During one of our trips to the downtown shopping section of the city, it occurred to us that we are creating memories for ourselves and our children. Each day that we are here, we are experiencing the culture -the food, the people, the architecture of the buildings, the clothing, the music, the television, the language, the habits and behaviors- yes, we are experiencing this region of Russia by being fully present. Allowing ourselves to relax and appreciate this culture helps us to recognize the presence of Christ in our life. Throughout the day yesterday, at varying times, we were able to really see and appreciate how we have been guided on this journey.
We saw Christ in the faces of our new friends, Uri, the security guard, and Tanya (I learned her name), our favorite cleaning lady.
We experienced Christ as we offered our meager Hershey candy bars (thank you Mary Ann) to some of the street vendors who wear their hardened life experiences on their weathered faces.
We experienced Christ as we thought about the hospitality that Tatiana is extended to us to visit the MOE on Thursday - a day that visitors are not allowed.
We experienced Christ when we read Dominic’s message to us that his teachers, Mr. Spotts and Mr. Blauch, not only took care of a situation that we had asked them to help with in our absence, but within 24 hours, they had gone above and beyond what our expectations had been.
We felt the hand of God involved with an incident in the lobby of our hotel. After we closed Subway @ 10:00pm, we headed back to our hotel’s lobby to continue some internet use. We were there only five minutes when the phone rang at the front desk. The receptionist walked over to me, handed me the phone, and said, “It’s for you.” What are the chances that a person would call and we would be in the lobby of this hotel? What are the chances that the receptionist, whom we had never been introduced to would know who we were? Kenny and I looked at each other and knew that the Holy Spirit was indeed at work again.
We experienced Christ as we looked at the denominations of Russian money that came out of Kenny’s pocket at the end of the day…one of every kind. Now what are those odds? Or as we say, we are not surprised since we are fully aware of God’s presence in our life right now. So by living in the present moment and experiencing the culture, we are creating memories that will last beyond our trips to Russia. We are more fully recognizing the guiding hand of God’s presence in our lives.
We are hopeful that our children at home on Jeff Lane are creating lasting memories with their Grandma! Learning to appreciate the time that you get to spend with Grandma for two whole weeks will be a memory that you will have for the rest of your lives…even when you are older like us!
We saw Christ in the faces of our new friends, Uri, the security guard, and Tanya (I learned her name), our favorite cleaning lady.
We experienced Christ as we offered our meager Hershey candy bars (thank you Mary Ann) to some of the street vendors who wear their hardened life experiences on their weathered faces.
We experienced Christ as we thought about the hospitality that Tatiana is extended to us to visit the MOE on Thursday - a day that visitors are not allowed.
We experienced Christ when we read Dominic’s message to us that his teachers, Mr. Spotts and Mr. Blauch, not only took care of a situation that we had asked them to help with in our absence, but within 24 hours, they had gone above and beyond what our expectations had been.
We felt the hand of God involved with an incident in the lobby of our hotel. After we closed Subway @ 10:00pm, we headed back to our hotel’s lobby to continue some internet use. We were there only five minutes when the phone rang at the front desk. The receptionist walked over to me, handed me the phone, and said, “It’s for you.” What are the chances that a person would call and we would be in the lobby of this hotel? What are the chances that the receptionist, whom we had never been introduced to would know who we were? Kenny and I looked at each other and knew that the Holy Spirit was indeed at work again.
We experienced Christ as we looked at the denominations of Russian money that came out of Kenny’s pocket at the end of the day…one of every kind. Now what are those odds? Or as we say, we are not surprised since we are fully aware of God’s presence in our life right now. So by living in the present moment and experiencing the culture, we are creating memories that will last beyond our trips to Russia. We are more fully recognizing the guiding hand of God’s presence in our lives.
We are hopeful that our children at home on Jeff Lane are creating lasting memories with their Grandma! Learning to appreciate the time that you get to spend with Grandma for two whole weeks will be a memory that you will have for the rest of your lives…even when you are older like us!