Terry's Russia Blogosphere

Veteran's Day

Today is the day when America honors its military veterans.  For some  it is just another day.  For others, a day which brings back memories; some good, some not so good. 

For those who never served on active duty it is hard to relate.  Those who did serve oftentimes are at a loss for words if trying to describe what it was.  Civilian life and military life are simply two different worlds. 

Not every veteran has fond memories of their time in.  I well remember the massive amount of complaining by the soldiers while I was serving in overseas posts.  It was a shocking adjustment for me when I transitioned out of basic training and school to life in Germany.  Going from a seemingly highly motivated atmosphere into a group of dissatisfied crybabies.  I can still hear the black soldiers looking at the white soldiers in disbelief, they had a saying, "Stop cryin'".  They had a point! 

It would take a large book to explain all the things I learned and experienced in the military.  I'll probably never write that one!  However, (LOL) I was born on an Air Force Base and that's where I grew up.  I knew every piece of equipment which flew over our houses on those bases.  When my dad retired we moved to Tampa and I learned all the civilian planes.  I was sure I would join the Air Force myself, I even wore my dads fatigue top to high school a few times, which drew the wrath of one of my teachers.  

Somehow I got the idea that the Army was the life for me though and my dad couldn't believe it.  Long story short, I got to serve in the Europe, Panama, the Middle East and the U.S.  I've been a heavy equipment mechanic, a driver, a cook serving with the field artillery and a military policeman. 

I salute the veterans of today's military, yesterday's military and the American people who honor them.  Take my word for it, please, there is no country like ours.  Freedom is at stake and if we are not willing to continue to pay the price to keep it we will lose it. 

I believe that those who gave of themselves to keep our flag would agree.

20 Years Ago the Berlin Wall Came Down

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Twenty years ago, the most hideous symbol of communist oppression in Europe was taken down.  The Berlin Wall - the Berliner Mauer. 

Nearly thirty years ago I stood at that wall and looked over into the country of East Germany.  I took this picture from the lookout point of the Military Police at Check Point Charlie. 

That day, I stood on the sidewalk for an extended period of time watching the Soviet officers travel in and out of the east.  I took it all in and it made a life-long impact on me.  If you weren't around back then you may not remember how it felt.  Politics were different. 

In the Soviet sector of Berlin, which was occupied by the French, British, United States and Soviet Union, each with their own sectors, control was established on every level.  Stalin channeled directives (mandates) down from Moscow to Berlin where both property and industry were nationalized (taken over by the government), and a form of political correctness was established.  If statements or directives deviated from the party line punishments were doled out, sometimes harshly. 

There was compulsory Marxism-Leninism curriculum in schools where students were turned into ideological, militaristic citizens.  An elaborate police state was created where the citizens were kept under strict surveillance by the Soviet SMERSH and later the East German STASI.  People were afraid to speak in public for fear of being overheard and turned in. 

Men and women longed to cross into the western sector even if it meant leaving their homes.  Soon, that would be impossible as they were imprisoned behind that wall in 1961.  The history is there for the reading.

Communism took the God-given freedoms of millions of people, replacing freedom with poverty, shortages, lack and few choices.  Often, especially during the days of Stalin, people were deprived of life itself.  Even the freedom of conscience was taken away.  It was anti-social and a threat to the "people" if you were a Christian and the church was forced underground.  Many believers died in prison. 

As a young soldier in Germany I can remember not only standing in Berlin looking at the wall but I also served on the border, far from Berlin.  I remember the snowy winters standing at the East German border where I saw the double fences, tank ditches, mine fields and guards with German shepherds and binoculars looking over at us.  A few kilometers inward there was a division of Soviet tanks.  They were keeping us out and their citizens in.  

I've since met some of those same tankers.  We live in Moscow now, the former center of Communism.  We are building the church of the Lord Jesus Christ here because the Russian people want to serve God.  I am thankful for what God has done. 

Almost 30 years ago I desired to reach into the nations where socialism stole the God-given rights of humanity.  Today, I am seeing the good news of Christ proclaimed throughout the former Soviet Union.  Gott ist in der himmel und er lebt in ewigkeit!  Jesus ist den herrn!

It's Getting Cold in Russia

Our Innovative Moscow Mayor

Say what you will about Yuri Luzhkov, I think Moscow has a mayor who is always one step ahead.  A man with ideas about how to better his city, he is making plans now to keep the snow from hitting Moscow during the upcoming winter season. 

Having lived here for over a decade and visiting here before that a few times I can attest to the fact that snow in this giant of a city is a problem!  Every year you see a constant parade of dump trucks and snow removal crews hitting the highways and the traffic, which is already beyond description comes to a slow crawl or a complete standstill - for hours.  Many of the trucks simply dump the snow into the rivers here but that doesn't even take care of all of it.  It's Russia after all, isn't it? 

We usually have a blanket of snow from November until March.

Well, this year Mayor Luzhkov is taking the budget which is normally used to shovel the streets and he's hitting the air with it.  It is even going to be cheaper.  He is tasking the Air Force to spray the clouds with cement powder, dry ice or silver iodide. 

If he sprays the incoming blizzards, which Moscow is so famously prone to, before they get to the city then they will dump their snow on the outlying regions.  Moscow will be spared the snarl of traffic and the tons and tons of snow, but the regions have a little debate going on about it.  What about their streets?

We shall see what this winter shall bring.  I for one, as a muscovite, will be happy to have a clear sidewalk to park on and a clean road to drive down.

Happy motoring Moscow!

Election Season in Moscow

As we walk around our neighborhood we cannot help but notice the many posters from the different candidates for the state Duma.  Those who win will represent their local regions.  There are several parties involved, such as the one with Vladimir Zhirinovski's picture.  You can see him all over town and he is a well-liked Duma member. 

He is known for his sometimes over-the-top statements and his antics in the Duma where he once had a fist fight with another one of the parliament members, who happened to be female.  

One of his local billboards reads, "Moscow for Muskovites".  This flier showing his picture says, "Only LDPR or suffer further".

Another well advertised party is that of the "United Russia" party with the symbol of the Russian bear.  It is probably the most represented of the parties in the Duma.  It is also sometimes referred to as the Kremlin Party.

The poster which caught my attention though was the one by one of the communist party members who had a very familiar slogan.

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is still very active and have been attracting many of the youth here in Russia.  You can very often see them at street demonstrations during the various holidays waving red flags and chanting slogans.

This poster at left says, "Uniting for the sake of Change". Where have I heard that one before? 

It could be a winning ticket with a slogan like that one.  Of course, the posters also promise free housing and other socialistic ideals.

We shall see what the results will be come October 11th.  I'm sure many will be out to vote.  Interestingly, Russia went from a Monarchy to the Soviet Union's Marxist Socialism and Communism to Democracy under Yeltsin to what many have called an autocratic government of today.  I don't think that this will ever be Soviet again but people do feel comfortable with what they've always had.

Doc Horton - Dies at 88.

One of our most beloved instructors at Rhema has gone on to be with the Lord.  Rev. W.M. "Doc" Horton. 

He taught at Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1981 - 1994.  

Terri & I were there for all of his classes from 1983-1985.  He was an inspirational teacher.  His belly was full of fire, so to speak.  Who could forget his most famous example of how to preach when he quoted President Abraham Lincoln.  Lincoln said, "...When I listen to a man preach I want to see him fight bees!"  

Doc's rendition of fighting bees went back to his childhood when they stood on the bee's nests in the ground with two paddles.  When they stomped on the nest the bees started to fly out and you had to fight for your life if you didn't want to get stung!  Of course, Doc acted the whole thing out for us and we all cheered him on!

Our first day at Rhema as newby students saw Doc come waltzing in to the hall with a big wad of chewing gum in his mouth.  He then proceeded to take it out of his mouth and plop it right onto the front of the pulpit!  That's brother Hagin's pulpit, mind you!  We all got the hint that there would be no gum chewing in school after that...

Being from Florida I especially appreciated his example of a "toad soaker"....that's a heavy rain storm and many people had heard of that slang term for it.  But, who ever heard of the Georgia version of it?  Doc told us about a "lightin' knot soaker".  That's what they had in Georgia when he was a kid.  I guess you could google "lighter pine" to find out what that is...

Doc endeared himself to the students as a very touchable person.  He always recognized Terri when he would see her by saying, "There's that little Church of God girl!" or, "Hey, shorter than I am..."

I last got to speak with Doc when I was in Dallas at the KCM Minister's convention.  I'm so thankful for that opportunity.  We will miss you Doc!  Say hello to dad Hagin for us!

Ninth Year Anniversary at our Church in Moscow

Today we celebrated together as a church family.  Nine years of growing together and seeing great fruit in the Kingdom of God here in Russia! 

Our family has lived in Russia for over a decade now and I must say that it has been one of the most rewarding 10 years of our lives.  We are enriched in every way you can imagine.  Terri and I have fallen in love with the Russian people who have embraced us so very warmly.  I see things with a much greater understanding of culture and people than ever before. 

Becoming a "missionary" is more than moving to a foreign country from your own.  I knew from the beginning that there would be challenges, and there have been those, however I have learned that in order to be effective you must do just as the Apostle Paul wrote to us.  He said that "...I become all things to all people"...

We have found that learning the language is always the first step yet that is only the first thing.  Being a "missionary" means becoming someone different than you were when you came.  You must not only change your ability to communicate, you must, and I say must change your mentality, your thinking and way of doing things.

When we are in Russia we still feel like foreigners on occasion but most of the time, we are Russian.  That is the only way possible to be effective. 

This was our ninth birthday today for our church.  I want to say thank you to all of our Russian friends and family for making this the most wonderful years I can remember. 

September is Here and School is in Session!

A new group of students have arrived and classes are underway!

Even Tyler and Leah are attending class to finish their training for ministry.  They take time after having a full day of work with the youth ministry and House of Mercy orphanage to take classes.

Everything is new this year from our office and classrooms, new instructors and of course all our newly oriented students. 

Moscow is quite sunny and warm right now after a long, rainy summer.  Though we've enjoyed the sunshine, its not so fun to sit in a classroom with so many bodies giving off so much heat.  Sometimes, I ask them if they're still awake and give them a break to get some water.

It is going to be quite a year this year.  We're even starting a music curriculum which we've not offered before.  Lots of work to be done, lots of lives to be enriched by the Word of God.

Happy Independece Day

Its counter-culture shock all over again

Well, that's not exactly the way that Yogi Berra's famous phrase goes but its appropriate in our case. 

We live outside the United States for the majority of the year and each year when we return to our homeland it is like coming back to an almost foreign country.  It doesn't take that long to readjust of course, but it is an interesting experience to say the least.

It often grabs us at the most unexpected times as well.  I once remember being overwhelmed while I was standing in the grocery store.  It was nothing out of the ordinary and that is what is so profound.  Once, Terri stopped off at the local Wal-Mart and wandered around for literally four hours.  Her sister had to come back after doing her own shopping and coax her out of the store. 

I think it is a combination of things, not necessarily that we don't see goods and products where we are but it is nice to be back to the familiar things we know here.  This year, I was going along about life when we checked into going to the YMCA.  What a nice facility at such a reasonable price!  You can't touch that at the fitness clubs in Moscow...yow!  It was nice to finally exercise again....

One of the funny things I notice comes from our friends who start relating to us the funniest commercials they like and ask us if we've seen them.  We are pretty clueless when it comes to the pop culture issues now. 

We're very glad to be here in the U.S. but our home is not only here now.  We literally are accustomed to living among many cultures and it is all a learning experience.  Though there are cultural differences between the nations we are enriched in our lives to be part of many cultures.  It is a little taste of what heaven will be like before we get there!