Another Fall Day in Russia

The weather is getting cooler. Yesterday it was about 32 degrees F outside! Brrr. Talk about a cold fall! The leaves are basically done changing color and have mostly fallen from the trees already. Most days are grey and dreary looking outside. Occasionally the day can start off with some sunshine, but turn cloudy by mid day. Sometimes it rains, which makes things even colder. Our apartment is heated now and quite warm. We have these knobs on our heaters that allow us to adjust the heat a little. We did not have these in our last apartment. Instead we just roasted. It is nice to not have to have the windows open all the time just to cool the hot apartment down!

Yesterday we got a package slip. You don't get your package delivered to your mailbox like you do in the States. Instead, you get a slip which you have to fill out and then go to the post office to pick it up. Obviously this would be super simple in the States. You would fill out everything in English, hop in your convenient car, go to the post office, stand in line, be greeted by a smiling post office person, pick up your package, get back in your car, and head home. Here it is slightly different. We had some help filling out our package slip (thanks Brian!) and I wrote it in Russian. Then I got on a 27 bus and headed downtown. Once off the bus I walked a few blocks, accidentally walked in the wrong building, went back outside, and walked further to the building that actually HAD post office written on the outside.

Oops. Anyway, found the office with no problem. There was no line, just a grumpy lady who rolled her eyes when I approached. Nice. I got the package and then also paid a bill there. Did you know we have to pay our bills at the post office or bank? Yes, so unconvenient as well, but oh well, at least I was headed there anyway!

When I got home, there was one happy birthday girl who appreciated my trip to the post office!
Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma Streicher!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Need of Wheels

As you may remember, we will be returning to the States for a short 6 weeks at the end of November due to visa issues. We are excited to use this opportunity to spend time with family during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays! Adalynn has been saying, "Go to America" the last few days. She is anxious to see her Grandmas and Grandpas and aunts, uncles, and cousins!
Because we are going to be traveling to Ohio to visit my family, we are in need of a car or van to use for the month of December ONLY! If you would be willing or able to let us borrow a vehicle for this month, we would greatly appreciate it! Please email us @ pkgormong@gmail.com if you are willing to help us with this need!

These two cute faces could get us a ride if we had to hitch hike, but we would rather not!

Thanks for your support, prayers, giving, and love!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Someone has been Busy!

No, Philip hasn't been busy baking or eating Cinnabon Cinnamon rolls. (This is the only picture I could find of just Philip...the camera was a last thought last week during his class) He has been busy preparing and teaching the Pauline and Epistles at the Bible College. Last Monday was his first night of class. It was a week long intensive, so class went from 6pm-9pm each night and concluded with an afternoon class on Saturday. Philip has spent the last 2 weeks preparing, studying, and outlining each of the Epistles. He would normally get up and go to the coffee shop or the Global Partner office and work all late morning/afternoon. On top of that he had Russian to study for, a small group to prepare for, trash to take out, and paperwork for our residency visas to mess with. It was a really busy week, but the Lord provided him strength and focus. I must say he did have a few late nights. I could tell he was focused because one night I asked him what time it was (it was the middle of the night when Gwen woke up and since we don't have a clock in our room, Philip wears his watch that lights up). Philip didn't respond so I had to nudge him again and ask him. Instead of saying what time it was he said, "1 Timothy 2:4". I thought yikes, he is focused! Even quoting Scripture in his dreams! hahah!
Philip had 6 students in the class. He said he felt like the class went well and was really glad for the experience and opportunity to teach. He had to get used to talking with an interpreter, but he said it also gave him a chance to look down at his notes more! Thank you for your faithful prayers for him and the class.

At break time during the class, they always had tea. It was a nice break for everyone. On Saturday, after the last class, they all ended with tea and Philip practiced his Russian with the students!
Here Adalynn is having a tea party with her favorite stuffed animals!

Did you know that Philip is also meeting with an English group each Thursday? A friend asked Philip to help out another friend who is an English teacher. On Thursdays Philip goes to an English class and speaks "native" English with the Russian students. They are all women, which is slightly funny, but we are hoping to build some relationships through this ministry. Sometime the girls and I will go with Philip!


Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Face to Face

FaceTime is a great thing...or some may like Skype or Gmail Chat. Whatever it is that can let us talk to friends and family from across the ocean, we appreciate! We use FaceTime often to talk to Mom and Dad Gormong and we use Skype to talk to my family in Ohio each week. The other night Philip and I were trying to wind down our brains from over 2 hours of Russian study, when we decided to FaceTime with our friends the Rambos! The Rambos are currently missionaries in Africa with World Gospel Mission. It was so neat to be able to talk to them (and hear about their news of having another baby on the way---Congrats!)! The Rambos are dear friends from seminary, who we miss a lot!

It is amazing to be able to use technology like we do. Years ago when Philip and his family were on the mission field, there was no FaceTime, Skype, or Gmail Chat. There was just snail mail and probably a few phone calls here and there. We are so blessed to have the internet to be able to stay connected with our family and the Western world. Of course we are orienting our minds to life here, but there is still a part of your heart and mind that longs for the familiar things of the west...FaceTime, Pinterest, Facebook, News websites, and blogs all help us in this department!

Pray for us as we are turning in our residency paper work once again tomorrow. This is the 3rd time for corrections so we are praying this will be the last time. We don't just want to assume that we will be accepted, but we are continuing to trust the Lord for Him to work things out!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Pictures!

Meet: Esther (no, not me, the puppet!)

I guess she wasn't impressed with Esther's performance!

Learning the Bible Verse! John 3:16

The Queen Esthers!

Adalynn was suppose to be making a necklace...but she was too hungry so she ate the "things" to make the necklace!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

*pictures taken by Cara B.

Sunday Evenings

Twice a month we get together for a large group gathering (there are usually around 20-25 people). When I saw "we" I am talking about the small groups/house churches that have formed from the leadership team of our church plant--Grace of Christ Church. There are 4 groups meeting or going to be meeting each week. During these groups there is time for fellowship, reading and discussing the Scriptures, and a time for prayer. It is great to meet each week, but it is also nice to get all the groups together as a whole twice a month. During our large group gatherings we have a time of tea and fellowship, singing, prayer, reading of the Word, and communion. I have been teaching the Sunday school lesson to the children during these meetings when the adults start reading the Bible and doing a study. The children get to participate in worship and fellowship, but they are ready for Sunday school when that time arrives!

Last night we talked about Esther and how God answers prayers. We usually have 5 kids all under the age of 7. I did a puppet show with Esther. I forgot how hard it is to tell a story and move the puppet's mouth all while having an interpreter! I think poor Esther's mouth wasn't moving at all the right times...plus one of her eyes fell off and she about lost her hair during her story! Yikes! It was fun though and the girls go to make crowns, scepters, and necklaces. We met in a large room that had a blow up castle jumping thing that the girls got to play in after the lesson. It was pretty fun for all!


Being praying for Philip this week. Tonight starts his class on Pauline Epistles. He is ready and excited to for this experience. He is still busy preparing each day, so pray for strength, wisdom, and clarity of thought as he continues to prepare and teach!

Blessings,
Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

наш сосед--Our Neighbor

So, just a few days ago, I was home alone with the girls. It was evening, and I had just gotten done giving both girls a bath when I heard our door bell ring. (It actually is the sound of birds chirping...weird, I know) The door bell didn't just ring once, it rang twice and then it sounded like someone was just holding in the button. I had to unlock three doors to see who it was. I wasn't ready for what was to come. Mind you, I was standing in my reindeer pj pants and INDIANA t-shirt (could I be more American?!). My neighbor, or I thought it was at this point, started yelling at me. I caught some words she was saying, but I was too flustered to even try to put all the Russian words into sentences in my head. All I know was that she was standing outside our door (the door that goes to our apartment and hers) pointing to the door handle and yelling...in Russian...fast Russian. I told her I only understood a little Russian and I only spoke a little Russian. I don't think she cared because on she went. She must not have seen the cute little 4 month old in my arms or the cute little 2 year old standing at our door in her flannel purple flower pjs. The door handle had broken, but not by me. I wasn't sure how to tell her that I didn't do it. I just said I didn't know and I was sorry. She eventually stopped and just shook her head in frustration and kept talking to herself under her breath. Probably said something like, "Stupid, Americans", but I don't look American so who knows what she was saying! Anyway, the girls and I went quietly back into the house until Philip came home.

The door cannot be opened from the outside unless you leave it just a little opened. It needs to be fixed. We decided just to leave it a little opened because we didn't want our lovely neighbor to be locked out. Yesterday we went out and came back to find the door shut and locked. I thought, "Great, now we have to ring our neighbor to let us in!" We rang her door bell and waited. Out came an old lady chatting on her phone. She unlocked the door and then started talking to us in Russian. We started up a conversation...well as much as we could. It was her daughter that I "met" the other day. This lady lives in the apartment, but had spent the summer at her dacha (summer house...no probably not the kind of summer house you are thinking of). She said all kinds of things to us, only half we could barely understand, but we just stood there and smiled and said what we could. She loved the girls. Later that night we had our leadership team over to our house and she came out to see what was going on...(not uncommon I suppose of some older women). Some of our team members talked to her (they are Russian, so obviously they could communicate with her more clearly). She is really chatty and has an old dog. I mean old! Anyway, she talked about the people who used to live where we are living and how she helped them out and how they just left. It wasn't a good situation I guess. She ended up giving us some veggies from her dacha!
I think our neighbor turned out to be pretty nice...and chatty. Pray for us as we have opportunities to talk her in the coming days and months.