It was a freezing winter night in Moscow, Russia as I walked outside the airport searching for a person, holding a sign with my name on it. I started to wonder if my impulsive decision to volunteer at an orphanage in Russia really was a good idea. Having lived in Arizona my whole life, I thought that “dressing for cold weather” meant putting on a long sleeve shirt and jeans, so walking outside the airport that night made me realize that I had a long winter ahead of me!

After a taxi ride, a train ride, and then a bus ride, I finally arrived at the home of the family I would be living with. Graciously they offered me a glass of their best vodka to “warm my body”. I turned it down. They insisted, explaining that they opened it just for me, and said they would be hurt if I didn’t accept. So with in 5 minutes of meeting these people I had to explain that I have never had a drink of alcohol and never would. They were shocked and assured me that they had never met an adult who didn’t drink, at least occasionally. Over the course of the next few weeks, I only became more and more of an anomaly to them. I didn’t smoke, ever. Yes, I was dating a guy, but after 7 months of dating we hadn’t slept together and wouldn’t unless we married. I went to church for 3 whole hours every Sunday, and actually enjoyed it! The list of ways that I was strange to them seemed to grow everyday.

But while they found me strange, they also started to gain a respect for me because of my convictions. They often would laugh and tease me about my beliefs, but would always stand up for me when other’s did so. Over the months that I lived with them, they got more and more curious about how I could be such a happy person despite living such “strict” standards. They often commented that there was something different about me.

Eventually I was able to share with them that it was because of my faith in Christ that I was so different than other people I knew. As our friendship grew deeper, I became more and more comfortable talking openly with them about my specific religion and beliefs. My favorite memories in Russia are the days that I would return home from a long day working at the orphanage and have the opportunity to share with the family about my faith. Right before I left for America, they finally agreed to have the missionaries over for dinner! It was such an amazing experience!