Part 1 - Transition to Russia
Our first days were spent just getting by: sleeping, eating eggs and cereal and the Mac N Chz I brought from the States. Natalie, our fellow missionary downstairs took me to a grocery store and showed me around, bought groceries. John, her husband took us to a store kind-of like Sams, but very Russian. We bought items for the kitchen and bathrooms and more food. Jonathan and I picked out some furniture from IKEA and it was supposed to be here last Monday, but we won't get it until tomorrow, hopefully. New phrase for us to remember: if it could go wrong, it will and Have no expectations! So we have been eating all of our meals on the floor and stand all day, because we have no couches. I was able to buy Miriam a crib and high chair. We got bunkbeds for the boys and we got a bed at the end of our first week here. We started Russian lessons last week and are beginning to understand more. We take 10 hours a week. Our teacher come to our home and we have a babysitter stay with the children in one part of our house.
Part 2 - Feelings about Russia
The plane ride over and the delays at the airports were difficult, but out initial entrance into Samara, Russia was the hardest part of this whole transition. We arrived at about 5 AM and got off the plane onto the tarmac and got on a bus in freezing cold weather. We stopped at a side entrance and entered a very dirty building through some construction. We formed a line and were happy to be at the front of it, though when we got to Customs, we realized that we would be the last people to get through. We waited for almost an hour while a lady looked at all of our Passports and asked simple questions. We then met our team leader, Brad Klassen and found out that the man who was supposed to transport us to our new apartment had slept in and would not arrive for another hour. Our ride to our apartment took another hour and thankfully, the kids all stayed awake (we wanted to sleep while they slept!).
Our apartment, on the outside looks like, well, imagine an apartment with absolutely no frills, no paint, no prettiness; imagine a place that you would never dream of living, and there you have it! I included a note so you wouldn't have to wonder anymore. So the outside stinks, but the inside - it's nice. We have wood floors and three balconies, two kitchens, two bathrooms (if you call it that because one is just a toilet), 4 bedrooms and all the walls have very gaudy wallpaper, except our main kitchen, dining area, living area. There are two washing machines in the bathrooms and no dryers, no dish washer, but the towel racks in the bathrooms are heated and there is a sauna (yes, a sauna!) in one of the bathrooms.
Side note: When I walked into the apartment, I asked Jonathan if it was really our apartment, because there was a piano right inside the door. He said yes. I said, "I have a piano!". He had gone out of his way to arrange the delivery of a piano to our apartment, because I was convinced I would never be able to have a piano. What a great husband I have. In Russian: He is a great "moosh".
So then the whole quest for things for our apartment and the stocking of the cupboards began. There are some things that I just hadn't planned for. They use a different measuring system, so everything you buy is not in cups or gallons. So you can't buy a gallon of milk(actually, you wouldn't want to because it tastes like evaporated milk). You can't buy a 9X13 pan or a bundt pan or muffin pans. So there goes all my easy casserole recipes! Everything is in Russian! I can't buy a pound of hamburger meat, I have to learn to say, I need a kilo of Farsch! Thank goodness for Natalie Rehurek, my best friend downstairs!
So.........I have already asked myself, "Why am I here?" and "How could I bring my children here to grow up knowing this and not what I grew up knowing"?
But,
Then I hear from a still, small voice inside,
If this is where God wants us, then this is best for me and for all of my family, including my 5 precious children whom I love so much. I want what is best for them and God has shown us that this is it. So, I will try not to complain and will look for more things that I love about Russia. Right now, the list includes new friends, tea, chocolate and some vanilla wafers we found that taste like roasted marshmallows.
Our apartment, on the outside looks like, well, imagine an apartment with absolutely no frills, no paint, no prettiness; imagine a place that you would never dream of living, and there you have it! I included a note so you wouldn't have to wonder anymore. So the outside stinks, but the inside - it's nice. We have wood floors and three balconies, two kitchens, two bathrooms (if you call it that because one is just a toilet), 4 bedrooms and all the walls have very gaudy wallpaper, except our main kitchen, dining area, living area. There are two washing machines in the bathrooms and no dryers, no dish washer, but the towel racks in the bathrooms are heated and there is a sauna (yes, a sauna!) in one of the bathrooms.
Side note: When I walked into the apartment, I asked Jonathan if it was really our apartment, because there was a piano right inside the door. He said yes. I said, "I have a piano!". He had gone out of his way to arrange the delivery of a piano to our apartment, because I was convinced I would never be able to have a piano. What a great husband I have. In Russian: He is a great "moosh".
So then the whole quest for things for our apartment and the stocking of the cupboards began. There are some things that I just hadn't planned for. They use a different measuring system, so everything you buy is not in cups or gallons. So you can't buy a gallon of milk(actually, you wouldn't want to because it tastes like evaporated milk). You can't buy a 9X13 pan or a bundt pan or muffin pans. So there goes all my easy casserole recipes! Everything is in Russian! I can't buy a pound of hamburger meat, I have to learn to say, I need a kilo of Farsch! Thank goodness for Natalie Rehurek, my best friend downstairs!
So.........I have already asked myself, "Why am I here?" and "How could I bring my children here to grow up knowing this and not what I grew up knowing"?
But,
Then I hear from a still, small voice inside,
If this is where God wants us, then this is best for me and for all of my family, including my 5 precious children whom I love so much. I want what is best for them and God has shown us that this is it. So, I will try not to complain and will look for more things that I love about Russia. Right now, the list includes new friends, tea, chocolate and some vanilla wafers we found that taste like roasted marshmallows.
