I've been back from Russia and Lithuania for 31 hours now. It's 5:58 am and I should be out cold, but the 8 hour jet lag is messing with me pretty good. So, I thought I'd share a couple of thoughts over the past 2 weeks of my life.
I just returned from a part of the world where I have now spent 5 months of my life. I've been there twice and I never would have imagined being there once. But, God is most definitely etching into my heart a love for the people of Russia and Lithuania and all of Eastern Europe.
In a culture that often gets a bad rap stereotypically, I have been blessed to meet people who are so kind and compassionate and generous and caring that I am a changed person because of my time in this region of the world. Let me share with you a few people.
Cathal "Waff" McNamara: If you know me well and I've told you about my semester in Lithuania, you've heard me mention Waff's name. This guy is 20-years-old and as Irish as Irish can be. He's been in Lithuania for 5 years now. He has become one of my true friends and while we may disagree on many, many things, he is one of the most non judgmental and all accepting person I have ever met. We spent some time walking to the Baltic Sea on Thursday and he said to me, "You know Kyle, I don't like when people shove anything down my throat. You never shoved your faith at me. In fact, you didn't even talk about it much. But I was so attracted to that faith. I wanted it."
Michael "Misha" Anisomov: My 20-year-old interpreter in Russia last week. He loves punk rock...a lot. We didn't have a ton in common. After spending a week together, we formed a friendship that was unique and as we parted ways he said to me, "I wish had a friend like you in Russia. Please email me. It would mean so much."
Natalija Zacharova-Nausede: My study abroad coordinator in Lithuania. She is an incredible woman of God who is living with joy each day in a sometimes tough environment. She has encouraged me with her smile and words more than almost anyone, and she is one of the reasons why I now call Lithuania my "second home".
These are just a few of my new friends on the other side of the world. You know, God is amazing to provide us with chances to meet and know and love people. It is through them that I so often see Him. In a land of alcohol, bears, and communism (slight sarcasm) God has shown me that I can step into a foreign world and simply be myself and he will use me in people's lives and use people in my life to drastically and positively change who I am inside.
Russia was my coldest Spring Break ever, but it ranks very highly on my list of best Spring Breaks ever!
More to come on the Orphans and our amazing ministry experience.
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