the skills they will need when they live independently. They take computer classes, learn trades such as woodworking, and are taught how to use a bank and shop.

They also do crafts and art and we viewed beautiful needlepoint work, quilled baskets and animals, and other artwork. Crafts and art are used to teach patience.

When they graduate from the school, students go on to higher educational studies or jobs, thanks to the skills they have learned.

Love Letters

2010-06-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” We are to go out into the world to minister to others. In Pastor Kirk’s prayer for our team, he called us a” love letter” from Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church to Kostroma and beyond.

The people of Kostroma Church are so loving that it’s easy to love them in return. They greet us enthusiastically with firm hand shakes, hugs and kisses as if we were close relatives. Pastor Sergei, Sasha, Al and Piotr are true servants who drive us to various destinations from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. A group of women spend hours every afternoon preparing dinner for us. We’ve been treated to a variety of slaw-style salads made with a base of cabbage and mixed with red and yellow bell peppers and celery, corn and crab or other ingredients. We’ve had chicken, beef, sausage, rice, potatoes and, our favorite, cabbage rolls stuffed with ground beef – enough for three per person.

We’ve been welcomed into the homes of Pastor Sergei and his wife, Anya. On Monday, the 12 of us on our team, plus Al, Ellen, Megan and Emma Smith, brother and sister interpreters Anton and Sasha Afanascenko, Pastor Sergei, Sasha and Piotr visited the home of Alexander, a missionary to the Roma (gypsies). We sat on his bed and on benches around the room as he told of his ministry and work on building a home for himself and family. Alexander took us to the home of a Roma family where the wife giggled and giggled as she watched our now larger group file one by one into the home and join her daughters and mother in their tiny living room. She graciously offered us tea, but we declined, wondering about the challenge of serving so many unexpected guests.

Tuesday evening the women of team Russia enjoyed tea, sweets and conversation with Tanya and her daughter, Masha, in their home. We even trekked outside to check the goats in the adjoining yard.

Our team expected to deliver “love letters” to the Russians; instead they graciously offered their hospitality, expecting nothing in return. As Americans, we always want to help. Instead we are receiving – abundantly.

Impressions and Observations

2010-06-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

Team Russia Schedule
Monday, June 14
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. VBS at church
1 p.m. - Lunch
Afternoon:
Ken and Carl talk about Upward Basketball to members of the Presbyterian Church
Visit Kostroma families
Prepare women’s retreat supplies
6 p.m. Dinner at church
6:30 p.m. Brother’s Meeting for men
Theme: Man as Father and Leader of the Family
(25 brothers in the church)
Women - plan the retreat with the Kostroma church women

Our days are filled. They start with breakfast at the hotel at 8 a.m., lunch at 100 Metpobka, dinner at the church and, in between, a van or car ride to a destination and activity. We rely on a team of missionaries, interpreters and drivers, who guide us from one place and event to another. We are cautioned not to go anywhere by ourselves or without an interpreter. Ellen Smith said, “We’d rather go with you than have to find you.” We carry her cell phone number and business cards from the hotel as a precaution.

We are also cautioned not to go into the beautiful woods on either side of our hotel, The Aristocrat. They’re occupied by bats, rats and other things that bite. Everything surrounding the hotel is green – the trees and tall grassy areas that aren’t mowed. (We’ve had rain every day, one heavy storm and the rest sprinkles and light rain.) Our hotel sits by itself along the road and behind a decorative wrought iron fence.

Our route between the hotel, the church and our regular lunch spot (100 Metpobka) is over roads formerly paved with asphalt. The drivers zigzag around potholes, puddles, pets, people and several assorted vehicles parked alongside the roads. They pass on the right or appear to barrel down the center of the roads. There are no lines to mark lanes. It’s an interesting ride for the front seat passenger in Pastor Sergei’s Toyota; his steering wheel is on the right hand side of the car. Yes, we pray.

On our way to visit the orphanage at Nikolskoye, our car was stopped by the GAIY (guy eee), an acronym for traffic police. Ellen, who was driving, pulled out her license, her international driver’s license, passport and visa to show the traffic patrolman. She thinks she was stopped because her license plate is from another region, Moscow. Pastor Sergei also stopped to help and soon we were on our way. Carl wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, but wasn’t cited.

The Kostroma church is in a neighborhood of interesting homes similar to those we’ve seen throughout Kostroma. Homes (cottages?) in this city are located behind wooden fences that are about a foot from the roads and are built of wood siding. Some are painted in dark brown; others in bright blue, yellow or green, many need paint. Most have gingerbread around several, small windows.

We can see vegetable gardens among the tall grasses and trees and occasionally we see a few bright flowers – white, pale pink and colored peonies, yellow iris and other colorful blooms among the unweeded grassy areas.

The people of Kostroma Evangelical Christian Church, part of the Baptist Union, have added a sanctuary and classrooms since our church’s last visit. The sanctuary is bright, with a high ceiling, several tall windows and light stucco walls. Rows of pine benches line either side of a center aisle and the choir loft on the right side of the pulpit. The kitchen and classrooms are located down a stairway. The former sanctuary is now a large room filled with tables where we enjoy dinner every night and where the women’s retreat and Vacation Bible School are held.

Sunday Worship

2010-06-16T03:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 13 - Carl was correct when he said our schedule is flexible. Team members gathered for a 7 a.m. breakfast only to learn that the food isn’t served until 8 a.m. At least we were ready on time for church.

We were greeted by beautiful music, praises to the Lord from the choir whose voices filled the sanctuary. The choir of nine women and three men, including the director, sang several hymns during the morning.

Services began at 10 a.m. and ended at 12:30 p.m. Although we couldn’t understand the Russian language, we could see and feel Pastor Sergei’s passion as he preached and prayed several times during the worship service. We did hear the word “California” when he introduced our team. Carl spoke to the congregation through an interpreter, explaining how team members were called to step out in faith and come to Kostroma. Both Carl and Ken gave sermons and Toni and Kristi gave their testimonies. We sang twice for the congregation, inviting them to join with us.

Lydia, Harriet and Toni presented a banner (pictured in an earlier blog) to the women of the church. The banner, designed and created by Jerri Meier, depicts the theme, “Miracles,” the changing of a caterpillar into a butterfly. We believe we will experience change and miracles as we interact with the wonderful, friendly people of Kostroma Church and we thank the Lord that we are able to be here in their community.

We're in Kostroma

2010-06-14T09:55:00.002-07:00

Saturday, June 12

Today is Russia Day or Independence Day, a three day weekend in observance of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Another early morning...At 5 a.m., several drivers took us to our hotel, The Aristocrat, which has been remodeled and upgraded since Team Russia's last visit. We found our rooms, parked our luggage, thanked the Lord for safe travel and had breakfast at 7 a.m.

Kostroma is overcast and gray today, with thunder, lightning and heavy rain at times. The loud bangs and the need to sort through supplies and assemble them according to our various activities meant no rest for a couple of hours. However, we did unpack personal belongings, change and set out for a 1:30 lunch at a large food court. It's on the third floor of a building with several stalls selling everything from groceries and clothing to appliances and IKEA furniture.

Al Smith, daughter Emma and two Russians, Anton and Sasha, both students at the American School where Al teaches high school math, joined us. They's spent nine hours on the road, which included a four hour traffic tie-up between Moscow and Kostroma.

Following a visit to Pastor Sergei's home where we met his wife, Anya, sons and 18-month old daughter, we went to Kostroma Evangelical Christian Church to check out the new sanctuary, classrooms and set our schedule for the week.

Several women prepared and served us dinner, and then we returned to the hotel praying we might catch up on some sleep.

Red Square to Red Eye

2010-06-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 11

While a few team members stayed behind to plan Bible studies for the Kostroma Church, others, including the "newbies" were escorted to Moscow. By now, we were familiar with the bus and two Metro trains excursion. We get on the same car, but through two different doors, with at least one guide - Ellen, Al, Emma and oder daughter Meg - watching us and counting noses.

First stop - the Kremlin. We were awed by the walls of beautiful art and icons in the cathedrals, which are famous for their gilded, onion-shaped domes.

Next was Red Square and St. Basil's Cathedral. However, because it was cordoned off for a concert, we had to detour through Gum's, a center with ultra high end shops - Gucci, Louis Vitton, Hermes, Sonja Rykiel. The centre is also where brides and grooms have their photos taken so we saw newlyweds in bridal gowns and tuxedos there.

St. Basil's is colorful and unique with many rooms filled with icons and art. We then hustled to make it in time to watch the changing of the guards and their high step march.

At our meeting before dinner, Carl read an encouraging prayer from Paulette Lambertson. He noted that the 12 of us were about to dramatically change what we were doing, that getting 23 suitcases, two tents, 12-plus carry-ons, assorted tote bags, purses, cameras and one computer on the train would be hectic.

We watched as the van driver contemplated the assorted luggage, scratched his nose a few times, then squeezed each bag on the van and a car. We left the seminary at 8 p.m. Getting to the train station was easy - surprisingly there was no traffic.

Our group circled the cluster of suitcases, etc. on the asphalt outside the train station and waited for almost an hour and a half for the train. Yes, people stared and pointed at this group of Americans.

At 9:30 p.m. we pulled our bags to the train, forming a relay line to get the bags on the train, while we climbed aboard, four people to a compartment. The attendant offered us tea, juice, water, wafers and chocolate.

The train left Moscow at 10:20p.m for our red-eye ride to Kostroma. The routine of the wheels seemed soothing, except when we seemed to ride over rocks on the tracks and when we stopped at 3 a.m. We awoke to music at 4:30 a.m. Disheveled, groggy and red eyed, we had arrived at destination Kostroma.

Day 2 - June 10

2010-06-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

The day started early for Carl Kuhn, Toni Horvath, Kristy Johnson and our missionary Ellen Smith. They met with pastors from the Moscow and Tula regions to discuss the possibility of a training conference in 2011. The meeting went very well and there was wonderful sharing about the needs of the areas that we can assist. They have outlined several topics that we can develop on strengthening the family for the pastors, deacons, and leaders within the church. The goal would be to develop a "train the trainer" manual so that the leaders can then, in turn, train their congregations. More will be discussed at a planning conference in Colorado in October.
- Toni Horvath
Next up was our frist ride (for many in our group) on Moscow's Metro, which carries 10-15 million passengers a day, according to some reports. Thanks to our careful watchdogs and people counters, Al, Ellen and daughter, Emma, Smith, we traversed the stations, got on and off trains and rode up and down about 3-5 stories of escalators. That was just to reach a favorite spot, My-My (Moo-Moo's) for a scrumptuous lunch.
While people are on the Metro and crowds are hurrying on the sidewalks and streets, their cars are parked everywhere - next to sidewalks and on sidewalks - even the corners. Traffic is also intense; rush hour traffic jams at all times of the day, it seemed to us.
We toured the beautiful Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which was built to celebrate Russia's victory in the war of 1812. According to the description, construction began in 1839; it was consecrated in 1883; blown up in 1931; and turned into a swimming pool. In the late '80s, there was a movement to recreate the cathedral. The ceremonial cornerstone was laid in 1995 and the building completed five years later. It's a place of worship for 10,000 people.
All but Vic and Ken attended the Bolshoi Ballet in the evening in a beautifully adorned theatre. Yes, we traveled the same route on Moscow's Metro.
We thank the Lord for the successful meeting and for allowing us to see the beautiful work of artisans in Russia.
- Tinka

We've Arrived!

2010-06-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

Team Russia gathered at Sac Airport at 5:30 a.m., thanks to several early rising drivers. The 12 of us overwhlemed check in with 33 pieces of luggage, plus pillows, bags of food and books.
We departed on United leaving on time for the first leg of our journey and landed at Dulles.
While there, Mary Bieri met her daughter who was flying from San Diego to Washington, D.C. for meetings. God orchestrated that coincidence that they were at Dulles at the same time Tuesday afternoon.
Team Russia then boarded another United plane for Moscow - a 9-1/2 hour flight. It was an overnighter for us, but the skies stayed bright the whole trip. As "foreign nationals," we had to wait in line for an hour to go through immigration, which carefully checked our passports and visas.
We were met by our missionary contacts, Al and Ellen Smith and their daughter, Emma (13), who helped us pile luggage and people into a large van and a car and take us to the Baptist Seminary through heavy Moscow traffic.
The weather is overcast, rainy with pleasant temperatures.
We look forward to meetings with pastors tomorrow, a tour of Moscow and the Bolshoi Ballet.
More to come....
We thank the Lord and all who helped us make this journey.
Team Russia

Banner Bound for Kostroma

2010-06-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jerri Meier for designing and creating the beautiful banner that Team Russia will take to Kostroma, Russia. The banner depicts the theme for the Kostroma Women's Retreat and shows one of God's great miracles where a creepy caterpillar becomes a beautiful butterfly. Translation of the Russian word is "MIRACLE." That's Jerri on the right, with Team Leaders Carl and Harriet Kuhn.

Where in the World is Kostroma?

2010-06-05T16:32:00.001-07:00

The city of Kostroma is about 360 kilometers northeast of Moscow and located at the conjunction of the Volga and Kostroisma rivers. Founded in 1152, it is one of Russia's oldest cities and is considered a treasure house of Russian culture and art.

Packing Party

2010-06-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

Preparations for our mission trip to Russia included plenty of prayers and discussion in packing a suitcase per person with supplies for Sunday School, VBS, the Women's Retreat and Upward Basketball. Each team member is carrying a personal bag, carry on and a suitcase of supplies.

Heavy loads. Light hearts.

2010-05-10T12:44:00.001-07:00

Team traveling to Kostroma, Russia in June.