October 29, Monday

It is 12:00 Midnight Vladivostok on Monday. My memory is failing me so I will work backwards. Today (Monday) was very full. We had lunch with Helen and Irina from FEFU. I wrote of them earlier in the week. They are two administrators at the University where Alexi teaches. They treated us at a Chinese restaurant. We prayed before eating, five adults holding hands around the table. I do not believe the ladies are Christians, but God has given Steve and Alexi favor with them. Helen said, “If you told me forty years ago that I would be eating lunch with two Americans without being afraid of what to say, I would not have believed it.”

After lunch we bussed over to join Ira (translator friend of Steve’s) and speak in her daughter Sonja’s 8^th grade English class. We spoke to two 8^th grade classes and one 7^th grade class. They were very curious kids who had a fair number of questions for us. The 80/20 rule was in effect, as 20% of the kids asked 80% of the questions. The teacher could not have been more kind or hospitable. Ira is lining up dinner with the teacher and her husband for tomorrow night. She has an interest in the Christian faith; Ira has been witnessing to her.

We took a bus back with Ira to Uganay after the classes, as she would translate for our Bible school class tonight. We arrived at home at 4:45 PM for some soup with Luda. Pastor Anatoly from Prokovka drove two hours to come see Steve. He joined us for soup, but arrived with a gift of beautiful orange caviar. Steve gave him a gift from the church in Chicopee, Mass., which Anatoly received with such humility: “Spaseebah, spaseebah!!” I will tell his story tomorrow morning. He and Steve talked for almost 1 ½ hours as Ira translated and Luda sat in silence. She serves quietly, but rarely speaks though she has a sweet sense of humor. Today she did a whole load of laundry for me; it was on my bed when I returned from Vlad.

Tonight was Bible school time. I am learning to love the people: Alexander, Serge, Ann or Anya, Olga, Olga’s husband Genia, and Dennis. I taught on the humanity of Christ and His offices of prophet and priest. Discussing and teaching on the person and work of Christ is such holy ground. The mystery revealed is something I desire to teach about with real respect and humility. The incarnation should take our breath away when we consider that the Lord Jesus Christ assumed a human nature while never losing His divine nature. I hope the students are challenged to study the Word further about His incarnation. If they do, then I was somewhat successful.