From Russia, But Naked

Ending up half-naked in another country is something that probably won’t leave my memory. Unlike most half naked stories, this one was for good reason, in my mind anyway. 

The train car was wobbling left and right, 13 hours straight! I had the bottom bunk and had the most difficult time adjusting to this swinging motion, back and forth. Closing my eyes helped to visualize the colorful St. Basil's Cathedral and the Red Square we visited. We had walked through a mausoleum, of sorts, a mummification of a past leader. Can you guess who it was?

On the train ride, I overheard a story told by a group of people.

The story went like this: 

A man,on a train, was reading though an old small Bible he had been given by his father who recently passed away. The man grew very bitter about the loss of his father. The man threw the Bible out of the train window which landed near the tracks of a small town. This town never had a bible introduced into the community. A group of children found the book and gave it to their parents. Fast forward a few years and the entire community converted to Christianity and built a church. Sharing this story had the group in awe. We each went back to our bunks and reflected on this story. After a restless sleep, we arrived. We stayed with a few different families each night of the trip, and visited a new church plant.

We listened to each family as they shared their conviction to be part of a spiritual movement. They spoke of a culture that overtime had died and become spiritually null. They shared their fear that years from now Christians will be the minority and churches will be left with no congregants. They shared this was the case already, and that they felt strong enough in their faith to grow a church.

Everything about the church service was simple. Folding chairs, storage of musical instruments, meeting in a room rented from a school. It was small, but the stories were complex, interwoven, and passionate. You could feel something was at work.This group was leaning on their higher power and not on themselves. They weren’t following success, but rather the message God put on their hearts.

“If you let success get to your head, failure will get to your heart” - Tim Keller

At that age, I quickly found the youth of the church. They were a bit older than I and wanted to help me tour their culture. I was invited, in their language, to a hangout for boys only. I received permission, and half an hour later we were in an abandoned house talking about the Bible and how God was working in everyone’s lives.

In a quick turn of events, I was invited into a sweat room where I was introduced to a health practice. This was apparently also the most fun to have on a Sunday night. I had no idea what this entailed but I went with it. The room was growing hotter and hotter, leaving me breathing with difficulty. Those around me were completely naked, but barley visible due to the steam. I, on the other hand, was not as confident or comfortable with my body, and so the underwear stayed on. The air grew even hotter when they all began to count down with their fingers, attempting to inform me to begin running at the count of zero. 

“Pyat', chetyre, tri , dva, odin!”.

The door swung open and everyone bolted down the hall screaming as they jumped! I wasn’t able to see what was at the end of the hall. I quickly realized the end result as I heard one plunge after the next! They called after me, encouraging to jump in. With hesitation I lightly jogged, in hopes of not slipping on the wet tile floor. At the edge of the tile floor was a square pool averaging 30-40 feet deep!

I jumped!

I had never experienced a cold that bit your skin! It was like swimming in a sea of needles. Every move stung my muscles and sent electricity through my nerves. Shivering, I walked barefoot through the snow back to the abandoned house. I tried to warm up without an extra pair of clothes and no towel. There were no plans to return to 'home base' as I quickly realized this was a “lock-in”. A piece of information that would have been good to know. I couldn’t believe the element of adventure and thrill this experience offered. The process was part of a culture that focused on spontaneity, and health. I learned this process opens your pores, and then the frigid water cleans the pores! I did in fact feel rejuvenated, but also on the threshold of straight up pneumonia. Luckily, a peer gave me their now wet towel to use as a bed sheet. 

Waking up to an even colder sunrise, I didn’t want to bother anyone. I had no idea where I was, but was able to find the nearest bus stop. I boarded the bus and stayed on until I found landmarks I remembered. I connected back with my family to tour the beautiful and historic churches of St. Petersburg! Every street corner was overflowing with vendors selling icons, paintings of saints, and street food. Every other town square had elaborate statues telling the story of their town and battles that occurred in that area. 

I don’t remember their names. I don’t remember the specifics of the towns. But what I do remember is the lesson found in legendary experiences. Shared opportunities that don’t easily leave the mind. Whether carved into a statue, orated from generation to generation, or shared through a cultural exercise, humanity will always find ways to relay the universal truths of life. 

Geries Shaheen is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Nationally Certified Counselor operating in and around St. Louis Missouri. Adjunct Psych professor at Saint Louis Christian College. Quality Management Specialist at Preferred Family Healthcare. Geries holds his MA in Professional Counseling from Lindenwood University, BA in Intercultural Studies from Lincoln Christian University, and holds a certificate in Life Coaching, Geries provides life coaching services to clients online globally.