Missions is Relationships: The Gregory and Luba Lisitsyn family, Seltso, Russia

Many people think of "missions" as a project, a task, or an event. Over the years I have come to know missions as a relationship. Sure, I've done plenty of tasks and events in our 12 years in Russia, but it is the relationships built that ultimately carry out God's work in a lasting way. When the notebooks and materials from the classes you've taught have long since been used as scrap paper and the details forgotten; when the paint you used to cover the buildings on that mission trip have faded; when the tent you raised up for that evangelistic crusade is now tattered and worn out; it is the relationship that you might have built that lives on and is meaningful.
Monday evening Patty and I went to the small town of Seltso to have dinner with and visit with the Lisitsyn family. Now this family is our original door into Russia 12 years ago. It was Gregory's brothers who live in the states that asked to come work with him in hosting childrens camps. Gregory and his wife are in the flower business for a living. Currently he is the lead pastor in his Baptist Church in the town of Selto. They have 7 children, 4 grandkids (plus 1 on the way), 1 daughter in law and 2 sons in laws. They are also one of the most unusual households you would ever know. It is loud and alive. There is not a quiet member in that whole family! Loudness and laughter ring through the window and into the streets. Maybe that's why I always feel so at home here.
The dinner occassion Monday was the 1 year wedding anniversary of their son Andrey and his bride Genia. They made sushi of all things. It felt kind of strange eating dinner in a small town Russian home having really good homemade sushi with chopsticks. It brought out the modern reality that it is food that often connects cultures of the world. But we had a party. Their daughter Luba is really the only effective translator that connects Patty and I to the other 11 in attendance (the other 5 family members could not make it). Often everyone would talk at once and no one wanted to wait for translation from young Luba. At the same time young Luba who has 2 lively kids of her own, was trying to deal with her kid's request, her loud and talkative fathers request to speak to Patty or I, and the rest of the families stories for everyone. Her head was spinning. Mama Luba (as we call the mom of the house) and Patty were sitting together (they are very heartfelt dear friends) and both of them were yelling out, in english now less, "translate," when they had a funny story they wanted everyone to hear. Patty and I know enough Russian to follow some things, and some of the Lisitsyn's know a little english so they would follow small parts of our side. But in the end it made me realize that it just didn't matter, because the connecting language was family....and we were most definitely included in this family.
We have known this family and worked side by side with them for 12 years. We have hosted lots of camps with Gregory and Luba and all their children. We have preached and sang in their church many, many times. They have been in our home and spoken in our church as well. Gregory and I have had our disagreements and even extremely heated arguments about ministry issues, and honestly on one painful occassion a fiery dual. But we have also plowed the fields of work together for more than a decade. We actually now have relatives married to each other... Their nephew is married to our son in law's sister (if that makes any sense). So we often speak about how we really are family now... But the real family that we share comes from a joint love of Jesus Christ as the head of our homes. This is where we find lasting unity and become family members.
Gregory's church, the Seltso Baptist Church, will be hosting one of the children's camps in a couple of weeks. Gregory and Luba also are the directors of the campground Yolochka that we are working out of this summer. Pray for Seltso Church as they reach out to their needy city of 25,000 citizens. Pray for their son Illya as he enters the army this fall. Pray for their business. Pray that God would help this family continue to live out the love of Christ for their city and the world.
So how do you find family members that live on the other side of the globe from you? Its not language, food, a project, or a fun event. Its comes down to a shared Lord that you love and your readiness to lay it all down for Him....and time together in a shared journey with God.
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