The Rest of the Story....

My good friend Len S. will be visiting us in January, coming all the way from snowy and cold Moscow to snowy and cold Kelowna...go figure!

Anyway, Len is the head of the International School of Tomorrow in Russia and is a dear brother of mine. I'm writing this to set the story straight on an event that Len has spoken publicly on, but needs another perspective so that the real truth can come out.

In July of 2003, I visited Russia with 2 of my children, Natalie and David. Our goal was to visit a number of villages that never get visitors from the west, delivering Bibles and offering a little hope to an area that hasn't changed much in 200 years.

Nat, Julie (Len's daughter) and David visit a friendly grandma who had a sad story to tell of the murder of her son


We delivered the Bibles and spent much time visiting with the villagers...one lady even wept that we would come "all that way just to visit her".

Our trip back to Volgograd would be eventful. The Volga area is much like the Prairies here in Canada. Summer storms can catch you unprepared, and since I was born and raised in the Okanagan, where such events are rare, we were taken by surprise.

It started to rain. And this was no ordinary rain...thunder and lightening also added to the experience. There were lightening strikes all around. We took a dirt road back, deciding to visit the site of our family's destroyed village...

Natalie & David at the site of the cemetery in our old village

What should have been a half hour drive to the next village, turned into a 6 hour ordeal....driving through fields, pushing the car, me going outside in front of the car to ensure there were no holes in the fields where we could get stuck...permanently. I was even almost hit by lightening at one point!

The kids were great, we all pitched in and helped push the car, braving the Russian mosquitoes and pouring rain. Did I mention not ALL of us?

While we struggled, pushed, heaved, and battled the elements, Len stayed perfectly dry and warm INSIDE his car.

Yes, INSIDE his car. Deciding that it would be best for us if he was safe and warm and rested, Len commandeered the car through the elements raging around us.

Now, I for one can attest to the goodnes of God in keeping us safe, even when I was running to direct the car to safe areas in the fields of Russia. He was even with us as we spent the night cramped in this Russian car, all 5 of us, deciding that the Russian mosquitoes were too much for us to chance staying outside.

In the morning, the rain had stopped, the ground had dried sufficiently to allow us to drive safely back to our Russian home.

Len has used our adventure many times in a devotional on God's providence. I too agree. But I just want it recorded that WE got wet while Len stayed dry. WE were eaten by Mosquitoes while Len cheerfully waved through the window. I was almost killed by lightening, while Len pointed to the areas he wanted me to "check" out for safety.

Nice and Dry Mr. Len?

This is, indeed, the rest of the story.

Gotcha Len!