Yes, I'm finally blogging about Russia...

Well, it’s been almost 2 weeks since we got back from Russia, and I think it’s high time I got off my lazy rear and blog about it a bit. Actually, this may end up being two blogs. I think it’s been said many times so far by many people that Russia was amazing. But I will say it again, Russia was AMAZING! Incase anyone reading doesn’t have a clue what I’m talking about, I was part of a group of about 15 from Christian Student Fellowship at UIS who took a two week mission trip to Russia.

Vacation Bible School
This was a blast. The VBS was broken into four sections: Lesson, Craft, Snack/Singing, and Games. I got to help out with the games all week. It was plain fun. Ironically, the kids over in Russia aren’t much different than kids in America. They like to eat ice cream, pizza, and to beat silly Americans at a game of football (soccer). Pretty much they just like to have fun.

The Russian Orthodox Church
I absolutely fell in love with the Orthodox Church we worked with in Sharya. It’s not that I agree with all of their doctrine, but I just came to really admire the people and the way in which they worshiped God. Their focus on the transcendence of God is something I think that the church in America has lost. The churches in Russia are not built to create a warm inviting atmosphere. Instead they are meant to make you feel small and insignificant. It helps to portray how much bigger God is than I. I also really came to admire and respect Father Dimitri (the head priest of the church) and Father Vladimir. Both were amazing men and you could tell they were held in high regard by the people of the church.

Community
Another aspect of Russia I really like was their sense of community. Something else I feel America has lost. This also transferred into how they treated us as guests. While we were in Sharya, the church provided all our meals for the entire week. Father Dimitri arranged for us to stay at a school for the mentally handicapped (no children were there, as they were let out for summer). He also arranged to have a bus ferry us from the school to the church each day. In addition, Father Vladimir took a group of guys out one night to a private banya which was a real treat for us. It amazed me how much they gave of themselves when I know they probably had less than my family back home.

Personal Growth
This one is a little hard for me to talk about. Not that I don’t have much to say, but that it drags a lot out. But first let me cover some of the less personal things. One of the things I learned and realized was how much bigger God is than I ever thought. I don’t think anyone can stand in a church service on the other side of the world and not be in awe of God or feel is majesty. Second I found a new love for the church despite its imperfections. I consider myself as part of a subculture of my generation. It is those of us who have grown up in church, but have since fallen away from it due to similar feelings. For me, this was because of the hypocrisy of Christians and leaders in the church, the bureaucratic way in which churches seem to be run, and the walls that exist between denominations. I’m not saying these things are the only reasons that caused me to fall away from the church, or the biggest. But they did impact me. However Russia has given me a new love for the church, despite its imperfections. Maybe one day I’ll blog about this topic further.

For this last thing, I feel a little uncomfortable talking about. But it was major thing for me in Russia and so I think it should be shared. If anyone simply doesn’t have a clue about what I’m talking about, don’t worry. Feel free to skip to the next paragraph. The thing I learned a lot about in Russia was on forgiveness and restoration of relationships. I made some wrong and foolish decisions last semester that ended in a climatic fire ball right before summer break began. My emotions got the better of me as well as blinded me and in the end I hurt a lot of people I care about. I take full responsibility of my actions and the consequences of those actions. I shouldn’t have very many friends left. But because God is awesome and has given me awesome friends, all of those who I’ve talked with have both forgiven me and continue to consider me a friend. I would like to give a heartfelt shout out to Phil from New Mission Systems International for his testimony during pre-field orientation which broke my heart and Gretchen for talking some sense into me on the trip.

So that concludes the text based part of my trip. I might post some pictures later. Also, reviewing my blog has lead me to realize that is has become unfocused and lacks updates. I know what you’re going to say, “duh”. So anyways, I will try to change that. Although I’ll be pretty busy over the next three weeks. But after that I’ll be out of the parents house and living on campus, which should give me a lot more time and plenty to blog about. I hope you all have a wonderful day in Christ!