Smolensk- Day 3 - "The Trees are a Witness"

"The trees are a witness."

That's what Ellen, our PCUSA Russia Mission Network partner says.  We are at Katyn. Not the Katyn in Belarus. That story is hard on its own. This is Katyn about 10 minutes outside of Smolensk. Under the roots of these trees are buried countless, and I do mean countless, Poles and Russians. 

The Poles fled Poland after Nazi invasions. The Soviet government at that time executed them for one reason or another. Alongside of them were executed Russians who were deemed enemies of the state. Christians. Many priests.  Pastors.  Victor, our Russian-partner pastor, tells us his grandfather is somewhere in this soil.

Every step of Katyn a reminder of what happens when xenophobia, the lust for power, the idol of control, racism, and jingoism take control over people's thinking and actions. Such ideologies are best left in the past. Such places as Katyn must be visited and remembered. They are the only defense we have -- these memories -- against such horrible things happening again.

"The trees are a witness."

Yes. And we walk among them. And tell the story. On this blog. In a sermon. Person to person. And we become witnesses too.

(A Roman Catholic cross in the Polish section of Katyn.)

(There is historical proof that plans to kill those who opposed them - those in power - had been in place for many years before it was carried out. Most of the deaths in Katyn occurred during the last years of the 1930's under Stalin's rule. The above quotation is chilling.)

(The names of the thousands of Poles buried in mass graves here stretch on and on and on).

(Such cars were used to move political prisoners around Russia in the 1930's. Anyone who has studied Nazi Germany will notice a haunting resemblance).

(So many Russians were buried here that many will not ever be identified. This area was completely closed to any and everyone - guarded and fenced - for decades. It has been open to the public since the 1990's).

Now of course, the Russian and Poles are not the only victims buried around here. It is worth noting that the first mention of Smolensk occurs in the year 863. It is certainly much older than that. Half way between Germany/Poland and Moscow, and half way between the Black Sea and Scandinavia, and located along the strategically important Dnieper River, which runs to the Black Sea, and not too far from Ukraine -- well you get the picture. The fighting here in World War II was as savage as anyplace in Europe. By the end of the war 95% of this city had been destroyed. 

It was occupied by the Germans for two years. And, as a circumstance, less than a mile from the camp where we are staying, is a huge German cemetery. Soldier upon soldier is buried here.

(Three Protestant crosses adorn the German cemetery. Note the others in the distance. There are thousands of German soldiers buried here in Smolensk).

See the name Peter Gleich above. 19 years old. 19. My oldest child is 14. I wonder what he thought he was fighting for? I wonder if he knew it was futile in August of 1943. I think about his mother. What did she think? Father? How about him?

Of course these monuments are all over Europe. This one happens to be here. Only minutes away from where I type. Where I sleep tonight. 

"The trees are witnesses."

Yes they are. From one cemetery to another they are witnesses. And, for at least a day, so were we.

One more tree. This one very different.

(Yes, that is me planting a tree).

This little tree is one hour south and east of Smolensk. It is at a modest home which is a rehab center. A halfway home for 7 men trying to beat addiction. If any of you know a rescue mission or the Healing Place then you know where we were. Each man living and working in community.

They shared their stories. Veterans of the war in Chechnya. Unemployed. Former prisoners. Drugs. Too much alcohol. Families lost. Rock bottom. Turning to God when the choice was recovery or death.

It is modest. Meager. But goodness it is powerful. Supported by our partners at Smolensk Baptist Church, this little home is a place of healing and recovery. We could not have been more welcomed. We could not have felt closer to the goodness of the Holy Spirit.

(The men of the recovery house sing us a hymn).

(They gave us a gift. The first line of the 23rd Psalm. We gave them gifts from White Memorial - clothes, socks, knitted items).

And we planted a tree. A memory of our visit. A witness to the fact that there are people in the world -- us this day, you as you read these words -- who will remember these men and pray for them. Their lives are modest. Their home is as simple as any you can imagine. Their heat is firewood they cut themselves. But there is power there. Faith. Brotherhood. Community. Three things we all can use as much of as possible. 

Jesus calls people together. Once together, God gives them strength to do incredible things.

And the little tree I planted? It can be a witness to at least as much. It's a witness too.

Hope can grow where the truth is told and where faith is shared. No matter how unlikely the place. There are stories everywhere. You only need stop and listen. It is always a Godly thing to do. 

Prayer requests:

-for the seven men we met today. Pray for them. They are praying for you. Their motto everyday: "Work with no prayer is slavery; prayer with no work is meaningless."

- for the church services tomorrow. That we will pray, sing, and preach well. We hope to represent our church well.

- for continued good weather. It was much warmer today!

Smolensk - Day 2

Years ago I led a mission trip to Mexico. It is a trip I will never forget. It was the first time that I felt as if I was part of something much, much, much, much larger than me. It was the first moment I can recall where I realized that God has used me, and our group, as an instrument. On that trip, a trip which was perilously close to "falling apart" as it endured set back after set back, we had become the answer to someone else's prayer. The church we were helping complete had been praying for a new roof for years. They needed a concrete roof but did not have the money, materials, or labor to roof their large church building. And God called us to build a new roof for them. They had not been praying for us specifically. They had just been praying that God would send someone. And someone was us. We were the answer to a prayer.

(Our group at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Smolensk. We visited there today. Pictures inside are not allowed but I can say that I have never seen anything like it. Ever. A truly stunning piece of architecture and a work of Christian art that I have not seen paralleled many places if at all.

See: 

http://www.smolensk-travel.ru/en/about-smolensk/touristic-musts/holy-assumption-cathedral/ , or,

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g672719-d5521267-Reviews-Cathedral_of_the_Assumption_Uspensky_Sobor-Smolensk_Smolensky_District_Smolensk_O.html ).

Today was a day much like that day long ago in Mexico. In a VERY small way (but important way), I think we were played a part in answered prayer today. Our church partners, Central Baptist Church in Smolensk, have been working for years for more cooperation from the government (remember the history of the Soviet Union and the persecution of the church in the mid 20th century) and cooperation from the 'official' and historic Russian Orthodox Church. This process has taken decades. It has required year upon year of relationship building by Victor our friend and the pastor of the church.

Today, many things culminated for Victor. And we played a part in the hard work he has done and in the hard prayed prayers he has offered. Our presence, American Christians in a city that only sees a handful of Amercians in any given year, became an opportunity for meetings with government and church officials. Think of it like a catalyst. And though all we did was bring greetings from America, and from White Memorial, our presence mattered. The Russian church and government officials were generous to us (you would not believed the meal we had at the Orthodox cathedral today), and curious about who we were and how we found Smolensk and Russia.

(Harriet, Jerry, Victor and the head of the State of Smolensk office of Human Rights and Human Services).

The officials in the governors office and the Metropolitan of Smolensk (think Archbishop or Cardinal) would not allow us to take pictures.

But it was an incredible day of sharing and discovery. We learned of them, they learned of us. We talked about American TV (of which they see a lot). We talked about music (you should know that Russians are, as a whole, incredibly musical). We talked about the beauty of the arts here. We spoke of new opportunities for religious partnerships "across the many confessions." They treated us with the best and most generous forms of hospitality. And we did our part to help Victor, who has long prayed and worked for these types of relationships, to continue to build on the good foundation he has been constructing. 

Many prayers went into today. And we were here to help them find answers.

It was a good day. A different day. But special. Goodness -- by God's abundant grace -- so special.

(The wall which still surrounds much of the old city of Smolensk is one of the great historical sites of Western Russia. Forgive the blurry picture. The photographer was very rushed and very cold. It is amazing to see in person. Read more about it here: http://www.smolensk-travel.ru/en/about-smolensk/touristic-musts/smolensk-fortress/ ).

(Victor leads us from his home to one of our meetings down the main walking "boulevard" of Smolensk.)

(It became very cold today. Very different than our first few days.)

(The Duma building in Smolensk.)

(Victor and Olya took us on a brief -and cold - walking tour of the sites of Smolensk. Here we talk about Russian music in front of a statute of Mikhail Glinka. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Glinka ).

Tomorrow: we go to Katyn in the morning. It is a site dedicated to victims of mass murders during WWII. After this visit we travel to an alcohol and drug rehab facility run by the church about 50 kilometers away.

Prayer requests:

- safe travels

- warmth (is that too much to ask for?)

- that we will represent WMPC faithfully as we sing in church on Sunday and as I preach on Psalm 67 and John 15. We will also talk with the church family about the ministry of WMPC and what we are doing in Raleigh.

- that the time we spent today will continue to help Victor with his ecumenical dialogues and growth in his relationships

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

Russia Report - Day 3

I am going to reverse a couple of things tonight (today). I am going to start at the end and work backward to the morning.

(This is a new development in Moscow, called Moscow City. 1square kilometer of high rise modernity. Yes, that building is twisted.)

There are a little over 12 million people in Moscow. Which is like putting all of North Carolina into one city. There is nothing old world about Moscow. It is modern, glitzy, flashy. There is no doubt that it has gotten more upscale since I was here last in 2003. Of course one can wonder about the rest of Russia...has it benefitted economically as certain parts of Moscow have? 

I am told not. Tomorrow we take the train to the west, to Smolensk. There we work with partners in the Smolensk Baptist Church. This partnership with WMPC has lasted over 2 decades and is by every measure a success story.

(Olya, Phlippe - her son -, Ilya - her husband, Joan and Jean at dinner this evening.)

Part of our wonderful dinner was eating with Olya, one of the Russian mission partners who has been near and dear to us since she was a very young child. She has been with us many times in Raleigh. In fact, she was there on my first Sunday at WMPC. She even quoted parts of my sermon back to me tonight. Sunday I preach in the church which raised her. Separated by 7 times zones? Yes. Sharing enough common faith that those time zones do not prevent the development of real relationships? Absolutely! We are friends whose hearts are brought closer together through trust in God.

More pictures from Moscow. 

Again, they set the stage...to understand the fragility of the church in Russia, not only the small Protestant, Baptist, Lutheran, and Evangelical churches, but every church in Russia, one must have some idea of the grand collapse of the church.

Before 1917, churches were everywhere. Thousands of them. Russian Orthodoxy was the standard bearer of the Orthodox-faith branch of Christianity.  After 1917? Destroyed, repurposed, or forgotten for 80 years.

As Anatoli, our tour guide said, "It has been a really hard century for the churches." 

To understand that history you must go to Moscow. See the interrelatedness of the Czars and the Patriarchs. And then and only then can one grasp the magnitude of the fall of the church.

(St. Basil's at night. That's right. They once built churches like this. Other magnificent churches barely meters away were destroyed. Most famously the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which was turned into a swimming pool. That destroyed church, not pictured, was rebuilt in the early 2000's).

(Looking across Red Square at night. As a child I was afraid of Red Square. Everyone I knew was in the 1970's. Tonight we saw families walking. Couples jogging. People shopping. Peaceful. Tranquil. Beautiful and lovely. I wonder now - how well did all that fear in a very perilous time - how well did it serve us?)

(Pictures at night are never great. So much of Russia, Moscow Russia, at least, is bathed in art. This is a subway station near the Bolshoi Ballet. Collin and Jean and Lydia stop to take a picture of one of more that 70 bronze sculptures in this ONE station. Most stations in the central city are adorned with similar art. Here is a poor close up of one of the sculptures).

If you ever get to Moscow. Tour it at night. Not so much traffic. 

And monuments like the Bolshoi with her four muses - music, art, literature, theater - are even more spectacular at night.

Speaking of traffic. It should be noted that parts of Moscow were laid out for 500,000 or so cars. And now there are as many as 5 million a day in the city. Moscow traffic is a wonder to behold.

I'll post a video to my Facebook page later with the greatest U-turn (across two turning lanes, and 6 lanes of traffic, I have ever seen. But it took us 90 minutes today to go 6 or 7 kilometers).

Our day had started at Novodivichy Convent and its amazing cemetery. I am a sucker for old cemeteries. And I really wanted to see this one. Our mission partner Ellen stated it well: how do people with no church or "official faith" or "religion" bury the dead? If there is no belief structure in immortality or eternity, no faith tradition to uphold it or proclaim, then what do people do? Remember - this was the reality for Russians from 1917 until 1989 or so.

This cemetery is an example of what they did. They immortalized themselves in granite. In marble.

Jean and Jack and Joan and Mary Grace take in the grave of Nikita Kruschev. Note in the above pictures the size and magnitude of the grave stones.

Anatoli, our guide leads us today. Here he leads us through the cemetery. Ellen and Jean in the foreground. Collin and Judy near Anatoli. Great guide. If you ever need an English-speaking guide in Moscow, he was wonderful.

We also went to the childhood home of Peter the Great at Kolomenskye. It was a reproduction of the wooden palace where he grew up. Part of the history of Russia is contained in its memory. How Peter turned Russia's gaze from South and East, that is Asia, to firmly West and Europe. It is the great moment of cultural transmission in Russian history. It just may have set the stage for the fall of the Czars and the demise of the church. We'll see more of that in St. Petersburg.

For now...to Smolensk in the morning!

Prayer requests:

- that we get on the right train

- safe travel to Smolensk

- health and safety for families back home

- that our time of ministry and sharing with our church partners would be one of growth and joy for them, and by grace, for us.

Russia Travel Blog - Days 1 and 2

Every trip begins with excitement. This excitement may be related to a little fear -- fear of the unknown. Fear of the not yet seen.  And the excitement may be related to anticipation. For repeat travelers it is excitement over renewing old friendships or sharing familiar sights with new found friends. 

That's where we were on Sunday as we left Raleigh: on our way to Russia. Moscow, to be exact.

Now there is no simple way to Moscow. We went from Raleigh, to DC, to Geneva, to Moscow. Lots of flying, sitting, thinking, and for me, praying. Whenever you are responsible for a group, you pray a lot. Being a pastor, a trip leader, is a silent contract of sorts with the trip members and their families. The pastor's part of the contract is a promise to get everyone there and back safely. On a church-partnership mission trip, which this one is, it is the Holy Spirit's job to empower the changing of hearts and minds in the participants.  Thanks be to God! 

The flights were relatively uneventful.  I share one picture of the French / Italian Alps. The camera does not do it justice. I am not a skiier, but I might be trying again after seeing this:

Last night during devotional time I asked each person to share with a neighbor at the table one thing they each were hoping to receive or learn the next twelve days. Then I charged them each to share that prayer for that one thing - share that one thing in prayer to God -- for a partner in the group. 

As you read this, what one or two things would you hope to take with you from Russia?  While we are here we'll do 5 days of touristy touring and 5 days of miniistry / social work / outreach.   What would you hope to gain if you were with us?

Today was a Moscow day. Setting the context. To understand the historical and social setting of the livers of our church partners in Smolensk, it is necessary to know something about the long and complex history of Russia. This history setting is what we did today, on Day 2 in Moscow.

Please keep us in prayer as we serve and grow together.

Here are photos on day 1. I'll caption as best I can.

Waiting to go into Red Square and the Kremlin.

And while waiting we got to witness a Communist Party March and rally. It was very, very small. And it was fascinating.

Mile marker 0. All Russian distances are counted from here. Right near the resurrection gate entrance to the Kremlin.

Our group. Lenin mausoleum in the background. Note these particular Kremlin walls under refurbishment.

Red Square will never be the same again.

Inside St. Basil's.

Cathedral of the Annunciation. Main church on the Kremlin grounds. 

Supposedly the largest cannon ever made. Never fired. Just look at the cannon balls!

Looking outside the Kremilin from inside the Kremlin -- overlooking St. Basil's and Red Square.

The foreground is a new construction project.

Presidential offices at the Kremlin. Tried to get an appointment to meet President Putin. It did not work out. Note no visitors across the white line.  Not even nice Presbyterians from North Carolina.

Keep us in your prayers. Prayer requests:

Continued good weather...

Catch the train to Smolensk on time with all our bags - most of which are full of supplies and gifts for the ministry in Smolensk...