June 14, 2002 Portland, OR
What a day!! My life is changing with every heartbeat. My new friends, my brothers and sisters, are AWESOME! Amy, Gabe, Thomas, Tamara and Mike. Everybody at InterAct is awesome. I know that I am going to develop some awesome, deep relationships on this trip. It was awesome today. We had the entire InterAct organization playing Hackey Sack at Jerry Crosby’s house. We were there for a ‘get to know you’ barbecue, which was really awesome. It was so great to meet everybody today. I look so forward to this trip. I only ask that I do not come back the same person that I am leaving. I want the Lord to really move in my life. To change me. Whatever happens, I know that the Lord will move in my life. I know that I will be blessed more than I could ever possibly imagine. Lets Go!!! Praise the Lord.

June 15, 2002 Portland, OR
What will it take to become one of them? Why am I going to Yakutia? To learn to become one of THEM. One of the Russians, or Yakuts. One of the people I am going to work with. Today was a great day. I think I now have a clearer picture of what is going to happen on this trip. I truly have an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. I see the need to have full time missionaries in the field. I see my heart for this endeavor growing more and more each day. Do I want to live in Yakutia on a full time basis? What does my future hold?
One thing is certain right now. I want to serve my God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. How this will look, I will not know until He shows me. I want to lead people to Christ in the best way possible. I want to make a difference in the lives of people who do not know Christ. I serve an Awesome God. Today was filled with Class learning with Dr. Smith at the World View Center. Ed and Rachel were there too, to help him with his information. It was a great time of training, of preparing to look at another culture. The biggest part of the training was centered on communication, which is what this entire trip is going to be. May the Lord use me this summer.

June 16, 2002. Portland, OR
Today was one of the most incredible days I have ever seen. I can’t really even begin to put it all together in my mind, let alone put it all into words. There was so much! We went to church at the Portland Evangelical Baptist Slavic Church. My first really opportunity to see Russian culture. The service was much different that I am used to, but it was truly beautiful. Mike Matthews preached, which seems to be a normal practice when a missionary visits. After church, we went to the assistant pastor’s house. Gregory is a very expressive Russian man. Lunch was incredible, the food was so plentiful and the fellowship was amazing. I will truly cherish today’s memory. After church and lunch, we came back to the world view center. We had some more great training with Dr. Smith, Ed and Rachel. Today is truly a day that I will remember forever.

June 17, 2002 Portland, OR
Today is one of mixed emotions. Joy, fear, excitement, all rolled neatly into this boiling pit I call a stomach. We leave in around six hours, for the airport and then, from there, we go on to Yakutia. Today was a great day. WE had some very good training on language and there were times I thought my head would explode from all of the information I was receiving. I am confident that I will be able to pick up enough of the language to communicate. After leaving the World View Center we pretty much just hung out, which was cool. WE had supper at Gary and Valerie Brumbelow’s house, again a great time of fellowship. Now, we are here, all except for Amy, who is a t a friends house. I know there is fear all around, nerves are frazzled and the unexpected and unknown knocking at the door. Even with this, all is well with my soul, for ‘if God is for me, who can stand against me.’ That includes all forms of evil. Thank you Jesus.

June 18, 2002 Somewhere between Cincinnati and New York
Well, I’m on my way now. Actually, on the second plane to New York City. We had to get up very early this morning to get on the plane. Sleep is going to be hard to come by and last night I didn’t sleep much. The joys of travel!! I can now say that I have been in Cincinnati, Ohio. I really have the feeling though that the airport in Cincinnati will absolutely pale in comparison to what lies ahead. I have been quiet today, though not from depression of any sort. I am just very reflective. There is so much that I can sit and contemplate. The meaning of life really, everything that has happened thus far. I have been very happy so far since this whole thing started. Now, I am tired, and I have a great deal to look forward to. I love the team that God has brought together is awesome. I know that I will have many opportunities to bond with Gabe and Thomas, though it will be a little difficult because Gabe will be away from us for a large part of the trip. I look forward to building a relationship with Amy too. I am extremely excited as I look to the new life I will surely experience. What will that look like.

June 19, 2002 Moscow Russia
I have arrived in Russia now. The sensory overload has been immense. We have a long layover here in Moscow so we took the opportunity to visit the city of Moscow. First, we went to a Russian Baptist church that survived during communism, this was very exciting.~~
Now that I have gone through security again, over an hour has passed since I last wrote. The Baptist church was very ‘WOW’ in a word. Another thing, before I forget, traffic in Moscow is horrible. I have never seen traffic so bad, not even in the heart of LA. And Hot!!, It was so hot, we almost died from heat exhaustion it seemed. I don’t want any more travel, by any means. I think I’ll walk from now on. Not really of course, but it might be a very nice change.
After we went to the Baptist church, we went to Red Square. This was an incredible experience as well. You know, I get the feeling that when I am in some place so historically significant, much I know means so very little. To think, fifteen years ago, these people, the Russians, were our enemies. I grew up thinking that Russia was the enemy. That is what we were taught by the USA. Maybe not directly, but through all of the propaganda we saw that Russia was bad. Now, I have a heart for these people, especially as we really begin our Mission. We, Amy, Gabe, Thomas and myself are charting new waters, turning new corners as we embark. I know that the Lord will bless us, When we went to Red Square, the place where Russia flaunted Nuclear weapons and marched with tanks, I could only stand in Awe. The Basilica of St Basil was incredibly beautiful. To stand at the mausoleum where Stalin still lives in state is eerie, cold. Not a happy place. I am excited to see what God has for me.

June 20, 2002. Namtsi, Yakutia
I sit here in the home of the Moles, missionaries that live here in Namtsi. I look around, so many different places, lifestyles, backgrounds and experiences are represented. Missionaries, children, Russians, Yakuts, so many people. God is truly wonderful. WE all can be together, maybe understanding, maybe confused, but all connected by the common bond of a love from, and for, Jesus Christ. In this house, there are 40 or so people. I have been in Yakutia now for two days, and to say the least, my senses have exploded. I say Yakutia because after getting my luggage, I said to no one in particular, ‘welcome to Russia’ and was told immediately from a man that I had not known at all, that this is Yakutia. ~~
Yakutia, a wonderful place. I love it here. The people, the believers here are wonderful. Yesterday, when we arrived, we went to what I believe is the bible college here. There, we met many of the prominent Christians in Yakutsk. They were more than wonderful. Valentin is an awesome Christian man, and though I don’t understand a word he says, I know that he is an man of God. From the school, we went to our apartment, which is a dorm where the bible college students live during the school year. Andre lives there as well, he is from Moldavia and is an awesome guy. We thought he would be the only other person staying with us, but we were wrong. Last night there were 9 people there. I love Russia. DA!!(Russian for yes) After we went to the apartment, we went to the church in Yakutsk, one of three, where we ate another meal, two hours after eating pizza. We stayed at the church until late and were supposed to go to Namtsi last night. That didn’t work out so we ended going back to the dorm to sleep. This morning, I was awakened by a strange, half naked Russian man speaking Russian. It took me a few minutes to remember where I was. Welcome to Yakutsk. We went to breakfast at the church and then came to Namtsi this morning. Today, we went to Yisiach. Yisiach was a very interesting experience. On the ride to Namtsi, we laughed and joked a great deal. It was fun and exciting. Igor drove, Ted Mole sat in the front seat, then came Susan, Rachel, Amy, and Thomas. In the back were Hanna, Gabe Franki and myself. We went to Yisiach and watched the dancing, listened to a great deal of music that is pretty much disco or techno, very American. We had hors Kabobs today, and I tried Cumis, which is fermented horses milk. The horse was great, the Cumis on the other hand was disgusting, and it tasted like spoiled milk. . After Yisiach, we went to the moles home for dinner and fellowship. Now, we, Mike Matthews, Gabe and myself are in the home of a Yakut family. This is a very beautiful home, more beautiful than much you would find in the states. Now it is time to sleep.

June 21, 2002 Namtsi, Yakutia
There is much for me to think about. What is God teaching me here in Yakutia? What have I observed. In Yakutsk, I do not see the men smile, there is a sense of oppression here. The church is small here, with so many people, there are still very few brothers and sisters in the Lord. The people here in the church seem to love the Lord very much. It is amazing, as they truly practice a costly grace. It is very legalistic, but in a good way. Our brothers and sisters in the Lord do not practice cheap grace. They are very hospitable, in that they do not let anybody go hungry. Food is wonderful, cooked in Russia, as it is. Is this a place where I would like to go career? If so, how do I know? Ahh, the wonders of God!!

June 22, 2002 Namtsi, Yakutia
Today was another wonderful day. I sit here right now and look at my watch, oy, it is midnight and yet it is about as dark here as it would normally be in Long Beach at 9 PM. Very odd, very hard to get used to, but part of life here. Lets see, what did I learn and see today? WE went to the church after a delicious meal of scrambled eggs and bacon/or ham. It was so awesome to get to know our hosts Luba and Vladik today, but more on that later. After we went to breakfast, we went to the church. Breakfast was fun, Luba decided that, after I said I would like to stay here, there were many beautiful yakutian girls available to marry. We all got a good laugh from that, and they, almost as if planned, her young niece walked in. Quite the awkward moment. After that, we went to debrief on Yisiach, but didn’t really do so as much as we discussed how buying a fan would effect the ministry here in Namtsi. From there, we walked to the Namtsi music school. The music school was wonderful, as we glimpsed a little bit of Yakut culture through art, music and dance. Beauty unimaginable was truly before us and we glimpsed the lives of these children and their expression of art. From there, we went to the Moles to get a bit of culture training from Vladik, which was very well done. Then, we went swimming and fishing with some of the people from Namtsi. After swimming, we had a wonderful dinner at the moles, followed by another wonderful dinner at Luba’s. This meal was an authentic yakutian dinner, and she really took care to make us feel at home as possible. I love Russia, I have a heart for Russia. I pray that the doors would open. Thank God.

June 23, 2002 Namtsi, Yakutia
What does it mean to be a missionary? To leave all you know, all you love, all you have ever seen for something that is different beyond description. What is different about Siberia? What isn’t? Lets start with the language. It isn’t hard to communicate when there is a translator near, but it is inhumanly hard to understand when I am alone. The people here are extremely gracious and forgive our mistakes, but it still hurts to make one. Is God leading me here full time, I don’t know, but I believe he is. I believe that God is calling me to minister here in Siberia. To minister to the Yakut and Russian youth. How will that look, Only God will show me.

June 24, 2002 Namtsi, Yakutia
We finally get into the language/overview portion of our trip. We had some language training today, though not as we would think about it. It was not a learning of Russian, it was a philosophical look at what it takes to learn a language. We did get a chance to read John 3:16 in Yakutian though. Also, we had a wonderful chance to hear a Yakut woman sing in her native Yakutian style. This singing is from the throat, which is very beautiful, but hardly imitatable. Before that, we toured the pedagogical college, which is a college in which teachers are taught, especially those who would teach the arts. WE saw some very beautiful examples of traditional yakutian art work. The culture here runs very deep, but it does not seem to come to the surface often. I think it is similar to what we would see in the American South West.

June 25, 2002 Namtsi, Yakutia
Today was a good day all around. We woke up to a wonderful breakfast her at Luba’s and then went over to the Mole’s. We went souvenir shopping, and I got a beautiful hand made necklace and an authentic Russian deck of cards. After that, we did some tourist sight seeing. We went to a ‘spirit house, which is an authentic house in which the Yakut used to live, it was very interesting to see how life was so long ago. After that, we went o the local museum of history and had a tour, which was led by the woman who did the throat singing. That was very exciting to see all of the local history. After the museum, we had a session with Ted Mole in which we looked at some issues that are facing the church here in Russia. Issues such as the eating of blood and abortion. Very hot issues that are something that will probably come up during our time here.

June 26, 2002 Namtsi, Yakutia
Today has been sort of a restful day. Not much has really happened. I have to say, not really what I expected on a mission trip. The Lord really talked to me last night when I was reading I Peter 1: 23 – 2:3. We who have been born again need to constantly seek sustenance from spiritual milk. ~~

June 27, 2002 Namtsi, Yakutia
I learned a true lesson today. A lesson in true obedience and what comes from obedience. We went to the hospital today with Pastor Andre. I was faced today with extreme pain and hurt as I faced the prospect of going to the hospital. Pain from all of the negative aspects that I have seen in hospitals, like my grandfather dying and my paper route customer who died. As I looked at going to the hospital, all I could see was what had happened in my past and not what was going to happen in the future. I knew that God was going to bring me through something painful and in the end, use it to help me grow. He did!! At the hospital, we met with a dozen or so people who were in varying degrees of relationship with Christ, from one believer to some people who were very far from the Lord. God used this opportunity to show His Glory. We were able to see how God works through pain to Glorify Himself. God taught me obedience and dependence on Him. He literally held me up physically as I stood in that hospital. When God says go, GO!! After the hospital, we went back to the moles and Gabe, Thomas and I had a good chance to bond. We then watched a movie about missions that was made many years ago, sometime in the early eighties. It was a chance to sit and talk with Ted mole again. It really showed how the most important thing about a mission is the prayer that goes on.

June 28, 2002 Namtsi, Yakutia
God is so good. He has done some amazing things in my life over the last ten days. I don’t look at things the same way I used to. Worldly possessions mean nothing to me. I look around at people here who have so very little that it almost seems nothing, yet they are willing to give so much of themselves to make us feel comfortable. We went to a small poor village north of Namtsi about 5 kilometers away. We had a great opportunity to meet and fellowship with some believers there. They were so wonderful as we had chai and ate a meal specially prepared for us. Wee laughed, exchanged our testimonies, sang and just lived in the Lord together. While we were singing, a goat walked into the room, not something we wee everyday, or even every lifetime. Gabe also held a newborn goat that was only one day old. After that, we went outside and everybody sat on the family horse, everybody except me. The scary and funny part was when Amy was on the horse the young Russian man who lived there got on the horse and took her for a ride. The look on her face said it all. She looked at us and asked if we were coming with her, which we did, as far as we could. It was all good though, nothing bad happened at all.

June 29, 2002 Namtsi Yakutia; Yakutsk, Yakutia
Today was wonderful, yet exhausting. We did not get to eat breakfast at Luba’s today, though last night’s dinner was wonderful. WE gave them gifts and it was quite a ceremony. We gave Luba a blue glass pitcher, to Artiom, we gave a coloring book and crayons. To Vladik, we gave a vest, which he instantly put on, and to Slava, we gave a shirt that shows many different parts of California. He loved it and said that it would be his holiday shirt. Then, of course, came the pictures. I really love Luba and her family. After we woke up today, we went to a potluck picnic on a beach. That was an experience!! We piled into the vans and drove to the village we walked to yesterday. Once we got there, we got into boats and had to be ferried across the river to a beach island in the middle. This is where things got really exciting. The boat Katherine Harris and I were in broke down. The driver tried and tried to get it to work, but to no avail. These were very small aluminum boats with removable motors. No big Bayliners in Siberia. The other boat came alongside us and helped by having us transfer boats in the middle of the river. This was especially difficult because we had a woman in the boat who was unable to use her legs. Quite the adventure, transferring the woman and her wheelchair into the other boat. We did it though, and no one got wet or hurt. Praise the Lord. God is so good and gracious. He got us through this adventure. Once we got the island, we fellowshipped for hours. We sang together and for each other. God is so good, because only He could bring us together from all over the world. After the picnic, we came back to Yakutsk, now we are all back here in the dorm. I am exhausted, truly exhausted, so off to bed I go.

June 30, 2002 Yakutsk, Yakutia
I sit her e facing a day of relaxing. I’m not sure exactly how to get through the day. I am not used to having so much time on my hands. What exactly is God trying to teach me on this trip. What do I want to learn? Why has God brought me here at this time in my life? What is God going to do to change my heart and my life?

July 1, 2002 Yakutsk, Yakutia
July 1st today. June is gone, long gone, and so is the Scott who saw may turn to June. I am not the same person I was a month ago. Already, I see life differently. There is so much that I need to see done in my life. So much I want to see happen, I know the Lord is still working in my heart. Since I got to Russia, I have seen a much different life, a much different culture. Life here is much more simple, there is no such thing as rush rush rush. People here have so very little, but give so very much in order to make us feel comfortable. Here it seems that among believers, it is a way of life to really follow God. No namby-pamby believers. Ahh, the close, simple reality of it all. In the last two weeks, I have seen people truly give of themselves. I have watched a goat walk into the living room while we were eating. I have been to a poor rural hospital where people were hungry for God, even though I did not want to go. I have transferred boats in the middle of a river while on the way to a Siberian beach party. NO problem has become a slogan for me as I have seen water shut off in a home and seen Andre just utter ‘no problem’. I have seen the gospel presented in many places, even by Valentin, while shirtless. I have eaten horse and tried Cumis(fermented mares milk) and didn’t like it. I have seen Yakut history in a museum and at the Yisiach. I have seen dances and heard Yakut throat singing. I have been eaten by misquotes and sat in the grass. I swam in the Lena river, and I played in the mud. I have made friends, and said goodbye to them. I have washed clothes in a tub and hung them out to dry on a balcony. I have seen communism and sat at the table with a former member of the communist party, my former enemy. I have learned why communism doesn’t work and seen the disdain for it by the people who lived under it. I have seen the joy in people’s hearts even through the toughest of times. I have seen the non-smiles on the men in the streets because there is nothing to smile at. I have ridden in a bus in Yakutsk where there isn’t room to breath, let alone stand without being touched. I have learned that women sometimes have dozens of abortions because it is free, confidential and a form of birth control. I have seen that pornography is openly displayed all over the place. I have seen that the Russian equivalent to toilet paper could be used as sand paper in the sates. I have squatted in an outhouse and seen that a toilet that flushed is a luxury in some places. I have seen that every vehicle becomes a 4 wheel drive when in a yakutian village. I have seen how western culture has become so dominant here, even though the language is probably not understood. I have seen a powerful desire to make Christ known throughout the land. I have seen our Russian neighbor, who is willing to help us so much as she cooks us lunch while we are here in Yakutsk. Today, I will see much more, and I have probably only listed ten percent of what I have seen. ~~
Well, the day is done now, and it has been busy. We spent the day going over Animism and The Russian Orthodox Church, which was a great learning experience. We went to town and had a chance to check E-mail, which was nice. It was wonderful to know that people are praying for me. The family at my church is so wonderful. I really know that they are with me in prayer.

July 2, 2002 Yakutsk, Yakutia
OY, What a day. Today was a very very long day. We got up early to see everybody off at the airport. Mike is gone now, that leaves a whole of sorts. Gary went back too, and we won’t see them until we get back to the States. Gabe left too, with Frank and Hanna h today. That was very hard, Gabe is a very strong and important part of our team. I will really miss him, can’t wait for him to be back. Now, we are three. After we left the airport, we came back to the dorm to study with Bill Harris. This we did, on relationships and building deep relationships. Russians are very relationship orientated people, they build friendships that last a lifetime. People take things very seriously here, there isn’t a sense of playfulness here like there is in the states. This comes from a sense of desperation around Russia. Poverty is on the rise, and people have very little to smile about. I look forward to the opportunities I have to build these relationships. After we studied, we WORKED. We went to the church at Pelotive 14 and worked. WE hauled wood, shoveled, bagged and hoisted 10-pound bags of sawdust to be used as insulation. Then, we moved around a ton or so of sand to be used as a foundation for a shed. Talk about hard work. It was good though, it helped get the blood pumping, and though I am tired, I am grateful for the opportunity to be used by God.

July 3, 2002 Yakutsk, Yakutia
Again with the hard work! It feels good to be able to do something, and to know that the work we are doing is having a great impact on the ministry of the church. Both Amy and Thomas fell out of commission today. Amy hurt her thumb, and Thomas hurt his finger. They are ok though. After we tore down a shed, we had an opportunity to Banya. Actually, it was a wonderful experience. Kinda like a Sauna meets a hot tub, with soap and shampoo. Definitely an experience I’ll cherish and look forward to doing again.

July 4, 2002 Yakutsk, Yakutia
It is Independence Day. July 4th, here in Russia. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be spending the fourth of July in the land of my former enemy. God is so good, to change my heart and allow me this opportunity. We had lunch here today, with Valentin. He honored us with an opportunity to learn a little bit about Russian history and learn that the KGB is not the FSB. Even though Russia is officially a country of religious freedom, the FSB is still very much present and people need to be aware of their strong arm tactics. We need to pray that the Gospel would ignite like a wildfire. WE also learned that Sue’s Yakut language teacher and her mother and 8 year old son were murdered!! I pray that the Lord would use this for His Glory. ~~
Today really didn’t turn out the way we expected. We were supposed to be in Pokrovsk today, but Stac’s car broke down, so we stayed around here and talked. It was a good day, but little happened. We will leave for Pokrovsk tomorrow, it will be a good day and a good trip. Kathryn Harris will be coming as our translator.

July 6, 2002 Pokrovsk, Yakutia
Today, as I write this, I can’t help but think of Green Acres. Yesterday, the 5th, we left Yakutsk for Pokrovsk. Stac picked us up in the morning and off we went. Amy, Kathryn, Thomas and myself, we all left for an adventure. Pokrovsk is a village about twice the size of Namtsi, and it is the administrative center for the region, sort of the county seat. When we got here, we went to Pastor Valerie’s house to meet him and his family. This was an especially awesome experience because as we got there, a Yakut woman arrived. Immediately, this woman gave her life to Christ. She prayed the sinners prayer right then and there with us. We had the opportunity to witness the kingdom of heaven grow larger. After all of this happened, we went to the regional administrative building. There, we were honored to meet the regional administrator, kind of like the governor. This man was a brutally hard man who dislikes Christians very much and would not smile during this meeting. Pastor Valerie and Stac gave him a bible and we left. He seemed to warm up a great deal as we left, as he commented on how very large I am. From there, we came to our host home. A woman named Larissa who speaks Russian about 900 miles per hour and doesn’t seem to realize that none of us except for Kathryn actually speak Russian. She is wonderful though, and we had a great opportunity to help her prepare lunch. We had a salad that we made from garden fresh vegetables and greens. WE ate and fellowshipped with Larissa, quite a wonderful experience. From there, we went to a small village with Stac where we attended a Yakut bible study. We all shared our testimonies and they had a lot of questions for us. They were very interested in youth outreach and how to reach the youth in the community. After that service, we went to a Russian church service in Pokrovsk and again gave our testimonies. We sang “Lord I Lift Your Name on High”, and “shout to the Lord” for the church. It was a truly blessed experience. After that service, a young man, a non believer, asked us a few questions. He actually competes in graffiti contests held in Yakutia. He said he had placed 3rd in all of Yakutia. It looks as though there is so much to be done here, especially with the youth. I see many great opportunities here for outreach. How God will use this in my life is up to Him. When He says go, I’ll go. We came back to Larissa’s home and had dinner with the family. We ate, and sang, then we sang, and then, when we were done singing, we sang some more. There is something about singing around the table that is so Russian, so Christian, and so wonderful. Sleep that nigh was truly interesting. All of us, including two boys who live here, slept in the same room. I slept on a lumpy table, or attempted to sleep that is. This is truly experiencing Gods work being done here.

July 7, 2002 Pokrovsk, Yakutia
Today is the third Sunday we have spent here in Russia. This trip has been so incredible. I am starting to see where God might lead me if He brings me here as a missionary. I have a passion for youth, I have a passion for Siberia. Lord willing, opportunities here may encompass both. Yesterday was amazing. We left Larissa’s home and went to a church service in a small ‘suburb’ of Pokrovsk. After giving my testimony again I was immediately told to preach a sermon for the young people there. I shared John 3:16 and Joshua 1:9 with them. Then I had an awesome opportunity to share and speak with a young 20 year old woman named Lena. She is having a terribly difficult time as a Christian. Both of her parents were recently killed and she finds it very hard to profess Christ to her friends. I shared Psalm 51 and I Tim 4:12 with her. I hope I have an opportunity to speak with her again. After this, we went to another village for another church service where we again got to share our testimonies. From there, we went back to Pokrovsk to a youth service in which I again was told to preach. This time, I shared I Sam 17, the story of David and Goliath and I Tim 4:12 in an attempt to show how God uses young people to accomplish great things. WE then came back to Sasha’s house, the pastor of the church here in the small village. WE fellowshipped with our host family, it was a truly awesome experience. Slava Bogu (Russian for praise the Lord)

July 8, 2002 Pokrovsk Yakutia
We came over to Pastor Valerie’s house early today. Katherine, Amy and I tried to sleep for a little bit longer. It has been very hard to find a comfortable bed since we came to Russia. Sleep seems very hard to come by. When I finally got up, I had some very good conversation with Susan and Katherine. Yesterday was both a very good day and a very hard day for some of us. WE went to church in Pokrovsk and again shared our testimonies. WE left in the middle of the service to go to the service in Moxogolloch. We got there and it was decided that Amy would go to the hospital for a sliver in her thumb. She was seen by a woman who dug around with a clean needle a little bit. She said that she got something out, but Amy’s thumb seems to hurt worse now. After we left the hospital, we went back to the church service to partake in the Lord’s Supper with these believers. This was a truly awesome experience, to share something so wonderful with people from so far away. After this, we went to a small village for the closing of a youth camp. I was again told to preach to the youth, which I did from I John 3 and 4. I pray that God would use me in the lives of the youth here in Russia. We then went back to Larissa’s home where we sleep and then came here this morning. Today, we are just hanging around here, not really doing much. Amy put an onion on her thumb, what a sight. She did this because Pastor Valerie is sure that if she doesn’t, she will get some major infection. It looks like her thumb is about 20 times her normal size and bleeding very badly, but it is just a baked onion. SBOGUM (Russian for go with God)

July 9, 2002 Pokrovsk, Yakutia
Well, again, we are sitting here waiting for Ted Mole. So far, we have gone to the bookstore and then Kathryn has left. Valerie speaks a little English, but not much, so communication is very difficult. I’m not feeling well either. Diarrhea. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to meet Stac. He is a great guy who is always ready to preach and always willing to come along side people and help. I truly want to have a greater opportunity to work, with Stac in the future.

July 11, 2002 Yakutsk, Yakutia
Well, the last several days have been interesting to say the least. Finally, we met up with Ted Mole as he came blowing into Valerie’s house like a hurricane, telling us we had to leave as quickly as possible. WE had to take all of our baggage on a bus from Pokrovsk to Yakutsk. When we got there, we went to a café to debrief a little bit. When we got back to the dorm, Slava and Pastor Andre were there. Slava is going to be going to Khandiga with us, which is going to be a wonderful opportunity. Yesterday, we still had no idea if we would be going to Khandiga or not, so we stayed around Yakutsk. Thomas almost blowed himself up with a gas stove, Praise God he is alright. Not too much happened until we got back to the Dorm. When we got there, no one had heard from Tonya, the secretary for Gospel to the East, a Ukrainian mission organization that closely works with InterAct. This was bad because she had to purchase our tickets for the boat trip to Khandiga. Finally, around 10 PM, she came over with our tickets, which really lightened everybody’s hearts. Slava took out 6 packs of cigarettes and he, Thomas and I broke all of the cigarettes. Slava quit smoking!! I think he is really searching for the Lord. This morning, very early, we had to get up and be ready at 4 am to get to the boat for Khandiga. We got to the boat station on the Lena river and were herded like cattle onto the oversold boat. There were hardly any seats available, but we all managed to get on. We left for a long boat trip on the Lena River to the village of Kreest Khaljai. Once we got there, the Uaz (Russian Jeep) that was there had a flat tire. We ended up sitting for over an hour in dreadful heat with no shade at all. Once we got the tire fixed, we came to our Host Home. We are staying with the Pastor and his family. His wife Zoya speaks English, so she will be our translator.

July 12, 2002 Kreest Khaljai, Yakutia
I sit here on the balcony at our host home, listening to the sounds of nature. The birds, though few, chirping, the insects buzzing, the cattle lowing. I look out over a cow pasture to see a forest; the beautiful clouds lazily drift by after a nice clean rainstorm. This place here, in spite of the misquotes, seems to be a paradise of sorts. The simplicity of life, the beauty all around, this is wonderful. I love it here and I truly pray that God would bring me here to minister. I want to try to come back here this winter to spend a week or so to see what life here is really like during the other season. Today, we went to see the mayor of Kreest Khaljai, who was much more accepting of us than the man in Pokrovsk. That brings me back to where I am now. Sitting very close to paradise, up her so far away from that which I know. It’s clean, comfortable and truly amazing.

July 14, 2002 Kreest Khaljai, Yakutia
Yesterday was an awesome day. We had breakfast and then we went tramping through the forest and wading through the misquotes to find the ever elusive strawberry. These were not strawberries as I would usually find them, they were about a quarter inch in diameter and almost impossible to find. The walk was great, though the bugs were worse than I have ever seen them. As we started back to the dacha, a very strong rainstorm chased us. It poured and poured for about a half hour and we probably got 2 inches of rain in that half hour. Last night, we went and met with the Youth of the village. This was great, as they asked about everything from Music to 9/11, to free love. I think that our witness was more evidenced in our lives than in our words. I am confident that God used this time in the lives of these young peo9ple.

July 15, 2002 Kreest Khaljai, Yakutia
I seem to be about a day or so behind in my journalizing. So much has happened since I last wrote. I truly love Yakutia. The most frightening though is that I will move here. I want to be used by God here. I have a burden for the people here. There is so much here that needs to be done, so many people here that do not know hope, do not know Jesus. I want to be used here by Jesus that show the Love of Christ. We left the home of Valerie and Zoya today. This was very hard, because they are such wonderful people. We gave our gifts after Zoya broke into tears as she said goodbye. I hope one day soon to again fellowship with them. Kreest Khaljai was very realizing and I hope one day to be able to fellowship with them in their home. I have begun somewhat to plan a trip here in the winter. ~~
We have arrived in Khandiga and I think the Lord is on the move. The boat ride was easy, pretty much empty, so we weren’t herded so just like cattle. Once we got to Khandiga, we went to what I believe is the home of the pastor, where we learned that there is a childrens camp, sort of a VBS. We have the opportunity to work as part of this camp for the next 4 days. I was given the opportunity to work with the kids between the ages of 10 and 16. I will be briefly touching on the life of Jesus over the next 4 days.

July 16, 2002 Khandiga, Yakutia
Well, this day has started out beautifully!!! I am sitting on the steps of a church somewhere in Khandiga, and I don’t know nothing. Slava is off looking for a toilet somewhere and there are two Russians standing here. This morning, we knew nothing about our plans, as neither Slava nor I were given any real instructions as to where to be. So, for now, I wait, alone, lost, unable to communicate. ~~

July 17, 2002 Khandiga, Yakutia
The day got much better, I was scared in the morning, but I was never in any real danger. God was with me and I knew that He would not leave me alone. I am reminded of Psalm 23 that says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” God is completely in control of everything, so I need not fear. It is much harder to trust when I understand nothing, but every day I understand more and more. Tamara is our hostess. Slava and I are staying here together. Slava is such a wonderful young man. I thank God that I have an opportunity to get to know Slava and become friends and brothers with him. Tamara, our hostess, is wonderful. She understands no English at all, but I am having opportunities to use the L.A.M.P. method to learn the language. I truly desire to learn this language, so I can communicate.
The childrens camp was wonderful yesterday. The schedule we had set up did not go at all as we had planned, but God was truly in control. After going through the flannel graphs I was able to teach from the birth of Jesus through the flight into Egypt and through the teaching in the temple. We then went outside while the little kids learned from Thomas. Outside, we played some form of a cross between volleyball and basketball with a little bit of dodge ball thrown in for fun. Though I did not understand much of what was said, I was able to become part of the game. God is so wonderful, to bring us from so far away to work for Him. After that, we had a small lunch and sat wit the kids and let them laugh at the Americans. It was a truly awesome experience, to be able to reach out t to the young people of Khandiga, through the language barrier. At the end of the evening, each class of kids gave a brief skit, which were wonderfully done. This is truly a great life, despite all of the difficulties. After we leave the VBS, we went to yet another Banya. This one was the HOTTEST Banya I have ever felt. The water on the fire was actually boiling. It felt wonderful though. It was a bit hard to breathe because of the heat, but it was wonderful. After the Banya, we came back here as a group for dinner. Today, I will be teaching on the miracles of Jesus. Praise God.

July 18, 2002 Khandiga Yakutia
Yesterday was a truly wonderful, yet exhausting day. We went to the church at noon, after sitting here for several hours listening to Tamara, our host, scream at Slava as they studied the bible. She is an awesome woman, she just doesn’t realize the volume in her own voice. At the VBS, I taught on 4 miracles of Jesus’ life. The 4 friends and the paralytic, feeding the 5000, walking on water, and the resurrection of Lazarus. The kids were enthralled with the whole thing, it seemed. To top it off, one of the groups, the one that made me a member of their group this morning did a short skit at the end of the day about the resurrection of Lazarus. That really touched me. ~~
These children really have a way about them. Though we don’t understand each other, we are still able to form a bond. This is a really wonderful experience, one that is beyond anything I have ever imagined. I pray that the Lord would speak through me and touch these children in a magnificent way. I found out yesterday that I needed to give my testimony in Russian. This was extremely difficult to do, because I don’t speak Russian. I began the translation alone, but this was very difficult. Finally, I had Slava and Lena help me. Lena has been our translator since I arrived here in Khandiga. The translation was very difficult to read, but through the grace of God, I made it through. After the church service, we went to the Sisters home to eat dinner, and a few of us got haircuts from Sveta. I sat and had a nice conversation with Nadia. She is a very soft-spoken woman, but I sense that she is a truly wonderful woman who the Lord will use for wonderful things. We then came back to our host home to see Tamara standing at the door, holding a whip, and yelling (jokingly) at us in Russian. We were then given a second dinner because she had been cooking for use. WE are now under orders to come back here for dinner.
Well, today again was a wonderful day with the children. These kids are so full of love, so willing to make us part of their lives. I know that I will remember them forever, and I know that they will remember this week. Maybe because we were here, they will remember it all the more. I taught on the crucifixion today, and tomorrow, I will teach on the resurrection and ascension.

July 19, 2002 Khandiga Yakutia
Today is our last day with the children at the VBS. This has been a truly wonderful experience, and I will always cherish these memories. It is going to be very difficult to say goodbye tonight, but Lord willing, I will be able to see some of the kids at another time in my life. Today, I will be teaching on the Resurrection. I pray that the Lord will give me an opportunity to really touch these children with His Love.

July 20, 2002 Khandiga Yakutia
Only eleven days left in the country. Eleven days left in this place that I love so much, yet am so frustrated by. I truly want to learn the language here. I speak so little, yet I want to communicate so badly. Yesterday was so hard to end. The day was a great day. We had a blast with the kids, we went through many pictures and many hugs, and even a few kisses. The kids had quite the event planned for us at the end. They gave us some special performances and presented us with many gifts. Julia (Lena’s daughter) made us all these little mice that looked like us. I had a goatee, Slava had a camera, Thomas a guitar, and Amy a blue purse. This was a truly wonderful experience. I pray that the Lord would truly work in the hearts of these kids. ~~

July 21, 2002 Khandiga Yakutia
Today turned out to be a very good day after all. We really didn’t do much, we kinda took it easy. Ted came over this morning and Slava left with everybody. We went over to Misha’s house and sat by the river ant talked for quite a while. It was really a good time, I really want to come here to work as a missionary, but I am scared. I am afraid to leave everything I know behind, to come to the furthest reaches of the world. I know that I will build relationships here, I already have. Slava and I have built a real friendship, a real brotherhood. I will truly miss him. I pray that the Lord will bring me here, I want to come here this winter to see if this is in fact what the Lord wants me to be doing. I have a lot to look forward to here. A lot of love, a lot of pain. Is it Gods will for me to come here? To build a new life here, so far from what I know.

July 22, 2002 Khandiga Yakutia
Yesterday was again a day of mixed emotions. We went to church, and it was really a beautiful service. We again had the opportunity to share our testimonies in Russian. That was a difficult task, as it is very difficult for me to read in Russian. The women in the church sang ‘For So Long’ in three languages, it was very beautiful. After Lunch, Amy, Ted and I went with some people from the church to a small village about 90 Kilometers north of here called Toplei Kluch. The brothers and sisters at the church put on a skit for the village. This was a skit about drunks who turned to Christ and repented. It was a great performance. After the performance, I was asked to speak on the issue of repentance. This started out well, however, I wrote down Romans 3:23 to be read by my translator, but she read the entire third chapter of Romans instead. This, or course, threw me completely off, but truly believe that God will use this in the lives of the people there. These people were mostly, if not all, under the age of 25, for many of them, we were the first Americans they had ever seen. On the trip back to Khandiga from Toplei Kluch we stopped and skipped stones into a river. This river was absolutely beautiful and clean. Crystal clear does not even begin to describe the beauty of this particular piece of Gods creation. ~~
We were supposed to be on the boat back to Yakutsk right now, but lo and behold, the boat broke down yesterday and we had to stay another night. This isn’t so bad, until today, we found out that there is a fire on the Lena River between here and Yakutsk, so we can’t take the boat back. We do not know when the boat will be running, or when we will be able to take it back. WE can’t fly back either, so all we can do right now is to rely on God. ~~
Well, our fate has been decided now. We are going to drive from Khandiga to Yakutsk. This should be something like 17 hours or so in the van. Extremely comfortable, NO! Practical, NO! Frightening, YES! This should be a real adventure, that is for sure. 9 people in a van in the middle of Yakutia. May the Lord God protect us. ~~
It is 10:30 PM, we are somewhere on the Aldan River on a ferry somewhere in Siberia. WE are moving at a pretty good pace, as we are moving with the current. Tonight maybe more than before on this trip, I really met God. As I stood on the bow and watched the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. I really believe that God is going to bring me here to Yakutia. Though I am afraid, I will miss much that I know, I know that God is going to provide for and be the protection that I need. God calls us to do His will, to bring the Good News of his kingdom to the whole world, and this is the place.

July 23, 2002 Yakutsk, Yakutia
We have braved long travel; again and by the grace of God, we have survived. WE spent 12 hours on the Aldan river crammed into this van. Uncomfortable, hungry, tired, angry, sad, mournful at leaving yet another place we love so much. After we got off the ferry, sometime around 8:00 am, we drove even more uncomfortable to Yakutsk. This drive is something that can never be completely described. The roads were absolutely abhorrent. The bouncing was horrible, I must be horribly bruised by now. The road was covered by about four inches of dust, which of course, found its way into the van. We spent most of the trip with anything we could find wrapped around our faces. We only had cucumbers and a bologna like sausage to eat, which we ran out of around 11 am. WE had about 12 liters of Coke when we started, and that was gone by noon or so. All in all, this was a horrible trip, yet so much of what Siberia is. It isn’t something I enjoyed, yet it wasn’t really that bad. This just goes to show how willing people in Russia are to do what ever is necessary to get the job done.
Right now, we are on another ferry that is taking us across the Lena River to Yakutsk, where we will drop off Sue and get something to eat. From Yakutsk we will go on to Namtsi for tonight and tomorrow and then we will come back her to go to Cottensi and meet up with Gabe again.

July 25, 2002 Cottensi, Yakutia
And then there were 4!! We are here in Cottensi now reunited with Gabe. This is good, as I have really missed him. Cottensi has a huge open-air museum that shows a lot of Yakutian history and culture. It is set up much like a camp, and we are staying in a cabin on the museum grounds. Gabe and Frank have been here for about 2 weeks doing an English language camp with Yakutian English teachers. It is great to be back with the whole team, it just wasn’t quite the same without Gabe.
Yesterday in Namtsi was great. WE rested all day, watched ‘the man who knew to little’ and then went to Luba’s for lunch. This was wonderful, as always. Fried chicken and rice. I really love Luba, and I pray that the Lord brings me back here.

July 26, 2002 Cottensi, Yakutia
The last couple of days have been really nice. Relaxing, just a chance to chill out and really learn about the culture. This place, this culture is so wonderful. Today, we were treated to Yakutian cultural lessons from the teachers here at this camp. The lessons were given in English, so they were able to practice their vocabulary. These lessons were on everything from sports to marriage customs. This was very enlightening, I learned a great deal about this people. They are so deep, so wonderful. I look forward to future opportunities to learn about his people.

July 27, 2002 Yakutsk, Yakutia
We are nearly done here. It is too hard to believe that Monday, we will be gone from this place. Today was a really good day. This morning, we had an extensive chance to debrief with Frank, Bill, Robin and Ted, the career missionaries here. This was a great chance to voice our concerns, give input and help us plan for next year. Next year, we will all be able to build ‘designer’ SIS programs. I really feel called to go to Namtsi as a missionary. I am going to return in February to really feel what winter is like before I move here. During this time, I will be able to work with Pastor Andre, and more importantly, Slava. Lord willing, I will be able to work with some or all of my team from this year. After debriefing today, we just hung out. We said farewell to Teed and that was the first of the partings. This is very difficult, I don’t want to leave.

July 29, 2002 Somewhere in the air over Russia
It is over! This new live that I have grown accustomed to is over here. As I write this, I am sitting on the plane as we travel to Moscow. This morning was extremely difficult, perhaps the most difficult day in my life. I have spent the last 4 weeks getting to know a young man from Namtsi. Slava has become something more than a friend, a brother. Saying goodbye at the end was excruciating. We embraced, and cried together. This morning was stressful beyond belief. Hectic is maybe the right word. We woke up, ate and waited for Misha Trubcheck to arrive. Finally, when he did, Sasha arrived as well, we all went to the airport only to find that the plane we were to take was delayed. This set us back a bit, so we decided to go to the apartment to wait, which was better than waiting at the airport. We went back to the apartment only to find out that we had left James Harris there, so Kathryn and Thomas returned to find him. They found out that our plane was in fact on time, so we had to do a mad-dash back to the airport. I could almost hear the music in the background as we ran around like something out of a silent movie. Somewhere in there, we had to part ways with Slava. I pray that God truly uses Slava in His work.
What has this last six weeks meant? I have seen so much in Yakutia. When I left Portland, I wanted to see if God has called me to Yakutia. I know now that God wants me in Yakutia doing His work. I know that I have a life here. The friendships here that have been built are those that will last a lifetime. Slava, Stac, Sasha, Luba, the missionaries all will have a part of my heart. When I got here, I was nieve, I didn’t know anything how the world works outside my homeland.
I came to Russia to see a new way of living, and I found a people who indeed live much differently. This is a people that live with simplicity of life. Every day is lived to its fullest, nothing is missed. Even those who must work do so with less stress. I came to Russia not knowing what to expect. I had no idea what using the toilet would be like, and it was an experience. I had no idea what the food would be like here. It was delicious, eating horse was in fact quite good. I never did eat any horse intestine salad, but I did try Cumis twice. I didn’t like it, but I did try it. I love borscht, I love pretty much everything that I had a chance to eat. The food here was so plentiful, I was always full. When I arrived in Russia, I had no idea what the weather would be like. I expected warm temperatures, but it was extremely hot most of the time. Toward the end, it even got pretty cold. This is a land of extremely hardy people. The temperature can swing very widely throughout the year.
In California especially, I am spoiled, yet I want to move here, to make my life here. When I came to Russia, I expected the missionaries to be something ‘super-human’. I learned that they are very human and they make mistakes, get sick, and frustrated and just about everything that can go wrong will, at some time or other, go wrong. I came to Russia being a very time oriented person. Planning was necessary for something to happen. In America, everything is planned in Russia, nothing at all is planned in America. In America, there is order to just about everything, in Russia, the only order is disorder. Everything that we did here tended to be ‘Just do it, let God sort it out’. God did that! In a mighty way!
Travel in Siberia is a nightmare, but we always arrived at our destination. Getting from on e city to another was always done as though we were sardines, after of course, being herded like cattle. Boarding the Rocket hydrofoil to go to Khandiga was near impossible, as we had all of our baggage and about 120 Kg of books. As were herded like cattle, I was very frustrated, yet God got us there.
In Khandiga, as we found out that we could not take the hydrofoil back to Yakutsk, I was sure it was over. All I could handle had been achieved, we were going to drive from Khandiga to Yakutsk. Impossible!! NO WAY!! To drive through the forest of Siberia, with 9 people, only cucumbers and balogna for food seemed impossible. We made it though, and unhurt. God brought us though the entire thing safely.
I have truly learned that God is in control. When I came to Russia, I expected to maintain some sort of control in my life. That doesn’t happen in Russia though. At no point in the last six weeks was I really in control. I have often taught people that we need to relinquish control to God, but only in the last few weeks here in Yakutia have I been able to give that control over to God.

July 31, 2002 Portland, Oregon
And then it was over. Done. Finished. 49 days ago, I arrived at the home office of InterAct ministries. I walked into the office scared, nieve, not knowing what I could expect to find. Not knowing whom I would be working with, not knowing anything really. Now we are almost full circle. Today has been a long day as we have traveled. Very surprising though. The flight from Moscow to New York wasn’t too bad. I t could have been much worse. That is for sure. Customs in New York took forever though, we arrived at our gate after taking nearly all of the two hours in customs. When we finally got to the gate, all 4 of use were bumped to first class. Talk about a unique experience. Flying will always pale in comparison to that. Now though, we are full circle, sitting here in the apartment at InterAct. It all seems such a dream. I have spent the last six weeks in Siberia Russia. I have been afraid, frustrated, and lonely. I have been ecstatic, laughed till it hurt and cried in joy. I have watched my brother Slava grow, I have wept at parting. Now my focus needs to be on how I can best serve God in Russia.

August 3, 2002 Oregon Coast
We went to the beach house yesterday. It was a beautiful little house with two bedrooms and a loft with 4 beds. We only had to walk two minutes to get to the beach, and what a beautiful beach it was. We went to the beach after we got settled and when we came back to the house, Mike Matthews met up with us. This was an extremely wonderful time. In the evening, we went to the beach and had a bonfire. It has really been a relaxing time since we got back to the states. This morning, we just hung out and fellowshipped. It is hard, knowing that very soon, we are going to be saying goodbye. I don’t want to say goodbye.
After we left the beach, we stopped at the Tillamook cheese factory. We then drove back to Boring where we had a bonfire and weenie roast at the Brumbelow’s. Now, we are back at the InterAct office. Tomorrow is the last day we will be together. Gabe is going to take Amy and I to the airport, and from there, we leave. I don’t want to say goodbye, but I know this will not be the end. I know that the relationships built here will last a lifetime. I praise God that he has given me this opportunity. I pray that He would work in a mighty way in Yakutia. I pray that He would bring me to Yakutia soon so I can be used by Him there. It is going to be hard to change my life, but that is exactly what happened with Abram in Genesis. When God says go, GO!!!