“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
I’m doing the Kay Arthur Bible study that Lauren’s group is doing at FBC Middleburg, and this morning I read this for the second time. It caught my attention because it reminded me of walking to the nearest metro station. The city has planks of wood set up over some of the muddiest parts of the walkway. They are not easy to walk on, and in the snow they became pretty icy. They are hard for me to balance on, and they are definitely the narrow way, especially in comparison with the space between them and the road, which is quite broad. Especially when people are coming the opposite direction (I haven’t quite figured out the etiquette here), it is very tempting just to hop off and walk on between the planks and the road. However, the mud is unbelievably gooey and sticky there. At best, your pants legs are going to be coated in mud when you get wherever it is you’re going. At worst, you’re going to lose a shoe in the muck and have to limp back home to retrieve another pair (and your dignity). The thing that struck me is that this is very much what Jesus is saying in this passage, isn’t it? The narrow way doesn’t always look inviting, and it certainly isn’t the easier of the two choices. However, those who choose the broad and easier path are very likely to get stuck in the muck. I don’t know about you, but I will gladly take the narrow way…that mud is hard to get out of stuff once it gets on you. Know what I mean?
Things here continue to roll along. I started language study today. My head is going to explode off of my body, but other than that, I think it went pretty well. A big prayer answered is that we really love our language teacher, Irina. She is in our home from 9a.m. to 3p.m., so if we didn’t like her, that would be problematic. She’s wonderful, frankly, and a delight to have in our home. She also speaks Spanish, and even spent two pretty interesting years teaching in Nicaragua immediately following the revolution there. Pretty interesting stuff. It’s amazing how much Russian we can understand, even if there’s little we can say…though I can successfully introduce you to just about everybody in my family, and I can ask you what something is. Other than that, I’m pretty useless right now.
There are some things I think are going pretty well. Language is going well. I think I am adapting and learning how to cook here pretty well. (I made my own tortillas the other night—no kidding!) The homeschooling thing is going okay, too, though John whizzes through everything I have for him in about an hour. Pray for us as we make some decisions about his schooling—we are seriously considering Russian schools for him, even if only for half a day. We’ve got to provide him with something that’s going to challenge him. We are learning our way around the city pretty well. We think we’ve found a church to attend during language training (after that, we hope to start our own house church in our neighborhood). It has a praise band and everything, and a children’s program for John and Han, and even a youth group. It’s pretty missions minded—they just returned from a trip somewhere. We think it’s a good fit, and it’s only a bus and a trolley ride from us, which is closer than anything else. We’ve also made some friends on our team, and we’re really in love with our team. It is the perfect fit for us, and we are thankful to those in charge who decided to put us there.
There are some things that are more difficult. Number one on that list is John’s sleeping patterns, which are still out of whack. I am swiftly becoming that mother who begs and pleads with her child to get in bed, then gives in and lets him sleep between her and her husband. I don’t have to tell you the issue this is causing. Please pray for John-John as he settles into his bed at night. That would be around 1 in the afternoon on the East Coast of the States. We are absolutely desperate for sleep. There have been several nights where we found ourselves still up with him at 1 or 2 in the morning, only to face a full day of homeschooling and language school the next day. Another thing that is difficult is that Hannah does not particularly enjoy homeschooling. She is missing other children desperately. It isn’t like homeschooling in the states, where there are lots of kids to have interaction with at church, etc. She is lonely, I think. Pray that she will make some friends at the new church. We are also looking into sports or choir as a possibility for Han. And finally, I would say that I am struggling with the weather. No matter how often people told me how gray it was here, I don’t think I really understood it. Even now, at 4:30 in the afternoon, it’s getting dark. I miss the sun. I had no idea the grayness would affect me so much. The cold doesn’t bother me, and the snow was lovely, but the gray…I would love to see a sunny day.
For sure, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It is an awesome adventure, and I couldn’t be here with anyone but Marc, who daily wants to traipse off to discover something new about our neighborhood or the city, for whom this is a daily reminder of how much God loves us, that He would send us here. If I were with someone like me (more introverted), it would be disastrous. We’d sit in the apartment and never leave it. And so, on those days when I think I will scream if I don’t see some sunshine…I have Marc to remind me that God called us here, and so we are equipped to be here. And I find over and over that he’s right. And over and over that His promises are true. And I just remind myself that somewhere out there…the sun is shining. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
Monday, October 22, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
The snow, the coat, and Red Square
Well, it’s been quite a week. As we wrap up week two of our Russian adventure, I am struck by the fact that it seems like we’ve been here much longer than two weeks. And then on some days, it seems like we just got here.
First, the snow. It snowed on Sunday and Monday, and probably accumulated four inches or so. Not a big snow by Russian standards, but a blizzard by Hooks family standards. Literally, John-John and Hannah would just stand on chairs at the kitchen window, staring at it coming down. The first snow brought a couple of things to light: first, Marc is a huge kid. He was almost as excited about the snow as the two little kids. Second, there is a whole list of things we must buy before the next snow that we didn’t even have a clue we would have to buy. For instance, the children need snow clothes. Who knew? Not us. Luckily, my friend Karla drove me to Ashan, the Russian version of Walmart, and I was able to find some for John for around thirty dollars. He looks adorable. I also have to get water-proof gloves for each person. We have the cloth kind, and they just don’t hold up to the snow. Lots of stuff to learn for this transplanted Floridian.
Next, the coat. I bought a coat the Sunday before we left for Russia on Wednesday. It’s a really warm coat, and I really like it, so you can imagine my disappointment when I moved here and found that it set off the alarms at every single store I entered. I imagined it was the metal buttons and that I would have to buy a new coat. After all, I didn’t imagine myself making my first contacts with Russians as they frisked me to figure out what I was stealing. So on Wednesday, my coat and I (and the rest of the family) traipsed to Red Square to see what we could see. It was warm, but warm here is maybe 40 degrees, so you still need a coat. Sure enough, as we walked into a very fancy department store right off Red Square, the alarms started to sound, and the guards started to file toward me. In my broken Russian, I told them it was my coat. In their perfect Russian, they told me not to move. Hence, I did not move. They brought the wand, they waived it over me, and to my surprise, it was not my buttons that set off the alarm, but my pocked. As I reached for my pocket (a bad move, by the way, as one is being detained by people with guns), they said “Nyet!” very loudly. Then the guard in charge began to laugh. More of a chuckle, really, but still a sound of merriment—not something one associates with the Russian population as a whole. He points inside my coat—to the security tag, which I should have cut off immediately when I got the coat home from the store. No kidding…he went and got a pair of scissors and cut it off for me. I turned red, thanked him profusely (spaceba bolshoi), and left pretty soon afterward. I’m pretty sure I could hear “silly American” ringing in my ears as I left. No one said I was going to do this with my dignity in tact.
Finally, Red Square. Oh, my goodness! It’s absolutely, profoundly beautiful. Honestly, I was a little taken aback by it. The Kremlin is, well, the Kremlin. And St. Basil’s is so Russian and beautiful, and the whole place just resonates with history. It was the perfect thing for us to do—a little reminder of why we love this place and these people God has called us to love. It is a place of great dichotomy—people begging in front of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. Massive churches that are museums but not places of worship. People who’ve placed their hope in an economic system, when the real Hope of the World is here, just waiting for them to accept Him. Pray for this place. Whatever you have thought of Russia all your life, pray for it now. And think of this—I am a girl from a small town who spent Wednesday standing in Red Square. Who would have thought that even possible in our lifetime? Our God is so big! Who knows what He’s up to here? I’m going to be honest—I don’t know what He’s up to here, but I’m glad to be a part of it, no matter how small. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
First, the snow. It snowed on Sunday and Monday, and probably accumulated four inches or so. Not a big snow by Russian standards, but a blizzard by Hooks family standards. Literally, John-John and Hannah would just stand on chairs at the kitchen window, staring at it coming down. The first snow brought a couple of things to light: first, Marc is a huge kid. He was almost as excited about the snow as the two little kids. Second, there is a whole list of things we must buy before the next snow that we didn’t even have a clue we would have to buy. For instance, the children need snow clothes. Who knew? Not us. Luckily, my friend Karla drove me to Ashan, the Russian version of Walmart, and I was able to find some for John for around thirty dollars. He looks adorable. I also have to get water-proof gloves for each person. We have the cloth kind, and they just don’t hold up to the snow. Lots of stuff to learn for this transplanted Floridian.
Next, the coat. I bought a coat the Sunday before we left for Russia on Wednesday. It’s a really warm coat, and I really like it, so you can imagine my disappointment when I moved here and found that it set off the alarms at every single store I entered. I imagined it was the metal buttons and that I would have to buy a new coat. After all, I didn’t imagine myself making my first contacts with Russians as they frisked me to figure out what I was stealing. So on Wednesday, my coat and I (and the rest of the family) traipsed to Red Square to see what we could see. It was warm, but warm here is maybe 40 degrees, so you still need a coat. Sure enough, as we walked into a very fancy department store right off Red Square, the alarms started to sound, and the guards started to file toward me. In my broken Russian, I told them it was my coat. In their perfect Russian, they told me not to move. Hence, I did not move. They brought the wand, they waived it over me, and to my surprise, it was not my buttons that set off the alarm, but my pocked. As I reached for my pocket (a bad move, by the way, as one is being detained by people with guns), they said “Nyet!” very loudly. Then the guard in charge began to laugh. More of a chuckle, really, but still a sound of merriment—not something one associates with the Russian population as a whole. He points inside my coat—to the security tag, which I should have cut off immediately when I got the coat home from the store. No kidding…he went and got a pair of scissors and cut it off for me. I turned red, thanked him profusely (spaceba bolshoi), and left pretty soon afterward. I’m pretty sure I could hear “silly American” ringing in my ears as I left. No one said I was going to do this with my dignity in tact.
Finally, Red Square. Oh, my goodness! It’s absolutely, profoundly beautiful. Honestly, I was a little taken aback by it. The Kremlin is, well, the Kremlin. And St. Basil’s is so Russian and beautiful, and the whole place just resonates with history. It was the perfect thing for us to do—a little reminder of why we love this place and these people God has called us to love. It is a place of great dichotomy—people begging in front of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. Massive churches that are museums but not places of worship. People who’ve placed their hope in an economic system, when the real Hope of the World is here, just waiting for them to accept Him. Pray for this place. Whatever you have thought of Russia all your life, pray for it now. And think of this—I am a girl from a small town who spent Wednesday standing in Red Square. Who would have thought that even possible in our lifetime? Our God is so big! Who knows what He’s up to here? I’m going to be honest—I don’t know what He’s up to here, but I’m glad to be a part of it, no matter how small. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The Weather Outside is Frightful...
That’s right, ladies and gents, we have experienced our first snowstorm. Evidently, the advent of the Hooks family in Moscow was also the advent of winter in Moscow. Of course, we’ve just come from church with our team, and they all assure us that this is nothing in comparison to what is coming, but it was still a bunch of snow. Put it this way: we had enough for the kids to go down after church and make a snow man and snow angels. Thank heavens we were able to buy John a coat on Friday! Now we have to add waterproof gloves and snow pants to the “to buy” list. It seems like that’s a never-ending list! Oh, and definitely snow boots for everyone in the family.
As I was making lunch this morning (it took me two hours…unbelievable to me), I was listening to Third Day, and I felt very, very strongly that God was pushing me to say something to someone who reads this. So, if this is for you, listen up. If not, just patronize me for a second. Right before we answered God’s call to international missions, we spent a very hard two years trying to figure out what God was doing in our lives. We went through a terrible, terrible time—by far the hardest in our lives—and we just didn’t see how there could be hope. But one day, out of nowhere, it was over. And here is why it was over: we decided to believe God and not place our hope in men. People are human, and they will fail us every time. But God is faithful, and He never, ever fails us. Never. When we decided (and by we, I really mean I, because Marc recovered from this time much quicker than I did) that our self-worth had nothing to do with who did and who did not like us, who did and who did not think we were “good” Christians, etc., the sun began to shine again. And it isn’t that those people suddenly loved us and treated us well, but that we just got over caring what anybody thought about us but God. So whoever you are, in spite of how the world looks to you right now, let me encourage you with this: God thinks you are magnificent and wonderful, and He loves you more than life. Whatever else is going on around you is minutia. Take it from someone who knows from experience: let go of whatever it is and get on with what God has for you. His plan is way better than holding onto whatever it is you’re carrying. I promise. I know.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way, can I confess to you that I miss the sun? It’s weird to live in a place where the sun never shines. Actually, I’m told that it does shine from time to time—but we haven’t seen it since we’ve been here. Of course, ask me next summer when it shines until about midnight whether I would like it to be a little darker. The grass is always greener!
We had a wonderful time at church tonight. We went to someone’s apartment, sang songs, had Bible study, ate a pot-luck dinner (we’re still Baptist, after all!), and then sat around and talked and watched the Russian version of Dancing with the Stars, which just happens to be on ice skates. It is easily our favorite show on tv (because it’s just watching them skate and then looking at numbers, all of which we can do), and we had fun watching it with everyone else. All of the kids (10 altogether) went outside to play in the snow. When they came in, I heard John-John in the entry way crying. His hands had gotten cold inside his mittens, and he didn’t know how much that could hurt. Luckily, someone grabbed him and ran his hands under some lukewarm water and he survived. We have much to learn about living in the land of snow.
Well, I must go. Marc begins language study in the morning here at the house, so I need to get everyone to bed so they can get up at a reasonable hour. I will say this: church at 3p.m. on a Sunday afternoon is pretty nice. We slept until 9 a.m. (yes, even I slept in), and the kids only got up because they heard us say there was snow falling. We kept thinking it would stop, and it just kept on and kept on. By the time we left for church at 2, it was falling hard and piling up. Honestly, it was kind of fun. I haven’t seen snow in ten years. Hard to believe God would pick me out of sunny Florida and plop me down in snowy Moscow, but His ways are unknowable. :o) Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
Thursday, October 11, 2007
You are Forever
I hear the music, and I try to sing along. You are the author and the orchestra of every single song. You are forever. “You are Forever” Travis Cottrell
Well, you are all sound asleep (I hope, because it’s 1:30 in the morning where you are!), and it’s time for my day to start. Actually, my day started a couple of hours ago, but now that I’ve showered, had time with God, and fed my children, it’s time for my day to really begin. My friend, Cathy, will be here soon to go with me to buy John-John a coat. Since we woke up this morning to white building tops (ice), it’s time for the coat to be purchased. I really, really enjoy my time with Cathy, so I’m looking forward to shopping and eating lunch with her. Her son, Hudson, is coming over to play with John-John while we’re out. It should be fun all around.
Nothing earth-shattering to report. I went to the grocery store all by myself yesterday. It only took me an hour to walk there, shop, and get back home, so I was pleased with that. Our flat is between two metro stops, so we can either trek a mile to the metro or take a bus in front of our house. Because of construction, however, the busses don’t seem to be following anything close to their published schedule, so it can take as long as 30 minutes waiting for a bus. It’s getting cold, so that’s a long time to wait. At least if you’re walking, you’re generating some heat.
We had dinner with our team leader’s family on Wednesday. They have five children, and at least one for each of my children to be friends with, so it was a great night. We really love the folks on our team, and are enjoying the time we get to spend with them. It’s also nice that there are children on our team, because my kids definitely are missing the kids from FPO. So tonight, Sarah Beth and Hannah are spending the night at our team leader’s house with two of his girls, and their son is coming here to spend the night with John-John. It should be a fun night for all concerned. It’s John-John’s first sleep-over, and he’s pretty excited about it. I know…John, excited? Who’d a thunk it? :o)
We are really enjoying being here finally. Yes, there are some things we miss, and of course, we miss people very much. But what a wonderful thing it is to be in the center of God’s will. I have to confess, there have been many, many years when we were not there, and it wasn’t that life was terrible, but it wasn’t fulfilling like this is fulfilling. I am sad only when I think about the years I have wasted being who I thought I should be instead of who God created me to be. He IS the author and the orchestra of every song…including the song that is my life. He created me to be a specific person. Along with Paul, I would say that I haven’t yet attained that, but I’m running with all my strength to win the prize He has set aside for me. Some days I trip and fall on my own two feet, but I’m still running toward Him. He’s faithful to pick me up when I stumble.
Darling friends, have you trusted Him and His plan for you? I can promise you that what He has for your life is far better than anything you could plan on your own. He is so good and true and faithful…and if you’ll just hand over the reins to Him, He will guide you down the path He has made just for you. Think of it…the God of the Universe, Creator of Everything, created a path just for you. Isn’t that amazing? I’m continually amazed at His goodness and mercy to me. If you’ll just trust Him, I know you’ll be amazed at Him, too. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
Well, you are all sound asleep (I hope, because it’s 1:30 in the morning where you are!), and it’s time for my day to start. Actually, my day started a couple of hours ago, but now that I’ve showered, had time with God, and fed my children, it’s time for my day to really begin. My friend, Cathy, will be here soon to go with me to buy John-John a coat. Since we woke up this morning to white building tops (ice), it’s time for the coat to be purchased. I really, really enjoy my time with Cathy, so I’m looking forward to shopping and eating lunch with her. Her son, Hudson, is coming over to play with John-John while we’re out. It should be fun all around.
Nothing earth-shattering to report. I went to the grocery store all by myself yesterday. It only took me an hour to walk there, shop, and get back home, so I was pleased with that. Our flat is between two metro stops, so we can either trek a mile to the metro or take a bus in front of our house. Because of construction, however, the busses don’t seem to be following anything close to their published schedule, so it can take as long as 30 minutes waiting for a bus. It’s getting cold, so that’s a long time to wait. At least if you’re walking, you’re generating some heat.
We had dinner with our team leader’s family on Wednesday. They have five children, and at least one for each of my children to be friends with, so it was a great night. We really love the folks on our team, and are enjoying the time we get to spend with them. It’s also nice that there are children on our team, because my kids definitely are missing the kids from FPO. So tonight, Sarah Beth and Hannah are spending the night at our team leader’s house with two of his girls, and their son is coming here to spend the night with John-John. It should be a fun night for all concerned. It’s John-John’s first sleep-over, and he’s pretty excited about it. I know…John, excited? Who’d a thunk it? :o)
We are really enjoying being here finally. Yes, there are some things we miss, and of course, we miss people very much. But what a wonderful thing it is to be in the center of God’s will. I have to confess, there have been many, many years when we were not there, and it wasn’t that life was terrible, but it wasn’t fulfilling like this is fulfilling. I am sad only when I think about the years I have wasted being who I thought I should be instead of who God created me to be. He IS the author and the orchestra of every song…including the song that is my life. He created me to be a specific person. Along with Paul, I would say that I haven’t yet attained that, but I’m running with all my strength to win the prize He has set aside for me. Some days I trip and fall on my own two feet, but I’m still running toward Him. He’s faithful to pick me up when I stumble.
Darling friends, have you trusted Him and His plan for you? I can promise you that what He has for your life is far better than anything you could plan on your own. He is so good and true and faithful…and if you’ll just hand over the reins to Him, He will guide you down the path He has made just for you. Think of it…the God of the Universe, Creator of Everything, created a path just for you. Isn’t that amazing? I’m continually amazed at His goodness and mercy to me. If you’ll just trust Him, I know you’ll be amazed at Him, too. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
Sunday, October 7, 2007
You are God alone!
You are God alone. From before time began, You were on Your throne, You were God alone. And right now, in the good times and bad, You are on Your throne. You are God alone. You’re unchangeable. You’re unshakeable. You’re unstoppable. “Not a god (God alone)” Billy and Cindy Foote
Prevyet from Moscow! As unbelievable as it seems to me, I am sitting on the bed in my flat in Europe’s largest city. How great is our God. If you have been on this journey with us for the last two years, I think you can appreciate my great joy at being here. If you have not, let me just say that it has been a long, arduous journey, but God has been at work every step of the way.
The trip wasn’t horrible. The flight from Dulles to Frankfurt was about 7.5 hours, and then we had a two-hour layover in Frankfurt for the 3 hour trip to Moscow. The kids did not sleep much, so we haven’t quite got their sleep cycle back on track—we were all up at 1:30 this morning watching Hogans Heroes and longing for sleep—but other than that, they’re doing fine. John-John has already made a friend on our team, Hannah and I went shopping with friends all day yesterday, and Sarah Beth went to a birthday party last night, so their social lives are already up and moving.
Some interesting ways God showed Himself (beyond getting our visas, which is nothing but a miracle):
1. At the airport, the lady who checked us (and our 19 bags) in studied our ticket, asked if we only were going one way and how long we were staying. When we said we were staying 3 years, she looked at us and grinned. She never weighed a single bag. In fact, the action packers we took—9 of them—never even went on the scale. So while we were charged for our excess baggage, we were not charged for our excess weight.
2. At Moscow customs, we could not get our bags through at once. Of course, customs was what we dreaded the most. Finally, Marc approached a customs official who had been looking at all of our bags. He said later that he just knew in his heart that this man meant us no harm. He explained that we were moving to Moscow, that our bags contained all of our possessions, and that we could not get through with all of our stuff on one trip. He asked if we could break the rules and he could come back to help get the rest of our stuff through customs. The guard asked what our two boxes were (our desktop computer), studied us for a moment, and then agreed that Marc could come back through customs to help me. We were stunned by the way God just worked out what looked to us (in our jet-lagged fuzziness) an impossible situation.
3. Our flat is amazing. It only has two bedrooms, but the kids’ room is large enough to split into two rooms with the finagling of some furniture. It was already set up that way when we got here by the IMB office here.
4. We have already made good friends with some of the folks on our team. They have blessed us in huge ways.
5. Hannah accidentally went through the wrong turnstyle at the metro and set off all kinds of alarms. Much to our surprise, the guard simply looked at us and waved her through.
Do you see how God is at work in every detail? I’m so amazed by Him. As I stood sipping tea this morning and looking out over the skyline of Moscow, all I could think was what a wonder He is. I am a girl from a small town living in a city of 15 million. For reasons unclear to me, the God of Everything has asked me to come alongside Him and work here, in this amazing place. How is that possible? All I know for sure is this—what He has for me is way better than anything I could dream up on my own. I was pretty content with my life in Florida. But maybe I was more complacent than content. When God used a series of events to get my attention, when He called me to this, He snapped me out of that complacency. And while life hasn’t been perfect since then, and it certainly hasn’t been easy, it’s also never been boring or dull.
Well, we are headed to the mall to eat lunch and buy some groceries—if you knew what I had in my house, you’d feel pitiful for my children. John-John had cheese crackers for breakfast! Oh, well…I’m pretty sure I forfeited my mother of the year award a while back. But we are practicing catching the bus in front of our flat and heading to where we need to go. I hope your day is as worshipful as ours has been. I hope that when you read this, you are encouraged that our giant God is at work where you are just like He’s at work here. And I hope that you know that you are loved beyond words by me! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Prevyet from Moscow! As unbelievable as it seems to me, I am sitting on the bed in my flat in Europe’s largest city. How great is our God. If you have been on this journey with us for the last two years, I think you can appreciate my great joy at being here. If you have not, let me just say that it has been a long, arduous journey, but God has been at work every step of the way.
The trip wasn’t horrible. The flight from Dulles to Frankfurt was about 7.5 hours, and then we had a two-hour layover in Frankfurt for the 3 hour trip to Moscow. The kids did not sleep much, so we haven’t quite got their sleep cycle back on track—we were all up at 1:30 this morning watching Hogans Heroes and longing for sleep—but other than that, they’re doing fine. John-John has already made a friend on our team, Hannah and I went shopping with friends all day yesterday, and Sarah Beth went to a birthday party last night, so their social lives are already up and moving.
Some interesting ways God showed Himself (beyond getting our visas, which is nothing but a miracle):
1. At the airport, the lady who checked us (and our 19 bags) in studied our ticket, asked if we only were going one way and how long we were staying. When we said we were staying 3 years, she looked at us and grinned. She never weighed a single bag. In fact, the action packers we took—9 of them—never even went on the scale. So while we were charged for our excess baggage, we were not charged for our excess weight.
2. At Moscow customs, we could not get our bags through at once. Of course, customs was what we dreaded the most. Finally, Marc approached a customs official who had been looking at all of our bags. He said later that he just knew in his heart that this man meant us no harm. He explained that we were moving to Moscow, that our bags contained all of our possessions, and that we could not get through with all of our stuff on one trip. He asked if we could break the rules and he could come back to help get the rest of our stuff through customs. The guard asked what our two boxes were (our desktop computer), studied us for a moment, and then agreed that Marc could come back through customs to help me. We were stunned by the way God just worked out what looked to us (in our jet-lagged fuzziness) an impossible situation.
3. Our flat is amazing. It only has two bedrooms, but the kids’ room is large enough to split into two rooms with the finagling of some furniture. It was already set up that way when we got here by the IMB office here.
4. We have already made good friends with some of the folks on our team. They have blessed us in huge ways.
5. Hannah accidentally went through the wrong turnstyle at the metro and set off all kinds of alarms. Much to our surprise, the guard simply looked at us and waved her through.
Do you see how God is at work in every detail? I’m so amazed by Him. As I stood sipping tea this morning and looking out over the skyline of Moscow, all I could think was what a wonder He is. I am a girl from a small town living in a city of 15 million. For reasons unclear to me, the God of Everything has asked me to come alongside Him and work here, in this amazing place. How is that possible? All I know for sure is this—what He has for me is way better than anything I could dream up on my own. I was pretty content with my life in Florida. But maybe I was more complacent than content. When God used a series of events to get my attention, when He called me to this, He snapped me out of that complacency. And while life hasn’t been perfect since then, and it certainly hasn’t been easy, it’s also never been boring or dull.
Well, we are headed to the mall to eat lunch and buy some groceries—if you knew what I had in my house, you’d feel pitiful for my children. John-John had cheese crackers for breakfast! Oh, well…I’m pretty sure I forfeited my mother of the year award a while back. But we are practicing catching the bus in front of our flat and heading to where we need to go. I hope your day is as worshipful as ours has been. I hope that when you read this, you are encouraged that our giant God is at work where you are just like He’s at work here. And I hope that you know that you are loved beyond words by me! Blessings!
His,
Kellye
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
The baptism, packing, and FPO take-aways
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1
Well, my goodness! It certainly has been a big couple of days at quad 34! First, my parents arrived on Sunday, then my sisters and Marc's family yesterday, the kids had open house at school, and then last night, John-John's baptism. We are really flying down toward the finish line now, and we feel like we're going to be able to finish the race. There were days we weren't totally sure we were going to make it, but God is faithful. Over and over, if we've learned nothing else, we've learned that God is faithful.
The baptism last night was amazing. A local church let us bring John-John and Laini and baptize them there. It was so exciting. People just kept showing up! We had about 65 people there...most from our region (Central and Eastern Europe), but also some IMB staff members, John-John and Laini's teachers, some missionaries-in-residence from Egypt, and even some of the church members who didn't know us but wanted to support us. How awesome is that!? We had a great time, and it was a very special thing for us to get to be with our friends Larry and Melissa, Laini's parents, because they are just incredibly important to us. We'll be connected forever because our children's spiritual birthdays and baptism dates will always be the same. We are so thankful that God, in His perfect timing, put this together, because it was the perfect thing for us to do before leaving.
Don't ask about packing. It's not going well. We feel like we've culled everything we can, but we still have too much. Today is the day, though--after commissioning, we must finish packing.
I've thought a lot about what I'm taking away from FPO. There are so many things, too many to really get down on paper yet. But a few that are really important and obvious follow.
1. The Scripture is enough. Just like God is enough, His Word is enough, too. Bible studies are awesome, and I really enjoy them, but at the end of the day, we all need to grow in our ability to just sit with the Book and look for God's direction in it.
2. God made each of us a certain way. My personality makeup is no better nor worse than anyone else's...it's just different. I don't have to feel bad that I am a big weeper, nor does my friend Larry have to feel bad that he's cold and heartless and refuses to shed a tear...it's just how God made us. (I couldn't resist, Larry.) Seriously, it was a big epiphany to me that my personality is a gift from God, not a hindrance. I just have to be who He made me to be--but I also have to let other people be who they are. That may be harder.
3. My calling to international missions, though I can't understand how God could possibly use someone like me, is steady and sure. He has a plan and a purpose, and I just need to make sure I get out of the way.
4. There are people on the other side of the world who need to hear from me about Jesus. Why it's me in particular, I don't know. But I'm convinced that they are there waiting. I'm excited about meeting them.
5. God has a specific plan for every life that is far better than anything we can dream up on our own. Never, in a million years, would I have dreamed up a life in Moscow, Russia. I was leading a perfectly good life in Florida. But His plans are bigger and better than mine. I'm happier, more content than I've ever been in my life. I highly recommend following God's path for your life...I swear it's so much better than doing stuff on your own.
Well, it's time for me to get moving. We have so much to do today. Please pray for us especially as we say our goodbyes to our FPO family. It will be hard. We love them very, very much. But this is part of our life, and though we don't like this part of life, we're learning to be focused forward instead of backward. Pray that we will focus today on loving people and leaving people well. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
Well, my goodness! It certainly has been a big couple of days at quad 34! First, my parents arrived on Sunday, then my sisters and Marc's family yesterday, the kids had open house at school, and then last night, John-John's baptism. We are really flying down toward the finish line now, and we feel like we're going to be able to finish the race. There were days we weren't totally sure we were going to make it, but God is faithful. Over and over, if we've learned nothing else, we've learned that God is faithful.
The baptism last night was amazing. A local church let us bring John-John and Laini and baptize them there. It was so exciting. People just kept showing up! We had about 65 people there...most from our region (Central and Eastern Europe), but also some IMB staff members, John-John and Laini's teachers, some missionaries-in-residence from Egypt, and even some of the church members who didn't know us but wanted to support us. How awesome is that!? We had a great time, and it was a very special thing for us to get to be with our friends Larry and Melissa, Laini's parents, because they are just incredibly important to us. We'll be connected forever because our children's spiritual birthdays and baptism dates will always be the same. We are so thankful that God, in His perfect timing, put this together, because it was the perfect thing for us to do before leaving.
Don't ask about packing. It's not going well. We feel like we've culled everything we can, but we still have too much. Today is the day, though--after commissioning, we must finish packing.
I've thought a lot about what I'm taking away from FPO. There are so many things, too many to really get down on paper yet. But a few that are really important and obvious follow.
1. The Scripture is enough. Just like God is enough, His Word is enough, too. Bible studies are awesome, and I really enjoy them, but at the end of the day, we all need to grow in our ability to just sit with the Book and look for God's direction in it.
2. God made each of us a certain way. My personality makeup is no better nor worse than anyone else's...it's just different. I don't have to feel bad that I am a big weeper, nor does my friend Larry have to feel bad that he's cold and heartless and refuses to shed a tear...it's just how God made us. (I couldn't resist, Larry.) Seriously, it was a big epiphany to me that my personality is a gift from God, not a hindrance. I just have to be who He made me to be--but I also have to let other people be who they are. That may be harder.
3. My calling to international missions, though I can't understand how God could possibly use someone like me, is steady and sure. He has a plan and a purpose, and I just need to make sure I get out of the way.
4. There are people on the other side of the world who need to hear from me about Jesus. Why it's me in particular, I don't know. But I'm convinced that they are there waiting. I'm excited about meeting them.
5. God has a specific plan for every life that is far better than anything we can dream up on our own. Never, in a million years, would I have dreamed up a life in Moscow, Russia. I was leading a perfectly good life in Florida. But His plans are bigger and better than mine. I'm happier, more content than I've ever been in my life. I highly recommend following God's path for your life...I swear it's so much better than doing stuff on your own.
Well, it's time for me to get moving. We have so much to do today. Please pray for us especially as we say our goodbyes to our FPO family. It will be hard. We love them very, very much. But this is part of our life, and though we don't like this part of life, we're learning to be focused forward instead of backward. Pray that we will focus today on loving people and leaving people well. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
Monday, October 1, 2007
How can I say thanks?
For You, LORD, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. Psalm 86:5
Do you remember the old Gaither song, "To God be the Glory"? The first verse said, "How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved yet You came to prove Your love for me. The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to You." As FPO comes to a close, I cannot find enough ways to say thank you to those of you who have loved us, supported us, prayed for us. I cannot express my gratefulness to the IMB who provides this training. I cannot possibly find words for the beloved family we have gained here. There are not enough words in my vocabulary for that. But you know what really, really brings me to my knees in gratitude? Our giant God. Every single day, He amazes me. Every day He shows me something of Himself that is new and fresh to me. Every morning, His mercies are new. As I stood in the room with my FPO family and listened to their hearts as they requested prayer, I was stunned by the way God is moving across the nations. And even more, I was humbled that He would call me to be at work where He is already moving like the wind. How is that possible? How can I say thanks enough for allowing me to be part of this?
The reality, of course, is that I cannot give back to Him what He has given to me. I don't have enough to give. But because I owe Him my life, I can give that back to Him. I'm not always good at that. I like to keep some stuff for myself. But I just can't. It's kind of an all or nothing proposition, this spirit-filled life.
How I love Him, and how I love you! If you're holding anything back, I promise you He can be trusted with it. He is imminently faithful, beyond our ability to even comprehend. He is trustworthy--I know because I've trusted Him. If you give Him your everything, He will abundantly give you more than you could even ask for. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
Do you remember the old Gaither song, "To God be the Glory"? The first verse said, "How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved yet You came to prove Your love for me. The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to You." As FPO comes to a close, I cannot find enough ways to say thank you to those of you who have loved us, supported us, prayed for us. I cannot express my gratefulness to the IMB who provides this training. I cannot possibly find words for the beloved family we have gained here. There are not enough words in my vocabulary for that. But you know what really, really brings me to my knees in gratitude? Our giant God. Every single day, He amazes me. Every day He shows me something of Himself that is new and fresh to me. Every morning, His mercies are new. As I stood in the room with my FPO family and listened to their hearts as they requested prayer, I was stunned by the way God is moving across the nations. And even more, I was humbled that He would call me to be at work where He is already moving like the wind. How is that possible? How can I say thanks enough for allowing me to be part of this?
The reality, of course, is that I cannot give back to Him what He has given to me. I don't have enough to give. But because I owe Him my life, I can give that back to Him. I'm not always good at that. I like to keep some stuff for myself. But I just can't. It's kind of an all or nothing proposition, this spirit-filled life.
How I love Him, and how I love you! If you're holding anything back, I promise you He can be trusted with it. He is imminently faithful, beyond our ability to even comprehend. He is trustworthy--I know because I've trusted Him. If you give Him your everything, He will abundantly give you more than you could even ask for. Blessings to you and yours!
His,
Kellye
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