Russia. Russia? Russia!

Oh gosh.

So.  With less than three weeks to go until I leave for my YWAM epic adventure; doing missions work in Finland, Russia and China, I have yet to solidify a Russian Visa.

A week ago I received my Letter of Invitation from back home and after calling 10 different numbers for the Russian Embassy in China in vain; emailing countless different addresses, I finally got a response after deciding to check out the Chinese version of the Russian Embassy site instead of the English version. Good call; a day later I got a response saying that it is not possible to mail in applications the Embassy, was I a student in Shanghai?  No. No I am not.  I am a student in Kunming; a two day train ride or $500 plane ride away; not to mention that I would have to miss classes to go to Shanghai, it just wasn’t going to work.  I needed to find another option.

So I spent a whole day contacting travel agencies in Kunming, someone told me if they would book me flights to Russia, they would have to help me get a visa…turns out that sentiment was wrong.  Perhaps if I was a Chinese citizen they could’ve, but turns out no one could.  So I started branching out; asking my teachers, no use.  Asking my classmates, hockey teammates, people on the street, people on the bus, no luck. 

Then I went back to the internet, and thank goodness I’ve been studying Chinese, because after an afternoon of searching for agencies in Chinese; deciding to skip my daily work out to check out one more agency, I stumbled upon a Chinese firm that seemingly can tackle anything.  anything.  even a Russian 90 day Religious visa for a Canadian in Kunming?  Yes.  Maybe.  Okay, they were closing up shop for the day by the time I found them, but they told me to come back and ask tomorrow, so I did.

So far this is what I have found out; they are confident they can help me.  But, in China there is no option to apply for a Religious visa, so they are going to follow the protocol of applying for the other 90 day visa; which turns out to be a business visa, which is much more ‘ma fan’ (troublesome) to apply for.  But possible.  So yesterday I emailed Glen, the YWAM head honcho back home, and told him what I needed, emailed YWAM Russia and told them what I needed, so hopefully after getting business licenses, Letters of Invitations from everyone and a letter of intent; I will finally get my Russian Visa.  Cross your fingers the charge isn’t going to be an arm and a leg.  But, after many weeks of worry…it seems like things may be falling into place.

Now the ‘to do’ list for Russia is long; but slowly but surely things are being checked off.  I’ve tentatively reserved a seat on  a plane to Helsinki on January 6th flying from Nanjing (now I just need a flight to Nanjing…), I found someone to bring me a pair of winter boots to Russia, I’ve found a lady that will make me a winter coat, I’ve found a place that sells decently priced travel backpacks, I’m researching which travel insurance to get; find a Russian phrasebook since my 13 language electronic translator doesn’t include Russian (yet has 3 Chinese dialects, Indo, Dutch, and a collection of others…)

I just read the post that I didn’t publish about Russia last week, and it seemed a lot more grim than this one; things are looking up.  Although I don’t have a visa, a flight, a winter coat, or money; I believe it’s all going to come through. I’ve said from the start that everything has come together so perfectly that I can’t help believe it’s in God’s plan that I go to Russia, and so I don’t really no why I have been worrying, but I have been.  But as time winds down, I feel confident that really, truly, this is where I am supposed to be; the visa will work out, the flight will come together, people will donate and I will have sufficient finances to not worry. 

In case you read this and aren’t really sure what I’ve been talking about; read a few posts down about my “opportunity of a lifetime”  and if you feel in the giving spirit. Give. Give. Give. 

 

Below are some words of wisdom I’ve read over the past week from the Good Book:

Remember this:  Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 

and also this

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do (play hockey, study Chinese…)do it all for the glory of God…

and another

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms…

The other week a friend of mine, watched a video of me asking my Church back home for money to support this opportunity; she thought it was kind of embarrassing that I would do such a thing, I told her I hate asking for money; but everyone is blessed with something different.  Some people are blessed with monetary wealth, some say things at the right time to the right people, some are blessed with opportunities to use the things they love to share how the love of one man has changed their lives.  Why did I stick with hockey, when it would have been much easier to quit at many many times in my life?   Why did I come to China, why did I return to learn the language?  Why am I in China, playing hockey? Everything I do here and now is for a reason, there is a purpose.  Now I have an opportunity to impact others using the things I love; it’s not a coincidence.  Other’s may not have the opportunities I do, but they may have the means to help me share the Message.

I’m just a student far away from home; who happens to play hockey and have a heart for Jesus.  Just a girl who wants to take the opportunities placed in front of me.  I can’t turn my back; if it means I spend my whole savings to do so, I’ll do it.  If it means I ask for help, I’ll do it.  I’ve had a trying week, people telling me I should just give up, but you know, if I turned down this opportunity because of a few hiccups or because of a few thousand dollars, I know that in the years to come, I would regret it;  money, time, they are only things, and if I don’t use them now, for the important things in life, what good are they to me in the future.