Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm going to spend the holiday with my friend Missy and her family so I'll wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Eat lots of turkey and count your blessings!

Values

It's that time of year. The election ads are finally off the air and we're going to be blasted constantly between now and December 24 by retailers wanting us to spend every penny we don't have on the latest hot items to win the love and appreciation of everyone around us (even some people we may not even like). What a crock!

I imagine that most of you know what the Secret Santa program is all about. You're given the name of a disadvantaged child and a list of presents that child wants for Christmas. If you like, you can also buy clothes and shoes. My child this year is a six-year old girl. Among the three presents she requested was something I had never heard of: Pixel Chix. (One of the reasons I do Secret Santa is to find out what the new toys are!) When I looked it up and then found it in the store, I was appalled. It's an electronic toy that comes in the shape of a car, house, or shopping mall and has a screen in the middle. When you turn it on a little two-dimensional girl cartoon character comes on the screen and starts spouting things about credit cards, sales, and shopping. It does nothing but promote consumerism.

I pondered a long time before I bought this toy for my little girl because I worried about the values it would teach her. I finally did buy it for her because it was one of only three things she asked for and why shouldn't she have one if all the other kids are carrying them around tied to their bookbags? However, I couldn't help but compare her list to the list of items we have been asked to gather to take to the orphan children in Russia. Rather than flashy toys that teach them to want to buy more things, we are taking such mundane things as toothpaste and socks. (I have read on some internet sites that if you do try to take nice toys to orphans in Russia that they wind up on the black market and the children never get to see them.)

We are so spoiled by material things in this country. We are so blessed to live here, but we have become blind to the basic values that really matter. Many of you know that one of my favorite websites is Flylady.net. Flylady teaches that we need to get rid of the STUFF(Something That Undermines Family Fun)that is holding us back from experiencing life on all levels, including our spiritual lives. I've found her advice very helpful as I cleaned out 60 years of clutter from my parents' house. Now I have to work on my own lifetime of stuff I've accumulated that I don't need.

My church just celebrated Consecration Sunday where we were challenged to give back to God a portion of what He has given to us. We owe Him everything but we quibble about whether we should tithe off our net or our gross. How sad. Part of the reason I wanted to go on this trip was to explore the culture of a country I've read so much about, but the closer I get to our departure on December 27 the more I realize how humbling it is going to be to share such a small piece of our bounty with these children. I have the feeling that they are going to give me much more than I will give them.

I hope you will add your thoughts to this post by clicking on the "Comments" link below.

Medical Matters

As my trip gets closer I'm starting to think about more of the details. I realized that I needed to check on whether or not my medical insurance would cover me if (Heaven forbid!) I had an accident or got sick while I was in Russia. I called the customer service number and a kind lady referred me to my benefits book and gave me the page number for overseas services. She suggested that I make a copy of those pages from the benefits book and take it with me along with my insurance card. I am covered and the preferred hospital is the American Medical Center in Moscow and its doctors. I had talked to Rev. Clark earlier and he told me that the American Medical Center is the hospital they have used in the past (thankfully for only one incident). The group has insurance that will insure "repatriation" if anything happens so I'm all set as far as insurance goes.

I still have to get the second half of my Hepatitis B shot and I want to get a flu shot as soon as my doctor has them in his office. I'm going to stock up on all the appropriate over-the-counter medicines, (especially dramamine and immodium!)

The address for the American Medical Center home page is: http://amc.rbc.ru/en/

Gifts for Our Hosts

My information packet included instructions to take gifts for our hosts in Russia. Family photo albums were suggested as a good gift so I decided to put my scrapbooking skills to work. Creative Memories sells a product called a "photo sharing card" that allows you to use eight or ten pictures and do a little bit of journaling about them. I'm going to make several and include pictures of my house, where I work, my church, Charleston's Sternwheel Regatta, Hawk's Nest State Park and the Capitol Building. That should give my new friends a sample of what life is like here in West Virginia. I put the first one together Friday night at Dee Rogers' CM workshop in South Charleston and it looks really cute!

Back from Emmaus

What a wonderful weekend! I was the Music Director for this weekend's Women's Walk to Emmaus. As usual, it was a wonderful, mountaintop experience and it's a little hard to come back down to real life, but that's the way it is. I was able to share my plans for my mission trip to Russia while on the Walk and to talk to one of the other Team members who has been to Russia in the winter. Her best piece of advice was to take every piece of warm clothing I have!

Kids' Presents I Still Need

You all are great! I have almost all the things I need to make up the Christmas packages for the Russian orphans we will be visiting. (Each volunteer is responsible for 25 kits.)

Thanks to Jean Young and her granddaughters - they hit the stores and bought all the gloves, nail polish, lip gloss and most of the hats that I still needed. Also, my dear friend Elaine Anderson has pledged all the hand lotion I will need. Here's the list of what I still need:

Girls' make-up (other than lip gloss) - 25 of each item
(Since I have 25 girly items I'm not going to need boys' cologne. If you have already purchased some for me I will see that it gets to another volunteer for use in their packages.)
Winter hats - 9
Toothbrushes - 22
Toothpaste - 15
Erasers, pens, pencils - 25 or more
Girls' socks - 25

It's going to be such a joy for me to see the faces of the kids when they receive their Christmas packages. I promise to take lots of pictures to share with you when I get back!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

I keep learning a little more all the time about blogs and uploading images and all that. I don't understand why, but I needed to post this picture before I could load it into my profile. I think I could delete it now and it would stay on the profile page but I've fooled with it too long to risk losing it now!

Anyhow, this is one of the pictures I'm going to use in my mini-albums I'm taking with me on my trip to give as presents to our hosts. I'm also going to use a picture of my house, of the building I work in, a shot of the boat races in the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta, and a picture of the choir at church. I hope that will give my new friends a glimpse of my life here in West Virginia.

Other Travelers

In this month's edition of "The West Virginia United Methodist" (the church's official newletter for the state) there is a nice article titled "Russia trip introduces Wesleyan students to global outlook". The newsletter is online but unfortunately this article didn't make the cut for inclusion in the online version. Anyhow, it tells the experiences of six students from W.Va. Wesleyan College who spent their May class term in Russia exploring the history, music, religion and culture of Russia. They also worked with special needs children.

Quite unexpectedly, I heard about two other travelers who I think will be on the trip with me in December. I e-mailed a library colleague about something the other day and sent her the link to my blog when she asked what I had been up to lately. It turns out that one of her co-worker's husband and son have been on the summer mission trip and are planning to go again this winter. I can't wait to talk with them - it's a small world!

Odds and Ends

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a while - life has been busy!

This past Friday night Central UMC held a fund-raising spaghetti dinner to go along with the City of Charleston's "Doo Wop Car Rally" celebrating the classic cars of the '50s and '60s. The rough numbers are that we served close to 400 dinners (about 75 pounds of spaghetti with meatballs, salad, bread and dessert) and made at least $1000 profit. I call that a success but boy, it was a lot of work! I was in charge of the drive-thru out in the parking lot working with six young men from Charleston Catholic High School who were earning community service credits by working the dinner with us. They were a hoot to work with - I had the best job of the day!

The other event that is taking a lot of my time right now is being on the Team for the upcoming Women's Walk to Emmaus. I'm the Musical Director for the weekend and we meet once a week for about six weeks before the Walk to prepare. (If you're not familiar with the Walk to Emmaus check out the website: http://www.upperroom.org/emmaus .)
It's a wonderful experience but it takes a lot of preparation time. This will be the third time I've been on a Team since my own Walk.

I'm starting to get some donations of glove and hats for the Russian Orphans' Christmas packages. They are so cute! I've gotten a couple bottles of nail polish, too; I wonder how "Wild and Crazy" colors translate into Russian?!?

Almost Paid For!

I mailed in the third installment toward the cost of my trip yesterday. What a relief! I have to make one more payment of $600 and then another $100 for the cost of the bus trip to D.C. I've had some much appreciated help from my church, Central UMC, and I'm talking with some folks about a couple of fund-raisers.

I noticed that next summer's trip to Moscow will cost $2700 - I don't know if this is an increase over last year's summer trip but I'm glad mine only costs $2000. I heard today that oil and gas prices are going down and that should help decrease travel costs but these days, who knows?

On an unrelated note, if you get the Charleston Daily Mail go to section C and look at the page 1 article about the Seniors' Bible School at Central. Neat!

Such Generous Friends

Thank you again to everyone who has so generously donated to the expenses and needs of this trip. My friend Regina and her daughter Jessica visited from Lewisburg this weekend; when we went shopping Saturday she helped me find and buy some of the school supplies that will go in the gift packs for the kids. She's a teacher, so she knew the best kind of stuff to buy!

My music buddy Ed was the latest to buy a Russian Circus ticket to send an orphan to the Circus. I only have one ticket left but I can still take donations for the Circus if you don't mind not getting a souvenir ticket in return.

My other music buddy Carr gave me a generous donation this morning to help buy presents for the orphans. Here is a list of the items I still need:

Make Up and Nail Polish for Girls/Cologne for Boys (25 total items)
Winter Gloves and Knitted Winter Hats(25 of each)
Socks for Boys or Girls (25 total pairs)
Erasers (25)

If you want to help provide these items you can purchase the actual items and get them to me as soon as possible or you can make a cash donation. (If you want to make a tax-deductible donation you can make a check out to Central United Methodist Church and mark the memo line "Russia Trip". I will be sharing these donation with my co-traveler Lyndsay Gallian.)

Blessings

There are many, many blessings in my life, but here is a special one I was given last Sunday in church on a beautiful Thomas Kincaide card:

BLESS

1. BODY - Lord strengthen Margie physically in Russia. Grant her safe travel and protection on the whole journey.

2. LABOR - Father bless Margie's efforts as she helps the children in Russia. Bless her labor in all that she does while on this mission trip.

3. EMOTIONAL - Help Margie trust YOU so completely that she won't be afraid or worried and so she can sleep peacefully at night.

4. SOCIAL - Though she's away from family and friends, help her connect with others on the mission team. Bring a friend to her so that she will not be lonely.

5. SPIRITUAL GROWTH - Help Margie to trust YOU, depend on YOU, and not lean on her own understanding. As she serves other, may she sense YOUR presence in real ways and receive the reward of growing closer to YOU on this trip.

Love & Prayers,
Ruth Ann & Bill

I will be sure to carry this blessing with me throughout my trip!

More books!

I don't really have anything new to report today so I'll fill you in on a few more books I've read about Russia. (I keep a "book diary" so I can go back and refresh my memory about my favorite books and authors.)

Edvard Radzinsky wrote "The Last Tsar" about Nicholas II and his doomed reign as the last of the Romanov family to sit on the throne of Russia. In the same vein, Greg King and Penny Wilson explored "The Fate of the Romanovs", researching what happened to some of the extended royal family during and after the Revolution. "Once a Grand Duchess: Xenia" focuses on the life of Nicholas' sister who spent her last years in rural Canada.

When Nicholas II abdicated the throne for himself and his only son, Tsarevich Alexei, his brother, Grand Duke Michael, would have been next in line for the throne. Micheal refused the crown (in a carefully worded way that left things open for future speculation) but was executed by the Bolsheviks shortly thereafter. Given his marriage to a divorcee, Natasha, he wouldn't have been eligible to rule anyway - he had married without the Tsar's permission which was a major no-no. Their story is told in "Michael and Natasha" by Rosemary and Donald Crawford.

Rasputin, the so-called "Mad Monk" was another major player in the tragic end of the Romanov dynasty. Edvard Radzinsky tackles Rasputin's life in his book "The Rasputin File".

Robert K. Massie, mentioned in an earlier post as the author of "Nicholas and Alexandra", moved back in time to profile a more successful tsar in his book "Peter the Great". Joan Haslip explores the life of Peter's granddaughter-in-law in her book "Catherine the Great" as does Carolly Erickson in "Great Catherine". Returning to the 20th century, Dominic Lieven gives us another biography of "Nicholas II".

Leaving the royal Romanovs far behind, I read "Last of the Breed" by Louis L'Amour. Louis L'Amour? Didn't he write westerns? Yes, but he wrote a lot more than westerns. Louis L'Amour was Daddy's favorite author; when I inherited all his books I started reading some of them just to find out why Daddy liked him so well and I was hooked! "Last of the Breed" is a spy novel about an American officer (who happens to be a Native American) who is shot down over Siberia in the midst of the Cold War and spends months evading Soviet authorities and living off the land in the taiga, the great forested area in northeastern Russia. I certainly didn't expect to learn about Siberia by reading a Louis L'Amour novel!

How cold will it be?!?

Several people have asked me how cold it's going to be in Moscow in December and January and how I will keep warm.

Well, the average temperature in Moscow in January is -10C! http://meteo.infospace.ru/moscow/html/index.ssi

As for keeping warm, that's what long underwear is all about. Several people have recommended "Cuddlz" brand so as soon as J.C. Penny has some in stock I'll buy a couple sets. They also recommend layering clothes with T-shirts underneath sweaters or sweatshirts. I have lots of gloves, mittens and winter scarves and a good pair of snowboots. I have several warm coats, too, so I just have to decide which one to take.

However cold it is, I bet that when I get back to Charleston I'll think it's summertime!

Mission Moment

Today Lyndsay Gallian and I were the subject of the "Mission Moment" at Central UMC. Lyndsay is Leslie and Dave Gallian's daughter and she is going on the trip to Russia with me and the rest of the group! I'm thrilled to have her going along. I was talking to her Mom one day at work about going on the trip and Lyndsay listened carefully and quietly spoke up and said "I want to do that!" Her Mom and I both looked at her and said "Are you sure?" and she said "Yes!" It will be great to see the experience through her eyes.

Lots of Lip Gloss

I attended the West Side United Methodist Church Street Fair today and they were giving away lots of stuff for kids to get ready to go back to school. An Avon Lady had donated lots of tubes of lip gloss to them for give-aways and Pastor Rhodes gave me 25 packages for the Russian Orphans. That's one thing I can mark off my list. Spacibo! (Thanks!)

This and That

First of all, many thanks to my colleagues in Richmond this week who bought lots of circus tickets for the Russian orpans. I was over there for a staff meeting and "coerced" them into it. It didn't take a lot of arm twisting - they are all warm-hearted, generous people. I still have some tickets to sell and I can take donations ($10.00 per ticket) even after I run out of the souvenir tickets to give you in return.

I ordered a couple of "microfiber" towels to take with me. They are supposed to be super-absorbent but they are finely woven and don't weigh much. (Weight is very important in what I'm going to pack!) I also got some neon yellow name tags to put on my luggage. I don't think I'll miss them on the luggage rack at the airport. :-)

During the drive to and from Richmond I got to work on a couple more Russian lessons. I'm now learning how to order in restaurants and terms I will need in a hotel. I don't know that I'll need to use much of the language on my own since we'll have a translator with us at all times but it's fun to learn.

Visa Application

No, not the credit card! In addition to my passport I need a visa to enter Russia. The application, which was part of my information packet from Tom Clark, is from the Russian government. They want to know everything about you before they let you across their borders. Among the questions asked were my parents' full names and birth dates, every educational institution I have attended beyond high school, my current place of employment including address, phone number and supervisor's name and my last two places of employment with all the same information. They want to know if you have any relatives in Russia, any Russian relatives in the U.S., have you ever had a visa in Russia, have you ever overstayed your visa in Russia, have you ever been involved in any criminal activities (especially drugs), etc. I had to provide a lot more information for the Russian visa than I did for my U.S. passport!

Many thanks to those of you who have donated to my trip, either money, circus tickets or presents for the children. It is very much appreciated!

Presents for Children and Youth

Along with winter clothes, towels, washcloths and toilet paper, each of us will be taking along at least 25 gift packs for the children. Here's what goes in each pack for the children and youth:

Make Up and Nail Polish for Girls/Cologne for Boys
Winter Gloves and Knitted Winter Hat
1 Tube of Chap Stick, 1 Tube of Hand Lotion
1 Toothbrush, 1 Tube of Toothpaste
1 Pad of Writing Paper, Erasers
2 Pencils, 2 Pens, 1 Pencil Sharpener
Socks for Boys or Girls

All of this will go into 2-gallon zip lock bags and I will add a signed Christmas card to each package. (I already have a donation that will cover the cost of the zip-lock bags.) If you would like to help me provide these gifts for the orphans you may either send me a donation marked for that purpose or, if you wish, you may purchase the items themselves and bring or send them to me. (Please let me know if you buy the items themselves so I don't wind up with duplicates of one item and not enough of another.)

There is also a list for Infants and Toddlers that includes items such as crayons, coloring books, stickers and dolls but Rev. Clark tells us that it is unlikely that we will be visiting those orphanages. However, if you prefer to provide those items get in touch with me and I'll be glad to fix some packages with those items, too.

Thank you all for your interest and your contributions. Blessings!

My Passport's Here!

My passport came today in the mail! Now I can finish filling out the rest of the forms I need to send to Rev. Clark.

This new passport looks quite different from my old one. The 1974 passport was green and a little bigger than the new one and the new one is blue. There are a lot of new security measures, too, like holographic backgrounds. There's supposed to be an electronic chip in the cover, too. With all that's going on these days it's quite an honor and privilige to have a U.S. passport.

Speaking of what's going on these days, I'm glad to see the new security measures but it really makes you stop and think about what you really need to take on the plane with you. The only thing I'm really concerned about is my contact lens solution but by December they may be able to make some accommodation for such things.