November 7, 2006

Dear Family and Friends,

The snow has started, and so far we absolutely love it. I say “so far” because our guess is that like with any novelty, it is exciting for a while, but then reality sets in. But for many in Moscow, especially those with whom we come in contact through the soup kitchen, the cold is a harsh reality they endure for many months.

A few weeks ago, one of our homeless clients who is fed by the soup kitchen fell and literally died on the sidewalk with no one to help him. (The kitchen staff does not allow the homeless to eat inside because they say that it is bad for their business—we are going to work on that this month.) We are writing this letter a few days after the new November 4 national holiday that is used as an excuse for ultra-nationalists and skinheads to come out on the street and beat any foreigners that they may encounter while shouting “Russia is for Russians!”

Bob took one of our MPC (Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy) members, an American woman of color, to the airport because it would have been too dangerous for her to take public transportation. In the winter, with the cold and the snow falling, these realities become even more acute as many of these nationalists spend their time in the metros looking for targets. It is difficult for many of our members to travel around the city during the winter for fear of running into one of these groups.

So having said all this, yes, the snow is absolutely beautiful. The kids went sledding the other day when there was less than an inch on the ground and people thought they had lost their minds. This lovely gift from God, as we call it in our family, is enough cause for celebration every time that we see it fall from the sky.

October was a month for visits to Moscow. We think they were trying to beat the cold and snow. Bob’s mom, Peggy, came and enjoyed ten days with her grandchildren. We were able to see a number of sights that we hadn’t yet taken the time to explore. Bob and his mom went on a four-hour metro viewing tour that was fascinating. They also somehow managed to get into the Kremlin and a couple of art museums. It was a great visit. That visit was quickly followed by a visit from Stacy’s dad, Dave, who came a week later. He was able to enjoy our first real snowfall and some of the amazing realities of Moscow that can be puzzling yet fascinating.

Rachel continues to love playing tennis. We found out that we can reserve the basketball court at the U.S. embassy for an hour and play tennis there for next to nothing. Naomi has a new guitar and is learning to play her chords beautifully. She and Bob love to sing along while she plays Kum Ba Ya and Swing Low. Bethany’s piano is going along extremely well. Stacy can teach her a hymn one day and the next day she has it down. It is really fun to see how all of the girls are broadening their horizons at school and in their other activities.

With Advent coming along we are getting the Sunday school classes geared up for a Christmas celebration. All the kids wanted to have a part, and so we are adding lines everywhere possible. We can’t wait to see how it turns out. We had a wonderful fall celebration with over 20 kids carving pumpkins and running relay races. We think many of them had never carved pumpkins before. It isn’t easy to get pumpkins in the middle of Moscow. One of the church members knew of a place outside of the city. She sent their driver, and on Sunday we had pumpkins. It is amazing to see the Lord’s provision in even the simplest of situations. Just the other day Bethany asked if Russians celebrate Thanksgiving. She was very concerned to find out that they did not celebrate this special day. She insisted that we must have this special day to give thanks to God. Stacy assured her that we would celebrate Thanksgiving as we always had. We wish you all a wonderful season of Thanksgiving, and we think of you as we remember our many blessings.

Your servants in Christ,

The Bronkema Family