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- We are a team of people trying to reach people in Ufa and Bashkortostan in Russia. It is no small task and we want your support!
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Saturday, February 28, 2015
A Bag of Chips
3:51 AM | Posted by
TeamUfa
February 28, 2015. What are you reading? What are you about to do? What have you been doing this past week? How has your day been? All of these questions are drenched with the
effectiveness of curiosity in our lives and how addicting it truly is to draw
in information from sources around us.
As people continue to get to know one another, the curiosity increases
until the addiction has become a habit without any point or force of stopping
it. People want to know “how”, “when”,
“what”, “where”, or even “why” people do/say/act upon in daily routine and in
general, life. A compulsion of being
curious is in everyone.
Have you ever seen an open bag of salty, tangy, tasty, and
crispy potato chips on a kitchen counter, or maybe even an uncovered jar or
bowl of assorted nuts sitting out in the open?
What is it that draws us to reach in or reach over and grab a handful of
these delicacies and begin munching on them? But it doesn’t stop at just one
handful, we are then compelled to grab another and another and another, until
the bowl or bag is almost empty. Were we
really that hungry? Do I even like potato chips? Why am I not satisfied with
only one handful? These are questions we then use to analyze our own actions
after such a dramatic act of compulsion.
However, this example is not only for bags of chips…
I love coffee shops.
I can relax, have good conversations (no matter the language), and truly
talk to people in an environment where I don’t feel threatened by ambiguous
“getting to know you” questions. I also
love to read and to write, I would say arithmetic but unfortunately I have not
calculated anything recently. I have
made many good connections and have had many more good conversations at several
different coffee shops here in Ufa. I am
like an open bag of chips to the people full of curiosity. They will ask questions and I will give them
answers, and I will also take part in asking questions and seeking
answers. However, I only give them
enough, so as to not fully satisfy their curiosity, but instead to be able to
come back and have them ready for more questions.
I have seen this happen with my own personal life as I read
through the Word of God. I will read
through a passage in scripture and God will give me what I need for that moment,
but enough to have me coming back with a more urgent curiosity than
before. This has resulted in me being
left with an addiction of curiosity, of which, I don’t plant to try to curb. I seek and desire God on a daily basis
because of how good His Word tastes, as I read through moral enlightenments,
stories of grace, stories of mercy, stories of redemption, and pure truth. God keeps me coming back for more and more…just
like a bag of chips.
Kevin S.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Today I Celebrated My First Birthday Abroad
Today is my birthday. While I
haven’t spent my last five birthdays with family because of my university
studies, this year is different. Today I celebrated my first birthday abroad.
In many ways it’s easier and more difficult than I expected. So far, this is
definitely a year of firsts….
If you had told me a year ago—even
six months ago—that I would be celebrating my birthday away from my home
country, I would have disbelieved and/or laughed at you. I didn’t think it was
possible and I didn’t really see how it would ever fit into my plans. I’ve had
a lot of plans over the years, and I think God has laughed at, and changed,
almost every last one of them. Really. Ask my parents. But I’m learning that
the Lord is so merciful and His plans infinitely better than any I could have
come up with (it’s a work in progress, because I’m very stubborn). This morning
during my time with Jesus I read Isaiah 52 (Just go read it, it’s so good). In
churches we hear a lot about verse 7, which I love—“How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good
news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God
reigns,’ ” but I think we forget about the next few verses, especially verse 9.
“Break forth together into singing,
you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has
redeemed Jerusalem.”
“The Lord has comforted his people…” You know,
I see reflections of myself in the people of Israel as I read through the Old
Testament and I can’t help but marvel that God can take “waste places” and
redeem them. I’ve seen it over, and over, and over again in my life and I
couldn’t help but think that today, on my birthday, this chapter was more
significant than before. I am constantly reminded that God can take my mess and
use it for glory. So today I’m just thankful. I’m thankful that I’m counted
among those whose feet bring good news. I’m thankful that God’s plans are
bigger and better than my own, even when I don’t understand them. I’m thankful
for the life and adventure I’ve experienced thus far. I’m thankful for new
cities and even newer friends, and being part of a family that spans continents
because of the blood of Jesus. I’m thankful for slightly broken, yet incredibly
sincere happy birthday wishes in English from fellow students. I have so much
to be thankful for.
Jennifer G.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
What, in life, is your fish?
This week I started reading in Jonah and God used it to make some connections in my life that I was unsure of before. It's funny how that works. Being in a different country makes such a big difference in the way I hear from God. Here, I only can worry about the necessities. Based on my weekly allowance and the small amount of Russian I have learned, I can only build so much off of that foundation. And I think that has been so crucial in how the Lord is reaching me. I've been stripped bare essentially, and all I can do is survive. That's the mindset I have when buying groceries, taking a bus, getting ready in the morning, etc. So now, my options are fewer and my reliance upon God is greater. Although my circumstances are ever changing, my God is not. That has been the common thread throughout my journey as a believer and also my journey to Russia and in Russia.
I encourage you to read Jonah, particularly chapter 1, so that you will have some background to what I'm going to write about for the remainder of this post.
I will start my observations of chapter 1 out by saying I think it is funny how Jonah tried running away from God when he was called to go to Nineveh. How relatable is that? Time after time, it feels as though we all try to get away from a certain calling God has given us through the Holy Spirit. But how encouraging is it to know that God got Jonah exactly where He wanted him to be despite his disobedience? And even in the midst of Jonah's failures, the people on the boat that Jonah used to flee to Tarshish came to fear the Lord (v. 16). So God can definitely take personal failure and use it for the "praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7).
It's crazy to think that God uses every circumstance for His glory. And it surprises us when we look in hindsight but it never surprises God. I see this in my life and how, for years, I have prayed about going to serve in Brazil and then it all changed and God's plan began. Although Brazil was necessary for me to put my "yes" on the table to God, it was not my final destination. And Jonah experienced the same thing. Him refusing to go to Nineveh was necessary for him to come to a point where his "yes" was on the table to God. Except he needed to be swallowed by a fish for a few days. Then, he realized that he needed to follow the Lord to Nineveh.
Sometimes we get swallowed by a fish, too. A metaphorical fish, that is. Something that is designed for us to realize our despair and cry out to God in our distress much like Jonah did while in the belly of the fish. My fish was probably moving out of my house in November. In the middle of my distress, I cried out to God and was dependent on His answer. And through that specific trial, my faith was refined (1 Peter 1:6) and I was being prepared to live alone here in Russia. And along the way, there were opportunities and times for me to make great the name of the Lord, just as God did to the men on the boat in Jonah 1.
Many of the pieces of my life are starting to fit together now. I can see a small blip of God's intentions for the many things I've experienced and had to go through in these last few months. And it is encouraging to know that even in the darkness, God was faithful to lead me to a place where I can see the light, if only for a moment. Life here in Ufa is so different than I would have expected or imagined. And at times, I have been like Jonah: running away from God's plan. But I'm thankful that even in my disobedience Jesus has showed me mercy and given me clarity to sustain me day by day, moment by moment.
What, in your life, is your fish? Are you currently being swallowed by anything in order to show you your desperation for God? And if so, how are you dealing with that? I'd love to hear your answers.
Toni K.
Friday, February 13, 2015
"It's All Part Of The Adventure"
During my time in Amsterdam I met some really awesome girls who share the same passion as I do. One of the girls, Cydney, was talking about her journey and how she ended up in Amsterdam with us and during her story she said a particular phrase that stuck out to me: "it's all part of the adventure." That is her mentality for whatever comes her way. Whether good days or bad days, through culture shock and adjusting, homesickness, and much more- it's all part of the adventure; the adventure to which God has called her.
I have been so challenged by that phrase throughout the week and a half I have already been in Russia. When we first got off the plane in Moscow I was culture shocked completely, pretty much everything was in Russian (a language I currently do not know), no one talked or smiled, and I finally realized that I was a foreigner. On previous trips to Brazil and even going to Amsterdam I never felt fully foreign. Portuguese is understandable and most people in Holland speak English. So to be in a place where I literally cannot understand, read, or communicate with people is frustrating and, at times, discouraging. But it's all part of the adventure.
One thing I am trying to do while in Russia is to memorize a few passages of Scripture that I can reference for encouragement when I need it. So far I am studying 1 Peter 1 and God is using it to teach me so many different things over this period of time. Even the first two verses are packed full of deep truth about the character of God:
"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled by his blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure."
Through the choosing of God and the sanctifying work of the Spirit in believers two things are produced:
1. Obedience to Christ
2. The sprinkling of his blood over His people
By being chosen by God, through the Holy Spirit, we receive the ability to be obedient to Jesus and be fully covered by his sacrifice, to have unmerited favor in all circumstances. The more obedience to Jesus is exercised, the more we'll grow in faith and become more like him. The Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ which leads us to obedience to Christ and obedience to Christ makes us more like him. These two things are mutually dependent upon each other. We can't experience sanctification without obeying Jesus and we won't have desires to obey Jesus unless the Holy Spirit dwells in us.
With all this being said, Peter wishes the Christians grace and peace to them in the fullest measure. Grace is defined as having unmerited favor and peace is defined as having tranquility or calmness.
These two things Peter wants his fellow brothers and sisters to experience because in them there is no need or want for anything else. By having grace, they are eternally pardoned and their sins have already been atoned for. They have a relationship with Christ. By having peace, they can face anything that comes their way knowing that the God of the universe has already taken care of them and is with them through it. It reminds me of a concept Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:4-7. Rejoice in the Lord! It's as simple as that. It is the only reasonable thing to do because He is always at hand! And we can pray to Him knowing that He holds the future, our future, and will be faithful to us no matter what because we are His.
It's crazy how things written thousands of years ago to the early church members are applicable still now to us! The gospel is so relevant! And it doesn't need our updating or trying to make it seem cool. It transcends all cultures and all languages and it reaches everyone, just the way it was reaching people thousands of years ago. God is here in Russia, too. And it's not my job to make the gospel trendy. But it is my job to make the gospel culturally understandable to the people here (contextualization). That is a challenge. In American "church culture," we assume that everyone knows the basic foundations of Christianity. Here, there is no foundation (or very little) to build off of. But, I have been equipped with grace and peace by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to reside as an alien here in Russia. And in that, I take heart and find encouragement.
After all, it's all part of the adventure.
Toni F.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Falling, Getting Up, and the strong hand of God
I’d like to share some
things I’m learning during my time here, but it’s difficult to pinpoint one
thing I’ve learned so far, firstly, because I’ve only been here a week.
Secondly, because I’m learning a lot of little things along the way, as I do daily
life, rather than one unmistakable revelation. Truthfully, I used to think I
was humble until I had to rely on another person to help me order my coffee at
a coffee shop, or get on a tram, or tell the lady behind the counter that I
wanted the nail polish on the left, not
the right. As someone who rejoices in her independence, it’s difficult to not feel
helpless when I can’t ask the bus driver for change or realize that I have
absolutely no control over when I start classes, or that I can’t read street
signs when I get lost. I can’t communicate with anybody except fellow English
speakers and I feel very strongly how much of an outsider—an alien—I really am
when I’m just walking down the street or trying to communicate with the cashier
at the grocery store.
A few nights ago, before I fell
asleep, I had a “discussion” with God about how I felt like a foolish child
even walking down the street because I couldn’t walk more than a few steps
without slipping on ice (something this Florida girl is definitely not
accustomed to). Then, the next day while waiting at a bus stop I watched a
small child slip and fall, and then start playing in the snow and ice on the
sidewalk. Her father saw, walked over, and encouraged her to get up. But she
didn’t. And I knew why—because it’s easier to give up and stay on the ice than
get up and try again only to fall down again a few feet later. Why bother? It’s
embarrassing and infuriating to feel like you’re not getting anywhere. I
watched her father pick her up multiple times only to watch her refuse to go
any further and sit back down on the ice. Yet, her father never yelled, never
grew impatient, just kept picking her up, and finally, held her hand and walked
alongside her as he led her home. I didn’t understand that picture until later
on that day when I read Isaiah 41:13, which says “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who
say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you.' " I am that small child
and my heavenly Father is holding my hand. I would rather play where I’ve
fallen than listen to my Father’s voice and move on to better things.
There are days when it’s a lot
harder to understand why I’m really here. I was reminded of the Lord’s
compassion the other day as a friend of mine and I were walking around our
neighborhood prayer walking and playing in the snow…the more I walked past
people and experienced true snowfall for the first time, the more I kept
hearing Isaiah 1:18 playing in my head: “Come now, let us reason together, says
the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow….”
White as snow. Oddly enough, the first comment I made to my teammate when we
stepped outside of our building was “It looks so clean.” The falling snow completely covered the dirt, grime, and
trash in the streets and transformed filth to purity. It was stunning. And
somehow it all made sense to me. That is why I’m here; to love people
and tell them that the Lord wants to reason with them and make their darkness
as pure as fresh-fallen snow. Not only does He want to take their impurities
and cleanse them, He’s the only one who can. I am astounded over and over again
by God’s compassion and His mercy, and I’m learning to feel that for these
people. I’m learning to let compassion trump my fears, and love cover my
failures, and somehow that’s enough. Because once I was filthy and someone
washed me clean—and how could I not share the best thing that’s ever happened
to me?
Jennifer G.
Monday, February 2, 2015
TIME
Monday, February 2, 2015. I will be returning to my Russian classes today. I have not been in class since the 22nd of December. The time seemed to have gone by rather quickly, although it has been over a month since I have been inside the classroom. In fact, overall, my time here in the city of Ufa has been only what seems like a few days; however, I know I have now been living here for just over three months.
The saying, "time flies when you are having fun", I think really applies to these past few months. I have been constantly out in the city amongst students, employees of coffee shops, and even individuals celebrating holidays, seeking new friendships and connections. One of the beautiful things about the Russian people is their intentionality towards relationships. I was sitting in my apartment with my roommate and a friend, when this conversation arose about friendships. This friend told me that we would not become actual good friends until he continues to learn and know who I am, vice versa. So I asked him if he considered me a friend and he replied, "I really don't know you, so how can we be recognized as friends?".
This is something I want to pursue with those I meet. I know, honestly, I will not be able to be true friends with every person I meet, but I will seek to be true to those I meet by sharing, at the very least, the truth of the relationship I have with Christ. This Truth is such an important part of who I am to this day. Well, I am off to class! Time to go learn something new in Russian! Talk to you all later.
K.S.S.
The saying, "time flies when you are having fun", I think really applies to these past few months. I have been constantly out in the city amongst students, employees of coffee shops, and even individuals celebrating holidays, seeking new friendships and connections. One of the beautiful things about the Russian people is their intentionality towards relationships. I was sitting in my apartment with my roommate and a friend, when this conversation arose about friendships. This friend told me that we would not become actual good friends until he continues to learn and know who I am, vice versa. So I asked him if he considered me a friend and he replied, "I really don't know you, so how can we be recognized as friends?".
This is something I want to pursue with those I meet. I know, honestly, I will not be able to be true friends with every person I meet, but I will seek to be true to those I meet by sharing, at the very least, the truth of the relationship I have with Christ. This Truth is such an important part of who I am to this day. Well, I am off to class! Time to go learn something new in Russian! Talk to you all later.
K.S.S.
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