Many Are Called But Few Are Frozen: The Flood

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

The Flood

Dear Family and Friends,

Ussuriysk my home of 7 months or so has been taking quite a lot of rain falling from the heavens so much so that the park where we always play soccer every week has flooded with water. A restaurant is not too far from the soccer field and if the rain keeps up it will be swimming as well. That is what happened last year apparently. It is a good area, away from the city and quiet, but it was a bad idea for them to put that restaurant there.

We went to the youth service of our Friends at the Peace Church on Saturday because they were nice enough to give us service. Interesting meeting. Started of with hymns played on the guitar and piano and everyone stands up and sings and some people put their hands up in the air when they are really feeling it I guess. We then sat down and a young girl went up to the front of the room and we read out of 2 Samuel. Everyone reads the verse together whenever they read verses and if they agree with what the person says they say amen after it. Their teacher came up to the front after the singing and taught out of the bible. She was Korean and taught in Korean but they had a Russian girl translate into Russian. Overall, it was a really good service. Almost everything they said was correct. The teacher gave out $100 to a girl in the class who had read the bible all the way through. It was an example of how God, when we keep his commandments will bless us.

Our friends who we play soccer with invited us to go watch the city's team. Our team won 7-2! They started off rocky but after 20 minutes they got it going. We also made it out to K's and talked with him for a second and invited him to church on Sunday. His field looks really good and the rain is helping a lot.

It was a good week, we got a few phone numbers from a few young guys and hope to see progress with them. We were walking home last night and one of these guys called us over to the bus stop they were sitting on and he knew a lot about churches and said he believed in the bible but didn't know if any church itself was true. We didn't ask him this, he just came out and said it. He looks pretty promising. He gave us his number and is going to come to the church next week.

O just walked in the door of the church, I guess he's back! I hope we can get him back on the right path he has been gone for several months now.

I love you all!

Elder Wilding

The flood

VLAD

My planner and the broken snow globe

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Who are you, boy? Poem to Missionaries from Russian Convert, circa 2000

Who are you boy? For a boy you are journeyed to this land of ours, this land where I've endured my days. And felt oppression kill my soul and force me into some tight mold. And teach me that I should not hope unless I care to smell the smoke of dreams that the Red Army tamed. Who are you boy, from this land of plenty, teaching God, if there is any. You have all; we have none. Do you know what that feels like, son? And yet, you ask me to believe in something that I cannot see; some force you say will bring me joy. Do you know what that feels like, boy? Where you're from, faith is free, but it has a price for me. When I have pain, I have my bottle. Hurt dies quick when you down it with Vodka. That's enough to warm my soul. I work, I sleep, the days go by--I'm waiting for the day I die. You don't understand this place. You say believe, obey, have faith, live life well, serve and give. Here in Russia, we just live. Who are you, boy? Why did you come? To save a soul who once was numb. To teach a wretched, hateful, man who cursed your help, refused your hand. I thought that we were worlds apart. So how is it that you knew my heart? A fraction my age, you calmed my rage; mercy paid my generous wage. I should have been left behind. It is hard to love my kind. Hope in your heart, power in your hands, why did you come to this distant land? I know now, it was for me. The Red Curtain fell, but I was not free. Until a boy from nations away brought me my Lord, I bless the day. He led me to weep at my Master's feet, the American boy I met on the street--new and naive, still in his teens, with a message to bring the world to its knees. I thought that the truth would come from another--I did not know this boy was my brother.