Nice to Meet You: Learning More Aboout God's Character

Hello again, readers! This week has already been crazy. Hopefully I'll be blogging again soon, because I have so much material to sort through. The following material is what I sorted through yesterday morning while sitting in my favorite little coffee shop. Hope it can be an encouragement to you!

I've had a whole lot of fun on this trip so far, but I think what has been even more exciting is how much I have learned about the character of the Lord. It's so cool to see how he has taught me so much in just a few weeks.

Omniscience:
I definitely have been amazed at seeing God's hand at work when I least expect it! Last Wednesday, Abby and I were discouraged because we weren't able to make any appointments with students we had met. We decided to go to the linguistics university to try to find new students to talk to. We ended up having a great conversation with two super sweet girls, and we even got to share the gospel! They were so excited to meet and talk with us. Even though we had no idea what our agenda was for the day, God did. He had some people he wanted us to meet. It was an encouragement to know that our "free time" was in his plan all along.
I also had a great day of rest yesterday. Our team had no appointments in the morning, so we spent it inside cozy Costa Coffee. (I really love it there.) As the morning went on, I realized how much I needed that time to myself in order to reflect and process everything that had been going on the past few days. It was sweet to know that God knew all along that I needed a quiet morning in a coffee shop, and he gave it to me!

Protection:
God has kept our team safe the entire time we have been here. How awesome! He kept Abby safe when she had to travel on the metro late at night when she lost her passport. We've had no serious injuries, either. It's really cool to be reminded how the Lord is always in control, even if we are in sketchy circumstances.
I have also appreciated how the guys on my team take the safety of us girls very seriously. They make a point to stay close by us when riding the metro. They also cheerfully offer to escort us on errands or appointments (even if that means sitting alone at Starbucks while I talk one-on-one with a new Russian friend, or going on a three-hour-long walk along the Moscow river with little engagement in conversation). Thank you, gentlemen! I know I can speak on behalf of the rest of the girls that we really appreciate your care for our well-being. We are blessed!

Work outside of my own efforts:
I can easily get caught up in a "performance" mindset when it comes to ministry; putting a lot of weight in my own actions rather than trusting God to work through me. The Lord has reminded me that I am merely His instrument, and I may not see the "fruits of my labor," but I can rest and know that His plan is greater than I can understand. We have encountered a couple of students in whom the Lord is already at work! We met a boy who lived with a pastor for a summer in the US, and he attended church during his whole stay. I met a girl who told me how she has recently begun to read the bible. DLP and Pittman met a guy who is a believer in Christ! It has been really cool to just meet students where they are and truly come alongside them in their spiritual lives. (Hello, Cru mission statement.) It's awesome to know that my encounters with these students are just part of God's plan for their lives. I'm grateful that God gave me the opportunity to plant seeds, even if I never personally see them grow. Pretty humbling.

Over all, I have especially learned to trust in God on a daily basis. It's hard for me to give parts of my life over to Him, because I want to stay in control of my life. But the truth is, I died with Christ. I have entrusted my life to the Lord, and His Spirit now lives inside me. And with that comes ultimate freedom! I am free to surrender my burdens to God and let Him work in and through me. Now, the life of a Christ-follower is no walk in the park, but it is a life of contentment. I can rest in any circumstance that comes my way because I know that God is in control, and I don't have to rely on my own human efforts. I can ask Him for the strength I need and He will give it to me. Zach read Ephesians 2:1-10 to us the other day, and it was a great refresher of the awesomeness that is the gospel. Go and read it, I dare ya. :)

Well, that's enough rambling for today. Please continue to keep my team and me in your prayers! This trip isn't about just us. It's also about the people supporting us at home. We are very grateful for you folks!

-Laura

How do you say....

Zdrasvutya! Hope everyone is doing well back in the States. My iPhone weather app tells me that y'all are experiencing some pretty hot weather over there. Well, Moscow (Mosk-oh, not Moss-cow.) has been sunny and pleasant at a relatively constant temperature of 73 degrees every day. (Yes, I'm rubbing it in.) I apologize for not updating this here blog for a while: every time I sit down at the computer, I feel overwhelmed with what I should write about. So, I thought I would blog in lists this time around. Hope you enjoy this! Maybe you'll learn something super interesting...

Fashion Trends in Moscow:

• Braids. French braids, standard braids, fishtail braids. Tons of girls wear beautiful braids in their hair. I have happily embraced this trend, as have my fellow female project mates. :)
• Parachute pants. No, I'm not kidding. They are definitely "in" here. I should've listened to you, Luke Williams, and bought a pair to wear around here...except I don't think I'd ever wear them at home.
• The mullet. Or more specifically, the Euro-mullet. Usually men sport this hairdo, but I have also seen some Moscovite women with mullets... Ay. Once again, a shout-out to my buddy Luke, who can actually pull off a nice-looking Euro-mullet.
• Shoes. I love them. Flats are "in" for girls, but I see tons of brave ladies walking around in ridiculously tall heels. I dunno how they do that in a big city. I LOVE the shoes that men wear here! They're a lot more classy than your average Nike or New Balance tennis shoes that most guys wear in the U.S.

Food:

• McDonald's? Seriously, folks. Russians love their Mickey D's. McDonald's is our little taste of America over here, and it's a quick (dangerous?) block away from the Napoleon (our hostel). You can get a moroshenae rajoke for 16 rubels, a steal over here, so our team frequents the restaurant for a little snack. The staff there just loves when we visit.... And, McDonald's here is much tastier than it is in the States. Don't ask me why, because I don't know.
• The Blini. Blinis are essentially crepes. They are delicious. I eat them very often, which may or may not be a bad choice, but I figure I should embrace Russian eating habits while I'm here. My favorite blini meal consists of a ham and cheese blini and a wild berry blini. So. Good.
• Shashlik. Shashlik is a Russian shish kebab, served with a piece of round flatbread. I tried my first bit of shashlik at Ismaylova market on Sunday! It also was the first time I've ever eaten lamb, to my knowledge. It was amazing. I can't wait to return to the market for more shopping and more shashlik. :)
• PASTRIES! Oh my goodness, I don't know how I will survive back in Flower Mound without eating pastries. There is a small pastry stand in our home metro station where I grab breakfast some mornings. You can smell the little treasures before the stand is in your line of sight. My favorites are apricot (which is a very popular fruit here) and lemon. Yummy.
• Cactus Water. It's this green juice that we all buy from our grocery store. Technically, it's cactus-lime juice. We can't really read the bottle, but it's very tasty. Very refreshing after a long day on campus.
• Business Lunch?! MSP veterans, Business Lunch has changed its menu to read, "Home Dinner." But we still call it Business Lunch. Essentially, you can get the meal of the day for 145 rubels, which is a great deal in Moscow. However, since we can't speak Russian, sometimes we don't know what we're ordering. However, I have never been disappointed in my meal. Pretty fun to try new Russian food!

Things I dislike:

• Pigeons. They are rampant at metro entrances, and especially like to fly right in front of Abby.
• Crowded metro rides. Speaking of the metro, have you ever been on a train where you had to stand with nothing to hold on to except for your friend's purse, and you are packed like sardines with Russian citizens, half of whom do not see the need to wear deodorant? No? Lucky you. That describes my metro ride to the linguistics university today. Suggestion: try to avoid rush hour on the metro.
• Cigarettes. Lots of Moscovites smoke. Now, it doesn't bother me a whole lot, but it is annoying to leave a coffee shop with your clothes smelling like an ash tray....

Things I enjoy:

• Long (not crowded) metro rides. I love riding the metro, despite the occasional cattle-drive feeling that you experience every once in a while. There is time to decompress, to listen to music, just to people watch. However, it is customary to sit quietly on the metro with un-crossed legs. Not much talking goes on. We Americans have difficulty blending into the crowd at times because we are loud and chatty.
• Architecture! There are beautiful, BEAUTIFUL buildings here in the city. I just love it. I think I owe it to my dad for being interested in what buildings look like. There is a lot of art-deco style art and sculpture around town, and a lot of old, traditional, onion-dome churches sprinkled here and there. Metro stations, in fact, have some beautiful mosaics and statues and murals here and there. They are so neat to discover!
• The weather. Holy Moses, guys. The weather here is glorious. I think my friends and I have thanked God every single day for the beautiful weather that He has provided us on this trip. We have yet to experience any rain, although it is in the forecast later in the week. Just sunshine and cool breezes. :)

Things I Miss:

• Ice. I've heard that Europeans don't like ice. Well, I miss it. I miss having a nice ice-cold beverage at meals.
• Dr. Pepper. Enough said.
• Warm showers. Although, I am learning to enjoy a nice tepid shower.
• Um, I feel like it's just a given that I miss my family. I haven't talked to my parents as much as I would like while I've been here in Moscow. Love y'all bunches!

I appreciate all of the people praying for me at home! It has been so amazing to see the things that God is doing here. I am learning tons about Russian culture, human nature (the fact that students here really are just like students in America), and a heck of a lot about myself. I've especially taken to heart that He is sovereign and He isn't surprised by anything that happens while we're here. It's a very comforting and humbling thing to realize. I hope to write more about my adventure soon!

Grace and Peace,

Laura