Four Months

Two months ago it seemed like I would be here forever, but now, with a month left, it really has gone by too fast. Four months is a tricky amount of time. It is long enough to be somewhat of a big deal, but it isn’t long enough to have been gone a “really long time”.  It is long enough to be independent and disconnected from home, but it isn’t long enough to have a fully functioning life here.  It is an awkward in between length of time, and it can be frustrating, really.. It was just enough time to get established, get into a routine, and make friendships… and then leave it all. Before I ventured out on my little journey, I thought hard about the transition from home to Russia. What I didn’t really think about, though, was the transition back. It may be safe to say that leaving Russia is going to be harder than it was to leave home. I guess it is because when I boarded the plane to Russia, I knew I would be back home eventually to jump back into my normal routine. That isn’t the case here. When I leave Russia there is no guarantee that ill be back here again, and the friendships I made here will not be the same. With all the gray days, cold weather, and language issues I had a hard time believing that I would ever come to love this country. It turns out I never really had the option. I think Russia was growing on me before I even stepped off of that plane three months ago. I don’t know why I ever (even if for only a minute) doubted that God would bring me comfort here. He did every single day, and for that I am truly grateful. Being obedient to Him gave me this wonderful opportunity that will forever have an influence on my life.  I sometimes think of my life at home as my “real life”, and Russia as a time-out from that. This isn’t true, though. It is one big continuous phenomenon, and my four months here will always be a huge part of that.  I can’t thank God enough for bringing me here, and I will miss it a ton. But, I still have time here… so im going to go enjoy it :).

 

 My Russian Family <3