Warmer

Welcome Spring!  Finally, Vladimir is starting to see some warmer weather!  It was in the mid 60s yesterday and it was oh, so glorious!  The girls and I went with Philip to pay our bills---to the post office.  We weaved in and out of puddles, but mostly just enjoyed the beautiful weather!!!

 

This is what most cars look like these days...dirty.  All the mud, puddles, and rain just give people an excuse to not wash their cars.

This picture was taken outside the post office while we were waiting for Philip.  I thought it was a neat symmetrical picture, though I am not sure what it says, so hopefully it isn't something bad!

Gwen is living it up with no winter snowsuit, a light hat, lounging in the stroller, and a snack.  What a hard life of a 10 month old!

Peek-a-Boo!  In Russian people say, "Coo Coo"

Sister loving!  Adalynn was singing this song, "My best friend, Gwen is my best friend.  My best friend is my sisterrrrrrrrrrr!!!  Gwenie!!!!!!"  It was pretty cute!

Blessings,

Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Grace of Christ's Easter Celebration

We had a great turn out for our Easter outreach with Grace of Christ Church yesterday!  It was a great time of fellowship, food, and sharing of the Word!  We had almost 50 people attend, which was great!  We had many friends join us for this special celebration.  

We enjoyed some Russian food...

Brian shared a short message about the meaning of Easer...

Lena, one of the team leaders on our leadership team, read a poem about Easter.  We also shared in some meaningful worship songs.

The children played a game and did a version of Resurrection Eggs.  Gwen enjoyed the game as you can see!

 

 

Of course the babies were passed around and the children found adults to entertain them!

We had Anya and her family join us, which was really fun!  Anya is the woman who's English Club Philip helps out with each Thursday.  Hopefully this week Anya and I can get together with the kids!  It was great to meet her husband and daughter!

Thanks for your prayers and continual interest and investment in our lives and the ministry here in Russia!

Blessings,

Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Пасxa

Did you know that we have not celebrated Easter here in Russia yet? Actually we did celebrate with our family last weekend, but Russian Easter is this coming week (tomorrow). Easter is the biggest religious holiday here in Russia. Since Russia follows the Julian calendar, Easter falls on a different day than in America.  

Easter is a big and fun celebration for many Russians, both Protestant and Orthodox. They do color eggs here, but the tradition is to use onion skins.  They boil the onion skins and turn the eggs a brownish color.  (see picture of eggs on the plate below)  We opted to use food coloring because I wasn't up to boiling onion skins...this year--maybe next year!  They also sell these cakes that are pretty popular.  Usually they aren't very sweet, but more like bread.  Sometimes there are raisins in them...yuck, um no thank you.  I decided to buy some to try to make...of course I decided to buy the sweet kind!  

They turned out pretty good.  I even read the directions in Russian...but of course double checked everything to make sure I was reading correctly. Basically you just mixed in 2 eggs and 100grams of butter and put them in the oven.  I made some for some friends we will be seeing tomorrow as we celebrate Easter (Пасха).  Of course I tasted it, just to make sure it was worthy of giving as a gift.  No worries, it was!

Our neighbor, who likes to occasionally pound on our door and come right in our house, brought us an Easter cake this afternoon!  We were thrilled to receive the kind gesture.  We chatted in our kitchen for a few minutes.  Adalynn was eating chips (which was actually a treat at the end of her lunch) and our neighbor was telling us how unhealthy they are for kids.  Great, she is probably thinking, "Those fat Americans!"  Hahah!  

As you can see Gwen was all about the hard boiled eggs.  And no, the cake did not fall off the plate despite what the picture may look like!

Христос Воскрес!  Воистину Воскрес! 

(Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed!)

Above is the greetings you exchange on Easter!  I think I like it better than Happy Easter!

Blessings,

Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Please pray for our outreach tomorrow afternoon!  Our church is having a dinner/tea!  We have invited many people!  Our friend, Anya and her family are coming, so we are really excited to share this special day with them!

Buses and Personal Space

Riding public transportation is actually not too bad.  If I think about leaving Russia, I actually think about how I would actually miss public transportation....in some ways, not all. Shocking, right?  Obviously there are some negatives about public transportation.  

Negative: It is really difficult to take 2 little girls anywhere with you if you have to take PT.  You have to carry them to the bus stop or take a stroller--which is really annoying in some sense because you have to figure out how to get the stroller on the bus along with yourself and the children.  You also have to keep them from squirming, crying, and talking in loud English (in our case singing in loud English). 

Positive: There is no taking in and out of car seats with big winter coats!

Negative:  The bus is crowded!  Sometimes you are so squished that you lose all sense of personal space.

Positive:  If you have children, someone usually gives up their seat for you--note:  always carry a child with you.

Negative:  Sometimes the trolly buses break down, and then you have to get out and walk to the next stop.

Positive:  You have no road rage because you are not driving!  I am never annoyed (ok, only once) at the bus because it is taking forever to get somewhere because I have no control of it.  I just sit and wait for the bus to arrive at my destination.  If we are late, we are late.  We can always blame the bus.  There is no being annoyed at the driver next to you or the driver who cut you off or ran the yellow light.  

Of course overall, I do enjoy getting into my car when back in the States and going anywhere I want in just minutes. 

Yesterday, I left the apartment to go to the art school again.  I left around 5:10pm.  I knew the buses would be crowded because it was "rush hour".  I prepared myself to lose my personal space.  I hoped on the 27 bus, and yes I lost ALL personal space and then some.  I am pretty sure my face was smashed to the glass and the person on the other side of the glass by the door had a pretty view for 2 stops.  Plus being crammed in a bus, traffic was busy too because everyone who had a car decided to go somewhere at the exact same time.  So, of course I was squished for an extra 10 minutes.

  I kept waiting for the lady who collects the money to come around.  I heard her money jingling in her pockets, but never saw her.  There was another couple standing by me who also needed to pay.  We all waited and waited, but there were so many people, and I had no idea how she was going to actually get through to the middle of the bus.  Finally, my stop came and I got off, still not paying.  I have no idea what I was suppose to do.  The couple got off the bus and went to the first door by the driver to pay.  I followed.  The lady just waved her hand and said something as the door shut and they drove away.  I guess I got a free ride.  I am still trying to decide if I am suppose to feel guilty for this act of "stealing" or not.  I'll let you know if they come looking for me.

Blessings,

Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Art School

Yesterday evening I was a model.  Yes, didn't you know that I model here in Russia?!  Haha just kidding!  No, but really, I was a model...for an art class of young Russian students.  They were probably about 15-16 years old.  This class is a class taken separate from regular school.  They have art class three times a week for 2 hours.  The students I talked with said they really enjoyed the class.  This particular art class is taught by a lady who goes to the other Wesleyan church.  The teacher saw me at church a few Sundays ago (when our new church came to share about how God is working in the new church) and asked if her students could draw me.  They needed someone different to draw.  Since I am odd looking (no, it is because I am Korean and look different than other people around here), she asked if I could come model for the class. The teacher's daughter has helped us in different ways since we have been here.  You might remember her, Natasha.  She is the woman who came to our first apartment over a year ago and taught us how to cook our first Russian meal! 

Around 4:50pm Natasha met me at the bus stop by the mall and we walked to the art school.  She helped me get situated, answered a few questions, and then left. I actually just sat there for 2 hours while these kids drew me.  

 Of course everyone spoke Russian, but I just sat and listened and tried to figure out what was going on.  A few students were actually studying English, so they helped when needed.  I did understand a few things she was saying.  I guess they were all drawing my nose incorrectly...too pointed.  The teacher even had a student, whose nose was a little larger, come up and stand so she could show them the difference!

After sitting for about 30 minutes, there was a break and the teacher and some of the students took me on a short tour of the art school.  It was pretty neat.  I also got to meet two other teachers.  One was a sculpture teacher and the other teacher taught sewing and other textile art.  

It was a good experience.  I am actually going back on Monday for another 2 hours so the students have another chance to draw me.  Then in a few weeks I will take Adalynn.  We will only stay for 15 minutes though.  If you know Adalynn, you will understand that she will probably not be the biggest fan, but I wanted to make it work for the class.

Here are a few pictures of my experience.

 Some of the students

 I sat in a chair and then the students sat around me in a semi-circle.  They all had easels and either pencils, chalk, or charcoal. 

 Drawing in action

 

 There I am...

 

Philip said this is my Mulan drawing...thanks, honey.

Blessings,

Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

Spring Puddles

 What?  Is that the road/ground you see?  Yes, it is true there is actually ground under all the snow.  I was beginning to think we were just walking on endless layers of ice and snow.  On Thursday it snowed.all.morning.  It was sad.  But today the sun was shining and the temperature got up to the 40s!  Yay!  When you stepped outside this afternoon, you could hear the steady dripping and gushing of melting snow from buildings.  It was a good sound.  

 

Here we are walking home from our Easter celebration with our Missionary Team.  We had a nice brunch at our field directors' house.  We did not get home until later in the afternoon, so Gwen was out like a light once we were on the bus.  

 

I told Adalynn she could actually step in the puddle.  She was beside herself with excitement because I am usually telling her to NOT step in the puddle.  It was a good picture moment, and we were just excited to not be walking on snow!

Happy Spring from Russia!

Blessings,

Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen

We Are HERE!

Guess what these three things have in common...

 

 

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I am sorry I have been behind on posting!  I hope you are still checking back to make sure we are still alive!  We have kicked up our language hours a few notches.  We had a great schedule going, but then decided that a few more hours of language would probably be beneficial, so we started hitting the books harder.  I can tell you my brain is a little more worn out.  

I went to the market on Saturday to buy some grass seed for a Sunday school project.  While I was there I decided to buy some fruit and vegetables as well.  I went to the vender who I went to last fall.  She remembered me, and asked me how the children were.  It was nice to "chat" with her and also practice my language.  See, in Russian, when you use quantity (numbering items) you have to change your noun or thing you are naming.  In this case, when I would ask for 3 pears, the word pear would use the genitive singular ending.  This is true from 2-4.  When you get to 5 you use the genitive case but in plural.   Are you lost?  Yes, I thought so.  Me too.  But as I talked to the lady and asked for different items, I made sure I said how many I wanted while using the correct genitive cases.  (We have been learning this with our tutor during our lessons.)  I walked away with 250 rubles worth of produce (about $8) and some good practice of the genitive case.

On Wednesday, we began meeting with our small group. Now when I say, small, I mean SMALL.  The girl, Vika, who I had coffee last month, came.  The other girl has gotten busy with school, but said she would try to come whenever possible.  It was good to get back together!  We are reading the book of John.  Pray for us as we continue to meet on Wednesday evenings.

Last week, it was warmer outside, so I took the girls for a walk around the building.  We met a little girl and her grandma.  We chatted a little.  They smiled at Gwen, who was stuffed in a her snowsuit in the stroller!  The little girl was Adalynn's age and was really sweet and interested in both Adalynn and Gwen.  They live on the 3rd floor of our building with the little girl's mother.  Sunday, I saw them again, and made sure I said hello.  Maybe we will see more of them in the coming days.  That is if the sun decides to melt the snow...

Hmmm...what else can I update you on.  Tomorrow we go AGAIN to try to get registered.  We have our official residency permit stamps in our passports.  Now we have to get registered.  Philip went on Monday, but they wanted some more paperwork, so we go tomorrow to hopefully be done with it!  We do have to work on our exit visas next, but that should be more simple...wait did I say, simple?  Nothing is simple here.  

Well, I leave you with this precious smile from 10 month old Gwenyvere.  We cannot believe she is going to be 1 in just a few short months!  Gwen and Adalynn are both a constant joy to us.  They bring hugs, words of love, and smiles to us when we need it most!  

 

Blessings,

Philip, Kara, Adalynn, and Gwen