“Natasha, as soon as my mom and dad told me we were coming to your city of Blagoveshchensk (Blog a vay shunz) in Russia to work in the missionary church, I prayed that I would find a friend. Jesus answered my prayer!”

“I, too, prayed for you, Paige, but I didn’t know it would be you. I knew a family was coming to take over for Pastor Wilson while they went back to America for a year, but I didn’t know they would have two girls who would live in the empty apartment right next door, and one would be my age of 11!”

“Here we are, talking like we’ve been friends for a long time, and we just met.” Paige flung out her arms and hopped around the room. She stopped. “I wish there was someone for my older sister, Kelly—she’s 14.”

“There are some girls at church that are happy to meet her.” Natasha said.

“Natasha, how do you know so much English? You speak very well.”

“Thank you, my new friend. The pastor’s wife, Mrs. Wilson, she taught me English from when I was very small.”

“Natasha, I can’t wait for you to show me around. It was dark when we arrived last night, and I can’t wait to look around. May we go now?”

“If you would like it.”

“I’ll go get Kelly.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s a long way down, Natasha, why aren’t there any elevators?”

“These buildings are very old, Paige. They were built before the second big war.”

Paige and Kelly followed Natasha through the door into the bright sunlight.

“Whew—the cold air feels good—walking down all those steps made me warm!” said Kelly as the girls went outside.

“This is our play area, Natasha; we have lots of fun here. It’s probably not like a play area in America, though.” Paige opened her mouth to say something, then saw Kelly frown and shake her head. Natasha had been looking around, smiling , and Paige knew her sister didn’t want her to say how old and broken the swing sets were, even though they both thought so. There weren’t even any swings on them! She looked up at the tall, gray apartment building, and saw three others that looked just like it, standing side by side.

“I wonder which room is ours. Which floor do we live on again?

“The fourth floor, my new friend.”

“Natasha, what are those black places on the side of the apartment buildings?”

“Those are from fires, Kelly.” Natasha sighed. “When a fire comes, the people are often too poor to fix the walls and windows of their apartments. They have to move into another one.”

Paige thought the buildings looked very sad, huddling together with their dark eyes and gray coats. For a moment, she felt like she didn’t want to be here, and missed her home in America. Then she remembered that her dad had come to preach the Gospel to the people in Natasha’s church. She needed to do her part, too. She stretched a smile across her face.

“Natasha, when will I get to see your church?”

“On Sunday. I will introduce you to everyone,” Natasha smiled. “There will be friends for you, too, Kelly. Come—let’s go inside.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paige was ready early on Sunday morning, and her family walked with Natasha’s family to catch the bus.

“My legs are so cold, Kelly. I wish we had a car.” She whispered to Kelly before catching up to Natasha at the bus stop.

“The walking will warm you up. Dad says it’s a long way.”

Standing next to Natasha, Paige’s breath frosted the air, and she shivered.

“Are you too cold, my friend?” Natasha asked.

“Oh, it’s just that my bath was not very warm.”

Natasha nodded with understanding. “Sometimes we have hot water. Sometimes we don’t. You never know when you will have it, though. It may be a day or two before it is hot again. You will get used to it. Getting food is much more important to us than bathing.”

The bus stopped in front of them, and the families climbed inside. Every seat was already full, so they stood. Sometimes it was hard to hold on to the seat next to her as the bus rolled and jerked. After awhile, Paige’s hand began to hurt. The bus made two more stops and let more people on. They were so squished that Paige wondered if she would be able to breathe. Two small children standing next to her stared up at her face. She didn’t know whether to smile, laugh, or make a funny face. She smiled. They smiled back.

Suddenly the bus lurched, then stopped.

“This is where we get off, Paige,” Natasha’s voice was right in her ear. They followed their families out of the bus.

“Is this where the church is?” Paige asked, looking around

“Oh, no, we have more walking to do. We are very thankful to have a church so close.” Natasha answered when Paige asked her about it. They walked in silence. The fresh air felt good after the crowded bus. Paige thought about having her own seat in their car back home. When we give someone a ride to church back home, I will never again complain about having to sit in the middle of the back seat.

Just when Paige thought she couldn’t go another step, they stopped in front of a small building.

“Here we are, Paige and Kelly. This is my church,” said Natasha proudly.

Paige looked at the small building. It didn’t look like any church she had ever been to. Her church had a parking lot and sidewalks. It was tall and had lots of windows, too.

“Natasha, what are all those plants around the building instead of grass?”

“Here, we must use all the ground we have. Those are potato plants. We eat many potatoes--they will be good in soup later—I will make you some.”

Paige saw some boys sharing a drink from a metal cup near a big tub. As the girls walked closer, one of the boys offered the cup to Kelly.

“No thank you.” She shook her head and smiled. That’s disgusting—thought Paige--I could never drink from the same cup as everyone else. Maybe our family could bring some paper cups for the people to use.

Paige heard men’s voices, and turned in time to see her father hugging and kissing one of the Russian men right on the lips! He did the same with the other men.

Natasha saw Paige watching her father.

“The men are very glad to see him. They were afraid that, once the other missionary left, no one would come back to our church, and we would be forgotten.”

“My dad told me that the Christian men kiss on the lips here, but it is still different for me to see it.” said Paige.

“Don’t they do that in the United States?”

“No,” answered Paige, “they usually just shake hands.”

“Natasha, where is your Russian pastor?” Kelly asked suddenly. “My dad told me that he had left.”

“He was taken away for preaching from God’s Word,” Natasha spoke softly, and looked at the ground.

“The big churches in the city must preach what the government tells them to preach. They don’t teach about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. Our church does. When a church does not follow the rules, the government gets very angry. We were in the woods having communion one day, and someone told the authorities we were there. They took our pastor then. We don’t know when he will come back. Some pastors are taken to a bad place and killed. Mama says that they are very mean to the pastors there. She said if I heard everything they do to them, I will have nightmares.”

Paige shivered as she thought about it. She couldn’t imagine something like that ever happening to their dad in the States.

“Oh, Kelly, here is Anna.” Natasha motioned to a girl standing with an older lady. She lives in our building with her grandmother. Anna, this is Kelly. She is 14 like you. Kelly’s father has come to preach for us while Pastor Wilson is in America. She is the sister to my friend, Paige.”

“Hello, Anna. I am glad to meet you and to be in your church today.”

“Hello, Kelly.”

Paige could tell that Anna’s English wasn’t as good as Paige’s, but she knew that her sister would find a way to communicate with her new friend.

“Church is beginning--we must go inside now.” Natasha tugged at her arm. “I will show you where to sit.”

“Why do the men sit on one side, and the ladies sit on the other?” Paige whispered as the people in front of them shuffled to their chairs. The room was already very full.

“Sh-h-h,” said Natasha.

They sat with other children on the front rows of benches. Kelly and Anna sat with the women.

“Is this a special program?” Paige asked quietly.

“No, this is where we always sit.” Natasha whispered back.

Suddenly, everyone was standing to sing.

They sing much louder than our church back home, thought Paige.

After the singing, the children suddenly stood up, moved to the front, and began speaking. Paige guessed that they were saying Bible verses in Russian. Wow—even the little kids know the verses.

There was more singing and speaking. I’m so tired of sitting on these benches with no backs—can’t any of the children move to another row? We are so squished in here! I feel like this service is going on forever! She knew without looking that there was no more room in the church. People had been standing in the back when they arrived. She tried to look down the bench without turning her head. Those children sat very quietly—even the smallest ones. I guess if they can sit, so can I thought Paige.

Just then, her dad got up to preach. Another man stood up with him as an interpreter. Her dad would say some words in English, then the other man would speak in Russian. The sermon was much longer because two of them were preaching.

After the preaching, there was more singing. Then it was time to go.

“I’ve never been in a church service for that long before!” Paige said quietly to Natasha.

“My people have a deep hunger for God’s Word. It is like a feast to them. They are encouraged when they sing the hymns and hear the children repeat the Scriptures. Nothing keeps them from coming, unless they are very sick.”

“I am embarrassed,” said Paige thoughtfully as they walked to the bus stop. “Sometimes at home I feel like church is boring, and I don’t want to go, especially when we have to travel to so many different churches because we are missionaries. I need to tell the Lord I am sorry, and be happy to go just to hear His Word. I guess I think too much of myself.”

Natasha put her hand on Paige’s arm. “Then it is a good thing that you have come here, my friend. But, it is not time to be sad. Tomorrow I will take you shopping.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’m glad you’re going to take me shopping with you, Natasha.” Paige carried an empty bag and followed her friend through the crowded street. “With our moms going into the city, I would have been bored by myself.”

“I would not leave my new friend. How rude that would be of me. It is too bad that Kelly could not come with us.”

“She had some work to do for my mom. Maybe next time. Where are we now, Natasha?”

“This is our outdoor market—it is closer to our house.” Natasha motioned for her to stop. “We will buy bread here.”

Paige looked at the counter. “It looks like they will run out, and this is a long line. Is there more in the back?” Paige wondered aloud.

“No, if they run out, we will just have to come back another time,” said Natasha.

While the girls waited, Paige looked around.

“Natasha, there is a man sitting under a tree over there, with things scattered around him on the ground. What is he doing?”

“He is selling car parts for those who are able to have a car,” said Natasha.

“What kind of cars?” asked Paige.

“They are Ladas—the only cars around here—and very old ones, too,” laughed Natasha. “A bus is much easier and safer. People with cars drive very crazy here!”

Paige waited while Natasha bought her bread, and looked at the long line behind them. Many of those people would go home without it.

Paige swatted flies as she walked by stalls with hanging chickens. She stopped to watch a man lifted one from a hook, wrap it in paper, and give it to a woman in return for some coins. Did the woman notice the flies crawling out of the paper? Paige shuddered and had to breathe through her mouth so she wouldn’t smell the meat.

“The chicken is very costly and they are mostly bones,” Natasha said. “We won’t be stopping there.”

The girls trudged towards home. Paige hurried to keep up.

“How can you walk so fast, Natasha?”

“I have grown up this way. Your legs are not used to so much walking. Take heart, my friend--we are almost there. See, that is our home.

Paige looked up at the gray building, and was first to see the smoke. Was it coming out of their apartment? She dropped her bag of food.

Grabbing Natasha by the arm, she pointed and yelled, “Look—the building is on fire! We must phone the fire department—hurry, Natasha!”

Natasha whirled her friend around and looked into her face.“Paige, stop squawking like a chicken at market. We cannot phone—there are no phones here in our building. Listen to me. I will tell you what we can do. We must run to the fire department and tell them. Then they will come. I will show you—but don’t forget your bag of food!”

Paige reached for the parcel, and raced after her Natasha.

“Are we lost?” gasped Paige, as she followed Natasha down streets and behind buildings. Natasha’s answer was to rush into a building on the next corner. She began speaking quickly in Russian to a man at the desk.

“They will come now, my friend,” Natasha told her as the man left the desk.

Paige watched an old fire truck roll around the corner. It looked like an old one she had seen in a July 4th parade—not at all like the ones they used back home.

“Come, Paige—they will give us a ride to the apartment building.” Natasha motioned for her friend to follow.

At any other time I would be excited, Paige thought as she climbed aboard the vehicle. She felt bad for the family that lived there, and hoped they were not near the fire. Suddenly, they were driving up to the apartments, watching smoke fill the air as the truck rolled closer to the building. The girls watched as a girl and an older lady hung their heads over the window sill, coughing and sputtering in the cold air. Smoke blew in their faces.

“Look--it is Anna and her grandmother from church!” cried Natasha. Someone must help them.

By now, a small group of people were watching the firemen struggle with the hoses. Suddenly they got into the truck and quickly drove away.

“They can’t just leave those people in there!” yelled Paige. “What are they doing?”

“Paige, they are out of water. Now they must go to the nearest water pump and fill the trucks again. They will return.” Natasha grabbed her arm.

When Paige looked back to Anna and her grandmother, she saw someone else at the window—Kelly!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And then, Mom, a man suddenly came out of the apartment door with Anna and her grandma and Kelly—“ Paige sputtered, laughing and crying at the same time as they told the story to their mothers in Anna’s apartment. The mothers had gone over to help the older woman. Natasha spoke next.

“We ran over to them. There were already many people helping. Anna and Kelly were coughing and crying, and someone helped the grandma to sit on the ground.”

“Kelly and Anna were so happy to see Natasha and me.” Paige spoke again. “It was really the apartment below them that was on fire, but the blowing smoke made it look like it was theirs. Thankfully, no one was in it.”

“When we opened our door to get out, the hall was filled with smoke,” Kelly said. “We shut the door and stayed in the apartment, but the floor was getting very hot. Anna’s grandma told us to tie sheets together. We would throw them over the window sill and climb down. Then she started praying out loud. Just when we thought we would have to climb over, the fire truck came back and put out the fire. A man came and helped us down the stairs.”

“We were surprised to see Kelly’s face with Anna. She told us that she had permission to visit Anna after her work was done.

Anna came out of the bedroom. “Grandmother wants to rest now. She says much thanks to you for your caring. May you come tomorrow, Kelly?”

“Yes, Anna—I will come.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting ready for bed, Paige yawned.

“Kelly, I didn’t know I would have to come all the way to Russia for such a great adventure.”

“I’m sure there will be others, Paige, but I hope they won’t be this exciting!”

“I was thinking about God tonight, Kelly, and how He is everywhere at one time. I’ve known that for several years, but it just kind of clicked in my mind. I can be having a great adventure in the States, and Natasha could be having one here, and God can be taking care of us at the same time.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Questions-

1. Do you think it would be a good idea for Paige’s family to bring Styrofoam cups for the church people to use? Why or why not? Should the people become like Americans?

2. Do Natasha and the other Russians complain about the things that they have? Why or why not?

3. Paige felt like she wanted to come home when she was in the playground. Why did she feel like that? Do missionaries ever feel like that? Is it right or wrong?

4. If God wanted you to be a missionary in a country like that, would you go? Why or why not?

5. Do you think Paige and her family have everything that they need? Why or why not?


Also read at http://www.gfamissions.org/field-stories/