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Report on Trip to Belgorod Oblastskya, Russia 2008
Date of Trip: 27 March-7 April 2008
Travelers: Si Budagher, Louise Budagher, Mark Mayerstein
Primary Contacts:
SGA: Greg Pyles and Lois Schleuter
Moscow: Aryom and Oleg
Gubkin: Pastor Piotr Makashenko (UECB Antioch Church Pastor)
Destination: Gubkin, Russia
Cost: See attached Cost Sheet
Itinerary:
We left Albuquerque at 0800 on 27 March via United Airlines.
We landed in Chicago at 1147 and departed for Frankfurt, Germany via United Airlines at 1452
We landed in Frankfurt, Germany on 28 March at 0505 (duration 8+13)
We departed Frankfurt, Germany at 0830 and arrived in Moscow at 1330 (duration 3+00)
We departed Moscow at 1800 via train and arrived in Stary Oskol on 29 March at 0630
We departed the train station and arrived at the hotel 20 minutes later.
Each day we were transported to the church in Gubkin via a 30-minute automobile ride.
Destinations:
Staryy Oskol--(Russian: Ста́рый Оско́л) is a city in Belgorod Oblast (state), Russia. It is located at 51°18′N, 37°51′E, about 500 km (400 miles) south of Moscow, on the Oskol River. Population: 217,900 (2004 census).
It was founded as a fortress in 1593, as part of the southern fortification line around Moscow. In the 17th century, the town was sacked by Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian Cossacks. Later it was affected by the Russian Civil War in 1919, as well as World War II. After World War II industry developed in the city and its population started to grow.
Staryy Oskol is an important mining town of iron ore, situated at the border of the Kursk magnetic anomaly, one of the largest deposits of iron ore worldwide. More than eight million tons of iron ore are mined here per year. For this reason there is also a branch of the Moscow Federal Institute of Steel and Alloys in the city.
Gubkin--(Russian: Гу́бкин) is a town in Belgorod Oblast, Russia and the administrative center of Gubkinsky District. Gubkin is located 138 km north-east of Belgorod, 25 km (20 miles) west of Staryy Oskol, and 500 km (400 miles) south of Moscow and sits on the on the Oskolets River, a tributary of the Oskol River.
Gubkin has a population of 86,083 (2002 Census). The town was founded in the 1930s in place of the village of Korobkovo and named after the geologist Ivan Gubkin. Since 1939 the town has the status of an Urban-type settlement; since 1955 the status of a town.
We returned to the US via the same basic itinerary, with the exception of a 3 hr detour into Heathrow Airport in London courtesy of a small galley fire. This, in turn, caused us to miss our connection out of Chicago and we were forced to stay there overnight.
Mission Narrative:
The primary mission objective is to provide seminary classes, Russian language reference books, and other support to 14 Russian pastors. All of this is aimed at enhancing their ability to shepherd the flocks of 21 Baptist churches in the state of Belgorod, Russia. We also tried to determine the scope and nature of any future children’s ministry.
During this trip several classes were taught at Pastor Piotr’s church in Gubkin, Russia, which was a very harrowing 30-minute drive from Staryy Oskol. Our concern, generated by the reckless manner in which the Russians drive, was exacerbated by the combat driving tactics used to achieve last-second avoidance of potholes in the road deep enough to swallow a truck whole. Once safely in the church Pastor Si taught daily classes in Homiletics, during which he also shared many of the lessons he has learned in effectively preparing and delivering sermons. Each Russian pastor was required to deliver a 10-15 minute sermon as a graduation exercise and all did extremely well. Louise taught a Beth Moore Bible Study and shared her perspective and experience as a pastor’s wife with the Russian pastor’s wives who were in attendance, as well as with some of the local church ladies. Mark taught three classes on family counseling to the pastors in attendance. All communication was ably empowered by two incredibly gifted translators, Inessa and Anna. In addition to the formal instruction, other things worthy of mention occurred.
Several relatively unrelated events turned out to be incredible blessings. Both Pastor Si and Mark had the opportunity to preach at the two services that occurred while they were there. There was a lot of singing, which Louise accompanied on the keyboard. The musical highlight was when Pastor Si successfully attempted a hymn which he sung in Russian, much to the delight of Pastor Piotr, the visiting pastors, and the congregation. There was a lot of good fellowship and worship, ably facilitated again by our two translators. Their true value proved itself on the next-to-last day of teaching. It seems a woman, who is a friend of one of the church ladies, is dying of cancer. When she heard that Pastor Si had come to town, she asked if it would be possible to see him. So Pastor Piotr, Pastor Si, Mark and Anna got in the car that morning and went to her house. In this very humble dwelling, Pastor Si spoke with and eventually brought this frail lady to the Lord. It was an incredibly moving experience for all in attendance. Afterward, we returned to the church and conducted afternoon classes.
Another part of this mission, support for their children’s ministry, became a major issue when Pastor Piotr took the group to visit the lakeside area where they have conducted a Summer Bible Camp for the past 3 years. It is a wooded lot, open to the public, which was strewn with garbage, empty liquor bottles, and used drug paraphernalia. Every year when they rent this land for the summer camp, they have to spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning it up. In addition, the owner is having second thoughts about continuing his dealings with the church in this regard. Pastor Piotr told the group that last year they had approximately 80 children in attendance—35 of whom were non-believers. By the end of the camp 2 weeks later, 19 of these non-believing children had accepted the Lord into their lives. Their plans for this coming summer include adding approximately 12 physically challenged children to the mix. When he heard this, Pastor Si expressed an interest in trying to buy the land for the church and also to provide them with the resources necessary to build a kitchen facility on it. He further indicated that we would try to bring back 8-10 people in the summer of 2009 to help them with construction activities as well as with camp curriculum. To facilitate the latter, he left a Press On Ministry Summer Camp Director’s Manual, which we will pay Anna to translate and to make the required number of copies. Pastor Si made it very clear that he could not promise anything in regard to the land purchase or improvements, but when we got back Mark prepared and submitted a grant proposal asking the Crosby Foundation to fund this need. This looks promising. Mark is also in the process of exploring other sources of financing to help, in part, with this goal. There was also a considerable amount of discussion concerning additional year around uses for a facility of this nature. Pastor Piotr was visibly moved.
When we returned to Albuquerque, we sent $2,700 (most of the remaining funds in the Russia Mission account) to the Slavic Gospel Association in Chicago. It was married to the $4,300 that our partner church, Faith Bible of Albuquerque, had sent to them. This $7,000 was then sent directly to Pastor Piotr so he could finish the badly needed renovations on his church building in Gubkin, Russia, where all of our fellowship, worship and instructional activities had taken place.
In every respect this was a highly successful Vision/Teaching trip. We provided needed education and hope, established fellowship, and cemented a solid working relationship for the future. We will be returning annually for the next 4-6 years, or until the entire seminary curriculum has been taught. At that point, we will evaluate what if anything remains to be done and make plans accordingly.
Future Trip Considerations:
1. Be sure to take the following items:
*Spray can of Lysol for the hotel bathroom
*Toilet paper—theirs is like crepe paper and is interesting to use
*A small flashlight—a key ring version is best. Needed to get key into hotel room door at night, since they turn out the lights in the hallways.
*Loafers or other kinds of slip-on shoes. You are expected to remove your shoes when you enter someone’s home.
*Hand sanitizer—self-explanatory
*A pillow case—essential for the train ride, since the cleanliness of the pillow is questionable.
*Gifts for the people at the church who prepare your food—1 man and 5 women
*A digital camera with enough batteries—they are very expensive in Russia
2. Know that the “Rt 66 Diner” in Moscow is very expensive. Ten fried shrimp, 24 chicken wings, 2 bottles of water and 1 coke was almost $90 US.
3. Learn some Russian. It pays off when you are on a 13-hour train ride and you need something even as trivial as water or coffee from the conductress.
4. Expect to be asked to pray often and to preach and to sing.
5. Be ready at a moment’s notice to lead someone to the Lord.
6. Russian Christians are very warm, loving people. Men kiss men and women kiss women. Men shake women’s hands. Get over it.
7. It is considered rude for women to wear pants to church.
8. Women are expected to wear head scarves in church.
9. Men are expected to remove their hats before entering the church or any building.
10. If you are claustrophobic, DO NOT GO. The train compartment is VERY confining and you have no where else to go for 13 hours.
11. Remember, if you try to put any liquid or paste over 3.4 oz. in your carryon bag it will be confiscated at the airport and thrown away.
12. The walking tour in Moscow, enjoyed on the return trip home, is demanding. An alternative should be arranged for those not able to walk for hours. Also, do not forget to tip your tour guide and to buy his lunch.
13. If you must stay in Moscow for two nights, arrange for a night at the theater or the Ballet—Do not forget to provide for translators for each group.
14. At the train station in Moscow, you must negotiate two sets of stairs with all of your luggage. They are constructed at about a 45-degree angle and each set contains about 30 steps. Make sure that Artyom arranges for extra people to meet you and help with the baggage—not only getting it up and down the stairs but also putting it into the overhead nooks and crannies in the sleeping compartment.
15. Take a few extra “generic” gifts. You never know when someone unexpected will pop up and give you something.
16. The hotel in Staryy Oskol where you will sleep for 6 nights has a night club on the first floor. The music starts at 9 PM and goes until 12 PM virtually every night. It rattles your windows. Therefore, try to get rooms on the top floor as far away from the night club as you can. No such issues in Moscow.
17. When outside of Moscow you should not drink tap water nor should you brush your teeth with it. When you get water for brushing your teeth, make sure it is not “with gas.” Otherwise, every time you brush your teeth you will look like you have rabies. Also, remember that ice cubes are made with tap water.
18. If you cannot peel it or cook it, do not eat it. A salad outside of Moscow can make you very sick for a very long time.
19. Decent medical care outside of Moscow is virtually non-existent. If you get sick or break a tooth, for example, you need to be able to take care of yourself until transportation can be arranged to the American Clinic in Moscow. This could take days. Pay attention to the preceding two warnings and take a decent medical kit along, with a variety of useful meds and prescriptions. (Invaluable are things like Bandaids, antiseptic, a dental repair kit, Lomotil for diarrhea, Benadryl, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, Compazine for nausea, Afrin to relieve a potential ear block, Hydrocortisone cream, and a narcotic strength pain medication.)
20. Just accept the fact that Russians, unlike Americans, do not respect personal space. You will be bumped up against, hugged, kissed, and crowded the entire time you are there. Get a “sardine” attitude as soon as you step on to the first airplane and you will be good to go.
21. Get the shots and vaccinations, etc. recommended in the SGA Travel Manual and the State Department Travel Page. You probably do not actually need them where you are going, but you just never know. Better to be safe than sorry.
22. Visa, Master Card, American cash, Euros, and rubles are all accepted almost anywhere. But, have a rough idea what the exchange rate is between all of them so you do not get cheated.
23. No matter what kind of health nut you may be, McDonalds is a really wonderful sight after a week of mashed potatoes, vegetable soup and fried, breaded meat. (Know that a Big Mac in a Russian McDonalds does not taste like what you expect. Better to go to the chicken place masquerading as KFC.)
24. When you go to Red Square, do not try to get your picture taken with any Russian soldier you might see. They will not be amused and you will wind up in a gulag in Siberia for your effort.
25. The Russian Orthodox Church is still very powerful and tied at the hip to the secular government. Read the attachment to this report concerning them and be careful. There are still many places in Russia where Christians are persecuted (in Belgorod) and killed (not in Belgorod) just for being Christian.
26. That being said, we felt safe the entire trip.
27. Check current policies on taking your cell phone. Artyom can arrange for prepaid phone cards and Russian SIM cards for those providers whose phones require them. Do not forget to call your provider for the unlock code so that you can call from Russia.
28. If using AT&T calling cards or similar cards, make sure you have all of the numbers you need: Dial up number in Russia for access to card 1-800 number, as well as country and city codes, etc. You cannot get these when you are in Gubkin.
29. Take a package of blank “Thank You” cards.
30. It is nice to have sweats or PJs and slippers to change into when you return to the hotel at night.
31. Make sure none of your rubles or American dollars have any marks on them at all, or any tears. If they are thus afflicted, they will not be accepted in Russia.
32. Take a box of disposable Handiwipes.
33. Think about taking some Stampers or some other things to use for craft activities for the ladies.
34. Ladies you will be happy you left the following at home:
*Jewelry—Russian women do not wear it, especially in church.
*Hairdryer—Russian voltage/cycles will burn it up. If you must take it, see #35 below.
*Pants, except to travel in.
*High heeled shoes—worthless
35. Do not buy a voltage converter to use with your laptop. Wait until you get to Gubkin and buy a Russian one. It provides much better service and protection because it is designed to compensate for the way the voltage cycles there. It will cost about $85 US and is worth every penny.
Respectfully Submitted,
MARK A. MAYERSTEIN
Director, FBCRR Mission to Belgorod, Russia
Report on Trip to Belgorod Oblastskya, Russia 2008
Date of Trip: 27 March-7 April 2008
Travelers: Si Budagher, Louise Budagher, Mark Mayerstein
Primary Contacts:
SGA: Greg Pyles and Lois Schleuter
Moscow: Aryom and Oleg
Gubkin: Pastor Piotr Makashenko (UECB Antioch Church Pastor)
Destination: Gubkin, Russia
Cost: See attached Cost Sheet
Itinerary:
We left Albuquerque at 0800 on 27 March via United Airlines.
We landed in Chicago at 1147 and departed for Frankfurt, Germany via United Airlines at 1452
We landed in Frankfurt, Germany on 28 March at 0505 (duration 8+13)
We departed Frankfurt, Germany at 0830 and arrived in Moscow at 1330 (duration 3+00)
We departed Moscow at 1800 via train and arrived in Stary Oskol on 29 March at 0630
We departed the train station and arrived at the hotel 20 minutes later.
Each day we were transported to the church in Gubkin via a 30-minute automobile ride.
Destinations:
Staryy Oskol--(Russian: Ста́рый Оско́л) is a city in Belgorod Oblast (state), Russia. It is located at 51°18′N, 37°51′E, about 500 km (400 miles) south of Moscow, on the Oskol River. Population: 217,900 (2004 census).
It was founded as a fortress in 1593, as part of the southern fortification line around Moscow. In the 17th century, the town was sacked by Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian Cossacks. Later it was affected by the Russian Civil War in 1919, as well as World War II. After World War II industry developed in the city and its population started to grow.
Staryy Oskol is an important mining town of iron ore, situated at the border of the Kursk magnetic anomaly, one of the largest deposits of iron ore worldwide. More than eight million tons of iron ore are mined here per year. For this reason there is also a branch of the Moscow Federal Institute of Steel and Alloys in the city.
Gubkin--(Russian: Гу́бкин) is a town in Belgorod Oblast, Russia and the administrative center of Gubkinsky District. Gubkin is located 138 km north-east of Belgorod, 25 km (20 miles) west of Staryy Oskol, and 500 km (400 miles) south of Moscow and sits on the on the Oskolets River, a tributary of the Oskol River.
Gubkin has a population of 86,083 (2002 Census). The town was founded in the 1930s in place of the village of Korobkovo and named after the geologist Ivan Gubkin. Since 1939 the town has the status of an Urban-type settlement; since 1955 the status of a town.
We returned to the US via the same basic itinerary, with the exception of a 3 hr detour into Heathrow Airport in London courtesy of a small galley fire. This, in turn, caused us to miss our connection out of Chicago and we were forced to stay there overnight.
Mission Narrative:
The primary mission objective is to provide seminary classes, Russian language reference books, and other support to 14 Russian pastors. All of this is aimed at enhancing their ability to shepherd the flocks of 21 Baptist churches in the state of Belgorod, Russia. We also tried to determine the scope and nature of any future children’s ministry.
During this trip several classes were taught at Pastor Piotr’s church in Gubkin, Russia, which was a very harrowing 30-minute drive from Staryy Oskol. Our concern, generated by the reckless manner in which the Russians drive, was exacerbated by the combat driving tactics used to achieve last-second avoidance of potholes in the road deep enough to swallow a truck whole. Once safely in the church Pastor Si taught daily classes in Homiletics, during which he also shared many of the lessons he has learned in effectively preparing and delivering sermons. Each Russian pastor was required to deliver a 10-15 minute sermon as a graduation exercise and all did extremely well. Louise taught a Beth Moore Bible Study and shared her perspective and experience as a pastor’s wife with the Russian pastor’s wives who were in attendance, as well as with some of the local church ladies. Mark taught three classes on family counseling to the pastors in attendance. All communication was ably empowered by two incredibly gifted translators, Inessa and Anna. In addition to the formal instruction, other things worthy of mention occurred.
Several relatively unrelated events turned out to be incredible blessings. Both Pastor Si and Mark had the opportunity to preach at the two services that occurred while they were there. There was a lot of singing, which Louise accompanied on the keyboard. The musical highlight was when Pastor Si successfully attempted a hymn which he sung in Russian, much to the delight of Pastor Piotr, the visiting pastors, and the congregation. There was a lot of good fellowship and worship, ably facilitated again by our two translators. Their true value proved itself on the next-to-last day of teaching. It seems a woman, who is a friend of one of the church ladies, is dying of cancer. When she heard that Pastor Si had come to town, she asked if it would be possible to see him. So Pastor Piotr, Pastor Si, Mark and Anna got in the car that morning and went to her house. In this very humble dwelling, Pastor Si spoke with and eventually brought this frail lady to the Lord. It was an incredibly moving experience for all in attendance. Afterward, we returned to the church and conducted afternoon classes.
Another part of this mission, support for their children’s ministry, became a major issue when Pastor Piotr took the group to visit the lakeside area where they have conducted a Summer Bible Camp for the past 3 years. It is a wooded lot, open to the public, which was strewn with garbage, empty liquor bottles, and used drug paraphernalia. Every year when they rent this land for the summer camp, they have to spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning it up. In addition, the owner is having second thoughts about continuing his dealings with the church in this regard. Pastor Piotr told the group that last year they had approximately 80 children in attendance—35 of whom were non-believers. By the end of the camp 2 weeks later, 19 of these non-believing children had accepted the Lord into their lives. Their plans for this coming summer include adding approximately 12 physically challenged children to the mix. When he heard this, Pastor Si expressed an interest in trying to buy the land for the church and also to provide them with the resources necessary to build a kitchen facility on it. He further indicated that we would try to bring back 8-10 people in the summer of 2009 to help them with construction activities as well as with camp curriculum. To facilitate the latter, he left a Press On Ministry Summer Camp Director’s Manual, which we will pay Anna to translate and to make the required number of copies. Pastor Si made it very clear that he could not promise anything in regard to the land purchase or improvements, but when we got back Mark prepared and submitted a grant proposal asking the Crosby Foundation to fund this need. This looks promising. Mark is also in the process of exploring other sources of financing to help, in part, with this goal. There was also a considerable amount of discussion concerning additional year around uses for a facility of this nature. Pastor Piotr was visibly moved.
When we returned to Albuquerque, we sent $2,700 (most of the remaining funds in the Russia Mission account) to the Slavic Gospel Association in Chicago. It was married to the $4,300 that our partner church, Faith Bible of Albuquerque, had sent to them. This $7,000 was then sent directly to Pastor Piotr so he could finish the badly needed renovations on his church building in Gubkin, Russia, where all of our fellowship, worship and instructional activities had taken place.
In every respect this was a highly successful Vision/Teaching trip. We provided needed education and hope, established fellowship, and cemented a solid working relationship for the future. We will be returning annually for the next 4-6 years, or until the entire seminary curriculum has been taught. At that point, we will evaluate what if anything remains to be done and make plans accordingly.
Future Trip Considerations:
1. Be sure to take the following items:
*Spray can of Lysol for the hotel bathroom
*Toilet paper—theirs is like crepe paper and is interesting to use
*A small flashlight—a key ring version is best. Needed to get key into hotel room door at night, since they turn out the lights in the hallways.
*Loafers or other kinds of slip-on shoes. You are expected to remove your shoes when you enter someone’s home.
*Hand sanitizer—self-explanatory
*A pillow case—essential for the train ride, since the cleanliness of the pillow is questionable.
*Gifts for the people at the church who prepare your food—1 man and 5 women
*A digital camera with enough batteries—they are very expensive in Russia
2. Know that the “Rt 66 Diner” in Moscow is very expensive. Ten fried shrimp, 24 chicken wings, 2 bottles of water and 1 coke was almost $90 US.
3. Learn some Russian. It pays off when you are on a 13-hour train ride and you need something even as trivial as water or coffee from the conductress.
4. Expect to be asked to pray often and to preach and to sing.
5. Be ready at a moment’s notice to lead someone to the Lord.
6. Russian Christians are very warm, loving people. Men kiss men and women kiss women. Men shake women’s hands. Get over it.
7. It is considered rude for women to wear pants to church.
8. Women are expected to wear head scarves in church.
9. Men are expected to remove their hats before entering the church or any building.
10. If you are claustrophobic, DO NOT GO. The train compartment is VERY confining and you have no where else to go for 13 hours.
11. Remember, if you try to put any liquid or paste over 3.4 oz. in your carryon bag it will be confiscated at the airport and thrown away.
12. The walking tour in Moscow, enjoyed on the return trip home, is demanding. An alternative should be arranged for those not able to walk for hours. Also, do not forget to tip your tour guide and to buy his lunch.
13. If you must stay in Moscow for two nights, arrange for a night at the theater or the Ballet—Do not forget to provide for translators for each group.
14. At the train station in Moscow, you must negotiate two sets of stairs with all of your luggage. They are constructed at about a 45-degree angle and each set contains about 30 steps. Make sure that Artyom arranges for extra people to meet you and help with the baggage—not only getting it up and down the stairs but also putting it into the overhead nooks and crannies in the sleeping compartment.
15. Take a few extra “generic” gifts. You never know when someone unexpected will pop up and give you something.
16. The hotel in Staryy Oskol where you will sleep for 6 nights has a night club on the first floor. The music starts at 9 PM and goes until 12 PM virtually every night. It rattles your windows. Therefore, try to get rooms on the top floor as far away from the night club as you can. No such issues in Moscow.
17. When outside of Moscow you should not drink tap water nor should you brush your teeth with it. When you get water for brushing your teeth, make sure it is not “with gas.” Otherwise, every time you brush your teeth you will look like you have rabies. Also, remember that ice cubes are made with tap water.
18. If you cannot peel it or cook it, do not eat it. A salad outside of Moscow can make you very sick for a very long time.
19. Decent medical care outside of Moscow is virtually non-existent. If you get sick or break a tooth, for example, you need to be able to take care of yourself until transportation can be arranged to the American Clinic in Moscow. This could take days. Pay attention to the preceding two warnings and take a decent medical kit along, with a variety of useful meds and prescriptions. (Invaluable are things like Bandaids, antiseptic, a dental repair kit, Lomotil for diarrhea, Benadryl, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, Compazine for nausea, Afrin to relieve a potential ear block, Hydrocortisone cream, and a narcotic strength pain medication.)
20. Just accept the fact that Russians, unlike Americans, do not respect personal space. You will be bumped up against, hugged, kissed, and crowded the entire time you are there. Get a “sardine” attitude as soon as you step on to the first airplane and you will be good to go.
21. Get the shots and vaccinations, etc. recommended in the SGA Travel Manual and the State Department Travel Page. You probably do not actually need them where you are going, but you just never know. Better to be safe than sorry.
22. Visa, Master Card, American cash, Euros, and rubles are all accepted almost anywhere. But, have a rough idea what the exchange rate is between all of them so you do not get cheated.
23. No matter what kind of health nut you may be, McDonalds is a really wonderful sight after a week of mashed potatoes, vegetable soup and fried, breaded meat. (Know that a Big Mac in a Russian McDonalds does not taste like what you expect. Better to go to the chicken place masquerading as KFC.)
24. When you go to Red Square, do not try to get your picture taken with any Russian soldier you might see. They will not be amused and you will wind up in a gulag in Siberia for your effort.
25. The Russian Orthodox Church is still very powerful and tied at the hip to the secular government. Read the attachment to this report concerning them and be careful. There are still many places in Russia where Christians are persecuted (in Belgorod) and killed (not in Belgorod) just for being Christian.
26. That being said, we felt safe the entire trip.
27. Check current policies on taking your cell phone. Artyom can arrange for prepaid phone cards and Russian SIM cards for those providers whose phones require them. Do not forget to call your provider for the unlock code so that you can call from Russia.
28. If using AT&T calling cards or similar cards, make sure you have all of the numbers you need: Dial up number in Russia for access to card 1-800 number, as well as country and city codes, etc. You cannot get these when you are in Gubkin.
29. Take a package of blank “Thank You” cards.
30. It is nice to have sweats or PJs and slippers to change into when you return to the hotel at night.
31. Make sure none of your rubles or American dollars have any marks on them at all, or any tears. If they are thus afflicted, they will not be accepted in Russia.
32. Take a box of disposable Handiwipes.
33. Think about taking some Stampers or some other things to use for craft activities for the ladies.
34. Ladies you will be happy you left the following at home:
*Jewelry—Russian women do not wear it, especially in church.
*Hairdryer—Russian voltage/cycles will burn it up. If you must take it, see #35 below.
*Pants, except to travel in.
*High heeled shoes—worthless
35. Do not buy a voltage converter to use with your laptop. Wait until you get to Gubkin and buy a Russian one. It provides much better service and protection because it is designed to compensate for the way the voltage cycles there. It will cost about $85 US and is worth every penny.
Respectfully Submitted,
MARK A. MAYERSTEIN
Director, FBCRR Mission to Belgorod, Russia
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