Planes, trains, and automobiles

Since coming to Russia 10 years ago my family has traveled thousands of miles in several different modes of transportation. 2 of them, starting from infancy, have accumulated more frequent flier miles than most people do in a lifetime.

But over these last 4 years we have felt more like contestants on the Amazing Race, having to leave the country for visa renewal many times more than anticipated (due to some changes in the laws), consuming our time, resources, and energy; all to live in Russia.
We have traveled 32 hours straight over the worst roads I have ever encountered; the kids have had the exhilaration of jumping on to a moving train on our travel from Kiev to K-dar this summer; and our most recent adventure of our vehicle breaking down in the middle of Nowhere, Ukraine.

That adventure will not soon be forgotten...from the close to freezing weather that we slept in for 4 hours with clothes piled over us for warmth, to the beautiful sight of, Igor, from Moldova, driving up at 2 in the morning after being harassed at 3 different borders for not having the right paperwork (this ended in him paying a small "fine" to get through and is one of those times I am thankful for the "system" here). So after climbing into that warm van, I gave that boy a big hug...I held back the kiss which he thanked me for later. And with great favor from the Lord, the car was towed back to Moldova with no problems. We ended this adventure leaving our "stead" behind and flying home, with no complaints by me.

In our 2 terms that we have been on the field in Russia our vehicle has traveled over 200,000 miles, in 10 different countries, through mountains, rivers, off-road and wilderness terrain, roads that have no business being called a road... in rain, hail, sleet and Russian snow; our vehicle has traveled it all. We have transported not only people but camping gear, Royal Ranger material, equipment for evangelism, and helped in moving not just our household but many other M's on the field. It has served well and we hope after some fixing, will continue to serve.

So here is an amazing fact...since 1944 A/G youth have been raising funds for every M on the field to have transportation and equipment needed to reach the lost. The total in giving since then has been estimated to be 300 million.
So to all you amazing teens out there we say, thank you! You are helping us Speed-the-Light to countless youth just like you, not just in Russia but beyond the borders throughout Eurasia through your giving and generosity. We are gearing up for another term and we look forward to the next four years of more travel adventures to reach the lost with the gospel, whatever way we can get there and with your help!

my special gift

So, I missed writing about my precious daughter on her special day and so I will dedicate this post to her.
I just had a birthday yesterday, 4 decades...yes, it is the big one (one of them anyways)and we had a little gathering at a friends to celebrate. My wonderful daughter gifted me with a special poem she wrote for me. Before I share it I want to say that through this season of grief in my life I have found my relationship with my daughter to be more precious and comforting to me than ever before. She blesses me with hugs and words of love at moments when (unknowing to her) I needed it the most. When I long to hear my mom's voice it seems that God sends my daughter to whisper, "I love you!" in my ear. Oh, how sweet...I have discovered in my loss the gift that goes on... this mother daughter relationship.
Haillie Scout is now 15 and has been my strong-willed child, very conscientious, methodical, unique, creative, assertive, smart...I have lots of words for her. She is an amazing girl whom I always said would some day change the world. She has been my biggest lesson and gift from God.


WHAT MOTHERS DO

This is what those mothers do,
To speak the words, "I love you"
She listens while you rave and rant
And while you scream, "I just can't!"
Quietly tells you, "You are wrong."
And pushes you right along.

That's just what those mothers do
To speak the words, "I love you."

She sits near and braids your hair
Because to try, you didn't dare
Of course she'll whisper in your ear
"You're beautiful" then hugs you near

That's just what those mothers do
To speak the words, "I love you"

She'll always kiss you, clean or dirty
Even when you're old and thirty
But when you're bad and got the cranks
She won't hesitate to give you spanks!

That's just what those mothers do
To say the words, " I love you."

Dad's are great, (though some do harm)
They just lack that motherly charm
No one can love you like a mother
The truth is, you need each other

So when your mother kisses your cheek
Or comes in uninvited just for a peek
Remember that's just what those mothers do
To speak the words, "I love you."


Hallie Scout LaRue Broberg

saying goodbye

It continues, the difficulty of staying in this country. As you may know we are in the middle of applying with the government to live here long term. Many families have made the decision of leaving and there are only a handful of us left that are in a waiting period with this. There is no anxiety in what we have already given to God. Faith and trusting have become a lifestyle for us. Still we deal with the emotions that come when having to say goodbye.
We have had to say good-bye to many friends... good friends. If you have never lived here it is hard to understand all the difficulties and opposition we come against. I have sat and cried with friends as we packed up their belongings mourning a ministry and life they had loved so much and worked so hard at. It is a difficult decision, and 1 that I could never judge. We know the warfare, pain, and sacrifice, that comes with this life but at times I think it takes more faith to leave.
Last week we again found ourselves having to say goodbye and deal with the loss of more friends. Over the years I have tried to counsel my children in words like, "we can enjoy the thought of having friends all over the world!" and "just think about how God brought those friends to us especially for this time in our lives...they will always be dear to us through those memories if not forever through the years!" These little reminders are not just for my children. I find myself gaining so much from each friend that God puts in my path to journey together for a time, surprising me in hidden treasures that I didn't know were there.
Recently, my daughter said to her friend Sarah as they said goodbye for the last time, "See you tomorrow!" This was her way of dealing with the pain, and although we will mourn our loss, I like the sentiment behind those words. So, to all my dear friends old, and new, thank you! I love you and am grateful for having shared part of life with you, you have taught me so much and I will see you in a tomorrow...

My 13 year lesson on boys...Happy birthday, Noah!

Today is my son's birthday. We already celebrated it but I thought I would write a post in honor of him.
From his beginning Noah was easy. His delivery was quick and easy and that was just a foreshadowing of what life in general would be like with Noah. He has been our easy-going, fun loving boy from the start. Always able to take bossing from his sister and endure wounds without a tear. And it seems that I just looked away and when I looked back he had turned into this young man.
I never had a brother and boys have been quite the mystery to me but having a son has given me an up close and personal lesson on the joy and struggles of boys. I am now a more understanding and compassionate woman to my dear "brothers" in this world! All I have to do is think about my own son and it gives me a greater sensitivity to their plight.
When Noah was 4 he said he was going to live with me forever! When Noah was 6 he said he would build a house right next door and live but he would not get married. When he was 8 he said that he would probably get married and live next door. When he was 10 he said that he would probably not live next door. Now he says, he might not even live in the same country. Having boys is both exciting and heartbreaking for a mom. God made it so they naturally pull away from mom to be mentored by dad...and mom just gets to cheer them on from the sidelines and put in her advice here and there. The pulling away is happening and I am rejoicing that my boy is growing up and learning to be a man from one of the best men I know, his father.
God gave me an incredible gift in my son Noah, and along with that a new perspective of "boy"...they are fascinating!

Love Your Neighbors

I took up running again in January. Long distance running, which for me is anything over 200 meters and has been a thing I have tried to stay away from...I used to love to sprint when I was young..er...*smile*(I am only 39 you know). But now I am embracing the discipline of truly running. It is quite the addiction once you get past the painful stage, and the wonderful endorphins kick in. I live in a rural neighborhood and so I have great choices of running routes to choose from, on dirt roads free from traffic and other then having to dodge pot holes, face-off with the occasional loose guard dog, and pause for sheep crossing, it is very peaceful with pleasant scenery.
We have lived in this area for 3 years now and you know that everyone has seen the Americans that live in the neighborhood (we are those people that wave and smile as we go by) and if they haven't I think they have now. It is hard to hide while wearing a Dr. Pepper baseball cap and a Michigan Wolverines hoodie. I stopped trying to blend in years ago... the accent, clothes, maybe my features and the fact that I don't have the gift of walking with a "runway-model" sashay, (like so many of the beautiful Russian ladies) give away that I am a foreigner.

We pray for our neighbors and not long ago in prayer time with the kids we asked for more opportunities to share God's love with them. Alas, not three days later one of our neighbors, Sergei, wandered over looking for help to lift some heavy things that his wife was unable to help him lift. He had been searching for a while and couldn't find anyone,and was obviously distraught by his predicament. Pointing to a house close by he said, "the man that lives there is not a good person!" (There is a prejudice among many Russians against Armenians and Sergei is Armenian). I think we were his last hope...not sure about those Americans? So, after chatting about what state we were from and the weather, I offered him the best I had and since Mark was gone that was my oldest son, Noah. Sergei was thankful and as he left he said, "People should be good, thank you for being good, I wish you goodness and happiness!" Noah came back 1 hour later with a bounce in his step and a bag full of cherries in his hand.

Sharing Jesus is more than words it is a radiant presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives,and just like I can't hide the fact that I am a foreigner, with my red Dr. Pepper cap, so it is for the christian "alien"...we are (hopefully) obviously different than the world around us and others feel it, see it, want to know it.

I noticed a lady on several of my runs, taking walks on my route, I am almost sure that she did this on purpose and so when our paths finally crossed I stopped to greet her. Lena, from, Samara, with 2 small children. I now pray for her by name as I run by her house and hope for more opportunities for my family and I to share the love of Jesus with her and all my neighbors.

Perspective

It has been a long time since I have sat down to write, I have needed some time to heal, to listen, to grow. It has been a dichotomous year, challenging my faith in ways I never have felt before while building an amazing trust as I weather the the waves of pain and hang on to the anchor I have in Him. I have been here before, I never do like it, but I always look back and think, "that was the hardest time and the sweetest time." Intimacy comes in those times of being stripped naked of our comforts, our "blessings"...thank you, Lord. Along this same thought I would like to share with you the faith of the church we are so privileged to be working with.
Easter is a big holiday here for most nationals, it seems to be the one thing that tradition has thrived in the wonderful symbolic things they do to honor Jesus. I have always enjoyed it more here than in the states. Our church is a large one, and has to rent a large facilities every year to house the congregation of 4000,this year it was to be held in the sports hall. There was an attempt to discourage the meeting on Good Friday, but with some solving it seemed to fail. Sunday morning, yet another attempt took place, a bomb threat...so when arriving we were told to go home, the service had been canceled. My heart broke and I could not hold back the tears as we drove home, disappointed in not being able to celebrate and worship together with our church but more than that, for our church, this country, and my Jesus.
The next week our church met in a smaller facility and had 2 services for a late Easter celebration, and I asked a friend about his thoughts on the whole thing. I told him how I felt, how awful it is to have such adversity, his reply to me was, "In other countries not far from here, people are being put in prison for their faith, some are dying."....Perspective. I tell this story for the purpose to highlight the faith of the church here not the adversary, because it is not about the trials but about the victory...the victory that is ours, no matter what and
the resilience of a people whose faith is challenged and built on a long history of "disappointments" but has stood, (Matt 16:18 "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...") because they know, (Ephesian 6:12) "... we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against...the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
May our perspective be influenced not by what we see, but what we know, what God says to be true and by a faith that believes in moving mountains.

We have arrived back in Russia! It has been 2 months now since back and we have been busy with many birthday celebrations (Noah, Jonah, Haillie, all have summer birthdays) and all the work of getting settled. Our team has been very helpful and we have seen a lot of great things accomplished through joint efforts.

I have struggled in my grief and last week I made a choice to take the extended hand of Christ, crossing over the threshold of anger and fear of a seemingly weak and/or mean God, while trying to reconcile myself through any thoughts of failure in faith concerning my mom and her last days. I must admit that I was too scared and angry to grab hold before now, feeling like David felt when Uzzah was slain by God for touching the ark of the covenant when it was being brought to Jerusalem.What was a celebration turned to anger and fear of a powerful, almighty God, who does as He wills.
When all that is in me wants to run, I have decided to cling to the faith He has proven to me over all my years, there is no turning back now, we have history. I keep building up that monument of faith that has brought me through the years and add another stone.
This summer my garden has been my therapy. I sweat in the hot sun, weeding, digging,watering,binding up, pruning away dead and unhealthy branches, and the Holy Spirit comforts me with thoughts of my Lord laboring away on me in the same way and sometimes having to inflict pain. I embrace the wounds of a faithful loving God who scars me for the purpose of growing a more beautiful plant and an abundance of fruit Such love, care, and patience He puts into me, so much more than I do over my small little garden.