The building

Ever since Pete and Trac first came to Sakhalin, they’ve had long-term vision for a building- a building that will be big and centrally located, that will suit our needs and be a place where a future full-time team of 10 can live and work!! (Currently we are a full-time team of three; Pete, Trac and myself).

Well… there is a building we’re interested in at the moment. It used to be a bakery, but has been empty for 3 years. It’s one block from the school that Luke, Jake and Becky go to; it’s smack in the middle of 3 student hostels that most of our young people live in; it’s about 10 minutes walk to the centre of town.

It’s big. It is built in a U shape, and the back wing can be separated from the main hall area- perfect for live-in team members and family. We want it.

Here are some pictures. Becky and the others at the back of the building Rome at the front of the house the front gates to the courtyard Behind the building- the windows could be our bedrooms

Rome and I in the courtyard

To obtain this building in any way will be a miracle: we haven’t more than a few cents to our collective names! To renovate it in a style that will suit our purposes will be a huge challenge: namely, if this building is for us, God will give it to us.

We’ve met with the owner, we’ve discussed it with our Russian and Australian pastors, we’re discussing it amongst ourselves, and … we’re waiting. For a miracle.

Some scenes from around town

Bec and I taking a stroll on a footpath
lenin's face still graces our town
In the park (Gagarin Park, named after the first Russian dude in space!)
The day someone stole the rubbish bins
Luke, Kat and Jake walking on a footpath
Buying fish... Pete tried ice fishing actually. I'll have to wait til next year!
Eating at our favourite cafeteria, Goloboks!
Kat from NSW, hip-deep in snow

Snowboarding

I’ve been learning to snow board. Now, I am not heavily into sports and I have no clue when it comes to winter sports! But who could pass up the chance to learn? And make good use of the snow we have so abundantly.

It’s changed my point of view completely- now I’m cheering when we have a blizzard and I’m so disappointed that the sun is warmer and staying longer every day… LoL

Roma has boots and he bought a board at the beginning of the season. I’d sometimes go outside with him and watch as he tried to board down the gentle incline at the top of our street.

Those days are far behind us. Since then he’s taken me, and Luke and Jake a couple of times too, to the slope in the park. It’s a short bus ride away, and we usually walk home. LOVE living next to a ski slope!!

At first Rome and Maxim (when he was here on winter holidays) held me up and showed me how to turn, how to stop, how to turn over and (most importantly) how to fall.

Then Ryan bought a new board and boots, so I used his extra pair…

He and Rome, Dina from Ryan’s church and I went snowboarding one Saturday in February, at Gorny Vostok. Dina and I stayed on the beginners’ slope where we belong, while the boys went up the mountain on the real slope ;-) Dina and I on the beginner's slope Ryan, Felicity, Roma, Dina

Time out for Roma after tackling the big slope

But the real adventure was coming home. We’d caught a taxi up the slope, but Ryan knew of a track through the forest that we could board down to get back to the city.

The snow was more than knee deep, which was deeper still for petite Dina!! We slid down on our boards, crawled through unchartered snowfall on our hands and knees, and boarded as much as we could. Several hours later we arrived home, laughing, wet, and exhausted. Thanks for being so patient, boys!!

Ryan and Dina, at the top of the forest track

Finally, at the end of the season, I have bought my own boots.

I’m hoping I get a chance to use them before December!! LoL In any case next time I go snowboarding it will be so much better. Because my boots fit me really well. The board will have to wait for next season.

Anniversaries

Yesterday was Pete and Trac’s 14^th wedding anniversary!

So Monday they took off- they hired a fully furnished flat about 10 minutes walk from our house!! It even has a Jacuzzi… and they’ve been there for the last two nights, enjoying having time to themselves, privacy, and a real bedroom to sleep in! (Usually they sleep on a divan in the lounge room).

Congratulations Pete and Trac!!

... an entry I wrote in February

House Bound

February so far has been very quiet. We’ve all been pretty much house-bound for the last two weeks with the flu and colds etc. Fortunately I didn’t suffer the flu (I did my time with it in December!) so for me the weather has been perfect for snowboarding, ice-skating and just getting outside in the crisp air for a bit. Now that it’s really quiet I do actually have time to study Russian, read some of my many books, write long emails and etc but with the quietness comes unmotivated lethargy to do anything but sleep!

And I don’t want to sleep because I’ll just lay there and think, and I’m sick of my own thoughts
*sigh*
Part of being house bound with 3 kids for two weeks I guess…

The kids go back to school on Monday. They’ve had almost two weeks off school for quarantine- excellent idea, this quarantine. Some of the unis have closed this week for the same reason. If a bad flu or sickness is going around the schools and colleges will just close!

Russian kids have heaps more opportunities to get of school than I ever did! Besides quarantine, our kids have enjoyed snow days (blizzards). I have yet to find what joys await us in the warmer months ;-)

Bec and Jake hamming it up in the girls' room

snow

It's all disappearing- fast!
There are still some blizzarding motions to go through but temps are back up again- it was +6 degrees yesterday!! So the snow melts and then re-freezes on the ground during the night, as... ice. And walking the next day is a real challenge-

Unless the temp is in + degrees again, and then we skip through muddy puddles on the ground, keeping a SHARP eye on the passing cars, trying to dodge the most mud-be-splattered parts of the footpath so that our jeans and boots won't become camouflaged with the path. Lovely.

We call it Spring.

Remembering Becky's 10th birthday

Our cat, Begira

Out for pizza! Ryan and Luke Anton and Jenya
Becky and Jasmine

Becky's birthday cake
Kate and me!
Jenya, Roma and Felicity We all live here! Jenya, Luke, Pete, Jasmine, Jake, Trac,
Me, Becky, Roma and Anton

WOOHOOO

Hello

People

People, we are ONLINE!

On-Line.

After months. MONTHS of waiting. We have DSL.

We paid our connection fee on December 25th. And now, today, March 10th, we are, finally, connected.

Woooohooooo!

I will be keeping in much more frequent contact with you now.
Because-

We're connected!

Since I've been back

Finally, a chance to breathe!

It seems that I only have time to write emails when I’m in Japan, waiting for a Russian visa, waiting for a flight back to Sakhalin…

The last month has been so out of the ordinary that I’m actually looking forward to getting back into the daily grind of life in Sakhalin.

December saw our home inundated with people, both expected and unexpected! Christmas took us by surprise, so on Christmas Eve Trac and I set out on an 8-hour mission to the markets! Anton’s twin brother Maxim came back to Sakhalin for a holiday – he’s studying at uni in Khabarovsk, and will probably go back at the end of February. He’s one to keep the atmosphere lively! He and Anton love to practice their wrestling moves in the lounge room, keeping us all entertained!

Maxim and Olyessa

We’ve had military police knocking on the door looking for someone who doesn’t live here, and we met the owner of our home’s wife who let herself in without knocking, asked to have a shower and then asked Tracy to blow-dry her hair! The owner himself visited us on Christmas Day and asked for various documents so he could apply for DSL internet for us. We couldn’t actually go with him, as we had a Christmas party in full swing! He understood.

After Christmas, two girls from a city north of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk came to stay with us for 2 weeks, over the New Year period. We knew that Katya A’s (she visits us regularly) cousin Valya was coming, but we were surprised to meet 2 Valyas from the same school in the same city!! The other Valya is Sasha’s (who lives with us) sister, so of course she was welcome too. We weren’t too sure about it all at first, but looking back, we couldn’t have managed without them! They picked up a lot of the housework, freeing us to do other things.

Valya, Sasha's sister

Valya, Katya A's cousin

Even so, Pete, Trac and I shared some nervous glances as we sat down to plan where everyone would sleep- sometimes we had 16 people sleeping at our house! Our friend Janet, who runs a Wednesday night Bible study in her home, rocked up loaded to the hilt with sleeping bags, cutlery, a microwave, blankets- the very things we were desperate for!

But what really kept us busy were the winter teams. Every winter (and sometimes in summer!), KOI send teams of volunteers from Australia to Sakhalin, to stay in Children’s Homes in the city. The purpose of these teams are to build relationships with the children who live there, run programs for the kids to enjoy and, where possible, to teach the kids about their way of life.

Many team members come to Sakhalin every year! The kids we know were so excited to see them again, and often talk about what so-and-so did, said, wore etc, last time. This is the point at which we know that the teams are effective, and well worth the effort and expense.

Usually one team comes, but this time there were two. We’d just recently made contact with another Home just down the road from us, so one of the teams went there. Usually the teams live and do everything on site. But this year a young family with 2 children (a 2 year old and 6 month old baby) were a part of the team- hard enough to travel with small children, let alone live in one room with the rest of the team!! So they stayed with us for two weeks.

The team unloading at our place

One thing I noticed is that, no matter how many people were in our house, it never seemed crowded; even though there’s only one bathroom, there was no tension or long queues; no matter how many people were staying for dinner, there was always enough for everyone. How great is our God!

Two girls from Sydney stayed on with us after the rest of the team went back to Australia. They’re in Novo Sibirsk (New Siberia) at the moment, visiting friends for a couple of weeks, and will stay with us again in February, until just before uni starts in Australia!

It has been great having so many Australians around. It really has felt like a season of celebration with Weetbix, Vegemite, Milo and Peanut Butter floating around the kitchen (on waves of euphoria). The team members looked on with amusement as we gently lifted two bricks of Weetbix out of the fast-emptying box, smelled that card-boardy packed shredded wheat smell, caressed the rough surface and placed them, one at a time, into a bowl of milk…

The team left on Friday 12^th, and I left for Japan on Sunday 14^th. There’s a long story behind my departure- I had a lot of trouble leaving Sakhalin! Flights were cancelled due to a blizzard, forcing me to overstay my visa by a day, so I had to get an extension visa for several days until the next flight to Japan… but it worked out for the best! Because I was delayed by a week, I was in Hokkaido (the northern island of Japan) at the same time as my friend Ayumi, whom I used to work with at Shimizu High School! It was great to catch up with her, even though it was only for a few hours!

Now I have been to the Russian Consulate in Sapporo and obtained a new visa- it’s longer this time! 2 months and 2 weeks, so I won’t have to come back to Japan until March! But the word is that I can extend my visa for a year once I’m back in Sakhalin, because I’m not using a tourist visa anymore!!

We’ll see. If I can extend the visa to a year, I’ll only have to leave Russia again at the 6 month mark… about July.

* * * *

Back in Sakhalin, the freeze has begun- it isn’t snowing much, but the temperatures are hanging in the -10 to -20C range. Surprisingly, it’s not that cold! It seems that once the temperature is below -5C it’s all pretty much just… cold.

We get out and walk around and go snowboarding for hours at a time and my nose hasn’t fallen off yet, nor have my hands turned blue ;-)

And life goes on as usual. We’re busy shopping and getting supplies for the coming month, looking at buying some bunk beds and better quality mattresses (!!!) and enjoying the winter. It hasn’t snowed much at all for about a week now, the roads are getting quite icy (which means slippery!) and the snow on the ground is hard packed and getting dirty- terrible for making snow angels! Outside the wind is picking up and seems to be blowing in a circular movement… I wonder if we’re in for a blizzard?!

That would be good.

あゆみちゃん

Yesterday I went to Toya Lake. It's about 2 hours by train from Sapporo, right in the neck of Hokkaido.

(view from Ayumi's room)

Ayumi was the school nurse assistant at Akashi Shimizu High School, while I was working there. Now she works at Takasago High, hence her presence in Hokkaido- this week was the 2 nen sei ski trip, and Ayumi was on staff as the nurse.

I didn't intend to be in Hokkaido this week, but due to blizzards, sticky visa situations and flight availability, our paths crossed! SO yesterday i went to meet her.

I'd been worried about my rapidly-decreasing (and quite small to start with!) ability in Japanese, but once I met her I realised what the problem was- I can speak Kansai dialect much better than standard Japanese!! LoL

It was so good to see you Ayumi! Come visit me in Sakhalin soon!!

ice sculptures

They decorate the two town squares of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from December 25th-ish until January 7th. If it's not too cold, you can spend hours there, watching the sculptors at work. Huge blocks of ice lay scattered around the area, ready to be chiseled and drilled and shaped into a beauty. Lenin Square is the most popular to visit.

The ice sculptures are just a part of the decorations.

The sculptures by night: Christmas night!

Visas, visas

I’m in Japan again. It seems that I only get time to write when I’m in Japan, waiting on a new Russian visa. It might have something to do with the internet speed too. We’re signed up with DSL now and are paying for it, but haven’t got it working. Haven’t had time to follow it up either. The last month has been insane.
Good, but insane.

December 29th the two Australian winter teams were supposed to arrive- one team for Lastochka Children’s home, the other for a new Children’s Home we’ve only recently made contact with, on Mira St. The idea of the teams is that they stay at the Home for 2 weeks, run activities, talk and play and give the kids their attention. The teams come every winter, sometimes in summer too. A lot of the team members have come to Sakhalin multiple times, which is great- they continue to build relationships with the kids they met the previous year/summer. The boys that live with us were particularly excited to see John again, as he’s gotten to know them over the last 4 or 5 years.

So, they were supposed to arrive on the 29th, but there was a big blizzard and the airport closed for a couple of days. They arrived January 1st instead, and just left this Friday, Jan 12th. It was great having Aussies around, and a young family with 2 small children actually lived with us for the time they were here. We had 16 people sleeping at our house a couple of times!

Unfortunately most of us got really sick while they were here, which Trac assures me happens every time. The team has gone, but two 20 year old girls from Sydney are staying on with us for a while. Today they should be going to NovoSibirsk (an 8 hour flight from Sakhalin!!) for 2 weeks, then coming to stay with us again for 10 days.
But while they’re away, it might be just us (who actually live there) staying in our house!! First time for a month.

Back to Japan- I’m staying with friends I stayed with last month. It hardly seems that I’ve been gone! And this time I won’t have to get another one month tourist visa!
The day I was supposed to leave for Japan last week, I got my 3 month letter of invitation!! The document I’ve been waiting for since September! Yesterday I went to the consulate, and my visa will be ready to pick up tomorrow!

I had some trouble leaving Sakhalin this time.
I had bought a ticket to Japan and was all set to leave on Sunday 7th- though I was sick with a fever, didn’t had my letter of invitation and really didn’t want to get on a plane that day. A blizzard was forecast and, sure enough, it started a few hours before my flight- praise God! The airport closed and we were told to call for more information at 8am the next day.
Well, the blizzard continued for two days and finally the airport opened again on Tuesday 9th. The next flight to Japan was on Wednesday.

But this caused me some concern- my visa expired on Tuesday 9th! I spent all day Tuesday with our friend Victor, talking to officials and asking what my situation would be. Finally someone at the Passports and Visa office told us that because the situation was caused by Forces of Nature, there wouldn’t be a problem and I should leave on the next flight, on Wednesday.
So on Wednesday, this time with all the necessary documents, I headed back to the airport. Only to be told that I would not be flying today, because my visa expired!!
The plane left without me on it.

Finally Pete thought of calling the Australian Embassy in Vladivostok for advice. They pointed us, thank God, in the right direction! The lady at the tourism department took control, and within a few days of running around, getting photos, filling in forms and paying money, I got an extension visa until Sunday 11th. Finally I was allowed to leave Russia!

So here I am, thanking God that yesterday my visa application process was very smooth, praying that there’s not a black mark next to my name for last week’s visa issues, and that I will go safely back to Sakhalin on Friday, as planned!

Life in our house will (should. Lets not be presumptive!) be back to normal as of this week. The kids started school again yesterday, Roma’s back at uni, and Jenya’s gone back to his old job of washing cars. Most people who went “home” for Christmas are back, New year celebrations are FINALLY over (the last thing to be celebrated was Old New Year, Jan 14th) and most of our visitors are gone too. Yay! I feel a big cleaning coming on… L

LoL and proper Russian study. I’m also thinking about joining a Japanese language class when I get back. I’ve forgotten so much and Japanese and Russian are getting so mixed in my head. Already here in Japan I’ve been stuck because the only word I could think of was the Russian one- not even English!! LoL

I don’t want to lose what I struggled so hard to learn.

Bec's birthday

Bec's birthday was December 16th- our house was a continual party from Bec's birthday until Katya R's, on January 12th!!

I've got some great pics of Bec's party but I'm having trouble uploading them...

Our friend Masha took Bec birthday shopping at the markets, and she came home with a gorgeous outfit for school. At the kids' school the uniform is dress pants for boys, skirts or pants for girls, a white shirt and a blazer. Snazzy.

Bec's standing in our room in this pic. When I came, Jasmine was there too, but now it's just Beca and me. I have the top bunk, she the bottom ;-) We have the flue in our room- hence it's the warmest room in the house! No complaints there...

Hanging out in the lounge

Roma keeping Luke and Beckles in hand

Roma's new passion: snowboarding! He bought this board recently, and has been practicing down the street or on the sledding hill nearby- with mauch pain! But he's picked it up really quickly, and is heading to the bigger slopes now. He was hanging out for Ryan to come back from Perth to go boarding with him! Here he's showing Pete the dent he collected when he ran into a girl learning to ski.

A big Snowfall

THeres a lot to be done after a big snow fall.

Luke by the half-completed wall in front of our house

Bec and I peering into Luke's snow cave

Bec wore Pete's boots outside, laces trailing... no wonder they were frozen curly!

The way to the shops- just out the front of our house.

Jasmine and me when I first arrived in Sakhalin

Sorry for leaving you hanging...

I've been back in Sakhalin since Wednesday 13th December, which would make it a week now since I last used the internet... sorry bout that!

I got my tourist visa ok, took the train to Hakodate on Tuesday and flew from there on Wednesday.
Thank you so much Cynthia, Ho and Laura-Jane for having me that week!!

It's good to be home. I really missed everyone here- a good thing! And since then the boys and I have all been getting closer. For the first week Anton and Jenya ignored me! But now we hit each other every time we walk past, so that's really encouraging ;-)

Although it's good to be back, I do have to go to Japan again, in January. My visa runs out Jan 9th, and in Sakhalin the New Year holiday is from 1st- 10th Jan, so there's not much chance of getting anything out of the visa office before I go :-(
What that means is this:
In Jan I'll probably go to Japan about 8th or 9th, get another tourist visa, come back to Sakhalin, go back to Japan in March (about 6th or 7th), and HOPEFULLY then get a 3 month visa, which we can apparently turn into a 1 year visa once I'm here.
I really can't be going back and forth from Japan every month!!

So- there are the bare facts.

It's a week to Christmas and a lot is going on here-
there are two winter teams from NSW coming to 2 different orphanages here (on a 2 week program). They'll arrive Dec 27th and leave about Jan 11th. There may be a couple of people staying in our house with us over that time. And Anton's twin brother Maxim, who studies in Khabarovsk, will come stay with us over the New Year holiday too. I've never met Maxim but everyone here says he's a lot of fun ;-)

Jasmine (from Sydney, who has been staying here for the last couple of months) flew home yesterday. She should have just arrived.
Now that she's gone it's me, Trac and Becky against 6 boys- the ratio's plummeted!!
I guess I'd rather live in a house full of boys than a house full of girls, though.

Maybe you can tell that I just woke up by my writing... I'll get back to you in a more alert way sometime in the very near future!!

And for those of you supporting me- THANK YOU. Please know that your love has been such a blessing!!!

xx Felicity

The Latest News

I called Trac this afternoon. It was just 5 minutes after she'd heard the news herself, and was just wondering how to contact me.

The news was all fairly bad.

1. Trac's bad news: she's not coming to Japan. In fact, she cashed in her ticket today. The re-entry permit will, they told her, take from 1-6 months to issue! Until she has one of these permits, she can't leave Russia. SO... no emergencies in Australia Please!!

The positive side: now we know that we need to apply for multiple re-entry permits as soon as we get a long term visa. They put the paperwork for Pete, Trac and the kids in today.

2. My bad news: the passport office told Bishop Peter (who has been applying for my letter of invitation since the beginning of September!!) that it won't be ready for another month.
I had a little tear when Trac told me that. Ok, there were several.
I don't want to be in Japan for Christmas!

But the conversation ended on a positive note. We agreed to get Kate (our interpreter) to ask Pastor Peter (our Pastor) to ask if there are any more fees we need to pay for a faster issue. If there are, we'll pay them, and hopefully get the letter by tomorrow.

If that doesn't work, Trac will apply for another tourist invitation for me- that shouldn't be too hard to get. And that visa shouldn't be too hard to obtain. It does mean that I'll have to leave Sakhalin, come to Japan and do all this again in 4 weeks time...

at least I have friends in Sapporo now.

So I'll call Trac tomorrow at midday and ask for the news. If she has the letter, it'll be all go- I'll hop over to the consulate as quick as my little legs will carry me and start filling out forms. If she doesn't have the letter, I'll have to change my return flight. Please God...

How it feels to be Russian

I don't know.

But I know you sure get different reactions in japan when you LOOK Russian.

Here's me, used to living in Kansai and everyone assuming I'm American. I felt like a movie star. A supermodel, at least.
Then I'm in Sapporo, and people are avoiding making eye contact, walking a bit further away from me on the path, heads down...

Maybe people in Sapporo are shy...?

It took me a while to realise what it was.
My coat!
I'm wearing a short, fake, horizontally- striped fur coat that only a Russian would wear.
And I've got the blank expression thing happening too- after only 3 weeks in Sakhalin!

Life is very easy for Australian people.

I'm still all alone

And I don't know what's going on!

I'm here in Sapporo, having a reasonably good time, I must say- meeting new people and staying with new friends.

But I want to share my frustration with you!!

I haven't heard from Pete and Trac- I don't know if Trac could get a re-entry permit or if she can come to Japan at all. Or when. I don't know if they've received my letter of invitation yet. So I can't even begin to apply for my new visa.

And I haven't heard from Dell Japan, who should be contacting me regarding Pete's laptop service...

It's so annoying!! I enjoy my own company but 5 days is, hello- enough!

:-(　　*sniff sniff

Ok, that's my pity party for the day.
Hope you're having a good one!

It couldn't have been easy- that's not Russia!

:-(

I arrived in Sapporo yesterday morning- alone.
Trac wasn't allowed to leave Russia, as she didn't have a re-entry visa. Kate had called the passport and visa office, as well as the airport the week before, to ask if Trac needed any paper work to come to Japan- no, no they said.

Well that was last week.

Folks, welcome to Russia

So I don't know if Trac got a re-entry permit today or not- I haven't been able to call her yet. I hope she will arrive in Sapporo tomorrow or the next day. Then we can get on with the fun!!

Aside from the fact that I'm alone when I wasn't supposed to be, I'm having a great time!

A week or two ago I emailed my friends in Japan, asking if they knew anyone in Sapporo I could stay with. My friend Dawn has some friends here, and two of them offered to host Trac and myself- which is fantastic! It's always more fun to stay with someone than in a hotel I think, even without the expense factor.

Well, I followed the directions Laura-Jane gave me, and took the train from the airport, and a taxi from the station, and I arrived at the Sapporo International church just in time for the message!! haha ;-)
It was SO GOOD to be in a church in Japan again- it's 4 months since I left Japan and I hadn't really missed it until NOW.

Cynthia was there- I'm staying with her for now. Maybe I'll meet Laura Jane later this week ;-)
We had lunch at the church, then attended the first part of an English cell group upstairs, then went to a different church to join an English monthly Bible study group- and being December it was a Christmas service! I have met so many people already!

I feel a bit overdressed here in Sapporo- it's only -3 degrees C today, but I'm wearing what I wore when it was -12 degrees in Sakhalin a couple of days ago. My coat is big and furry. I think that people here think I'm Russian ;-)

The purpose of my visit is, obviously, to get a Russian visa. But I can't do that yet- I don't have the letter of invitation from Russia that I need to apply. You know, the document we applied for in SEPTEMBER... If I had waited back in Australia to get it instead of going to the hastle of getting a last-minute tourist visa, I'd still be in Australia.

I wonder if it will be ready, so Trac can bring it over to Japan with her when she comes in a day or two. I hope so!!

oooh, it is so GOOD to be in Japan again! Life here is so easy- I know how everything works, I know the system! I can catch public transport alone, I'm not afraid to walk down the street alone at night, I can ASK FOR DIRECTIONS, I can pass the time of day with the taxi driver, I can read restaurant menus and signs and I LOVE IT!!!!

I was worried I'd have forgotten all my Japanese but no- it's still there! And people in Sapporo seem to be either less jaded about foreigners that Kobe people, or they naturally speak slower, maybe they're simply more patient- I find them easier to understand than Kansai-jin!!
-wierd **

Who could've known I'd be back here so soon?

Tickets!!

Woohoo- we got tickets!!

Trac and I are going to Japan-

ooh here come the onsens, rice balls, nabe, Japanese lingo (** can I remember it?!???) Woohoo!

We're flying out Sunday 3rd, coming back Sunday 10th- 1 complete week is, please God, long enough for me to get a new visa!

If not, I'll stay on in Japan and Trac will come home. ;-(

The kids here are already threatening to rebel or cry or party or whatever their particular reaction is when they're upset someone's leaving...
the panic in Luke's voice, "but mum, you're our primary care-giver! You can't go away for a week! What will we eat?"

He doesn't realise, obviously, that it's usually Pete who cooks at night.

"Don't come back!" Roma says.
"We no want girls. Only boys. Boys house. Go away"

I'm not sure where that leaves Jasmine and Becky...

November Update

We’ve had a great week here on Sakhalin- a full week, a week blessed with meetings, answers to prayer, provision and some great opportunities to trust God and stretch our faith… ;-)

Here are some of the highlights:

House of Grace and Hope Team

Felicity has settled in well, and got into some kind of household routine. She’s met the boys who live here and is getting to know them, caught up with some of the kids she knows from last year when she visited us here, and met new ones.

Our house is awesome! Such a blessing- we worried at first that it was too far out of town, that the kids would have to catch a bus to school… but we’ve discovered some unexpected bonuses. Because the house is further out of town, less kids come- but when they do come, it’s to really visit us and spend quality time with us, not just to use the bathroom or to eat. Recently a couple hung out with us for 9 hours!! We have a lot of time to get to know them.

The kids have already commented that they like the feel of the house, that it’s different from the last- we wonder if it’s because the household is less hectic, and as a stand- alone home we don’t have the surrounding influence of the neighbourhood.

It’s true that we have to catch a bus to get anywhere- but our bus stop is at the beginning of the bus run so the buses are usually empty! It’s not a problem for the kids to hop on a bus to get to school.

Then there’s the space. Just having space in the bedrooms to relax and not be under each other’s feet all the time is like heaven. And the kitchen is big enough to cook meals for 15 with no problem ;-)

Since Wednesday last week we’ve been meeting as a team for Bible study and prayer in the evenings before bed, and with Luke, Jake and Bec in the mornings before they go off to school.

We’ve seen answers to prayer on a daily basis, from the kids catching buses in the morning without waiting in the cold or being late for school, Bec’s teasing issue at school being resolved, financial provision, and Jenya finding work.

God is showing us how to work as a body, each with different functions but coming together as one in all our decisions, with God as the head of our house. Some situations we’ve had to deal with this week have made it difficult for us to make decisions together, even to be in the same place at the same time! But God has really shown us that doing things at the right time in the right way as a united team is the only way!

* * * * *

Meeting Scott

It was a girls’ lunch meeting at the Sakhalin Centre- Trac and Jasmine were ordering, Kate was helping and I was… hanging around at the back staring at the menu board. A group of business men came in behind us and one of them caught my eye a few times.

“Are you guys all Australian?” he asked, obviously Australian himself.

There are a lot of us over here, working for Sakhalin Energy (Shell). I didn’t know why he found it so surprising. Maybe because all the others are men.

Well we started chatting- apparently he recognised me because he and I had come in on the same flight the Tuesday before, and stood near each other in the immigration line. What part of Australia was he from? Perth! Well, Bunbury actually. To be more specific, Clifton Park!! We were blown away.

Trac realised I was talking with someone in line and she heard God say, “This is a divine appointment.”

She turned and heard her name (“wow, Trac is from Kingston!”) and came over to introduce herself. His name was Scott. Scott?!?! Could she ask his last name?

She instantly knew who he was. Trac had been emailing his wife Allison, who attends MOPs at Grace and had heard about us from the Grace website. She and her two sons will be moving to Sakhalin early next year and so emailed Trac to ask her questions about life here. Unbelievable.

After lunch Scott exchanged details with us and Trac invited him to have dinner with us.

On Tuesday evening he came, bearing wine and cheese ;-)

Good thing you don’t need wine glasses or even a corkscrew to enjoy good company!! LoL

We had a great evening, improvising with the wine and meeting each other properly.

Our friend Ryan came too- he and Scott had heard of each other before but not actually met.

After dinner he spoke about his family’s plans to move to Sakhalin, and then made a suggestion that is an answer to prayer!

The family have a space allotment in a shipping container to bring their things to Sakhalin , and they have a lot of space left. Could they bring anything over for us? They also have furniture they don’t need anymore- do we need any furniture?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Yesterday Scott called us. He has spoken to the appropriate people and has arranged for them to include boxes of linen (our quilts!), two chests of drawers and a trestle table he’s giving to us. Praise God! We need these items and the shipment will arrive in Sakhalin sometime in February.

* * * * *

Roma

This week we’ve received a pledge for Roma’s 3^rd semester at uni (he’ll finish his first semester in December) and indefinite support for his everyday needs (such as buses, books and clothing). He is going to university by faith!!

This week Roma started attending a church-based Bible program which runs three nights a week for three years and ends with a diploma. He gets home at about 11pm on these evenings, then often talks with Pete and Tracy about what he’s learned or other questions for a good several hours longer!

He completed the Alpha course last week, which was run by another church. It is so encouraging to see his thirst for the word, his quick growth in Godly ways, and strengthening character.

Jenya

Jenya’s been in and out of work for about a year, since he finished technical school. He’s been living with us on and off since August, and tried a few different jobs. Now he’s washing cars which is tough work when it’s so cold (the temperature is averaging 0 degress C at the moment) but he said that his boss is good (ie not drunk or abusive) and the money is better than his last job. He studied something to do with mechanics at school, but he’d really like to be a welder. He’s greatly influenced by his peers and we are praying that he’ll learn to depend on God to make his decisions.

Anton

Anton hasn’t been home much the last couple of days. He works two nights on, two nights off at a restaurant - those hours will increase next month when he finishes his probationary period.

He is tougher than the other guys we deal with- and he’s the leader of most of the Lastochka kids. Pete jokes that he’s the godfather. With Anton and Jenya moving in with us, we unwittingly changed the social dynamics of the Lastochka group. Anton began to see how many kids come to us for help or advice, instead of going to him for help, and he felt that his authority was being threatened. As he realised this Pete and Trac saw his walls go up and he became difficult to communicate with.

But slowly he’s been opening up to Tracy, and at those times he can understand English and Tracy’s Russian- this is in private moments, usually at night. During the day with everyone around, he’s a tough guy who doesn’t understand us at all.

Slowly he’s been opening up more and making an effort to communicate with everyone, even with Peter! And while this is a very slow, ongoing process, we are greatly encouraged and looking forward to watching him grow and recommit his life to Christ.

Felicity

Felicity’s letter of invitation has finally come through!! After about 10 weeks of waiting…the surprise was that it’s a 3 month invitation (we applied for a one year invitation!) but apparently she’ll be able to extend the visa in Sakhalin to a one year visa. We don’t know the details of how to extend it, where to extend it, or even what type of visa it is (it could be a cultural exchange visa or a missionary visa). But it has come, and we can go from there.

Felicity is in Sakhalin on a tourist visa which runs out on December 4^th. She’ll go to Japan to get a new visa (which will be a 3 month one) and Trac is keen to go too, for a break and a chance to pick up some cheap household items from a 100 yen store!! Plastic containers, kitchen ware and etc are quite expensive in Sakhalin, so we believe we’ll be able to get some good value for money while we’re in Japan. Please pray that God will go before us, provide for our accommodation and visa and shopping needs, and that it will be a special time of refreshing and refuel for Tracy.

Peter is also very tired and we’re looking for an opportunity for him to get away and get some R&R too. So far nothing has come up but we’re expecting an opportunity to arise very soon!

Kids

Only 23 days now to Becky’s birthday… she continually reminds us! We’re all looking forward to it- she’ll be 10, and we’re hoping it’s cold enough to go ice skating!!

The last couple of weeks have been quite hectic, and it’s showing on the kids. They know the stresses of the household, they’ve had a few late nights and all of them are struggling at school. It’s so boring, they have some Australian school work to do but it is hard slog for them. Becky burst into tears one morning, sobbing that the girls in her class (she’s a year younger than them, as she was put into Jake’s class) tease her about her dirty bag, she couldn’t wear these shoes with her skirt because it’s ugly and she couldn’t wear her pants because the button had come off 3 days before… it was the first we’d heard about any of it! These issues were easily resolved, of course- and later in the week one of the teachers overheard the girls teasing her and she was sent to the principal! So there’s been no more teasing either!

The school is very keen to keep the kids- most foreign kids go to the international school run by Sakhalin Energy, so it brings great kudos to the school to have foreigners there. We’re praying that that will extend to the teachers themselves, that they’ll make more of an effort to teach and include our kids in their class time.

Jake and Bec complain about their English teacher (who often tells them they’re wrong!) but yesterday she asked Jake about Australian schools, and Jake made her laugh! Her mood improved and the whole class enjoyed the benefit!! Now Jake has seen there’s hope, and we’re praying for this teacher every morning!

Luke continually amazes us at his knowledge of the Bible and his hunger to know more. He just devours books that he has- his dream in life is to be Dave!! LoL He (and Jake and Bec too!) think that you’re number one, Dave, and to be like you would be to really live! He’s been going to the youth meetings at the Korean Grace church, and last week Jake went along too. Luke is growing in Godly confidence and character.

He does tend to struggle with the boys who live with us, though. They annoy him and rub him the wrong way- he’s the most reactive and takes their actions over-seriously, so we’re monitoring them closely and intervene when necessary. It’s a learning curve for him.

Jasmine

Jasmine’s been with us for over a month now. The first few weeks were all over the place, with the move and the trip to Khabarovsk. The one thing that God laid on our heart for Jasmine was that we were not to organise her while she is here, but support her. This is her time to grow in hearing God and following His direction. It has been hard for her in some ways, but we’ve seen her growing and become comfortable with this situation.

God has already used her in some incredible ways- she has a huge heart for the young people here, especially for the children in the drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre, and the kids who visit us here in our home.

She has been such a blessing and a strong team member. Not only helpful to us but has inspired and encouraged us with words of wisdom, her music and joy.

Broadband

To get broadband we need to apply with the house owner’s passport. He lives way up north and didn’t bring it with him when he came down recently. He’ll be back in February. Besides this, there’s no way to set it up in our home at the moment. So we wait. :-(

Thanks for your support! We love you and miss you

From

The House of Grace and Hope team

Peter, Tracy, Luke, Jake, Bec, Felicity, Jasmine

A detailed account of the last few days

Updating you on my visa situation:
November 9, 2006: 23:00 hours

I had no idea it was going to be this complicated.

I want to start with a THANK YOU for everyone who prayed that my visa will be issued and that the details will progress smoothly.

I can’t go into the fine details of the last week, and point out the incredible “God-incidences” that have kept me in the right place at the right time. I can’t introduce you to the many service people who have had a smile and helpful, detailed information for me. I can only tell you that God has watched over my every step of this organizational storm! Here is the current situation:

At the Russian Embassy in Canberra there is, or very soon will be my passport, visa application forms and applicable documents. I had sent them by overnight express post but unfortunately there was a “problem” and they weren’t delivered today. So tomorrow.

At the Embassy there’s also about 5 pages sitting in the fax machine, with my letter of invitation which Tracy procured today, a copy of my flight itinerary and a letter of… explanation.

I’m concerned that the man at the embassy won’t issue me a visa because my flight is not a return flight: I have no proof that I’ll leave the country. I can quickly book a flight to Japan or Korea through my travel agent, but that will take precious time tomorrow and we are dealing with a 3 hour time difference! * the visa section of the consulate closes at 12:30pm*

There’s a fee for processing visas, and to process a visa in one day requires more money. The Embassy is rather… inflexible… about the method of payment. I found that I could send an electronic money order to a nearby post office. But getting it from the PO to the Embassy? That was my problem.

I called Frank. He suggested Dave. Dave talked to Eric. (Dave and Eric are pastors at my church; Frank is the missions coordinator) They contacted Ps John Macknamara in Canberra. So, at 9am Friday morning, Ps Macknamara will go to the PO, pick up my processing fee, and take it to the Embassy for me. Who would have thought!?

Finally, I’ve arranged for a courier to collect my passport (with the visa!) between 12:30 and 2:30pm. They will fly it to Perth on the next available flight and will deliver it to my grandparents in Perth by midnight Friday night. Is this not the fullness of time?

Many people, including my travel agent, gently suggested the more obvious option of flying out on Monday or Tuesday, rather than Sunday. It is the logical choice. It would cut out a lot of the stress. But I recognize this level of difficulty now- it’s a challenge, or a test to deter me, and it’s the Harrison’s common experience in Russia!

Last night (Wednesday night) I began to doubt my determination, wondering whether I was right to be so stubborn about leaving exactly as I’d planned. Then I read Luke 13:24. In my Bible it reads,
“Do all you can to go in by the narrow door! A lot of people will try to get in, but won’t be able to.”

So as far as I’m concerned, I’ll go on Sunday or I may not get in at all!!

* * * *

November 10th, Friday

It's 7:30 am and things are moving! Woohooo!!

At 6:20am I called Pastor John Macknamara- at that time he had picked up my money from the PO and was parked in front of the Embassy, trying to work out how to get in!
He called me back at 6:40am to let me know how it went. He had gone in and a lady met him and asked if he was Mr Macknamara (I had sent a fax late last night explaining my arrangements for the day! ) and he gave them the money, waited for a receipt and left.

At 6:50am the Embassy called me. The guy spoke with a strong Russian accent, very fast with all the sentences joined together. He said that he could only issue me a visa from November 13th- December 4th. Was that ok? And could I please arrange an earlier pick up because the visa will be ready in 20mins.

I did a victory dance, then called DHL and asked if they could move the pick up time ahead by 2 hours- it didn't seem to be a problem.
SO now I wait- I'm praying that DHL will pick it up about now, 7:30am, and get it to my grandparents' house in Perth by this afternoon/evening!!!

It is so amazing- I did all the preparation yesterday and today I was so worried that a link would drop out and ruin everything. But God is in control! The embassy don't even care that I have only a one way ticket to Russia!

* * *
November 10th, Friday, 22:15 hours

Poppy called me. DHL delivered my passport and visa to him 10 mins ago.
*sigh*
It's all over. Now I can relax

;-)

Mary and Kaori and Me