Action Packed Weekend

Ryan here....since we could not see Anna this weekend, we decided to pack in as much action as possible. Our facilitator and driver picked us up on Saturday to follow the route of the Amazing Race. Many of you may have watched recently when a leg of the TV show "The Amazing Race" came through Krasnoyarsk. On the show they had to stack logs by the river, build shutters, visit the huge dam and ride the "bobsled" run near the city. Our "handlers" (as we like to call them) were surprised that we knew of these places and, of course, had never heard of the show.



It was a beautiful drive up the river to the dam although it still has nothing on the Columbia River Gorge, in our backyard! Here are some pictures from where the ice is still formed even though it was 70 degrees today! No fish ladder on this dam so there are several fish markets where the "dead-ended" or turbine-chopped fish end up. Very nice to look at but we weren't too tempted to buy.





After visiting the dam we went to an amusement park / ski area that was recently built by the company who mines and manufacturers aluminum and nickel in the area. Amy and I were able to ride the ski lift to the top of the mountain and take some pictures looking back onto Krasnoyarsk. It was a gorgeous day at about 65 degrees and total sunshine. We then rode the bobsled ride down the mountain which has to be one of the best and longest in the world. The ride dragged us nearly 2 miles up the mountain and then we zigzagged our way down. Unfortunately, the picture does not do the ride justice but we got some great video of Amy screaming the whole way down that our boys will love!





Today (Sunday) we had the opportunity to visit a Russian Baptist Church on the outskirts of Krasnoyarsk. Through a contact of Peter Law (see previous post), we contacted the Pastor of the church, Yvgeny. He gave us the number of a woman who teaches english in the city and lives nearby our flat. We called her and organized to meet to take the bus to church. The cultural experience on the bus was complete as it was the day of the year when everybody visits the graves of their relatives. There is not an english word to describe how packed the bus was...did I mention it was hot today, too? We made it to the church and greatly enjoyed the service. It was a blessing to worship the Lord with these fellow believers on the other side of the world. The rest of the day was relaxing as we head into week two, the final stretch, until we can bring our daughter home.

I would be remiss if I did not take the opportunity to tell you how thankful I am for my partner in this journey (and in all of life). So many people have asked, "aren't you sick of each other, yet?" or "are you bored?" The answer is unequivocally no! We are really enjoying this time together and are making some long-lasting memories. We are even still speaking to one another! I am so blessed to have Amy and look forward to many more wonderful years together as a family of 5!



Til tomorrow....