A Rainy Friday Morning

Good Morning All,
Its been an interesting week here in Moscow. My apologies for not posting more often, but I'm falling back on my earlier excuses. I'm limited by the hours of this business center here in the hotel, and I've been having a terrible time getting everything done in English. Oh well. Here we are today.

Tuesday evening Vernon did his expected good job teaching on the importance of Christians having love for one another and all the different aspects that this would include.It was also a good evening after the study to deliver some more of the gifts that were sent by different ones.

Here is Dasha and Susan looking through a personal scrapbook  that was put together by the young people at Anderson. It was an introduction to all that group that have been thinking about and praying for 15 year old Dasha. They also put together some money to help her with her back to school fashions and supplies that any 15 year old girl might need to go shopping for. After Susan, Dana, and Lorna went with Dasha and her mother, Natasha, shopping one day, below is one of the outfits she picked out and seemed to be excited about showing off.

Dasha's little brother Elijah, although standoffish and quiet at first, gradually became more active and vocal with us as we visted his house each evening. Just what you'd expect from any two year old.

One pleasant and exciting surprise we got was to learn that both of Natasha's parents, Alexander and Tonya, were Christians. Tonya for two years and Alexander, since Dec. What made this pleasant news exciting is that they live in Tula!  Exactly where we are headed tomorrow to see if we can re-plant the church and encourage the members to begin meeting again. Alex. and Tonya have never been part of this group but they gave us their phone number to contact them when and if we can schedule a meeting time and place for the church in Tula. We certainly hope that this is a possibility and we're excited to know about this 'new blood" for the church there. Below is Dasha with her grand parents, Alexander and Tonya.

After the evening study we all converged on Vernon and Susan's room one evening to unwind. Party foods were walnuts, beef jerky, and ice cream. And you know that if a group of Indiana folk got together there would be a game of Eucre. I suppose I should mention that no matter what you might think of Susan's card playing, that is NOT a bottle of vodka in front of her.

Yesterday, we visited Red Square, possibly the most famous landmark in Moscow, recognized by St. Basils colorful spires highlighted behind the pretty girl on the left who just happened to be standing in front of my camera.

Below are our three accomplices on this trip, cooling off under the flow of a fountain near the undeground mall just off of Red Square.

And then there was Dana. She happily bubbled and questioned everything we did making new friends everywhere we went. One of her new friends at Red Square is seen below.

And lastly for this post, I FINALLY got to see Lenin. No, not John, but the orignator of the Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917 that turned Russia and the world upside down. After 14 trips, his tomb was finally open at the same time I was visiting.and we got to go in and see him. Although he still in sealed refrigeration, and they say mostly wax, he surprisingly looks very lifelike and ready to get up and get going at any moment. They don't allow cameras in the tomb, but here's the outside located just outside the red walls of the Kremlin.

I think I'm done for today. We're hanging around the hotel until evening because of the rain, and we're all a little tired and need to get ready to head to Tula tomorrow. We're a little anxious about how that's going to turn out so we solicit your prayers on behalf of our efforts, our travels, and the brothers and sisters in that place.

CLOSING NOTES

Note to Steve Dunn, BLAST that Anderson Powersports, but thanks for checking on my bike.

Note to Sarah, Willow, Forrest, and Terri; Mom has your pictures in a photo album and she gets it out and looks at you every single day.

Note to the Anderson congregation, Vernon and I speak of you every day and have complete confidence in you that all is going well.

Note to my Dad, thanks for responding to Vernon with Tim's email so quickly. Still trying but haven't been able to make contact with him.

and lastly, a note to anyone who has been trying to email me.... No way am I being able to access my email accounts. Can't figure out why, but haven't been able to do it, so I'm observing email silence.

Be glad to hear from anyone with enought spare time on their hands to be reading this blog..   mac