Wednesday

Home today! We don't have too much time today, but we will fill you in a little about what we have been doing. We (and approximately 6 million other people) went to the Hermitage Museum yesterday. It was fabulous (if a little crowded). We got to see works by Da Vinci, Raphael and others. There were also some amazine rooms. We couldn't believe that they let us walk on the floors, which were works of art themselves.

Last night, we attended a concert of traditional Russian folk dance. Be sure to ask Matt about his complimentary (and very public) lesson in folk dancing. We'll try to post the video after we get back. Note from Matt: if this doesn't get him cultural credit, nothing will!

We just had our last devotion and need to finish packing, so we'll sign off now. We should get into chicago about 5:30, but it will take a while to make it through customs, so for those of you picking up in Chicago, it probably won't be before 6:00 (at the earliest). We can call from the plan after it lands, but we won't be able to use our cell phones during the entrance process.

This has been a fabulous and moving experience. Keep checking the blog, because we'd like to post some more thoughtful reflections later.

Your "sad to leave" but "happy to be coming home" bloggers
Chaela and Sharon

Monday Part 2

After our tour of St. Isaac's, we did some more souvenir shopping and ate lunch at McDonald's. Because of our large size, moving us around quickly has been quite a hassle, Sandi decided we should split into groups after lunch to do more shopping and sightseeing. We met with Dr. Evgheny (sp?) later in the afternoon and had a wonderful time with him. It was humbling to see his burden and dedication to his work at the hospital. We had dinner with him and then left for the ballet. We were able to see Swan Lake at the Hermitage Theatre. We all, the girls especially, had fun getting "dolled up" with some of our new purchases to see the ballet. The Hermitage Theatre was constructed as a private theatre, so there was really no "bad" seat in the house. We arrived early and were able to obtain great seats. The ballet was wonderful and Sandi commented that the lead ballerina was the best that she had seen dance the part of Odette.

After our evening of ballet, several of the girls felt that it was there duty to continue this particular aspect of their cultural enrichment. As a result, spontaneous dancing (and I do use that term loosely) broke out several times yesterday night.

We are looking forward to touring the Hermitage on Tuesday and attending a performance of traditional Russian folk dancing. Home on Wednesday!!

Your twirling and bowing bloggers,

Chaela and Sharon

Monday

What day is today...? This blog seems to be the only thing that is keeping us oriented datewise. We started a little later today; breakfast at our separate hotels and then a time of devotion altogether. Several themes have recurred during our time here. One of those themes has been "light." Don spoke this morning about the light that God is to us and that we are in the world. Nancy also spoke about the blessings of God that we have and that we can be to others. We saw an example of this yesterday at KFC. There was a homeless woman outside while we were eating and Nancy noticed her and brought her chicken and fries. The woman was tearful and thankful for the extra help. "She was probably praying for someone to look out for her," Brianna suggested this morning. We finished out the morning with a spontaneous rendition of "This Little Light of Mine." Granny Alicia even remembered all of the verses and Heather and Nancy helped improvise a few to make them personal.

We then spent the rest of the morning touring St. Isaac's Cathedral. It is an extremely beautiful example of Russian religious art and architecture. We even climbed 211 stairs (yes, we counted) to get to the balcony of the dome. It was a breathtaking view of St. Pete and we were blessed to have such beautiful, sunny weather today.

We are getting ready to meet with a doctor from the Stepantsevo (sp?) hospital, so we have to close. We'll try to post more later.

Ballet tonight!!

Your expectant bloggers,

Chaela and Sharon

From Alicia

Greetings to all. Things are going great; St. Petersburg is awesome and time is going fast. I miss you all. See you soon. Love, hugs, and prayers.

Alicia (Granny)

Sunday (and Saturday night)

Well, I think it is safe to say that this year's team is still in contention for the title of "The A Team." Everything went smoothly during the transition from our hotel in Moscow, to the train station, to St. Petersburg. We gathered all of our bags together and left for the train station around ten o'clock on Saturday night. Korte and Evelyn rode with the luggage and the rest of the group followed Anya, our fearless leader, to the subway station. We said goodbye to Martha and Eric at the hotel and Jim helped us to the train station, where we parted with him as well. They will be sorely missed for the remainder of the trip and the team's thoughts and prayers are with them as they journey home.

Sharon's fears from yesterday, thankfully, did not pan out and we managed to navigate two subway stations and a change in trains without losing anyone. We boarded the train around midnight and, after a slight mix-up in compartment assignments (I won't mention any names but that luggage was not getting any lighter, Dr. Jim =), we were all comfortably settled.

We got into St. Pete around ten this morning and headed straight for our hotels. We are split between two lovely bed and breakfast hotels that are about a block apart. We began our sightseeing with lunch at a restaurant that is known for blending American and Russian cuisine: KFC. We took a scenic tour around St. Pete by boat, narrated in Russian and translated by Anya, and then toured the interior of The Church of the Spilled Blood. We were able to take some beautiful pictures of both the inside and outside of the church. Hopefully we will be able to resolve our technical issues and upload some pictures of our tours today.

Of course it wouldn't be a typical day in Russia without our assistance to the economy. We left the church and many in the group bartered and purchased souvenirs from a market across the street. Another popular attraction was an artist who drew caricatures and pictures for several team members. We've decided that Leigh Ann and Ashley's "gifts" might also include finding affordable, personal art. We ended the evening with dinner and coffee/tea at a cafe and dessert at a bakery near our hotel. The creme brulee flavored ice cream and "exceedingly puffy fruit-filled doughnuts" (Chelsea's glowing description) were quite a hit amongst the team.

Tomorrow, we are planning to tour The Peterhoff (sp?) Palace and other prominent features in St. Petersburg. We are having a great time and enjoying the sights of the "Venice of the North." St. Pete is a beautiful city and I know that everyone back home will be in awe of the photos we bring home.

Your culturally-enlightened bloggers,

Chaela and Sharon

Saturday

Wow! It has been a long day, and we still have longer to go. The team met at 8:00 this morning in Sandi and Nancy's room for our usual morning devotional. And of course, we all had to sing happy birthday to Rachel, our birthday girl!

It has been a day walking, shopping, and of shuffling suitcases back and forth. Since most of us had to check out, we had to store all of the suitcases in the two rooms of the team members who are leaving tomorrow. The hotel thought that Leigh Ann and Ashley were staying instead of Jim and Eric, and that led to considerable confusion, but we (or to be honest Anya and Sandi) got it worked out.

Most of the morning was spent at a local vendor market (Islamova sp?). It was raining, but that didn't slow us down much, and we think that maybe the vendors were a little more willing to haggle. Several of our team members now think that one of their "gifts" is negotiating prices down!

Then we came back to the hotel for another time of devotion and communion. Steve gave the devotional, and Sandi tolk us how pleased she is that we have come together as a team and led us in communion. It was truly a moving experience. Sandi and Nancy presented team members with a gift to help us remember the trip by (as if we could ever forget), and Sandi presented Nancy with a gift (a beautiful box).

Then we were off for more shopping on Arbot (sp?) street and dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. We actually have managed to travel on the subway four times without losing anyone (but we do still have to get to the train station tonight, and I'm predicting that if anone gets lost it will be me!). We presented Rachel with a card and a small gift and the Hard Rock, and although we weren't able to pull off a cake, she did get a candle on her ice cream Sunday.

We are now back at the hotel and will leave for the train station at 11:00 (pretty late for me, but the "kids" are really excited about it).

Chaela hasn't come down, so I'll try to get some pictures up, but as you might have guessed, she is the technical member of the team.

Your all "shopped out" and "walked out" blogger,
Sharon

Sorry, the only memory card I have doesn't seem to be compatible with this computer. I'll try later. We do have some beautiful pictures of the city and of Rachel today.

Friday Part 2

Just a quick note to let everyone know that we arrived safely in Moscow. We saw some beautiful scenery on the drive in. We got checked into the hotel (which is very nice) without any problems and had time to visit Red Square. We'll post pictures tomorrow. Culture shock was modified somewhat with lunch at McDonalds and dinner at Sbarro's :)

Note from Brianna: The hotel is really nice, and I want a massage.

Your weary blogger,
Sharon

Friday

This will be short, we have a few minutes before we leave for Moscow. Last night we split into groups and enjoyed meals at the homes of church members. It was a great time of fellowship and we were blessed by our hosts' hospitality. We are very sad to be leaving Vladimir and all of our friends here, but we know that we will be able to keep in touch until next year. Today, we are driving by bus to Moscow and touring the city. Tomorrow we will tour Moscow more and leave for St. Petersburg late tomorrow evening. Thank you for all of your prayers, comments, and support. We will post again as soon as we find an internet cafe in Moscow or St. Pete. Sorry there are no pictures--more technical difficulties.

Your jet-setting bloggers,

Chaela and Sharon

Thursday

Today we traveled to Stepantsevo to visit the district hospital there; Sandi and Nancy have visited this hospital for several years and have helped raised financial support for them. The building was constructed in 1903 as a private home of a town factory owner. After the revolution in 1917, it was converted into a hospital for about 15-20 small villages in the area. The hospital is run by a husband and wife team. We were able to meet the wife today and will hopefully be able to connect with the husband in St. Petersburg. The staff of the hospital were very welcoming--allowing us to tour, take pictures, and providing us with a delicious, traditional Russian lunch. It was a first experience with herring for several in our group. We were also served tomatoes and pears which were clearly home-grown and very fresh. We had a "taste of home" with the mashed potatoes and brown bread. The meal concluded with tea, cookies, and wild strawberry jam. We think that the pictures will speak for themselves.

Tonight, we will be splitting into groups and having dinner in the homes of several church members. We are looking forward to another chance to experience traditional Russian cuisine and hospitality.

Since this is our last day in Vladimir and we will be traveling to Moscow tomorrow, we are not sure when we will be posting next. Keep watching for further updates from "The A Team." =)

Yours in Christ,

Chaela and Sharon

Pictures from today:

Wednesday

Note: We apologize for not posting sooner, but we had some internet difficulties yesterday and couldn't upload our latest update.

Today we went in separate directions. Jim, Eric, Don, Matt, Korte, Heather, and Mary worked in the attic (the "hole"). They are topcoating, sealing drywall, priming and painting. They have made good progress.

The next group, Dr. Jim, Evelyn, Ashley, Riana, and Chelsea, paid a visit to the Children's Hospital. They were warmly received, and even were allowed to hold the babies. We're hoping that this will be a new contact that we can visit in future trips.

Steve, Sharon, Rachel, and Leigh Ann went on a home visit. The home visits have been an opportunity to see the way that many of the Russian people live. The hospitality and warmth of our hosts has been very moving.

The remainder of the team were involved in cooking the lunch, more SPAR runs (although we got the number down today), and cleaning the church for this evening's services.

Jim P. will be speaking tonight, and we know the Russians will love him, as they always do. Last night, Jim gave each of the men a multipurpose tool as part of his message about how God uses men as tools. Jim had brought more than enough tools, but several of them had been confiscated going through customs. When it came time to pass out the tools, Jim discovered that he had the exact number of tools needed for each of the men to receive one.

Comment from Alicia: Things are going extremely well here. Thank you all for the love and prayers.

Here are some pictures:

Tuesday

We didn't make it to the church yesterday to post to the blog because we went to Suzdal. The day started out with a devotion from Mary. Matt also shared about an experience he had doing street evangelism. We are all now praying for Maria, that her heart would be softened and that she will continue to be receptive. We ask that you, also, add Maria from Vladimir to your prayer lists.

We left for Suzdal in a van. It was a good chance to get to see more of the countryside. Suzdal is an ancient village that has been restored. It was at one time a capital of Russia and is currently a major tourist attraction. The Christmas Cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Russia. It has a blue onion dome with stars, which no other cathedrals are allowed to copy. It was national museum day (or something like that) so everything was free! The only thing we had to pay for was the right to take pictures. We toured the "wooden village" and had an opportunity to buy some souvenirs. Several of the team members were able to purchase watercolors of Suzdal from an artist/vendor. The team would like to say a public "thank you" to Sandi for the commemorative Suzdal magnets that she purchased for all of us.

After leaving the ancient village of Suzdal, we moved to modern Russia by going to Globus, a "Russian Wal Mart (on steroids)". We had lunch at the large cafeteria and rushed through all of the aisles. Fortunately, they had a LOT of chocolate, because we certainly bought a LOT of chocolate. We also found it necessary to replace several hairdryers that could not make the cultural/electrical shift to Russia. Speaking of electricity, we have overtaxed the electrical system at the church several times today (guess that's what happens when you have power tools plus every appliance in the kitchen running together =).

Doctor Jim, Jim P., Eric, and Evelyn made it here (in considerably better time than we did!). Sandi took them to dinner, and the rest of us (who had eaten lunch at 3:00) said we would get by. Actually, we think this was primarily an excuse to go to SPAR (a local grocery chain). We think they will really miss us when we leave, espcially Heather and Korte (who some of the staff now know by name). They went to the meat counter to get freshly sliced meat. No one spoke English, so the staff lady resorted to making animal noises to communicate. Korte and Heather were especially good at illustrating pork! They also tried to order cheese, but Korte was a little confused about converting from pounds to kilos and we almost ended up with a wheel of cheese.

Today was a clinic with Dr. Jim at the church, home visits, working on the attic, and cooking. Things are going well, although we had hoped to see more people at the clinic (maybe that will come). We have really been suffering for the Lord in terms of our meals. Sandi fixed chicken cordon bleu for lunch, and has already started on dinner. Heather has made 7 (or was in 8) trips to SPAR. They almost start laughing when we walk through the door. We have definitely made a difference in their financial "bottom line."

The home visits to local women have proved to be very moving experiences for the team members who participated--the hospitality of the women was heartwarming and very thoughtful. The women, with help from an interpreter, shared their life stories with their guests and told about their families. They were grateful for the groceries and the gift bags that we brought to them. One of the ladies said that the pair of slippers were an answer to prayer.

The men will be leading a short retreat for local ministers later today, and Jim P. will be speaking.

Tomorrow will be more home visits and a visit to a children's hospital by some of our team.

Here are some pictures from yesterday and today:






The Christmas Cathedral at Suzdal













A view of Suzdal from the road














Sandi, Brianna, and Kathi












The birthday girl!













Two sets of twins













Our first experiences with the Russian soda KVASS (some were better than others)













The group that "wasn't hungry" =)

Stephanie, Chaela, Lydia, and Mary at Lydia's home

The team waving "hello" on a bridge at Suzdal















Another view of the Christmas Cathedral domes












Our team leaders setting a high standard of decorum...



...for our younger team members to follow.

That's all for now!

Your well-fed bloggers,

Chaela and Sharon

Sunday

Comment from Sandi: So far, I think I'm dealing with the "A Team." All of our bags arrived--this is a first in fifteen trips, and keeping 20 people together at one time is not as hard as I thought it would be. Everybody is doing well, and the Russians are so grateful to see another American team come and serve. I am thrilled with the work that was done at the Benjamin House and ever so blessed by the women's event. Our remaining 10 days will be gone before we know it. This is a great team, and it has been a joy to work with them. Bob, please don't tear anything permanent out of the house when I am gone :)

Happy Birthday, Brianna! For those of you who don't know, Brianna turned twelve today. We celebrated with a bilingual version of Happy Birthday at the women's conference.

We'd like to explain a little about what went on at our women's conference. We started out on Friday at 7:00pm with worship followed by a message from Kathi and a testimony from Heather. Then there was more worship and we broke for the evening.

Saturday started at 9:00 and the day included messages from Kathi, a tesimony from Martha, a testimony by a Russian lady, as well as breakout sessions and worship. The afternoon included crafts, another message by Kathi, and another breakout session.

After coming back to the church, we met up with the men and enjoyed a meal of shashlik (which is Russian shishkebab with Pasha's own special sauce).

Today we shared morning worship service with our Russian friends and after a picture-taking session were served a lunch of borscht and Russian sandwiches.

We continued the conference after lunch with a message from Sandi, brownies, a craft time, and a message from Mary. Sandi's message about identifying gifts gave us all much to think about. Some of us (who shall remain nameless) have decided that cooking brownies in a Russian oven probably isn't our special "gift" unless you like eating brownies with a spoon. Sigh........

The men spent part of the afternoon in street evangelism.

We are looking forward to a visit to Suzdal and shopping for souvenirs tomorrow. More to come on that subject after we have been there. We suspect that we will continue our mission of shoring up the ailing Russian economy tomorrow.

From Kathi, Noni, and Brianna: Brian and Alex--We hope that you're having a great trip! Happy Birthday, Alex! We love you and miss you.

Your inspired bloggers,

Chaela and Sharon

Here are some more pictures:











Chelsea, Rachel, Yula, Olya, Anya, and Riana at the women's conference in Ladoga




Our first worship service at the women's conference.


















Mary's infamous fur coat, christened Snowy Fuzzy Numkins Ackerman, Chelsea, and Chaela

Vlodya giving the team a tour of his house and property

View from downtown Vladimir
















Russian Orthodox Church in Vladimir





















Ancient city gate and entrance to Vladimir














Ladies working on their crafts at the conference









Matt working on the banya at Vlodya's


















A Russian country church near Vlodya's village.

















Sergei driving the sandbox bus.













Vlodya's house















Chelsea and Chaela on the banya porch.












Vlodya and his wife Nally


















The team wearing our beautiful gifts from the women at the conference.

Saturday

It has been a long, but fulfilling day. The conference was very successful. We're tired, but feeling uplifted. The guys actually finished the banya today. Talk about being tired! It's getting late, and we don't want to keep Pastor Pasha here too late. We'll post more tomorrow about the conference and our work there. For now, here are some pictures and a few short messages.

Heather: The testimony went great! I could really feel the prayers. Love you all.

Brianna: It is great in Russia and we are having lots of fun.

Mary: The women's conference went great. To Rosa: have a wonderful day tomorrow. I will be thinking about you, and I am so proud of you.

Leigh Ann: Hi, Mom. Love you, and I'm doing good. Tell dad I love him. James, I miss you and I love you. I will call you at 3:30p your time.

Riana: To Bobby: Congratulations on your graduation! I love you so much. I am so incredibly proud of you.



Your exhausted bloggers,

Chaela and Sharon

Friday

We made it! Getting onto our blogspot on a Russian computer was our first "unsuccessful" endeavor. It took us a while to figure out how to get started on this, so we apologize that we didn't get any information up sooner. Travel went flawlessly (well relatively speaking). We got all of our checked luggage, which Sandi says was a first! No flight delays. The van was waiting for us, and we only got stopped once getting through customs--one of our suitcases must have looked suspicious, (although we think it was Korte who REALLY looked suspcious). We did learn that Leigh Ann doesn't have a future in NASCAR, at least if the way she maneuvers luggage carts is any indication.

Yesterday (Thursday) was devoted to unpacking and getting the gift bags ready for the Women's conference. We really are pleased with the gift bags, and we were all so blessed by the many donations that we received. Even after putting the gift bags together, we had several bags of toiletries to leave for the church here to use. And that doesn't even count the tools and "guy things" we brought (but your bloggers are "girls" so we weren't too interested in that! We also had some time for sighseeing (although I think we provided a spectacle for the Russians, also). Of course, Korte was walking around in shorts even though it was windy and cold. We think that Mary particularly made an impression with her rabbit fur coat (yes, we have pictures, although considering how hard we were all laughing, getting a clear picture was a challenge). A couple of guys asked Don and Sharon if we were from the UK --we were tempted to tell the Austrailia, but we "fessed." After a somewhat squished experience on one on Russia's "spacious" trolleys, we were forced to take refuge in a spacious shopping mall. Leigh Ann and Ashley have decided that part of their mission is to rescue the sagging Russian economy!

The hotel is really pretty nice. It's a good thing we're getting plenty of Christian atmosphere at the church. The atmosphere at the hotel is another story--the breakfast area resembles a harem, and the eighth floor contingency get to listen to disco music every night from the club below. Park of our group plans to witness at the arcade and the blacklight bowling alley (which would of course involve playing the games to get to know people). They REALLY need us here!

Anya and Susha have been great guides (although Anya may share the American phrase that leading us around was like "herding cats". See, we are already sharing American culture!

Today, we're getting ready to leave for the women's conference and the guys are getting ready to test their carpentr skills (Matt says he is an expert at painting :)

Here are the messages:
Chelsea: Hello to family, and "I love you all." Tell Squirt I love her. Russia is great!

Matt: Hello. Mom, if a job has contacted me, send Riana a text message. Her number is in my cell phone's contact list. Love to JHC, GMC, JAC, Grandpa, Grandma Barb, and the rest of the family.

Heather: Hi, kids. Love you! I have gps imaging and I can see you from here! Behave! I miss you.

Mary: Love to my family and Justin. How was Jusin's check ride?

Alicia: Love and prayers to everyone back home.

Martha: I'm alive and well!

Ashley: Mom, Dad, Josh, Sarah, Mike, and Blair--I miss you, and I love you.

Riana: I want to send my whole family all my love, and thank you for all your support. Love and prayers.

Korte: Love to my family. Russia is great!

Leigh Ann: Love to Mom, Dad, and James.

Rachel: Russia is awesome! Love to my family.

Chaela: Love to all my family. Mawmaw--I'm keeping Chelsea safe :)

Don and Sharon: Sharon hasn't fallen apart (the first concern). Don hasn't tried to sneak any plant life off of private property (second major concern). The cookies were WONDERUL! No, the Russians didn't get all of them. We had such a weird shcedule the first day that we really appreciated the healthy American food (although we have to confess that our first Russian meal was at a McDonalds).

Maybe we need to clarify that although we are having fun, we are also doing what we came here to do. We heard our first sermon in Russian, and we discovered that we could sing in English while our friends were singing in Russian. We have had devotions every morning, and we are allpreparing to share with our Russian friends.

We continue to cover your prayers. More later (assuming we can do this twice!).

Your intrepid bloggers, Chaela and Sharon

Preparation for 2009 Team Russia

It's April 8 and we're less than five weeks away from departure. We still need our invitations to visit Russia and our visas in our passports. We'll keep you posted as plans come along.