Clifton: Russia Trip-Day Four

Editor's Note: Engage Russia's newest team member, Michael Clifton, made his first trip to Russia earlier this month. Michael is a media producer living in Kiev, Ukraine. This summer Michael will start leading Engage Russia production trips while Marc Hooks is in the States meeting with churches and others who are interested in becoming Engage Russia partners. The following is posted fromMichael's personal blog.

Date: 31 March 2010

We were roused from our deep (well deserved, I might add) slumber by the sound of our host clapping a wake-up call and the smell of bacon. It wasn’t early, but the previous day made it feel like we were waking well before it was time.

A wonderful breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits, potatoes and brownies (wait, did I just admit to having a brownie for breakfast) were waiting for us as soon as we could drag our bodies to the table. Our hostess really knew how to make us feel welcome, and help us start the day.

Today, we planned better, expecting to take public transportation again, we shed some weight from our packs and journeyed out for the day. We met back up with Clint at a men’s prayer time at the Baptist Union building. These men were on their knees and faces before God, praying for people.

They finished around 10:00am and greeted us heartily. It was a few days before Easter, so we responded to the “Kristos Voscress” (Christ has risen) with “Voistinu Voscress” (He has risen indeed).

I can’t say that I was disappointed to see the big, blue van outside that Clint drives waiting for us in the Baptist Union parking lot. We wouldn’t have to lug our packs around all day afterall. We were going to be able to take in a few sights for a few hours before we had an interview to videotape.

We got to see the Peter the Great Monument (pictured above), stand on the Neva River, and go up in the colonnade in St. Isaac’s Cathedral to get a panoramic view of the city. We paid “inostranits” (foreigner) prices for entry and made our way up the 200+step circular staircase that brought us to another set of steps to the top. With a fairly flat landscape, this perch at about 200 ft. helped us to see for miles in every direction.

We then made our way to the square in front of the “Winter Palace.” This large, pale green palace is now the site of the Hermitage Museum. We didn’t have time to visit inside, but I hear this is an amazing museum.

We met our interviewee at a mall in town. We went in different directions in the food court. Subway was the first thing that caught my eye. I ordered in Russian with what must have been a distinctively American accent. The cashier told me that my “Russian is very good.” This statement made me wonder that if my Russian was that good, why did she tell me in English? I enjoyed my 30cm-long Italianski sandwich with a Mountain Dew to drink. No chance of me getting that in Ukraine.

From the mall we decided to go to the Singer building (former headquarters for Singer sewing machines in the Soviet Union) for the interview. The coffee shop there looks directly across to the Kazan Cathedral. We got permission to shoot the interview inside and enjoyed a cup of coffee or two.

The interview went great. We talked a bit about the “Russian mind” from the perspective of a Russian. Winston Churchill said “Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”, but is Russia really that complicated? I would verify that the Russian language is that complicated and more, but our interview shed some light on the “Russian mind.” He said that Russians value “safety” which is in direct contrast of the typical American answer of “freedom.” There is a sense of pride in being a Russian, just as there is in being American (or any other nationality for that matter). Safety really helps explain why certain things are done (and why I had to go through all sorts of hoops to enter and stay in Russia to begin with). But it not only affects the overall mindset in government affairs, it also affects personal, family decisions. For example, a man might turn down a job that pays better in lieu of a job that appears more steady and “safe” for his family. It also explains why people are more willing to give up freedoms if they can feel safe.

We left there with excitement (either from the great interview or from coffee or both). We did a little souvenir shopping before turning towards our next destinatinon, dinner. Clint and his family had invited us to dinner before we got on the train to go back to Moscow. Clint’s wife had fixed chicken pot pie. This meal put my Subway sandwich to shame.

We got our stuff together and made our way back to the train for our return trip to Moscow. Unfortunately, this leg of the journey was not in as nice a train, and we had companions in our coupé. It wasn’t so bad. Neither of them talked much, so getting to sleep wasn’t an issue.

Of the three interviews we got a glimpse of the Baptist organization in Russia, theological perspectives of Russian Orthodoxy, and the Russian thought process. All three were crucial in understanding the task of getting the gospel to the average person in Russia. Especially when understanding the idea of “safety” in their context, one may see their traditional practice in a new light. Those actions are like an “insurance policy” or a “safety net” in case everything else doesn’t work. We need to communicate the gospel as something that is the ultimate “safety” provided by God, but in a way that shows that God is the initiator (not man, nor by anything man does). In fact, starting with man’s sin, we could show how we are ultimately in an un-safe situation with our Creator. Pray with us as we continue to share this Good News with the people of Russia and surrounding countries.

Clifton: Russia Trip-Day Three

Editor's Note: Engage Russia's newest team member, Michael Clifton, made his first trip to Russia earlier this month. Michael is a media producer living in Kiev, Ukraine. This summer Michael will start leading Engage Russia production trips while Marc Hooks is in the States meeting with churches and others who are interested in becoming Engage Russia partners. The following is posted from Michael's personal blog.

Date: 30 March 2010

I woke up early (as usual – and to the disdain of my friend, Marc Hooks) as the train was still making its way through the country to St. Petersburg. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon and dashed in between the trees as we continued down the tracks. It appeared to be a beautiful morning, and we had another hour before we arrived at the station. It was at this moment that hoped that the blue sky would continue throughout the day.

The train pulled in at around 9:00am. Marc and I immediately noticed that it was much colder than in Moscow. The sky was white with cloud cover and the chill in the air was heavy. Our friend, Clint, met us at the station and guided us through the metro to our first stop of the day, McDonald’s. I enjoy McD’s at breakfast than at any other time. I worked at McD for 3 years, and my favorite shift was morning shift, and I was in charge of making biscuits. According to my manager, I baked the best biscuits that she had ever tasted. However, they don’t know biscuits here, so everything is served on english muffins. I digress.

Our first video shoot was at Central Baptist Church in St. Petersburg with the pastor there. When it comes to understanding the history of the Baptist Church in Russia, one must start with this church. Nearly all of the Baptist churches in Russia (that aren’t new church plants) can be traced back to Central Baptist Church.

We trudged from the Metro over a snow/slush covered walkway with our heavy, equipment laden packs to the church, which at first glance neither appeared “Baptist” nor “Central”. The church building has similar elements (like an “onion-shaped dome” on top) to an Orthodox church. In fact, at one time, it was an Orthodox church. Evidently, the Soviet government desired their former location in the “center” of St. Petersburg. Around 1960, the government was successful in occupying that location, but provided this “new” property complete with a (run-down) Russian Orthodox chapel somewhere on the outskirts of town.

For the past 40 years, Central Baptist Church has met in this location in a formerly remote place nearly out of the city in a formerly Orthodox church building. Now, the area around Central Baptist Church has experienced a boom of new people, buildings, and houses. Despite the government’s efforts, the church thrived and is continuing to thrive to this day. Evidently, the Russian Orthodox want their property and building back.

The sanctuary had large boards on the walls that explain church history in general, as well as their specific church history. The photos and information kept there was amazing. We met the pastor there, and video-taped a long interview in the sanctuary of the church. We then shot a few more scenes to make the video work together. This video was to be about the history of Baptists in Russia for Engage Russia.

Our next stop was lunch. We made our way back up the snow/slush path that skirted along a lake. There were still several ice fishermen on the lake. That should explain how cold it still was in St. Petersburg. Rostik’s (KFC)was nearby, so we settled on that.

Lunch ended and we headed towards the center of town to video our second interview. Or subject concerned Russian Orthodoxy, and our interviewee has a Master’s Degree in the subject. He also served as our translator for the previous interview. We decided to shoot this section near the most famous Orthodox cathedral in St. Petersburg, the “Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood.”

This cathedral is reminiscent of St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow in architecture. The colors were not as bright, but the detail work on the building was amazing. The church is located next to one of the many canals in St. Petersburg on the location where in 1881 Czar Alexander II was mortally wounded in the last of a series of assassination attempts. His son, Czar Alexander III, commissioned the church to be built there. It took 24 years to build and was funded almost entirely by the “royal family.”

Our hostess was busy in the kitchen cooking up something with one of the best aromas imaginable. The host of the house was out doing other things and wouldn’t return until late that night. Fairly soon, dinner was served to Marc, Clint, and myself. This meal included a cream of broccoli soup and was followed by some of the best sweet & sour chicken I have EVER (and I don’t use that lightly) tasted. It was all I could do to save room for a mint brownie.

Marc needed to get some editing done for the “Special Edition” Engage Russia video we shot the day before and get it uploaded. I remember talking through a couple things when I heard Marc say, “Just go to bed!” Evidently, I was sitting there snoring. Anyway, it was just enough of an evening nap for me to stay up for our host to arrive home and stay up beyond midnight chatting with him. Marc got the video uploaded and I went to bed.

If the previous day was emotionally draining, this day was physically exhausting. Our packs felt like lead when we finally were able to put them down in the apartment. We learned quite a bit about Russian Orthodoxy and about Baptist History in Russia. It is amazing to research history that is hundreds of years old (when our own country is just over 200 years old). There is such a rich history here. Traditions run deep in the culture and their religion.

Pray for the Russian people. A deep history is great, but if traditions lose meaning, then the people fall into a “works” mentality. Pray for the continued work of Baptist churches and specifically Central Baptist Church as they minister to those around them and lead more to Christ as a result. Pray that they not be content in being the “Mother Baptist Church”, but continue to desire to plant other churches in the area and in various parts of Russia.

Clifton: Russia Trip-Day Two

Editor's Note: Engage Russia's newest team member, Michael Clifton, made his first trip to Russia earlier this month. Michael is a media producer living in Kiev, Ukraine. This summer Michael will start leading Engage Russia production trips while Marc Hooks is in the States meeting with churches and others who are interested in becoming Engage Russia partners. The following is posted from Michael's personal blog.

Date: 29 March 2010

Without much planned, this day started out lazily. We planned to meet another friend for breakfast, go to an office for my Russian registration, and see a few sights in Moscow before getting on a late night train to St. Petersburg. We were all stirring around the apartment when the calls started. An explosion had occurred in one of the Metro stations. Our host then began a series of calls to check on each of the people he knew in town. Everyone under his responsibility was accounted for.

Within a few minutes of hearing of the first explosion (at Lubyanka Metro Station), we started hearing reports of a second explosion. When the second explosion was confirmed, we knew it wasn’t some random gas line explosion, but rather a coordinated attack. Rumors had started surfacing of a third, but never confirmed. Two female suicide bombers had set off bombs within 45 minutes of each other at Lubyanka Station and at Park Kultury Station, killing nearly 40 and injuring over 100 others.

Breakfast plans were cancelled, and there was some concern about riding the Metro. The “Red Line” was almost completely shut down since both explosions were on that line. After a couple hours, it was clear that the attacks had ended. However, I still needed to get my registration filled out, and we had to cross town to do it.

Just before noon, we ventured out onto the Metro. We felt a little heavy going down to the platform to wait for the train. We stepped into the train, and began our journey. On our wagon, there were dozens of police officers. Under normal circumstances, I would have felt more secure with their presence, but their faces showed absolute dread. These young guys (mostly in their early 20s) appeared to have a job that none of them wanted. Several of them were carrying silver-colored, shrink-wrapped packages about the size of a thick notebook. Two or three got off at each station until all of them had gotten off. I don’t know what their assignment was, but I am sure I didn’t want it.

We surfaced from the Metro and wound our way to the GoToRussia office, where I would apply for and receive my registration. Paying another $45, I had officially paid more for visas and paperwork than I had for the airline ticket.

Along the way, we discussed taping a special edition of Engage Russia. We talked through it on the Metro and got out at the Park Kultury Station (which is an exchange station and the part we got out wasn’t closed). People were pouring in and out of the station. Many looked as if it was just any other day, but the police, fire, and television crews told a different story. We video-taped several segments and took pictures of the scene outside. We knew that while a terrible thing had happened, we needed to help people understand this in “light of eternity.”

Only a fraction of 1% of people in Russia understand the gospel from an evangelical perspective. Many are considered Orthodox Christian and go through the rites and practices, but don’t understand the meanings behind it. Tradition and mysticism garners the lives of the typical person on the street. While some were trying to make sense of the destruction of lives, others seemed un-affected and rather inconvenienced. Due to these acts of terror, many people entered eternity without Christ. Our job as believers is to tell the people around us the “Good News” so that they can be ready for eternity. Now more than ever, they need this message.

We made our way from Park Kultury (formerly Gorky Park – mentioned in the Scorpions song “Wind of Change) back to the Metro to see Red Square. However, Red Square had been blocked off. It was a strange site for Marc Hooks to see the square empty of people. Temporary barriers were set up and guarded at every entrance. The gates to the square were closed. We grabbed a quick bite at McDonald’s before heading back to the apartment to pack for our trip to St. Petersburg.

It had been a mentally exhausting day. Our host had fixed us a wonderful dinner of barbeque chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and salad. It was a great meal. We packed our gear and essentials into our backpacks and made our way to the train station, leaving plenty of time for disruptions.

We arrived at the station with plenty of time to spare, or so we thought. We picked up some supplies of snacks and drink and went to the train that we thought was ours. It wasn’t. Upon further inspection of our tickets, we had been issued tickets for a train that left two hours before the time that the issuer had written down for our choice. We scrambled around to get a refund (50%) on our tickets and get one on the soonest train from that point. We secured our tickets and departed just after midnight. Our mistake resulted in us getting on a new train and in a coupe without any other people.

What started as a lazy day turned out to be physically and mentally draining. The weight of this day sat on our shoulders. We were in Moscow on a day that will be remembered in history. We pray that such a terrible event gets people to start thinking about eternity, and that we would be sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit to share. God has a heart for the Russian people. Will you accept the challenge to pray for and share with these people?

Clifton: Russia Trip-Day One

Editor's Note: Engage Russia's newest team member, Michael Clifton, made his first trip to Russia earlier this month. Michael is a media producer living in Kiev, Ukraine. This summer Michael will start leading Engage Russia production trips while Marc Hooks is in the States meeting with churches and others who are interested in becoming Engage Russia partners. The following is posted from Michael's personal blog.

I had an eventful first trip to Russia, to say the least. I am still trying to unpack all that happened. I will use the next few blog posts to “backtrack” the week.

The first day started early. We already lost an hour due to Daylight Savings Time taking effect. My friend, Brad Atkins, was there to pick me up around 5:30am.

I got checked in and through all the exiting procedures. I sat in the boarding lounge and watched the sun rise. I got in my (preferred) window seat on my first Aeroflot flight, and slept through taxiing and takeoff. I awoke to somewhat of a surprise, breakfast! Of course, it was minimal, but it was something.

I always find it humorous that people from this part of the world applaud upon landing the aircraft. I don’t know the reasoning behind it. The clapping seems to be a sign of relief that the plane has re-established contact with the ground. On this occasion, I think the applause happened a bit too early. The back wheels touched down (clapping commenced), and the pilot showed the maneuverability of the 737 all the way down the runway. I thought we were on a road-course rather than a drag strip.

My friend, Marc Hooks, arrived about one hour after I did. We made our way to the metro station. We switched over to the metro line, rode for a while, and switched again to get on the proper line to the apartment. It was right at 1:00pm when we arrived. We chatted for a while with our host, and rested a bit before going to an agent to get train tickets for the following night for St. Petersburg, Russia.

Octyabrskaya was the metro destination. The park and square had a large statue of Lenin in the middle. This is evidently the most recent erected statue of Lenin (1985) as a “multi-national” symbol of the 1917 October Revolution.

We secured our train tickets, and finally got something quick to eat at Rostick’s (KFC). It was a late lunch for the two of us, but it was something. It was just like KFC in the US (except for the menus in Cyrillic type). A “zinger” was a “зингер”!

Taking advantage of the beautiful, blue sky, we leisurely made our way back to the apartment and took in the Yuri Gagarin Monument (picture at top). He was the first person in space and the first to orbit the Earth on 12 April 1961. He died 7 years later in a MIG jet crash, and was buried in the wall of the Kremlin. This stainless-steel (or titanium – debated) monument stands 40 meters tall.

For dinner, the two of us and our hosts went to the Starlight Diner (not too far from the Lenin monument). The chrome-plated diner resembles (inside and out) a 50’s era US diner. The burgers and milkshakes (I had a bleu cheese and bacon burger with an Oreo milkshake) were great, but even the non-smoking side of the diner was clouded in cigarette smoke.

All-in-all, not a bad first day in Moscow.

Engage Russia-Moscow Metro Bombings

http://www.vimeo.com/10562163

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Team Engage Russia is on the move again!Never content to stay in one place too long, we have been working on an Olympic edition ofEngage Russia. Three weeks ago we were on the banks of the Black Sea in Sochi, Russia – host city for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. And this week we are on the other side of the globe in Vancouver, Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics!

It is not hard to get Olympic fever around here.It starts as you get off the plane and just continues to build. We even saw the Ukrainian Ski Team unloading their gear at the airport, as well as a number of athletes from Sweden. Already we are seeing similarities between the two Olympic cities. Both have a large portion of the city situated along major bodies of water (the Black Sea in Sochi and the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver) and both have spectacular snow-capped mountain ranges within eyesight of the shore. In addition, the temperatures in both cities have hovered around the mid-to-upper 40s – mild as compared to a lot of other cities which have hosted the Winter Games.

Day One was spent, as usual, getting acquainted with a new city.We spent the day walking the streets, figuring out the public transportation, and taking in the sights of the city. The day started off with a few clouds, but by the end of the day it was quite chilly and rainy. Of course, Olympic venues are under very tight security, so there are many places (like the Olympic Village) where you are only allowed to be if you have the proper credentials. However, our purpose for being here is not to actually cover the games, but to find out how Southern Baptists are using this event as a stage for outreach and evangelism.

This week more than 500 Southern Baptist volunteers will make their way north to Vancouver. Most are partnering with a multi-denominational organization called More Than Gold, a relational network organized in response to the Winter Games.More Than Gold’s mission is to extend radical Christian hospitality to the estimated 300,000 visitors expected for the Olympics. More information about the group can be found atwww.morethangold.ca.

After having just come from Sochi, it was exciting to find the “Russky Dom” (Russia House) where workers were busily preparing to cheer on the Russian athletes and to promote the 2014 games in Sochi. The Russia House is located in Vancouver’s bulbous science museum just outside of the Olympic Village.

Tomorrow we will join up with the volunteers and More Than Gold officials. It will be exciting to see how God will use the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to grow his kingdom. Stay tuned!

More photos from day one can be seen at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047089&id=1072353850&l=4a9aacd5d3

Wrapping up in Karelia

Sunday, January 10, 2010 – Petrozavodsk, Russia – Republic of Karelia

We are wrapping up our work in Karelia today. As with most places in Russia, I really hate to leave.

This morning was disappointing. When we arrived in Karelia we had the address and phone number for a congregation of believers in Petrozavodsk. While we were able to find the church building, the phone number we had did not have enough digits, so we were not able to make telephone contact with the pastor.However, the church had the times of the services posted on the two and twice we tried to connect with the believers here, but to no avail.This morning we watched as 10:30 came and went and there was no sign of life at the little church building.

We don’t know what happened or where the believers were. But they were certainly not there.Their absence could have been due to the fact that Christmas was celebrated this past week and they chose to cancel services for the rest of the week. It could be that due to the expense of having electricity and heat, the congregation could be meeting in a home to save money. (I did notice one car parked on the street that had a “Jesus Fish” on the back of it. Common in America, very out of the ordinary here.) Wherever they are, will you keep them in your prayers? Will you also pray about how you might become involved in this area?

Photographs from our morning can be seen here.

This evening we will get back on a train headed for Moscow. We are due to arrive around 9am.We will then start making our way to the airport for the second leg of this journey – Sochi, which is located on the Black Sea and will be the home of the 2014 Winter Olympics. And, this may come as quite shock to our bodies which have adapted to the near 0F temperatures. Sochi is forecast to be 50-degrees WARMER than it is here!

Please continue to pray as we travel, not just for us, but for our families who are at home without us. Due to travel, I will probably not update blogs until Tuesday night. However, I will try to keep my Facebook and Twitter status’ current for those of you who like the “blow-by-blow” accounts of our adventures. Thanks for praying and for following along!

Blessings,

Marc