Russia: Day 5

Sunday was probably one of the most anticipated days of the trip, worship with other believers in Russia! Service started at noon (best idea ever!), so although we had to be at church early, we still got to sleep in a bit. Feeling well rested, and of course well fed by Sasha (he made fried eggs again), we headed to the church. With the worship center undergoing repairs, we had some logistics to figure out. Service was held in the school gym next door, but the school was also receiving annual summer maintenance. We did some sweeping and cleaning up, as well as hauling benches and other necessary items over for the service. I enjoyed seeing how everyone came together to serve and prepare even with all the changes. Once everything was in place, there was quite a bit of fellowshipping before the service.

The service was not all that different in format from our American services. We listened as they sang several songs in Russian, we chimed in with our English on the few melodies we recognized. Then Eddy had the opportunity to preach while Helen (teacher and translator) translated. It was ceratinly a neat experience to hear the message in English and Russian. 

After the service, we had the special opportunity to meet the child we sponsor, Nadya, and her family! When Eddy first expressed interest in Mission To Russia, our initial step for further involvement was choosing a child to sponsor. We were both excited and chose a girl close in age to Janna. We thought the girls could communicate with one another by letter, and of course establish a relationship that would be more meaningful over the years. 

Eddy and I were extremely grateful to have Helen and Sasha translate for us so that we could communicate with Nadya and her family. We exchanged some gifts, shared pictures of our families, and learned quite a bit more about Nadya. We also ended up having lunch (or our late afternoon meal) at the same café and Nadya entertained us with some of her dancing skills. Seeing Nadya was a special experience and an exciting reminder of why we chose to sponsor…to help another family and hopefully show the love of Christ.

Nadya's family wanted us to come to their home and spend some more time with them. Unfortunately, as soon as we finished our meal, we had to get on the road back to Moscow. So, we said goodbye to Nadya and her family, as well as the many other friends we had met from the church. The time in Kostroma was special and it went by so quickly. We certainly, and hopefully, look forward to returning in the next few years.

Eddy preaching and Helen waiting to translate.

Us with Nadya and her family.

Russia: Day 3 & 4

I am a captivated by tangible history. I wish time travel were possible simply to observe other time periods. Once something sparks my interest, I want to soak up every bit of information I can possibly find on that topic. So you can imagine my excitement as we spent the next couple of days exploring historical places in Kostroma. 

We started at Ipatiev Monastery (Ипатьевский монастырь). This monastery was established in the 1300s. The Trinity Cathedral and a private home of the Romonav family are located there. I enjoy imagining what real life was like as it took place in these buildings. We explored many historical artifacts including a letter written by Anastasia Romonav to her father.

Trinity Cathedral

Romonav Palace

After leaving the monastery, we walked down the road a bit to visit the wooden village (or Museum of Wooden Architecture). The wooden village is a collection of old wooden buildings from different regions in Russia. There were homes of various size and class, as well as different styles of churches. This also happens to be a traditional place for wedding photos. We saw six brides while in the village!

The village was rather picturesque and it certainly made you feel you were in another time and place.

A wealthy home.

One of the churches.

Beautiful backdrop of birch trees.

This was a church in Kostroma from 1712.

We finished our first sight-seeing day at a local cafe in the middle of town. Such a neat little eye-catching place with delicious food!

Russian pancakes…or dessert
(filled with cream cheese!)

Chicken wings

The next day we headed down to the Volga River for a boat cruise, which would provide us with a different and beautiful view of the city. While waiting for our tour to depart we bought some ice cream from a street vendor and walked around the nearby park. The park overlooked the river and is home to an extremely large statue of Vladimir Lenin. "The monument was originally designed to be a tribute to the Romanov dynasty, with 26 sculptures of tsars and notable historical figures positioned around the base. The seven-meter-high base was laid down in 1913 as the dynasty was celebrating a 300-year anniversary. Nicholas II and other members of the royal family took part in the ceremony. But the 1917 Revolution shattered the dynasty, and Lenin was symbolically hoisted onto the top of the structure in 1928, where he stands now at an impressive 15 meters above the ground." (Source: The Moscow Times). After our boat cruise, we went back into the city center where there is a market full of local vendors. There were many neat things to see and plenty of souvenirs for purchase.

Panorama of the river

Us with Lenin.

The monastery from the river.

Yummy treats at one of the vendors.

Later, we went to visit a local hang-out place, called the Anti-cafe, that a couple people from the church own and run. This endeavor is intended for evangelism, and is such a unique place. 

When you enter the cafe you log your arrival time, then you are directed to a coat/shoe room where you may hang your coat and exchange your shoes for slippers. Then you partake in a laid back atmosphere where you may read, play games, or simply socialize, all while enjoying tea and snacks. Rather than paying for these things individually, you pay for your time spent. A neat concept.

Comfy feet.

Treats.

Socializing.

We concluded our day with a trip to the Banya (баня). The Banya is more or less a sauna. Going to the banya with friends or family is a cultural priority in Russia. It is a place to relax and bond. You start out in the sauna, which is heated to outrageously high temperatures, hotter than any sauna I've experienced in the states. When you reach the point where you can no longer stand the heat, you exit the sauna into a type of shower room where you proceed to either jump into a ice cold tub of water, or pull a shower chain and have ice cold water dumped on your head! Finally, you exit into a living room of sorts, where you enjoy hot tea, water, and snacks. Then repeat the process…for 3 hours! I was certainly relaxed by the end, but the ice cold bath was a challenge. Definitely a unique experience!

The Banya.

Russia: Day 2

Rise-n-shine and smell the breakfast prepared by Sasha! Mmmm, he made us fried eggs with tomatoes, fried up some ham, and mixed veggies. This was actually my favorite breakfast that Sasha provided. Tasty! Got ready (220V for the hair dryer was a powerful breeze! Didn't even seem like I had a diffuser on the end…but I did!) and headed down to the van to make the rounds and pick everyone up. We drove to the church to have a tour of the building and the school (Light to the World - a Christian school). Unfortunately, the sanctuary was under repair so we only got to take a peek. The Russian government keeps its tabs on the church and school. Apparently, their building code deemed the wooden floor a fire hazard and made the church get it replaced. The government also takes quite a look into the school's affairs and curriculum, but their ever watchful eye is not without aide! The government supports the school somewhere in the range of 25-33%.

Kostroma Christian Church

Sanctuary under construction.

Alex (the guy who picked us up from the airport, school principal, church elder) gave us a tour of the school. He told us a great deal about the level of education the school provides. Many parents will send their children to the school because they want a higher level of education (not to knock their public schools, which probably have higher standards and produce better results than American schools). However, the Christian school is above par. This is an exciting opportunity for the school because teachers and other students have an opportunity to share Jesus with students. Bible is also part of their curriculum. They are certainly hearing the word. Of course, not all choose to believe, but many are being reached and in turn their parents and families are being reached and coming to the church. The school is very clear about their purpose, which ultimately is helping others reach Christ!

School purpose. 

School purpose in Russian.

Kindergarten classroom [little desks].

After touring the school, we stopped by a little grocery store to get some snacks. Eating in Russia is a top priority and we did it often! :) After food, we drove out toward the camp to visit a moose farm. This was quite a unique experience, as I'm sure that moose farms are not in abundance. I was excited considering I'd never seen a live moose. I was sure I'd see an old, large male with amazingly large antlers, nope. This moose farm operates to produce moose milk, which is available to purchase and try (yes, we did partake!), as well as to sell for it's favorable properties for stomach issues. So to produce milk, they obviously target females. When males are born they grow up on the farm, but are not tagged and do not come back. Now, how do they acquire this moose milk you  may ask. The process is not quite as simple as with cows. When a mother is pregnant and gives birth, two employees are close at hand. One to take the baby and make it believe that the human is its mother. How is this done? The employee puts birth fluid on their clothing and holds the baby…yeah I thought that was rather gross…and not right. Here's where it gets a bit more cruel. The same process happens with another employee and the mother so that the mother will believe the employee is her baby. That way the mother will return to nurse her "baby" and the employee can then milk her. So mother and baby could be standing near each other in the woods 5 years later and never know they belong to one another. Seems crazy to provide a sampling to guests and a meager supply for stomach health. So, I did not get to see a large, regal, male moose, but we did see and feed some young ones, and we also saw some babies.

Eddy's way of feeding the moose.

My way.

Next to a 2 month old moose.

I'm sure we went and ate some food again after this! You know, never miss an opportunity. :) I believe we went back to our host homes afterward to rest a bit, but this is where my memory runs out on day 2!

Russia: Travel and Day 1

Ever since I've known Eddy he's always mentioned traveling to Moscow, Russia, a dream place he wanted to visit. I always thought Russia was a unique choice. Usually, when you ask someone, "What's one place you'd like to travel to in the world?" you hear, "Italy, France, England." Russia is so far, so remote, so cold, at least in my mind. I didn't figure it was a place we were likely to visit.
A couple years ago, Eddy learned about a local mission organization called Mission to Russia (MTR). He began having conversations with a few key people who were involved with MTR. It wasn't long before MTR asked Eddy to join the board. We certainly prayed about this opportunity. Eddy was rather excited about the opportunity to work with a mission group focused on Russia, the potential to travel to Russia, and the blessing of a purpose to go there. Fast-forward to July 2015 and we were Russia bound!

This will probably be my most detailed post of the trip. I began writing about what we were doing and experiencing while we were in Russia, however, down time was a luxury we didn't have on this trip. I was not able to journal much after the first day of the trip. Hopefully, my memory will serve me well as I write about subsequent days!

We left Atlanta on Tuesday, July 7 about noon and headed for NY. A two hour layover awaited us in the Big Apple, and then we boarded the plane for the 9 hour flight to Moscow. We had hoped to sleep and rest a bit on the flight, but we were unsuccessful. Aside from excitement, we were flying so far north that the sun never set! Even with shades down and sleep masks on sleep evaded us. So, instead we caught up on recent movies (4 between the 2 of us), and took in the scenery of Greenland as we flew over. It was pretty neat to see the vast difference in terrain (flat and green moving to mountainous and snowy) as we flew over the country.

Outer edge of Greenland

Mountainous terrain in Greenland

Wednesday morning, July 8, we arrived in Moscow! (9:30am Moscow time; 1:30am CST). By this point, we'd been awake for 18 1/2 hours, but it was morning and we had a full day ahead of us. We quickly learned how Russians operate with time and schedules. Hurry up…and wait. After getting luggage, and clearing customs, we waited about 1/2 an hour for Alex (Principal of the Christian school and an elder of the Christian church in Kostroma) to pick us up from the airport. We piled into the church's well-used, red van and began the 5 hour drive to Kostroma. We soon experienced Moscow traffic, which by comparison, is worse than L.A. traffic! In addition, there are some places on the interstate that have no lane markings, more or less a free-for-all that had us a bit nervous. Quite an introduction!
Once out of Moscow, we drove about half way to Kostroma and then stopped at a little roadside cafe [КАФЕ] Our first Russian meal! The food was different, but what we tried there was good. We had some soup, basically vegetable soup, and even Eddy really enjoyed it. We also tried, Pelmeni, a dish of little sausage balls inside pasta, served with sour cream. Pretty tasty, and one of our favorite things we tried while in Russia.

The cafe where we ate on the way to Kostroma

Back in the van, for the last leg to Kostroma, we fought off sleep. We tried to keep each other awake with lively conversation.. However, we met our demise when Dan (another guy involved with MTR)  told us he felt like he was standing on a bridge over an abyss and a giant hand was trying to pull him down! One-by-one we let the hand pull us into the abyss. Zzzzz…we all slept for at least an hour, maybe two, which certainly helped pass the time. Once we awoke, we were on the outskirts of Kostroma.
We stopped at a gas station for a bathroom break and some sodas. Eddy and I shared our first coke with a Russian name on the side! [ЯрослаВ] We proceeded through town, crossing the confluence of the Volga and Kostroma rivers. We headed to a local cafe for some dinner. More Russian food to try! I wanted to have the same soup from earlier in the day, but unfortunately I picked Borscht soup (beet soup). It was unique for sure and I can say I tried it, but that was the first and last time. 

Russian Coke!

Next we drove out to camp. Students from the church and school were having a summer camp. ("My Way"). We drove out of Kostroma quite a ways, then got off on a dirt road for a while, then got off on a grassy track that progressed to dirt and then mud as we weaved and meandered through a field down into a valley, alongside a stream produced by a cool water spring. So when I say camp, I mean wilderness camp, set up tents, dig holes for outhouses, build campfires, set up a generator for the main tent, and set a up a potable water system. Russians know how to camp!
We enjoyed our evening at the camp where we got to meet and talk with lots of kids. Several spoke English very well and we enjoyed exchanging stories and learning about one another. We were served a second dinner for the evening: mashed up potatoes and ham with bread…and pickles. Russians eat pickles with everything! After our tasty dinner, we hiked up a ridge that overlooked the camp and the valley. Such a beautiful view! We made our way back down to camp and prepared for the evening worship service. It was such a neat experience to hear others worshiping God in another language. Some songs were familiar and we sang along in English. Then we listened to a lesson as it was translated into Russian. 

View of camp from the ridge.

Some of the kids and some of the travelers.

We left the camp about 11:00pm. On our way out the van got stuck in the mud. More excitement for our first day! Everyone had to unload as Sasha (Executive Minister for the church) tried to get the van out of the mud. We all hiked back up to the dirt road and eventually Sasha met us with the van. Finally, we were headed to our host homes. After driving around Kostroma dropping everyone off, we made it to Sasha's house. Bedtime! We made it to bed by 12:30am (4:30pm CST). Aside from our short nap on the way to Kostroma, we were awake for 33 1/2 hours from the time we got up to leave the US until our heads hit the pillow at Sasha's house. Our first day was nothing short of an adventure!

Living Room & Hall Makeover

Let me start by saying that I am so thankful for a husband who gives me time for me and time to do things I love…like painting the house! I suppose it helps that he loathes painting and the mess that comes along. So, he'd rather pack up the kids and hit the road than hang around for the excitement. :)

Back in mid-July, Eddy took Janna and Luke to a friend's house at a lake in Wisconsin (Emery is still a bit young to enjoy wilderness fun). They explored and enjoyed the beach at the lake. I enjoyed a week to give our living room and hallway a facelift, as well as a clean home, i.e. no kids toys covering the premises during the day. Check out the fruits of my labor!

Emery's Birth Story

Well, this post is certainly overdue (ha, pun intended), but as one can imagine, my life has suddenly become a bit more full. Here is the story of Emery's birth:
My due date was set for Sunday March 30, but I suspected that date would come and go as it did with Janna and Luke. At my 39 week appointment, my doctor and I chose an induction date past the 40 week point. We were set to go in to the hospital the evening of April 1st at 8pm. Tuesday finally arrived and I received a call from the hospital. I assumed they were calling to remind me of my induction (as if I needed reminding!), but they were requesting I come in later (9-10pm). Bummer! Apparently, there was quite the abundance of babies making their entrance into the world that week. So, we preceded with our plan and dropped the kids off at the Sieve's house to spend the night. Since we now had some time on our hands, Eddy and I went to catch one last movie (Non-Stop) before we started a movie hiatus! After the movie, we headed to the hospital and arrived there about 10:15pm. The hospital had not been exaggerating their influx of pregnant mommas! We had to sit in the family waiting room for about half an hour while they cleaned and prepared a room for us. At 10:45 we finally got a room and began to get settled.
With the baby boom underway I was given minimal attention, a single nurse spared at brief intervals for the duty of "check-in." Eddy and I enjoyed time to talk until, finally, the on-call doc came by to see me at 1:00 am and gave the okay to start Cervidil. Yay! Things were finally getting started. Over the next 6 hours I tried to rest amidst mild contractions. At 7:00am I received my first progress report...2 cm. Seriously? I was definitely disappointed. However, my nurse was very optimistic stating that Cervidil usually takes about 12 hours to progress that far. Well, that was slightly affirming. Time to move on with Pitocin.
I was a bit surprised that Pitocin was not accompanied with breaking my water. This had been my experience with my last 2 births, but I was honestly relieved. My biggest concern with inducing was that I'd either be sent home or worse, not progress and end up with a C-section. The nurse's optimism with my progress encouraged me and I looked forward to the next phase.
About noon I received my next progress check: 3 cm. Man! It sure didn't feel like things were moving along. At this rate, the baby wouldn't show up until Thursday. I could already picture me having spent two nights in the hospital with no baby. The next step was to break my water, but again I was concerned about a C-section. However, the nurse continued to encourage me, saying that even though my progress seemed slow she thought I was moving along nicely. Okay, on with the show. Once my water was broken, contractions began to intensify, get a bit closer together, and pain increased too.
As we moved into the afternoon, Eddy went out to pick up Janna from preschool. After he left I knew it was time for an epidural. I had hopes to make it 5 cm before receiving the epidural. However, with what seemed like such slow progress and the exponential increase of pain and contractions, I knew it was time to get some relief...ahhhh, drugs. Okay, I was ready to hang in there for another day. Ha! Time for another check. I was at 5 cm! Woah! How did that happen? I'll take it! That also meant I had been pretty close, if not at my goal before getting the epidural. I was certainly feeling more optimistic and things began to progress more rapidly. It wasn't long before I was calling Eddy and saying, "Hey, you need to get back. I'm at 9 cm!"
Delivery prep was now under way and my doctor was en route to the hospital! Nurses were in and out of the room as they began setting up the doctor's delivery table and prepping stuff needed for the baby. I constantly heard, "Do you feel pressure? or the need to push?" To which I kept responding, "I'm okay." I knew the baby was coming, but I was hoping my doctor would make it in time. Finally, my doctor whisked into the room, grabbed her delivery attire, and got into position. 3 pushes later at 5:30 pm our baby had arrived weighing 7 lbs. 11 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches long. The doctor announced, "It's a girl!" Our guesses were right and it really was a cool feeling to be surprised after the long wait. Eddy almost immediately asked me her name, and as everyone now knows, I replied, "Emery." Our baby had finally arrived.

Easter 2014

I'm a little behind the times, but considering I have a 6-week old and two other kids, I think that's acceptable. ;) Eddy's summer schedule is in swing so that should afford me a little more time to do some fun things like blogging and posting pictures. Yay!
Easter Weekend, Emery was 2 1/2 weeks old! Our church offered 5 services over the weekend. We went Friday night and then enjoyed a full weekend of family time and celebrating that Christ is risen and alive. Sunday morning was leisurely. We got up and enjoyed a nice breakfast together. Then we did our pictures and egg hunt. My good friend Erin invited us to her home for lunch. We spent time with her family and enjoyed a delicious lunch and another egg hunt, which the kids were thrilled about! We had a very nice weekend together.

Family Easter pic
(Probably our first as a family of 5!)

Easter buckets…even one for Emery.

On the hunt.

Daddy with Emery.

Hunt #2 @ Erin's house.

Perusing the goods.