On Monday June 12 Pastor Nick and I boar
ded the train in Nizhny Novgorod heading for Sochi, located on the Black Sea in southern Russia. The trip had several purposes; to introduce Nick to the Russian Foursquare pastors and leadership in southern Russia, to speak with Jeff Roper, our supervisor who was visiting Russia at the time, and to attend the Southern Russian district Foursquare churches summer conference. This was the first time I had traveled in Russia without either Karen or a translator. Nick speaks about as much English as I speak Russian so our language skills were stretched to the maximum. Despite the language problems we both enjoy each others friendship and we were looking forward to the trip together.
The trip to Sochi takes 36 hours by train. We rode via platzcar which is Russian economy class. The train car is 54 open sleeping berths where you sit by day and sleep by night. The accommodations are certainly not American but Karen and I often choose to travel this way. 36 hours on a train is not a lot of fun. Russian trains have no air conditioning so in the summer they can be sweltering, the bathrooms can be less than clean and the noise 
and rocking of the train can make sleeping at night difficult.
Nick and I spent two nights and a day riding each way. We ate food which we had both brought along and we purchased drinks and snacks along the way as we stopped in various towns. Whenever a train stops for more than a few minutes in a city, the train is meet by scores of local people selling everything from cigarettes and vodka, to home cooked meals of chicken and potatoes wrapped in plastic and on a disposable plate. June in Russia is berry season so at every stop babushkas met the train and offered plastic cups of local strawberries for sale.
When we awoke on the second morning
of the trip we noticed a dramatic change in the scenery. We had left behind the rolling Russian countryside, filled with birch trees, streams and small villages, and we had entered the Caucasus Mountains. These mountains are small compared to the mountains in America, but they offered a beautiful contrast to central Russia. To add to the scenery we were soon riding along with the Black Sea on one side of the train and the mountains on the other. 
At 9:00 AM on our second day we arrived at the train station where we were met by a Christian brother who gave us a ride to our guest house in his van. The guest house is owned by a believing couple and was the location of our small conference. The house is located almost right on the seaside, and we could walk to the beach (Pictured here) in just a few minutes.
That afternoon, after the arrival of most of the couples who would attend the conference, we all
walked to a local cafeteria where we had all of our meals on the veranda. 
The conference was a good time of relationship building. Nick enjoyed his time there and is now firmly convinced that the Russian Foursquare church is what he wants to be a part of. He spoke with Pastor Slava Naniyants, the Russian Foursquare national leader, and was encouraged to begin the official process as registering his church with the Foursquare National churches of Russia.
On Friday afternoon Nick and I again boarded the train for the long return trip. Two nights and 39 hours later (the trip is longer on the return route), we arrived safely back in Nizhny Novgorod. I really missed Karen on this trip, and in thirty one years of marriage this was our second longest separation. Despite the separation, on my arrival back at our apartment it was difficult to decide if I was happier to see her or the shower after almost two days of riding the train!
This guy joined me for lunch and dinner every day.
1 comment:
Hello! Over past months, I have read a few of your blog posts here and recieved e-mails from you about your missionary activity in Russia, and I just want to say that I am overwhelmed! It amazes me to no end when I realize that God is doing awesome things not only here, but all around the world. I believe that I have been called to go into the ministry and become a missionary when the time comes, but every part of the idea scares me. I don't like to travel. I worry about the language barrier. I would get homesick. I would miss my friends and family. I don't know how I would adapt to a new culture. I'm drive myself silly thinking that I won't even like the food they eat! But in spite of all of this, I still have such a strong conviction that this is my purpose in life, and I believe in all of my heart that is where God will take me. I am comforted by the fact that it is in my weakness that I am strong, because God is strong through me. I rest assured knowing that the Lord of Heaven and earth will be my provider, my comforter, my healer. I know that through Christ Jesus, I can do all things. I am reminded of when Thomas asked Jesus "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" to which Jesus replied "I am the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Me." Everything becomes so simple when we just realize that Jesus IS the way. I don't have to worry myself thinking about how things will get done, I can simply rest assured that they will get done because God said they would be done, and God's word does not return void, but it will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He has sent it! Praise God! I am so grateful to be able to hear from you on many occasions of how the Spirit is moving in Russia, and I pray that you would soon see a great revival and that many souls would be one for the Kingdom! Thank you so much, you have been a great encouragement to me and I just wanted to let you know. I will keep you in my prayers always!
In Christ,
Travis R.
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