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- TeamUfa
- 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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Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Grace Church
1:55 AM | Posted by
TeamUfa |
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On Sunday mornings I worship with a local fellowship of
believers: Grace Church. Worshipping with Grace has been a bit different than
what I was used to in the U.S. One obvious difference is the language.
Straining to understand sermons or trying to piece together a word here or there
takes a lot of energy, and for a service that usually lasts more than two
hours, sometimes it’s just hard to concentrate.
But it’s exciting to worship with the believers at Grace.
For the past month the head pastor has taken time out of the
beginning of each service to ask accountability questions of the church. The
questions aren’t a surprise; they refer to a challenge or teaching from the previous
week. Have you intentionally spent more time reading the Bible? What did that
look like? How has God spoken to you? Do you have a list of unbelievers for
whom you pray each day? Are you praying that God will arrange meeting s for you
with the unbelievers in your life?
Wow. The pastor is asking the believers to be accountable to
God’s word. It’s not a time to shame or condemn, but a time to share
testimonies of how God works in the lives of those who obey his word. It’s
exciting to listen to local believers share how God is speaking to them or
using them to be a witness. How would your life as a follower of Christ change
if your brothers and sisters asked you, “What has God commanded you to do?” and,
“Did you do it?”
God has given believers a great gift: accountability in the
fellowship of the body of Christ. How much truer will worship be among those
who know their God is alive because they work with him in obedience to his
word?
Shawn B.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Differences
5:39 AM | Posted by
TeamUfa |
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I have now been in the beautiful city of Ufa for 6 weeks and
2 days. It is a weird feeling being gone this long in a completely different
country. On average, it takes 21 days to
condition an action into becoming a habit; however, it takes approximately 6
months of not doing something habitually to break the said habit. The point
being that I am beginning to feel at home through the conditioning of “doing”
some of the same things every day, for example: coming back to the same
apartment, going to the same university, going to coffee shops, grocery
shopping, etc.
Yet, there are things that will take quite a bit longer to get
used to “not doing”, for example: not hearing English as the main language, not
driving a car and instead taking a bus, the change in my pocket is not
necessarily like change back home, when someone answers the phone they may use
three different words for “hello” in procession before they begin a
conversation, etc. Some things are just different
and may stay that way for a long time.
However, there are things that are not different. Just over
a week ago, America celebrated Thanksgiving. My family gathered together this
day, without me, and did their normal routine of giving thanks to God, eating
wonderful food, and blessing the conversation with joy and thanksgiving.
Some of the Americans I have met here, all
decided to do the very same thing. We
all gathered together on that day and pursued a normal routine of giving thanks
to God, eating wonderful food, and being blessed by the fact that whether we
were back in the states or here in Ufa or in any other part of the world we
still give thanks to the One who deserves it all.
Kevin S.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
The Balcony Window
10:16 PM | Posted by
TeamUfa |
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When I moved into my apartment I noticed that one balcony
window had a screen while the other didn’t. It soon became clear that there
might be a practical reason for this. Visiting my friend’s apartment confirmed
what I had already witnessed walking past the many other apartment buildings in
the city: people lean out of open windows to smoke.
On a handful of occasions I’ve found myself staring out of a
balcony window, enjoying whatever view of the city it offers, while one or two
friends finish smoking. I’m often the only student in the group without a
cigarette in my hand. The activity punctuates daily life, and I’ve never really
gotten used to it.
Alcohol and tobacco consumption can make me feel alienated
from my peers. Sometimes I wonder if cultural and communication barriers can
effectively be overcome. But lingering over doubts like this can be
immobilizing. Paul reminds us that God “has made us competent as ministers of a
new covenant.” I regularly need to be reminded of the confidence I can have
“through Christ before God.”
One night a friend visited our weekly Bible-study group. We
read a story from the New Testament and answered discussion questions. After we
finished I stood with him on the balcony, staring outside. After he flicked his
cigarette out the window he said, “I think this is the first time I’ve ever read
the Bible.”
Moments like that sweep away negative feelings. I’m left
reminded that as a jar of clay, my job is to bear witness to God’s
“all-surpassing power” to those for whom the gospel is veiled.
Shawn B.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
The Jump. The Shock. The Dark and Light.
9:11 AM | Posted by
TeamUfa |
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Just over a week ago I found myself saying my goodbyes, to my
family at an airport, and continuing the render of my life to the call for
obedience, love, and adventure. The next
moment I find myself sitting in a terminal, about to board a plane, hearing
unfamiliar voices, seeing unfamiliar faces, and even smelling a few unfamiliar
aromas. Even the flight attendants did not speak much English, though maybe
slightly broken English, as they asked if I would care for a beverage or snack,
during different hours of the 9 ½ hour flight. This next plane was about to
jump over the Atlantic Ocean with one American and 243 foreign speaking souls
on it.
The unfamiliar voices were not because of a lack of knowing who
any of these people were, but that these voices, in fact, were speaking an
entirely different language. When the
plane arrived to my final destination, I understood instructions and directions
by the mere force of the crowd, as it drove me along the route to retrieve our
bags. When I ordered a coffee, jumped on
a bus, or even shopped at the local grocery store across the street, smiles,
grunts, and hand motions are all what initially helped this American
understand.
Slowly, step-by-step, I understand more and more about the
culture, the language, and the people.
Through the long, engaging conversations at a table drinking tea, the
delightful, cool walks around the city for hours, and the simple, tranquil
times sitting and enjoying each other’s company, I learn. As I continue my time
here as a student, I long for those moments when my life of following The Light
will be reflected; so that, those of whom I meet along the way may see who it
is I follow, through me.
K.S.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Friends from the U.S.
10:33 PM | Posted by
TeamUfa |
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A group of tourists from America recently spent a week here
in Ufa. For some, it was their first trip to Russia, but others have been to
Ufa before and love returning to the city. I spent the week with them when I
could, helping them find the right bus or purchase something to eat. Mostly, I
was happy to spend time with fellow Americans.
They have good relationships with members of a Baptist
church here in Ufa. This mix of Russian and American believers spent time
together during the week doing a variety of activities, weather permitting. I
think one way a person manifests his love toward someone else is by
communicating. In the same way, the love that these brothers and sisters share
with one another was evident through the different ways they communicated. How?
With broken Russian or English, improvised hand signals, laughter, shared
meals, Uno, Frisbee, prayers for each other, and singing songs together to
praise God.
It was encouraging week for those of us who live here. I met
some new friends, I heard testimonies of God’s work, I heard the stories of
those who want to know God, and by the end of the week I had used every Russian
word I knew. Thanks to my friends back in the U.S. I hope to see you next year.
Shawn B.
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