First of all, I can not believe it is October and temps are still hitting the high 90's pushing 100 degrees. This is amazing to me!!
I am listening to The Polar Express so I can feel like Fall is in the air! :) I love Christmas music!! And Fall!!!
I am going walking with my friend Cassie!! I wished I had more availability to go walking with people so I would actually go... I never can talk myself into doing it on my own. I just got off the phone with Cassie and she told me I had to wear sunscreen. My response to her was, "Yes mother". I think she is younger than me... and if she isn't... she isn't much older... but have no fear mother... people everywhere are trying to take care of me for you!!
And on that note... a co-worker came into my office today letting me know that a pair of pants I wore last week were inappropriate. I will not mention why over the blog and if you are really that interested you can call me to ask. Moral of the story... I need to start walking so I can then start jogging so I then can start losing all the weight I have gained over the last year so the clothes I own will actually fit and look appropriate on!
I have been thinking a lot recently about my most recent trip with Come before Winter. I am so thankful to be the age I am and be able to be actively involved in such an amazing ministry! I work with a team of phenomenal women and the women that attendthe renewal every time are stinkin' amazing!!!
As I reflect back on my week in St. Petersburg, Russia I am reminded of how blessed we are in America. There are a lot of problems we are faced with daily. We feel that at moments in time life can't get any worse. We believe that most everything should cater to us in some way, shape or form and yet... we live in a society that a lot of people from a lot of different countries would love to be a part of.
We fail to remember how lucky we are to go to the schools we go to, the universities we are able to take student loans out for so we are able to attend, how easy it is to rent or own a property to live in, or being raised openly in a Christian home and not being persecuted for it.
A majority of the women we worked with in Russia were born and raised in or around Russia. Most of their families were not Christians and just the mere act of learning about Christ,trusting in Him and professing their faith has opened the door to persecution, abandonment, family members taken them to court to make them legally disowned; and yet them come with a smile and a genuine interest of desiring to know Christ more today than they did yesterday.
I think of Christians I know; I think of myself. Would I be able to handle that? Would I be able to stand up for something so strongly knowing that my family might shut the front door in my face? I have no idea....
A blessing of getting to travel to other countries and interact with a local people continually reminds me of the blessings that I daily have and that the struggles that I face will come to pass... as they always have before.
I can't get the words Suzanne shared with me one evening after a talk she had with 'Natasha'. "How do I raise a Christian baby," Natasha asked Suzanne. It never occurred to me that these 'baby Christians'; these women who have only known Christ for maybe 5 years... or less... wouldn't know how to raise children in a Christian home. How could they? They've never seen what that looks like? It makes we weep thinking about it... for sorrow in the true pain and concern that these young Christian mothers feel... and yet for joy in the excitement that is to come.
The day I returned from St. Petersburg I had a short lay-over in Dallas. Mom, Dad and Veeves met me at the airport for hugs and a little bit of chatting! I told them about my above thoughts and asked if they even knew who the first Christians in our family were. Neither of them had an immediate response. What a blessing my life has been to be raised in a family who through thick and thin have loved deeply and relied heavily on the Lord to carry us through... and that from generations and generations back this has been instilled in us...
...and how awesome will to be for these families in and around Russia to grow from generation to generation knowing that "Natasha" was the great great great great great great great... grandmother who first learned about Christ and shared her faith with her family.
How exciting!
That is what I walked away with that week. There are so many other snap shots and blessings that occurred that week... but that image... that thought is the one I will carry with me for many many years... and I hope that I can raise Christian children who desire to learn and follow the faith that the many generations before me paved!
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2 comments:
Cath, thanks for taking time to write down your impressions so that you can share them with the folks who care so much about you. It is such a blessing to be part of a Christian family and also to have the opportunity to encourage these young-in-the-faith ladies from such a different culture. And I am glad you have Cassie in Tucson to walk with. We will serve you tofu turkey and fat free broth at thanksgiving so you can once again wear the pants which fit the Cath of yesteryear "appropriately". Sometimes we need those wake-up calls, I guess, but what a bummer to hear!
I love you and am so glad that your trip inspired and encouraged you so much. I miss you tons. I hope that you have a great weekend. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, your blogs are generally more insightful than mine and I love reading them!!
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