June 10, 2008
Dear Friends and Family!
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The last time that I wrote to you was in the midst of transition. While I was in the States getting a new visa, Al and friends moved our belongings out of our old apartment and into storage. I returned to Russia on April 22, and we moved into our new flat on April 29. From the first days, we marveled at the change. Now on the fifth floor, we are in the tree tops, surrounded by green. The apartment has had some renovation and is much brighter and more pleasant than our old one. Even the cat and dog seem happier.
The apartment is a blessing in the midst of ongoing challenges. The year-long visa I received in April allows me to be in Russia for only 90 out of every 180 days. This is the new standard for business visas, etc. I fall into the “etc.” category. I have been working since January to find a solution. Two organizations were trying to get me a work permit (which would have allowed me to stay in Russia full time), but this past week I was told the quota is full for this year. Fortunately, Al and the girls have a visa (issued by the school) that allows them to stay in Russia full time. We have one last glimmer of hope to explore. In the meantime, we continue implementing our contingency plan. So as not to be separated from the family for three months at a time, and so that I can be here when the groups are present, I cross the border at regular intervals for short stays. After unpacking our belongings, I left for a 10 day visit to Tulcea, Romania, to visit the projects of our PC(USA) colleague, the Rev. Mary Ferris.
Right to left: Mary Ferris, Ellen Smith, and Aurora, a teacher in the NOROC program. We're on a hillside above the Danube with wild peonies. Mary is also involved in orphanage ministry through an organization called NOROC. They have a program that has grandmothers (pensioners) in baby orphanages and hospitals to give the youngest children the love and stimulation they need to thrive. Retired school teachers tutor older children and provide computer classes, art classes and cooking classes. NOROC also has a post orphanage model, which I was most interested in. This model gives young graduates the support they need to pursue higher education and find stable employment. It is an area that our partners are currently developing in their own communities. In addition to the NOROC models, I visited a half-way house for the handicapped, another model badly needed here. My time with NOROC confirmed that our partners are headed in the right direction. My time with Mary was a blessing for me. It was wonderful to talk with a colleague about common problems and to see another context. Mary shared her part of Romania with me, a beautiful area at the head of the Danube delta, and I treasure the new friendship.
I returned from Romania in time to welcome a group of 16 from White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Sixteen is a large group for us, but this was a wonderful group that worked well together. They met challenges with flexibility and patience and jumped into activities with joy and enthusiasm. They had many opportunities to practice that flexibility and patience.
After a couple of days in Moscow, we headed out to Smolensk to visit their partner church. A group this size has lots of luggage (58 pieces, mostly items for their partner’s ministry). Getting it from the hotel to the train (our wagon was the seventeenth, a very long way down the track) was no small task. We got off on the wrong foot and didn’t realize it until half of us were at the far end of the train, but the rest of the team saw the problem and worked together quickly (at 11:30 p.m.) to adjust the plan and with great physical effort and many willing hands we made it. The conductress had serious doubts as she saw us relaying the bags from the platform onto the train and down the corridor and began talking about extra charges. Once she saw that we had everything safely and neatly stowed, she didn’t say another word. At the other end, in Smolensk, we had the help of this earlier experience and friends.
Laura Vepraskas, a college student from White Memorial, with her team in a snake relay. In Smolensk, we spent time worshipping and breaking bread with members of the congregation and joined the orphanage ministry team in their visits. At the first orphanage, which was for visually handicapped children, the group’s role was more passive, but that changed as we progressed in the itinerary. Fortunately, we had young adults in the team, because two of them were called on to participate in sports relays at the second orphanage. Those of us a little longer in the tooth did not envy them as they ran, jumped, crawled and pitched their way through the games. We thoroughly enjoyed being spectators.
It was my first time at this particular orphanage. An extraordinary relationship has developed between the pastor and the orphanage director. Each of them led one of the relay teams. I rejoiced to see the camaraderie and deep friendship between these two men. The pastor later used the word “miraculous” to describe what has developed. The Lord has blessed the ministry in this place. (We’ll be looking for a partner for this church.)
At the last orphanage, the team spent most of their time at a picnic with the children—all 130 of them. On a great open field, all the team members played badminton, volleyball, soccer, and Frisbee. To the side, the orphanage team built a small campfire and everyone roasted hot dogs on long sticks. The children loved the attention and the festive celebration to end the school year.
From Smolensk, we traveled by van to St. Petersburg, a 12-hour drive across the countryside. The roads were poor, to say the least, but the team made the best of it, enjoying the countryside and the chance to glimpse rural existence. It’s a hard life. After several days in St. Petersburg, we returned to Moscow and the airport for their flight home.
I have spent most of the week catching up on things at home and trying to figure out where to go next. It has been a discouraging process. Not knowing whether I would be leaving for a work permit, I could not plan sooner. Between the rising cost of travel and the cost of accommodations, I couldn’t make any sort of plan work. It’s been a real testing time for me, as have these past few months, but once again friends have come to our aid. I am now staying at a friend’s house in England, saving 12 more days for later. The Lord has once again provided, and we do feel that blessing.
We hope that a solution is on the horizon. In the meantime we would ask for your prayers—prayers of thanksgiving for generous friends and for the support of staff in Louisville, for strength and traveling mercies in these extraordinary times, for Emma and Meg who would like to see more of their mother, for Al who is carrying most of the burden at home, and for the upcoming groups. We hope that we can minimize the challenges, but also that the groups can be flexible and rejoice in the moment, even when the challenges come.
We give thanks for you always. We know that your prayers have helped to carry us through our challenges. Christian fellowship has also lightened the load—your emails, time with Mary in Romania, the support of expat friends in Moscow, time with visiting teams and with our Russian partners. Christian fellowship is like that. May we remember to be present with one another, to smile and laugh and cherish the kinship we have in Christ, for we all face challenges.
Love and blessings,
Ellen and Al
The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 158 |
