I’ve dedicated a PAGE of my website (NEWS FROM SAMARA) to what’s going on in my beloved second home in Samara, Russia. This time, the news isn’t happy. I hope you’ll take a moment to read about the new laws in Russia–and ponder what they might mean to Christians there. Just click HERE A Little Background When I first started my “Second-Half Adventure” in Samara in 2001, people welcomed Westerners with open arms and almost celebrity-like attention. Over the years, that enthusiasm has thankfully tempered. But for the past five years, I’ve had this niggling feeling that the open doors …
Welcome! and Thank you! Did you get your free chapter?
So thrilled about the 25 NEW SUBSCRIBERS to my blog since the launch of my Author Website. Welcome to all of you! And thank you for the nice comments about the site and for signing up for the newsletter. Hope you enjoyed that sneak-peek free chapter. Although it’s not the first chapter in my book, it’s the first chapter I wrote. If you haven’t seen the “story behind the story” yet, you can read how “Her Shining Eyes” was birthed by clicking HERE Also, check out the LINKS on my “ABOUT” RESOURCES PAGE That’s where I share some of my…
What I’m reading this week … The Upstairs Wife
Spending the summer in the Eastern Sierra lends itself to plenty of down time to enjoy a good book (or two, or three, or four). Thanks to my sweet daughter, Becky, I’m currently enjoying Rafia Zakaria’s The Upstairs Wife, an intimate history of Pakistan. This “lyrical, richly detailed” memoir speaks to my soul. Especially the part of my soul that understands the struggles of 20th century women (no matter from what country) and the ways we all coped and are still coping with social inequalities, injustice, and mistreatment. I LOVE the author’s command of the language and her sweet, story-telling…
WHAT I’M READING … “Wrapped in Rain”
Book Review of Wrapped in Rain Charles Martin never fails to satisfy my hunger for Southern fiction. I just finished Wrapped in Rain (Thomas Nelson, 2005). It’s a heart-wrenching-warming saga of two half-brothers who battle the demons of a highly dysfunctional and abusive childhood. Standing beside them is an equally abused, but spiritually fierce caregiver who never stops believing in the power of love and prayer. Martin tackles some very tough topics: mental illness, alcoholism, infidelity, brutality, and deceit. But somehow he manages to coddle them in a warm blanket of hope. You will be rooting for Tucker, Mutt, and…
Resurrection Day in Russia!
EASTER IN RUSSIA! The time has come again to stuff my suitcases and prepare my heart (and my nerves) for another trek to the other side of the globe. If you are wondering, this is my 17th adventure to Russia. I’m so grateful I still have the health, energy, and funds to “GO.” As the official ministry of CrossRoads Samara has closed, my time there will take on a slightly different flavor. Although I will miss the larger gatherings sponsored by the CrossRoads office, I will have more freedom to respond to invitations from churches, rehabilitation centers, Bible groups, and…
