Another Good Day, Thanks to the Good Lord Jesus!

Today (Tuesday) was once again wonderous, Praise the Lord!
I woke up and after reading the Lord’s glorious Word Paige called me to tell me that the class we were going to doesn’t start until March 2nd. This was a pleasant surprised but became less pleasant when we realized that Joe didn’t know this delightful fact and that he doesn’t have a cell phone. I bit the bullet and got to him before he waited too long. He has had a crap time getting here and I’ll be darned if I don’t do anything to help make his stay here a little less of a crapfest. He is really cool about it all though. Since I got there early I got to get on the interwebs, hence that most recent post, and I got an AMAZING email from my MOMMY saying that she saved the day (with the help of the Jesus-man) and got my atm card situation. I also got to chat Joe’s ear off and meet his sister via skype. Yea.
Then Paige came and we were amused by the rockin’ awesome pic of them that I posted. Then we met with Nastya briefly and went to each of our respective classes. Mine was the same class room with the same lecture that I had gone to the first day… the lecturer who didn’t like us there. But whatever, at least Paige didn’t have to endure it this time, and I wasn’t tempted to write notes to anyone to escape. I did learn some. The class is Actual Problems of World Social Groups (at least that is my crap translation). Today we learned about the Azerbaijan-Armenian conflicts and about a bit about China and Tibet. I certainly didn’t catch it all but I think it will be interesting even if she doesn’t ever look at me. I already have prayed about what classes to take, and turned in the classes God selected with me. Then we 4 met back up, Nastya gave me a copy of Zeitgeist {which is this … documentary… ish thing about how Jesus’s life is supposedly based on Horace (the Egyptian god) and astrology and 9-11 was done by the US government and the US economy is run by bankers who decide when we go to war and plan events like Pearl Harbor and 9-11 for us to go to war or to take away our freedom (they even mentioned the OKC bombing}. We walked around a bit. I went to an ATM. And Nastya walked me and Paige to my home and we parted ways and Paige came with me and we watched Zeitgeist. To give you some background, Natasha told us that this movie is the reason she doesn’t believe in God… and the girls have mentioned it everyday we’ve seen them. After the movie Nastya told me to call her and I did. She and Natasha and Tanya had been waiting for us and trying to get a hold of Joseph. Paige was beat, so she walked with me to the Metro where we met the girls and then she went home. The gals and I went on to Nevsky, and Natasha headed home, but not before I had discussed a bit about zeitgeist. Haha. I kinda felt like by disagreeing with the movie I was coming off as a cog or something that took things on “the man’s” authority. But it was just bad scholarship to begin with… but I don’t know how to say that in Russian, so I don’t know how I came off. Oh, Nastya invited Paige and I to her home to eat on Saturday, and Tanya invited me to go to her English class on Saturday and also told me about a Russian Festival movie she thought we would like. We met up with Nastya’s husband in the metro and found a teremok stand and ate there. Then we took some back alley to some little library that Tanya wanted to go to and then we parted ways with Tanya. So Nastya Zhena and I decided to go to a movie. We headed that way and got the tickets, which I had to borrow some money because I left my bulk at home. Then we needed to kill some time before the movie so we walked around to look for a statue of a cat that if you throw kopecks at and get it to land on the cat your wish will come true. We found where he was, but he wasn’t there, so we wondered where he could’ve gone. Then we walked some more and found the coolest store ever. It was awesome. It was like some boutique of a crafters mall, I guess you could say and they had made a lot of old stuff into cool new stuff, which is cool all by itself, but even cooler because it was all Russian and mostly made of old soviet era stuff! 
Then we went to an indoor Teremok and had tea. It was fun. At some point Nastya showed me this flyer of this like… education or career fair thing that will come to st. pete and will in part talk about how foreigners can go to school here. She really wants us to go and see if I can take the rest of my courses in Russia. She said that here Psychology (or whatever) is a very hard study and she is concerned that I may have to take more courses in Russia even after I complete my schooling in the US. Plus she thinks it would be way cool if I lived for this time. I think it would be really cool too, if it is God’s will, but to be honest I haven’t given any serious thought or prayer to it as of now, so don’t worry fam. It isn’t time to fret yet. One day at a time.  Then we went to the movie, I don’t know its name…. but it has Angelina Jolie and is Directed by Clint Eastwood. We all agreed it was WAY good, but I for one hope I never see it again. It was sad and stressful to me to the point that I was sore afterwards. The movie theater wasn’t always a movie theater I think. It looked like it might have been a ballroom or a theatre-theater or something. Way pretty. Then we walked on the all but deserted Nevsky to the Metro and parted with her telling me I better call her when I get home. I got home just fine, although I saw the beginnings of what sounded like a drunken brawl just outside my Metro station. I didn’t look to see if that is what it ended up being because I was on default Daugavpilian mode –don’t look and act mad and like you know what you are doing- but in retrospect it is a good thing I didn’t know for sure because I might have gone into my inherited “hero” mode and tried to break it up or something, which might not have been Ideal when walking home alone at 11:40 at night in a foreign country. So anyways, I got home without incident, called Nastya who thanked me for calling and ate and talked to Nonna a bit and am now listening to Praise music, loving me some Jesus, and writing you.
I really wanted to go to Rehab today. REALLY. I even called to see if I could but they said something about it only being at church today and sounded against me going, and said I could come tomorrow… what time I forget (as usual) but I think at 6. I am thankful that God somehow got me through a day without my brothers and sisters there!!! I really do love it there!!  Praise the good Lord Jesus!


I recognize that I have an underlying feeling of missing my family and friends and I also have un underlying “rational” concern that this is what they call the “honey moon phase” of my journey, but as a friend of mine said once “ride it […] ride it straight to hell!” and while luckily this wave leads to no such place, I think I’ll stick around for the ride. Plus, no psychological guide to studying or living abroad I have ever found accounts for the grace and joy of the Holy Spirit.











Okay... so that was tuesday... now for Wednesday. I got to sleep in, then Paige called and then Jo called. I met Joe at his metro and we met Paige on Nevsky Prospekt. We figured out and documented which ATM ate Joe's card and found a christian bookstore where after much looking and reading and analyzing and much patience from Paige and Joe and I bought a Russian Bible.... My bilingual new testament fell apart. IT is still totally usable and it has served me well, but it was time to get a full bible, and one in Russian because I dunno where to get an English one and because I need it for the ministry. Then we went to the cool shop that Nastya Zhena and I found and Ishowed them the splendor. Then we went to a ritzy hat shop and Paige an dI tried on hats for kicks. IT reminded me of liek thoroughly modern millie of something. Then We went back to Dom Knigi (the huge bookstore) and got maps and Paige got Lotita in Russian. Then we parted ways. Jo and I got our computers and went to the MacDonalds in hope of food and interwebs. the Interwebs were not to be found. So we ate and parted ways. Nastya called to talk to me about getting a translation job. I guess she looked into it for me and since I have a study Visa I couldn't do so now, but she would like to go with me today, Thursday, to see about using them as a venue for gettign another invitation to Russia. It sounds liek I would be translating texts from Russian to English. Last night I prayed about it and I really don't feel like that is how God wants me to be spending much of my time, but it seems lke He is saying I can look into it, but it is not HIS purpose for my being here (OF COURSE!).
Then I went to the Rehab office. The Metro on the way there was RIDICULOUS. I guess it was Rush hour. horrible. I tried to get there at 6 and got the at like 6:40, but when I got there and knocked on the door a guy opened the door and asked em to wait 2 minutes. :) I needed that time to recenter myself in Christ. I had been anxious about being late and though I LOVE it at Rehab I had almost seriously considered turning around and going home when I was almost there because the devil and my own anxiety were getting me down about being late and telling me not to bother them. So I sat down and got recentered adnd felt the filling of the Spirit. Then they had me coem in and told me to sit down. Seryozha asked it I like Pineapple and asked if I wanted some an dI after hesitation said yes and then he opened a can of mixed fruit and was amazed that it wasn't pineapple. But we got out plastic spoons and ate it out of the can. :) and he asked if I wanted tea and I said yes and he made a big deal about how much he loved my decisiveness and stuff. It of course made me happy. On Monday when I went to the Rehab office and we had the parent meeting everyone was tryign to get me to eat sandwiches and I wasn't in the mood, so I politely said no thank you. The guys there made a big deal about it and asked if I was trying to lose weight or if I wasn't eatign because it was after 6 of 8 or soemhtign and I said "I eat when I want to." and Seryozha said in Russian Glory to God! (or as we would more likely say praise Jesus!) so I feel this was a continuation of that convo. I told them I bought my first Russian Bible and showed them they told me I should've gotten one with a zipper and text references and tabs and that I should go return it. It was cute that they wanted me to have a bible with all of the bells and whistles, but I prayed abotu it and I don't think I am gonna return this one for now. I like it. Then Seryozha showe me his Bible and told me it was old (it couldn't have been more than 7 years old according to the copy right) and he asked it I liek it. I liked that he showed me his bible. I dunno why but it made me happy. then more people came and we went to a classroom and had a Bible study. The only other woman there had brought her little girl and she ended up leaving half way through because she couldn't consentrate. I now think I should have gone into another room wiht the kid and tried to play with her so her mom could focus but I felt awkward about it at the time. I don't like to talk very much when a lot of people are around. IT makes me keenly aware of how bad my Russian is, and I don't even like talking to kids in public in America because I start acting liek a kid and it makes me feel silly wiht adults around. Anyways so we had a Bible study about Genesis 37. Joseph getting sold by his brothers. It was a small group and we each read 4 verses. That was terifying... especially because when it was my turn to read I knew I was in the wrong chapter but didn't knwo what chapter was right and when I asked they just kept tellign me the verse... and then I read in my terrible Russian. sad. When I was trying to figure out where to read, pretty much all of the guys wanted to skip my readign but Seryosha said I would read because I am learning Russian and I want to. IT was sweet of him to back me. I got it over with. Then after we read it all we went aroung and summarized and anaylze the passages we had read. I failed at this... I wasn't even sure what we were doing and I stalled until someone filled in. Oh, and when I read and couldn't read a word Seryozha helped me. He also has said on 2 different occations thaat I am one of them and that I am Russian. That makes me happy. After the bible lesson we prayed again anf they said if in your heart you feel so compelled to pray, then do so. The Spirit was leadign me to pray. I was sure of this but I was also aware of my inability to pray in Russian which I know from recent experience, to I prayed in English. IT felt good. I LOVE JESUS!!! :) hehe If I had written this last night there would be alot more of those little joyous asides. Then we said the Lord's Prayer (which I really need to memorize in Russian). When we were moving the chairs and desks back I picked up a table and turned it around... that got an interesting reaction. They started talkign about how strong I am and howI am a Russian woman.... I guess women here don't lift anythign of the lightest weight when men or around... or they think American women are panzies or soemthing. and when we went outside I held the door open for everyone out of habit and they also handled that strangely. We went outside and 3 of the men started talking to me about where I am from, where I've lived, how old I am etc. and Seryozha say from afar and thought they were hassling me so he told them to leave me alone and they tried to explain that we were just talking, and he verified that with me, and they made alot of jokes abotu Seryozha saving me and that he would beat them up for me and Right when I was about to say that I could to it myself, another guy (the one who gave me the music) swoped in and said indicated that he was walking me to the Metro (which I have always walked from Rehab alone...) and the men told me God bless me (some in russian some in English) and we left. I chatted a bit with the guy walking me and he helped me a but on the Really slick places.. I almost fell on the way to Rehab so while I knew I didn't need the help I didn't mind it. When he started to go to th Metro a different way than I usually do I went my way an dhe laughed really hard and said soemhtign I didn't quite understand and I told him that his way was slippery and he said that was completey understandable... I think I might be getting a rep for eing cray-cray independant or something... whatever.

When I got home Nonna and I talked a long time and she showed me some picture of when they went to Sweden and of the Summer and stuff like that. She invited em to go shopping wiht them on Saturday morning I said I would. Friday evening is Rehab. I wish I was there right now!!! I am at school and it is so boring.
I wanna live at the Rehab office. and I told them so. Thankyou guys back hoem for your encouragement. Especially Cher and Aunt Connie (I think that is a fitting title for you... what do you think?)! It was very encouraging for you so bring up teh possibility that I am encouraging them with my presence. And thanks cher for your encouragement and sayign that I may be sent here to preach to you! hehehe. that wa encouraging and was nice to here because I have been tryognt o figure otu what the heck God means when he said to me "Preach my word" how can they preach if they cannot speak? anyways, I LOVE YOU!!!!!

I am lovign your prayers for me and could use more!!! Please pray that I pick up my cross daily and that I am pruned of all distractions! I LOVE YOU!!!

(pictures of the sign for the cool shop we wnet to, the statues in the movie theatre we went to, the sunset at the Area by the Rehab office on a warm day of thawing snow)