My mama

I want to thank you for your for my mom, for all the encouraging notes you have sent to me in the last couple weeks.  I received your support and care with gratitude.  My mom is out of the hospital and has a few weeks off work to recover from the surgery.  She was up and walking slowly in the first few days after she got operated on.  I delivered her the words and encouragement and assurance of prayers many of you had sent. She  asked me to thank everyone. With tears in her eyes she said “Probably because of all the prayers I'm recovering so quickly”.   The risk the surgery under anesthesia contained for her heart was very high.   My mom was afraid to not wake up.  And when she did I knew Father had showed His love and mercy to my family yet another time.   If you think of my mother please pray for her continued healing (she's been experiencing pain in lower abdomen and her back) and for her to receive the love of Jesus Christ with an open heart. 

Back in USSR, or the season in Russia

Since I left home four years ago my mom had been in a hospital about  ten times with various illnesses.   It was hard to be away and not be there for her.  But Father God had always taken care of her and given me peace. It has been good to reconnect with my family during this furlough.   But reverse culture shock hit me hard when I first came here.  I had been struggling for two months feeling lost and sometimes guilty for not being able to connect to the place and people I had known but been away from. Even the warm summer temperatures were cold for me, people on the bus were rude, fruits were all imported and everybody spoke Russian!  Actually after I switched from full time English and Thai to full time Russian I realized that I myself spoke those other languages much more politely. Oh well, we are not our culture but our culture is  a part of us, eh.