These past few weeks have been unusually busy for us, so I will do my best to bring you all up to date with what has been going on for us. The fourth and final quarter of the school year is in full swing and we have only about five more weeks to go, which only adds to the sense of speed. Everything is rushing towards the finish line!
About two weeks ago we had the chance to spend some time with a group from the U.S. that came to visit Jim and Olya on our team. Jim and Olya were preparing to move to the U.S. and the team came from Jim's home church in Indiana to visit and help with the move. It was fun to meet more fellow Hoosiers in Russia, and an added bonus was that they had extra tickets to the ballet. Amanda and I got to an enjoy an excellent production of La Bayadere at the Mariinsky Theatre in very good seats:-)
That same week Amanda also spoke to the high school youth group. She talked about how being with other Christians can sometimes be the most difficult and painful things in a believer's life, but why it is still important to be part of the Church. The students responded very well and many seemed to be thankful for the chance to talk about some of their experiences. For students who are the children of people in ministry it often means that they have seen the unpleasantness that sometimes comes with the kind of work their parents do, and it is encouraging to know that they are not alone and that it is OK to acknowledge those experiences.
In the midst of all of this both Amanda and I celebrated our birthdays. I can now in fact reveal that we are both getting older. I've found more than a few white hairs in my head this past year, so I guess my carefree days of youth are behind me now:-) We were both surprised and flattered by how enthusiastic our students were. Both of us had students make drawings, sing songs, and even compose poems in honor of the occasion. It was yet another reminder of just how special the students that we get to teach our. It is truly a privilege!
Last week we also had the opportunity to go to a special concert celebrating Russian and Korean culture put on by various organizations connected to Korean citizens and students living in Russia. A number of families from our school went, and we were treated to traditional dance, singing, and instruments from both Korean and Russian history and culture. It was the first time either of us had been to a performance of Korean music and dance, which made the evening particularly special. It was a lot of fun and a reminder of the riches of the cultures that we have the joy of being able to spend time around.
Last Saturday/early Sunday we took part in an Orthodox Easter service at a nearby church. The Easter liturgy takes place at midnight in the Orthodox Church so we gathered together with a large crowd of people at a beautiful church alongside the Neva on the island we live on. It was a beautiful service and being able to chant in unison with so many others the truth that Christ is risen (Христос воскресе) and that truly He is risen (воистину воскресе) was a wonderful way to commemorate the most important day of the Christian year.
We have also been at work on trying to prepare for our return to the U.S. in just a few months time. About three weeks ago I made the decision to accept the admissions offer made to me at the University of Illinois. I am very excited about being offered a fully-funded package to the Ph.D. program in history at a school with one of the best Russian history programs in the U.S. I am now in the process of working to get all the details of that sorted out, and Amanda is working on applying for jobs and sorting out issues related to her teaching license. We have also purchased our return tickets and will be heading back to the U.S. towards the end of June. We still have lots of things to do, both here in Russia and in preparing for our return. Your prayers for this whole process are greatly appreciated!
Here are some photos that document our recent goings on, along with a few other things that have taken place not long ago:
Students from my 10th grade history class drew this for me. The fact that I like Angry Birds has been the source of much amusement to my students this year and made it into the drawing. My ubiquitous thermos of tea also made a guest appearance:-)
Amanda's students also got creative and drew a special birthday cake for her.
Amanda speaking to the youth group. We met at the home of one the students.
Russian-Korean concert
A traditional Korean dance, as performed at the concert we attended.
One of the acts for the Russian part of the program was a folk quintet. The balalaika contrabass was especially impressive to see.
The geography posters that my 9th grade students make have continued to be wonderful. This one even included a drawing of me! It was inspired by the fact that I always comment on a picture of cute Japanese monkeys hugging in the snow that is in our textbook. The student who made this student drew me in with the monkeys on her travel poster for Japan.
Amanda's Romeo and Juliet costume and set design project continues to be a big success. Year after year students come up with creative ideas for staging the classic play. This year included the idea of doing versions set in samurai times, between India and Pakistan, and with children (to give just a few examples).
I had the surprise of having a student give me her homework in the form of a handwritten letter, complete with envelope. This was in response to a comment I made about the student's exceptional handwriting. The "stamp" states "letter writing doesn't have to be dead!" I responded with a very formal typed letter:-)
My 11th grade history class was also very inspired by a reading I gave them on the subject of economic imperialism. To explain the ways in which many countries were manipulated by outside forces, especially by businesses that exploited weak governments and economies, we read an article about the activity of banana companies in Central America. (You can read the article "When Bananas Ruled the World" here, if you are really interested). The class decided to write revolutionary slogans on bananas and bring them in to class. It's always nice to see students getting into history, even when it is in surprising ways!
Our girls' basketball team has continued to make good progress this year. Amanda and I had the chance to go to their second game several weeks ago. Our team put up a valiant effort against an excellent Russian school that had some of the best shooters (male or female) that I have ever seen any of our basketball teams play against. It was fun to see our girls in action and to be able to support IA's newest sport.
Our friend Katya, who teaches third grade, is getting married next month, and Amanda recently went to a wedding shower for her. Her fiance is Australian, so she will be moving there after the wedding, which will be in St. Petersburg. While IA is sad to be losing a great teacher, we are all very excited for her!
Our headmaster prays for Katya during the shower.
Thank you for reading! We will probably have more updates soon, as our schedule continues to look quite busy up through the end of the year.
-Matt
