The Last Stretch

Study: Isaiah 56-58
Memorizing: Romans 2:1-3
Thoughts: Good

We have had more snow here the past 3 days than we have had all winter! I kid you not, we have had almost a foot of snow fall in blizzard-like fashion over the past few days. I suppose if there is such a thing as an "Indian Summer" then there can be an "Indian Winter."

As March comes to a close here we are entering the last quarter of our first year here. We will pretty much be doing language studies straight through April and May (with a short trip out of the country at the end of April for visa re-registration), and we will finish off our lessons probably after the second week of June. The third week of June our friend Kathy will be joining us here from the States for two weeks. The last week of June we all fly out to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia for InterAct's Russia field conference (Kathy will be keeping Isaiah during our meeting times). And after that we fly back to St. Pete for like three days then fly home.

As we approach the close of our first year here I've become rather reflective. I've been thinking on where God has led us, what he's taught us, what he's accomplished in and through us while we've been here. So much has changed in these past 8 months that I don't know quite where to begin. I can pinpoint it, but I've changed (for the better I hope).

In one of my talks with Jim Capaldo (Our field director who was with us this week from Siberia), he began talking about culture stresses and changes that take place in the life of a missionary during and after his first year. Jim's been at this for almost 9 years now so he's no rookie. But he was making the point that after you live somewhere for a while you become part of that place, even in the case of a foreign culture. You know you'll always be a "foreigner," that this will never be like you're native culture, but you learn to adopt and feel comfortable with many different aspects of it. Thus when you go back to your own culture the biggest shock often comes from returning to your homeland.

I'll confess what he said made a lot of sense. There are things that I haven't been around for 8 months, and it never ceases to amaze me when I sit and think that I've forgotten. For instance, it struck me just the other day that by the time I return to the U.S. I will have not driven a car for a year. The other day I remembered that air conditioners existed. I realized the other day also that I've forgotten what it's like to be in a worship service where everything is in English. Truth be told, I'm excited and even a little nervous about how things are going to seem to me when we go back this summer.

So for now my hope is to finish this first year off strong, to have a solid, strong foundation in Russian and to have some established connections here to build off of over the next year. But still I can't help but reflect on all that the Lord has led us through these past months. So much has changed.