Here are some of the things that God seems to be laying on my heart for the new year that I hope to pursue, given that some of the most significant aspects of our transition appear to be behind us.
One way of formulating my overall vision is to say that I hope to be used by God to impact the leadership of the city in multiple spheres of society in such a way that the Holy Spirit brings visible revival, with change measurable by any test, especially impacting the lives of the orphans.
Let me try to do that again with fewer words:
Empowering leaders in St. Petersburg for Kingdom impact in all sectors of society.
Rather than try to describe what that looks like long term, I want to give a sense of short term direction that fits within this mission. That work seems to be falling into 3 categories so far.
Within the church. My service to the Christian community has started, and I think rightfully so, with service to our own local fellowship, called Harvest. The pull has clearly been on training opportunities I can bring that come out of my counseling and coaching background. I didn't want to tell them what they needed, so they told me that they wanted help in how to solve problems biblically. And thankfully, that class has been well received. Now I want to do more than just offer it again. My plans are somewhat radical: start immediately duplicating the knowledge God has given me by investing in others who can teach the class and grow into trainers of trainers themselves. Already, for example, in this class we have represented two individuals trained in psychology, one of the associate pastors, and a mature teenager who all show promise as leaders who can become messengers of this awesome life-changing material.
One such opportunity is likely to be for a mission training school nearby that focuses on the practical side of missions, which is very uncommon here. My January, therefore, may be dedicated in part to working in parallel with one of my students to teach this class there.
Otherwise, I have a list of pastors and other Christian leaders, including Orthodox, I want to meet and listen to next year to find out where the needs are and where I might find other open doors.
Orphan work. The purpose of my teaching at the Harbor was to get to know the kids and the program first hand in order to see where my gifts might fit in most appropriately. We have done some reshuffling, and I am now tutoring one of the boys, Yuri, alone at home. This is also a great opportunity for him to interact with my family, both for the sake of his English and for his appreciation of family life. I'm also gently introducing some coaching into our meetings to see where that will go. His English is relatively good, his intelligence is very high, and he already professes faith in Christ.
Additionally, I will be coaching one of the male mentors, Vadim, starting next month as a way of exploring both how coaching might be used for the whole staff and for how it could be used for the program participants themselves. I'm really excited about the potential here.
Outside the Harbor, I feel the need to do some research into the other ministries and secular entities serving the orphans and street kids. The street kid problem is radically different from even a year ago, as it appears that the government has actually done something good for a change and established homes for them based on a European model that works fairly well. I need to know more.
Barely 100 paces from our house is an orphanage for school-aged children. I intend to find a way to meet the leadership there and begin serving, to include bringing at least Diana and Lydia along over time.
Business. As early as March when I was here, I met an extraordinary South African woman, Colleen, who runs a business to serve the management training needs of other businesses in the city. They teach everything from English to how to get ISO 9000 certification. What I love is that Colleen's vision for her business is totally Kingdom oriented. My relationship with her has been slowly growing over the last couple of months, and we are now looking intently into how to formalize a partnership for mutual blessing. My aim is to see her company (her mission, really) have deeper penetration into the secular business community. The possibilities are tremendous.
Diana began serving at the baby orphanages a couple of months ago, but it is now on hold due to the stresses of getting settled in as well as health problems that have been plaguing her much of the fall. She is hopeful that she can resume her service there in the next several weeks.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Artful solution
Lydia has written about her new art class on her blog with pictures.
Below is from a mother's perspective.
Lydia loves art. Every free moment finds her either reading or sketching. Therefore, we earnestly prayed for an art class possibility for her. After all, we do live in the cultural capital of Russia. In October an opportunity presented itself at the International Academy. Lydia enjoyed class because it was in English, and she hoped to meet some other kids her age. Unfortunately, this proved more of a craft class (not "real" art instruction) and socializing was not in the curriculum. The trek to the school each week was substantial as well. The payoff didn't seem worth it when Lydia's attitude remained lukewarm at best.
Each region of St. P has art, music, and sport facilities for after-school instruction. Many offer classes for serious students, some to the tune of 15 hours per week. Once we learned of an art school down the street, Lyle decided to investigate by observing a class. I couldn't wait to hear his report. Russian instruction in any subject can be strict and uncreative. I once observed a teacher taking magic markers and begin "correcting" student art work. I cringed at the thought. Would it be too much to ask for a nurturing environment? We were hopeful this would be an opportunity for quality art instruction AND Russian language practice AND socializing. Jackpot!
Although nervous during her first class, Lydia came home beaming. I teared up as she described how welcoming the teacher and students were. Several girls clustered around her and wanted to "be her friend" right away. And the art experience was a hit too. Lydia's first still life painting surprised even her! She rattled on about the teacher and the "inspiring" (her words, really) art room decor. Lydia now has more professional art supplies and thoroughly enjoys her class every Tuesday and Thursday. Lyle only attended her first class to help with initial translating. Since then, Lydia has been going solo.
As a mom watching her child struggle to transition into this culture and language, this art class is as a big answered prayer. We love hearing about how she tried to create a certain color with her paints, or how the teacher demonstrated how to make a certain background. Our Lydia has been happier and more confident in recent weeks, and I know the art class is a big contributor to her improved outlook on life.
Below is from a mother's perspective.
Lydia loves art. Every free moment finds her either reading or sketching. Therefore, we earnestly prayed for an art class possibility for her. After all, we do live in the cultural capital of Russia. In October an opportunity presented itself at the International Academy. Lydia enjoyed class because it was in English, and she hoped to meet some other kids her age. Unfortunately, this proved more of a craft class (not "real" art instruction) and socializing was not in the curriculum. The trek to the school each week was substantial as well. The payoff didn't seem worth it when Lydia's attitude remained lukewarm at best.
Each region of St. P has art, music, and sport facilities for after-school instruction. Many offer classes for serious students, some to the tune of 15 hours per week. Once we learned of an art school down the street, Lyle decided to investigate by observing a class. I couldn't wait to hear his report. Russian instruction in any subject can be strict and uncreative. I once observed a teacher taking magic markers and begin "correcting" student art work. I cringed at the thought. Would it be too much to ask for a nurturing environment? We were hopeful this would be an opportunity for quality art instruction AND Russian language practice AND socializing. Jackpot!
Although nervous during her first class, Lydia came home beaming. I teared up as she described how welcoming the teacher and students were. Several girls clustered around her and wanted to "be her friend" right away. And the art experience was a hit too. Lydia's first still life painting surprised even her! She rattled on about the teacher and the "inspiring" (her words, really) art room decor. Lydia now has more professional art supplies and thoroughly enjoys her class every Tuesday and Thursday. Lyle only attended her first class to help with initial translating. Since then, Lydia has been going solo.
As a mom watching her child struggle to transition into this culture and language, this art class is as a big answered prayer. We love hearing about how she tried to create a certain color with her paints, or how the teacher demonstrated how to make a certain background. Our Lydia has been happier and more confident in recent weeks, and I know the art class is a big contributor to her improved outlook on life.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Drinking Mushroom
I was in the cafeteria chatting with some of the staff at the boys' school a few weeks ago and was offered a new drink to try. They asked, "have you ever tried mushroom?" I though I had misunderstood them. Did they say, "greeb" (mushroom) or "greepp" (the flu)? Neither made much sense, to say the least. They were talking about a drink sitting in front of me in a large jar - a cloudy brown substance. Since I'd never heard of it, they started extolling its virtues. It's supposed to be terribly good for you, with all kinds of great bacteria in it, etc., etc. So I tried it. It's a tangy, slightly fermented, almost soda-like form of tea, from which it is usually made. Not too bad, in fact, once you get used to it.
Ever being the adventurer, I agreed to take some culture with me to grow at home. This is when I understood the name, since what they gave me looks distinctly fungal by nature. So while I started to grow it in my tea, I did some research. Have you figured out what this is yet? We call it "kombucha." According to Wikipedia:
Kombucha is the Western name for sweetened tea or tisane that has been fermented by a macroscopic solid mass of microorganisms called a "kombucha colony," usually consisting principally of Acetobacter-species and yeast cultures. It has gained much popular support within many communities, mentioned by talk show hosts and celebrities. The increase in popularity can be seen by the many commercial brands coming onto the retail market and thousands of web pages about this fermented beverage.
Not long after this, I ran into a lady at the local farmer's market (where I get much of my fresh food and cultural interaction) who was selling books and samples of greeb and another variety called milk greeb. I just love talking with and buying from babushkas at the market, so this was a great education for me. So, ever being the adventurer, I decided to try this as well.
Finding out about this stuff is much harder online, at least in English. I think it's called Tibetan fermented milk. It's a kind of kefir, and does not taste anything as bad as kumiss, which is the fermented milk I had while living in Kyrgyzstan.
How does the family greet all this? Kerith likes the tea; Simon tolerates it. Lydia likes the kefir. I tolerate both. Diana has to be sweet-talked into taking her RDA. We've been seeing more than our fair share of illness over the last month, especially Diana and the boys, and so I'm taking no chances.
Monday, December 3, 2007
How to steal an apartment
Just to give you a good example of how thoroughly permeated this society is with evil, I'll relate this one little problem to you:
Most homeless here are not mentally ill or drug addicts. There are three categories:
How about the released convicts? They loose their registration and passports as prisoners, and consequently they have no access to work or a new home. It's a vicious Catch 22.
And the YUPPIES? You come home from a vacation and find your keys don't work. In fact, you find another family living in your apartment. When you take them to court, you are presented with all the paperwork, including your own signature, that you actually sold the apartment. The court won't even consider the possibility of forgery. The trick: all your personal information is linked to your place of registration, so those who guard your registration now have tremendous power. A clever businessman goes to them and simply pays for your information. The new homeowners are only partly innocent, because they know at least that they are getting paperwork that has been "expedited." Why young singles? Because they are least connected to relatives that can vouch for them.
Combine capitalism with greed in the absence of a fear of God, the result is Russia.
More on homelessness in Russia here.
Most homeless here are not mentally ill or drug addicts. There are three categories:
- the elderly
- ex-cons
- middle-class single people
How about the released convicts? They loose their registration and passports as prisoners, and consequently they have no access to work or a new home. It's a vicious Catch 22.
And the YUPPIES? You come home from a vacation and find your keys don't work. In fact, you find another family living in your apartment. When you take them to court, you are presented with all the paperwork, including your own signature, that you actually sold the apartment. The court won't even consider the possibility of forgery. The trick: all your personal information is linked to your place of registration, so those who guard your registration now have tremendous power. A clever businessman goes to them and simply pays for your information. The new homeowners are only partly innocent, because they know at least that they are getting paperwork that has been "expedited." Why young singles? Because they are least connected to relatives that can vouch for them.
Combine capitalism with greed in the absence of a fear of God, the result is Russia.
More on homelessness in Russia here.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Visas in question
Here is the news we got through a discussion group that missionaries share and post to for the city on Oct. 22nd (abbreviated):
The Moscow Times
New, Tougher Rules for Business Visas
By Alexander Osipovich
Staff Writer
The government is tightening the screws on foreigners who want to work here full time without a work visa -- and itinerant English teachers look likely to be the first to feel the squeeze.
Multiple-entry business visas, which used to let foreigners stay in Russia for up to one year, will now only allow stays of up to 90 days at a time, according to a decree signed by Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov on Oct. 4.
Under the new rules, such visas will still last one year. But they will only let people stay in Russia for up to 180 days of that year, and for no longer than 90 days at a time. Moreover, if a foreigner stays in Russia for 90 days straight, he or she is then required to leave and not come back until another 90 days have passed.
Zubkov's decree also says foreigners might have to obtain the visas in their native countries -- which implies that U.S. and British expatriates could no longer hop on the train to Kiev for a visa run. But representatives of visa agencies and foreign business lobbies were unsure how that rule would be implemented, and some said it might not apply to Westerners.
What is clear, however, is that expats can no longer stay in Russia endlessly by obtaining multiple-entry business visas and renewing them each year, said Alexei Filippenkov, director of the Visa Delight agency.
"Now, any foreigner who wants to come live here has to either go through the immigration process, and eventually obtain a residence permit, or else find an employer who will prepare a work visa for them," Filippenkov said.
Foreigners with work visas are not affected by the change.
It is unclear whether the new rules will affect foreigners with multiple-entry business visas issued before Zubkov's decree. But Filippenkov said it was unlikely.
Representatives of visa agencies had different takes on the provision in Zubkov's decree about returning to one's home country for a visa.
Filippenkov, of Visa Delight, said the provision about returning to one's home country did not apply to Westerners and was instead directed at countries like China, Turkey and India.
Russian embassies are notoriously inconsistent in their approach to issuing visas. In the past, it has often taken several months to see how rule changes are implemented.
Zubkov's decree puts Russia on the same footing as many Western countries, which also draw a distinction between visas designed for short visits and visas that grant one the right to work.
U.S. citizens who visit Britain, for example, are allowed to stay for up to six months, but they get a stamp in their passport stating they are prohibited from working there.
"The government is making things work the same way as they do in America and Europe," Filippenkov said. Russian citizens face the exact same 90- and 180-day restrictions in Germany, he added.
Still, such comparisons have not reassured expats accustomed to the ease of obtaining multiple-entry business visas and daunted by the obstacles of getting Russian work permits.
"What will they think of next?" asked one visitor at RedTape.ru. "Shooting all foreigners? Might be quicker to get rid of us that way!"
© Copyright 2007 The Moscow Times. All rights reserved.
Since then, the confusion level among expats has been unprecedented. As The St. Petersburg Times reported:
"Foreigners in Russia will have to apply for visas in their home countries or in a country where they can stay 90 days or more, a Federal Migration service official said Monday.
The clarification came as government officials attempted to explain the restrictive new rules after foreign business associations were swamped with inquiries about the new system.
Puzzled company representatives packed out events held by the American Chamber of Commerce and Association of European Businesses on Monday, where officials spoke from the Foreign Ministry and Federal Migration Service.
Confusion has reigned among expatriates over an Oct. 4 decree issued by Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov that shook up the application process and slashed the length of time foreigners can stay in Russia on multiple-entry business visas."
Our teammates, the O'Byrnes, were originally composed about the changes. They have lived through so many changes and threatened changes that this seemed like no big deal. I think they are rethinking that now as reports from foreigners actually being given these kinds of visas roll in.
The woman who administers the visas for most missionaries in the city, Alla, herself a Christian, was also sanguine for a while. I think she is sobering too. I trust her to work hard at finding a solution for us, but as of last week, I'm now on proactive mode: I meet with a lawyer this week.
Please pray for God's provision of direction for us.
The Moscow Times
New, Tougher Rules for Business Visas
By Alexander Osipovich
Staff Writer
The government is tightening the screws on foreigners who want to work here full time without a work visa -- and itinerant English teachers look likely to be the first to feel the squeeze.
Multiple-entry business visas, which used to let foreigners stay in Russia for up to one year, will now only allow stays of up to 90 days at a time, according to a decree signed by Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov on Oct. 4.
Under the new rules, such visas will still last one year. But they will only let people stay in Russia for up to 180 days of that year, and for no longer than 90 days at a time. Moreover, if a foreigner stays in Russia for 90 days straight, he or she is then required to leave and not come back until another 90 days have passed.
Zubkov's decree also says foreigners might have to obtain the visas in their native countries -- which implies that U.S. and British expatriates could no longer hop on the train to Kiev for a visa run. But representatives of visa agencies and foreign business lobbies were unsure how that rule would be implemented, and some said it might not apply to Westerners.
What is clear, however, is that expats can no longer stay in Russia endlessly by obtaining multiple-entry business visas and renewing them each year, said Alexei Filippenkov, director of the Visa Delight agency.
"Now, any foreigner who wants to come live here has to either go through the immigration process, and eventually obtain a residence permit, or else find an employer who will prepare a work visa for them," Filippenkov said.
Foreigners with work visas are not affected by the change.
It is unclear whether the new rules will affect foreigners with multiple-entry business visas issued before Zubkov's decree. But Filippenkov said it was unlikely.
Representatives of visa agencies had different takes on the provision in Zubkov's decree about returning to one's home country for a visa.
Filippenkov, of Visa Delight, said the provision about returning to one's home country did not apply to Westerners and was instead directed at countries like China, Turkey and India.
Russian embassies are notoriously inconsistent in their approach to issuing visas. In the past, it has often taken several months to see how rule changes are implemented.
Zubkov's decree puts Russia on the same footing as many Western countries, which also draw a distinction between visas designed for short visits and visas that grant one the right to work.
U.S. citizens who visit Britain, for example, are allowed to stay for up to six months, but they get a stamp in their passport stating they are prohibited from working there.
"The government is making things work the same way as they do in America and Europe," Filippenkov said. Russian citizens face the exact same 90- and 180-day restrictions in Germany, he added.
Still, such comparisons have not reassured expats accustomed to the ease of obtaining multiple-entry business visas and daunted by the obstacles of getting Russian work permits.
"What will they think of next?" asked one visitor at RedTape.ru. "Shooting all foreigners? Might be quicker to get rid of us that way!"
© Copyright 2007 The Moscow Times. All rights reserved.
Since then, the confusion level among expats has been unprecedented. As The St. Petersburg Times reported:
"Foreigners in Russia will have to apply for visas in their home countries or in a country where they can stay 90 days or more, a Federal Migration service official said Monday.
The clarification came as government officials attempted to explain the restrictive new rules after foreign business associations were swamped with inquiries about the new system.
Puzzled company representatives packed out events held by the American Chamber of Commerce and Association of European Businesses on Monday, where officials spoke from the Foreign Ministry and Federal Migration Service.
Confusion has reigned among expatriates over an Oct. 4 decree issued by Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov that shook up the application process and slashed the length of time foreigners can stay in Russia on multiple-entry business visas."
Our teammates, the O'Byrnes, were originally composed about the changes. They have lived through so many changes and threatened changes that this seemed like no big deal. I think they are rethinking that now as reports from foreigners actually being given these kinds of visas roll in.
The woman who administers the visas for most missionaries in the city, Alla, herself a Christian, was also sanguine for a while. I think she is sobering too. I trust her to work hard at finding a solution for us, but as of last week, I'm now on proactive mode: I meet with a lawyer this week.
Please pray for God's provision of direction for us.
Update, December 19th:
I'm feeling much more upbeat after my meeting with the lawyer. The laws are really supposed to be for EU citizens, but they just get applied to others who are in EU countries. So one solution, that appears to be working for now, is to send your visa application to the states for processing. Then you can get the full year visa, as always. Another option, that I still have not excluded, is applying for a three year, permanent residence status. This would allow us to stay the whole three years without a visa (I think) or needing to exit. The only trick is I have to either own real estate or have an official job. Both of these I want to do, but they are no simple tasks, to say the least.
Update, December 28th:
It now looks like we will even be penalized when we leave the country next month for our 6-month registration and forced to re-register after another three months. This is better than the potential of having to stay gone for three months, but I won't feel safe until we get paper in hand.
I've made progress in having an official job, about which I will report later. At this point, I am leaning towards a more stable, long-term solution like a residency permit to the instability of a business visa.
Pray again for the housing situation. We may need to contemplate again a purchase at some point too - not only for the visa's sake, but as a wise investment.
Update: February 5th:
We that the Lord that we were not penalized when we left in January. Even though it's a 1 year visa, we had to leave after 6 months to re-register for some Russian reason. Some people were not getting the full 6 month re-registration. We did. Now we just have to decide what to do for next year, which starts at the end of July.
Our options appear to be 2: Get three-month visas every three months (money and time), or a work permit.
The trick is finding an employer and getting the permission, as there are maximums allowed by law. I have the former (more later). So we'll see...
Update, December 28th:
It now looks like we will even be penalized when we leave the country next month for our 6-month registration and forced to re-register after another three months. This is better than the potential of having to stay gone for three months, but I won't feel safe until we get paper in hand.
I've made progress in having an official job, about which I will report later. At this point, I am leaning towards a more stable, long-term solution like a residency permit to the instability of a business visa.
Pray again for the housing situation. We may need to contemplate again a purchase at some point too - not only for the visa's sake, but as a wise investment.
Update: February 5th:
We that the Lord that we were not penalized when we left in January. Even though it's a 1 year visa, we had to leave after 6 months to re-register for some Russian reason. Some people were not getting the full 6 month re-registration. We did. Now we just have to decide what to do for next year, which starts at the end of July.
Our options appear to be 2: Get three-month visas every three months (money and time), or a work permit.
The trick is finding an employer and getting the permission, as there are maximums allowed by law. I have the former (more later). So we'll see...
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