Opposition

I am not a superstitious guy. I am also not a guy who is paranoid about demonic activity or who feels that followers of Jesus need to recite scripture as if it is a magical mantra that expels evil forces.... But I am a person who has seen opposition. I believe that opposition is from the enemy and I believe we are called to stand strong in the midst of it; not by our own strength and power but exactly by giving up on our own strength and power.
We have come to a place in our trip where we have faced opposition. Our car had some troubles, our car repair shop caused even more troubles, our baby wakes up through the night regular hourly intervals, and I have received a phone call today from a friend who is going through the shockwaves of being diagnosed with a serious cancer. Do these circumstances come directly from the enemy himself? Maybe, or maybe not; that question is above my paygrade-- BUT what does come from the enemy is the psychological baggage that follows these kinds of circumstances. It is human and normal to face questions like: Is this path of life worth it? Does God not understand and see my friend's suffering? BUT the temptation to follow these questions towards despair and mental death/passivity is a pill that is offered from the pits of hell.
My wife and I have stepped out from the ordinary to go... the ordinary is not evil or wrong necessarily, but it is not what we have been called out to do right now. So, one thing is for certain, when anyone steps out from the norm, when anyone sticks their head out from the crowd, that person is in serious danger of getting smacked with some stuff that for lack of a better word I will call "opposition". We are at a half-way point in our trip. We are pushing forward and we are not giving up. We appreciate your prayers and have appreciated hearing stories from many of you already concerning your experience in facing opposition and having pushed through to the other side.

In Texas Again

Texas is its own animal. As soon as you drive in from New Mexico the road becomes pretty and smooth and there is grass in the fields instead of just rocks. Well, one of the big stretches of driving is now finished, Cali to Texas in two days by myself. I found the ride to be exhausting, but not boring. There is so much to see on the freeways! I also learned to do some motivational talking to myself; Don't worry I did not answer my own questions or anything.
I have already seen two sets of Grandparents, my little nephew Tommy, and my parents. Its turning out to be a good trip. We are now in Lubbock, TX until next Friday or so. Look us up and we will come by for a visit.
I am experiencing a little bit of culture shock already as life in Texas is so slow-paced compared to LA. Perhaps this is God's way of prepping us for a big culture change when we finally do get to St. Petersburg. I think it will be hard for me of course, but it will be interesting to see how Anya experiences reverse culture shock in Russia after having lived in the States for 5 years. Changes, changes, changes... Wow! Well, this is one of those moments where I am reminded that our faith is an ancient one, our God an unchanging God, and the only constant we have to hold on to is the love of the Creator as shown through his Son. The same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.

Going to the Harbor

We are on our way! That's right. Chris and Anya Gandy have found a missions organization that we love! It is called "The Harbor" and it falls under a parent ministry called CRM. Check out The Harbor's website at: theharborspb.org. Little Nina can't wait to get to Russia, I can tell. She is already learning Russian since Anya only speaks Russian to the baby.
Well, many have asked us questions about our journey to Russia and I will take a little time here to answer those questions:
Where are we going?
To St. Petersburg, Russia to serve with The Harbor, a ministry that provides transitional housing and life-skills training for older orphans who have nowhere else to turn.
When are we going?
We plan to be fully funded and ready to go to Russia by September 1, 2010.
How long are we going for?
We feel strongly that God has called us to live our lives as career missionaries in Russia who serve cross-culturally long term.
How can someone help us in this journey?
We need teams of people to partner with!
1) A team of prayer warriors covering us with their intercession
2) A team of friends blessing us in practical ways throughout our journey (rides to the airport, places to stay from time to time)
3) A financial support network giving consisten monthly monetary donations to fund this ministry
4) friends and family referring us to groups and individuals that might be interested in giving to this ministry
How much should I give?
How do I give?
The ministry we have joined allows online donations, simply click here and choose your giving preferences.
What else can I do to help?
Pray, pray, pray! We have a long journey ahead of us. We will be traveling around visiting supporters and packing to get ready. Pass the word on to those you think may be interested! Let me know via e-mail if you are interested in an info-packet or if you have more questions; e-mail Chris at: chris.gandy@crmleaders.org
Russia, here we come!

Life Goes on in Southern Cali

Hello all,
This is one of those updates that my wife and I send every once in a while to let you all know that we are alive and kicking, that life is still good and God is still faithful. We have appreciated all of you and your support and friendship that you have shown us at different points in our lives and so we thought we would just let you know where we are at.
Anya and I are still working at the US Center for World Mission. We work in the publishing department of this interesting and famous ministry. We help publish books on a variety of topics (New Testament textual criticism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Theological Education by Extension, The History of Christian Missions, etc...). We also help develop, publish, distribute, and promote curriculum used in a variety of University programs. Anya also helps alot with an academic journal (the IJFM, www.ijfm.org) that comes out quarterly.
This past year has been a doozy. It started out rough as I was pushing through the last few months of Seminary. I finished and graduated with a Masters of Arts in Theology, Praise the Lord! Now, I am just a regular citizen I guess. It has been odd not going to school, seeing as I went to school for about 90% of my life up until now. My parents and grandparents were able to attend my graduation and it was good to see them. Since graduation I have been recuperating from life in the fast lane (school and work proved to be an exhausting combo for me). I think I am just about reintegrated into life and society, thanks to the patient and loving help my wife has shown me. We are enjoying life and love living in our community house.
For those who didn't realize, my wife and I have lived in large intentional community house (a place where 10-11 young adults commit to living together and sharing responsibilities for cooking and cleaning). Our house is focused on Christian missions and has many residents who have grown up all around the world. We have learned quite a lot from our housemates and are grateful to have been given this opportunity to live in what we call the "Haggai House" (after the biblical book of Haggai).
This October my brother had quite a nasty motorcycle accident. Dalton flew off of his bike and banged his head against a wooden post on the side of the road. Thankfully his helmet absorbed some of the shock and my brother is still alive. However, he has numerous broken bones and has to wear a brace while his spine is trying to heal up. Please pray for Dalton and his family in this difficult time. My parents have been gracious and have opened up their home to Dalton, his wife, and his two precious babies.
On top of Dalton's motorcycle accident, he has been diagnosed with a rare heart disorder. My mom also has been having heart troubles and so my family is very much in need of your prayers right now.
So, this has been our life for the past year. Often we are asked "Weren't you going to Russia sometime?"; or as some people like to ask "Why don't you leave already?"... Well, we are certainly praying and waiting on God to see when we might return to the motherland. Currently we are in discussion with 2 or 3 mission groups in Russia which are all doing great things there. We are hoping to go there sooner rather than later, but we are waiting on God and going one step at a time. My focus lately has been trying to pick up some more of the Russian language.
Please let us know how you and yours are doing. We hope you are well and that these holidays have been a time of rest and centering your life on Jesus Christ, who is our hope and Savior. Feel free to ask more questions about what we are up to. We love to chat, so keep in touch!
Chris and Anya Gandy

Что нового? (Июнь 2008 г.)

Здравствуйте, друзья!
Многие из вас давно от нас ничего не слышали. Как, наверное, и у всех, жизнь у нас была в последний год полная дел и событий. Крис учился в семинарии и работал (и по-прежнему работает) в Международном Университете им. Уильяма Кери, вместе с Аней. Все предметы были интересные, и работа тоже. Мы -- отдел публикаций и разработке учебных материалов при нашем университете. Университет выпускает различные публикации и обучающие материалы для подготовке работников в области международного развития (международные благотворительные организации и пр.) Для нас это замечательная возможность многому учиться.
Хотя семинария была во многих отношениях положительным опытом для Криса, под конец последней четверти он должен был признаться себе, что достиг точки полного перегорания. Аня помогла определить диагноз по характерным симптомам -- постоянная усталость, плохое настроение и вообще отсутсвие радости жизни. Так что Крис приложил свои усилия, с помощью понимающих друзей и их молитв, с блеском закончить четверть в середине марта, и теперь является достойным и почти уже официальным выпускником Богословской Фуллеровской семинарии. Официальное вручение диплома Магистра исскуств в области богословия произойдет 14 июня, в присутствии родных, друзей и остальной тысячи-полутора выпускников.
У многих из вас уже возник вопрос, что же дальше. Для начала мы планируем хорошенько отдохнуть и отдышаться год-полтора здесь в Пасадене. Будем работать на полную ставку, наслаждаться чудесным калифорнийским климатом и обществом замечательных людей, с которыми здесь подружились. Кстати, необходимо упомянуть, что где-то год назад мы переселились в христианский дом-"общежитие", в качестве менеджеров-"родителей." (Не волнуйтесь, у нас своя отдельная квартира в этом доме -- нам не приходится ночевать в отдельных комнатах!) В основном все наши соседи (6-8 человек) -- незамужняя-неженатая молодежь, либо дети миссионеров, либо планирующие стать миссионерами или заниматься каким-либо служением или работать в социальной сфере.
У нас все хорошо, мы ждем, куда дальше позовет нас Господь. Года через полтора, мы так думаем, настанет время всерьез заняться международным служением -- скорее всего, в России. Мы будем рады получить от вас весточку. Да благословит вас Господь во всей вашей деятельности, и даст вам радоваться жизни во всей ее полноте сегодня и сейчас. Ведь Господни благословения в настоящем многого стоят -- так стоит ли нам беспокоиться о завтрашнем дне?

Moving on... and taking a break

Hello everyone,
Many of you have not heard from Anya and I in a long time. Like everyone else we have been pretty busy. Life has been quite a ride. I have been attending seminary and working hard at William Carey International University. My classes were good and work has been a great experience. I work with my wife as a manager of University publications and curriculum development. Our University publishes books and curriculum in use for training workers in the field of International Development (think World Vision, or groups like that). So, we have enjoyed this learning experience greatly.
While seminary was great in many ways, I (Chris) have to be honest in that I reached a real point of burn out. Anya was a great help in diagnosing me (I was constantly sulky, tired and an overall pain to live with). So, I pushed through my final quarter, with the help of good listening friends and the prayers of many of you. AND, I am proud to announce that I have finished Fuller Theological Seminary as of Mid-March. I will walk the stage June 14th to receive a Masters of Arts in Theology.
So, what's next many of you are wondering. For Anya and I we are looking forward to a good year and a half of rest. We plan on working full time, enjoying the California sun, and really investing in the relationships we have made here in Pasadena. I need to mention that somewhere along the way Anya and I moved into a leadership role as the managers of a Christian community house. The house is called the "Haggai House" and it is part of a large missionary community here in town.
We are doing good and looking forward to where God will take us. In a year and a half or so we plan on being in a position to go into full time service overseas, most likely in Russia. I hope to hear from many of you and to share with you more. May you all grow in the Lord and enjoy the life you have been given. I have certainly learned that much in the midst of my work and school, that God's blessings of the present are worth a great deal- so why should we worry too much about what is to come?

Back in the States... for now

Hello, one and all.
The pictures are of the great city of Nizhniy Novgorod. Anya's hometown, and our home for the month of January. It was month packed full of fun, friends, family, and our future plans. It was good to be in Russia. We have been back now for almost two months and yes, it has taken that long to get settled in. We have moved to a new apartment. We are finishing up with a major project at work, and I have just finished another quarter of studies in seminary. So, life is full, tiring, and wonderful.
To start where I left off in my last correspondence, we met with a number of different missionaries, russian seminary students, and expatriate student christian leaders. We have learned a lot about ministry and life in Russia, and I don't know that we can ever fully process all that we have heard and seen. A few things that we did hear on a recurring basis: The evangelical church in Russia is in a "survival" mode. Evangelical Protestant Christians in Russia are represented in very small numbers and their churches have largely moved into a guarded position; uncomfortable in ministering to the culture surrounding them and resigned to catering only to the immediate needs of their small congregations. We heard of some exceptions, but very few. We also heard over and over again, that the primary problem facing evangelicals in Russia is the enormous gap between faith in Jesus Christ and the circumstances of every day life. Therefore, while the situation is complex, we have begun to think that an effective missionary in Russia should be involved in assisting the Russian Evangelical Church begin to minister to the "outside" culture and begin to demonstrate that life is in Christ, all of it (not just the Sunday stuff).
So we are very excited to pray about and inquire with a ministry that we have begun to communicate with called City Gate. City Gate is a type of Christian retreat center and Publishing House that is focused on long term solutions to the problems facing Eastern European Churches. Please pray with us and keep in contact as we plan ahead on perhaps entering into an internship with City Gate at some point in the next year or so. Please ask any questions that you may have and we would be glad to tell you more! So, I suppose that is it for now.. I will list just a few other news items below that might be of interest:
> My brothers are both starting out their families (Dalton is having his first baby soon and Davlin is on his second! Neat stuff).
> Anya is learning how to drive and will be taking her Drivers test within a month.
> We are able to walk to work now and everyday there is a really friendly black labrador who greets us on our way to the office; Ahhh, how cute.

What a Trip!

We apologize for not keeping in touch more often these last couple of weeks. Things have been pretty hectic! We knew beforehand that the first couple of weeks in Russia would be full of holiday celebrations and visiting friends and family. I wrote about that experience already. Now the last two weeks have been very different. Two weeks ago we helped Mike and Karen McDonald, Foursquare Missionaries who coordinate new church plants, present a ministry outreach concert in a nearby town. So for five or 6 days we assisted a team from a Los Angeles Foursquare Native American Church as they presented their culture and the Gospel in a variety of different venues. Anya was the real trooper! She translated and M.C.'d for a seminar, concerts, disscussion groups etc..., sometimes for over 4 straight hours! I basically took pictures and watched. Overall, the team was received very well and we hope that the event will have sparked enough interest to keep a small weekly bible study group going in the village where the concerts were held.
The other major event that has occurred was the loss of our apartment in Pasadena. Anya and I received an e-mail a couple of weeks ago that informed us that our apartment building had suffered a fire (7 days back from the e-mail!) and that all of our belongings would need to be cleared out of the building by the next day for the city had condemned the site. Well, needless to say this seemed to be a near impossible task seeing as how Anya and I are currently on the other side of the Atlantic. However, after a day full of frantic phone calls we received an overwhelming response of gracious help from our work and church community. So, we would like to say thanks to Jason Kerner for assisting us by coordinating all of the clean up efforts for our apartment. Thanks to Westside Christian Fellowship for providing a moving company to remove everything from our apartment and safely store it. Thanks to Karen Watney for ensuring that my wife and I have a temporary place to stay when we return to the States. And, thanks to Delisa Harris for making sure that our car was moved to a safe place. Finally, thanks to all of our family and friends who prayed for us in this difficult time. God has provided for us and we are very thankful.
Well, there is much more to write! Anya and I traveled to St. Petersburg to visit with various organizations that we might like to partner in ministry with. However, we are still processing through all of the wonderful visits we have had with various ministries and friends. We will write again, but until then God bless and take care,
Chris and Anya Gandy

Russian New Years!

Hello universe,
Well I am not sure that everyone in the universe reads our blog, but almost I'm sure. By the way, if you are one of the lucky people who has happened upon our blog try posting a comment. Let us know what you think.
Anya and I arrived in Russia Thursday December 28th 2006. We got to Anya's parents home in Nizhny Novgorod on Friday December 29th. Since arriving we have been partying non-stop! New Years in Russia is a big deal. Its kind of like Christmas, New Years Eve, the State of the Union Address and the Fourth of July wrapped up in one. Thats the best that I know how to describe it.
So, we have arrived safely and I think that we are just about recuperated from all of the partying and visiting of friends and family. I am starting up in my courses at Fuller. I am taking a full load of distance courses this quarter. It is a bit of an experiment trying to do school from Russia, but I think I will manage. We appreciate all of your prayers and support. May God bless you and keep you...

almost there...

Hello everyone,
I am starting to like the idea of posting my random thoughts online, so if you happen to run by our blog then welcome to my brain.
I (Chris) have been thinking about quite alot lately. I finished my finals at Fuller Seminary last week and am now enjoying life as a free man (until next quarter anyways). Anya and I are getting more and more excited about going to Russia. However, we certainly need your prayers at this time since neither of us currently have our passports. Mine is in Washington, D.C. receiving a Russian Visa so that I can enter the country. Anya's is in San Francisco getting some sort of special stamp that will alert the authorities that I am Anya's husband and that some of her documents contain this funky name "Gandy".
Well, anyways, we hope that everyone enjoys their Christmas. Party hard on New Years. And while you are at it, post some comments on our blog.

Fall 2006

We have worked hard at filing all the proper documents and arranging everything so that Anya's move to America might go smoothly. The hard work paid off because Anya has just received her Green Card as of last month. This means that Anya is able to work, get a driver's license, travel out of the country (and return to America), and she will be able to apply for US citizenship in 3 years.

God has truly taken care of us. There have been some uncomfortable times, but in the end this has been an exhilarating and wonderful year. Just when we would wonder how to pay for graduate school, the Lord would bring about some kind of financial blessing. When we were lost as to how to stay afloat and pay the rent, God provided both my wife and I with a job at the US Center for World Mission. We are doing well and we want to thank the many of you who were praying for us and supporting us in so many ways.

Working at a missions organization has been like a dream come true for Anya and me! We work in the Curriculum Production department for a distance education university that the US Center for World Mission administers. The experience of working in a missions environment developing resources for missionaries currently on the field has been priceless.
Every day God has opened our eyes to the possibilities and the needs that exist in the missions community. There is no doubt in our minds that God is calling us to serve as missionaries in Russia. We will be in California for the next several years as I finish with seminary, but we are inquiring into different ministries in Russia and doing our part to prepare for life overseas.

Russia Trip 2007
Even now the doors have opened for us to travel to Russia in January! This will be a wonderful time for us, especially since Anya will not have seen her family for over a year by the time we go. We will be traveling to Anya's home city of Nizhny Novgorod and will then make a trip to St. Petersburg and will be developing contacts for future ministry in Russia. Here is a run-down of all that we have planned for our trip:
• Celebrating New Years (Russian style) with Family and Friends!
• Visiting Anya's home church and the InterVarsity group she worked with.

Conversing with ministry leaders in order to explore future ministry opportunities; ministries such as:
- Church Resource Ministries
- Youth With a Mission
- SEN research group
- Foursquare Missions International
Please pray with us, as this will be an intense trip where Anya and I will be exploring how we might be a part of what the Holy Spirit of God is already doing amongst the Russian people. Also, we are dependent on the monetary support of friends and family. Our trip will cost $4,000, so any financial gift is greatly appreciated. We appreciate the prayer and support that we have already received from so many of you.

ВАЖНАЯ ГОДОВЩИНА

ОДНО ИЗ НАШИХ ВИРТУАЛЬНЫХ СВИДАНИЙ В ЯПОНСКОМ РЕСТОРАНЕ
Сегодня, 7 марта, ровно год с того дня, когда в нашем очередном телефонном разговоре Оклахома-Нижний Новгород, посвященном 4 месяцам знакомства, Крис лишил меня дара речи на пару минут вопросом: "А не стоит ли нам пожениться?" Согласитесь, событие незаурядное, тем более накануне Международного (!!) Женского дня.

Фотографии нашей свадьбы

Всем привет!

Разобравшись наконец в современных интернет-фото-технологиях, мы можем показать вам фотографии нашей свадьбы. Чтобы просмотреть наш альбом ( и даже, по-моему, скачать несколько фотографий), вам нужно пойти вот сюда:

http://community.webshots.com/album/548155707uFCnCk

и нажать View Photos.

Аня и Крис

Wedding Photos -- finally!

Hello All,

we are finally able to share the pictures of our wedding with you. Look up this link -

http://community.webshots.com/album/548155707uFCnCk

- and enjoy!

Chris and Anya

путешествия, свадьба и прочее

Привет, дорогие мои друзья! Ну вот, после долгих недель странствий --
Нижний - Пасадена - Сан-Антонио - Плейнвью -- Амарилло -- Сан-Диего --
Пасадена -- мы наконец вернулись домой, в свою белостенную американскую
квартиру с камином (который, правда, не работает, но это ничего, мы
что-нибудь придумаем), которая привыкает к нашему новому статусу -- муж и
жена. Да, точно говорят -- в гостях хорошо, а дома лучше. Путешествия и
свадьба, а потом и свадебное путешествие - это, безусловно, замечательно;
но требует много энергии, как оказалось :) Так что сейчас сижу, жую свой
американский сэндвич с арахисовым маслом и джемом, восстанавливаю силы. Но
как же все было?
После недели в Калифорнии я полетела в Сан-Антонио к родителям Криса. Они
потом смеялись -- Вот, мол, смелая женщина, поехать без жениха знакомиться
с его родителями. Но было совсем не страшно так как я знала, что они очень
хорошие люди. Так и оказалось. Папа Кевин встретил меня в аэропорту, мама
Керри встретила дома, а с сестрой Криса Мэтисон я познакомилась на
следующий день в том же аэропорту, когда она прилетела домой из Африки
(миссионерская поездка), за полчаса до того, как прилетели моя мама и Люда
Жигалова. Они (мама и Люда) такие молодцы, замечательные путешественники,
нигде не теряются и вовсю используют свои языковые навыки. Ну вот, с того
дня (за неделю до свадьбы) закрутился вихрь приготовлений. Надо сказать,
что Крис -- такой молодец, позаботился практически обо всем для свадьбы. У
него очень милая сестра (ей 18, в этом году заканчивает школу), веселая
мама и добрый отец. А еще -- две прикольные собаки. Один пес -- пудель по
имени Скутер, очень старый (тетя Аня, вспоминала я вас с Нардиком), а
другая -- Сахарок, маленький и шустрый терьер с пронзительным голосом. Они
нас развлекали.
Там, в Керрвилле, мы с мамой и Людой жили в гостинице -- это был подарок от
приятеля папы Кевина. Так как и мама, и Люда первый раз были в Америке,
хотелось показать им все, что можно было успеть за эти несколько дней. Так
что походили по магазинам, посмотрели на оленей, которые там запросто
расхаживают по улицам, а в парке и вовсе живут; попробовали мексиканскую
кухню (всем понравилось), а потом и китайскую (мм! люблю!)И так вот6 день
за днем, приблизилась среда, когда ночью прилетел Крис, а потом и четверг,
когда мы всем семейным караваном отправились через весь штат в Западный
Техас, городок Плейнвью, место свадьбы. По дороге остановились у дедушки с
бабушкой Криса, у которых -- сюрприз сюрприз! -- были Синди и Уолли Такеры
(это бывший пастор Виноградника, еще до Вульфов, мои крестные родители и
добрые друзья). Они прилетели в тот же день, и дедушка встретил их в
аэропорту. Я была очень рада их видеть.
Ну вот. В Плейнвью время пролетело очень быстро -- предсвадебные хлопоты,
цветы, смокинги, визит в салон красоты, получить лицензию на заключение
брака, отгладить платье в химчистке. знакомство с пастором, который нас
венчал -- а вечером -- обязательная репетиция свадьбы с праздничным ужином
после. А о подробностях того, что было после этого, скажу только девочкам в
приватной переписке :) Ограничусь тем, что это был традиционный девичник с
подарками для невесты. Замечательные подарки. А еще меня заставили играть в
игру "НАсколько хорошо ты знаешь своего мужчину" -- нужно было отвечать на
коварные вопросы про Криса, а за неправильный ответ получать жвачку в рот.
Вопросы действительно были коварные, но ничего, потом сказали, что я
молодец. Маме американский девичник очень понравился. Правда, вернулись мы
домой к себе в номер очень поздно, уставшие и сонные. Но это можно считать
свадебной традицией -- кто много спит и отдыхает накануне своей свадьбы?
И вот, после нескольких часов сна, наступил День. Я волновалась, но не
очень сильно. Нас с Крисом очень поддержали слова пастора Уолли, который
проводил венчание. Он сказал нам накануне вечером: "Не волнуйтесь, на
свадьбах всегда что-нибудь идет не так, как было задумано. Но все эти
детали -- не главное. Главное -- то, что происходит между вами, а все
остальное мелочи. так что расслабьтесь и наслаждайтесь моментом!" И другие
люди говорили нам то же самое, и это напоминание правда помогло, потому что
действительно, голова забита массой мелочей, о которых нужно позаботиться
-- прическа, макияж6 цветы; а вдруг платье будет цепляться за ковер в
церкви, и я на него наступлю в самый решающиЙ момент?! -- и так далее.
Новсе это -- действительно мелочи. Сломался гребешок в фате, когда делали
прическу? Ничего страшного, суперклей всегда под рукой! Декораторы забыли
привезсти венчальную арку? Я этого даже не заметила! А еще нам очень все
помогали. Это церковь, в которую Крис ходил, когда учился в старших классах
школы, и там у всей семьи хорошие друзья. Все нам помогали -- и друзья, и
родственники. Девочка, которая разбрасывала цветы -- двоюродная сестра
Криса, такая уморная! Ей 5, и она -- сама непосредственность. Всех
развлекала на церемонии. Что сказать про само венчание? Мама с Люсей мне
очень помогли, и Мэтисон тоже, она была подружкой невесты. Помню минуты
ожидания в комнате невесты, когда все готово, церемония началась, и мы
сидим, ждем, когда координатор нас позовет. Волнительно конечно, но больше
запомнилось ощущение счастья -- вот, пришел момент, когда долгожданное
наконец сбудется. А потом -- момент открывания дверей, Уолли Такер ведет
меня к алтарю, все присутствующие встают, и Крис на сцене, такой
торжественный, в смокинге, и смотрит на меня так счастливо. Все улыбаются;
кто-то плачет; прохожу мимо мамы, обмениваемся взглядами, вижу, что она
счастлива. Поднимаюсь на сцену, отдаю цветы Мэтисон, и начинается
венчание... Керри потом сказала, что они с подругой и сестрой плакали всю
дорогу. Пастор сказал нам очень хорошие слова; помню лицо Криса, такое
родное, чуть-чуть другое, над смокингом и бабочкой; помню, как не хотела
зажигаться свеча, но Крис проявил находчивость; помню, как пели Сергей
Поликин с Олей Лукмановой о "чертогах брачных", когда мы с Крисом принимали
причастие и молились друг за друга (спасибо, родные!!!) А потом -- пастор
объявляет нас мужем и женой, и представляет всем присутствующим как мистера
и миссис Кристофер Гэнди! Все аплодируют, и под звуки Мендельсона мы с
Крисом выбегаем из зала и принимаем поздравления. Ну, а потом --
фотографии, свадебный торт, еще поздравления, бросок свадебного букета и
бутоньерки Криса, разворачивание подарков, прощание со всеми, переодевание
-- и проводы молодых в свадебное путешествие! Вот и все. Очень быстро, часа
два с половиной. Мама говорила, когда помогала мне снимать платье -- "Такая
красота, а поносила его всего ничего!"
Но вот, мы повенчаны, вдруг вокруг никого, кроме нас двоих -- странное
ощущение! Но ничего, мы быстро привыкли, и все было просто чудесно (Оля Л.,
спасибо за стих, мы оценили! :)) На следующий день мы прилетели в Сан-Диего
-- чудесный край со средиземноморским климатом, где лето круглый год,
океан, залив, пляжи, чудесные морепродукты, Парк морских животных (мы его
посетили!!), знаменитый зоопарк (в другой раз...), и много пальм. Жили в
гостинице в центре города, так что можно было ходить пешком везде. Здорово
было не иметь расписания и плана, а просто делать то, что хочется. Было
очень приятно просто погулять по пляжу с любимым мужем, посмотреть на птиц
и серфингистов (купаться уже довольно холодно, но серфинг в самом разгаре).
Были мы там недолго, три с половиной дня, но оба почувствовали, что
отдохнули. А затем вернулись в родную Пасадену, и правда, было ощущение,
что возвращаемся домой. Здесь отпраздновали День Благодарения (решили, что
индейка -- слишком много для двоих, и ели ветчину), и потихоньку начинаем
привыкать к семейной жизни. У Криса сейчас -- напряженное время. Через
полторы недели заканчивается семестр в семинарии, так что грядут всяческие
тесты. Нужно много заниматься, и еще работа, и еще жена. Вспомните его,
пожалуйста, в молитвах. Я занимаюсь домом, потихоньку разбираю вещи,
расставляю по местам, скоро займемся рождественскими украшениями (наверное,
будем одними из последних, так как Америка уже вовсю празднует Рождество).
Сегодня ходили в церковь , где Крис бывал несколько раз. Ничего, очень
приветливые люди. Мне подарили шоколадку, потому что я была у них в первый
раз. Вот. Крис работает после обеда по воскресеньям, так что сейчас жду его
с работы, и, как верная жена, пойду готовить ужин. Пишите, родные!
Ваша Аня Гэнди

первая попытка

Ура! Работает! Друзья, вам страшно повезло, что у меня такие умные и продвинутые друзья, как Майкл и Карен (они же -- Катя и Миша). Они мне показали, как создать свой собственный "блог". Спасибо вам, Миша с Катей!

First try

So wow, this really works!! Well, friends, lucky you are that I have such smart and technologically advanced friends as Karen and Michael (aka Katya i Misha) who showed me how to create my very own blog. Spasibo, Misha i Katya!