Dawn and Johanna's Most Excellent Adventure

To read our blog chronologically, see the archive in the right column.

2007-11-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

The Longest Day of our Lives

2007-11-04T18:30:00.001-05:00

After our short nap, we got up around 1 am on October 4, 2007 and prepared to meet the taxi outside at 2 am. BTW, our apartment was on the 10th floor. With tears all around, we hugged Carrie good-bye, and Jon, Johanna and I went down and loaded our luggage in a nice taxi/van. The ride to the airport took about 30 minutes or so. It is always good to arrive early at the airport, but we were surprised that the customs area was not even open yet. We had to wait over an hour, standing, because all the seats were being used, many as beds. When they finally opened the door, we were right there, competing to keep our place in the line. We started through the security area so quickly, we didn't get to hug Jon good-bye, so had to wave and yell our thanks and good-byes. That was sad for me.
We did not have to wait long to get our boarding passes and check our luggage. Then, we stopped at Passport Control where we turned in our migration cards and had our passports stamped, officially leaving Russia. Being the first to arrive at our gate, we found it was closed, too. Then, we waited some more. Around 5 am we finally were able to board our plane going to Munich.
Basically, it was an uneventful flight. Johanna slept most of the way, and I ate a delicious omelet and fruit. I requested pancakes for Johanna. She ate hers later while I dozed.
After the 3-hour flight, we arrived in Munich, on the 5th level, and had a 4-hour layover. We bought some water, German chocolates and postcards at a shop. I was determined to get down to the 4th level of the airport and get some breakfast at the bistro I had tried to find when we came through in September. If you remember, I had located the elevators then, but we had thought it was too late to go down. This time I tried to get on one of the the lifts, I was told they were for employees only. So, I decided to ask a Lufthansa employee, and she gave me detailed directions. (Johanna decided to stay with our carry-on bags and rest.) It WAS necessary to go through Passport Control, but she told me some signs to follow to insure I could get to the 4th level. Then, I had to go through security, and I was in the area which had all the shops. I found the bistro and ordered a wonderful breakfast of fried eggs and croissants for Johanna and I to share. Then, it was back through Passport Control, and with my hands quite full, I struggled to get my passport out of my bag. But, I did it, and it was easy and didn't take too long. I still don't understand why they don't just have stairs between the floors.
Around 11 am Munich time we boarded our plane. Again, I slept/rested on the schedule recommended to me by the http://www.stopjetlag.com/ people. (I had no jet lag after this trip either.) Most of the 9 hour flight I played Sudoku, drank plenty of water, and ate some pretty good food. Because we were traveling from east to west, we left on the 4th AND arrived on the afternoon of the same day. Let's see. From 1 am in Moscow, it was about 22 hours later that we arrived home after 3 pm on the 4th. There were still 9 hours left in the day, but we retired around 9 pm.
The flight home from Munich seemed so long compared to our flight over in September. Johanna said it seemed shorter to her. For me, I guess, it was due to the fact that we were not
on the way to our most excellent adventure in Russia.

Village Ministry Trip IV

2007-11-04T18:22:00.000-05:00

Village Ministry Trip III

2007-11-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

Garry

Village Ministry Trip II

2007-11-04T18:12:00.000-05:00

Jon and I (Johanna)

Galya with villagers

Jon and Pasha

Village Ministry Trip I

2007-11-04T18:05:00.000-05:00

September 22nd Kids Club

2007-11-04T17:47:00.000-05:00

Me (Johanna) teaching a lesson at Kids Club, with translator, Erin

playing a game with newspaper

snowflake craft

everyone at kids club

From the YWAM Perm website: "We started this ministry in the fall of 2004 and are committed to serving the children in one of the poorest neighborhoods here in Perm, by providing for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. We want to show these kids God's love through our words and actions. Every Saturday afternoon we start our meeting with sandwiches for every one. Through games, songs, puppet shows, creative lessons, crafts and just spending time with the children, we share with them God's love and His saving plan for us. Most of these children come from broken families and hear for the first time that they are wanted, created, and loved by God. This is a knowledge that can change their lives!"

In Alexandrovsky Park

2007-10-28T21:45:00.001-04:00

More Red Square Photos

2007-10-28T21:44:00.001-04:00

Johanna and Carrie with GUM Department Store in background

Lenin Mausoleum and Kremlin wall

Saviour Gate Tower

At Saint Basil's

2007-10-28T21:37:00.001-04:00

Beautiful Fountain in Alexandrovsky Park

2007-10-28T21:33:00.001-04:00

More Red Square

2007-10-28T21:30:00.001-04:00

The Saviour Gate Tower

What a great place to run!

View of Red Square from St. Basil's

Red Square

2007-10-28T21:25:00.000-04:00

Approaching the Red Square from a side street

Kazan Cathedral

State Historical Museum

More Pictures

2007-10-28T21:22:00.000-04:00

under street kiosks

Entrance to the Kremlin

McDonald's

Scenes Walking to the Kremlin

2007-10-28T21:20:00.000-04:00

Carrie in front of library

Our Wonderful Day in Moscow

2007-10-28T21:18:00.002-04:00

We arrived in Moscow, purchased tickets for the Dulins' return to Perm the next day, and lugged our luggage out of the station to find a taxi. We were pretty much at the driver's mercy, with all the luggage and two children, but Jon was able to get a small reduction in the fare. It was a relatively short ride to the apartment I had rented for us. It was much cheaper, having four adults, to rent an apartment than to stay in a hotel. The apartment was extremely nice, roomy and not too far from Red Square. While we girls and the children settled in, Jon went out to the market to buy some things for breakfast. After eating and showering, we were ready to tour Moscow.
We got directions to the Kremlin, intending to walk the several blocks to the Metro, or subway, and then ride. Thankfully, when we arrived at the Metro we found out we were close enough to walk the entire way. This saved us some money. On the way we bought some souvenirs and crossed a busy intersection by taking stairs down to walk underground. We passed many little shops under the street and couldn't resist the delightful fragrance of baking bread coming from one kiosk. Caleb got a hot dog or sausage enclosed in bread, and Johanna, Carrie and I had pastries filled with bilberries. Yummy! When we walked up the steps into the light of day, we were close to one entrance to the Kremlin. I didn't realize it is really a complex of buildings which include palaces, cathedrals and museums, enclosed by walls with towers.
Because we wanted to tour Saint Basil's Cathedral, which, with Red Square, is on the east side of the Kremlin, Jon led us in that direction. However, we were unable to pass a certain point because the area had been blocked off for an outdoor concert, which was about to start. Some men guarding the entrance told us that we would need to walk around many buildings to get to Red Square. First, we decided to get something to eat at McDonald's, which was right there along with some other outdoor restaurants. It was the first time I ever remember hearing about a walk-through window. I don't usually eat at McDonald's at home, but it tasted pretty good, especially eating outside next to the sidewalk. Oh, and the weather was perfect that day! It was sunny, about 70 F, with a nice breeze.
After eating, we headed for Red Square. I am sure we walked at least a mile out of the way, but it was worth it. Johanna and I bought a few more souvenirs and gifts before we actually entered Red Square. It is huge, with the a beautiful red building, a museum, on one end, and St. Basil's on the other. Lenin's mausoleum is on one side, and GUM department store across from it, but we did not go in either place.
When we got to St. Basil's, Jon stayed outside with Caleb while Carrie, with Abigail in a baby carrier, and Johanna and I went inside. We climbed the steep steps to reach a level that included many small rooms, joined by a hall that was like a maze. The cathedral was built in the 1500s. It was very interesting, and had some great views from some of the windows. Too bad we didn't pay extra to take some pictures. We found some gifts for friends and a few more souvenirs.
Abigail had been asleep the whole time, so we walked away from Red Square, taking the short route which was now open, looking for a place to sit and rest where Carrie could feed her. Sitting under a tree in Alexandrovsky Park, we rested while watching all the people who were out enjoying the lovely day. OK, Jon didn't rest because he was walking with and after Caleb, who was having a blast walking and running all around. I wish I had a thimble full of his energy.
By now it was about 2 or 3 pm, and we were getting hungry again. On the way back to our apartment, we stopped to get some blini (pronounced BLEE nee) and shorma. Sound good? Carrie and I had had blini, which are Russian pancakes that are similar to crepes, in Perm. Watching someone make them was fascinating. The thin pancake batter was poured onto a round, hot non-stick griddle, then spread evenly with a squeegee-like utensil. After the first side was done, the blini was flipped onto an identical round griddle, and topped with a scoop or two of filling while the second side cooked. Then the blini was folded many times to form a rectangle. Of the many delightful sounding fillings, we chose chocolate (go figure) and apple. Shorma is similar to sheverma, except it is made with something like a flour tortilla and stuffed with grilled meat and cabbage. Taking our food back to the apartment, we devoured our late lunch, finishing at 5 pm.
Since we planned to go out for dinner, we had some time to hang out and finish packing for our trip home the next day.
Caleb did not take a nap that day, so he was sooo ready to go to bed when we returned from dinner at TGI Friday's. Johanna and I had to leave at 2 am so I said, "Goodbye" to him before he got in bed. I told him that Johanna and I had to get on an airplane and go home, which was a long way away. Before I finished, I was naturally sobbing, and he was looking at me quizzically.
The rest of us stayed up until almost midnight, then Johanna and I laid down for a nap until we had to get up to be ready to meet the taxi.
We had had a great last day in Russia with Jon, Carrie, Caleb and Abigail.

Views from the Train

2007-10-28T19:20:00.001-04:00

Fun on the Train

2007-10-24T22:46:00.001-04:00

Here's a picture of one of those 2 liter juice boxes I told you about.

Note the half-eaten cucumber in Caleb's hand

22 Hour Train Ride

2007-10-24T21:19:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday morning, Oct. 2nd, Avgust and Jon, with little optimism, began packing Avgust's car with our suitcases, including one for the Dulins, and some bags of food and water for the train. We rode away with each of us, except Avgust, holding a suitcase or a child on our laps, and bags crammed at our feet. It was our last drive through Perm -Perm that we had grown accustomed to and that was the home of our dear family - and we were saddened by that fact.

When we arrived at Perm ll, Avgust ( pronounced "AHV goost", BTW) helped us take all of our things onto the train, which was already boarding. What a great friend! We could not have managed if we had taken a taxi.

The train was the Kama, named after the Kama River in Perm, and it only goes back and forth between Perm and Moscow. We had a coupe (pronounced, "coo PAY") , a room with two bunks (to sleep 4) and a table. There were attendants who checked our tickets, brought us hot water for tea, when asked, and vacuumed the carpet in the hall and in every coupe.

It was a long day, leaving at 11 am Perm time, until we turned out the lights and all went to bed at 9 pm, I think Moscow time. Our time was spent taking care of the children, eating, and taking trips to the restrooms, which started out clean and had toilet paper. Caleb was active, walking up and down the hall, looking out of the windows and visiting other coupes. From his train trip to Novosibirsk last spring, he remembered the pull-down seats by the windows in the hall and enjoyed opening them and sitting down.

An hour before our arrival ( 6 am Moscow time), the attendants began waking people to allow everyone to use the restrooms. Because all flushes are dumped onto the tracks, they closed the restrooms well before we arrived. I haven't mentioned that in Russia, toilet paper is not flushed down the toilets, but put in waste baskets, thus the term "waste basket." I actually would forget often, but don't tell anyone!

Our Favorite Picture of Abigail

2007-10-24T15:17:00.000-04:00

At Avgust and Natasha's

2007-10-23T22:43:00.001-04:00

Oh, What a Night!

2007-10-23T21:30:00.000-04:00

After packing during the afternoon, we stopped around 5:30 pm to visit with Avgust and his family. We planned to return soon and eat supper. The six of us got into the 2' X 2.5' lift to go down to the 2nd floor. When the elevator stopped, all of the lights on the panel went out and the door would not open! I had to laugh. This would make for a memorable last night. Caleb was upset at first, so we tried to keep the mood light. Thankfully, when we banged on the door and yelled "Help," Avgust answered. So, we had made it to the 2nd floor, and he was by the elevator to take us through his gate, which was kept locked. Otherwise, who knows how long we might have been in the elevator. Avgust tried to pry the door open while we played music and phone rings on our cell phones to entertain Caleb. At one point, I was standing there with my arms crossed, as I often do. Caleb looked over at me and folded his arms. That tickled me. Later, at Avgust's I took a photo of him folding his arms again. He now does it often and says, "Mom!" ( See Carrie's blog at nofoolindulin.blogspot.com for a more recent picture and Carrie's comments.) Avgust was not able to open the door more than a few inches. Jon's cell phone would not work in the lift, but he yelled to Avgust the elevator repair number, which was handwritten on the wall. Some people came and worked for a while on the elevator. After being in the very small space for an hour, suddenly the door was forced open by 2 women in their 50s. We looked down and saw a man on the first floor. The women pulled us up and out onto the 2nd floor.
We gratefully went into Avgust's apartment and sat around their kitchen table and talked. Natasha served us a yummy torte with our tea. Next, we feasted on sliced ham, cheese, bread and fruit . For my 2nd cup of Russian black tea, I reused my first teabag, and Avgust said he thought only Russians did that. Caleb enjoyed playing with their children.
When we were about to leave, they brought out some vanilla ice cream, after also offering us some soup, which we declined. What gracious hosts! Obviously, we had been gone much longer than the 30 minutes we had planned, but we had had a beautiful visit. And we had eaten enough so that we did not have to eat supper, just a bedtime snack.
We will not soon forget that night!

Stacia and Max's Wedding Party

2007-10-23T21:15:00.000-04:00

the delicious food

One More Friend

2007-10-23T20:54:00.001-04:00

Johanna and Stacia. Stacia used to work on the DTS team in Perm, but recently married and moved to St. Petersburg. Max proposed to Stacia on stage at a News Boys concert in St. Petersburg. On Sept. 22nd, a wedding party was given at the YWAM Perm base for Max and Stacia. We all ate delicious food, watched or participated in fun and games, and viewed a video of pictures of their civil and church weddings and their honeymoon trip. I have some hilarious videos of some of the fun. Before the ballet on the 30th, Stacia visited with us at the apartment. We can now keep in touch on Facebook.

More Photos of Friends

2007-10-21T12:52:00.000-04:00

Ed and Karen with Abigail

Johanna and Marianne

Nathan and Sheree

Roma, Tamara and children, Tolik and Sasha

Garry and Christy and oldest child, Jessie

Erin and Rashid

Pasha (without his glasses) and Johanna

Our Last Day in Perm

2007-10-21T12:32:00.000-04:00

On Monday morning, October 1st, the monthly YWAM Perm staff meeting was held at the base. We rode the bus, with me standing the entire way. We were at the front of the bus, so I could see where we were going. This was the same bus route we took for our first bus ride. Now I could see one reason for the bumpy rides. There were a number of speed bumps on this stretch of road. Even though the buses slowed down, it made for quite a bounce each time.

As I sat in on the meeting, holding Abigail part of the time, thoughts of it being our last day caused the tears to start. These people had made me feel like I was a part of them, which I think was in part due to us being brothers and sisters in Christ. Here was a chance to see everyone together one last time. At the end of the meeting I had the opportunity to tell them all good-bye, that it had been wonderful meeting them all and getting to know many, and that I will be praying for them.

After individual hugs and go0dbyes, I was talking with Avgust, a longtime friend of Jon and the president of YWAM Perm. We made plans for that evening to visit with him and Natasha and family, since we had been unable to before.

2007-10-21T11:01:00.000-04:00

Post office, door to the right

Carrie and Jon's apartment building

Rinok

2007-10-21T10:53:00.000-04:00

More Photos of the Nearby Rinok

2007-10-21T10:49:00.000-04:00

Detergents and soaps for sale

Scenes Close to the Apartment

2007-10-21T10:42:00.000-04:00

Jon and Carrie

Produce Stand

2007-10-21T08:49:00.000-04:00

Here is the picture of our favorite produce stand. We asked the man, who was from Azerbaijan, if we could take a picture. He said we could, and he wanted a copy.

More Pictures at the Ballet

2007-10-20T10:03:00.001-04:00

Garry's wife, Christy, with daughters Ella and Jessie

stage in theater

Cinderella, kneeling, and Prince, bowing

Ella under tree filled with ribbons, evidently a wedding tradition

At the Ballet in Perm

2007-10-20T09:47:00.000-04:00

Karen and Johanna

Running Across Friends in Perm

2007-10-20T09:34:00.000-04:00

Nathan, Johanna, Jon and Garry at the central bazaar, or rinok
Saw Wanda on a bus that stopped at our bus stop

After Church on September 30th

2007-10-20T09:04:00.000-04:00

Caleb's babysitter, Katya, and her mother, with Caleb and Abigail

The Belarussian man who gave us rides to and from church

Tanya

Katya, Caleb, Nastya and Johanna

Going to Church in Perm

2007-10-15T13:00:00.000-04:00

I went with Jon to their church our second Sunday, but their American pastor was not there, so they had no English translator. They sang many songs in Russian, so I hummed along. They sang one song I recognized, but I couldn't remember many of the English words. Pasha, Yulya and Galya were there, too. We had to leave early due to a key situation, so we spent most of the time walking and riding on the bus. The trip takes an hour, one way, with about 40 minutes on the bus.

The next week Johanna also went with us. Their church is a plant of Calvary Chapel in CA, and they meet at 5 pm for about 2 hours. The young pastor was back in Perm, having been in the States while his wife had their second child. A young woman translated everything he said. It was a good service. A group of people were coming from the U.S. the week we left and were having a series of outreach concerts with plans to evangelize and have the church help with follow-up and discipleship. This seemed like quite an ambitious task for a rather small church, but I certainly admire their dedication to obeying the Great Commission.

For Sept. 30th, our last Sunday, we all were invited to Katya (Caleb's babysitter) and her family's Pentecostal Holiness Church. They are very conservative and the women always wear skirts or dresses and no make-up. They also wear scarves or hats to cover their heads. Katya and her mother were thrilled that we would come and loaned us skirts, shoes and head coverings, and also had a man from their church pick us up and take us home. One of the pastors, Vladimir, or Walter, greeted us in English before the service and we talked for a few minutes. We were seated on the front row, directly under the lectern, so had to look up to see whoever was speaking. It was a very interesting service. Carrie translated some of what was said for me, and there were good messages spoken. They sang "Shine, Jesus, Shine" which is a favorite of my pastor. Again, I couldn't remember many of the words! I guess it's hard to sing in English while everyone else is singing in Russian. We enjoyed the service, even though no English was spoken. When Vladimir was teaching, I could tell at one point that he was telling people about us being there. After the service a young woman, Tanya, came up to me and spoke English. We had a nice visit and exchanged email addresses. I have already heard from her. The highlight of the morning came at the end of the service when they had a wedding. The couple had married on Friday, as required by law, and wanted to have a wedding in their church, also. This is common among Christians in Russia. It was an honor to be there to see them marry before their church family. The bride came down the aisle first, with a friend, then the groom and his friend. The four of them stood on the stage the entire ceremony while facing the congregation. The bride carried her one flower that I think she also carried on Friday.
It was very touching. Tanya went with me to greet the couple after the ceremony. She translated for me. The bride understood some of my English and thanked me in English. When we were leaving to go home, much later, she said "Good-bye." We stayed and visited with several people for quite a while. It was a beautiful time.

2007-10-15T11:00:00.000-04:00

I was just reading over the blog, and it almost brought tears to my eyes. We have been back home for about 10 days. Being in Perm for almost a month, we grew accustomed to the area and became familiar with the places that we had visited more than once. That increased the bonds, or attachments, between us and Perm, which were already in our hearts because Carrie and her family live there. I told several people before we left, "I'm gonna miss this place." I felt it again, reading the blog and looking at the pictures.

2007-10-01T22:54:00.000-04:00

More stories and musings to follow. We are leaving for Moscow by train this morning and then flying home Thursday.

2007-09-30T13:17:00.000-04:00

Airplane tickets - $3000

Passports, invitations and visas - $800

Miscellaneous travel related expenses - $600
(luggage, shots, insurance, etc.)

Time spent with Carrie, family and friends in Russia - priceless

THANKS, HONEY!

More Miscellaneous

2007-09-30T12:25:00.000-04:00

If you scroll down to my first post, you will see I mentioned Carrie and Jon's metal door. Such doors are common in apartments here. A friend aptly described it when he said, "We live in a vault."

It is common here for elementary aged children to ride buses unaccompanied by adults. Caleb and Jon's babysitter took a bus home one night after 10:30 pm. I think that would be unusual where I live.

At home I enjoy seeing friends and acquaintances when I am out and about. Since I know so few people here, imagine how much fun it has been to run across 3 of them while I have been out shopping in downtown Perm this week.

I have noticed many a young woman walking arm in arm with a girlfriend. It is sweet and innocent here.

At our request, Yulya and Galya stayed here after a DTS meeting one morning and made borscht. It was delicious and was similar to the recipe I use for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. It did have meat, but my recipe does not. They also made ponchiki, which are donuts, but they made them without sugar and rolled them in oil mixed with minced garlic. We scarfed them down in no time!

Pictures around Perm

2007-09-28T14:39:00.001-04:00

View from 3rd floor food court in new mall in Perm

Kiosk, near Dulin apartment, which sells fruits and vegetables

This is the grocery store where we shop.

Pictures

2007-09-28T14:21:00.001-04:00

Landscaping

At the central bazaar or rinok

rinok

We have been able to buy leaf lettuce often this month. It comes in its own pot of soil.

News You May Never Use

2007-09-28T14:02:00.000-04:00

All train stations in Russia operate on Moscow time because there are so many time zones in Russia and that is less confusing to everyone. For example, if your train tickets have a departure time of 1 pm Moscow time, you would have to know the equivalent time in your time zone. It would be 3 pm in Perm. It is rather confusing to me, though!

More Pictures

2007-09-28T13:42:00.001-04:00

Pasha and Yulya (now engaged), Galya, Jon, Carrie, Caleb, and Abigail

Jon in front of Perm ll, train station

Jon and Johanna on walkway that runs down the middle of the main street, Komsomolsky Prospekt (Boulevard)

Dawn and Johanna

Johanna and I

2007-09-28T00:50:00.000-04:00

Miscellaneous

2007-09-24T13:18:00.000-04:00

We're in Indian summer here in Perm, with highs in the 50s and 60s. (I see it's in the 90s at home.) Nights dip into the 30s and 40s. It has rained often since we've been here, which really leaves muddy places everywhere because there is no drainage system here.

Most of the buses are so filthy from the rain and mud that you can hardly see out of the windows. That makes it difficult to know when you've arrived at your stop, but Jon is always with us, and he knows. We have been in several old buses that have had artificial leaves and/or flowers hanging at the front near the driver in a feeble attempt to decorate. It's sort of sad, really. We take a bus most everywhere we go. I have officially experienced a truly crowded bus, in which all seats and aisles were totally packed tightly with people. Each bus has a woman who walks through the bus and takes each person's fare. I don't think I could keep up with those who have and haven't paid, since people get on and off at each stop. When it's really crowded, the fare takers can't get around to everyone. People do give their seats to those with babies and young children, which helps Jon and Carrie.

It is interesting to hear people answer their cell phones with "'allo", which is Russian for "Hello." LOL

Family Photo

2007-09-22T05:46:00.001-04:00

Jon, Carrie, Abigail and Caleb

Pasha, Yulya, and Galya work with Jon and Carrie in the Discipleship Training School ministry.

Perm Excursion-Part 3 (9-15-2007)

2007-09-22T04:51:00.001-04:00

Johanna enjoying shaverma, which is a gyros-type sandwich filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, and grilled chicken or pork, topped with marinated carrots and a dollop of Russian ketchup. It was delicious. After eating, we took a bus back to the an area where we'd shopped earlier and ate some shashleek (or "shashlyk"), which is grilled pork kabob. That was a second supper for us.

More Perm Excursion Pictures taken 9-15-2007

2007-09-22T04:34:00.001-04:00

Johanna, Carrie and Russian phone booth. Most people have cell phones, so these aren't used much now, as in the U.S We saw a man standing next to some phone booths while using his cell phone.

Dawn, Jon, Abigail & Johanna by the Kama River

Dawn and Johanna in front of the Lenin monument. We couldn't get the top of the monument in the picture and still be able to see us.

Carrie, Jon, Abigail and Johanna (Kama river in background)

Perm Excursion 9-15-2007

2007-09-22T04:12:00.000-04:00

Lenin monument

KFC, Russian style

Baskin Robbins

Johanna, Carrie, Jon & Abigail. In background, the tower of the former Preobrazhehsky Cathedral (1832).

See new pictures posted below

2007-09-22T03:44:00.001-04:00

Perm's Top 10

2007-09-22T02:50:00.000-04:00

This is from Jon's DTS manual.

The Ten Most Interesting Facts about the City of Perm

1. The official symbol of the city of Perm is a bear carrying the Gospel on its
back.
2. On an average Sunday in Perm, only 2% of the population attends church
(including Orthodox).
3. Until 1990, Perm was completely closed to foreigners, and most residents
were unable to travel abroad.
4. The last European stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway, Perm was the last
stop for many religious and political prisoners on their way to Siberia.
5. Perm was formerly named Molotov.
6. The temperature in Perm can dip to -31 degrees F in winter and climb to
95 degrees F in summer.
7. In land area, in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Perm is second
only to Moscow and Kiev.
8. The population of Perm is over 1 million.
9. Perm is over 250 years old, older than the U.S.A.
10. The Kama River, which runs through Perm, is the 4th largest river in
Europe.

Interesting Observations

2007-09-21T12:11:00.000-04:00

I am struck by the large number of women here who dye their hair red. And I am not talking about the nice shades that are available. These women use colors like orange-red and a very unnatural purple-red, some almost a black-red. I see young women and even old women with these colors every time I go out. Johanna has been able to discreetly photograph a few for my viewing pleasure.

When we go out for a walk, which usually includes picking up a few things at the rinok or the supermarket, we walk by people who set out things to sell next to the sidewalks. Carrie won't let me take a picture of the table filled with bras. I just know that way of marketing would not work in the U.S. !

More later.

Dawn

On the streets of Yekaterinburg

2007-09-21T04:06:00.000-04:00

More Yekaterinburg pictures

2007-09-21T03:53:00.000-04:00

Lenin monument

a statute

Electric trolley

Train Travel

2007-09-21T03:46:00.000-04:00

In train station in Yekaterinburg

Jon in coupe with southern fried chicken

Top bunk in coupe

Yekaterinburg trip

2007-09-21T03:39:00.000-04:00

Church on the Blood

Wedding party limo

Church on the Blood-wedding party

Small Orthodox church

Visits With Friends

2007-09-17T04:07:00.001-04:00

Carrie, Dawn, Johanna, Tamara and Caleb

Rachel, Christy, and Carrie (Abigail under the Bebe au Lait nursing cover)

At the conference with friends and co-workers.

Yulya with Abigail.

Jon and Carrie direct the 6-month Discipleship Training School with Yulya, Pasha (see picture below) and a few others. The Perm staff is divided up into ministry teams that focus on different areas, for example, evangelism to villages in the Perm Province, local ministry to children, university students and professors through English clubs, etc.

Dawn with Yulya and Pasha.

YWAM-Russia Conference

2007-09-16T01:31:00.000-04:00

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 8-9, Johanna and I had the great privilege of attending the annual conference for YWAM staff working in Russia. YWAM, is an acronym for Youth With A Mission. It is an
international, interdenominational organization of Christians who are dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. It began in 1960, to give youth opportunities to be involved in short-term mission work. Now people of all ages volunteer short or long-term focusing on evangelism, training and mercy ministries. They are currently working in more than 1000 locations in over 149 countries, with a staff of close to 16,000. Their website is www.ywam.org.

Carrie and Jon are working in Perm, Russia, which is where the conference was held this year. You can view the YWAM Russia website at www.ywam.ru, and there are links to Perm and the other locations in Russia, or YWAM Perm's website is www.ywamperm.org, where you can find a link to Discipleship Training School and read about some of the work that Jon and Carrie are doing here..

There were about 60 people at the three-day conference, and the program included worship and teaching times, workshops, and team building activities. The speakers spoke Russian and translators conveyed the meaning into English for those who knew little or no Russian, the latter being me. It was our privilege not only to meet and fellowship with the many friends and co-laborers in the Lord that we have heard about for so many years, but to be at the YWAM Perm base with all of these who have so unselfishly laid down their lives for the building of the Kingdom of God. It was so informative to learn firsthand about the plans and operations of the ministries in Russia.

We so enjoyed the delicious food that was prepared by Tanya, a friend who is on staff, and a woman from a local church. There were soups for the first course at lunch, one of which had pickles in it. Most people added Russian mayonnaise to their soup bowls, and ate tomatoes and cucumbers, also. Bread was always served. We had mashed potatoes with hot dogs, shasleek (marinated grilled meat) with a yummy potato salad, beef and cabbage, and beef stroganoff with noodles. Russian black tea was available during breaks and meals.

Team Building time was lead by Dema from Belarus. We started out doing A tooty-ta, Atooty-ta, but in Russian. Rebecca Hearn could fill you in on that, from last year's Project EXCEL camp. Dema instructed all in a dance that I recognized as the Virginia Reel, but we danced to a techno tune. A line of 30 or so of us played "Telephone" passing words of a verse in Psalms one at a time through the the line. You know how that always produces something not too similar to the original, but imagine having both Russian and English speakers in the line! There were several other activities, and all were designed to encourage working and communicating better with one another. We all had a rip-roaring good time.

The conference ended with a time of prayer for Russia.
Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest in Russia.

Dawn

Map of Russia-Click to Enlarge

2007-09-15T04:39:00.000-04:00

Day Trip to Asia

2007-09-15T03:01:00.000-04:00

Have you located Perm on a map? The city of Perm is in the Perm Province and is the the last large city in Europe before you get to Asia.

At 5:30 am Friday, a taxi picked us up to take us to the train station. The driver was in a bit of a hurry, I guess, because he ran through about 5 red lights. That was some ride. I pray for safety riding in taxis.

We traveled to Yekaterinburg, which is in Asia, leaving the station in Perm at 7 am. The trip took 5 1/2 hours on the electric train and was relatively uneventful. Keeping the 2 year old boy occupied was the greatest challenge. I will say, the facilities were beyond compare, except perhaps for other such trains. It is very important on trips like these to B.Y.O.T.P.-Bring Your Own Toilet Paper. This was Johanna and my first train ride, btw.

Our purpose for going to Yekaterinburg was to apply for a passport for Abigail. The American Consulate is located there. After arriving, we went by taxi to the Consulate, found a nearby photo "studio" to have passport photos made. They cost much more than at Wal-Mart. Everything went well at the Consulate, and Jon was thrilled to find out the passport can be mailed to him instead of having to return to pick up the passport.

We were all ready for lunch by the time we finished, since it was after 3 pm. We walked around, trying to find a car to take us to a place to eat. Finally, a man in a station wagon pulled up and took us to KFC/Rostiks, where we shared a bucket of southern fried chicken, fries, and a chicken salad made with a mild cabbage, chicken pieces and croutons. It was pretty good. We ate outside, while little birds waited for us to finish so that they could eat the crumbs.

With an hour left to see Yekaterinburg, we found another taxi whose driver agreed to take us to the Church on the Blood and wait while Jon, Johanna and I took a quick tour, and then he would take us on to the train station. The Church on the Blood is a beautiful Russian Orthodox church that was built in 2003 on the site where Tsar Nicholas and his family were shot in 1918. Because
couples in Russia get married on Fridays, there were numerous wedding parties in front of the church having their photos made. Here, priests and pastors do not have authority to marry couples, so they go to houses of culture for their ceremonies. Afterward, they go to beautiful places and have pictures made.

Getting to the train station was one of those "hurry up and wait" affairs, as our train was late. Once we got on board, we had a coupe, which included "beds" to stretch out on. This train had nice facilities. We turned out the lights early and slept on the non-stop trip back to Perm, arriving at 11:30pm. We got back to Jon and Carrie's finally at 12:30am. That was a long day.

Dawn

Our First Days in Perm

2007-09-12T11:49:00.000-04:00

The children were still asleep when we arrived, so we enjoyed our time together and unpacked the suitcase full of baby items for Abigail. What a huge blessing for Jon and Carrie, from the Grace Bible Church family.

When Caleb got up, he soon realized we were the same Granna and Johanna that were in the photo in his room. Seeing Abigail for the first time was especially sweet. She is a peaceful, quiet little girl. We are enjoying being here with them all.

After breakfast, we visited some more, between cat naps. It was hard to stay awake, but I chose not to lay down and went to bed early Thurs. night. In the afternoon Carrie, Johanna and I took the kids out in a double stroller, going to the rinok, or outdoor market, where we bought some fresh garden veggies from the local "grandmothers." We walked around to get bright light exposure to help with adjusting to the new time zone. I would describe much of the area as bleak, and after all the landscaped yards in Charlotte, very unkempt. Many people were out walking babies or going home or to the market after getting off the bus. Carrie told me not to look the people in their eyes or greet them, as this is not a part of their culture. That was rather sad for me because I like to smile and speak to people wherever I go.

On Friday afternoon we went for another walk and to a couple of stores. One store would not allow us to take the stroller in part of the store, so Carrie looked around as I stayed with the kids. We then went to the SemYa (family) supermarket. There we had to put our bags, purses and sweaters into a locker before we started picking out our groceries. They had security people everywhere, watching shoppers like hawks. That always makes me feel like I have to prove I am not going to shoplift. On top of that, most everything was labeled in Russian, of all things! I saw what looked like steelcut oats, but couldn't tell for sure, so we didn't buy them. We did buy some vanilla ice cream that was packaged in a long, narrow plastic wrapping. Also commonly sold here are juice boxes, but they are 1 and 2 liters in size!

Our first night, I slept great, even better than at home. Other than a couple of days with periods of drowsiness in the afternoon, I've not had any trouble adjusting to the new time zone. I attribute that to following the plan made for me that I ordered from http://www.stopjetlag.com/. I am so thankful to the Lord for enabling me to find that website. Carrie and others here are so surprised about how well I've done.

Caleb and Abigail

2007-09-08T06:40:00.000-04:00

View from Dulin's Kitchen Window

2007-09-08T05:47:00.000-04:00

The Kama River

More apartments

Bus stop in front of their building.

More of the river

Airport in Moscow

2007-09-07T05:37:00.000-04:00

Typical sight in Moscow airport. They wrap bags to protect them.

Travel Day 9/4/07-9/6/07

2007-09-07T02:01:00.000-04:00

Steve dropped us off at the airport, and we checked in at the Lufthansa desk and went through security without incident. Found a great shop to buy Charlotte and NC souvenirs for Carrie and Jon's friends in Russia-postcards and magnets. Wouldn't mind having some for myself.

After waiting a while, something travelers must get used to, we boarded our plane just before 5 pm EDT, heading for Munich. Johanna and I sat in a middle row, each with aisle seats and one empty seat between us. That proved to be a handy arrangement. Lufthansa being a German airline, all announcements were made first in German, then in English.

I tried to rest right away, following the StopJetLag plan I had bought. (more on that later) When they brought our meals, Johanna kept mine for me, except without the main dish, which they told her I could get later. When I got up, they were out of the main dish, so the attendant brought me an additional vegetarian meal, complete with aubergine, which I had just recently learned is eggplant. I told him I needed some protein, so he also brought me a dish of sausages (hot dogs). I ended up having a feast, complete with tiramisu, my fave.

TV/computer screens showed movies and between times, info about our flight, like temperature outside, which was -70s, -50s, altitude, etc. They also showed where we were as we flew. We went north from Charlotte over DC, Philadelphia, New York, Canada, Greenland, Scotland, the Netherlands, then Germany.

Thanks be to God, we arrived safely in Munich at 8 am, Munich time. I actually felt pretty good. I checked with the Lufthansa desk and found out our flight to Moscow would leave from a different gate than our tickets said. Now for lunch (for me on Perm time) We had arrived on the 5th level, and I wanted to eat at a bistro I had read about. It was on the 4th level. There had to be an easy way to get there and we had 2 1/2 hrs. I didn't see an elevator, so asked a shop clerk, who pointed the way. As we walked out the door we had to have our passports stamped and entered Germany, even though we were still in the airport. When we went down to the 4th level, a man told us to go down another level and go outside. After trying to get directions to the bistro, we found out that we basically had to leave the airport in order to come back in and get back to level 5. So, back through passport control we went. We now have two stamps in our passports that show we were in Germany! Never did go to the bistro. By this time we thought we had about 45 minutes until boarding time, so I bought a panino and kombucha tea for about 9 euros. I found out later that was $14. It was nothing special, but was food.

About 15 minutes before boarding time, no one was at the gate desk. I finally realized we had another hour to wait. We were both too tired to explore, so just sat there. Coming back from the restroom, I found the elevators! At 10:45 am we went through the gate and, after having our passports checked at 2 different points, we all got on a bus which took us to our plane.

Johanna finally got her window seat, with me next to her and the aisle seat vacant. The plane wasn't very crowded, so I thought we may be able to use the seat for our purses. But a man came to sit there, and, of course, I spoke to him in English. He told me later that it was unusual to hear English spoken on a plane going to Moscow. We conversed off and on during the 3 hour flight. Ivan was born in Czechoslovakia, moved to Vancouver 20 years ago and was going to Moscow and Vladamir for 3 months on business. He was very nice and easy to talk with, and helped us fill out out migratory cards, which Russia requires. I had the opportunity to share about Jon and Carrie's missionary work and about the Lord. I pray the Lord will send other believers to share with him, that he may hear and understand and believe the good news about Jesus Christ.

Jon met us at the Moscow airport after no trouble going through Passport Control and loading our 6 bags onto a (free) cart. It was around 4 pm Moscow time, and Jon had been waiting since 6 am. We crammed ourselves and our luggage onto 3 seats on the bus and rode to the other Moscow airport, which is used for domestic flights. We had to wait until 10:30 pm, sitting on our luggage, until we could check our bags for the 12:30 am flight to Perm. I actually took a 35 minute nap, leaning on the wall while sitting on my suitcase. That nap helped alot.

One interesting thing we observed while we waited was that most people had their luggage wrapped in plastic. See the picture. I talked Jon into asking the man who was wrapping luggage at the gate, why people did that. He said people want to protect their bags from getting dirty and worn. Makes sense, but sure looks funny!

We finally were allowed to get our boarding passes and check our luggage at the Aeroflot desk. After all the weighing I did, they did not even look at our carry on bags! We got on a bus, where we were pretty much packed like sardines, and were taken to our plane. An English speaking woman helped me balance myself and my bag. I saw her later in the Perm airport restroom. She was in Perm for 2 weeks to work in orphanages. I found out she knows a friend of Jon and Carrie. BTW, the remodeled restrooms in the Perm airport are quite nice.

Then, who should pick us up at the airport but an Aussie! Garry took us to his small car, in which we somehow were able to stuff ourselves and our luggage and took a jolly, long ride through the bumpy streets of Perm at 6 am. All of the streets in Russia are horrible. With the extremely cold winters, even attempts at patching and repairs are for naught. Makes for interesting rides on their buses in Perm, too! Much like riding a roller coaster in a bus, if you can imagine that!

Garry's car pulled up to a 16-story building. We retrieved our luggage and Jon unlocked the front door to the building. There were 2 elevators, one a 4 person size and the other like a freight lift. We arrived on the 10th floor and Jon unlocked a large gate/door. He locked it back and we stood in an unlighted hall while he called Carrie by cellphone to come unlock their large metal door. How great to see her! And to end our traveling. It had been about 28 hours since we flew out of Charlotte.

Dawn