One Year in Moscow

I arrived in Moscow one year ago this afternoon. There are three things about the past 365 days for which I am most persistently thankful:

• My Place
  I love my home. I am constantly amazed that I’ve been given the gift of this house. Living on one floor has made life so much easier. I’ve been delighted at the opportunity to start from scratch and decorate in a way that pleases me at every turn. I love being able to have people over for meals or cake or craft night. I love the smallness of the town and the convenience of pretty much everything I need.
• My People
  Being able to connect with my church family more than one day a week has greatly multiplied my opportunities to learn to love and be loved. There are many people here who model for me what I want to be when I grow up. Even the little bumps and stumbles have been a blessing as they’ve provided opportunities to better see my own sin and to show grace to others.
• My Pastor
  The message I’ve most needed to hear is one I hear relentlessly from Doug: I’m really, truly allowed to believe the gospel…and I’m absolutely, positively forbidden not to believe it. I’ll probably need this medicine the rest of my life, but just one year of persistent dosage has healed and strengthened me in significant ways.

This is home, and I’m profoundly grateful to God for bringing me here.