From Siberia...

Well, I arrived in Siberia safely. This will be short -just a little 'shout out.' Sorry for any typos... its late and I have to go sleep.

It is amazing to me how God connects people with His Own purposes in mind. The airport in Moscow is really confusing. All international flights come into one airport and all domestic flights are from another one about 10-15 minutes away. The transit is very confusing -and as I was figuring it all out a Lebonese man came up to me and asked for help in English. Since he did not know Russian he was totally lost and I was happy to help him. I am always really leary of men in airports, but as I listened to him I was amazed to find out that he was Catholic. We had a great conversation in the end about Lebonese saints, his moral problems with living in San Francisco and many other topics. He runs a tv station that often travels to third world countries for interviews. Anyway, it was one of those 'God set-ups' you never quite expect.

I was happily surprised the past few days here in Russia. Something really amazing has happened to the people... they are really nice and helpful. From the police in the airport to people in the stores, I've been happily surprised at how kind they have been... this is definately a change for the better. For example, police people used to be cold (at best) to foreigners. Well, about an hour before my flight from Moscow to Krasnojarsk I was so thirsty -but I had no Russian money to buy water and it was 12:30am (so nothing was open). I found a money changing machine, and I decided to use it. Well, it ate my money. I asked a police lady nearby what I should do and she was so kind. She called the bank for me (even though it was the middle of the night) and sort of yelled at them and told them they had to send someone immediately to give my back my money. I told her that I could not wait, because we were already supposed to board the plane. She said that she would wait for them to come and get my money for me and meet me when I come through the airport again on my way home next month. I told her that I have a very short connection and won't have time to search her out -and she offered to take a bus to the other airport where I will be flying out of and meet me on my plane with my money. Now, that is NICE! I told her if something happens not to worry -she can keep it. But she gave me her phone number and told me she would try. I was amazed.

For now I've been in Krasnoyarsk with the Sisters of St. Charles Barromeo. I leave Tuesday for Achinsk where I will stay with Sr. Tatiana and the Adoratorki sisters. It has been providencial to be here the past few days -God has arranged many important meetings with people. As always, His grace works best when we live on trust.

Life is especially hard here in Siberia for missionary sisters. Their poor communities in Poland do not have money to send them (for rent, food, gas, life...) The priests at least get some money from the parish and if they go home they can give retreats (and collect donations) and they also get Mass intentions from Rome. But the sisters have no financial security. These sisters here said that last month their community in Irkutsk had to go beg and borrow money from the Bishop just for money for food. Its hard enough for missionaries to give so much physically and spiritually to mission lands -but to have no means of financial support is an overwhelming burden for many of them. These sisters work a lot with handicapped children (their spirituality is 'mercy'). Last month they took 10 physically and mentally handicapped children (5 with autism) on a retreat for a week! Sister Francesca (the superior now) wants to open a home here for these children -somewhere they can come during the day and be cared for by young people (and lonely babushkas) from the parish. This is a way they help the families of these children, who often are very overwhelmed by 24 hour care. She even received permission to do it ... if she found the money. $100,000 is not easy to find anywhere, let alone in Siberia. This is just one example of the needs here. I keep telling them, if God wants it then the money will come. But maybe you all can say an extra prayer for them.

Lastly, a few pictures. The sisters took me last night to visit one of the parishoner's summer garden houses. In Russia, everyone in the city has a piece of land in the country where they farm -and they live off that food all year long. Here we are eating strawberries:

um... I guess in the end it was not short. :)