Reflections
If you catch Dinislam when the kids are asleep and Inna has recently made him some food, you will have the privilage of hearing his heart on everything from the Russian army to his dreams for the future --- all without needing to say more than two words. (Have I mentioned he's a talker?) Last night was one such occasion.
He has such a cool life story, which I can't even go into in a blog post, so you'll just have to sit down and talk to him someday. But currently, he told me, his life involves working from 8 to 6, coming home, working on remodeling the appartment, and going to sleep around 12. Work, work, work. When he was telling me this, something clicked in my head. The other day Inna told me "When you are here, and during the camp weeks, Dinislam doesn't work. It is good." All this family time I've been a part of the past two weeks is not their normal. Inna's normal is going whole weeks without spending time with her husband.
I'm starting to realize the reasons the Lord called me to Russia this summer are small reasons. Reasons like "Go to Russia so that Dinislam will take time off of work," and "Go to Russia so that you can pay a few families a little money for their hospitality -- which will pay for new shoes for the kids." Reasons like "Go to Russia so that you will learn that words are not the only way to communicate," and "Go so that Venera has a friend for a few weeks."
A few blog posts ago, when I was having a really hard time, Larry commented, "God will not waste any pain." I'm trusting that all these small reasons will add up to something that is worth the difficulties, the struggles, the homesickness, the exhaustion, discouragement, pain. If just one life is touched, or one hurt eased, or one day made better, I'm glad to go through all of this. God would not have brought me here if it wasn't worth it. So it's worth it to me.
I'm staying here at Inna and Dinislam's another week. The Lord keeps telling me to stay. Next Monday the family is going to the Teen Camp, so I'll go back to Nadya and Sasha for that week, and then to Tanya and Slavik for the last week before camp. I'll be glad to see my other two families again! And then it'll be time to see Americans, which is kind of like Christmas for me...
The orphanage is almost surely closing. Some families are still fighting to take the children, but it doesn't look like the police will budge. The latest plan is for the kids to go to the government orphanage in two weeks. From what I've learned about Russia, that plan will probably change, but you never know. :) These children need a lot of prayer. They are really lost, especially the older ones. I know the Lord's heart is for children to have families, and I'm praying to that end. But everyone is getting really tired of dealing with this, and no one is united on what outcome is best for the situation. If God's people aren't united, it will only cause more problems...
Everyone here is doing well, other than dealing with these problems (which are not problems to God!). For the Family Camp people: Indira's little girl, Sabina, is so big! And so is Aydar. It seems like all those little kids from the first few Family Camps just decided to grow up all the sudden. Aydar and Oleg are practically grown men! This is not ok with me. I think we need to have a plan for the teenagers who come to camp.
Leaning on Him,
Jordan
He has such a cool life story, which I can't even go into in a blog post, so you'll just have to sit down and talk to him someday. But currently, he told me, his life involves working from 8 to 6, coming home, working on remodeling the appartment, and going to sleep around 12. Work, work, work. When he was telling me this, something clicked in my head. The other day Inna told me "When you are here, and during the camp weeks, Dinislam doesn't work. It is good." All this family time I've been a part of the past two weeks is not their normal. Inna's normal is going whole weeks without spending time with her husband.
I'm starting to realize the reasons the Lord called me to Russia this summer are small reasons. Reasons like "Go to Russia so that Dinislam will take time off of work," and "Go to Russia so that you can pay a few families a little money for their hospitality -- which will pay for new shoes for the kids." Reasons like "Go to Russia so that you will learn that words are not the only way to communicate," and "Go so that Venera has a friend for a few weeks."
A few blog posts ago, when I was having a really hard time, Larry commented, "God will not waste any pain." I'm trusting that all these small reasons will add up to something that is worth the difficulties, the struggles, the homesickness, the exhaustion, discouragement, pain. If just one life is touched, or one hurt eased, or one day made better, I'm glad to go through all of this. God would not have brought me here if it wasn't worth it. So it's worth it to me.
I'm staying here at Inna and Dinislam's another week. The Lord keeps telling me to stay. Next Monday the family is going to the Teen Camp, so I'll go back to Nadya and Sasha for that week, and then to Tanya and Slavik for the last week before camp. I'll be glad to see my other two families again! And then it'll be time to see Americans, which is kind of like Christmas for me...
The orphanage is almost surely closing. Some families are still fighting to take the children, but it doesn't look like the police will budge. The latest plan is for the kids to go to the government orphanage in two weeks. From what I've learned about Russia, that plan will probably change, but you never know. :) These children need a lot of prayer. They are really lost, especially the older ones. I know the Lord's heart is for children to have families, and I'm praying to that end. But everyone is getting really tired of dealing with this, and no one is united on what outcome is best for the situation. If God's people aren't united, it will only cause more problems...
Everyone here is doing well, other than dealing with these problems (which are not problems to God!). For the Family Camp people: Indira's little girl, Sabina, is so big! And so is Aydar. It seems like all those little kids from the first few Family Camps just decided to grow up all the sudden. Aydar and Oleg are practically grown men! This is not ok with me. I think we need to have a plan for the teenagers who come to camp.
Leaning on Him,
Jordan
I've said it before and I'll say it again: we all really miss you.
ReplyDelete"Go to Russia to open the minds of your friends in America. Go to Russia to encourage a little church there, but also a little one back home. Go to Russia to see the glory of God in his creation. Go to Russia to show people in Tennessee the power and necessity of prayer. (Go to Russia to see My face painted on a rock?)"
The Lord's reasons may very well be infinite, yet we only get glimpses, for "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of his law," (Deut 29:29). Go to Russia to tell your kids one day. Ever think of that one? The ripples literally will be eternal.
Regardless, it all boils down to one singular reason, which is sufficient for us even if He were to keep every other reason secret: Go to Russia to bring glory to God.
If you forget every other reason at any point on the rest of your journey, remember that one. Whether you are feeling low or high, the glory of God is the beat of your heart, the blood in your veins, and the air in your lungs--literally.
"For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living," (Rom 14:7-9).
P.S. Don't forget that God is just as sovereign over Russia's government as He is over America's government. Our Independence Day was not 238 years ago, it was almost two thousand years ago. I hope the third day after our Lord's death overshadows every single day in history, whether it be the fourth day of July or the fifth (happy birthday). :)
whoops *234 years
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