Terry's Russia Blog

Striking Pictures from Russia a Century Ago

Here is a link that I think you might enjoy.  These are pictures from Russia in 1909 and 1910 - in color!

Russia in Color

 

Missing America Today

After living in Russia for nearly twelve years and having lived in several other countries before that I have grown accustomed to being in a foreign culture.

However,there are those moments when you just miss being home.

Today is one such "moment". These moments can sometimes last for days, depending on the season or circumstances surrounding you. This is of course time for the American Thanksgiving holiday - simply my favorite time of the year!

After navigating the combat zone known as a Russian grocery store, where you must do battle with the babushki and their out-of-control carts, the stock clerks with their forklifts and pallets in the middle of the aisles to the grumpy cashiers, we stopped in at the brand new Starbucks. Wow!!!

Greeted by a friendly staff who actually spoke good English I was suddenly back home. The whole place is decorated for Christmas (which they don't do) with gingerbread coffee and Christmas blend and new cups of all types. Next week they will have pumpkin cake and cranberry. Oh, my!

They even play American music. How cool is that?!

I am going to miss the turkey and football this year. Sometimes just being there is the only cure. Most of our American friends don't really know what it feels like and that makes it difficult to relate our feeling on this one. Even celebrating a Thanksgiving dinner with our friends here overseas is difficult since that is a work day in Russia. Trying to mesh everyone's schedule is a logistics nightmare sometimes. On the actual holiday Terri is teaching three hours in the seminary and I teach and hour and a half.

It was nice though to step into Starbucks and relax for a few today.

Veteran's Day - A Day of Honor

Today is a day of remembrance and honor.  Honor is something that U.S. military men and women are taught from the outset of their training.  Without honor there is no cohesion as a unit, no respect for authority and no purpose for serving.  Soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and coasties who do not embrace this fundamental aspect of military service are considered misfits and a burden on those soldiers who must carry their weight.  

Without honor, military members cannot endure multiple deployments in overseas areas with the required motivation.  With this sense of honor and duty however, they excel and are promoted more quickly than those who are just biding their time and waiting for that "freedom bird" and that coveted twenty year letter. 

It is blaringly obvious that those in society who skirt service of country hold a different set of principles.  Instead of honor there is self-promotion.  Instead of the love of country and freedom there is only the use of others and the greedy attitude of a taker instead of a server.  Those young people who choose not to serve their country often look for ways to sign up on the public dole in some form or fashion.  That attitude can even come from the top.

When our representatives travel abroad to apologize for the United States, calling governments such as Indonesia a great nation, a government, which oppresses freedom of speech and religion, it is a thumb in the eye of every service member standing watch at his or her post, eating dust and enduring hardships that people at home in their comfy rockers, watching football and eating turkey never dream of. 

Our military derseves the highest honor.  Today at least, we should give it to them. 

Ministry in the Urals Region

Last week, Terri and I flew out to the Ural Mountains to hold a pastor's conference with our friends, Sergei and Natasha Bagretsov.  They are directors of Good News Association of Pastors and Churches for Russia and Ukraine. 

It was, frankly good to visit one of the cities out of the Moscow region.  Part of our survival mechanism for living in this montrous city is to visit other regions of Russia and other countries from time to time.  It isn't just us, the Russians themselves also do this as often as possible.  In fact, they will drive for three hours on friday night (or more) just to get out of town to their dacha and return in brutal traffic jams on Saturday or Sunday nights.  Quite a price to pay just for a day's break from the city. 

We weren't just going on a weekend trip though.  This conference has been planned for some time and Terri and I enjoy serving the Russian pastors and their wives and leaders very much.  They too enjoy getting some in-depth ministry for their weekend.  Often they travel quite a distance to attend. 

Terri taught several sessions with some very pratical application regarding how to counsel their people.  She calls it "Soul Care" since that is a more Biblical way to name it.  (Hebrews 13:17)  Those pastors were very thankful for gaining some practical tools, which they could immediately begin implementing in their ministries.  It enabled them to do their jobs much more effectively and easily. 

The weather there was colder than Moscow.  While we were there the rain turned into a heavy snow storm. 

The city itself has been used as a major source of industry for Russia since the 1930's.  It was in Chelyabinsk that the famous T-34 tanks were developed to fight off the Germans.  Those tanks changed the war. It was once called Tankagrad.

After WWII, atomic energy and weapons were delveloped there and the city was closed until the early 90's.  In the 1950's there was a major atomic accident with many casualties.  There are at least five nuclear power plants there today, supplying power to the area.  It is listed as one of the most polluted places on the planet!  It is quite a barren landscape there as well.  Nothing but rocks and lakes, apparently from an ancient glacier.  The name Chelyabinsk comes from the local, ancient dialect meaning a hole in the ground.

The fact that we are able to take the message of Christ into places like these is humbling.  There is always a need and we have never seen an apathetic face at any of these meetings.  It is quite refreshing!  It is also quite a privilege. 

 

Elections in the U.S. are Still Effective

President James Garfiled is quoted as once saying,  "Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. If the next centennial does not find us a great nation it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces."

History shows us whether he is right or not about the 20th century in America.  I believe we have had good leaders, great leaders and some poor leaders.  The point I make is this:  In the U.S., a citizen's vote is a real vote, which is taken into account.  There, you do not have to choose between one evil crook against another evil crook or take your life into your hands if you cast a ballot, fearing a bullet when you leave the balloting station.  In the U.S. your freedom is in tact.

Some will say that they're all evil crooks.  To that I say, "You need to travel more."

America, cast your vote this year.  It counts.  You are responsible for the character of the congress.

Checking Out Saigon

Today, we have the first free day since arriving in Saigon!  We have been quite busy with meetings, taxiing from one side of the city to the other.  This city, now called Ho Chi Minh City is quite a bit different from the north.  The accent is noticeably different and the people are quite a bit more laid back.  Everywhere you look are motorbikes, small soup shops and vegetable stands to elite coffee shops and fancy hotels.  Contrast is the name of the game, old and new live together.

We have been working with a fully licensed and registered church here in Saigon.  They have the ability to have a Bible Institute, which we were asked to share to students to various other meetings.  In 2009, they held a Christmas meeting where over 35,000 people showed up.  They have great favor here and are free to worship as they wish.  We have had several meetings with this pastor and he is a very wonderful man.  I have the utmost respect for him and what God is doing with the people through his ministry.

We have also been surveying the business community here.  Vietnam is a developing country and opportunity abounds here.  There are many foreign businessmen here working in the local economy.  It does my heart good to see and I am especially thankful to our several U.S. presidents who have developed better relations with this great country. 

As I get the chance I will post our pictures to this blog.  I haven't been able to thus far because our camera was lifted out of our carry on bags at JFK airport by the baggage handlers when they made us stow them under the smaller plane last year.  I bought a new camera only last week when we were in Hanoi.  Thank God for camera shops here in Asia!

In just a few minutes we'll be visiting the big market area downtown then visiting a coffee shop with American coffee.  After that, we'll go to our friend from Russia's ice cream shop.  She is a graduate of our school in Moscow and has moved back home here to Vietnam.  It's pretty awesome when you have so many friends in a country that you're only visiting the first time.

Tyler and I Continue our Visit in Vietnam!

Today is literally the first chance I have had to post something while we are here in the country of Vietnam.  We have been quite busy over the past week and a half.   

Every day, we have gone to meetings with friends, both old and new in North Vietnam as well as South Vietnam.  Our first week was spent with our long-time friends from Hawaii who have now moved to Hanoi.  They are involved there with business and doing any kind of business in Southeast Asia is a different ball game.

We quite enjoyed our time in Hanoi.  It is a beautiful city to begin with and they are now preparing the whole city for their 1000th year anniversary.  All over are red flags and posters of Ho Chi Minh.  Its quite a sight to behold.

Now, we are in former Saigon.  There is quite a bit of difference between these two cities.  The north has more trees and rice fields.  Down here all we have seen are smalls shops and big markets.  On top of that there are literally millions of motor scooters traveling the roads.  They own the road!

 Crossing the street here takes a bit of practice, especially since none of the bikes actually stop, you just kind of weave your way slowly through the masses.  Just look them in the eye and they will flow right around you.  The first time was scary but now it feels natural.

We really have gotten a kick out of seeing some of the larger items being carried on the backs of these bikes, to include furniture, live animals, stuffed animals, TV's, small children, several children, big pigs, and anything else you can and cannot imagine that would fit.

We are still having several meetings every day and we are finding out a great deal about Vietnamese culture.  It has to been one of the coolest, unexpected, untamed and friendly countries we have visited so far.  The food is over the top fantastic, with the exception of a few items that we tried like chicken intestines and stewed dog meat.  Other than those two, it has been a culinary treat.  

Tyler and I have been having the time of our lives.  We're exhausted and happy and we believe that we have made friends with a great many people here.  What else could you ask for?  

Tenth Anniversay of Moscow Good News Church

Wow!  Has it been ten years already? 

Terri & I attended the third service of the Moscow Good News Church way back in the year 2000 and we caught the vision for what God would do here in Moscow and we've been here since.  Thank God for His plans!

Our family had been in Russia as full-time missionaries already, we began our missionary work back in 1995 with Josh McDowell Ministry, and we had been traveling the four corners of this gargantuan nation with the message of Christ.  During those days we were the first foreigners to arrive in some of the cities we visited. 

The Lord has done many great things during the past ten years yet that is only the beginning of what He wants to do here.  Moscow Good News Church is one of the leading churches in this part of the world and many lives have been touched.  We are so very grateful for the chance to work here in Moscow, Russia. 

If you would like to watch our Sunday services there is a link on the church website at:  Moscow Good News Church.

Look what the Lord has done!

Remembering September 11th

Today is the ninth anniversary of the most horrific act of aggression on U.S. soil by a foreign enemy in American history.

When that day came so long ago, our family was in Moscow, we were getting ready to go to the store for some groceries when we saw the second plane fly into the tower.  When that happened we did not go anywhere out of our building.

One of the Soviet veterans of W.W. II asked me right then, "Is there going to be a war?"  I answered very simply, "They just started one, there already is a war."  He wanted to know if the U.S. would act militarily.  I said, "Absolutely".

My Russian friends felt very deeply about what happened that day.  Aside from all the hype on the news, which is distinctly critical of everything the U.S. does, by every country's media establishment, not only in America, my Russian friends truly like us and Americans in general.  Its a pity though that so many of them have been poisoned in their thinking by what the news media say.  I believe with all my heart that they take the lead from the American media when they criticize the U.S., they are just jumping on the band wagon.

Anyway, it seems to me that too many have forgotten what happened or they have been indoctrinated about it one way or the other.  I'm saddened by the tone that I felt in the air when I came back to the states this year.  People are divided.  There is one thing that will bring them back together and that is to return to our foundations as a nation.  Have faith in God and live free.  Obey the scriptures about walking in love toward your neighbor - like it used to be in America.  Instead of selfishly seeking out what's best for "me and my own", give to someone else and believe in each other.

I say, Don't let the haters of democracy and American values win by dividing us as a people.  Once again, set the example to the world that the goodness, which is in us comes through to shine as a beacon on the hill. 

Fall Session at Good News Seminary

We have begun a new year here at the Good News Seminary. 

Our first night of class took place this week with many new students coming to learn the Word of God and to find their places in the Body of Christ. 

During our classes we depend upon the Holy Spirit to direct us and lead us - according to the Word.  The Spirit and the Word agree. 

The power of God is always evident and we have experienced His presence on many occasions as the inspirational teaching is refreshes and waters people's spirits. 

This year, we are starting off with courses such as Principles of Faith and a course by Mrs. Terri called Biblical Foundations.  This class alone will set the tone for the year and help the students line up their beliefs according to the Word of God and not just tradition or erroneous doctrine. 

We have students from many countries such as Ethiopia, Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia, Korea, and Vietnam.  These spiritually hungry students are ready to receive and that means the Lord is ready to move on their behalf!  

It takes a great commitment from the students and they find out right away that a decision to learn like that always pays off. 

Our school is proof that God's Word is eternal.  It surpasses any and all cultural, political and language barriers.  It brings life and light to anyone who will hear it. 

Pray for our students and instructors as we all seek the will of God together.  He will do great and mighty things!