FINDING TRACTION

We’ve all seen snow and ice – well granted, in Louisiana (LA) we haven’t seen much of it, but what we have seen we quickly learned has a great potential for danger. Walking in snow in the past for me has been a pretty slushy endeavor, but here in St. Petersburg (StP), it’s kind of like walking in grey sand. Of course it’s dirty (that accounts for the grey), but when you step on it, it’s like sand because you just kind of sink down and it shifts around your feet – of course that provides for a good cardio-workout. But beware, underneath that “shifting sand” is the greatest danger – black ice!

When I walk in LA I take nice, long, swift strides – my students used to complain all the time that I was walking too fast. But here, I’ve learned to do what I call the Penguin Shuffle. No more long strides, pushing off each step with my toe, but instead, flat-footed, small plods – just pick ‘em up and put ‘em down – don’t try to push off on anything! I also quickly learned to beware of “clear” sidewalks, because what looks clear to my naïve LA eye may actually be slippery, dangerous ice. So instead I’ve learned to search for the edge of the walk, where light coverings of snow provide for traction – I think you’re getting a clear picture now – me doing the Penguin Shuffle, head down, just glancing up enough to keep my bearings as I move from place to place. A little snow on the side is a good thing – of course too much snow (like anything else in life that appears to be “good”) can also be a hazard – I don’t want it getting into my boots and causing me to walk around with cold feet all day.

As most of you know, I was raised in a wonderful Christian home – the first stories and songs I learned were from the Bible. So luckily I’ve had the “traction” of Christian principles to always fall back on throughout my life. Of course, that’s not to say that I haven’t often wandered off into the deep snow and gotten my feet cold and wet, but luckily I’ve always had that well-established history of God’s Word that was so loving taught to me at an early age to fall back on and to help get me back on track.

This journey during the cold of winter (oh, by the way, it’s -20C here today – that’s equal to -4F) has been an adventure for me, but each time I slip I have a chance to thank God for His protection as He keeps me upright and still traveling on.

From Russia With Love,

Nancy

Irina and Natasha

On Friday, Jan. 7 (Russian Christmas!) I had the opportunity to meet Irina who does a ministry with women in one of the prison colonies here in St. Petersburg (StP). If the translation was correct, when someone is arrested, then they are held in a colony in the city where they were arrested. They can stay there from 3 months to 3 years, depending on the length of the process of getting to trial. Each cell, which is designed for 15 prisoners, can hold from 15 to 50 women – usually 40-50 rather than just 15.

Irina began this ministry many years ago and visits not only the colony, but the large women’s prison outside of the city and the prisoner hospital here in StP Over the years she has had the opportunity to lead many women caught in the seemingly hopeless cycle of drugs, prostitution, and jail to know Christ. She has even at times taken some of these women into her own home in order to help them find a new life.

Irina met Liza (my translator) and I at the bus stop and walked with us to her apartment. I thought that we were going to meet with her to get to know more about her ministry and to see what kinds of hygiene items we could help to provide for the women. Of course, God had other plans. On the walk to the apartment (through what seemed like outer Siberia with all the deep snow between the many apartment buildings) she began to tell us about Natasha, a young woman who was currently living with her.

Natasha has been in jail 9 times in her 29 years of life and has spent the majority of her life in prison. She had met Irina many times over the years and had made a nice friendship with her. Natasha was released from prison last spring and by September found herself in a very desperate situation. She called Irina and told her that she was dying and could Irina help her. Irina immediately said, “Yes!” and went to meet her. Irina said that Natasha was just skin and bones and very dirty – she had been living in the sewers of StP since her release. The immediate concern was getting her cleaned up and fed.

The first few weeks went well as Natasha ate, bathed, and slept most of the time. She also went to church with Irina and in every service would weep in despair at the seemingly hopeless situation of her life. During one of those services she told Irina that she wanted to have Jesus in her life and they went down to the altar together to pray. Irina said that just a few weeks after that prayer time it seemed that Natasha’s attitude began to change. She became rebellious and began to argue all the time with Irina and her two children (ages 21 and 25) who still live with her. She no longer wanted to go to church and other than going to her job at an alterations shop, would not even get out of bed. Irina warned us that we were going into a home where it seemed an evil spirit had come to live.

We entered the apartment and were introduced to Irina’s two children. Zhenya, her daughter, told us that Natasha had gone in to take a shower and refused to come out because Irina had invited guests to the home. Irina kept going to the bathroom door and telling Natasha to come out. When she did finally emerge, she went into Irina’s bedroom and shut the door. After some time Irina finally told her she MUST come out and meet the guests of the home if she planned to stay in the home. When Natasha finally came to the dining table, she sat down, pulled both of her knees up to her chin, and glared at Liza and I with the most evil eyes I have ever seen! (I asked Natasha if I could take a picture and she said "No!" so there is no picture at this time for me to show you what she looks like.)

Irina continued to talk about her ministry and we continued to talk as if Natasha was not there. As I talked about myself and some of my experiences in StP, she began to open up – she put down first one foot and then the other, and then she even pulled her chair closer to the table and began to ask a question or two. Once I saw that she was losing her anger, I began to ask her about her new cat and about her job. It seemed that she had finally seen me as just a person, not some stranger who was coming to upset her life.

After visiting with them for a couple of hours, I told Irina and Natasha that we needed to leave, but that I would like to purchase some hygiene items for the women at the colony. Irina began to give me a list of items needed and I asked Natasha if she would be willing to go shopping with me to help purchase the correct things. She said, “Yes” and even agreed to let me buy something for her (she only has one set of “house” clothes and one outfit to wear outside).

Irina asked if I would pray for her, her ministry, and her home before I left and I immediately agreed. We stood around the table, held hands, and I prayed. I could hear sniffling from across the table where Natasha was standing and when I ended the prayer she covered her face with her hands and began to weep. Irina hugged her and whispered in her ear, “I love you and now you see that others can love you also.” Natasha nodded and wiped away her tears.

I was surprised to see Natasha pulling on her boots and coat as we were getting ready to leave. It seems that Irina had asked her if she would walk us to the bus stop and she had agreed – without any argument. We chatted as we walked to the bus, confirmed our plans to go shopping, and then we hugged as we parted. As Liza and I rode the bus back home, she looked at me and said, “Nancy, it was amazing to see the change that came over her! She went from a very angry woman to a mild spirit who held hands and hugged us.” I told her, “Yes, it is amazing what a little love from God and those who love Him can do in a person’s life.”

Please pray for my next visit with Natasha. She is to meet us Monday, Jan. 17 to go shopping. Pray that she will follow through with her agreement to meet with me, and that God will give me the right words to say to her to help lift her spirits and hopefully influence her attitude toward Irina, her home, and Natasha’s relationship with God the Father.

From Russia with Love!

Nancy