I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord . . .

Class was a success. Then came the tough part, which Jen apparently found quite amusing. You know if you've read the previous post.

The real story of the imprisonment . . .

We're playing cards and relaxing and get called to dinner. I had just thrown on a shirt after our shopping trip. It wasn't fully buttoned and the shirt tail was not tucked in. Anya was standing in the door of the guys' room talking to me, so I ducked into the restroom to tuck in my shirt tail. I doubt I was in there more than 15 seconds.

I came out to find the room empty and the door locked. I could hear the voices of my "friends" reverberating as they were starting down the stairs (we live on the 4th floor). They couldn't hear me yell or the pounding on the door over their banter. Time: 5:58 PM.

6:02 PM. I start my computer and wait for it to boot up. I plug in MagicJack and wait for it to boot up.

6:04 PM. I call Anya and get no answer. I try again in case she didn't feel it vibrate in her pocket.

6:05 PM. I remember noticing that Anya left her phone in her room when we were called to dinner. Surely they've noticed by now that I'm not at dinner. Shouldn't be long.

6:06 PM. Waxing brilliant, I place a call to Jenni Myers who is in Ohio. I know she will have Vadim's cell number on her phone and I know Vadim is at dinner with my "friends." Three rings, then a cheery voice answers: "The person you are calling has a voice mail box that has not been set up."

6:07, 6:08, 6:09, 6:10, etc. I entertain myself by calling Jenni over and over. Same result. Did I mention that the only chair in our room is in the other room where we were using it during our card game? Being on my knees at the computer table is getting a little old.

6:15 PM. I hear some voices and figure my "friends" are coming for me. Wrong. Someone too far away to hear the pounding or my voice.

6:20 PM. I redeem the time by copying sermon notes to my thumb drive so that if I'm released from prison I can print them to use Sunday in Kirsanov. Doesn't kill much time.

6:25 PM. I notice we have oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, some candy, milk, bottled water and tea bags in the room. Looks like I can survive here for a few days if necessary.

6:30 PM. More voices, and these are closer. I pound, and female voices reply in Russian. I don't know what they're saying, so I call out in my pig-Russian what I think means "Where are Anya and my American "friends? I need a key!" One of the voices replies in English (praise God for a dear sister in Christ who is from Aurstralia) "What do you need?" I explain and hear the wonderful words "We have a key!"

"Click," and the door opens. I'm greeted by two very amused ladies. Rick Kirschmann is just walking down the hallway toward my room. My "friends" sent Rick instead of facing me themselves!

6:35 PM. I arrive downstairs where all but one person in the room is truly amused. The stone cold plate of food at my usual place is the only thing left on the table after the whole group finished dinner and cleaned up. My food is warmed by the gracious cook who would have been home with her family by now if weren't for my "friends." I'm sure glad I gave her some of Marsha's toffee as a thank-you gift this afternoon!

By the time I finish a nice talk with Vadim, get my notes printed and get back to my room my "friends" are guffawing in front of my computer which they have helped themselves to in order to post their twisted view of the event on the blog .

First time I've been imprisoned in the cause of serving Christ.

- Jim