One week after the Autumnal Equinox :o)

Hello all! There is so much to tell you from the events from the past month, so I'll let the pictures do most of the talking (I need to head to bed really soon)!

For my 24th birthday on September 7, my students had a surprise party that followed the theme of our classroom: Superman! Especially unforgettable was one room parent's suggestion that the class sing "Happy Birthday" to me 24 times throughout the course of the day (not in class, though). So, among lunch, recess, and the all-school picnic later that day, I was serenaded plenty of times! The class showered me with great gifts, words, hugs, and encouragements - what a day it was!


Mr. Hays with his Superman cake and Build-A-Bear (gift from a student last year)...notice I'm wearing jeans during school. We periodically have a "jeans day" at HCA.


A little over a week later, some of the staff revealed a grandiose plan for three young teachers whose birthdays were all a few days apart: a progressive birthday party dinner! On Monday, September 10, 30+ teachers celebrated the birthdays of David Currie, David Bray, and me by walking to four different apartments for this delicious night. It was a blast, and as you can see from the picture, the birthday boys had to "dress up" a bit!


While walking the streets of Moscow for the progressive dinner, we came across a very oddly placed vehicle. How in the world did an NYPD car end up in Moscow?


Here's the core group of "running men." For each of the first four Saturday mornings here this year, we ran together for about 2+ hours in a beautiful and expansive forest. I just love getting out and exercising in nature with these guys!


How could I pass up this pun? After church one Sunday, I saw a bunch of onions all tied together in the kitchen. The Russian word for onions is pronouned "luke", so here you see two of the same! I think one difference between me and the onions is that I don't tend to make people cry when I get cut open!


Eating lunch with my fifth-graders is one of my favorite things.


Here's the most recent picture of Eelbove and me (he's the man who sweeps the street near my apartment). He is in Uzbekistan right now visiting his wife and two daughters. Before leaving he wanted to take this picture of us so he could show his family who I am. I also included some pictures of my family and girlfriend, which he greatly appreciated! Eelbove and I continue to be good friends, and I praise God for crossing our paths!


Two weekends ago, we had our annual staff retreat in Tver, and our resort was right on the Volga River. For those who followed my journey last year, it is the same place. The retreat was awesome, as we spent four sessions discussing the strengths that each staff member has been endowed with from God and how we can work together to understand and harmonize those gifts. As a springboard to this weekend, we all completed the StrengthsFinder evaluation online, which is an evaluation developed by Gallop. I was fascinated to read about my top five strengths; it was also very affirming to accept them as how I'm wired and to appreciate the varying strengths in others.

(This is a picture of some of us 20-somethings hanging out at the retreat. Actually, since the picture was taken, the five of us plus some others have formed a book club to read and discuss literature on a weekly basis. It's a really healthy outlet every Tuesday night!)


What a beautiful setting: the Volga River.


The sun setting on the Mother Volga.


Mr. Bray (student teacher) and Mr. Hays daring to wade through the chilly waters to stand on the raft that was floating so close to shore and was tempting us greatly :)


Did you ever know that you could do this with a cup-holder from the drive-through at McDonald's? On the drive back to school from the retreat, I discovered how to make these sweet goggles!


A tranquil scene on the way to church a couple Sundays ago.


Moscow First Church of the Nazarene during the daytime. We meet on the second story, above a grocery store.


The kitchen at Moscow First is the site of many conversations over chai (tea) after church on Sundays or after prayer meeting on Wednesdays. Really cozy!


The father of one of my students is the leader of a missionary organization that uses the arts as their main vehicle for reaching young Russians, developing relationships with them, and eventually being able to share the gospel with them. This same missionary organization was able to bring a swing band from the U.S. to Moscow this past week in order to play in many different venues. One of those venues was Hinkson Christian Academy on Thursday morning for an all-school assembly on the playground! Pictured here is a band member who not only played trumpet but also sang an amazing rendition of Louie Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World."


After preparing for about three solid weeks, my fifth graders were in charge of chapel this past Friday. The character trait that we were to illustrate was Dependability, and part of the 5th grade chapel was a student-written skit about Moses being dependable. We concluded the chapel with the 5th graders singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness", complete with motions for the chorus. The point was to consider how this world would be if God were not dependable/faithful. His faithfulness doesn't leave one creature untouched! "The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made...Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made." (Psalm 145:8-9, 13)




After a great communion service at church this morning, I decided to take advantage of the sunny, 70-degree weather and head to a beautiful park in the southeastern section of the city. While there I saw something that is actually not too uncommon on the weekends: a newlywed couple walking among the "common" folks in the park. On most weekends, I see one or more newlywed couples celebrating their big day by walking through the streets of Moscow. Oftentimes I see them not far from my apartment!


The packed park at Tsareetsenah. Ideal weather!


What a simple symbol of hope and truth prominently displayed on this door!


A gorgeous gorge in the park during this beautiful time of year.


Two couples, just a bit farther apart in age :)


This sign was quite humorous to me this afternoon. It literally reads "Hot Doggy" (the "ee" sound at the end of a Russian word often indicates a plural).


I've never been on the metro when it took so long to reach the point where I scan my card to enter than this afternoon; it took about 5-7 minutes! This is a picture of the massive crowd of bustling people who were ahead of me. I've come to love the adventure of navigating my way around the city and having to "put up with" the crowded situations at times. There's something so vibrant about being surrounded by so much life all the time!

I praise God that everything at the school continues to go well, and it is so good to have found a lot more of my groove this year in terms of balance within my teaching. Not a day goes by me that my students don't amaze me in some way, and I am grateful to God for the many places in which I've seen His fingerprints. Within the classroom, some issues about which I had been praying all summer are now seeing tangible results - praise God!

Continue to pray for the school to find a computer coordinator. Pray for the upcoming middle school and high school retreats (Oct. 5-7 and 19-21) and for Spiritual Emphasis week, which is also not too far away. Pray for me to have continued wisdom, love, patience, and understanding, not only as a teacher, but also as a friend, boyfriend, etc.

Please pray for me specifically this week as I have a tremendous amount of work to get done before leaving for the middle school retreat and then immediately again on Sunday to head to Turkey for a week (the annual CIS Field Nazarene Missionary Retreat).

Praise God for His beauty that is on display everywhere! Praise God that He "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17b) Let's enjoy the blessings He's given!

P.S. There will be more to come in the near future about the Turkey trip, a ministry opportunity that I am a part of aside from the school, and other exciting news!

Please Pray

While I would definitely like to do a full-fledged blog update tonight, that will have to wait until later. However, one thing cannot: a couple of important prayer requests for friends.

First, please pray for the daughter of a couple at Moscow First Church of the Nazarene. She was stabbed over a week ago, and she is not in good condition (infections in her kidneys, intestines, and somewhere else). Pray for consistency among the doctors who are caring for her and for God to heal her fragile body!

Second, please pray for a friend of one of my teacher friends here at Hinkson. Peter (not his real name), who lives in the U.S., has been wrongfully accused of a very serious crime, and his trial is scheduled for Thursday, September 27. Peter has been in jail for many months now, and the entire process has been extremely draining. Please pray for truth and justice to prevail in the courtroom on Thursday! Thanks!

Ya Lyooblyoo Year No. 2

Well, it true. I'm already back in Moscow for my second year at Hinkson Christian Academy, and I'm nearing the three week mark since I arrived. Amazing!

Like last year, I've hit the ground running...or should I say the air? What do I mean? Well, as is the custom for this novice flyer, I get excited for my flights, and I pray for the people who will be sitting next to me. My prayer was answered in a major way on the trip from Detroit to Frankfort. While my body wanted to sleep, my soul found satisfaction connecting with the man sitting three seats over. (We eventually moved to sit next to each other as our conversation continued.) Not too long into our conversation, I learned that he was a Jehovah's Witness, and we had an intense and intriguing conversation for four straight hours! I pulled out my Bible, and we were able to look at all sorts of verses together while everyone around us was sleeping. All except for one Indian man who came up to me toward the end of the flight and told me that he had noticed that we were talking and that I had my Bible out and that he had been praying for me the whole time! How awesome to have that connection with another believer at 30,000 feet!

So that just got me fired up for this school year. And God knew I needed it. Leaving home was not easy at all, especially after the most amazing summer of my life. I felt like part of my heart was ripped away as I left Leigh and family and friends behind. Many tears were shed in those first couple days. But as the classroom began to take shape again, my housing situation settled down, and I could begin to implement a lot of the ideas I brainstormed over the summer, a peace began to settle on me. Never before have I been so sure of being in God's will than I am right now at HCA as the 5th grade teacher. In just the first two weeks of school, God has repeatedly confirmed His calling on my life to be a teacher and to teach here specifically in this time, and His confidence has grown in me. The second year of teaching is definitely better than year one. Things that I wish I had done from the outset last year, I'm now doing this year, and many expectations have been added for the students, while the class is still balanced with a nurturing, fun-loving atmosphere. (We have already had about six golden moments. Golden moments are those moments in class that are so hilarious or memorable that the class secretary must write them down on a Post-It and place them on the bulletin board. One such incident was when I misspoke four times in one math lesson, and thus had to place clothes pins on both of my earlobes, my hair, and my nose...the nasal voice that then ensued created quite an uproar...but I learned my lesson and the kids will surely continue to make sure Mr. Hays knows how to read numbers and place value correctly!)

The 16 students are an excited group, eager and excited to learn, and we have already developed a special student-teacher bond. I praise God for answering prayers from this summer regarding specifics within the classroom - I can see His faithfulness on display!

Another huge praise is for His provision of kindergarten and first grade teachers and an amazing elementary aide (my aide time is now more than doubled this year...which saves me so much time)! God heard our prayers and answered them in a timely manner! We are still in need of a computer coordinator and assistants to help in the Learning Support Center, but we are confident that these positions will be filled in the fullness of His time.

This past week I realized a hilarious truth about myself. In conversing with my roommate, he asked me about the kind of soap I use for laundry. When I showed him the container of liquid soap that I had been using for all of last year, he informed me that he thought it was fabric softener, as it came in the same size and shape container as fabric softener in the States. So, I consulted with other friends at school, and Stuart's assumptions were correct! I've been doing my laundry with fabric softener for a whole year and didn't even know it! Within these past few weeks, I've finally understood that liquid detergent just isn't sold here. Since then, I've bought some of the dry powder soap (I'm not sure what it's called) that you scoop and place in the washer, and I still use the fabric softener - just this time for its intended purpose! This story becomes even more hilarious when you consider that my mom asked me sometime last year if there was any fabric softener in Russia and that I had told her no... :o)

There is a truth that has really been sinking in lately here in Moscow. It's so simple, yet so profound, especially to me as I live "alone" most of the time in this big city. It regards God as our refuge. Listen to these words from Psalm 18:30 - "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." For so long, I've known that God is our refuge (Psalm 46). However, it wasn't until I arrived back in Moscow that I realized the importance of taking refuge in Him. That involves some effort on our part. In the physical realm, a refuge does not fulfill its purpose of protecting people UNLESS THOSE PEOPLE CHOOSE TO COME CLOSE TO IT AND HIDE WITHIN IT. The same is true with God. He is our rock, fortress, shield, horn of our salvation, stronghold, and refuge - but we will not be safe in Him if we don't choose to be close to Him. What good is it to say we have a haven and yet not draw near enough to it to benefit from its shelter? Here in a city where danger and darkness and the devil's snares are all around, I find great comfort in knowing that my God is my refuge as I stay close to Him. It makes all the difference in the world to know that someone is with you on your journey, how much more the God of the Universe! This truth was especially poignant to me tonight as I watched a little bit of "The Fellowship of the Ring" while sorting some pictures. Once again I heard the sincere words of Sam to Frodo: "Mr. Frodo, I made a promise. A promise. 'Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee.' And I don't mean to. I don't mean to." Sam's presence to Frodo was essential for the completion of the journey and the destruction of the Ring, and in the same way, our life journeys would be miserable without the comforting, protecting, and guiding presence of Almighty God. As we say in Russian, "S'Bogum!" (with God).

Thank you for all your prayers. I know they are effective. Continue to pray for God's hand of protection and guidance on my life. Pray for wisdom, love, and discernment for my teaching. Pray for the parents of my students, who are doing the Kingdom work here in Moscow (I'm slowly learning the stories and ministries of the parents...one is a church planter for deaf congregations - how amazing!). Pray for my students, and especially for the ones who are in an English school for the first time - that can be a bit overwhelming. God bless you all!


Just before leaving for Moscow, I made one last trip to Fairbury, Illinois, to say goodbye to my beautiful girlfriend, Leigh. Here we are pictured with Lucy, Grandpa Hays' 1996 Buick Century that he let me borrow for all the adventures we went on this summer!


Once back in Moscow, I quickly found my way back to the Shaurma (spelling?) stand at the corner near the metro. Pictured in my hand and above my trusty backpack is a delicious shaurma. They cost about 60 rubles (a little over $2), and I treat myself to one every Friday night after a good week of school.


Upon my return, I found that Sasha and Ira had produced a new kitten while I was gone. It was only two days old when I arrived, and since then the little girl (I think) is finally able to walk on its own. What a precious little life! Sasha has found a new home, so it's just me and "the girls" in the flat. In Sasha's absence, Ira has become even more affectionate than Sasha used to be! This is a huge blessing because not only am I an animal lover, but I am very affectionate - I get to cuddle with her every day, and she sleeps on my bed! (she just meowed as I write this:)


How much more precious can you get than a mother nursing her baby?

During the first week of school, I was the proud recipient of Baxter, the Angora rabbit whose master, the first grade teacher, is on furlough. Mr. Hays and the 5th grade class are rabbit-sitting him this year! He's really cute, and he hops around the class for 2-3 hours each school day. I've put the kids in charge of his care (cleaning the cage, brushing him during the first five minutes of their recess, etc.). The picture you see is of Baxter after the haircut that Penny (the ESL teacher) and I gave him. Before the haircut he was hardly recognizable and looked more like a moving mop! He must have been miserable during those first few days of school because it was sweltering, muggy, and in the 90s that whole week. Now we've cooled down to the 50s! In addition to Baxter, the 5th grade class also cares for three lizards: Camo, Spot, and Lightning. Lightning is the latest addition to the zoo, as one of my students caught it this summer and his mother no longer desired it at home!


Last weekend some plans with my friends were cancelled, so I took the gift of time to venture toward the center of town to take in the beautiful weather, watch people, walk, think, write, take pictures, and just relax. I saw this view along the way and was captured by the juxtaposition of the splendid cathedral among the "regular" buildings of the cityscape.


One of many Russian Orthodox cathedrals in Moscow.

Looking over the shoulder of an artist who is sketching the view just outside the Kremlin. On this night, thousands of people were just hanging out in the vicinity of Red Square. It was a jovial atmosphere, something I don't often encounter here.


As a military band played some peppy music in front of the old wall of the Kremlin, a number of Russians danced to the music. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them!


Red Square as dusk approaches.


Here they are! Mr. Hays' 5th grade class, '07-'08. I've got 16 students right now, which will grow to 18 in about a month and 20 next semester. They are a wonderful bunch, and we are already connecting so well!


One of the first assignments I gave my students was to compose couplets (two-line poems whose last words of each line rhyme) describing the various landforms we were studying. The final product was to present six of the couplets in the form of a rap. We had quite a bit of fun with this! (The rap idea was in part spawned by my use of the 1992 dcTalk song "Luv is a Verb" to teach the kids what a verb is...they just love quality rap music!)






One of my students thought it would be hilarious to wear her older brother's jeans in order to capture the rapper persona. After her presentation, she morphed into Urkel mode!


On Friday night I went to the 22nd story apartment of one of my students. He had invited half of the boys in the class plus Mr. Hays to come over after school for dinner and some XBox playing. It was so much fun, and my conversation with his parents was so rich. This is the view of the Moscow horizon as the sun sets.