RUSSIA: FROM REQUEST, TO DIRECTION
(A true story about a mission trip to Russia)
by: Heather Tyson
It all began with a letter from my friend, Sheri; "I’d like someone to go to Russia with me, would you pray about that?" This is what I read one crisp winter day and by following through with the request, would change my life forever.
I am sitting in on a conference one evening, where the same speaker has been speaking for two nights already. I am there in body, but my mind is prone to wonder. I have already made up my mind. I want to experience life in another country, something that will open my eyes a little wider to the world around me. The next day is when it happened—I get the letter in the mail with that life-changing request.
"Someone to go to Russia with her", I thought. "I want to go somewhere, why not Russia?" So I write a response to the letter asking if I could personally answer that prayer request by going to Russia. Word came back about a week later.
I am going to Russia! The plans are beginning to form. Finances are the first area of concern—how do we come up with all of the money? Our answer comes about two weeks later when Sheri's father, a pastor, tells us that his church will support both of us for the full amount. What a blessing! Sheri and I find out that we will be staying with American missionary families while we are over there. We will be there for about a month, getting a lot of hands-on experience to get an idea of what mission life is like. The "suspense" of the trip is already becoming greater, and we still have about four months before we leave.
This is it! We have begun our eight-hour flight, heading for Russia. We talk about what we might see when we get off of the plane, our thoughts going many directions. We sleep for some time and we talk some more. Looking out the window we can now see ground—we are about to land in Russia.
It is all happening so fast. We go through customs and are looking for our family to pick us up, when out of no where a man and woman grab our bags and tell us to follow them. Out of ignorance we do, trusting them all the while. Once we get out of the airport they stop to make introductions—they are the Carney’s, our host family. We quickly learn part of Russian culture, although Russians are not usually in a hurry to get places, when they have a certain destination they do not let much stand in their way.
My second lesson in this country is soon to come. As we walk to the apartment we pass many Russians, they never once smile. As Americans, Sheri and I smile at everyone we pass. In Russia you do not do that—people "have nothing to smile about." They go to work each day with no promise of a paycheck, they just live each day in hope that they will make it through—I am humbled.
While we are there, we meet many of the Russians who are friends of the missionary family. We do some sightseeing as well as already scheduled activities with various groups of people. One of the activities we do with the Russian people is a picture scavenger hunt through St. Petersburg at midnight. This is possible because at the time we are there, there are "white nights" where the sun never completely sets. It was a good time to get a taste of Russian life, seeing all the people around the town going about their business, even though it was that late at night.
We get a taste of culture by riding all of the public transportation such as taxis, busses and trains. We hear a language we can not interpret because of our own lack of knowledge. We see Mafia, who serve as the "leaders" in every town. We eat food like borche, beef stroganoff and compost. My eyes are opened to all that I have back home, and yet take for granted every day.
The month went by so fast. Already I am home and yet long to go back. I learned so much from those people. This trip has made me thankful, for what I have and who I am. But I feel restless. I want to go away again, I want to live with others who do not have as much as I. I want to share what I have inside me, my reason for living. I want them to be genuinely happy with little in the world’s eyes yet much in their hearts.
This story was written from my own knowledge, based on the mission trip I took during the summer of 1997. It is geared toward students in third and forth grades; however I believe it would be a good story for almost any age group.
Outline of story:
I.
- Introduction
- Winter day
- Change life forever
- Beginnings
- Conference
- Letter with request
- Plans are started
- Finances
- Stay with American missionary family
- The Airport
- Eight hour flight
- Customs
- Introductions
- First lesson on Russian culture
- In the country
- Second lesson on Russian culture
- Meet Russian friends of the family
- Scavenger hunt activity
- Sightseeing, language, Mafia, food
- Home again
- Month went by so fast
- Long to go back
- Thankful for what I have
- Share my reason for living
Questions from story:
- How did the opportunity to go to Russia "begin?"
- What was the first area of concern about the trip?
- How long was the airplane flight to Russia?
- What was one part of Russian culture that was quickly learned?
- Why do the Russians hardly ever smile?
- Why was it possible to do a picture scavenger hunt outside at midnight?
- Did the person on the trip have an enjoyable time?
- Do you think the church people enjoy living in Russia? Why or why not?
- How might the trip have been different if it would have lasted for a year?
Answers to questions:
- The opportunity to go to Russia began with a letter from Sheri.
- Finances were the first areas of concern.
- The flight was eight-hours long.
- Russians are not usually in a hurry to get places, but when they have a certain destination they do not let much stand in their way. The other lesson was that they usually never smile when passing on the street.
- The Russians usually never smile because "they have nothing to smile about."
- The picture scavenger hunt at midnight was possible because there were "white nights" where the sun never completely set.
- Yes. There was a desire to go back.
Props that might be helpful:
- Map of Russia
- Pictures taken while on the trip
- Souvenirs purchased while in the country
Extension projects:
- Have the students choose one area of the world where they would like to visit. Have them tell why they would like to go there and do a little bit of research on the area. Have them share with a partner, or the class, which country they chose and why.
- Have the students write back and forth to pen pals from another country, finding out what like for someone their own age.