Monday, July 25 arrived, marking the 15th day of our trip to Russia. That also made it the longest that I had ever been outside of the United States. I had gone to visit Carrie a couple of times while she was living in Macau, but none of those visits had taken up two full weeks.
That Monday, we awoke and started packing up. Breakfast and lunch, as well as our morning session, would be the same as they had been the previous days. However, that afternoon, it was time to head back to Ulan Ude, and to say goodbye to our Russian friends. So it was a little sad as we ate breakfast, and as we went through our morning session.
The morning session wrapped up the discussion on raising children. Once again, the topic seemed to resonate with everyone. Once it was complete, though, we then had a wonderful experience. We pastors and wives from the United States wanted to offer our prayers for each of the people present at the retreat. So we had them sit down, and we put our hands upon them and prayed over each of them. If the family was there as a couple, we prayed for both of them.
This was a very meaningful experience for me. I had gotten to know some of these men and women fairly well. To know that we were praying for them, and that God would continue to bless their work, well, it really touched me deeply. Knowing that we may or may not ever see them again seemed to make it even more crucial that we recognize the connections that had formed over the past few days, which I think we all did.
After that, we had a bit of a surprise for the Russians. We had brought along a number of card games, as well as a few other prizes, and so it was time for a giveaway! We arranged it in a lottery fashion, so that each person drew a number, and then the person who drew #1 got to select first, and on down the line. It was really funny to see the things that people wanted, although we also noticed that a few of those who drew later were somewhat disappointed that the thing they wanted was already chosen. However, we are thinking that we will still send a few of them the things that we know they really wanted.
After lunch, it was time to start saying goodbye. A few of the participants had driven to the retreat center, and so this was our time to say goodbye. Hugs were exchanged, hands were shaken, and then it was time to load up our stuff on the bus. A nice, three hour ride back to Ulan Ude was upon us.
It was amazing to see the difference in all of us as we drove back. When we had first driven out to the retreat center, everyone had been tired and unfamiliar with each other. That had led to a fairly quiet ride. However, this return trip found a lot more discussion taking place. We had a lot of questions as we drove through the countryside, and they tried to answer as many as they could. I also noticed just how many small potato farms there were along the side of the road. Those Russians must sure love their potatoes!
We dropped off a couple of people at the train station, and a couple of others at the places where they were staying until it was time to head back, and then the bus took us to the hotel where we would be staying that night. As we rode, we encountered rush hour in Ulan Ude. There were a few times where I think we could have walked a lot faster than the traffic. However, we did eventually get to our hotel.
We settled in, and then, it was time for dinner. We had decided on a good Chinese restaurant, so we put on our walking shoes and headed out. We walked up the sidewalk for a while, and then came to where we could catch a tram. The tram took us for a few stops, where we got off, and then saw our restaurant. The smells were so nice, and we went in.
I have to admit that I really do like Chinese food. Not really all the things we get in America, which tend to be too much on the fried end of things. But good Chinese food can be really delicious. We ordered up a number of different dishes to try, to pass around the table so that everyone could get some. We had some chicken, some fried rice, and some other Chinese traditional dishes. But we also had one thing that I had not tried before: horse.
I know, some of you reading this may have just gotten grossed out by that. However, I have to say that horse really does taste good. It really is a lot like beef, only a lot more lean. After a good meal, we then started to head back to our hotel. It had been a long day, and I think we were all ready to turn in, especially since we needed to get up early for our return flight to Moscow the next day.
That Tuesday morning we awoke early, and Carrie jumped in the shower. She took a fairly short shower, and then it was my turn. It was about this time when we noticed yet another difference between hotels there and the ones we are used to. In our bathroom, we had a small water heater over the toilet. I should emphasize small. By the time I started my shower, the hot water had run out! The water coming out of the faucet wasn't cool, it was COLD! So I ended up doing a very quick, short shower, trying my best to get ready for the day.
We had another shuttle waiting for us, and we rode out to the airport. We went and got our boarding passes, and then made our way through security. We still had a little time before our flight, so we looked at some shops, and even made a few small purchases. Then, it was time to board our plane.
At this particular airport, they don't have what we usually think of as gates. We all moved into a small room with an exit out onto the jetway, and then, they took the first group of passengers. Only, we didn't ride a bus or anything to the plane, we simply walked over the plane (about 100 meters away). We walked directly underneath our plane in order to climb up the stairs and get on board. At least it was a beautiful morning, and we got a few snapshots of the airport, the plane, and a military helicopter that had landed as we waited.
Then, it was time to take off. This was actually a very comfortable plane ride. We had plenty of legroom, the air was blowing, and the seats were comfy. We flew over Lake Baikal, which was beautiful from the air. We also flew over a number of mountains, and a few towns along the way. The Siberian District president and his wife were also on the flight, and they pointed out a few of the towns where the pastors worked. We didn't fly over one or two of their towns until we were almost 3 hours into the flight! I can't imagine taking a train that distance, especially one without a sleep compartment. Once again I was reminded of their challenges in simply finding time to be together with each other.
We landed in Moscow, said goodbye to Juha and Anu, and then re-entered the heat. We caught our shuttle back to the same hotel we had stayed in previously. We were able to check in quickly, and then, since there was an open air market nearby, that meant it was time to start doing a little souvenior shopping.
Since we had traveled west, our six hour flight had only cost us 2 hours in terms of relative time. We had taken off around 9:00 AM and we landed in Moscow at 11:00 AM. Thus, it was the warmest part of the day as we walked over to the market to start looking at everything they had to offer.
Carrie and I had a few things in mind that we wanted to get, both for ourselves and as gifts. I found one of the nice Russian winter hats (I think it is called a shapka), and purchased one made out of rabbit. I think I tried on about 10 different ones, which really set my head to sweating. I'm looking forward to the winter when I get to wear it once or twice!
We also found a number of gemstones, some of them mined from Siberia, and we stopped to purchase one for Carrie. We also had looked around and found a number of matrioshka figures, which are really neat. These are painted wooden dolls, but they are hollow inside. So when you open it up, you find a slightly smaller one, and then that one opens up to reveal another, and so on. We actually saw a few that had as many as 15 inside! The biggest was rather large, and some of the small ones got really small (as in, a small pebble with eyes painted on it!).
Carrie and I ended up shopping a bit longer than the rest of the group. I think that the heat of the day had gotten to us all a bit, as well as approaching dinnertime. We kept looking and found a few things like a set of playing cards, and spent a little time bargaining for some of the things we wanted. About an hour after the others were done, we went over and joined them at a little restaurant for a little food and relaxing.
I should also mention that this travel day happened to also be Carrie's birthday. We found a surprise waiting for us when we got back up to our hotel room. In front of the TV, there was a card from the hotel. At first, I thought it might be something that needed to be dealt with. But we found that it was a birthday card from the hotel. They had taken our passports to register us at the hotel (as they did at all the hotels we had checked into), and must have noticed her birthday. It was so nice to see that they recognized that.
Yes, I did remember that it was her birthday, too. In fact, before we left the United States, I had purchased some birthday balloons, and had taken a few minutes to blow some of them up for her. I think spending time with my wife in another country is just about the best kind of gift one can have.
This also reminds me of another Russian cultural thing. When it comes to birthdays, the person who is celebrating is the one who is supposed to have gifts for the others. So the one thing that Carrie heard quite a bit that day from our group is, "Happy birthday, what are you going to get me?" I think Russians may be on to something, though I may feel different when the birthday happens to be my own!
That Monday, we awoke and started packing up. Breakfast and lunch, as well as our morning session, would be the same as they had been the previous days. However, that afternoon, it was time to head back to Ulan Ude, and to say goodbye to our Russian friends. So it was a little sad as we ate breakfast, and as we went through our morning session.
The morning session wrapped up the discussion on raising children. Once again, the topic seemed to resonate with everyone. Once it was complete, though, we then had a wonderful experience. We pastors and wives from the United States wanted to offer our prayers for each of the people present at the retreat. So we had them sit down, and we put our hands upon them and prayed over each of them. If the family was there as a couple, we prayed for both of them.
This was a very meaningful experience for me. I had gotten to know some of these men and women fairly well. To know that we were praying for them, and that God would continue to bless their work, well, it really touched me deeply. Knowing that we may or may not ever see them again seemed to make it even more crucial that we recognize the connections that had formed over the past few days, which I think we all did.
After that, we had a bit of a surprise for the Russians. We had brought along a number of card games, as well as a few other prizes, and so it was time for a giveaway! We arranged it in a lottery fashion, so that each person drew a number, and then the person who drew #1 got to select first, and on down the line. It was really funny to see the things that people wanted, although we also noticed that a few of those who drew later were somewhat disappointed that the thing they wanted was already chosen. However, we are thinking that we will still send a few of them the things that we know they really wanted.
After lunch, it was time to start saying goodbye. A few of the participants had driven to the retreat center, and so this was our time to say goodbye. Hugs were exchanged, hands were shaken, and then it was time to load up our stuff on the bus. A nice, three hour ride back to Ulan Ude was upon us.
It was amazing to see the difference in all of us as we drove back. When we had first driven out to the retreat center, everyone had been tired and unfamiliar with each other. That had led to a fairly quiet ride. However, this return trip found a lot more discussion taking place. We had a lot of questions as we drove through the countryside, and they tried to answer as many as they could. I also noticed just how many small potato farms there were along the side of the road. Those Russians must sure love their potatoes!
We dropped off a couple of people at the train station, and a couple of others at the places where they were staying until it was time to head back, and then the bus took us to the hotel where we would be staying that night. As we rode, we encountered rush hour in Ulan Ude. There were a few times where I think we could have walked a lot faster than the traffic. However, we did eventually get to our hotel.
We settled in, and then, it was time for dinner. We had decided on a good Chinese restaurant, so we put on our walking shoes and headed out. We walked up the sidewalk for a while, and then came to where we could catch a tram. The tram took us for a few stops, where we got off, and then saw our restaurant. The smells were so nice, and we went in.
I have to admit that I really do like Chinese food. Not really all the things we get in America, which tend to be too much on the fried end of things. But good Chinese food can be really delicious. We ordered up a number of different dishes to try, to pass around the table so that everyone could get some. We had some chicken, some fried rice, and some other Chinese traditional dishes. But we also had one thing that I had not tried before: horse.
I know, some of you reading this may have just gotten grossed out by that. However, I have to say that horse really does taste good. It really is a lot like beef, only a lot more lean. After a good meal, we then started to head back to our hotel. It had been a long day, and I think we were all ready to turn in, especially since we needed to get up early for our return flight to Moscow the next day.
That Tuesday morning we awoke early, and Carrie jumped in the shower. She took a fairly short shower, and then it was my turn. It was about this time when we noticed yet another difference between hotels there and the ones we are used to. In our bathroom, we had a small water heater over the toilet. I should emphasize small. By the time I started my shower, the hot water had run out! The water coming out of the faucet wasn't cool, it was COLD! So I ended up doing a very quick, short shower, trying my best to get ready for the day.
We had another shuttle waiting for us, and we rode out to the airport. We went and got our boarding passes, and then made our way through security. We still had a little time before our flight, so we looked at some shops, and even made a few small purchases. Then, it was time to board our plane.
At this particular airport, they don't have what we usually think of as gates. We all moved into a small room with an exit out onto the jetway, and then, they took the first group of passengers. Only, we didn't ride a bus or anything to the plane, we simply walked over the plane (about 100 meters away). We walked directly underneath our plane in order to climb up the stairs and get on board. At least it was a beautiful morning, and we got a few snapshots of the airport, the plane, and a military helicopter that had landed as we waited.
Then, it was time to take off. This was actually a very comfortable plane ride. We had plenty of legroom, the air was blowing, and the seats were comfy. We flew over Lake Baikal, which was beautiful from the air. We also flew over a number of mountains, and a few towns along the way. The Siberian District president and his wife were also on the flight, and they pointed out a few of the towns where the pastors worked. We didn't fly over one or two of their towns until we were almost 3 hours into the flight! I can't imagine taking a train that distance, especially one without a sleep compartment. Once again I was reminded of their challenges in simply finding time to be together with each other.
We landed in Moscow, said goodbye to Juha and Anu, and then re-entered the heat. We caught our shuttle back to the same hotel we had stayed in previously. We were able to check in quickly, and then, since there was an open air market nearby, that meant it was time to start doing a little souvenior shopping.
Since we had traveled west, our six hour flight had only cost us 2 hours in terms of relative time. We had taken off around 9:00 AM and we landed in Moscow at 11:00 AM. Thus, it was the warmest part of the day as we walked over to the market to start looking at everything they had to offer.
Carrie and I had a few things in mind that we wanted to get, both for ourselves and as gifts. I found one of the nice Russian winter hats (I think it is called a shapka), and purchased one made out of rabbit. I think I tried on about 10 different ones, which really set my head to sweating. I'm looking forward to the winter when I get to wear it once or twice!
We also found a number of gemstones, some of them mined from Siberia, and we stopped to purchase one for Carrie. We also had looked around and found a number of matrioshka figures, which are really neat. These are painted wooden dolls, but they are hollow inside. So when you open it up, you find a slightly smaller one, and then that one opens up to reveal another, and so on. We actually saw a few that had as many as 15 inside! The biggest was rather large, and some of the small ones got really small (as in, a small pebble with eyes painted on it!).
Carrie and I ended up shopping a bit longer than the rest of the group. I think that the heat of the day had gotten to us all a bit, as well as approaching dinnertime. We kept looking and found a few things like a set of playing cards, and spent a little time bargaining for some of the things we wanted. About an hour after the others were done, we went over and joined them at a little restaurant for a little food and relaxing.
I should also mention that this travel day happened to also be Carrie's birthday. We found a surprise waiting for us when we got back up to our hotel room. In front of the TV, there was a card from the hotel. At first, I thought it might be something that needed to be dealt with. But we found that it was a birthday card from the hotel. They had taken our passports to register us at the hotel (as they did at all the hotels we had checked into), and must have noticed her birthday. It was so nice to see that they recognized that.
Yes, I did remember that it was her birthday, too. In fact, before we left the United States, I had purchased some birthday balloons, and had taken a few minutes to blow some of them up for her. I think spending time with my wife in another country is just about the best kind of gift one can have.
This also reminds me of another Russian cultural thing. When it comes to birthdays, the person who is celebrating is the one who is supposed to have gifts for the others. So the one thing that Carrie heard quite a bit that day from our group is, "Happy birthday, what are you going to get me?" I think Russians may be on to something, though I may feel different when the birthday happens to be my own!
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