Christmas in Norway

January 2, 2005

So much to write about, so little time to write! I sit here, my tummy getting bigger as baby Bogott grows and grows and grows. Three more months and a new little one will join the Bogott generations. Although the doctor tells us he is 99% sure this one is a girl, we haven’t bought anything pink yet. Grandma B. was ahead of us in that one. Names? This time is much more difficult for some reason. Aaron keeps coming up with such silliness as Penelope, Buttercup, and Chiquita!?!? Timothy just pats my tummy and says “La, la”, (the Russian diminutive for infant) or “Baby”. Maybe we should just name her Abigail La Chiquita Bogott, and then we can all be happy :). We are all looking foreword to her arrival with great joy and expectation, well mom and dad at least are. I don’t think Tim understands what momentous change is about to hit his centered little world in about 3 months time. His only concession to change is sitting next to mommy when she reads him a book, rather than on my lap as room is running out. My heart’s desire is to not loose track of those precious moments together in the crazy busyness of caring for a newborn. He is such a precious joy to me and our “snuggle” times are some of my favorite moments during the day.

Timothy wailed in fear and clung to Papa as our plane lifted off for the beginning of our Norway Christmas adventure. My spirits rose with the craft as we left the dark weather and dirty streets of St Petersburg behind us. Thoughts of Christmas with loved ones in a land that actually celebrates the birth of Jesus filled my mind. Mom and Dad Bogott gave us the lovely gift of celebrating Christmas in Norway by paying for three round trip tickets to meet them and Amy and Jon in this land of the Fjords and mountains. Included were a trip to the lovely town of Bergen and a small trip through the mountains and Fjords called “Norway in a Nutshell”

We were met in Oslo by a young University student who offered us beds for the night. Her hospitality and graciousness was a huge testimony of God’s love to us. And then it was off to meet the family at the airport the next day! Aaron and Timothy went to the airport to meet Grandpa and Grandma and Auntie Amy. On their return, Tim promptly went to sleep and woke up feverish and vomiting. For the next five days he struggled with vomiting and diarrhea as we traveled from one part of this lovely country to the next. The worst day was in the charming bed and breakfast in Bergen, where he vomited profusely all over their antique rugs, down comforters, and feather pillows in a record six upheavals. Our dear hostess kept bringing in towel after towel as we attempted to protect their furniture and bed from his sudden upchucks.




Through the upset stomachs, diarrhea, vomiting and colds, we had a wonderful time and Christmas in Norway!!! A family who gets sick together sticks together. Luckily, not everyone was sick at the same time and we saved a lot of money on food as no one really had an appetite the final week of our trip. Some of the highlights…There was waking up on Christmas morn to the beautiful sight of soft falling snow with several inches already on the ground. The sweet smell of flavored coffee greeting us in the morning, coupled by beautiful surroundings and a quiet so peaceful, I forgot what it was like to live off a busy street. The towering snow clad cliffs on either side of us as we made our way up the Fjord to catch a mountain train back down to Oslo. There were candles in the windows of every home; music played in the stores, smiles on faces all around us. Donna and I browsed the bookshops, looked longingly at the candles and decorations and kept our money firmly in our pockets due to the extravagant prices of everything we saw. And last but not least, Timothy learned how to say AAAMEEE in reply to his coaching aunt. He now repeats it over and over when asked. These are memories I will treasure, holding them closely in my heart.

God has given us an incredible gift in the form of His Son. He has also given us families who know and love Him … a rich heritage of righteousness upon which to build. Both Aaron and I have had the privilege of growing up being instructed in God’s word, learning at an early age the love which God has for us. It is now our responsibility to pass that knowledge and love on to our children. This is where peace is, this is where the blessing flows. May all of you find peace and rich blessing in this coming year. You will find it in the presence of God, in the shadow of His wings.

Much love to all of you!!!!

Sister & Sun

November 11, 2004

Smiles, hugs, long conversations, good food, and great fellowship, our time with my sister Rebecca was truly precious in every way. Even to have a sister here for a long period of time was such a blessing for me. The hardest part of living in Russia is the lack of close fellowship with family. Sometimes I look out my window at the gray sky and darkening days and I wish I were back home where life and laughter and loved ones abound. But God has a purpose for us here and until that purpose is finished we will stay. During her time here, it was wonderful to see Russia through the eyes of a newcomer. Sometimes I forget how different the culture and living conditions are here as opposed to other places. Let me give you a short example of her letters home…

… Now let me say more about toilets. This must be the only place on earth where one PAYS to use a public restroom. Yep, 25 cents for the privilege of comfort, and you don't dare sit on the seat (please don't ask for details) And you bring your own tissue, always, when out on the town, because it ain't always supplied even for the 25 cents. I used one port-a-potty perched happily on a downtown street, on other occasions we were at a restaurant so a potty was available there. Life is topsy turvy here...one public park bathroom stood out for its amazing cleanliness and pretty tile work, but the toilets at church, which gathers in a rented theater, were so foul you want to close your eyes and plug your nose, but of course you can't, because all energy is focused on squatting just so, and finding the tissue in your pocket and not letting your skirt touch ANYTHING in the tiny, damp closet of a bathroom. I strongly suspect the natives go around dehydrated to avoid the NEED for potties in public places…

I had a wonderful laugh at that one!

We hit all the highlights of Russian culture including the palaces, the Hermitage, the ballet, and the Russian Art museum. Everywhere we went I learned more about Russian toilets through the comments and laughter of my sister. Thank goodness I didn’t take her to the holes in the floor at the major train stations which serve as toilets there.

Please pray for my sister as she is currently battling breast cancer. She returned from Russia to learn that a lump in her breast was cancerous. I believe that the prayers of God’s family are 100% more effective than all the treatments our medical community can offer.

Sunshine, palm trees, and clear blue water. Aaron and Timothy and I took our first vacation as a family and flew to the warm Egyptian shores of the Red Sea. Air temperatures stayed in the 80s and Water temperatures in the 70s. Coming from the cold north it was funny to see a plane-full of frozen northerners stagger out into the desert heat of the far south, coats over arms, eyes squinting in the brilliant sunlight, boots and long sleeved shirts out of place in this sudden summer. Plane after plane was landing from all over Europe unloading hundreds of passengers into a tiny airport where tour guides were shouting frantically to attract the attention of those who were to join them for a trip to their specific hotels. After an hour and a half wait in the long line through Passport Control, we were loaded on busses and made our way with much honking and crazy driving to our beautiful glass fronted hotel. With three swimming pools and terraced levels the grounds of this 4+ star resort were absolutely stunning. And the service was hard to describe. Every day our cleaning man (only men work in the hotel for both cultural as well as religious reasons) would leave a beautiful sculpture made out of our towels and lovely blossoms of every color.



And then to the beaches and the warm warm water. Fish of every hue, size and species swarmed the coral reefs of this lovely town. With snorkel gear in hand, Aaron and I took turns for several hours a day exploring the rich world of a tropical coral reef. Timothy played in the sand and surf, chasing the occasional white heron which would land nearby looking for smaller fish swimming close to shore. We built sand castles, ate falafels from a nearby cafe, and strolled the walking streets lined with shops. With Timothy’s blond hair and blue eyes, we were an attraction for every passing Egyptian. With grins and whistles they would lift our startled son into the air, kissing him on the cheeks, exclaiming over and over how beautiful he was. It was a contest for the staff at our hotel to see who could make him smile or laugh the most. They would dance in front of his highchair at dinner, blow him kisses across the dinning room, and the chief chef would make a mad dash from the kitchen every time he heard Tim’s voice, to kiss and hug him.

All in all it was a lovely 10 days of relaxation and fellowship as a family.
May there be more to come!

Blessings to all of you and may you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Summer Fun

September 10, 2004

Time flies when you're having fun, and we have been having loads of it!! We grilled shashlik (shish kabobs) on the beach with dear friends, walked through Kiev at midnight to hear the bells of St. Michael's play the national anthem, and paddled our hearts out on the Dnepr River with family.
We spent one glorious week in Kiev, Ukraine, visiting a good friend and missionary, Natasha Shure. We were so blessed to visit her and Vicky, her housemate and ministry co-leader. We also had the double delight of spending a few days with my sister Ruth and her family just leaving the Ukraine after 10 days of ministry in the south. What a much needed time of refreshment and blessing.

Then back to St. Petersburg where my clinic had finally moved into its new home under a new name. We went from a one story outpatient clinic with 8 exam rooms to a full 6 story hospital, 20 exam rooms, and 30 inpatient beds, operating theaters, diagnostic centers, a full floor of dentistry. Talk about bouncing around an empty can. Our poor little staff of 100 full time workers felt really lost. Of course the clinic forgot to order enough supplies to fill all those exam rooms, so we were running from one floor to the next in sharing our pulse oximeter, ECG machine. We didn't even have enough basic supplies to stock our outpatient clinic. It took a week before we could really say we were ready. But the floors looked beautiful in their Italian marble and the 5 story vaulted atrium where our reception is located was absolutely breathtaking.

And then of course was the exciting discovery that we are expecting another little Bogott sometime mid April. This has truly been a summer of many blessings.

Aaron has been working hard in a new project taken on by Jensen Group, to lease close to 900,000 square feet of storage and factory space for a company situated outside the city. He spends 3 to 4 days traveling to this site and has not been getting home before 8pm. It has been difficult and extremely wearing on him. My prayer is that he leases the space quickly and gets back to his regular work schedule at Jensen. Of course with an active
21 month old and another on the way, poor Aaron gets an exhausted wife to greet him when he does get home.

Timothy continues to grow - at an alarming rate - and now falls in the 110 percentile for his height and 120 percentile for his weight. That means he is really big for his age J. Most people walk up to him chatting to him in Russian and are somewhat surprised that he chats back in baby-talk as he looks like a three year old. He walks around the house with a phone attached to his ear, sometimes two, and babbles away at "Baba, Papa, Mama, or whoever it takes his fancy to hold a conversation with. I listen to him in amazement at his long involved conversations and exclamations and wish I could understand his special language. He certainly must have something interesting to tell.

In ministry, we continue to meet the needs, especially medical, of those who God leads us to. Aaron and I have helped several families in crisis' pay their medical bills as well as see some of my clinic's physicians at a reduced price. I continue to give medical advice over the phone as different missionaries or Russian friends call with various ailments or health questions. This week I gave a presentation to a group of foreigners who had just arrived in the city for a stay of one or more years. We discussed health issues in Russia, vaccinations needed, quality of health care, food, drinking water etc. The U.S. Consulate asked me to take a job with them as their nurse, but I had to decline as they were also asking me to pay for my own work visa as well as the cost of procuring it - close to a
thousand dollars. All in all it has been a busy summer and fall with more
and more being added to our plate.

One of my greatest joys has been leading worship in our church one Sunday a month. More and more people have been joining our team and now we have a full team with two to three guitars, a drum set, and four singers. Aaron and I bought a case for the electric piano he bought me and we have been hauling it back and forth to the church when it is our time to lead worship.