Christmas, New Year & Conferences

I know I requested it several times, so thank you for praying for peace during the Christmas season. It was much better than I anticipated, largely due to the wonderful community I have here in Moscow. I'm so thankful for all of these people through New Life, RUDN, and Moscow Bible Church. I just wanted to share a little glimpse of what's been happening around here lately:

Christmas day we got nearly a foot of snow, which made for some awesome sledding in the park. It was SO fun! What a gift from the Lord to get that much snow ON Christmas day - not a day before or after. 

We had our student party on December 19th and it was a blast! 

Look at this super fun group we have!

The girls overtaking the photo booth...

My sweet friend, Ksenia, and me rocking the blind drawing game. We make a great team!

Singing Christmas carols and sharing about Jesus Christ and the 

significance of His birth as our Lord and Savior.

Watching a session of Cru Conference via livestream. #satelliteconference 

#comeonstint #itscoldhere #wemissourGNWfriends

Walking around Red Square & the market with 

friends from Moscow Bible Church.

This one is from a while ago, but I LOVE it! Our friend, Massie, helped us film a promo rap video to get more US students interested in coming on STINT. If you somehow missed this rap video, you can check it out here: Moscow Baby

This photo of Meg & me represents all of the hours spent baking and cooking for holiday gatherings. I only called my mom one time freaking out a little because it seemed like every recipe I looked up had an ingredient I couldn't/didn't know how to find in Moscow. After that call I got brave and set out to find molasses so I could make brown sugar. Unfortunately, this excursion was a complete failure and I'm still on the hunt. 

On a positive note, I made cinnamon rolls for the first time Christmas morning and they were delicious! We also made this toffee bark (pictured below) a few times. We've tried all kinds of new soups and I even made my own version of pad thai last night. Baked oatmeal, fudge, and raspberry thumb print cookies are also on my list of learned baked goods. I'm working up quite the repertoire here.

Tonight we will celebrate the New Year with a few friends -- eating soup, playing games, watching movies, and sparkling cider floats at midnight (my family's recent tradition). We also get to skype in to the Greater Northwest region's Cru Conference tonight and say hi to all of our friends back home! My team has experienced more fomo (fear of missing out) during this conference, than any other time since we've been in Russia. Do you know how hard it is to start a strategic planning meeting when all your Cru friends are at conference swing dancing?! We were feeling a little left out. 

New Year's is the biggest holiday all year in Russia. Some of the Russian New Year traditions are similar to our Christmas traditions -- giving gifts, eating a big family dinner, decorating a tree, etc. Around midnight people let off fireworks and take walks/play in the snow. I've been processing 2014 and dreaming about 2015 this morning, but I think I need to sit on those thoughts a little longer and post a more coherent version tomorrow to kick off the first day of the year. 

The past two days my team has been in long planning meetings to get ready for the Spring. This next week we will rest, spend time with students (everyone is on break now), and get ready for the month of January, which consists of a LOT of traveling. We leave for Scotland a week from tomorrow. After some rest there - and maybe a day trip to London - we will go to the Eastern European/Russia staff conference, then head over to Spain for the STINT mid-year conference. I'm praying that this month would be one of refreshment and renewed vision! 

Happy New Year, friends!

It Is Well

Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard

Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all, through it all
It is well

Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
It is well with me

Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see

And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name

It is well with my soul

[Kristene DiMarco, "It Is Well"]
Listen: "It Is Well" on YouTube

I keep coming back to this song. The words are few and simple, but so profound and beautiful. Through it all my eyes are on you and through it all it is well. Every moment, I am so dependent on Jesus. When my heart is broken, with my gaze fixed on Him, I can still be confident that it truly is well with my soul. My heart is content in Him, regardless of the battle going on in and around me. 

Having a good day where I feel "fine" and things seem to go well doesn't mean all of a sudden I can do it all on my own. Where does my gaze tend to fall on hard days? Myself. Where does my gaze tend to fall on good days? Myself. I either want to protect myself and give in to self-pity, or do it all on my own and give in to self-righteousness. I still need Jesus in the good days just as much as the hard days. My desperate need for a Savior and the fulfillment of the Gospel in my life is not contingent on how I feel about life or the circumstances I find myself in. My need for Jesus runs much deeper than my emotions, or even my knowledge of this need.

I have felt so weary the last couple of weeks. My heart is tender and prone to bursts of emotion and fear. While God has been doing so much here and providing so many opportunities to share His love with people around us, I'm learning to rely on Jesus when my strength is gone. I feel as though I've got nothing left to give. The Lord brought to mind the connection between these two verses this week:

The JOY of the Lord is my STRENGTH (Nehemiah 8:10). In HIS presence is fullness of JOY (Psalm 16:11). You are my joy, Jesus, which gives me strength each day. I rely on You to fill me with these two things I lack, and which I cannot create on my own. Joy and strength from the world or myself are temporary and shallow. You are forever, unfailing, always faithful, steadfast, full of love and grace, and You love me with an everlasting love. In Your presence I find joy, which gives me strength. In this, I know my deep need for you whether I feel on top of the world or far in the depths. 

My need for you never changes. Your promise to meet my needs never fails.

"I lift my eyes up to the mountains - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

The Brutal Brokenness of the World

I saw something on the Metro yesterday that continues to haunt me and bring me to tears. As bitter as the memory is, I hope I never forget it. I know that there is a purpose in experiencing pain that is far greater than I fully understand. But I'm confident that the Lord works ALL things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Thank you, Jesus, for putting compassion and discernment in my heart as I encounter the dark things of the world.

We got on the Metro at our normal stop and I sat down. About seven feet away from me there was a girl, probably eleven or twelve years old. She had long blonde hair all rolled up in a bun on the back of her head. She wore a dark blue winter coat and stood near the door of the train. When I noticed her, she was holding onto the bar for support on the moving train and a stoic expression across her face. Mostly she just seemed quiet, but did talk a few times to the man standing next to her.

I thought, he could be her Dad. But it was a weak, unconvincing thought, because I very quickly felt like something was not right. He was not her Dad. She didn't know him. There was no hint of familiarity on her face, only a fearful independence. I knew that she was alone and afraid.

Panic began to rise in me; I grew fidgety with worry. "What do I do?!"

The man was probably in his forties. He was tall and larger than the average Russian man, which contributed to the fierceness of his stance. He was kind of scraggly-looking and unkempt, too. He would say something to her and she would respond. He lowered his ear closer to her, indicating he couldn't hear, and she repeated her response in his ear. As he moved his head closer to her's, she dropped her hand from the bar and took a step back. She might have looked around, but I don't remember. 

I felt like I was going to burst with the imploring question, "What do I do?!"

A woman a few seats down from me said something to the girl and quickly took her hand and pulled her over, away from the man. She looked the girl in her eyes and spoke gently, calmly, with a reassuring smile on her face. She kept the girl's hands in her own and tenderly stroked them with her thumbs. The kind woman just kept holding her her hands and talking to her, keeping her focus off the man who kept looking at them.

The girl's face and demeanor changed suddenly. She looked calm. She knew she could trust this woman. She knew she was safe. I felt confident she would be safe. 

As soon as we left the Metro I grabbed my friend and told her I needed to explain what I had just seen. I started talking and just began to weep. I was so overcome with sadness and burdened by the brokenness in the world. Even now, I can't stop tears from streaming down my cheeks. I felt overwhelmed at the prospect of what could have happened, had nobody seen this child alone, but surrounded by onlookers. How often does something like this happen, and the end look very, very different? How often am I blinded to the brokenness of the world?

My heart is broken. I'm thankful to the Lord for opening my eyes, but so deeply saddened at the same time. I know there is purpose in experiencing brokenness: developing compassion, being moved to the point of action, developing a deeper understanding of God's heart, gaining a renewed understanding of man's depravity and absolute need for a Savior.

"For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness, I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them." Isaiah 61:8

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:11

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:14

God cares about our brokenness and the brokenness that fills the world. His provision is Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful, Lord, that this place is not our home, but you are preparing for us something so much greater! Until then, may my heart never grow apathetic or indifferent toward the injustices of this world. Help me to fight for freedom and truth for the oppressed. 

Renewed Perspective

The other day my roommate, exasperated with big city life, exclaimed, "I'd pay big money just to see an open field right now!" That's what happens at the beginning of month number three when you send six Pacific Northwesterners who are used to SMALL cities, across the world to a MASSIVE city. We just need a little room to breathe.

Once a month our team has a "Day with the Lord" - we all spend the day with God, however we choose. I've been anticipating this day for a while because it's always refreshing to do something on my own that especially gives me life in the midst of living in a city and season that is so draining. Doing something "on my own" being a big part of what makes it rejuvenating. :)

This morning I finished reading Hinds' Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard. It's a book that I've heard so much about for years, but never picked up until this week. I love that the Lord knows exactly the right time to pour out exactly the right kind of encouragement and wisdom. There are so many anecdotes that I could extract from the story (it's an intricately detailed allegory), but the one that touched my heart so deeply today is this: my need to daily surrender my desire for love & affirmation from people. I say that I trust that God's promises are true and that He will provide what I need. But I live in this constant battle between that and desiring affirmation from people instead. Anything else besides Jesus just doesn't fill you up. Why do I keep looking? When I rest in the knowledge and assurance of who God is and who I am, I am much more confident and at peace than when I seek to find that from people around me.

In light of this sweet reminder of God's intimate love for me, I decided to spend my day with the Lord ice skating in Red Square. I really don't even know how to describe the significance behind this, but for the past several years I've had this sort of idealized view of outdoor ice skating rinks. I think they're the epitome of beauty & romance. Before today, I'd never been ice skating outside, but there are definitely a lot of opportunities for that in Moscow!

Today was a great reminder that life in Moscow is not all bad. While it's easy to get flustered by the fast-paced life, crazy transportation, constant cold, extra early sunsets and language barrier, there are still many more adventures to have and new things to see! I feel rested and ready to keep going. God is working IN me. He's working AROUND me. And I believe he's working THROUGH me. He is so faithful to provide from the smallest desire of my heart to the world's greatest revival. His plans for me are GOOD and there is a purpose to the madness of Moscow. 

Thanking God for such a wonderful and restful day! Now I'm off to make dinner and decorate our Christmas tree with my roommates. Have a great day! :)

Recent Moscow Highlights

I've clearly been falling behind on my duty as a blogger. But in my defense, HOW IS IT EVEN DECEMBER??! I cannot believe how quickly these three months have flown by, never mind each day in and of itself. Life in Moscow brings new meaning to the phrase a "whirlwind of a day" -- this generally describes six out of the seven days of my week. Ask anyone on my team and they will tell you the same thing: if you've accomplished one thing today, you've done well. I think about the nearly minute-by-minute calendar I used to keep back in the States and laugh at the idea of attempting the same scheduling system here. It just doesn't work.

While I have been lagging on posting reports, I think often about writing! So, because it is somehow already 10:00pm, I'm going to write out just a few quick highlights:

We celebrated Thanksgiving twice last week! Once as a whole staff team (30 of us) on Thursday, and then we had a dinner party for students on Friday (70 people total). Our staff dinner felt just like any family holiday celebration and the food was incredible. Maybe it's because we were craving the familiarity of home, or maybe it's because of the hours spent making these homemade dishes. Either way, I loved it. I'm truly blessed to work with these amazing people! Our student dinner was a big hit, too! It was so fun to introduce my friends to their first taste of pumpkin pie, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and all the works. It was also fun to see SO many students show up for our big dinner! I love witnessing this community start to form at RUDN.

This is our group at English Club last week. We've grown in size every Wednesday, including the number of students who come hang out and talk more at a cafe afterwards!

Jessareh and I hung out with our friend, Ksenia, a couple weeks ago and she took us to our new favorite coffee shop: Double B's. As soon as we walked in we recognized the distinct Northwesty feel: the baristas wore flannel, they sold gluten free bars, the music was of the common English coffee shop type, and the coffee was the best I've had. It felt like a sweet taste of home here in the heart of Moscow.

We have our last regular English Club of the semester tomorrow & an English Short Film Festival Friday night as our big events of the week. 

• The sun starts setting (it's a slow process) around 2:00 in the afternoon. This blows my mind every day. I've just eaten lunch and it feels like my day is already over! This is why they recommend vitamin D. I need some sun!
• I found International Delight coffee creamer at the grocery store by our flat! This is, well, a miracle, and I thank the Lord for it every morning as I sip my delicious hazelnut flavored coffee. 
• I also discovered a Thai restaurant right around the corner from my church. Hazelnut coffee creamer and pad thai, what more could I ask for?!
• My team is taking a vacation in January and attending two conferences right after. We'll start with a week of rest in Scotland, then staff conference in Turkey, then STINT mid-year conference in Spain. Three countries in three weeks! 
• Language class is going really well. It's so fun to learn a new language. I'm thankful to have moved beyond the "Hello, my name is Kailene" stage. Of course, I still have to pull out "я не говорю по-русски" ("I don't speak Russian") often; I'm a PRO at that phrase. 

I would love to stay more connected and share more stories of life in Russia! If you're interested in receiving my monthly prayer letters via email, just let me know at: kailene.power@cru.org. I plan on sending my next one out at the beginning of next week. 

All of these updates are more "life in Russia" highlights than what I'm learning and how I'm growing... I assure you, those things ARE happening. But they're happening very quickly (as is everything else), so it sometimes takes a while to process and figure out. There is so much that I'm learning. 

Also, it's now almost 11:00pm and I really need sleep. Good night, friends. :)

Birthday Celebration & Reflection

It's been a while, but I felt it necessary to post about my birthday. I turned twenty-six last week, in a foreign country, with people I've known for less than six months, and I felt incredibly loved and appreciated. The much anticipated snow did not fall. (I thought it was a given! I live in Russia, for goodness' sake.) BUT, I did stumble upon this gem of a restaurant with pretty Christmas decorations! I've started to see Christmas trees come up around the city and I'm collecting fun little Russian ornaments. 

I woke up to this birthday poster from my roommates. They knew that my mom used to make my brother and I birthday posters, too. Then Jessi chopped up a chocolate bar to make special chocolate chip pancakes! (You can't get chocolate chips here.) Taylor and Mike came over and we all ate breakfast together. I love my team!

I am SO thankful for this team that treated me like a Queen and spoiled me on my birthday. We spent the afternoon at a bookstore and found some delicious teriyaki noodles - score! The barista's from Anderson's, the coffee shop on the corner by my apartment, coordinated with my co-leader, Taylor, and surprised me with cake and balloons... after I berated Taylor with questions as to WHY he needed coffee at 9:00 at night. The team also worked hard to throw a surprise party of their own -- and I was actually surprised! The girls made pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread and delicious hot apple cider. They all chipped in and bought me a RUDN (our University) sweatshirt and even found some hazelnut syrup for my coffee! All of my friends at the party shared a memory and something they admire about me. It was so sweet to my soul to hear those words and receive encouragement from people who have become my Moscow family. 

..........

I already felt "behind" on simply processing everything new and exciting and big and hard in my life right now... then you throw turning another year older in the mix. (I'm realizing that things never stop getting thrown into the mix. There's always something!) This isn't a milestone birthday or anything, but it is strange to think that I'm no longer in my early twenties. Something about breaking the twenty-five year mark and moving into my late twenties is just kind of weird.

According to the timeline I created somewhere between middle and high school, it seemed clear to me that by twenty-three I would have graduated from college and jumped into marriage then start having kids by twenty-five. My thirteen year old self thought I had it all figured out. That is, until I turned twenty-three and was not close to graduating OR getting married.

Little did I know that I would find myself taking a year off to do a leadership internship in Texas and then stay there for three years. Or that I would end up at Boise State University and study Communication and English. I had a lot of other things to preoccupy myself with during college anyways. I was busy working at Teen Mania Ministries in Texas, starting classes at Tyler Junior College, moving to Idaho, transferring to Boise State, and getting involved with, then joining staff with Cru at BSU. I lived in a different house nearly every year since high school, was a nanny for the same family for four years, traveled to Panama two summers in a row, and two months ago I moved to Russia. I am blown away when I think about everything that has happened in the last seven years! 

While it seemed like marriage was the obvious next step after I obviously would only take four years to graduate from college, I can't imagine anything different from this adventure I have been on. I've seen, learned, and experienced much more than I ever anticipated for my whole life, never mind just now in the beginning. It's so strange to think that if my life went the way I thought it should, I'd be married with kids right now. But I wouldn't have had all of the incredible experiences God has brought me through and I wouldn't have grown in the same ways I'm growing right now.

I'm just reminded after my birthday last week that life rarely turns out the way we think it will, and that is a very GOOD thing. I'm so grateful that God is sovereign over my life decisions and even when I am confused or lost, He knows exactly what's going on and what's to come. I can rest in this confidence that He guides me into all truth and this truth brings freedom. 

Grasping for Confidence

From an American, individualistic set of ideals, self-confidence, self-preservation, and self-made success all rank up there as some of our top priorities as a culture. Self-help books are named the world's most popular genre and a $1 billion industry, according to an author from Publishing Perspectives (publishingperspectives.com). We all want to be confident individuals, and we are turning to self-help books to get there. We're grasping at straws to be made into something more; we want more confidence and less doubt. If we can't reach this place as a reality, we at least want the appearance of it. 

This morning I read the Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young. She writes, "True confidence comes from knowing you are complete in [God's] presence"(313). This kind of formulaic sentence is easy to understand in determining where we can actually find TRUE confidence, not merely the appearance of it. We all want this true confidence, but how do we get it? It comes from the knowledge (understanding and believing) that my wholeness comes from God alone; there is nothing else that can satisfy that desire. We're not "partially complete" in Christ. He's not "barely enough" or just a "temporary" fulfillment. It's simple really... resting in the presence of God leads to confidence and trying to rest in my own abilities leads to frustration and failure. 

In John 15:5, Jesus describes Himself as the "Vine" and humans as the "branches"; apart from Him we can do nothing. I can not muster up confidence or create it on my own, no matter how many self-help books I read. I'm sure you can find great principles in these books, but they only reveal a surface-level confidence and peace. Nothing else satisfies fully, except the presence of God.

*The secret to confidence is dependence...*

Contradictory to many media messages, cultural norms, and societal pressures... AND our own sin nature, which all tell us to only focus on ourselves, true confidence comes from knowing Christ and surrendering the burden of perfection to Him. We no longer live under the requirements of the law, which lead to fear and condemnation. God is love and His perfect love drives out the fear that has to do with punishment (1 John 4:18).

In the same Jesus Calling devotional, Sarah Young refers to this as the "road less traveled". Jesus refers to this as the narrow gate that leads to life and only few will find (Matthew 7:13-14). Continual dependence on Christ is not normal; while it's simple, it's not easy.

*The secret to confidence is dependence... and depending on the RIGHT thing*

Searching for confidence in myself results in frustration, exhaustion, and failure. I can never find it, even though my heart is often tempted to look there. This results in feeling inadequate, which is never fun, but so very true. I am inadequate on my own. I'm incapable of meeting my own spiritual needs or the needs of others. This points to my absolute need of a Savior; I need to be saved from my own self. The more often I remember this truth of my heart's condition, the more I will remember the futility of searching within myself or around myself, and learn to only look UP at the One who truly satisfies. 

Depending on God means walking in step with the Holy Spirit in each moment, rather than my flesh or selfishness. Galatians 5 and Romans 8 outline what it means to live by the flesh and to live by the Spirit. They are contradictory to each other in every way.

Evidence of Walking in the Spirit:

• No condemnation
• Freedom from sin & death
• Desires spiritual things
• Life & peace through the righteousness of Christ
• Not living by fear
• Serving one another in love
• Not under the law; under GRACE
• love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control

Evidence of Walking in the Flesh:

• "Burdened by a yoke of slavery"
• Law-filled
• Alienated from Christ
• Indulgent in sinful desires
• Desires are contrary to the Spirit
• Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness and orgies
• Will not inherit the Kingdom of God
• Conceited
• Provoking & envying one another
• Spiritual death
• Does not submit to God's law & cannot please God

 God, help me remember to seek YOU and not outside sources for peace and confidence. You give me life. You provide what I need. My confidence is found in the knowledge that I truly am complete in YOU. Relying on myself will result in failure every time, but dependence on you makes me confident. You are the Rock on which I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. 

Cornerstone -- Hillsong (Watch Music Video)

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus name

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus name

Christ alone; cornerstone
Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all

When Darkness seems to hide His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil
My anchor holds within the veil

Christ alone; cornerstone
Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all
He is Lord
Lord of all

Christ alone
Christ alone; cornerstone
Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all

Christ alone; cornerstone
Weak made strong; in the Saviour's love
Through the storm, He is Lord
Lord of all

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless stand before the throne.

Things I love about Russia

1. RUDN has a pool of turtles in the middle of the main building on campus. Do YOU get to eat lunch next to a random pool of twenty turtles?!

2. We've already had snow and it's not even the end of October yet. Snow makes me think of winter. Winter makes me think of Christmas. Basically, this is heaven.

3. Beautiful architecture everywhere. I'm always curious of what I'll see when I come up from the Metro at a new stop.

4. The Metro... every city needs one. It goes everywhere! Why would I ever drive again?

5. We've made more dinner concoctions with variations of meat, potatoes, and vegetables than I can remember... but it's delicious every time. Also, I love most all of the Russian food I've tried!

6. Learning a new language is fun... but I always seem to forget everything I've learned when I'm actually around Russians. Funny how that works.

7. I've made two barista friends at my little coffee shop on the corner, Anderson's. Their names are Katya and Dasha and today as I paid my bill, Dasha said "Have a good day! And come back more often!" I really like them. 

8. I also made a friend at the grocery store and now I always choose her lane. Mostly we just laugh at each other's attempt at communication. I think we're getting hand motions down to an art, though. She gets me. I don't even know how to pronounce her name.

9. I really am not joking when I say everything is an adventure... I'm starting to compile a list of things that I want to do, but know that they will require an adventurous spirit and a lot of hours of free time. For example, I'd like to get a haircut at some point and I'd also like to find some black boots. Tomorrow I'm conquering the craft store at a new metro stop. I've learned that there's no appropriate time to say "Oh I'll just run to the store and pick something up" or "I will just stop by Target on my way home from work." Those phrases no longer exist... because everything is an adventure. 

10. Immediate friends - Russians AND Americans. I'm so thankful for the community I have here!

A Moscow Weekend

This weekend was a full one with everything from an American football party (Texas vs. Oklahoma) and The Moscow International Festival: Circle of Light, to homemade cheeseburgers that were so delicious we all took out our phones to snap a picture and commemorate the moment. (I think they were way better than our Shake Shack burgers.... but Shake Shack still wins, because PEANUT BUTTER MILKSHAKES. No competition.)

On Saturday morning, Meghan, Jessi, Jessareh, and I went to an English class at RUDN. We already met four of the fifteen students a couple weeks ago. They told their professor that they met some American students and he told them to invite us to class! So we went, not knowing if we'd be sitting in the back of a large lecture hall, or giving a speech, or teaching grammar; it was just an opportunity we couldn't refuse! The class mostly consisted of students asking us questions about our Universities and life in America, then translating back to their professor. This was the "practicing English" part. We got to share why we came to Russia and about working with New Life ("Cru" in Russia). I talked to the Professor a bit afterwards and he invited us to church! It would be GREAT to get connected with a Christian Professor at RUDN to help with networking at the University. We also had several students sign up for info about English Club, which starts next week!  

Then we made cheeseburgers and fries for lunch, which felt a little bit like heaven. 

That night our friends from Texas and Oklahoma invited us over to watch the game. It was just an all-American kind of day - English class, cheeseburgers & fries, and football. :)

...Until that night when we met up with Diana and Anna, two students from RUDN, and went to the Moscow light festival near Red Square. This was THE COOLEST thing we've done in Moscow yet! It was so fun and VERY well done!

Jessareh, Diana, and Meghan on the Metro

Even if you don't have a Facebook account, you can view a short video clip of the light show at the Bolshoi Theater here: Moscow Light Show

We had a church picnic yesterday at Moscow Bible Church. It's been GREAT to connect with a local church and have a place to invite students. We're really excited to be a part of this church! 

The rest of my team went out to a different part of the light show after church, but I decided to go home. According to my friend Emily, my inability to participate in two late nights out in a row mostly points to my age... they're just not even the slightest bit appealing. I'd say it's more my introvertedness and complete contentment with staying home in yoga pants, making popcorn, and reading a good book. Either way, next to the light show, it was definitely a close second in the "Best Nights in Moscow" category. ;-) Without even planning any of them, I ended up skyping with THREE close friends - from Virginia, Idaho, and Oregon. It was such a blessing to connect with them! (I think skype is a great alternative to social outings for introverts...)

I felt so rested and "filled up" by the end of the weekend. I'm thankful that God knows the best way to meet ALL of our needs - physical, financial, emotional, spiritual, etc. He knows every facet of my being and meets me where I'm at, in every moment. More often than not, I just don't know what I need. But God is sovereign, and in my ignorance, He's faithful to provide. I have so much to be grateful for!

St. Basil's Cathedral at night!
I feel like a Russian with my big, black scarf.

Loved Infinitely

"Your need for [God] is as constant as the outflow of [His] love to you." 

- Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; 

I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." - Jeremiah 31:3

"In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. 

In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling." - Exodus 15:13

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Glimpsing the reality of God's love is the ultimate source of confidence. 

His love is secure and steadfast. I don't have to work hard for approval, because it's already given freely.  I don't have to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (Matthew 6:34) and He holds my future in His hands. I want to be a woman of noble character, clothed with strength and dignity; one who can laugh at the days to come (Proverbs 31:25) because my confidence is completely found in Christ.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame [or disappoint us], because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:1-5

You are my hope, God. My future is in Your hands. 

You are my love, I need fulfillment from no other man. 

You are my joy, no matter what lies ahead. 

You are my peace, in the midst of things I just don't understand.

More Pictures

Hey there! I just wanted to share some more pictures from the last couple of weeks. There is so much to see and do! We love it here! 

Mike and Taylor graciously helped Jessareh and I make our bunk bed when we finally got it from IKEA. I'm so thankful for them because I was at a loss for much of the construction process. Jessareh totally rocked the hammering job, though!

Language Learning -- we have class Mon/Wed/Fri, 9-10:30. We learning fast! Rather, the content is coming at us fast, whether we learn it well or not. :) We started with the alphabet a week and a half ago and I just finished writing a paragraph. Bam! Look at that! Also, we must write everything in "written form" (cursive), which is dead in the states. Our teacher was very surprised when we informed her that we haven't written in cursive since the fifth grade. 

Our friend and student leader, Nina, took us to see Moscow State University. It's incredible!

This is an electronic screen on the side of a building and this scene obviously made me think of the Pacific Northwest. :)

The girls and I met Kim (New Life Staff here in Moscow) for burgers and shakes on Arbott st last week. The street itself was so quaint and fun.... but the peanut butter milkshakes were also a huge hit. 

Just beautiful. Everywhere we go, the architecture is so diverse. I just whip out my ipad and snap pictures, so they're not that great.

In the "courtyard" / walkway behind our apartment there are several murals.

Michael Jackson?

Also behind our apartment, everything is so COLORFUL. I love it!

This is the wide sidewalk behind our apartment.... again, colorful.

Our new friend and student at RUDN, Anna, taught Jessareh, Meghan, and Jessi how to make a traditional Russian meal on Monday night. It was delicious! We had ketleti (similar to meatloaf, but better), mashed potatoes, and salad.

We've had so much fun playing games with our new friends from RUDN! This is Taylor acting something out when we played "Fish bowl" - a charades-like game.

Jessi playing fish bowl.

Jeopardy night! We had some Russian & American questions and taught our new friends about Jeopardy.

Jessareh & Mike did an awesome job putting together the jeopardy game night!