Challenge

Looking back at previous blog posts, I noticed that I often post something from Oswald Chambers in October. I wonder why that is. Perhaps the autumn brings about a kind of desperation that makes me reach for something uplifting.

“The challenge to the missionary does not come on the line that people are difficult to get saved, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, that there is a wedge of callous indifference; but along the line of his own personal relationship to Jesus Christ. 'Believe ye that I am able to do this?' Our Lord puts that question steadily, it faces us in every individual case we meet. The one great challenge is - Do I know my Risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit?”*

I don’t have a problem asking myself “What would Jesus do?” I think it is a good idea to follow Christ’s example. However, we can get into a pattern of striving to make ourselves like Christ, by our own means. Maybe it's better to ask ourselves, “Do I trust God in this situation? Have I surrendered this to Him, or am I still trying to do it all myself?”

*Oswald Chamber, My Utmost for His Highest –reading for Oct. 27th

Cute baby girl

Hannah is one week old!

We haven't gotten too many photos of her awake and alert yet*, but Angelica was excited to meet her new cousin.



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*Edit: More photos!

Russia and the H1N1

I was cold in class.

It’s so hard to figure out how to dress nowadays. The metro is unbearable if you have too many layers on.

So on this particular day I had left my warmer sweater at home and was cold. As soon as we had a break, I jumped up and grabbed my coat, which I had thankfully not left in the cloakroom.

In the middle of class, the grammar teacher stopped and looked at me.

“Are you cold? Why are you cold?”

I shrugged, burrowing deeper into my coat.

“I KNOW why you’re cold! You don’t eat meat! That’s it!” continue/-

Well, I suppose I don’t eat a huge amount of meat daily, but I doubt that I would have a substantial layer of body fat even if I did.

“You have to eat meat! Sausages, cheese, yogurt, sour cream…fatty foods! Then you won’t be cold.”

She went over the window, promising to open it just a crack. Then she began to speak again.

“PEOPLE! Swine flu HAS COME TO RUSSIA! It’s HERE!”

I stared down at my desk in the awkward silence that followed.

“I went to buy myself a mask, and can you imagine? They said in the pharmacy that every morning, people come and buy all the masks! They can’t keep them in stock. You should ALL have masks! Right, Elizabeth?”

I squirmed in my seat, recalling an article I had read recently on a U.S. news site, proclaiming the futility of wearing a mask.

“People, you need to be drinking tea with lemon. What you do is take a knife, cut the lemon in half, and share it with your roommate! If you don’t like eating the lemon with sugar, then you can squeeze it into your tea.”

I tried to be serious, but I could hear the corners of my mouth twitching. I didn’t dare look at anyone else.

She told us of the different stages of Swine flu and all the symptoms. Then we were back to grammar, and I could breathe a sigh of relief.

But I remembered that a small child at church has a lung infection, and I realized it isn’t so funny.

Back for another year

I visited the difficult orphanage.

I know I should come up with a new code name that isn't so negative. After all, it is where Nastia and Masha spent a portion of their childhood.

Every school year, I pray about whether or not God would have me go there. Relationships haven't "gelled" as much as in other areas of ministry. At this orphanage I used to see some kids that I had originally met at camp, but many of those kids have already graduated. Each year there is always at least one person that remembers me, and the cycle continues. full post/-

I normally just show up when the school year begins, but I was nervous about doing that this year. Some orphanages have become pretty restricted, especially with the flu going around. So I was kind of procrastinating and wondering if this was the year that I didn't go back.

I tried to call and got no answer on one phone. Finally I called the other counselor in the group, and found that she no longer works there, and that the kids had been redistributed among various groups. But she told me where to find the counselor that does still work there.

Since next week is school vacation week, I decided that I really should try and make it this week, so I met up with Mary and we hopped on the train, not knowing how we would be greeted. When we entered the orphanage, we asked for the particular counselor. The security granny merely nodded and told us what floor to go to. No questions asked.

That counselor was just the person we needed to see. She opened her arms to hug us both simultaneously! We were ushered into the girls' bedroom and given apples.

Now, this group is one of the youngest. They are 8 years old and haven't studied English before. I had taken along a lesson that would work for a few different age groups. As the children gathered and began to write their names as instructed, I realized that we were beginning at the beginning.

I quickly consulted with Mary: "Worksheet or colors?" "Colors," she suggested. I dug out the markers, my all-purpose prop, and began a demonstration.

We didn't get much further than that. Pretty soon, the kids were drawing all over themselves before we could stop them, throwing their slippers around the room, and rolling around on the floor wrestling.

I guess I will have to do some strategic lesson-planning for next time. ;)

So one prayer request is answered: we made contact. But how the rest of the year will go is another question entirely!