September, October and November were fruitful months. Groups met weekly on Sun, Tues, Wed, Fri, and Sat in my apartment for Prayer and Worship around the Lord's Table, sharing, teaching and Inductive Bible study. Tuesday nights was particularly for Leaders and facilitators Training. The goal of Leaders facilitation training was to help accomplish the task of reaching the lost and starting discipleship groups. Praise God the students were starting to see more clearly the need for every believer is to reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. To help connect, Win, Build, Train and Send. I encouraged them to pair up and share Romans Road and the 4 Laws among themselves. There was joy among the students and an interest to use the 4 laws when witnessing for Christ. I was able to complete 4 modules from Breaking New Ground. What was of interest to them is the active role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers and non- believers. My prayer was they would lead others to Christ, make disciples and lead inductive Bible studies. The Final meeting took place on Tuesday 20th November. There were around eight students that came to me that night for what was the final Leadership Training and group Bible study. There were singing, prayer and one of the students Anatoly, shared the Word from Galatians 4:4-7. Afterwards we shared a meal together and broke bread. The other students were satisfied and gave thanks to the Lord’s for enabling Anatoly to facilitate the study by inductive Bible training method. “All Glory to God.” Mondays and Thursday were allotted for Bible studies for individuals and House Visitations. During October & November I spent Monday nights with Zulia and her two sons Peter & Andrew for Bible study and communion which was fruitful. Also Andrew and Peter came with me to House of Prayer church on Sunday mornings to attend youth Bible classes. During the final weeks in Ufa Students accompanied me for house visitation to share their testimony and Gospel message. I remember it well: Wednesday night group came back rejoicing after visiting houses on Thurs. Thanks to the Lord for the opportunity to share testimonies, the 4 laws and answered many questions. We felt greatly blessed and looked forward to more opportunities in sharing a testimony and the Gospel with others. I gave thanks to the Lord too for the many N.T Bibles that were handed out during those final weeks. It was a blessing too to meet with fellow believers on November 18th for fellowship and a time of sharing/praying. I felt encouraged when everyone prayed over me for my Upcoming ministry with CCC in Australia. We also met again on the 22nd for Thanksgiving Day Lunch, which was encouraging. Paul J.

As I sit here writing this, I have less than a week left in Ufa. I cannot believe how time has flown. It seems like just yesterday I arrived in this beautiful city. But now it is time to leave. I have been here for three and a half months, and have grown greatly both as a person and spiritually. I have grown as a person as I have gained new life experiences and learned how to survive in a culture that is not my own, and in a country where hardly anyone speaks my language. Experiencing another people’s culture and way of life has allowed me to break the stereotypes that I once held and has allowed my love for the people of this world to grow. I have grown spiritually as God has opened my eyes to the needs that people have for Him. He has really shown me His love for the people of this world and their need for Him. One day when I was feeling discouraged I prayed that God would show me what to love here in Ufa. God immediately told me to love the people, because they need Him. This affected me because I came to the realization that loving the people because they need Jesus does not just apply to Russia but applies to every country in the world. Probably my biggest highlight from these three and a half months has been all of the people I have met. I have many great, new friends with whom I am excited to continue relationships. I have also really enjoyed exploring Ufa, and going to all of the beautiful parks in the city. Overall I have had an amazing three and a half months living in Ufa. It was challenging at times, but the challenges helped me to grow. I will miss all of the people who I have met here, and hope to return someday soon! Kimberlie D.

It’s so hard to believe that I have been in Russia for 3 and ½ months. I can’t believe how fast time flew. It feels like just yesterday I was arriving, and I leave in a week. It has been a wonderful journey, and I am so thankful for this opportunity. Living in Russia for the past few months has definitely taught me a few things and allowed me some growth. One of the most important lessons I have learned here is to be humble. Nothing is more humbling than living in a place where you don’t speak the language and you don’t know anyone. Throughout this journey, I have been humbled daily. Not only in the area of language, but spiritually as well. God has definitely taught me humility here. Living in America, I am comfortable, and I rely less on God and focus on doing things in my own strengths. Leaving my comfort zone and coming to Russia, I was made aware of how little I can do on my own. I have been shown my need for God every day, and that revelation was incredibly humbling. My need for God has been so evident in everyday things, like getting to the store, meeting people, communicating across language barriers, and having opportunities to share my faith. Along with humility, I have also learned to be patient. The first month or so, this was a daily lesson for me. I had to be patient with my studies. Learning a new language takes time and patience. Some days would go great, and then the next day, I would feel totally helpless. I had to be patient with relationships. It took a while to meet and develop relationships with locals here. I wanted it to happen right away, but God kept reminding me to be patient. Throughout the last few months, God has continued to be patient. It was a difficult, and humbling, lesson to learn, but it has helped me grow so much. With patience comes trust, so my trust and faith has grown stronger over the last few months through learning to be patient. I have learned so much in my time here. I will be forever grateful for what my time here has taught me. I am so thankful to God for bringing to Ufa. It breaks my heart to leave my friends here and leave this city. I have fallen so in love with the people here, Ufa, and Russia. I pray that God continues to bless Ufa and sends more people to pour into the city. I also pray that one day, I will get the chance to come back. Kelli M.

I remember when my family first moved here in fall 2000...we knew only a few people, did not have a clue how to get around on public transport, did not know where important gov't offices were located, did not know where to shop. Those first few weeks and months were times of discovery, excitement, nervousness, and growth. Through the years, this beautiful city with beautiful people has become home for our family. Our five kids have done most of their growing up here. We've witnessed a lot of helpful, positive, and lasting changes during our twelve years here. We've seen a lot of infrastructure improvement, enhanced availability of different kinds of facilities, construction/upgrading of roads, etc. Ufa has just gotten more beautiful during these years. We've made a lot of friends, enjoy meeting new people, love exchanging cultural ties with many around us, helping to meet needs, nurturing inter-religious expression and mutual respect, and being encouragers to those around us. Life truly is worth living. And, we are enjoying living life here in Ufa. We pray that Ufa will continue on a path of improvement, not only in its physical infrastructure, but also in the sense of spiritual progress and growth. Physical changes last for a while, but who we are on the inside in our relationship to God has eternal implications. We are all created by God and we will find our significance and purpose only in Him. May God continue to bless Ufa and its wonderful people as we approach the holiday season! Chris C.

Ufa is a beautiful city that has a number of beautiful parks and trails to explore. There are statues all over the city that are interesting to look at and take pictures of. There are also a number of cafes, which are my favorite place to hang out. The workers at these cafes are friendly, provide great service, and sometimes they even speak English. The ones who do speak English seem very interested in getting to know foreigners and practicing their English. People around town are very friendly, and willing to help foreigners if they are able to. Ufa also has many restaurants and malls, with just about every store you could need. The malls are high quality and nice to shop in. Right now it is fall in Ufa, and the changing colors are beautiful. It is nice to look out over the river and see all of the trees that are turning different colors. The weekends are fun because there are a lot of weddings, and you can go to the park and see people dressed up and celebrating. The local food is delicious, especially the Bashkir meat and potato buns. These are cheap, and taste great! There are a number of people in Ufa who are interested in religion one way or another. Some know a lot about the Bible, but just haven’t had their eyes opened to the truth yet. People are open to talking to foreigners about religion and culture, which provides opportunities for sharing the Gospel and building a relationship with them. Kimberlie D.

It’s been almost a month since I arrived here in Ufa. It’s hard to believe how fast the time has flown. It has been an incredibly busy, yet wonderful month. In such a short time, I have already learned a good bit about the city and have seen God moving here. Since arriving in Russia, I have absolutely fallen in love with Ufa. It’s a wonderful town, filled with wonderful people. Every day I find something new I love about it. I think what I love most about Ufa is the cultural diversity. During my second week here, we went to a cultural festival within the city. It was amazing to see all of the nations represented in the city. There were people from Kenya, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and many more. It was so cool to get to see some many different cultures in one place. I also love the history of Bashkortostan that Ufa is so rich with. I look forward learning more about the history and culture of this great city as the months progress. Since I have been in Ufa, I have also got a glimpse of what God is doing in the city. I really feel like God is reaching out to university students in this area. Like I said earlier, there are so many cultures in this area, with varying beliefs. Many of these people are coming to Ufa to study. I really believe God is reaching out to those students and impacting their lives while they are in Ufa. It’s sad to think that my time in Ufa is rushing by. December will be here before I know that. I look forward to learn so much more of the language and culture. I also look forward to watching God move in the university and being able to glorify him in any way that I can. Kelli M.

Warm greetings to you from Paul in Russia! To the Glory of God 15 years has passed since arriving in Ufa Bashkortostan on 26th July 1997. I have seen how God has used this time to grow me spiritually and I have felt privileged to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to see His salvation work being accomplished in the lives of Russian people. This year has been a step forward for me. I have been excited to see what God has prepared for us this year as a team to help fulfill His Great Commission in Ufa for His purposes, glory, and honor. Praise God as I look to Him who is faithful to accomplish all that He has set out to do in my life and in the lives of those I am ministering to. The joy of ministering the Word in my four Bible study groups this past month has been life changing and a real cause for rejoicing. Our topics of discussion were about Faith, Suffering, Deity of Christ, and the miracles of Jesus. Leadership training has been a real highlight with 3 students in attendance. Theme topics: “How to lead others to Christ? What are the essentials for Christian Service? How to discover your Spiritual gifts? And, How to conduct an Inductive Bible study Group” Another praise point is that Sergey recently expressed interest to be baptized during our Leadership training night. I have been greatly blessed to hand out copies of NT Bibles to people in the streets that are from all walks of life and I am trusting the LORD for my evangelistic efforts to reach the Russian people with the Gospel will bear fruit. I believe that there are no accident appointments in our life. I recently met Eldar on Lenin Street, gave him a copy of the NT Scriptures and shared the Gospel with him. He comes from a Muslim background but knew something about Jesus Christ. He was really keen to attend one of our studies. It is divine appointments like this that I really feel encouraged that God is working through my life to share the Gospel message with others. I give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for the privilege to minister His Word in Ufa and I look forward to the upcoming months ministry and for the work we have yet to see the LORD do. In Christ's Harvest field, Paul

Fall has settled in here in Ufa. The temperatures have cooled and the leaves are changing color and falling from the trees. It really is a beautiful sight. I myself can’t help but look at this and see God through His creation. Other people here have mentioned to me in conversation how God has spoken to them through the beauty of this time of the year as well. For people like me who don’t get to see changes in seasons like this it truly is an experience that I appreciate! For me, I have seen God at work not only through nature, but also among the people here in Ufa. It is so nice to see people who desire to know God more and to make His love known to others. I have a friend here that always shares her spiritual life with me. How God is working in her life, where she is struggling and the like. It is so encouraging to me to see how God is working in her life and to share with her where I see God working in both my life and in others here in Ufa. Another thing that has been encouraging to me is reading through the Gospel of John with other locals. The discussions that we have had together over this section of the Bible have really lifted my spirits. I can see the word of God really changing some of the lives of people who attend the group. Just as the seasons are always at work, so is God, all around the world and in each person’s life. I have been blessed to be a part of and see how God is at work here in Ufa! Kelly W.

God has been radically changing my idea of what it means to share the gospel. I have always thought that it was something I had to do. A task I have to complete within a certain time period every week. God has been revealing to me that it is not just a task, but also a lifestyle. I need to live out the gospel daily and when necessary use words (especially since my communication skills aren’t the best here in Ufa). So, how do I see God working here in Ufa? For me, it has been through the relationships that I have built so far. God has blessed me with friends here in Ufa that have been wonderful and so helpful to me. I am able to meet new people every week through the Bible discussion group, English club, and music group. I am able to be apart of their lives and they are able to be apart of mine. In my short time here in Ufa, God has put people in my life that are now dear friends. People that I share the love of Christ with not only with words, but also with my everyday life. My prayer is not that hundreds of people I meet come to know the Lord, God can certainly do that and it would be a wonderful thing if that happened. My prayer is that I can be faithful to God and be a vessel to build up His Kingdom. Matt B.

It’s really hard to believe, but it has been a little over a year now since I have been living here in Ufa. Looking back on that year it seems as if time flew by. However, I remember times during that year when I felt as if the days could not be going by any slower. Especially during those cold winter days or on those days when people just look at you like you are stupid because you can’t explain what you need. In those moments, life was not so pleasant and I only wished it could go by faster. Overall, I am pleased with the things I have encountered and the people I have built relationships with. I think one of the biggest things that I learned was that the worldview here is different. Not long ago, one of my friends and I decided to start a group in which we listen to and discuss songs that are in English. We invite young adults and students in order to increase their English vocabulary, discuss meanings behind songs, and to hang out and get to know one another better. Thanks to this group, Friday nights has become one of my favorites. It is through this group that I have really learned a few things on the way people see and perceive life. I remember discussing the song Everything by Lifehouse in which the songwriter writes about a person, but never includes a name or gender. When I read the lyrics I was positive that the songwriter was writing about God. To my surprise, most of the group suggested that the songwriter was writing about a woman that he loves. This was not the only instance in which this happened. You see, it’s a difference in worldview. I could have asked anyone in America who they thought the song was talking about and 95% of the people would say God. But here it was the opposite. About 95% said it was about a woman. Being a student here at the Bashkir State University has been a real privilege. The professors that I have come in to contact with are just great. They really care about us students and it is obvious that they want us to succeed. I have had opportunities to participate in plays on campus and share some American traditions and customs with other students. Studies were not always easy. There were many days when I just prayed that God would give me the motivation and strength to get to class and make it through. There were days after class when I would feel mentally dead and need to go home and sit for 30 minutes or so about nothing in order to regain my ability to function. However, I can say that it was all worth it. This language is helping me to better communicate with a group of people that I otherwise would not have had the chance to speak with. Praise God for that! I am very grateful for the amount of time that I have been able to live here and really enjoy what Ufa has to offer. God has blessed me during this year with good health and energy to be able to really get to know the people and be a part of their lives. During the next year that I have in front of me I hope to continue to learn more about the Russian culture and get to know more people. Kelly Warters

Victory Day This year was my first time celebrating Victory Day. Before coming to Russia I knew that it was a big holiday for the Russian people and I understood the significance of it, but I was never able to celebrate it until this year. I would say the holiday has similarities to both Memorial Day in the USA, which comes the last Monday of May, and Veteran’s Day, which comes on November 11th. Throughout the city you could see gentlemen wearing medals from their time of service. People passing by would wish those veterans a happy holiday and thank them for their service. I had the opportunity to go on a picnic with some friends from church. We had a cook out and just enjoyed each other’s company and the beautiful weather. It was truly a great time of fellowship and fun. There were even people near by that decided to go swimming in the river. I personally thought it was still too early to swim, but they really seemed to be enjoying themselves. Praise God for a great day of rest and relaxation! Kelly W.

Hi there! My name is Sergey. I’d like to tell a couple words about one great place named English Club. I like to be there. I visit meetings of that club with great pleasure because it’s cool. Actually it’s not just cool, it’s something bigger.

I started going there because I would like to know English better. I think I’ve been visiting that one more than three years. But after a while it became something greater. First of all it’s the people. I like the people there. I like to meet with Chris, Kelly, Eileen, Val, Vladimir, and a bunch of other great men and women.

While you are reading these words I should say that we are living in different worlds. You might say ‘are you kidding me, how it could be we are on the same planet, it’s just one world’. But I ask you to believe me: if you live in America and I live in Ufa, that means that we are living in different worlds. I got the opportunity to visit USA for a few months twice earlier, and what I saw is that America is really different.

The air in Ufa is drier, we have less rain than in New York for example. Here in Ufa we have five months of winter---it’s not so unusual. People here think in other way and some values are very different. Oh, I forgot to say that Ufa is a city located in the southern Urals mountain chain, in the middle of Russia. The population is a little over one million. Most of the city is a few stores or more buildings. Ufa is an industrial city. Sometimes it’s cool here, especially in the summer time. Sometimes it’s not so fun, especially if winter lasts longer than usual.

Living in Ufa means thinking another way. It’s very cool to live in Ufa and have the opportunity to think in different ways and to have a different experience. English Club has a lot of things to make a person think differently. There are a lot of good people with open hearts who speak English, or are just learning how to speak, or somebody who just wants to start learning English, but anyway, they are all so cool and kind. I feel myself like I have one more family. I like to think about deep thoughts and questions that Chris likes to open up. I like to laugh about funny things and a lot of jokes. What can I say? Actually I can say even a lot more. But I would like to leave that all for the next time.

See you!

Sergey B.

Why I Come To The English Group

English is most popular European language, independent of whether we like this fact or not. It is the language of international communication. It is the language of most Internet pages, scientific articles, and technical documentation. It is the key to the world information and heap. So, I have to know English well, haven’t I?

Most English courses in our town are expensive. And, by the way, I have the basic knowledge of English, which I got in my fine school (№ 39). So, I need the practice, practice, and practice more time. Practice to speak, to listen, and to understand the verbal speech. So, that’s why I’m here – in the English club.

And I can say a few words about the leader of our group – Chris Carr. He does his job very well. People in the group feel themselves free and quiet – even those, who don’t know English. There is a really good atmosphere. Also, Chris can attract our attention and force us to speak, not to keep silence.

I think, it is really cool English club.

Trying to find the words to express a time like this is almost difficult sometimes. Maybe that’s why it has taken so long to get around to writing this. I just don’t know how to convey all that I have seen, experienced, and learned. Even moving 3 hours away from home for college is a big step, and then I move across the world to live in Russia. It still blows my mind that I lived in Russia for four months.

I think the recurring theme with this journey to Russia has to be patience. If I had to sum up what I learned during this experience, it’s patience. Had I not had it, I never would have even gone. Had I given up because I decided to be impatient, I would have never even seen this opportunity come about. Summer after my senior year of high school, I went to the Czech Republic for a week. At breakfast one morning, I learned of ways to serve God overseas for a few months during my college years. That’s where my desire to move overseas for a few months came from. The very first time I said something to my parents about either moving overseas for missions or just doing study abroad, they said no. That answer remained consistent for a year and a half. Then all of the sudden, this opportunity to go to Russia for a semester came about, and they said yes. A year and a half may not seem like a ton of time waiting, but when you’re only in college 4 years, supposedly, a year and a half is almost half of that. But no matter how long or short my waiting may have seemed, it took a lot of patience for me to wait for my parents to finally say yes, instead of going against their wishes and just doing what I wanted to do.

Here’s another time I once again learned that patience was key. This specific lesson took the entire time I was in Russia to learn. Since I was in university, I figured that was where most of my friendships would come. And since my desire is to make Christ known, I was hoping to make many friends and to have the opportunity to share His love with them. I guess I just assumed that my classmates would all speak English. Why did I think this? I have no idea, but I did. Well, I was completely mistaken. There was only one other student in the class to begin with, and he didn’t know any. Problem? In my mind, yes. But language is no barrier for God. He is the one who made it happen and is completely sovereign over it all. Anyway, along the way we did gain students, some knew English very well, some didn’t know any. But I was in school to learn Russian, and how did God use me and the other two Americans to communicate His love to those at our university? Through Russian.

In the beginning I expected God to use me to impact my class. Well, it wasn’t just my class that God used us in, it was in the entire international department at my university. God opened the door for us to share the story of Jesus birth with over 100 people at the university. It was through a skit we did, and Luke 2 was read straight from the Bible. We were talking about how we celebrate Christmas in America. It’s the celebration of Jesus birth, and that’s what we wanted people to see. It’s not just about pretty decorations and lots of presents; it’s about the greatest gift we have ever been given. Jesus. Over 100 people, many who have probably never even heard the name of Jesus before, heard that day. It was three days before we left Ufa.

People ask me what my favorite thing about Ufa was, or what my favorite thing that happened was. Usually I have a hard time picking, but this time I didn’t. There were many great things God did and many great friends He allowed me to make. Every day was a new adventure, and every day taught me something new. But there’s a reason why the story I just shared was my favorite. From before I even knew I had the chance to go to Russia, God was teaching me patience, and that’s the biggest lesson I learned while there.

Something that God taught me through the devotionals, and most importantly, Scripture, while I was in Ufa was the missions theme throughout the entire Bible. Passages and stories I’ve grown up with had new meaning for me as I began to see this theme.

Growing up, when there was talk of missions, the verses that were always associated were Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, and Romans 10:13-15. These are great verses, but God’s heart for the nations to know Him is not only displayed in the New Testament. It is a constant theme throughout the entire Bible. I feel like it’s something we all know, but if asked, we wouldn’t be able to point out a specific reference immediately. Maybe I should stop saying we, and just say me. I don’t know how it is for other people, but for me, I’ve been oblivious to it. I’m not proud to admit that at all. God has given me a heart for the nations, yet I have failed to see in His Word where He displays His heart for the nations.

Let’s take a look at a story we all know. Jonah. I’ve grown up hearing this story. Most people who have grown up in church have heard it many times. It’s the one where God tells the guy to go to this horrible place to tell them of their wickedness and how God is going to destroy them, but he decided to go the opposite way. And because of his disobedience to God this guy gets swallowed by a big fish and is there for three days, and he then decided to do what God told him to all along. Yeah, that story. My first thought when I hear the name Jonah is big fish. But I think so often when looking at this story people focus on Jonah’s disobedience, and how that caused him to be swallowed by this big fish. But I think we often times miss something. What did God tell Jonah to do in the first place? He told him to go to the nations. Specifically to Nineveh. There are so many places throughout the Old Testament just like this. Where God displays His heart for making Himself known to the nations. This gets me even more pumped about making Him known, and I wonder if more people’s eyes were opened to this, if they would get more excited and get involved in reaching the nations.

Now I’m going to stray away a little bit from what God taught me while I was in Ufa and talk about what it was like going from living the past 16 years of my life in Tennessee to moving all the way to Ufa. I don’t think it takes a genius to figure out that life is completely different in these two places. It’s not that life in either of these two places is better, it’s just different, and I think that people need to experience a different culture at some point in their life.

I think the main thing people wonder about and even worry about when going to another country is the language barrier. That was the first thing that hit us when we arrived in Russia. How do we get to the other terminal? How do we ask? Well, this lady knows English, but not well, and she’s not really helping us anyway. These were the thoughts going through my mind as we were trying to make our connecting flight from St. Petersburg to Ufa. But God is sovereign, therefore, He knows what’s up and provides in His way. There was a British man on our flight who had been to this airport several times, and was more than willing to help out. Even when language seemed to hinder us, it was never a hindrance to God, and He provided some way to get us through whatever it was that was going on. Another thing, that personally I was a huge fan of, was the use of public transportation. I usually don’t like driving places, and in Ufa, I didn’t have to. Sure, having a car is more convenient at times, and you never knew if and when the bus or tram was actually going to be at the stop, but I enjoyed it. Another thing that took a little bit of getting used to was the lack of lines. There wasn’t a line anywhere. It was just a mob of people. If you wanted to order at McDonalds and it was busy, you had to push you way to the counter, or other people would just push their way in front of you. It was just the norm.

One thing that I thought was kind of cool happened on the flights within Russia. When the flight landed, the people on the plane would clap for the pilot. I’m not really sure why they do this, but 3 of the 4 in country flights I took this happened. I know if I was the pilot of that flight, I would have been encouraged. A thing that I really liked about Ufa is that I felt safe. There was never a moment where I felt like I was in danger, which I think is a not so common way to feel when one is in another country. I could probably go on and on about things that I liked and didn’t like about living in Ufa, but that list could get long.

I could not have asked for a better time while living in Ufa. There is no doubt in my mind that that is where God wanted me this past fall, and I am so thankful for the experience and the wonderful friends that He allowed me to make.

Learning to Love

Thanks to Saint Valentine February is often thought of as the “love” month. Some people dread it, while others can’t wait for it. I, personally, am not against it and not particularly for it either. However, it has brought me to think about what love truly is.

As a follower of Christ, my idea of love has been transformed and may not match up with what most think. I look back at my life and remember how not long ago I was in such a stage of rebellion and only looked out for my own desires. I wanted to do what I wanted to do and didn’t even consider looking at the consequences brought on by my actions. Do you know that the very people whom I told I ‘loved’ I was only hurting? The God that I said I loved, I cursed with the very same mouth?

About 5 years ago I was really weighed down by this fact. How could I say I love my mom but rebel against the rules she put in place for my good? How could I say I loved God, but live a life that only brought shame to His name? I had to get things straight. It was during that time that God taught me what love truly means. Regardless of everything I had done and said, He reminded me that all of my past actions were no surprise. Only then did I understand what it meant to love. You see, He, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, put aside the fact that I had fallen short and accepted me anyway.

Now it is my life long desire to grow in love, to take the example that I have been given and live it out. It is NOT easy. There are so many times where I am tempted to fall back to the way I used to live serving myself and nobody else. It’s almost easier to just write a person off when they aren’t meeting your expectations. I mean why become friends with someone if you get nothing out of it, right?

Well, that’s not the example I’ve been given and that for sure is not true love. So as I live my life here in Russia, I reflect on how I have been stretched. Some have been easy to love, others difficult. The difference in culture has added some pressures as well as eliminated some. However, with God as my source and example of true love, I will push on in any situation I am in and try to LOVE others!

Time has flown by here in Ufa! Some days I feel as if I just walked off the plane and others as if I have been here for ages. Overall, I can say that I am blessed to be here in Ufa. My experience as a student at the Bashkir State University has only been pleasant. The professors are all more than willing to help, not only with learning Russian, but also with adapting to life here. The International Department is always interested in knowing how I am settling in, if I’d like to go to any ballets around town or other cultural events, and how they could be of help to me. This has made it easier to feel more at home in a country so far away from close family and relatives.

Another thing that has helped with settling in here in Ufa has been the amount of locals that have been willing to help me. Through everyday events I have come across people that give me the right directions if I don’t know the way, talk with me about my dog and how I can make life better for him, people who have an interest in learning English, and many others. Though there have been events in which I did not feel welcome, those also happen where I’m from. People are people all over.

One of the biggest things I have realized since being here is that I will always be a learner. I am constantly learning the Russian language. I am learning the culture. What I consider most important is that I am learning how to interact with people, how to ask questions that bring a conversation deeper than the everyday surface level stuff that most people stick to. How much can you really get to know a person if you stick to the usual questions that everyone asks everyday? I can learn how to be a better friend, how to meet needs that I might not have known about, otherwise.

One thing that I can share that I think I will never get used to is the lack of orderly lines. I don’t mean to poke or make fun, it’s just that I am so used to the queue system of a line almost everywhere in America. Here, I have had to get used to crowding and being more assertive than usual. One thing that I can say I will always value and probably miss when I go back to America is the system in place here to pay for certain services such as internet and cell phone service. All around town are little machines that you can enter info into as well as put money in and it adds it to your account. Though some may argue it may be easier to do all that online, I have really come to appreciate those machines and how easy it is to use them.