Sticking tape to children's bottoms to test whether they are ready to go swimming and owners kicking their dogs in the street.
The 'joys' of life in Russia!
Add to the above the bitter wind starting to pick up even though its only October. The clocks go back tonight so I have no idea how dark it's going to feel tomorrow night.
I started to think to myself recently that as an English man (where lets face it the weather IS a big deal) going to Russia on mission is quite high up on the chart of difficult places to be - topped only by maybe the Poles (where, I believe, the weather is even worse!) or maybe a Jungle Tribe with no written language. After that I'm stuck? There are other very tough places, don't get me wrong - the 10/40 window being one - but at least its hot there? That's a bonus for an English person.
But praise God that we don't base such choices on our own plans (if so I think I'd be 'working' for God somewhere around Palm Springs in southern California!) No, God is about more than that in us all. I am so thankful for many people I personally know who are all around the world because God has spoken to them.
And God spoke to us too about Russia, so we came with that in mind - this is where God wants us. How long for, who knows? But it's at least a season.
It has struck me as I've walked the streets here trying to go about 'normal' life that Russia is a very harsh country to grow old in. Seeing much older men and women searching through bins, begging, working, struggling, is a hard sight. Thinking of the bitter cold, the rising costs, getting about, I might have to face the reality one day that this will be me. I'm sure the harsh climate and pace of life does age people quicker here but has God sent me here to see out my days, to never have the warmth of somewhere but instead the bitter Russian winters which, with other things, the countries famous for.
I need not think this way though. My God is about a good work, a wonderful work. Such thoughts, though they exist I must admit, they do not originate from God. No, Satan loves to try and get in there.
He tried hard at the beginning of this month and for a time I fell - but God's grace was big enough even to reach me again, a sinner. And yet I'm a son. Adopted, forgiven, belonging. All by the grace of Jesus Christ, the work of the cross. That wonderful cross.
So I come to the end of the month as somewhere who's sailed through a bad storm that threatened to sink the boat (the Apostle Paul knows all about these) and get even before the month is out the outlook is much brighter, the rain clouds cannot be seen and the sun, or the SON, is clearly visible where before I had looked only at the clouds that had got in the way.
I praise God that I am in Russia. Only time will tell of all that happens to me in this vast nation but as long as I remain in the Fathers will, as long as I do all that God has for me, I will not complain about anything that might come my way. - Lord, I pray your blessings and protection on me and my family. Please do not allow the enemy to have one tiny fraction of an advantage on us. Keep us all in your will my loving Father. Blessed be your name. Amen.
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Saturday, October 25, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Mission Realities - Good Communication
Communication is vital in all aspects of life nowadays and this is especially true when you are maybe thousands of miles away from those people that have backed you, supported you and continue to do so.
I would strongly recommend that you don't wait until you are abroad or have left your home base before building up your communication.
My experience has been that a lot came out of the strong communication channels that were set up long before be left.
Explore the new technologies - don't dismiss something because you don't understand it.
For me this was Facebook. I have come across people who are 'anti' such networks as a principle, which I just have to accept, but if you are going on mission you need to use as much communication as possible, and therefore you need to use what most other people (including your supporters) are already using.
Facebook for us has become a real tool - which is the real purpose of any new technology as long as you use it correctly and wisely.
I would highly recommend it.
It's most useful function is the Groups that you can set up. In a moment of...guidance?...I set up the 'Tim & Rachel to Russia' group. It is a prayer group that people could join. We can just send one message that goes to all member and they get the messages in their email inbox (if they've allowed that option, otherwise its just on Facebook).
In the first few weeks only a few people were in the group but as our updates were sent out (for us each Tuesday) the numbers grew and today its around 150 people I think - from 6 continents. Christians united around the world to partner with us in prayer.
This group was started about 10 months before we left the UK.
Now, and there have been plenty of times already, we have an instant large group of people to send a message to for prayer when an emergency has arisen.
But also by involving people in your journey, at least a part of your journey, it really helps people know how to support you as they feel they are part of things.
We also had some contact/business cards made up (visit Vista Print who do them very cheap). This gave details of the Facebook group, as well as our email and Skype address (voice over Internet phone service). We strongly urged most people interesting in our journey to sign up to Facebook, of which about 90% were able to, if not already using it. It's just the most convenient way for us to communicate to a large group all at the same time.
Who knows, in 10 years time there may be 10,000 members. Think of the problems you'd have if you'd just relied on emailing people....Facebook could easily handle that number which is why we used it...forward thinking you see.
We also have sent out a PDF news sheet. This serves those who are not on Facebook (yet) or who do not have Internet access (the church prints and sends to them on our behalf). It also puts in more detail and can include photo's and while it took some work to knock it into shape, the comments were all good and it helped people to know a bit more about our life here.
Why not use video? We recorded a short video which was played at our church about two weeks after we got here. And, need I mention it again, Facebook can take all your videos and photo's which you can add to your Group to give your members an even clearer picture of your new adventures.
And for even extra depth, I started a blog (which your reading now). Originally I'd done this on a different site having first written from June 2007, but once here our Internet provider couldn't handle Microsoft so out went hotmail & windows spaces and in came Gmail and Blogger. I decided I really wanted to document our journey, writing a series I called 'Adventures of Faith' and for those that wanted to read more I mentioned this site on Facebook updates (and have even linked the group to here).
I hope in all these things you've understood the value of good, clear communication. It's not about lots of stuff all the time, its about what people need to hear (your most urgent prayer requests for example) in a way that works for all.
Without communication you can't share your vision and why you are going. Without communication you are not going to attract people to support you. Without supporters you are not going to go anywhere (supports do a lot more than finance so even if your financially sound you need people there - see my first article in this series on Loneliness if you are still unsure).
I do hope this communication has been clear. God bless.
I would strongly recommend that you don't wait until you are abroad or have left your home base before building up your communication.
My experience has been that a lot came out of the strong communication channels that were set up long before be left.
Explore the new technologies - don't dismiss something because you don't understand it.
For me this was Facebook. I have come across people who are 'anti' such networks as a principle, which I just have to accept, but if you are going on mission you need to use as much communication as possible, and therefore you need to use what most other people (including your supporters) are already using.
Facebook for us has become a real tool - which is the real purpose of any new technology as long as you use it correctly and wisely.
I would highly recommend it.
It's most useful function is the Groups that you can set up. In a moment of...guidance?...I set up the 'Tim & Rachel to Russia' group. It is a prayer group that people could join. We can just send one message that goes to all member and they get the messages in their email inbox (if they've allowed that option, otherwise its just on Facebook).
In the first few weeks only a few people were in the group but as our updates were sent out (for us each Tuesday) the numbers grew and today its around 150 people I think - from 6 continents. Christians united around the world to partner with us in prayer.
This group was started about 10 months before we left the UK.
Now, and there have been plenty of times already, we have an instant large group of people to send a message to for prayer when an emergency has arisen.
But also by involving people in your journey, at least a part of your journey, it really helps people know how to support you as they feel they are part of things.
We also had some contact/business cards made up (visit Vista Print who do them very cheap). This gave details of the Facebook group, as well as our email and Skype address (voice over Internet phone service). We strongly urged most people interesting in our journey to sign up to Facebook, of which about 90% were able to, if not already using it. It's just the most convenient way for us to communicate to a large group all at the same time.
Who knows, in 10 years time there may be 10,000 members. Think of the problems you'd have if you'd just relied on emailing people....Facebook could easily handle that number which is why we used it...forward thinking you see.
We also have sent out a PDF news sheet. This serves those who are not on Facebook (yet) or who do not have Internet access (the church prints and sends to them on our behalf). It also puts in more detail and can include photo's and while it took some work to knock it into shape, the comments were all good and it helped people to know a bit more about our life here.
Why not use video? We recorded a short video which was played at our church about two weeks after we got here. And, need I mention it again, Facebook can take all your videos and photo's which you can add to your Group to give your members an even clearer picture of your new adventures.
And for even extra depth, I started a blog (which your reading now). Originally I'd done this on a different site having first written from June 2007, but once here our Internet provider couldn't handle Microsoft so out went hotmail & windows spaces and in came Gmail and Blogger. I decided I really wanted to document our journey, writing a series I called 'Adventures of Faith' and for those that wanted to read more I mentioned this site on Facebook updates (and have even linked the group to here).
I hope in all these things you've understood the value of good, clear communication. It's not about lots of stuff all the time, its about what people need to hear (your most urgent prayer requests for example) in a way that works for all.
Without communication you can't share your vision and why you are going. Without communication you are not going to attract people to support you. Without supporters you are not going to go anywhere (supports do a lot more than finance so even if your financially sound you need people there - see my first article in this series on Loneliness if you are still unsure).
I do hope this communication has been clear. God bless.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Mission Realities - Loneliness
Welcome to a new series of entries which I've called Mission Realities. In time I want to touch on some of the realities that I've experience by going through them, talk about them and look at God's point of view on them, hopefully leaving you encouraged should you one day find yourself in a similar situation.
The first one I want to look at therefore is the issue of loneliness. Come with me for a moment and try hard within yourself to picture the scene;
You have just arrived in a totally new location. You don't know the streets, or nice places to go to relax, or where the best value food shops are. You don't have any friends or family around. You don't know any of your neighbours and to top it all of you don't speak their language and they don't speak yours. Welcome to oversea's, cross culture mission! Throw into this picture the obvious problems that arise, eg power cuts, needing help/advice, and you are suddenly stuck, not knowing who to ask, how to ask, not knowing if what you are feeling is real, or normal. Will the electricity just come back on, for example. Should you ask someone? Do you need to report it? How? Help?
I know these feelings because this is what I've gone through - a power cut and needing help with some DIY without any tools and no language.
It's at times like this that you can feel very alone.
If you are blessed enough to have the internet, or a phone line, then that does offer a point of contact back into your previous world. It can also make you feel more alone!
When someone goes overseas and makes the jump, each day is hard and as the days go on they more and more value the odd comment from 'home', where ever that might be. Except, back there, life goes on as normal and what has felt like a lifetime for you, has only been a month or so back home and they'll contact you some time, maybe Christmas. So suddenly loneliness is right back at you again - you have this contact but no body writes. "No body cares" it will try and trick you with.
The truth is, of course, totally the opposite. You'll find, when people do make contact, that they all confirm you are never far from their thoughts and how regularly they pray for you both at home and in groups.
Loneliness also hits when problems come. Some I've already touched on above like the electricity and DIY problem. But when bigger things come and those that are around you are taken away for a time, your lack of friends and local support is raised right to the surface again. For me it came in the form of my wife having to go back to England because of the illness, and then death of her Gran. She'll have been away for 12 days by the time she gets back here in 2 days time. I've looked after our daughter here. At the same time the other family based here, who we don't get to see that often anyway, have been totally consumed as their youngest has been in hospital. So going from a place of relative loneliness anyway (with only 5 other adults around me whom I know in this vast city and nation) I've not seen one of them in this entire time, for one reason or the other, instead having my whole time with a 3 year old!!
Getting to the point when I was fed up at not hearing from anyone, I was a bit cheeky and made a comment that has since meant loads of people have been writing which has been great.
But a reality of mission, it must be said, is loneliness, at least for a season.
The thing to remember in all these experiences is that God is working in you a new thing. Back in England when we were planning on coming out here, our own journey here seemed very lonely at times and very difficult at other times, and sometimes both. So maybe God was just checking what we were made of? We got through that and therefore we'll get through this? Maybe, yes, just maybe God was in that.
And it also must be said from this stand point that my two main occasions when I have actually seen and spoken to the occupants of the two flats on our floor was first with the DIY problem when he came and did the drilling for me (which led us into their home to following day when we went to say thank you) and secondly the power cut which meant I went out the flat and (tried to) speak to the lady opposite who was also out, clearly suffering from the same problem.
Outside of these two problems, we have not been able to meet our neighbours as you spend so little time in the hallway and stairs its difficult to have a reason to see them.
So even through these tough times God was working, encouraging, opening windows of opportunities. And the truth is is that God is never far from you, you just need to take your eyes off your own insecurities long enough to see him right beside you.
And in the long term, just like every experience you have ever had back home (and if you haven't you really should have got out more!) you will meet people. Think of when you first went to a new area, or school, or church, or job, or sports team or holiday camp. You knew no one (probably) and think of how it was when you left any of these.
When I moved up to Manchester to do a voluntary year I knew no one, not even the family I moved in with and lived for a year. I was also on a course where I knew no one.
And yet, 8 years on when we left we said goodbye to many dear friends and have many positive relationships that will go forward through the years, as well as still being in touch with many who were on that year team.
So apparent loneliness in mission is only a small season. It drives us to do exactly what we've come to do - meet people, make friends, build a christian community.
And finally, how ever you are feeling at the moment, remember that the Bible says God promises never to leave us or forsake us.
I hope you have found this encouraging. In time I will look to do more in this series.
At the very bottom of this page you should be able to subscribe to my blog in order to be told when it's updated. I'm not sure how it works but its meant to be the case.
The first one I want to look at therefore is the issue of loneliness. Come with me for a moment and try hard within yourself to picture the scene;
You have just arrived in a totally new location. You don't know the streets, or nice places to go to relax, or where the best value food shops are. You don't have any friends or family around. You don't know any of your neighbours and to top it all of you don't speak their language and they don't speak yours. Welcome to oversea's, cross culture mission! Throw into this picture the obvious problems that arise, eg power cuts, needing help/advice, and you are suddenly stuck, not knowing who to ask, how to ask, not knowing if what you are feeling is real, or normal. Will the electricity just come back on, for example. Should you ask someone? Do you need to report it? How? Help?
I know these feelings because this is what I've gone through - a power cut and needing help with some DIY without any tools and no language.
It's at times like this that you can feel very alone.
If you are blessed enough to have the internet, or a phone line, then that does offer a point of contact back into your previous world. It can also make you feel more alone!
When someone goes overseas and makes the jump, each day is hard and as the days go on they more and more value the odd comment from 'home', where ever that might be. Except, back there, life goes on as normal and what has felt like a lifetime for you, has only been a month or so back home and they'll contact you some time, maybe Christmas. So suddenly loneliness is right back at you again - you have this contact but no body writes. "No body cares" it will try and trick you with.
The truth is, of course, totally the opposite. You'll find, when people do make contact, that they all confirm you are never far from their thoughts and how regularly they pray for you both at home and in groups.
Loneliness also hits when problems come. Some I've already touched on above like the electricity and DIY problem. But when bigger things come and those that are around you are taken away for a time, your lack of friends and local support is raised right to the surface again. For me it came in the form of my wife having to go back to England because of the illness, and then death of her Gran. She'll have been away for 12 days by the time she gets back here in 2 days time. I've looked after our daughter here. At the same time the other family based here, who we don't get to see that often anyway, have been totally consumed as their youngest has been in hospital. So going from a place of relative loneliness anyway (with only 5 other adults around me whom I know in this vast city and nation) I've not seen one of them in this entire time, for one reason or the other, instead having my whole time with a 3 year old!!
Getting to the point when I was fed up at not hearing from anyone, I was a bit cheeky and made a comment that has since meant loads of people have been writing which has been great.
But a reality of mission, it must be said, is loneliness, at least for a season.
The thing to remember in all these experiences is that God is working in you a new thing. Back in England when we were planning on coming out here, our own journey here seemed very lonely at times and very difficult at other times, and sometimes both. So maybe God was just checking what we were made of? We got through that and therefore we'll get through this? Maybe, yes, just maybe God was in that.
And it also must be said from this stand point that my two main occasions when I have actually seen and spoken to the occupants of the two flats on our floor was first with the DIY problem when he came and did the drilling for me (which led us into their home to following day when we went to say thank you) and secondly the power cut which meant I went out the flat and (tried to) speak to the lady opposite who was also out, clearly suffering from the same problem.
Outside of these two problems, we have not been able to meet our neighbours as you spend so little time in the hallway and stairs its difficult to have a reason to see them.
So even through these tough times God was working, encouraging, opening windows of opportunities. And the truth is is that God is never far from you, you just need to take your eyes off your own insecurities long enough to see him right beside you.
And in the long term, just like every experience you have ever had back home (and if you haven't you really should have got out more!) you will meet people. Think of when you first went to a new area, or school, or church, or job, or sports team or holiday camp. You knew no one (probably) and think of how it was when you left any of these.
When I moved up to Manchester to do a voluntary year I knew no one, not even the family I moved in with and lived for a year. I was also on a course where I knew no one.
And yet, 8 years on when we left we said goodbye to many dear friends and have many positive relationships that will go forward through the years, as well as still being in touch with many who were on that year team.
So apparent loneliness in mission is only a small season. It drives us to do exactly what we've come to do - meet people, make friends, build a christian community.
And finally, how ever you are feeling at the moment, remember that the Bible says God promises never to leave us or forsake us.
I hope you have found this encouraging. In time I will look to do more in this series.
At the very bottom of this page you should be able to subscribe to my blog in order to be told when it's updated. I'm not sure how it works but its meant to be the case.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Life & Times - Part 3
"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
Mark 10:29-30 NIV.
One of the things that anyone on mission who goes overseas must also count the cost of is this - its not just where you go but what you leave behind.
Lately as events have made things tough for us here in Russia, never has the words of Jesus from Mark 10 sounded truer.
Lately as events have made things tough for us here in Russia, never has the words of Jesus from Mark 10 sounded truer. Maybe its technology as well. I've tended to allow our computer to randomly display our photo's when we're not using it, which has meant lots of images coming up that bring strong emotions and good memories.
One of the things that I knew I'd miss most about living in a flat in Russia compared to a house in England is the lack of a garden. So having seen photo's of the garden I built myself from nothing it kept reminding me of the above verse. My response is simple therefore - Lord, we've given this up for you. Thank you for already promising us much blessing to come.
Having left my brother, sister, mother, father (add to this lots of friends), home, garden (ie field!) - we did bring our child with us but by coming we have only had one child. If we'd carried on living in the UK 
I'm sure there would have been more children. As it is we may adopt a Russian child at some point (not sure if it'll be a hundred though?!) But are these things so precious as to be worth holding onto at the expense of serving God as he has asked? Clearly not but sadly, I would guess, to often the case. But for us it wasn't praise God, but all to easily it could have been.
I'm sure there would have been more children. As it is we may adopt a Russian child at some point (not sure if it'll be a hundred though?!) But are these things so precious as to be worth holding onto at the expense of serving God as he has asked? Clearly not but sadly, I would guess, to often the case. But for us it wasn't praise God, but all to easily it could have been.Why was it different?
I believe that God started a big chunk of the work back when I moved from London to Manchester. I had a career, my family, my world: all down in Kent. But God had said to go so I obeyed. And life has worked out very well. Therefore when the call came second time round, though tough (don't think I'm saying we had a walk in the park) it wasn't the first time we'd made such a step and therefore we knew we could trust God.
So my advice on this regards - Learn to listen to God. Obey Him and He will lead you onto all that He has for you. There are no BIG steps with our walk with God - just lots and lots (& lots & lots..) of little steps all along the way. Remember this and you'll see God working powerfully in your life.
It might be only in heaven that I get to plant seeds and to grow a garden again. I do not know. I do not hold these things to closely though - trusting always that God has a better plan for me. Somehow I kind of know that I'll have a garden again one day soon.......a big one at that!
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Life & Times - Part 2
There are many things that being here means we have to get used to - another is the fact that we don't have a car. Initially this made us think a little on the negative - walking to the shop to buy food, walking takes longer (compared to doing the same journey in the car), going to friends or to eat out and then having to walk back at the end of the night. But in reality things aren't as bad as they seem. For starters we wouldn't want the hassle of having to drive around this city because city centre driving is so different to driving in the suburbs. Its also much nicer, now we are used to things, to be able to walk to places that in the UK we'd have had to drive to.
We also are able to walk our daughter to her kindergarten, and though this will be a challenge in the middle of the very cold winters they have here, being on foot does add that homely feel to the situation.
So I am glad that we don't have a car - I'd always be a little worried while driving anyway in case I'd be stopped by the police. They seem to be at most junctions and stop anyone at will, and because of being a foreigner, there's always the chance that a 'fine' (or bribe!) will have to be paid.....No thanks.
And in truth, with a metro station about 20 minutes away and trolley buses everywhere, not to mention other forms of transport, we don't need a car anyway.
One thing about cars though that's different to England is that here cars rule! And they have things that look like a zebra crossing in the UK but here the pedestrian waits for there to be a gap in the traffic, the cars just keep rolling through! There are light controlled crossings as well so when its green you can walk, even when traffic is turning towards you. If you stop someone rushing behind you is likely to bump into you so you just have to walk in faith, knowing you can walk and just believing that the cars turning towards you are indeed going to stop as well. And I think (like the USA but unlike England) you can only cross a road at certain points.
Moving on from cars though, having been here a month now it is encouraging to see how our language has come on. The reality is, of course, is that we are always learning. And because these things do not change, once you learn something in a new language, and it gets committed to memory so that you don't forget it, you don't need to learn that again. So over time layers of understanding form and our knowledge grows. I guess lots of things are like this in life, but certainly its like this for us with Russian.
One final thing for this post that we need to keep doing, and an encouragement I'll leave with anyone in our situation, is that we need to remember to keep lifting our heads up and remembering the big vision, the big picture of what we are here to do. City life, foreign culture, language learning - all these things can make you look down, feel so small, see your goals (God's plans!) so impossible and make you shrink back and away from the task. By daily reminding ourselves of why we are here and how we got here is so important. Getting out to see the city is also important. From our apartment we can get to a bridge over the Neva in about 5 minutes and from the centre of the bridge suddenly our perspective changes and we realise afresh it isn't a road or neighbourhood that we want to reach but a whole city of 6 million people!
And beyond the city is a nation!
The theme of our second small group meeting for this church plant was what are our dreams for the city (through the church we plant). There are just 5 of us (at the moment!) who make up the St Pete's church plant - how can we shake a city? Well, on our own be can't. But with God and by working in team, we know we can because we know that God can. So we are here to pioneer on. What it'll look like in a years time, or two years or ten years only God knows now and in time we'll see a little more clearly.
But we're here to reach a city. And that doesn't start when we have a church of 10,000 or 1,000 or 100 but with individuals who lay down their own plans, careers and choices and say Yes to God and what plans He has for us. So we're here now. May God's will be done in this city....
We also are able to walk our daughter to her kindergarten, and though this will be a challenge in the middle of the very cold winters they have here, being on foot does add that homely feel to the situation.
So I am glad that we don't have a car - I'd always be a little worried while driving anyway in case I'd be stopped by the police. They seem to be at most junctions and stop anyone at will, and because of being a foreigner, there's always the chance that a 'fine' (or bribe!) will have to be paid.....No thanks.
And in truth, with a metro station about 20 minutes away and trolley buses everywhere, not to mention other forms of transport, we don't need a car anyway.
One thing about cars though that's different to England is that here cars rule! And they have things that look like a zebra crossing in the UK but here the pedestrian waits for there to be a gap in the traffic, the cars just keep rolling through! There are light controlled crossings as well so when its green you can walk, even when traffic is turning towards you. If you stop someone rushing behind you is likely to bump into you so you just have to walk in faith, knowing you can walk and just believing that the cars turning towards you are indeed going to stop as well. And I think (like the USA but unlike England) you can only cross a road at certain points.
Moving on from cars though, having been here a month now it is encouraging to see how our language has come on. The reality is, of course, is that we are always learning. And because these things do not change, once you learn something in a new language, and it gets committed to memory so that you don't forget it, you don't need to learn that again. So over time layers of understanding form and our knowledge grows. I guess lots of things are like this in life, but certainly its like this for us with Russian.
One final thing for this post that we need to keep doing, and an encouragement I'll leave with anyone in our situation, is that we need to remember to keep lifting our heads up and remembering the big vision, the big picture of what we are here to do. City life, foreign culture, language learning - all these things can make you look down, feel so small, see your goals (God's plans!) so impossible and make you shrink back and away from the task. By daily reminding ourselves of why we are here and how we got here is so important. Getting out to see the city is also important. From our apartment we can get to a bridge over the Neva in about 5 minutes and from the centre of the bridge suddenly our perspective changes and we realise afresh it isn't a road or neighbourhood that we want to reach but a whole city of 6 million people!
And beyond the city is a nation!
The theme of our second small group meeting for this church plant was what are our dreams for the city (through the church we plant). There are just 5 of us (at the moment!) who make up the St Pete's church plant - how can we shake a city? Well, on our own be can't. But with God and by working in team, we know we can because we know that God can. So we are here to pioneer on. What it'll look like in a years time, or two years or ten years only God knows now and in time we'll see a little more clearly.
But we're here to reach a city. And that doesn't start when we have a church of 10,000 or 1,000 or 100 but with individuals who lay down their own plans, careers and choices and say Yes to God and what plans He has for us. So we're here now. May God's will be done in this city....
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Life & Times of a Pioneer? - First part
I put the question mark in the title for a very specific reason - words like pioneer, missionary, & church planter are words that get described about someone but don't always sit well with me. Maybe the church planter is best and most descriptive in our regard as in time this is what we are going to be part of doing - setting up a new church here. But a Missionary and Pioneer, like great men such as Hudson Taylor mean that it seems too big a 'title' for what we are doing? No? I don't know either way. What ever life we are now living, whatever ministry and work we see established, it certainly isn't some glamorous life that does it, as you'll see in time.
I guess what I'm saying in these confused sentences is that I'm well aware of my own smallness, my own inability. Thanks be for the grace of God for what He has commissioned. So maybe I shouldn't belittle this, my own life, because God has worked hard to get us here. Anyway, all this aside, what I want to write about from now on is a series on the realities of mission, the life-on-the-ground side of the story.
What does if feel like to be here? What are the new challenges that we are facing? I'll keep (most) of the faith elements and adventures for the Adventures of Faith series (4 of which have already been written) but here I want to start writing about the daily realities of mission.
I've said for some time that mission is not just defined by going to another nation and serving God there. Mission is a state of mind, an openness for God to use you everyday where ever you are. You can be at home, in your every day life and be on mission, just as you can go to another nation, language, culture and NOT do mission (perish the thought!)
But I write this to encourage, and that if our experiences, encounters and adventures can stir you into mission where you are, just because you are reading about someone who has gone overseas, then may God get all the glory and may you serve Him with your whole heart.
One thing we'll have to put aside (and I think I'll find this easier than most, I don't know) is our own nationality and culture. I mean the kind of thing that says "that's not how WE do it in England..."
For us, now, we are Russian? If not by our passport or birth but in order to reach the Russians in years to come. Unless we think like a Russian and more so accepted by Russians we will not have much of an impact on the people, which is what we ultimately came to do - to reach men and women with the saving message of the gospel of Jesus.
But its fun throwing ourselves into something new. I'll have to, for example, remember to START queueing again once I'm back in England!
Another important point that I think I already came here with is that other cultures are different - but different isn't wrong. In time, once we've understood them, I hope we'll come to really enjoy and appreciate these differences.
One thing that we do have to go through and grow in is that we hit this country as infants - in language, understanding, everything. And while our understanding and experience can grow in time as were learn how things are done, our language keeps us as a two-year-old because for a while it will be so basic and we just cannot make ourselves understood.
So far I've already made some funny mistakes. Early on, I was well proud of myself that I'd said to someone "My Name is Tim" until Rachel pointed out I said it in French not Russian! (about the only French I know as well!)
Also, while trying to find a certain DVD in a big shop, I worked out what I needed to say in Russian and said it for the man to reply "I don't speak English, sorry!" I don't know what he thought I said but I thought I was speaking Russian!
This, I'm sure, will be our biggest test and will take the longest to break through.
I write this having been in Russia for just over a month now. Our furniture only arrived yesterday and our daughters room is only being built as I type (we say room but its a door being constructed onto the end of the kitchen here so as to give our daughter her own room). It has taken some effort to get to this point but now we know, we feel, God has allowed us to get to know the area first, otherwise had things arrived two weeks ago we may have hid inside sorting things out! Now we can't as be have language studies starting much more this week and our daughter at kindergarten full time.
So we feel God knew best - yes, we had a 40 day wait for our stuff to arrive since leaving our home in July, but today we are no worse for it. We came by the will of God and we'll keep in with his timing and plans for us.
I'm sure we'll have many more funny experiences and situations to write about - these will be the things that probably will teach us the most as we go forward. Only time will tell.
But I am glad that I'm here. I'm glad that I took God seriously enough to follow what he said - in his timing.
I've chosen the Royal Way - in time, I'll see what it all leads to here in Russia.
I guess what I'm saying in these confused sentences is that I'm well aware of my own smallness, my own inability. Thanks be for the grace of God for what He has commissioned. So maybe I shouldn't belittle this, my own life, because God has worked hard to get us here. Anyway, all this aside, what I want to write about from now on is a series on the realities of mission, the life-on-the-ground side of the story.
What does if feel like to be here? What are the new challenges that we are facing? I'll keep (most) of the faith elements and adventures for the Adventures of Faith series (4 of which have already been written) but here I want to start writing about the daily realities of mission.
I've said for some time that mission is not just defined by going to another nation and serving God there. Mission is a state of mind, an openness for God to use you everyday where ever you are. You can be at home, in your every day life and be on mission, just as you can go to another nation, language, culture and NOT do mission (perish the thought!)
But I write this to encourage, and that if our experiences, encounters and adventures can stir you into mission where you are, just because you are reading about someone who has gone overseas, then may God get all the glory and may you serve Him with your whole heart.
One thing we'll have to put aside (and I think I'll find this easier than most, I don't know) is our own nationality and culture. I mean the kind of thing that says "that's not how WE do it in England..."
For us, now, we are Russian? If not by our passport or birth but in order to reach the Russians in years to come. Unless we think like a Russian and more so accepted by Russians we will not have much of an impact on the people, which is what we ultimately came to do - to reach men and women with the saving message of the gospel of Jesus.
But its fun throwing ourselves into something new. I'll have to, for example, remember to START queueing again once I'm back in England!
Another important point that I think I already came here with is that other cultures are different - but different isn't wrong. In time, once we've understood them, I hope we'll come to really enjoy and appreciate these differences.
One thing that we do have to go through and grow in is that we hit this country as infants - in language, understanding, everything. And while our understanding and experience can grow in time as were learn how things are done, our language keeps us as a two-year-old because for a while it will be so basic and we just cannot make ourselves understood.
So far I've already made some funny mistakes. Early on, I was well proud of myself that I'd said to someone "My Name is Tim" until Rachel pointed out I said it in French not Russian! (about the only French I know as well!)
Also, while trying to find a certain DVD in a big shop, I worked out what I needed to say in Russian and said it for the man to reply "I don't speak English, sorry!" I don't know what he thought I said but I thought I was speaking Russian!
This, I'm sure, will be our biggest test and will take the longest to break through.
I write this having been in Russia for just over a month now. Our furniture only arrived yesterday and our daughters room is only being built as I type (we say room but its a door being constructed onto the end of the kitchen here so as to give our daughter her own room). It has taken some effort to get to this point but now we know, we feel, God has allowed us to get to know the area first, otherwise had things arrived two weeks ago we may have hid inside sorting things out! Now we can't as be have language studies starting much more this week and our daughter at kindergarten full time.
So we feel God knew best - yes, we had a 40 day wait for our stuff to arrive since leaving our home in July, but today we are no worse for it. We came by the will of God and we'll keep in with his timing and plans for us.
I'm sure we'll have many more funny experiences and situations to write about - these will be the things that probably will teach us the most as we go forward. Only time will tell.
But I am glad that I'm here. I'm glad that I took God seriously enough to follow what he said - in his timing.
I've chosen the Royal Way - in time, I'll see what it all leads to here in Russia.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Adventures of Faith - Part 4 - First Impressions
...As we arrived at the airport, held up by a customs misunderstanding, we get through to meet Dave Henson finally. Quickly a Mafia man and drug dealer pick up our bags and laptop and off they walk.....
We had arrived in Russia! The customs misunderstanding that held us up some 30 minutes or so, on top of the delay to the flight, was that we'd been told to go through the red line to declare everything we had coming on the lorry. With only the packing list to show them, this created a big problem. They didn't have what they needed. We looked stuck! We prayed and then they suddenly came back and said that we could go through the normal green line and we were through. The first of many small miracles that surely lay ahead of us in Russia. Dave had been standing something like 20 metres away from us this whole time. The opening paragraph is true, apart from the omission of two important words. Ex- & former.
These dear Russian men who had driven Dave to the airport in order to collect us, had indeed been ex-Mafia and a former drug dealer, men who'd had their lives turned around the same way we had – by Jesus and Jesus alone.
We got back to their car to quickly pick up that something was wrong – someone had broken into the car, the starter key block was gone and the drivers business papers, all in his brief case, were gone! They started looking around the other cars, looking for any signs of them. Nothing. They remained calm, prayed strong Russian prayers and kept looking. We stood there not knowing what to do. We didn't understand the language but we knew we were stuck there and that this man who'd come to help us had had his business documents taken. I then spotted the starter key on the floor of the car. Within a few seconds of that, the driver found his bag behind the back seat of the car and a broad smile flooded his face and praises to God flooded heaven. With a little bit of effort the car was started and off we went. We were still stopped by the police once before we got back to the hostel which would be our base for the next 10 days.....several days more than we had first expected.
I'm writing from this paragraph onwards some 18 days into our Russia experience so much of this will now be looking back. Looking back always has the benefit of greater understanding and less surprise by things, but having written the first four paragraph's its good to still have that sudden immersion into Russian life, much of which, if not as dramatic, remains still equally surprising and different.
I've got to say before I write anything more that I love life in Russia. Whether or not I've already 'hit' culture shock (everyone says you'll go through it though quite when you do is different every time) I feel I've got to a place where the difference's are not so different and where things are more understandable and less foreign, if that makes sense.
Another language and culture aside, one thing that we've had to face and will continue to have to is the shift that is city living. You see, going from living in the suburbs or anywhere else to suddenly living in the middle of a city is a big enough shift by itself. A city doesn't sleep. There are always people everywhere. There are queues at any time of the day. There's the heat and humidity of an inner city, the smog and smoke and traffic – oh the traffic! I'm so glad that I'm not driving here. Not that we really need to though with loads of public transport options, and for longer trips our friends do have a car which we can all fit in so that it good. But it takes some getting used to!
But back to our arrival.
In the car back from the airport, we decided that we'd, at least at first, head back to the hostel where the Henson's were staying, instead of the Hotel that we'd originally thought about. They'd also been due there but they hadn't had the room when they arrived so they ended up in the hostel. The hostel did have an internet connection and for us it now had the Henson's there as well. It was also a lot cheaper – for all these reasons, we were to learn in time, made this choice a very good one because we were to end up there for 10 nights, more than originally hoped, which would have stretched the budget had we been in the more costly Hotel. But also being near Dave & Hannah meant we could more easily go through together the difficult process of house hunting!
And what a process it was!
Nothing could really have prepared us for what was next to take place over the opening two weeks to our Russia experience. We came to Russia with the understanding, in relation to our house & furniture, that we'd need to have a permanent address to give to our shipping agent in order for the goods to pass through the border. Once at the border it would take about 2 days to arrive. The plan had therefore been that having arrived on the Friday night and settling in on the weekend, we'd get registered on the Monday (which we did and had to due to visa requirements) and then start house hunting (which we did as well I think) and that we'd find something within the first three days or so (highly optimistic as it turned out) and then could give them the address and maybe by the end of our first week the stuff would arrive and we'd move in on the same day. This is how our agent had led us in relation to the timing of things – first we needed to find somewhere to live!
In Russia (well certainly in St Petersburg) everyone has an agent – the landlord & tenant. The agent will find suitable properties and arrange viewings to which you have to race around town in order to see the places. It's all done in Russian, of course! (We were very grateful to Hannah Henson in this regard as well as our two new Russian friends mentioned in the opening paragraph's, one of whom was a property agent from another area so was able to help a lot!).
We were to find out that new properties were listed everyday during four times – 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 8pm. So it meant that even if you thought you had no viewings that day, come the afternoon we'd be racing out again with two or three to view! And of course, we didn't know about this at the beginning. On the Monday morning of our 4th day, we were due to have a 9am viewing across the city. First thing in the working week! What would traffic be like at that time of day! Well, both families were up and out by 8am, which was no small effort. As it happens, life doesn't really start until 10 or 11am in Russia. Most places only open at 10, which is 'rush hour' as we'd understand it (though it never gets that quiet!) but at 8am it was quiet. We were across town by about 8:30 and waiting outside – only to be told that they'd cancelled the viewing! This was a frustrating but accurate imagine of the week we were to experience ahead of us. I think that same property was due to be viewed again at 11pm that same day, before once again cancelling, though we hadn't left that time. Such a late viewing, so different to home.
What was difficult for us was especially difficult for our new friends Dave & Hannah. Not only had they been looking for 5 days already having arrived just before us, they had three children so needed more space – and the right size flat was proving hard to find. Plus, prices were such that even our budgets which had been accurate some three months before would now only be the starting points to what we'd had to pay. Prices were rising all the time.
It was an extremely difficult week but having come through it, even now it seems not so hard. But it was. There was the constant danger that as Westerner's we'd be ripped off. One flat that was quite run down but OK we had nearly accepted. Negotiations are done straight away by both agents and the landlord if they are around. We were pressing for somewhere to live (anywhere by now!). She even tried selling the place to us for about £250,000 – a flat that had just two rooms, a small old kitchen, a bathroom and a large (ish) hall that'd have to be a lounge with no windows! Rent would have been over £800 and then she wanted to increase it each month to reflect inflation! Praise God that we saw sense to pull out and walk away. As it happens, the flat we went on to get was just about 70 metres away on the same road but far better and for less.
But now we knew that our £750 top end budget for rent per month just wouldn't be enough. That was about 35,000 roubles a month and in May, when Dave & Hannah had last visited, that would have got something easily. But not now. (We came to understand that prices do rise in the summer as most people want to move then so I guess demand is high and therefore prices rise, but maybe only the best ones go so even if cheaper stuff was to be available later, if might not be the best quality). Tenants have to do all maintenance. We had looked at one place that needed a kitchen fitted. The danger was (as would have happened with that landlord we were told) was that you'd spend the money fitting the kitchen and doing it all up for them to ask you to leave so that they could move in!
Onto the one we got though. I had waited in the car with the kids I think as by now we'd thought bringing them all around was too much (for us as well as any possible landlords!). Rachel came back to ask for me as she felt this was the one. Initially I wasn't convinced, which I felt helped in the scheme of things. It just was to small! It was also priced at 40,000 roubles a month! Some £100 over budget! It was very nice for what it was, with high ceilings, being all well presented, a good entrance and stairs (its on the 5th floor), BUT it had just one bedroom, a large lounge, a kitchen with extra space at the end for a dinning table, large entrance hall and a very nice bathroom. My immediate reaction was – where do we put Mia (our daughter)?
We were here for some two hours in the end – I think the landlords had probably wanted us to have the place, so they tried to do what they could. Suddenly we were talking about putting in a wall in the kitchen bit where currently the extra space was. After all, we'd have the dinning table in the large lounge anyway so having a separate space for Mia's bedroom would be good – though it would be small. They would put the wall in and then agreed to reduce the rent to 37,000 a month, fixed for the year!
Papers were signed, deposits left and that was that. Though we'd be back to sign the proper papers the flat was off the market and we'd got ourselves somewhere to live. And it was such a relief! Everything, certainly as far as we are concerned and probably therefore most westerner's, is done in cash here. So for the deposits and agents fees as well as the first months rent, plus general food shopping money, we were having to withdraw large amounts of money each day, using our daily limit. The money was there but we just couldn't take it out – then our cards were blocked because of the unusual usage – but things soon got sorted, and we are through the worst of it, we just need to regularly keep taking money out in order to have enough.
By the grace of God our friends found something within about 3 days as well, and they are now in there settled. They have got lots of space, which they need, and though they are a little further away from us than originally planned, it will work well in time for the church plant to have two separate bases from which to build home groups.
Now about our furniture. Our agent had put us in touch with the people in St P's who'd actually do the delivery for us. Being Russia though, what was needed first was the paperwork that would allow them to bring it through customs on our behalf. At first they'd given me instructions to somehow get to a building in the centre and do loads of different things in order to do what was needed. We called them again and they arranged to have a lady come to us to collect my passport in order to get it translated and then I met her at a building where over 90 minutes we went through the process and finally a power of attorney was handed to her. This was day seven of our arrival and we'd just agreed on the flat.
Now the story changed though.
Having done this vital paperwork, only now were we told that this was the 'green light' that our relocation company needed to hear in order to allow the stuff to leave the UK!! It was all still in England. It was the 8th August – the green light had been given but even then the stuff didn't actually leave the UK until the 14th and then we were told that it would take 10 working days to arrive!
It's Saturday 23rd August as I write this section and, still furniture-less, the latest we have heard is that its due at customs on Tuesday or Wednesday and then should take 1 or 2 days to clear before the agent here will call us to arrange delivery. So it might still be another week? Having left our house on 23rd July and with the end of August coming next weekend, how things have worked out is far from what we were told but we've given it to God. We moved into our flat on the 11th August (at the time not knowing the delay to our furniture) and have effectively been camping out with minimal stuff – the wait goes on for at least another week but this will soon be over and we can get on with properly settling in.
So what of the Russian churches? Tomorrow will be our 4th Sunday here, and while we didn't go anywhere last week I had been to 3 churches in the first two Sundays, all of which differed quite a lot. On the first Sunday, 3rd August (which happened to be exactly 9 years since the original picture I had when God said Russia!) we arrived for something like their 4pm meeting and left somewhere like 8pm! The kids were all so tired! The meetings are long, and because its all in Russian its hard to stay focussed. Dave Henson was able to share a little about what we'd come to do. Being 'English Missionary's' (in their eyes at least) we were ushered to the front rows, which takes a little getting used to. Each meeting though we never quite knew what was going to happen next. Worship was quite free though and some good contacts were made. This church was quite a way out from the centre but they were very keen to keep up contact going forward.
The following Sunday both families again made a trip out to another place that our Russian friend (ex-Mafia man) had arranged. We arrived for the 11am meeting and left, after a lunch put on for just us, at about 3:15pm! At the end of the meeting, which Dave had shared at again, he and I were then asked to pray for lots of people, which we did together for about an hour. Our wives, outside with the kids, must have wondered what had happened to us but they did very well.
As we were leaving it was clear that for me and Dave there was another meeting that we were invited to at a different church, one far nearer us in the centre. We all raced back to the hostel and then Dave & I left for the 4pm start (which we were late for). This church had an American team over so it was good to sing in Russian & English as well as to be able to understand the preach! There were also some good contacts made. We travelled back towards the hostel tired but happy, having spent most of the day in meetings. It was now nearly 9pm! Dave stopped off just before getting back in order to pick up some food. He left the engine running and I waited. Though there were other parked cars around us we had no idea whether we could stop here or not so thought it best if I stay in the car just in case – and what a good choice that turned out to be!
Suddenly I noticed a tow lorry stop and sit in the middle of the road facing the other direction.
Having seen lots of crazy driving this didn't totally alarm me because people did all sorts of things on the road. But I kept a close eye, fearing the worst but not actually believing anything would happen. Besides, surely Dave would be back soon anyway. I didn't know how to drive this big 4x4 automatic anyway!
About two minutes later another identical lorry pulled up in front of the first and stopped in the middle of the road – then it suddenly pulled out and in front of the car in front of us! I could see clearly now what was going to happen – they were here to tow us all away!!
I jumped over into the drivers seat. As one lorry driver was taking photo's of the first car I was quickly trying to work out what I needed to do to move this car! The second lorry driver, while signally roughly, with words coming out in Russian that I didn't know, I could see he was allowing me to go! I pulled out, albeit a little jumpy, as this big automatic rolled down the road. I was safe! I thought I'd better just drive the 300 metres to the hostel, which I did, just a little shaky! I walked back to find Dave, who'd worked out what had happened having seen the lorries. Hopefully that'll be the last bit of driving I do in Russian for a long time, but for a few minutes I was quite worried!
So what are my first impressions then? Well, the above experiences have taught us something of the life that we'll live here. But the city that we live, while it might not sleep, is one of stunning beauty in much of its buildings, rivers and statues. The weather is more tropical than British. We can have storms and hot sun in the same day. Heavy showers then sun within 30 minutes several times a day.
The people, behind the expressionless exterior, are very friendly and happy to help. The little Russian we know does go a long way.
It's a very cultural place. We went to the Hermitage yesterday and its spectacular. Rachel went to the Ballet the day before that which sounded very good as well.
There's clearly a city that needs reaching with the gospel. It is not a small task that lays before us. We know that first we need to learn the language and understand culture more fully. But even in these early days its been good to have had a time when Dave & Hannah, myself & Rachel, Nadia (a Russian girl who has moved up from Tver to join us here) as well as another Russian couple looking to move here together with two English New Frontiers leaders all sharing a meal together at the Henson's flat. It may be early days, but the core of the church plant has already been planted.
We are all in this city now. Our journey's here may have been very different, but now our lives have come together for this time, this season, in order to see something equally spectacular established for the Kingdom of God.
In these four parts of this series its taken us from April 2007 until today, 23rd August 2008, sitting here at 4:35pm with a lovely sunny day outside and the temperature showing 31 degrees Celsius. I know that this next 12 months is going to change me more than at any other time in my life. I know that I will be challenged to my very core as I press through here, as winter kicks in and as life struggles on at times. Quite what surprises I'll be writing about in the final part of this series next summer I do not know.
What I do know though is that God, my God who has been with me these past months so closely, will continue to be so close to me going forward. It'll be God that starts the church here. And it'll be God's way that it gets started.
- Lord, I commit this time to you. Please lead me and guide me. Thank you for bringing us all here safely. Though scary at times, you've protected us and you continue to protect us. Help us with the language. Help us to settle. Please help bring our furniture all here safely. Empower us over this next 12 months that when I write next summer, we'd be different people – different because you've shaped us into a new shape – one ready for Russia!
Coming next summer – Part 5 – One Year On.
We had arrived in Russia! The customs misunderstanding that held us up some 30 minutes or so, on top of the delay to the flight, was that we'd been told to go through the red line to declare everything we had coming on the lorry. With only the packing list to show them, this created a big problem. They didn't have what they needed. We looked stuck! We prayed and then they suddenly came back and said that we could go through the normal green line and we were through. The first of many small miracles that surely lay ahead of us in Russia. Dave had been standing something like 20 metres away from us this whole time. The opening paragraph is true, apart from the omission of two important words. Ex- & former.
These dear Russian men who had driven Dave to the airport in order to collect us, had indeed been ex-Mafia and a former drug dealer, men who'd had their lives turned around the same way we had – by Jesus and Jesus alone.
We got back to their car to quickly pick up that something was wrong – someone had broken into the car, the starter key block was gone and the drivers business papers, all in his brief case, were gone! They started looking around the other cars, looking for any signs of them. Nothing. They remained calm, prayed strong Russian prayers and kept looking. We stood there not knowing what to do. We didn't understand the language but we knew we were stuck there and that this man who'd come to help us had had his business documents taken. I then spotted the starter key on the floor of the car. Within a few seconds of that, the driver found his bag behind the back seat of the car and a broad smile flooded his face and praises to God flooded heaven. With a little bit of effort the car was started and off we went. We were still stopped by the police once before we got back to the hostel which would be our base for the next 10 days.....several days more than we had first expected.
I'm writing from this paragraph onwards some 18 days into our Russia experience so much of this will now be looking back. Looking back always has the benefit of greater understanding and less surprise by things, but having written the first four paragraph's its good to still have that sudden immersion into Russian life, much of which, if not as dramatic, remains still equally surprising and different.
I've got to say before I write anything more that I love life in Russia. Whether or not I've already 'hit' culture shock (everyone says you'll go through it though quite when you do is different every time) I feel I've got to a place where the difference's are not so different and where things are more understandable and less foreign, if that makes sense.
Another language and culture aside, one thing that we've had to face and will continue to have to is the shift that is city living. You see, going from living in the suburbs or anywhere else to suddenly living in the middle of a city is a big enough shift by itself. A city doesn't sleep. There are always people everywhere. There are queues at any time of the day. There's the heat and humidity of an inner city, the smog and smoke and traffic – oh the traffic! I'm so glad that I'm not driving here. Not that we really need to though with loads of public transport options, and for longer trips our friends do have a car which we can all fit in so that it good. But it takes some getting used to!
But back to our arrival.
In the car back from the airport, we decided that we'd, at least at first, head back to the hostel where the Henson's were staying, instead of the Hotel that we'd originally thought about. They'd also been due there but they hadn't had the room when they arrived so they ended up in the hostel. The hostel did have an internet connection and for us it now had the Henson's there as well. It was also a lot cheaper – for all these reasons, we were to learn in time, made this choice a very good one because we were to end up there for 10 nights, more than originally hoped, which would have stretched the budget had we been in the more costly Hotel. But also being near Dave & Hannah meant we could more easily go through together the difficult process of house hunting!
And what a process it was!
Nothing could really have prepared us for what was next to take place over the opening two weeks to our Russia experience. We came to Russia with the understanding, in relation to our house & furniture, that we'd need to have a permanent address to give to our shipping agent in order for the goods to pass through the border. Once at the border it would take about 2 days to arrive. The plan had therefore been that having arrived on the Friday night and settling in on the weekend, we'd get registered on the Monday (which we did and had to due to visa requirements) and then start house hunting (which we did as well I think) and that we'd find something within the first three days or so (highly optimistic as it turned out) and then could give them the address and maybe by the end of our first week the stuff would arrive and we'd move in on the same day. This is how our agent had led us in relation to the timing of things – first we needed to find somewhere to live!
In Russia (well certainly in St Petersburg) everyone has an agent – the landlord & tenant. The agent will find suitable properties and arrange viewings to which you have to race around town in order to see the places. It's all done in Russian, of course! (We were very grateful to Hannah Henson in this regard as well as our two new Russian friends mentioned in the opening paragraph's, one of whom was a property agent from another area so was able to help a lot!).
We were to find out that new properties were listed everyday during four times – 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 8pm. So it meant that even if you thought you had no viewings that day, come the afternoon we'd be racing out again with two or three to view! And of course, we didn't know about this at the beginning. On the Monday morning of our 4th day, we were due to have a 9am viewing across the city. First thing in the working week! What would traffic be like at that time of day! Well, both families were up and out by 8am, which was no small effort. As it happens, life doesn't really start until 10 or 11am in Russia. Most places only open at 10, which is 'rush hour' as we'd understand it (though it never gets that quiet!) but at 8am it was quiet. We were across town by about 8:30 and waiting outside – only to be told that they'd cancelled the viewing! This was a frustrating but accurate imagine of the week we were to experience ahead of us. I think that same property was due to be viewed again at 11pm that same day, before once again cancelling, though we hadn't left that time. Such a late viewing, so different to home.
What was difficult for us was especially difficult for our new friends Dave & Hannah. Not only had they been looking for 5 days already having arrived just before us, they had three children so needed more space – and the right size flat was proving hard to find. Plus, prices were such that even our budgets which had been accurate some three months before would now only be the starting points to what we'd had to pay. Prices were rising all the time.
It was an extremely difficult week but having come through it, even now it seems not so hard. But it was. There was the constant danger that as Westerner's we'd be ripped off. One flat that was quite run down but OK we had nearly accepted. Negotiations are done straight away by both agents and the landlord if they are around. We were pressing for somewhere to live (anywhere by now!). She even tried selling the place to us for about £250,000 – a flat that had just two rooms, a small old kitchen, a bathroom and a large (ish) hall that'd have to be a lounge with no windows! Rent would have been over £800 and then she wanted to increase it each month to reflect inflation! Praise God that we saw sense to pull out and walk away. As it happens, the flat we went on to get was just about 70 metres away on the same road but far better and for less.
But now we knew that our £750 top end budget for rent per month just wouldn't be enough. That was about 35,000 roubles a month and in May, when Dave & Hannah had last visited, that would have got something easily. But not now. (We came to understand that prices do rise in the summer as most people want to move then so I guess demand is high and therefore prices rise, but maybe only the best ones go so even if cheaper stuff was to be available later, if might not be the best quality). Tenants have to do all maintenance. We had looked at one place that needed a kitchen fitted. The danger was (as would have happened with that landlord we were told) was that you'd spend the money fitting the kitchen and doing it all up for them to ask you to leave so that they could move in!
Onto the one we got though. I had waited in the car with the kids I think as by now we'd thought bringing them all around was too much (for us as well as any possible landlords!). Rachel came back to ask for me as she felt this was the one. Initially I wasn't convinced, which I felt helped in the scheme of things. It just was to small! It was also priced at 40,000 roubles a month! Some £100 over budget! It was very nice for what it was, with high ceilings, being all well presented, a good entrance and stairs (its on the 5th floor), BUT it had just one bedroom, a large lounge, a kitchen with extra space at the end for a dinning table, large entrance hall and a very nice bathroom. My immediate reaction was – where do we put Mia (our daughter)?
We were here for some two hours in the end – I think the landlords had probably wanted us to have the place, so they tried to do what they could. Suddenly we were talking about putting in a wall in the kitchen bit where currently the extra space was. After all, we'd have the dinning table in the large lounge anyway so having a separate space for Mia's bedroom would be good – though it would be small. They would put the wall in and then agreed to reduce the rent to 37,000 a month, fixed for the year!
Papers were signed, deposits left and that was that. Though we'd be back to sign the proper papers the flat was off the market and we'd got ourselves somewhere to live. And it was such a relief! Everything, certainly as far as we are concerned and probably therefore most westerner's, is done in cash here. So for the deposits and agents fees as well as the first months rent, plus general food shopping money, we were having to withdraw large amounts of money each day, using our daily limit. The money was there but we just couldn't take it out – then our cards were blocked because of the unusual usage – but things soon got sorted, and we are through the worst of it, we just need to regularly keep taking money out in order to have enough.
By the grace of God our friends found something within about 3 days as well, and they are now in there settled. They have got lots of space, which they need, and though they are a little further away from us than originally planned, it will work well in time for the church plant to have two separate bases from which to build home groups.
Now about our furniture. Our agent had put us in touch with the people in St P's who'd actually do the delivery for us. Being Russia though, what was needed first was the paperwork that would allow them to bring it through customs on our behalf. At first they'd given me instructions to somehow get to a building in the centre and do loads of different things in order to do what was needed. We called them again and they arranged to have a lady come to us to collect my passport in order to get it translated and then I met her at a building where over 90 minutes we went through the process and finally a power of attorney was handed to her. This was day seven of our arrival and we'd just agreed on the flat.
Now the story changed though.
Having done this vital paperwork, only now were we told that this was the 'green light' that our relocation company needed to hear in order to allow the stuff to leave the UK!! It was all still in England. It was the 8th August – the green light had been given but even then the stuff didn't actually leave the UK until the 14th and then we were told that it would take 10 working days to arrive!
It's Saturday 23rd August as I write this section and, still furniture-less, the latest we have heard is that its due at customs on Tuesday or Wednesday and then should take 1 or 2 days to clear before the agent here will call us to arrange delivery. So it might still be another week? Having left our house on 23rd July and with the end of August coming next weekend, how things have worked out is far from what we were told but we've given it to God. We moved into our flat on the 11th August (at the time not knowing the delay to our furniture) and have effectively been camping out with minimal stuff – the wait goes on for at least another week but this will soon be over and we can get on with properly settling in.
So what of the Russian churches? Tomorrow will be our 4th Sunday here, and while we didn't go anywhere last week I had been to 3 churches in the first two Sundays, all of which differed quite a lot. On the first Sunday, 3rd August (which happened to be exactly 9 years since the original picture I had when God said Russia!) we arrived for something like their 4pm meeting and left somewhere like 8pm! The kids were all so tired! The meetings are long, and because its all in Russian its hard to stay focussed. Dave Henson was able to share a little about what we'd come to do. Being 'English Missionary's' (in their eyes at least) we were ushered to the front rows, which takes a little getting used to. Each meeting though we never quite knew what was going to happen next. Worship was quite free though and some good contacts were made. This church was quite a way out from the centre but they were very keen to keep up contact going forward.
The following Sunday both families again made a trip out to another place that our Russian friend (ex-Mafia man) had arranged. We arrived for the 11am meeting and left, after a lunch put on for just us, at about 3:15pm! At the end of the meeting, which Dave had shared at again, he and I were then asked to pray for lots of people, which we did together for about an hour. Our wives, outside with the kids, must have wondered what had happened to us but they did very well.
As we were leaving it was clear that for me and Dave there was another meeting that we were invited to at a different church, one far nearer us in the centre. We all raced back to the hostel and then Dave & I left for the 4pm start (which we were late for). This church had an American team over so it was good to sing in Russian & English as well as to be able to understand the preach! There were also some good contacts made. We travelled back towards the hostel tired but happy, having spent most of the day in meetings. It was now nearly 9pm! Dave stopped off just before getting back in order to pick up some food. He left the engine running and I waited. Though there were other parked cars around us we had no idea whether we could stop here or not so thought it best if I stay in the car just in case – and what a good choice that turned out to be!
Suddenly I noticed a tow lorry stop and sit in the middle of the road facing the other direction.
Having seen lots of crazy driving this didn't totally alarm me because people did all sorts of things on the road. But I kept a close eye, fearing the worst but not actually believing anything would happen. Besides, surely Dave would be back soon anyway. I didn't know how to drive this big 4x4 automatic anyway!
About two minutes later another identical lorry pulled up in front of the first and stopped in the middle of the road – then it suddenly pulled out and in front of the car in front of us! I could see clearly now what was going to happen – they were here to tow us all away!!
I jumped over into the drivers seat. As one lorry driver was taking photo's of the first car I was quickly trying to work out what I needed to do to move this car! The second lorry driver, while signally roughly, with words coming out in Russian that I didn't know, I could see he was allowing me to go! I pulled out, albeit a little jumpy, as this big automatic rolled down the road. I was safe! I thought I'd better just drive the 300 metres to the hostel, which I did, just a little shaky! I walked back to find Dave, who'd worked out what had happened having seen the lorries. Hopefully that'll be the last bit of driving I do in Russian for a long time, but for a few minutes I was quite worried!
So what are my first impressions then? Well, the above experiences have taught us something of the life that we'll live here. But the city that we live, while it might not sleep, is one of stunning beauty in much of its buildings, rivers and statues. The weather is more tropical than British. We can have storms and hot sun in the same day. Heavy showers then sun within 30 minutes several times a day.
The people, behind the expressionless exterior, are very friendly and happy to help. The little Russian we know does go a long way.
It's a very cultural place. We went to the Hermitage yesterday and its spectacular. Rachel went to the Ballet the day before that which sounded very good as well.
There's clearly a city that needs reaching with the gospel. It is not a small task that lays before us. We know that first we need to learn the language and understand culture more fully. But even in these early days its been good to have had a time when Dave & Hannah, myself & Rachel, Nadia (a Russian girl who has moved up from Tver to join us here) as well as another Russian couple looking to move here together with two English New Frontiers leaders all sharing a meal together at the Henson's flat. It may be early days, but the core of the church plant has already been planted.
We are all in this city now. Our journey's here may have been very different, but now our lives have come together for this time, this season, in order to see something equally spectacular established for the Kingdom of God.
In these four parts of this series its taken us from April 2007 until today, 23rd August 2008, sitting here at 4:35pm with a lovely sunny day outside and the temperature showing 31 degrees Celsius. I know that this next 12 months is going to change me more than at any other time in my life. I know that I will be challenged to my very core as I press through here, as winter kicks in and as life struggles on at times. Quite what surprises I'll be writing about in the final part of this series next summer I do not know.
What I do know though is that God, my God who has been with me these past months so closely, will continue to be so close to me going forward. It'll be God that starts the church here. And it'll be God's way that it gets started.
- Lord, I commit this time to you. Please lead me and guide me. Thank you for bringing us all here safely. Though scary at times, you've protected us and you continue to protect us. Help us with the language. Help us to settle. Please help bring our furniture all here safely. Empower us over this next 12 months that when I write next summer, we'd be different people – different because you've shaped us into a new shape – one ready for Russia!
Coming next summer – Part 5 – One Year On.
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