CIS Prayer: Wednesday's Update

[CarlaSun@aol.com]

Dear Prayer Partners,

Today was one of those very interesting "Russian" experiences.   I want to thank you all so very, very much for your prayers.   I definitely felt God's presence and help today, even when things didn't go as I would have liked.

Chuck, Misha and I arrived at the Police Department at around 4:10PM, awaiting our 4:30PM appointment.   First we had to go through a little guard hut to be allowed onto the territory.   There was a man there checking passports and seeing where we were going.   He didn't like the fact that Chuck and I had US passports and he wanted to know if we had brought official translations with us.   We suggested he read our visas but he didn't seem interested.   Finally, he just handed our documents back and told us to go on. 

We walked to this newly built Russian building, and climbed to the fourth floor, because there is no elevator.   We were to find room number 409.   The building could have been a Medical Clinic.   So many of the buildings look just the same, with bad linoleum on the floor, poor lighting and a decor from 1948.   We looked down the hall on the fourth floor and there were at least 40 standing and sitting in the hallway.   This was not an encouragement.   At least 95% of the people there were men in leather jackets, talking on their cell phones.   It was a collection of the epitome of 'Russian Macho Men' and I had invaded their territory.   As policemen (all male) made their way up and down the hall, they would all stare at me.   Misha made his way to the door to discover who was last in line so that we could figure out who we would follow.

A seat opened on a long bench and I sat down.   Knowing I could be there a long time I had brought a book with me to read.   Out of my blue shopping bag I pulled the book, "The Cost of Discipleship" by Deitrich Bonhoeffer and began to read.   My heart was pounding as I tried to concentrate on my book.   Groups of people were taken into the rooms lining the hall.   You could hear people yelling as they were arguing their cases.   We could understand a word here and there about the BMW did this...or he did that.   Chuck commented that we probably had made a mistake by not bringing some kind of 'gift' for the policemen.   At that moment we saw a guy walking out with a personal copier.   Wow -- we thought that was an awesome 'gift.'   (Actually -- we don't know what he was doing with the copier)   We hadn't even brought Vodka or cigars, only books in English on Discipleship.   Chuck finally got a seat and began reading "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection."   

Well, 4:30 came and went and we were still way back in line.   I began to wonder how long we'd be there.   The line behind us grew.   One group of people was in the room for over 40 minutes.   I sat there wondering what was going to happen to me.   Finally, around 6PM it was our turn to enter the room.   We stepped in and the policeman looked at us and said "times up."   We asked what he meant.   He said that time was up for today and they would not be taking any more cases.   We were to return tomorrow at 6AM.   Unfortunately, I have a plane ticket for tomorrow at 7AM to go to India.   I had brought a copy of my reservation to show them, in case something like this might happen.   The policeman told Misha he had to leave the room and leave me in there with two policeman and the man that hit my car.   He asked me if I agreed that I was guilty.   I said "of course not" -- he said that would be a big problem if I didn't agree that I was guilty.   The other policeman across the desk looked up and said "Oh, you're the one with the accident on Old Balaklavsky Road."   I wondered how I'd become so famous at the police department.   The point is, they had all decided in advance that I was guilty.   They outlined what all I'd have to do to try to fight their decision.   They did say I could come on April 9 after returning from India but I would need to have a lawyer, witnesses, photos, etc. (They also made it pretty clear to me that they were determined I was guilty.)   I didn't know what to do.   They said if I would just be willing to be guilty it would be easy.   However, if you know me, I hate injustice.   I walked out of the room with the man who had hit me.

We gathered out in the hall with Chuck and Misha and discussed what we ought to do.   We walked down to the stairwell and chatted with the man who had hit me.   His name is Turen.   We decided to see what he would want from us in this situation.   He and Misha began discussing the parts of his car that may have been damaged.   It's always good to have Misha around because he knows what he's talking about.   Finally Turen said that if we gave him $300 he would just forget about the whole thing.   Something inside me didn't like this but I was beginning to wonder if there was any other hope.   Honestly, I had prayed that the Lord would give me peace and help me be kind to this man.   We told him that in America he would definitely be at fault but we said we realize that we're in Russia and we would see what the police would say if we told them we just decided to resolve it ourselves.   

Misha went back to the policemen who were cleaning up their desks for the day and arguing about some other case.   Finally he broke in and asked them what happens if we just decide the problem ourselves.   They said nothing would happen-- the case is closed.   No one is declared officially guilty and after two months the whole thing is just cleared from the books.   We never have to return to them.   We decided this sounded like the best option.

We went back out to our place in the stairwell with a piece of blank paper we got from the police.   We wrote out an agreement, using my book, "The Cost of Discipleship" as a firm surface on which to write.    Turen signed the agreement and we all shook hands.   Then, I felt the Lord pushing me to continue talking to Turen.   I really felt that there must be a positive reason for all of this and that we met this man.   We discovered that he lives right near the church and he had noticed that we must work in the area because he had seen our car parked at the church.   We told him about our Compassionate Ministry work, and invited him to come and visit us sometime.   He said he was sorry about the whole thing.   We did too and we parted.

I ask you to please continue to pray for Turen and his family.   May God use this experience to bring he and his family to Him!

Thanks for praying.   I really felt God's comfort and peace.

Carla