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