Many Memories

Six and a half years ago, we arrived at this very camp as newly appointed missionaries, with a fresh vision and strong call on our lives to go to Russia. For five weeks, Gideon swung on this very swing, played in the nursery with his new friends and Mrs. Ealier, a sweet lady, who has dedicated her life to carrying for our new babies, while we studied, attended seminars and shared mutual desires with our new colleagues of how we were going to change the people in our perspective countries that soon we would be immersed into.

I remember the emotions I felt as I handed Gideon to Mrs. Ealier. I was the first mom to arrive and the last one to leave. I had thought through and wrote out Gideon’s needs, skills he had mastered and important goals he needed to be working on, while he was in class. I did not find comfort in the fact that Gideon was only three months old or that Mrs. Ealier was a mother, a grandmother and had been working at this very camp, in that very class for over 20 years! I cried as I waved good-bye to my little baby and would return to check on him at least a million times a day.

During those five weeks, we discussed strategies, read books and listened to veteran missionary stories of how they shared the love of Christ with their people, all the while dreaming about what life would soon be like for us. “In Russia” was the main focus, idea and topic of conversation for Keith and I for the vast majority of our relationship and soon our dream would be a reality.

While studying, contemplating our future and running back and forth to check on Gideon, we dealt with lots of illness. Gideon became ill with RSV, which resulted in several trips to a pediatrician, Gideon and I being quarantined in our room for over a week and lots and lots of worry, tears and frustration. My dad was also in Arkansas, undergoing treatment for cancer. In our final week at camp and in the states, he developed a serious infection sending him into ICU, while the doctors searched for the source and sought to eradicate it with numerous high powered antibiotics. Even though our focus was on going to Russia, my heart longed to be with my dad. I feared I would leave for Russia and never see him again. During our last weekend, a fellow colleague gave us free airline tickets to fly to Arkansas and say good-bye to my dad. The day we left for Russia, my dad’s fever broke and he was soon moved from ICU and put on the long road to recovery.

On March 1, 2002, we left camp, receiving our visas at 11:45 AM, got on a shuttle to the airport at noon with ten pieces of luggage (700 pounds of stuff!!!), a stroller, car seat and 3 carry-on bags. After checking in, having each and every bag searched, going through three security checks, we finally boarded the plane and were headed to Russia!!!

It has been an adventure, rough and bumpy ride filled with my trials, a few triumphs and an ocean full of tears, but I do not regret it nor would I want to change it…but neither would I want to relive it!!!