Happy New Year from Tambov!!

It's officially 2011!

We stayed up for dinner and were surprised by an amazing feast for almost 70 people! The worship team sang in the new year accompanied by the Russian youth. It was so heartfelt and beautiful. Pastor Vadim played bass along with a really great contemporary band...it was something so pure and sweet and lovely that it touched all of us. Really, really amazing and hard to describe. After singing songs of praise, many lifted up their voices in prayer for country, church, and youth. What a beautiful testimony! We are blessed! We didn't think we'd make it to midnight, and we're so glad that we did! Then, we watched fireworks lighting up Tambov from the third story of the church. The party continues downstairs with the tradition of giving gifts to one another after midnight. We're giving ourselves the gift of sleep!

Anya says these are the beautiful words they were singing,
"The whole earth is filled with your mercy. My life is filled with your mercy."

Happy 2011!

--Megan

In All Fairness

As we were ribbing each other about the previous journal entry, it came to our attention that we had left Jim out of the public humiliation.

Not wanting to be inequitable, Jim would like to point out that he doesn't remember falling asleep during tonight's church service. He only remembers waking up three times.

The Guys' Shower

The Girls' Shower

New Year's Eve...We win!

We get to ring in the New Year ten hours earlier than our Boise friends...that is if we can all stay awake that long! We've been on the go for about 50-some hours. We did have our berths in the train last night, but we're looking forward to tonight's first sleep in a stationary bed. We posted a picture of the New Year's Eve service we just attended. We stood in the balcony, so that Anya could translate for us without disturbing the service. Every one of us struggled with standing upright...especially with eyes closed for prayer. (Russians always stand when praying, even before a meal.) The effects of jet lag are at work, and it feels like the room is moving! Anya assures us that the building is standing still. All that aside, it was very neat to worship alongside the Russians...the most unique New Year's celebration ever! The youth sang together (pictured) and we even got to sing along when they sang Tee Ha Ya Noach. There was three different sermons reminding us to invite in the New Year in prayer, desiring God's will for our lives. It was a stark contrast to be in bustling Moscow last night, and in church tonight. The youth have moved in for Youth Camp at the church. They will have a New Year's Party until 3:00 AM...we're just hoping to keep our eyes open for dinner at 11:00 PM. There's only two showers for the 40 people staying on our floor. One in Megan/Jen/Anya's room and one in Rader/Jim/Larry's room. We've had a steady stream of youth coming in and out of our rooms to use the showers. They recently updated the shower in the girls' room, so there's plenty of jokes going around about the disparity between our shower and the guys' room. The guys' also have a special odor in the room due to an unknown plumbing problem. Larry's going to investigate. I'll post pictures of the showers, and let the public vote who they'd like to stay with.

We're all feeling quite rummy from jet lag, so we're laughing A LOT!

We're teasing Jen about the lap top she LOST (It was stolen.)

Jen is retaliating by taking photos of Jim and Larry when they doze off (while waiting for dinner.)

We're writing a "Idiots for Russian" by Larry Howell based on his hilarious pronunciation of the Russian word for thank you.

Anya is naming a "Worst of the Day" award for whoever is demonstrating the most evident symptoms of jet lag. Jen won yesterday. Rader is the front runner for today.

Jen won "Pathetic Traveler of the Day" by going to the bathroom at 2:30 in the morning on the train, getting disoriented, and then not being able to find our cabin. She had to go into the cabins of many sleeping Russians, patting the bunks to feel for her luggage and calling out "Anya" in a desperate voice.

Rader lost $6 on his multiple slippery moments in Moscow. ($2 per fall.)

Megan won for best reaction to a "Five Hour Energy" drink. (The other title of the award is "Most Culturally Inappropriate.")

And God bless us every one. Yappy Hew Near!

--Megan

New Year's Eve Party...Tambov Style!

Jetlag is setting in.

I just got up from a nap after several members of our team walked to the store to exchange currency. Feeling pretty groggy right now and the kids have started to arrive at the church. It is starting to get noisy and rooms are filling up. At 3pm we were invited to have a "snack" which consisted of bread, cheese, salami and tea which hit the spot.

At 4pm we had "lunch" which was quite good, a simple noodle soup and a dish called Bulov which is some sort of rice and meat combination that is quite good. We are blowing through the instant coffee at a rapid rate but we'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Heading to the 6pm service.

-Rader

Tambov Church - Girls Quarters

McDonald's Moscow - I'm Lovin' It!

Team in Red Square - St. Basil's

Domodedevo Airport - Getting on the Train to Moscow

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

After many, many hours of flying we jumped on a train and took a short ride into Moscow. We spent the day riding the subway and walking all over Moscow seeing the sights. To say that Moscow is like no place I've ever visited is a huge understatement. People here move fast and with purpose, locals also seem to be born with an incredible ability to stay on their feet. This is in spite of the fact that every surface is coated with 2 inches of ice and snow and most of the floor surfaces are either tile, concrete, or some other extremely slippery surface. The subway system is completely insane, I had no idea where I was most of the afternoon and was overwhelmed by all the PEOPLE, EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME

My first impressions:

Flying - Luftansa was cool, great movies to watch on the way and great service. Just wish I could have slept more, I don't want to see another airplane for 12 more days.

Domodedevo Airport - Insane, wall to wall people but really nice to be on the ground again.

Moscow Subway - Insane, wall to wall people. People do not make eye contact here and have no understanding of the concept of "personal space". Still everyone seemed polite enough and accomodated each other getting in and out of the car.

Moscow Red Square - Beautiful, incredible architecture. Tons of history, you can tell that the Russians take pride in this place. Also, absolutely frigid especially when the wind is blowing.

Moscow McDonald's - Insane, wall to wall people at every location. The ladies had to circle like vultures to get our table. Can't get over how crazy each place was, people standing in line, in freezing temps, for 20 minutes to get fast food. I found the taste of the food to be very comparable to the US. I had the Royal Deluxe (Big N' Tasty in US) and it was good. I've now exceeded my sodium quota for 2011.

We were dead on our feet by the time we jumped on the train to Tambov at 10pm. The 6x6 train compartment barely fit 3 men and our baggage. However, to lay down and be lulled to sleep by the motion and sounds of the train was very nice after 30 hours of non-stop going. We were awakened by knocking on the door from someone working on the train. She spoke in Russian but I'm pretty sure she said something like, "Welcome to Tambov, now get off my train".

Vadim, Misha, and Anatoly picked us up this morning and we piled into a van and Anatoly's car. It was a short drive to the church where we unloaded and sat down for very nice breakfast prepared by some women at the church. This meal was such a blessing with fresh fruit, cereal, meats and cheeses. We all felt especially blessed considering our last 4-5 meals were either McDonald's or airplane food. This is probably more food than some of these people have seen in weeks and they are very gracious hosts.

I'm being accused of writing a book so I'll sign off for now. More to come.

To God Be the Glory!

-Rader

We Arrived!

Team Tambov arrived safe and sound in Tambov around 9:30 PM Boise time Thursday night. Thanks for praying for our journey. Everything went smoothly with the exception that it appears a computer we brought for one of our Russian friends may have been stolen while our luggage was checked in Moscow.

I'm going to have the first-timers post the blogs for awhile because it's more fun to see through their eyes. Check back often!

Tonight is the New Year's Eve service from 6 to 8, then there's a party with the camp kids from 11 to 3 AM. Not much chance this carcass will be seeing 3 AM in a conscious state. Camp starts on New Year's Day. My prayer request is that my voice will be strong enough for all the speaking. The remnants of a cold have attacked my throat.

Jim

Call In The Teamsters

Our coalition of 9 American churches has been involved with the churches of Tambov for four years now, and we've made great friends with our Russian partners. They know they can trust us and that we will do all we can to help them in as many ways as possible in addition to training them. As Team Tambov prepares to leave we have quite a list of things we're bringing to our Russian friends. I wonder if we can get in trouble with the Teamsters Union for hauling so much stuff without them being involved . . .

320 knitted hats from University Bible Church in Pocatello to give away to orphans
Computer for Sergei Stepanov, who runs an internet radio ministry. (Electronic gear costs nearly double in Russia, so they save up their money and send us their orders.)
Computer for a Russian couple serving in Tambov with TELA youth ministry
Video Projector for the church in Michurinsk and pastor Raphael Atikov
Christmas gifts for our beloved translator Anya. The Energizer Bunny of translators runs well on peanut butter and Cheezits, but we're taking a few more substantial gifts as well.
Craft supplies for Winter Camp
Supplies for silly games we hope to use at Camp
Two American footballs which should be entertaining with kids who think "futbol" means soccer
And if we have some extra room we're going to take some clothes and winter gear for ourselves

Thanks for praying for us. Lord willing, in 19 days and 23 hours we'll be in the air!

No more hurdles!

A trip like this suddenly crashes into the "really going to happen" category of your mind when all the bureaucratic hurdles are cleared.

Our visas have arrived, our tickets are bought, and the clock is ticking toward our December 29 departure. Our intrepid band is planning to unveil our rendition of "Teehaya noach, deevnayah noach!" (Silent Night) in Russian at the HBC Christmas Eve service. Larry, Megan, Rader and Jen are hard at work on planning games, crafts and activities for Winter Camp, and I have a bunch of material ready for preaching at camp and teaching in the Doctrine of Salvation class.

Between Camp and Class comes the main event of our trip, the many Immanuel's Child outreach events we will be part of. Please keep praying for the more than 800 Russian kids who will hear the gospel, almost all of them for the first time.

There are also plans afoot for our team to make an electronic "appearance" in church on January 9. Everything technological is ready for a final test once we're in Russia.

Thanks for praying for us!

Russians reaching Russians

Part of the genius of Immanuel's Child is that it's a way Americans can help Russian Christians fulfill their desire to reach Russians with the gospel. Our resources and their zeal are a great combination! Now some Russian Americans are getting into the act.

Today I was visited by a woman named Luba. In 1988 she and her family (7 brothers, 3 sisters and her parents) were allowed to leave the Soviet Union after pressure was exerted by the United States on behalf of them and many other Christians and Jews who had been persecuted for years. Her brothers were released from prison the day before they boarded trains to leave the USSR. Luba is now part of a small group of Russian-speakers who live in the Boise area.

Luba heard about Immanuel's Child through our radio program and called me a few weeks ago to ask about it. The purpose of her visit today was to tell me their little group of believers has raised over $300 for Immanuel's Child! Even though the deadline has passed for sending stars, I promised her our team will take the money and give it to the brothers and sisters in Tambov for the project. She also wants me (and I hope, our whole team) to visit their group before and/or after our trip.

Please be inspired by the hearts of these people who yearn for their former countrymen to hear the gospel. Pray for the more than 850 kids who will hear the gospel, and for the parents who bring them to the IC events. Each parent who brings kids will be offered a Bible.

Before the IC events start, our team will serve alongside our Russian partners at Winter Camp. I'm doing the Bible teaching and the rest of our team is doing games and crafts. We've been practicing singing "Silent Night" in Russian. We'll be ready to sing at all times as a token of our desire to connect with Russian kids. Our first public performance will be at the HBC Christmas Eve service.

God is good!

For the past two months, our church family has been raising money to purchase stars for Immanuel's Child. For those not familiar with this ministry, each paper ornament costs $25 and represents one child in Russia who will receive a substantial Christmas gift including a Russian children's Bible.  Attached to their gift is this star that says the name of the person from the United States who purchased that gift. Children from around the community are invited to church for a Christmas program. (Our Boise team will be singing "Silent Night" in Russian as part of the program...practice underway!)  Many children hear about Jesus for the very first time! This is one of the most effective outreaches in Russian churches. The children are amazed to receive such generous gifts,  prepared by the Russian church workers with the money that we are now sending.  We set a lofty goal of 325 stars for our church family, and as of this past Sunday the total had skyrocketed past 500 stars! To God be the glory! Combined with the stars from other churches in our coalition, we will get to share the gospel with over 800 children!  Please pray for each of the children who will receive gifts and hear the powerful message of the gospel!

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the GOSPEL which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which you also are saved...For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Cor. 15:1-4

Team is preparing

Our team is Jim Harris, Rader and Megan Eberhardt, Jen Basel and Larry Howell. Please pray as we prepare to depart on December 29. There is lots of work to do!

We will be helping with Youth Winter Camp January 1-4. Jim will teach twice each day and the team will help with games and sports. We'll participate in Immanuel's Child outreaches in 10-12 locations January 5-11, then Jim teaches Doctrine of Salvation to the pastors and church planters.

During our time in Russia we'll take turns posting here as often as we have access to the internet.

Thanks in advance for your prayers!

Follow HBC's team to Tambov!

Follow this blog as HBC's team travels to Tambov for the Immanuel's Child Christmas outreach in January 2011.