Home from Russia!

We have been home from Russia a week now. Both Shane and Brian have reported back to me that they made it home safe and sound as well. I arrived home late last Friday night, then went to work the next morning at 5:30am. Nothing like jumping right back into my Canadian life! I don't know why it is, some kind of mental processing perhaps, but every time I come home from Russia I spend a week or two dreaming vividly every night that I am still there. The other morning as I awoke, for instance, I lay in bed trying for a few very intensive moments to remember just where I was in Russia. When I finally realized I was home, I felt a real emptiness. The Lord has put Russia and her children so deeply upon my heart, that I am never really far from her in spirit, prayer, or thought. She truly is a very large part of my day and life, even when I am not there.



Both Brian and Shane agree with me that our 3 week trip to Russia was very blessed. We worked that time with barely a rest, from early morning to late evening, traveling, fellowshipping, encouraging and being encouraged by brothers and sisters in Russia, but also meeting with many many non-believers. Actually, there are relatively few non-believers in Russia. Of course faith in God in Russia is more a cultural phenomena than an actual living faith reality. An example of this is a story Sister Oksana Makarova related about one young Russian man she met who adamantly insisted that Russian didn't need Christians because, "We are Orthodox not Christian!"


Still, this Russian cultural faith, however shallow or misguided, offered us much opportunity to open discussion about real faith and about living for Jesus Christ. Most Russians are quite open to discussion about faith, but cultural traditions run deep. Unfortunately relatively few Russians own a bible and fewer yet have ever opened one. So this is the reason we are sent, to preach the gospel and to bring deeper understanding of the precious Christian faith to Russia. I know from experience, and by faith, that the Word we share does not return void. The Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ is certainly alive and at work in Russia.



In Photos:  (explaination is above each photo)
 Visiting Christian brother and university teacher, Victor Ivanov (in seat beside Greg) and one of his evening English language classes at the Chuvash State University. Below is an excerpt of a letter Victor sent me today:

"Dear Gregory!
Thank you again for being such a blessing! I am really grateful to you all for the gospel sharing. My students, especially the ones attending the evening courses, began to get interested in the Christ. For example, today  at the end of the lesson we spoke about the Christ and what He has done for us to be saved. we discussed quite a number of things. They still remember your visit with joy"....

  Speaking to students at the Mari State University

  Some of the Yoshkar Ola Lutheran Youth Group seeing us off at the snowy train station in Yoshkar Ola - Olga, Gregory, Katya and Artem

  Brian Niemitalo looking handsomely Russian in Moscow

 Visiting, fellowshipping and praying with young Christian sister, Katya (in pink) at her Moscow home - Katya, Gregory, Anna - I have known both Katya and Anna since they were young girls. Anna often translates for me.

  Shane, Anna, and Brian beneath the famous communist era "Worker with Kolkhoz Woman" Statue in Moscow