Arbot Street and McDonald's

I'm told that this is the original Russian McDonald's on Arbot Street. Our bus driver dropped us off here to do some shopping (Hard Rock Cafe, expensive souveniers, Harley Davidson t-shirts with "Moskva" on them, etc.) and McDonald's was our meeting place and the location of a fairly clean if very crowded restroom. I didn't order any food here but I was told that a Big Mac is a Big Mac is a Big Mac...
I bought a few things at one shop but the prices were pretty high and everyone kept telling me to wait for Ismailovo Market (they were right!). Jan wanted a Hard Rock t-shirt from Moscow for one of her kids but mostly we just wondered down the block and window-shopped. There were a lot of tourists and party-goers out that night and we held on tight to our purses. Three of our young men from the Virginia youth group ran into a problem with a couple of police (at least they thought they were police) who wanted to see their passports. The hotel had kept our passports at the desk and all any of us had with us were copies and a receipt from the hotel. The police threatened to arrest them but were willing to accept a "fine" of about $40 each. The boys made it safely back to our group; our translator told us later that if we ever found ourselves in such a situation that we should ask to be taken to the American Embassy and let them straighten it out. It made for a very interesting evening!

War Memorial and Museum

The Russians are rightfully proud of their military history, especially in World War II. Their struggle on the "Eastern Front" kept Hitler's army busy while the West prepared for the D-Day invasion. Russia's biggest contribution to world conflicts has always been the sheer number of troops she could throw into battle. There was a tremendous loss of life during the defense of St. Petersburg (Leningrad) and Moscow. This museum commemorates this history. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go inside because the museum wasn't open when the signs said it would be. What can I say? It's Russia!

Light Displays

This light display was across from the War Museum (see the next post) but it was typical of the ones we saw all over town. New Year's is there big secular holiday and all the parties, celebrations and gift-giving center on it. One member of our group noted that he kind of liked it that way; Christmas then becomes a purely religious holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Sparrow Hill

Sparrow Hill overlooks the city of Moscow. This is where Napoleon stood to say that he was here to conquer the city; it's also where he looked back as he retreated after he was defeated by the Russian forces and the Russian winter! There was another beautiful tree on Sparrow Hill set up by the souvenir stalls. I didn't buy anything here; I was waiting for the Ismailovo market.

The building in the background of the center picture is the main building of the University of Moscow.

Novedevichy Convent

On our way out to Sparrow Hill we drove past the Novedevichy Convent. This is where the tsars would send their wives when they were tired of them and wanted to marry someone new. Also, Peter the Great exiled his sister Sophia to the Convent when he threw her off the throne and became Tsar in his own right.

Patio Pizza

Back to the trip! After we walked around Red Square for a bit, we went to Patio Pizza for lunch. I understand that Patio Pizza is a chain restaurant in Russia and it is very popular. We were seated all together at a couple of long tables and the waiters just kept bringing pizza with a variety of toppings as long as our kids would keep eating it! I only had one piece because my tummy had been acting up the night before (thank God for whoever invented Imodium!) and I wanted to be careful about what I put in it for a little while. What I had was very good and the kids really enjoyed it. A couple of them at our table got into a contest to see who could eat the most pieces and argued about whether they had to eat the crust for a whole piece to count. Ah, youth!

Thanks to the Insurance Ladies!

I had a wonderful time yesterday evening speaking about my "Adventure" to the Charleston Area Insurance Women. My friend Margaret Ann invited me to be the speaker at this month's meeting and I was happy to oblige. We met at Shoney's; they had their business meeting, we ate dinner and then I talked to them for about 15-20 minutes. They were a wonderful audience and I received a lot of encouragement and support from them for this year's trip. Thank you!

This year's trip? Oh, yeah. In case I haven't mentioned it, I am going back this Christmas (as they say, if the Good Lord's willin' and the creeks don't rise!). I've already sent all my paperwork and my downpayment of $150 to Rev. Clarke. The cost of the trip has increased to $2250 this year; I imagine that part of that is due to increases in the cost of airplane fuel and therefore our airfare. I don't look forward to the long flight in cramped quarters but all the discomfort of the flight is well worth it once I get there!

Re-enactors

As we walked out of Red Square to the People's Place (?) there were several people dressed as famous people from Russia's past. This guy is dressed as Tsar Nicholas II and just around the corner you could get your picture taken with Lenin. All of this was for a fee, of course.

State Historical Museum

At the opposite end of Red Square from St. Basil's Cathedral is the Russian State Museum. We didn't get to go in and I'm not sure what is held inside, but it is a beautiful structure.

Speaking of beautiful, the Russian name for "Red Square" is "Krasnaya Ploschad". "Krasnaya" can mean "beautiful" as well as "red", so in English it could also be called "Beautiful Square".

Gum Department Store

The Gum (pronounced "goom") Department Store is across Red Square from Lenin's Tomb. It predates modern indoor shopping malls but when you walk inside (the second picture) that's exactly what it is. The shops inside are very exclusive and very expensive. In addition to well-known European designers I saw stores like Ralph Lauren and Levi's.

My Presentations

I gave three presentations about my trip this past weekend at my church, Central United Methodist in Charleston. I actually got out of bed in time to make it to the 7:30 a.m. United Methodist Men's Breakfast (and they said it couldn't be done!) and talked to them about my experiences. Later, Pastor Bramble let me have the sermon time in the 9:00 and 11:00 services to talk to the congregation about my trip and tell them about this and other mission opportunities through WV-VIM. I hope someone was touched enough to think about stepping out of their box and going on one of the trips this year.

Great Kids on the Trip

We had several wonderful young people on the trip with us. That's Sean and his Dad in the picture with me and there was a large group of youth from the Annandale (Virginia) United Methodist Church with us as well. They were great working with the Russian orphans and they were good for carrying luggage, too!

Lenin's Tomb

Lenin's Tomb is along the Kremlin wall across Red Square from the Gum. It's only open for tours two days a week for about four hours each day so we didn't get a chance to go inside. Our guide said that she thinks his body is still in there somewhere but that what you see when you go in is really a wax figure. Although most other monuments to the Communist era have been taken down or destroyed, they will keep him there as long as he attracts tourists!

I didn't walk over to see it, but behind Lenin's tomb is the Kremlin necropolis (cemetery). Most of the Communist leaders from the past several decades are buried there as well as the American John Reed. (He was the subject of the movie "Reds".)

St. Basil's Cathedral

We parked the bus and walked up the hill to Red Square - Krasnaya Ploschad. The word "krasnaya" in Russian means "red" but it also means "beautiful". It is indeed a beautiful place. We in America think of military parades and Communist leaders on the reviewing stand above Lenin's tomb when we think of Red Square but the days we were there it had the atmosphere of a family park. A temporary ice rink had been built on one side of the Square in front of the Gum Department store with a huge decorated tree towering over it and it reminded me of the skating rink at Rockefeller Center in New York at Christmas.

The first building we saw as we entered the square was St. Basil's Cathedral, the building with the magnificent multi-colored onion domes pictured above (and yes, I was there!). It's really nine churches, not one. Each dome is a separate church and the name is far more complicated than just "St. Basil's". If you're interested in the history of this beautiful church you can Google the name and you will find several interesting pages about it.

The Kremlin

Our bus stopped across the Moscow River for our first look at the Kremlin. Many Americans think the Kremlin is one building but it's not. The red brick Kremlin wall was first built in (I think) the 12th century. Several acres of land are enclosed by the wall and within it are four churches, at least three palaces, an armory and several government buildings built during different eras. What you can see here are the main government building (the flag flying shows that President Putin was in residence) and the Ivan the Great Bell Tower on the right. I think that is the Church of the Assumption between them.

Speaking Dates

I'm finally getting around to doing some speaking engagements about my trip! This Sunday, March 4, I'll be the speaker at the United Methodist Men's Breakfast at my church, Central United Methodist on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. Breakfast is at 7:30 and I'm supposed to start speaking at 8:00. Later that morning I will be speaking at the Traditional 11:00 service at Central. I get to speak for 30 minutes at the breakfast and 15 in the service. My problem is going to be holding it down to 30 and 15 minutes - I could talk all day about my experiences! Everyone is welcome at both the Breakfast and the Service.

On Sunday, March 18, I'll be the speaker at the 11:00 service at West Side United Methodist Church on Roane Street. Again, everyone is welcome to come listen.

I will also be the featured speaker at the March meeting of the W.Va. Women's Insurance Group on Monday, March 12.

Ballet and Prisons

This is a shot of the facade of the Bolshoi Theater under wraps for renovation. It's been under renovation for the past two or three years with no end date in site. (Bolshoi just means "big".) The Christmas tree (New Year's tree?) in front of the Theater is typical of the beautiful trees we saw all over town. Some are decorated in a traditional style and some have modern psychadelic designs.

Later we passed the infamous Lubyanka Prison (sorry, I couldn't get a good picture of it from the moving bus). The statue of Lenin that used to stand in front of it is gone and the KGB has a new name, but you still don't want to be invited to spend time there.

Touring Moscow

On Tuesday, January 2, we hopped on a tour bus to see the sights of Moscow. We drove through the city while our guide, Elena, told us about the various buildings we were passing. This picture is of one of Stalin's "Seven Ugly Sisters". There are seven of these buildings around Moscow of this type of architecture. This one contains apartments, stores and offices all in one building. Western architects of the time didn't like the architectural style, hence the nickname. Personally, I thought they were rather grand old buildings. Of course, we didn't get to go inside any of them so I don't know what it would be like to live or work in one.

Moscow - Hotel Ismailovo Delta

On New Year's Day we drove back into Moscow and met the other teams at the Hotel Ismailovo Delta. We had quite a time exchanging stories about the different orphanages we had visited.

The hotel was built for the Olympics in Moscow (the one that the U.S. didn't participate in); it's not first class but it had all the amenities we needed. The picture above was taken in the lobby as our group sat and waited for our tour bus to show up one morning. We stayed two to a room; we had key cards to get into the secure hallways and our rooms. We were on the American plan which included breakfast in the mornings. They had a buffet line and there was always something that I wanted to eat. There were always boiled and scrambled eggs, toast (several different kinds of bread), kashi (a kind of oatmeal/cream of wheat cereal), breakfast meats, juices, coffee, tea (of course!) and broccoli (what isn't served for dinner the night before winds up on the breakfast buffet!).

Winter Song

(from John Denver's Season Suite)

Cold, and it's getting colder;
Grey and white, winter's all around.
Old, I must be getting older
And all this snow is tryin' to get me down.

There's a fire in the corner
Slowly dyin' away.
Sometimes I just don't feel like goin' on
Anymore.

And yet I know it's more than worth the waiting
For another chance to see the summer sun.
Come on, shine on me!

The Children on the Second Floor

After breakfast we were asked to perform the puppet show again for the children on the second floor. We had been allowed to go upstairs to visit these children the previous afternoon so we were prepared for what we would see. The severely handicapped children are on the second floor. Some of these children are still the result of the Chernobyl disaster and others suffer from other severe birth defects. Although we were not allowed to see the worst cases, we were told that many of these children will not live past their teenage years if they survive that long. Most of them could not walk and got around by scooting across the floor on their behinds or by dragging themselves with their arms. It sounds awful and in many ways it was, but they were as clean as possible, the room was bright and sunny, and it was obvious that the staff cared for them, even if there was not enough staff to go around. They had their own decorated tree and a TV mounted high on the wall was playing a holiday movie with Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden. Even if they didn't understand the puppet show it was exciting and different for them and we saw a lot of smiles.

We weren't allowed to take pictures of these beautiful children or of other parts of the orphanage. After the first day the Director told us "No more cameras inside." We were disappointed but their attitude is understandable. The Russian Orphanage system has made many improvements over the last few years and they are justifiably proud of what they have done. However, a lot of work remains. They do not want pictures of ongoing construction areas and things that might look bad taken out of context.

Farewell Breakfast

On our last day at Sergei Posad Psychological we gathered for breakfast in our little dining area and fed the cat one last time. (We ate lunch before we left but the cat was so full from breakfast that he barely lifted his head to look at the food that was being offered before he ignored us and went back to sleep.)

Our dining area was in a corner of the big dining room that was partitioned off for guests. We usually ate after the kids had been fed and the clean-up crew was at work cleaning off tables and mopping floors. The crew was made up of the older, more capable kids and they loved to play loud techno-rock music while they worked. We couldn't understand the words but there was one song in particular that they liked and they played it over and over and over...... Just like American techno-rock there's a lot of repetition and we learned it whether we wanted to or not! The kids enjoyed their work and did as much playing as they did working sometimes.

Our Helpers

These two guys helped us carry bags and distribute presents to the other orphans. The boy on the left will turn 17 this year and will have to move to an adult facility, where he will probably spend the rest of his life. The boy on the right was deaf and mute and had the most wonderful sense of humor. Who says you need words to communicate? They are pointing to the picture of the current Director; the words above the pictures say "Our Veterans" and the other pictures are of previous directors of Sergei Posad Psychological.

Happy New Year!

S'novum godum! On New Year's Eve the Orphanage staff provided a wonderful feast for us. What's pictured above was just the appetizer course. The lady at the end of the table is the director of Sergei Posad Psychological, Valentina. She, along with Anya, two cooks and a couple of other staff members gave up their evening with their families to be there to ring in 2007 with us. There were many toasts during the evening and at midnight we heard President Vladimir Putin give his address to the nation over television. (Earlier in the evening we all sat around the TV in the director's office and watched the finale of the Russian version of "Dancing with the Stars" - what a hoot! The winner was a cute young male pop singer; you didn't have to understand Russian to know what was going on but Anya was there to translate for us.)

Parties and Puppet Shows

This is a picture of the gym where the children at Sergei Posad celebrated the holidays. When the Communists were in power in Russia they tried to destroy Church traditions and do away with the celebration of Christ's birth. The big winter celebration then focused on New Year's Eve with presents brought by Grandfather Frost (who looks a lot like Santa Claus in a blue suit!) and his granddaughter, the Snow Maiden. Children dance around the tree and sing a special song in hopes that if they sing well enough that Grandfather Frost will bring them presents. (Sometimes Grandfather Frost looks a lot like West Virginia Volunteers in Mission in blue smurf sweatshirts!) We didn't get to dance around this tree with the children at Sergei Posad Psychological but we did get to present the premier of the puppet show "The Talking Totem Pole). Rev. Chris Arveson adapted the story, had it translated to Russian and then read all the parts onto a tape. We learned how to work the puppets to coordinate with the taped Russian dialog and presented the show at the various orphanages we visited during our two-week stay. The story was about a little boy who was cruel to animals. He is captured by Bear and taken before the animal council, led by the Squirrel Chief. The animals decide that the little boy should be imprisoned for his bad deeds but then Squirrel Chief forgives him and lets him go. My character, Nawaca, is the mother of the little boy and his sister and she explains that God's love for us is like that and that is why we celebrate the birth of Christ at this time of year.

After the show was over we went out into the audience with the puppets and let the children hug and kiss the puppets (and the puppeteers!). It was great.

The Orphanage Grounds

We all took a break and went for a walk around the grounds of the orphanage and met a couple of friends.

Snow!

We took a walk around the orphanage grounds and enjoyed the Russian snow. Unfortunately, this was the most snow we saw the whole time we were there. They were having a very warm December and January and were very happy about it - the Russian people don't like cold winters any more than we do! The temperature stayed in the upper 30's F during the day. I took way too many clothes.

Nesting Dolls

The town of Sergei Posad is also the home of the Matrioshka or Nesting Dolls. Several of the ladies who work at the orphanage also make the dolls and they brought them to the orphanage to sell to us. I bought all my dolls here; I might have paid less for them later at the market in Moscow but I wanted to help these ladies and to be able to say that the ones I bought were made in the toy capitol of Russia. They were all beautiful - it was hard to choose which ones I wanted to bring home!

The Kids

What can I say? They were awesome!

Packing Presents

Our first evening at Sergei Posad was spent putting together packages of presents for the 250 children in the orphanage. We opened all the boxes and emptied our suitcases of all the presents you helped us gather together. We grouped the goodies by gender and age and had a great time putting together all the neat things you donated. We couldn't go to sleep till we were done because we had presents sorted out all over our beds!

Our Team

Our team at Sergei Posad Psychological: Front row - Ginny and Jan; Back row - Shannon, Chris, Susan, Jan (my roommate) and me. Ginny was our team leader.

Anya

Anya was our interpreter at the orphanage. Her mother works there and she is a student concentrating in political science and languages. The children at Sergei Posad adore her and call out her name every time she walks through. Her English is excellent but she enjoys learning slang and colloquialisms from the American visitors. She stayed with us day and night while we were there.

Moving in to Sergei Posad

Some of the older boys at the orphanage helped us carry our bags into the orphanage. The staff had cleared out their dining room and put seven cots in to accommodate us. (Chris, the only guy, had a cot of his own in the office next door.) The pillows are square European pillows - isn't it neat how they poofed them into triangles on the beds? The beds weren't that bad once you got into them, but mine sagged like a hammock and I didn't move much once I got into it! These were the same kind of beds that the kids use.

On the Road to Sergei Posad

Once the buses were loaded with our luggage and the presents for the orphans we squeezed in the best we could and headed off for the orphanages where we would stay for the next three days. Our team was headed for the Psychological Orphanage at Sergei Posad, about an hour and a half northeast of Moscow.

Sherematevo Airport, Moscow

After we landed in Moscow and retrieved our luggage we gathered outside to meet our Russian hosts from the Russian Peace Federation and the orphanages. There were four small buses to take our teams (7 or 8 in each team) to our individual orphanages.

In the Air

We got up at 4:00 a.m., ate breakfast at 5:00 and made it to the church a little after 6:00. While we were waiting Tom Clark passed out our name badges (with our names in Russian - cool!) and our passports, complete with Russian visas. When everyone gathered we headed for Reagan National Airport and made it there around 7:00. It took a while to get everyone through security and bags checked in. We all got our team sweatshirts to wear so Tom could keep track of us. They are a lovely blue with the VIM logo on them. We decided we all looked like big smurfs.

We flew from D.C. to Atlanta and then waited for our connection. The pictures above are Lyndsey and Susan, Jan (my roommate), me and John, and JuliAnna. I got to sit with Jan and get to know her on the flight to JFK in NY and then on the flight from NY to Moscow. We were seated toward the back of the plane on both flights; it was a good thing because we were close to the restroom and that's a good place to be on an 11 hour flight!

The 11 hour flight (12 hours coming back - head winds) was the worst part of the trip for me. You can get up and move around from time to time but I wasn't able to get any sleep and was worn out when we got there. However, it was awesome to watch the sunrise from the plane window. We were just about over Helsinki, Finland when I could start to see a faint glow in the sky ahead.

Getting on Our Way

Here's the bus waiting for us outside Christ Church UMC in Charleston. We pulled out about 10:oo on the morning of Wednesday, December 27, 2006. Lyndsey was there and I got to meet my roommate, Jan Blount, for the first time. Rev. Barry Moll was the last one on the bus at 9:59. ;-) We headed north on I-79 to pick up passengers at Flatwoods at a little after 11:00 and Weston at noon. We made a pit stop at Fairmont about 12:45 and picked up one more passenger. We had some great conversations with the "veterans" telling us what to expect during the next two weeks. About 1:15 we stopped at the Ramada Inn in Morgantown for our last W.Va. passengers, then on to Annandale, Virginia. The lovely folks from St. Matthews United Methodist Church in Annandale put us up for the night. Jan and I stayed with the Associate Pastor and her family; they fed us a wonderful dinner and we went to bed as soon as possible so we could get up at 5:00 the next morning.

Shutterfly Problems

If you can't get to the pictures, don't feel bad. Nobody seems to be able to see them! I don't know what I didn't do but I'll work on it this weekend. In the meantime, I'll start posting them here on the blog.

Pictures on Shutterfly

If you want to look at the pictures I took on my trip go to:

http://margiesrussiaadventure.shutterfly.com

You do not need a password.

I think I'm actually back on Eastern Time now. I haven't posted anything the last couple of days because I've been cleaning out suitcases and I had to go to work yesterday and today. I'm glad this is a three-day weekend - maybe I can get caught up!

I'm Home!

I'm home, safe and sound, tired and sleepy, and ready to go back next year. I shouldn't be home this early (it's just after midnight on the 9th) but three of us from Charleston missed the connection from Atlanta to D.C. and wound up on a direct flight from Atlanta to Charleston. I just called Tom Clark to let him know I was home safe and the bus is just now passing through Cumberland, Md. Talk about a problem turning into a blessing!

I'll give more details later - right now I'm headed for a hot bubble bath and MY BED that is more that 12" off the floor and wide enough to roll over in!

Wow!

That last post was done while I was surrounded by about a dozen Russian kids from Baikal. We were looking for web pages about West Virginia, Lake Baikal, California's Governor Schwarzenegger and all kinds of other things. They spoke English a whole lot better than I speak Russian! What a joy! That is part of what this trip is all about - making friends and showing each other what God's love is all about. I don't know that they really understood what I was doing here but I know they had some fun with a strange American and they will remember that.

I was going to use this time to describe the Kremlin, Christ the Savior Cathedral and the art gallery we toured this afternoon but this was MUCH better!

We go to another orphanage tomorrow, the ballet tomorrow night, church services at the Cathedral the next day and a folk dancing performance, then services at a Methodist church. We leave on the next day and I will be home in W.Va. in the wee hours of the 9th. If I don't post before then I'll see you then.

All my love,
Margie

From My New Friends from Baikal

We live on Baikals thia a cool on BAIKALS very beutufual fish, animals, Hello you My Names Nastya,Regina, Alex, Anton , Misha, Ksenia, Vlad .

For all my friends: Marsha, Elaine, Freda, Ed, Pastor George, Frances Betty, Ginny and all:

I met these lovely children while I was trying to get on the blog tonight to tell you about my day. We don't speak each other's language but we don't need to. This is wonderful fun.

We went to the Kremlin and Christ the Savior Cathedral today. Awesome! More tomorrow.

Love,
Margie

From My New Friends from Baikal

We live on Baikals thia a cool on BAIKALS very beutufual fish, animals, Hello you My Names Nastya,Regina, Alex, Anton , Misha, Ksenia, Vlad .

For all my friends: Marsha, Elaine, Freda, Ed, Pastor George, Frances Betty, Ginny and all:

I met these lovely children while I was trying to get on the blog tonight to tell you about my day. We don't speak each other's language but we don't need to. This is wonderful fun.

We went to the Kremlin and Christ the Savior Cathedral today. Awesome! More tomorrow.

Love,
Margie

From Russia With Love!

It's so neat to write that! We've had a great day. Our half of the group started out to the orphanage at Pushkin, north of Moscow. When we arrived we were immediately served tea (chai) which is more like what we would call a light lunch. Then the children presented a Christmas program for us. The group was small because many of the children go home to relatives (sisters, brothers, aunts & uncles, etc.) for the holidays. When they finished we gave our puppet show (The Talking Totem Pole) and they loved it. When the show is over we take the puppets out into the audience and let them hug and pet them. Most of the characters are woodlands animals; I have the American Indian mother, Nawaca, and they love to hug and kiss Nawaca (and her puppeteer!). It's hard on my knees to do the puppet show but the rewards are great! After the show we gave out candy provided by the Russian Peace Federation (our sponsoring agency) and left enough gift bags with the staff for all the children when they return from holidays.

We loaded up the bus and headed on to Sergiev Posad Blind and Deaf Orphanage for the afternoon. Again, we were served food the minute we walked in the door. This was a full lunch - salad, cold beef slices and huge potatoes, fruit and candy for dessert. They have wonderful apple juice and hot tea to drink. They gave a marvelous program for us, we gave our puppet show and then we participated in the traditional dance and games around the Christmas tree. The children here are all deaf and blind but the staff are wonderful with them. The children participated in the program and dances - each child had a staff member to help them onstage; during the Christmas tree party the deaf children helped the blind ones and vice versa. I have wonderful pictures. This facility has been greatly improved over the years and many of the veterans on our trip had friends here on the staff.

When we left the orphanage one of our team members got sick to her stomach and we had to stop to find a bathroom for her at the monastery. I would have loved to tour the monastery but not like that! When we finally got on the road it was dark and we snoozed most of the way back into Moscow. We went to dinner at the EurAsia Restaurant; salad, beef stroganoff, mashed potatoes and ice cream! The other team (with lots of teenagers on it) chose to eat hamburgers and French fries at the American Cafe. I didn't come to Russia to eat American food! After we left the restaurant and headed back to the hotel, Rick (one of the veterans) got out his guitar and we sang country and western songs all the way back (heavy on the Johnny Cash songs!)

I didn't go out for this evening's excursion - we're touring the Kremlin and Christ the Saviour Cathedral tomorrow and I want to get plenty of rest.

Comments: Who knew that Russia was famous for ice cream and chocolate candy? Russian (European?) plumbing is strange: you flush by pulling up on a knob on top of the tank and you can't put the used paper down the toilet. You have to put it in a trash can beside the toilet. A lot of the food we've been eating would look right at home on any West Virginia table. Children just want to be loved, no matter where in the world they are and the people who take care of them love you for loving them. David, there are lots of cute Russian boys here - I'll try to make sure Lyndsey doesn't stash one in her suitcase to bring home. My half hour of time is almost up so I'll try to get back on tomorrow evening. The hotel is full of families with lots of kids here in Moscow for the Christmas holidays and it's difficult to get to the computers till late in the evening. Dos Vidanya!

Love, Margie

The Weather

I forgot to tell you about the weather! It's very warm here. There was lots of snow on the ground out in the country at Sergiev Posad and we saw it snow our first afternoon here but the temperature in Moscow has been above freezing so the roads are a slushy mess and I've been wearing too many clothes. Oh, well. I don't want it to be 30 below but I do expect snow in Moscow in January!

I'm Here!!!

Yes, I'm really here and it's wonderful! Sorry I haven't gotten to the blog before now but we've been really busy. The first few days were spent at the orphanage at Sergiev Posad and the conditions were pretty primitive (like no seats on the toilets the first night and sleeping seven to a room). But the kids were wonderful. It was sad, too; these kids all have some kind of neurological or psychological disorder and no one wants them. We got to spend one afternoon on the second floor with the serious cases - I fell in love with Pasha. I was sitting on the floor by the wall and he crawled over beside me and I spent at least half an hour rubbing his back and singing "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and "Jesus Loves Me" to him. He may not have understood the words but at that moment my hands were Jesus' hands to him. Later we put on Santa hats and delivered all the presents you helped me gather to the 250 orphans at Sergiev. I wish you could have seen their faces. We weren't allowed to take many pictures but I can't wait to share what I have with you.

After we came in to Moscow and checked into the Hotel Ismailovo we had dinner at the Log Cabin Restaurant across the street. I like Russian food! What we had at the orphanage and what we've had so far in Moscow would be at home on most W.Va. tables. Lots of potatoes, weiners/sausages, beef kabobs, pork chops and lots of breads and jams. Of course, we all enjoyed Patio Pizza on Red Square! We drink tea with every meal and yes, there is a lot of toasting. I haven't tried any vodka yet but I have toasted with a little bit of wine.

Yesterday we took a walking tour of Red Square. I have pictures of me in front of St. Basil's Cathedral and Lenin's Tomb. We walked through the Gum Department Store and the Underground Mall (all very expensive). Last night we shopped on Arbot Street and we'll get to the Ismailovo Market later this week.

Today we traveled about 2 1/2 hours northeast of Moscow to the town of Klim where we visited a senior citizen's nursing home and an orphanage. I'm part of a puppet show that we gave at Sergiev Posad and at both places today. I think the seniors enjoyed it more than the kids! The kids today put on a Christmas program for us that was wonderful - I have great pictures. The big secular celebration here with presents and parties is New Year's. Orthodox Christmas is more serious and religious; we'll go to church on Christmas Eve. The phrase for "Happy New Year!" is "S'lovem Godom!". (That's what it sounds like, anyhow!)

I'm getting along well with my little bit of Russian. "Please" and "Thank You" with a smile goes a long way in getting along. Most of the hotel folks speak English and we always have a translator with us when we go out.

If I have time I'll try to get back on another day and keep you posted, but Lyndsey and I are having a great time and we're planning on coming back next year! Keep us in your prayers!

Love to all,
Margie

Off We Go!

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go! (Hmm...that sounds like a great opening line for a song!) Both my bags to be checked through weigh in right at 50 pounds, the maximum allowable weight, and my carry on bags are about 20 pounds total. Thank goodness for whoever invented rolling luggage.

My neighbor Lee Hubbard is going to take me to Christ Church UMC to catch the bus at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning and then we'll be off. There will be about 9 of us getting on in Charleston and we'll pick up most of the others as we drive north on I-79. A few folks will meet us in D.C.

It's hard to believe that it's finally time to go - when I made the decision back in June, December 27 seemed so far off. I will post to the blog from Moscow if I can, but if not, I'll tell you all about it when I get back. (Note: Blogger just changed to a new version that I had to switch to and I'm not sure how if affected my previous posts. Keep your fingers crossed. I'm also having trouble with my e-mail account: Charter was bought out by Suddenlink and while I'm receiving e-mails OK I don't seem to be able to send. Again, I don't know how this will affect things if I try to get into my accounts from Moscow.)

Keep us in your prayers!

Blessings,
Margie

Merry Christmas!

We had a lovely Candlelight Service at Central UMC tonight - I hope all of you have the Christmas Spirit that we received tonight. For me it was a wonderful send-off for two weeks of celebrating Christmas with children who probably don't have a lot of joy in their lives. Thank you again for all your prayers and support.

After the first three nights in the orphanages we will move to the Hotel Ismaylovo. Their web page indicates that there is internet access at the hotel and I hope I will be able to access this blog and give you an update on how we are doing in Moscow. Just remember, I won't be able to do this till after January 1 if at all, so don't worry if you don't hear anything.

Speaking of not hearing anything, I am having trouble sending out e-mail. Charter was bought out by Suddenlink and all the Charter customers have to change to Suddenlink addresses. I worked with a techie person on the phone for over an hour the other night and we thought we had my account straightened out but now I'm not able to send again although I'm receiving everything just fine. So if you're expecting a reply to an e-mail and don't get it, you have my apologies! If I don't get it fixed by Wednesday I'll work on it when I get back.

Now I'm going to go watch the end of one of my favorite Christmas movies, "I'ts a Wonderful Life" and think about the two (!) wonderful Christmas dinners I'm going to have tomorrow. ;-)

Christmas Blessings!

Can't Wait!

Just think - one week from tonight I will be putting my head down on a pillow at the Sergiev Posad Psychological Orphanage. Keep those prayers coming!

Big thanks go out to Marsha and Aly. They both sent me marvelous donations that will really help with expenses on the trip. Bolshoi spacibo!

One Week!

One week from today I'll be on the bus riding north on I-79 heading to D.C.! I can't wait!

Yesterday I was a guest at a Christmas luncheon hosted by Magistrate Judge Stanley for her law clerks and other employees. They invited me to tell them about my trip and then presented me with a very generous donation to support my mission. I am very grateful and I look forward to sharing my experiences with them when I return.

I will also be giving presentations at my church, Central United Methodist, and probably at West Side United Methodist Church as well. I will be happy to talk to any group who is interested in hearing about my experiences with the orphans; in fact, you probably won't be able to get me to quit talking about it when I get back!

Orphanage Information

I received another "final" information letter today from Rev. Clark with our assignments to the orphanages for the first three nights we'll be in Moscow. I'm assigned to the Sergiev Posad Psychological Orphanage, located about 35 miles northeast of downtown Moscow (see the map). There will be seven of us staying together there. I talked to Rev. Clark this evening and he said "That's one of the tough ones, especially if they let you on the second floor." Pray hard, friends!

After we move to the Hotel Ismaylovo Delta we will be doing some of these things in our spare time: shopping on Arbat Street, the Underground Mall, the Ismaylovo Market and GUM Department Store. We will have lunch at Patio Pizza and tour the Kremlin and Red Square and Glazunov Gallery. We will attend church services at Christ Our Savior Orthodox Cathedral and First United Methodist Church of Moscow. We will go to the ballet on January 4th and see an evening performance (probably folk-dancing) on January 6th. We may not get to go to the circus but that's not certain. Whatever we do will be memorable!

Less Than Two Weeks!

I received a "final" update from Rev. Clark in the mail yesterday - we now know what orphanages we will probably visit. They are: Sergiev Posad (Loza), Almozovo, Podolsk and Elektrostal. You can Google these names and read about some of them.

Hep A Part 2

I had the second part of my Hepatitis A shot today. I had the first part back in June when I first decided to go on this trip and the two parts have to be six months apart. This and a tetanus shot were the only two that my doctor recommended and even they weren't required. I got my flu shot today in the other arm and it's a little bit sore.

I was asked Sunday at church if I was fearful about going. My reply was "No, I'm excited! If I could go home, pack tonight and leave tomorrow I would." God has this trip in His hands and I believe we're in no more danger than we are sitting at home in Charleston. I'm well aware of the political situation in Vladimir Putin's Russia: Chechen rebels and the recent controversy about the former Russian spy Litvienko who was poisoned and died in London. Even so, there is violence everywhere and you can't live your life in hiding - you need to live it to the fullest seeking God's will in everything you do. That's what this trip is all about.

Starting to Pack

No, it's not too soon to start putting things in the suitcases! (Only 18 days to go!) What I've packed so far are the presents for the Russian orphans. I have 25 of all the items needed and I figure that I need to put them in first and then see how much space I have left for my own stuff. I found out that the orphans' presents will take up fully half of my luggage allowance. I have my "packing list" ready to check off and most of the toiletries and clothes that I'll need ready to go in the suitcases. I'll work on that little by little this next week and not be rushed at the last minute.

I went up to Gallian's last night for a great spaghetti dinner with Leslie and Lyndsey. Lyndsey and I practiced our Russian phrases and shared presents we had gathered for the orphans. It was a great evening.

One Last Bunch of Books

I guess that if I want to finish telling you about the books I've read about Russia before I go there I'd better get on the ball and do it!

Following up on "Nicholas and Alexandra", Robert K. Massie wrote "The Romanovs: the Final Chapter" which I read in August, 2004. The next book I read was "The Secret Plot to Save the Tsar" by Shay McNeal.

Turning to a fictional tale I read Steve Berry's "The Amber Room", a thriller based on the disappearance of carved amber panels that lined an entire room of (I think) the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg. (The room has been restored but we won't be in St. Petersburg to see it.) Mr. Berry also used the historical background of Russia to write "The Romanov Prophecy".

You can't really say you've read anything about Russia if you haven't read Boris Pasternak's "Dr. Zhivago". The classic movie with Omar Sharif is a beautiful poem on film (the recent remake wasn't as good) but the book is a world in itself.

Prince Michael of Greece, a current relative of the Romanov family, authored "The White Night of St. Petersburg". Mark D. Steinbert and Vladimir M. Khrustalev addressed "The Fall of the Romanovs".

A couple of centuries and a continent away is the story of the explorer "Bering", told by Orcutt Frost. Following that theme I took a look at Russian America in Walter R. Borneman's "Alaska: Saga of a Bold Land". Louis L'Amour set one of his novels, "Sitka", in the era of Russian exploration of America's northwest coast.

Returning to the stories of the royal family that first attracted me to Russian history and culture, I read about "The Russians and Mr. Gibbes" (the Romanov children's tutor) written by Frances Welch. For a first-hand look at the Romanov family and the death of Rasputin you have to read "Lost Splendor" by Prince Felix Youssoupoff, the member of Tsar Nicholas II's family who murdered Rasputin.

For a general study of Russian history I turned to Geoffrey Hosking's "Russia: People and Empire". Finally, I started a new book today by Russian journalist Lilia Shevtsova titled "Putin's Russia" to learn about what is going on in this fascinating country today. For something to read while I'm on the trip I'm planning to take a collection of short stories by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Whew! That's a lot of pages about Russia but I've enjoyed every one of them. I hope it will help me understand and enjoy the people I meet and the places I get to see while I'm there.

Travel Updates

Whoopee! In yesterday's mail I received an update from Rev. Clark about our travel arrangements. Here is our flight information:

28 Dec Delta flight #1067 Washington National - Atlanta 1000a-1157a
28 Dec Delta flight # 192 Atlanta - New York JFK 0200p-0420p
28 Dec Delta flight # 30 New York JFK - Moscow 0520p-1100a(next day)

08 Jan Delta flight # 47 Moscow - Atlanta 1225p-0420p
08 Jan Delta flight # 605 Atlanta - Washington National 0630p-0815p

I will get on the bus in Charleston (at Christ Church UMC) at1000a on Wednesday, Dec. 27 along with eight other team members. Lyndsey Gallian will start out in Charleston with me as well as my assigned roommate, Janet Blount from Campbells Creek. I look forward to meeting her! I now have a picture roster of everyone going on the trip. There will be 35 of us, most from W.Va. but a couple from Va. and one from Minneapolis!

Rev. Clark will have our passports, visas and other documents for us when we reach D.C. He will also have our team sweatshirts (blue) that we will all wear so he can keep track of us!

I went shopping with Regina today and picked up a lot of the toiletries I will take with me (in 3 oz. containers!) as well as Dramamine, Immodium and Pepto tablets. I'm going to sort the presents for the orphans tomorrow and figure out how many complete bags I will be able to take. If I have extras of anything I will share them with Lyndsey if she needs them.

24 days to go! Wow!

The Best Thing About Christmas Cards

Do you know what the best thing about Christmas cards is? It's hearing from long-time friends that you love but don't get around to keeping in touch with except with holiday cards. I sent a newsletter out with my cards to the people I don't talk to on a regular basis and told them about my trip. Since I mailed them out I've received the nicest messages from old friends.

First I heard from my cousin Becky via a comment on the blog. We haven't seen each other nearly enough over the years and it was good to read her kind words. Then I got an unexpected phone call from June, a dear friend I worked with at the Statehouse. We had a lovely chat! To top it off, I was completely surprised yesterday afternoon when a florist delivery man walked in with a beautiful planter complete with purple bow and flowers for me from my college roommate Nancy. It was accompanied by a card with a heart-felt sentiment that really touched me. Thank you all.

My travel buddy Lyndsey also posted a message for me on the blog. I'm going to have dinner with her and her family early next week so we can talk, coordinate what we're taking with us and get even more excited about our trip!