Yes, it has been chilly here (-30F this morning … really quite normal for December in Siberia). But this title is also a description of 2 other recent frustrations…
Last Thursday there was an announcement outside out building that our cold and hot water as well as hot-water-radiator heat would be shut off for the majority of the day on Friday for "Capital repairs" (whatever that means – apparently they were doing a "retune" update on some pipes or something). I sighed and thought, "oh well, that's Russia for ya'" and began to make "preparations" (i.e. fill the bathtub with water).
On Friday, all was as they said it would be. And then I noticed Friday night on the announcement, someone wrote over the date in pencil, extending the date through Saturday as well. Saturday came and we thankfully had cold water and heat but still no hot water. Then Sunday came and the heat was turned off all day, and still no hot water. Today is Tuesday, and after my landlady spent 2 hours on the phone calling different government offices, she finally got someone to come and check out why we didn't have hot water. (She said they all responded, "That's not possible." I suggested she invite them over to take a bath and see for themselves.) PRAISE THE LORD, we got hot water back around 6pm tonight! I'm sure my classmates will be thankful that I will be bathing more frequently once again ;)
My landlady told me a joke (when I was complaining about them deciding to work on pipes in the winter time) that went something like this; There were 2 out fishing and one said to the other, "I think I'm going to dig a trench this summer." And the other man responded, "Throw away that idea! Nobody digs a trench in the SUMMER!"
The last "cold" would be referring to what I feel coming on right now as I type, breathing through one nostril and sucking on throat lozenges.
I would appreciate your prayers for my health and rest.
Praise God from Whom I receive grace for every moment. May we all grab hold of His grace and live in it!
