Day 4 - Moscow to Smolensk

Have you ever wondered where birch trees were created? I can tell you. Russia.

Millions, and millions, and millions of them. Birch trees everywhere. Their white bark as far as the eye can see is truly a sight to behold. Spring has not quite come here. And it threatens to be pretty cold before we leave a week from tomorrow (Friday). But Spring is almost here. The buds are bugeoning on the birch trees. The world here will soon become green.

(Members of the group wait for the train to start boarding. Hardest part? Negotiating the coffee shops with limited Russian language skills. That,and moving 30 pieces of luggage and backpacks on and off trains.)

Today we took the train 5 hours to the west to our mission partner in Smolensk. This area of Russia, near Poland and Belarus was long ago visited by German Baptists. And so Protestants here are mostly Baptist. After the suppressions of the 1930's, churches here were allowed to be reestablished after WWII. Why here? Perhaps because this area (remember, near Poland, western Russia) was devasted by World War II and German occupation. They needed the gift of faith to survive the terror of the after-war hardships. I have no way of proving this. This a thought. A theory.

And so the Baptists who had been here for so long began again after the war had ended, just when hope and trust and God was most needed.

Twenty or so years ago, White Memorial got involved and partnered with Pastor Victor and the Smolensk Baptist Church. And we have each, in Raleigh and in Smolensk, been enriched time and time and time again by this relationship.

I am happy to say that we found the right train and we navigated our way through stations across platforms well enough.

(Judy and Dan quiz Ellen Smith, our Russia Mission Network co-partner. The train was quite pleasant).

(Colin looks out the window as the Russian landscape zooms by. Note the birch trees. Here a birch tree, there a birch tree...it is amazing.)

(Victor meets us at the train station in Smolensk. Members of the group take in our new surroundings.)

So, where to stay in Smolensk? Well, we are staying at the "camp" outside the city that the church has spent the last several years building. Our church, White Memorial, has been a major partner in this effort. Sending teams of workers, money, and other forms of support to help the camp become a functioning site for ministry. Now weddings, meetings, conferences for religious and secular groups, educational seminars, and summer camps for the children of Smolensk, including many orphans we sponsor through scholarships, all take place here. This place, like many other similar efforts around the world, is as if a dream rose out of the dirt and became real. It took a big vision and a grand calling to dream this place into being. It takes a great faith and huge amounts of prayer to see it take form and become something very real.

(Rodnik, the church camp where we are staying.)

To be here is to be blessed in a very specific way. Simply to come these 5,000 miles is a form of witness. Witness to our friendship in faith. Witness to our joy at seeing this dream take shape. A witness to our hope that we will be able to witness more growth and more ministry in years to come here in this place.

Victor and his family, as well as the members of his church, are proud of what they have accomplished. They dream of expanding: building soccer fields and outdoor picnic areas. And I say, why not? To make anything of goodness, grace, and witness one must have a big dream, a grand calling, and a depth of faith. Thus far, these folks have proven to possess as much. Why think they cannot make it happen?

(The main assembly room at the camp. What do you see when you look at this photograph. Look closely. There is a lot going on here. A lot of tools of ministry are present. On a related note: the cross-quilt on the wall was made by WMPC members.)

(Victor begins a tour of the building. Lydia, Jerry, Judy, Jean, Dan, Mary Grace, Ellen, and Irinia - Mary Grace's friend from Belarus who joined us today for a few days - listen to Victor tell of the uses of the camp.)

(Lunch was abundant! Olya, our translator, Victor, and Christopher talk about the days ahead immediately following the meal.)

(What were those 30 bags mostly packed with? Things from White Memorial sent to help the camp, to aid orphans, and to help with the various ministries of the church in the community. Blankets, TShirts for camp, hundreds of pairs of socks, hygiene items, kitchen utensils, arts supplies, puzzles....the list could go on. Included here are items and quilts from the knitting ministry at White Memorial.)

What will be doing in Smolensk?

Well a break down would look like this:

- Friday: meeting with Russian Orthodox Church clergy and touring the Smolensk cathedral; then meeting with members of the governor's staff to tell them about interfaith efforts in the US.

- Saturday: we travel a good deal out of Smolensk to visit the small rehabilitation center the church supports. Alcohol and drug addictions are major obstacles in this part of Russia.

- Sunday: church day. Including conversations between our church members about different ministries that people are devoting their gifts to getting done.

- Monday: visiting orphanages, delivering supplies, etc..

It will be a full few days.  Here's hoping for abundant grace in days to come.

Prayer requests:

-that meetings with Smolensk church and state officials will go well

- that we will preach and sing and share about our faith and congregation faithfully on Sunday

-safe travels for our group

- our families back home