Finding a FSU wife on the cheap/ finding one who shares my religous beliefs

[willfs]

I do have a lot going for me when looking for a wife.  I am youngish(31), attractive, smart, funny... etc.  However I have found two major obstacles to looking for someone in the FSU.

Money:  I teach and although I have been saving money I do not have a ton.  Are there any money saving tips someone can offer (finding someone who speaks good english already, credit card airline miles, ...etc..)

Religous Compatability:  I would like to find someone who is Christian and whose faith is important to them.  I know many FSU women believe in God and try to live a good life.  I want to emphasize that I don't want a Bible thumper.  I want a person who is trying to live out the Bible(Love God, Love others) for themselves.  I guess my convictions/opinions say they need to be a regular church attender, have a regular prayer life, study the Bible, ...etc.  I'm not trying to start a religous debate.  Just wondering if there are many in the FSU who would share my beliefs.

[Turboguy]

I don't really know what to tell you.  It is not a cheap process and you are better off knowing that going in but that does not preclude anything.   First off I think you need to be very upfront about your finances.   Some gals will accept someone who has to struggle a bit and many won't.   Number 1, Don't mislead them and be open about it.

If you travel off season the fares are not real high.  I am assuming that being a teacher you would have a problem that when it is cheap to go you can't get off work, when you can get off work the fares are sky high.   Going off season and looking for a reasonably priced apartment a trip can be done fairly inexpensively.

As far as the religion issue, most of the gals I have met believe in God but don't go to church regularly.   I only have three thoughts.   First, maybe you can find a way to go there as a missionary for your church or a church with similar beliefs.   Second there may be some religious matchmaking groups that have some women in the FSU.   Third, post your profile a number of places such as www.freepersonals.ru and be very clear in your post that you want someone who goes to church regularly.   Hope that helps a bit.

[Vaughn]

You might also check your local chapter of RussianMeetup - they're in many cities throughout the USA. You'll encounter men and women of the FSU who already have a command of English, while avoiding the travel, lodging and visa sponsorship expenses altogether - and possibly find a relationship whereby you could worship together during the courting phase rather than after a commitment to marriage...

http://www.russianmeetup.com/

[Michelangelo]

Will, you likely will not find an "American" style Christian girl in the FSU, unless you do as Turbo suggests and get involved with a missionary organization in the FSU.  In that case, you might find a convert who has converted to American style Christianity.

Culture influences how people see and relate to God.  Your views are a result of your culture; the early church looked nothing like the American churches of today. Nor do the churches in the FSU look like American churches, and people there worship God differently than they do here.

My advice.  Find a girl who is sincere and open, and tell her about your beliefs.  Over time she might become comfortable worshiping the way you feel comfortable.

[I/O]

Two pence worth for what it's worth.  The author seems to me to lean towards the reformed or protestant / evangelical side of Christianity and it should be undertood that most FSU people lean very much to the Orthodox side.  Russians less so than some others in general terms which may surprise a few people.  The Romanians, generally speaking are fiercely Orthodox and some are completely closed to other views.

The Russians I have associated with and my fiance' as an example is and are certainly Orthodox in alliance, but certainly not closed to other views.  She would panic if pressured, simply through lack of understanding, however she has vowed to support me and be as or if involved in this side of things.  It is not a problem for us, because as far as I am concerned she has an intelligent enough approach to see the facts for herself.  Too many times people let the Church affiliation get in the way of their convictions and thus leave everyone confused.

My view in this situation is such that she will not need to be turned upside down over small issues. Religion can be a divisive subject, but if kept in proper perspective this is not necessary.  I think the author would quite easily find someone in the FSU who would be happy to go along with his view, but he should expect her to be cautious and probably not be actively involved for quite some time if at all. 

The first thing he needs to do is develop a clear understanding of the differences between the Orthodox and the Reformed views and from that stand point, he can begin to develop some sort of amicable arrangement with a lady.  If he tries to be dogmatic he is wasting his time.   

As for trying to do something like this on the cheap.  You get what you pay for so to say.  Certainly the process can be approached with economics in mind, but as in all things, the best subsitute for money is time. 


I/O   

[BillyB]

Money:  I teach and although I have been saving money I do not have a ton.  Are there any money saving tips someone can offer (finding someone who speaks good english already, credit card airline miles, ...etc..)

Welcome willfs,
The secret to getting airline miles fom a credit card is to spend lots of money, something you don't want to do. Maybe you should take a second job and save money. Make sure you have enough to start and finish endeavor.

[El Rock]

Welcome willfs,
The secret to getting airline miles fom a credit card is to spend lots of money, something you don't want to do. Maybe you should take a second job and save money. Make sure you have enough to start and finish endeavor.

Not necessarily ,  you  can use  your CC for  everything and pay if off each  month and still collect the miles .
It is very misleading ,  50K miles  =  $50K   you have to spend    .
They charge you 50K miles or points , the same thing , for a round trip to Europe .
Of course it's not 50K mile ,   but they do it anyway .
Do a search  for ""credit cards rewards review ""  and check  out  what's available .
I did and decided  not to bother  .
Too bad it's not mile for  dollar spent .

[ScottinCrimea]

I/O - excellent post!
     I have found most follow the Orthodox religion out of tradition as much as anything.  They have a strong belief in God but are limited in their knowledge.  They aren't encouraged to study the Bible or attend church weekly.  So if they aren't doing it now, don't assume that they aren't willing.  If you show them through example and love them into the church they are more willing to follow than if you try to force feed them or patronize them.  The bottom line is to find a good woman who is open minded and open hearted and the rest will follow.
     Some ideas for doing things more cheaply is to avoid agencies and try to arrange travel on your own (many here can help with this), look online for airline tickets ( I saved $250 on my last one-way ticket here using an online ticketing agency called "the best travel store"), travel during the off season, avoid the higher priced cities and resort areas and arrange to stay in apartments rather than hotels.  This can all be tough the first time you come, but after the first time, you should know the ropes and where you can cut costs.

[I/O]

I If you show them through example and love them into the church they are more willing to follow than if you try to force feed them or patronize them.

This applies to many more things than simply the subject of this particular discussion.

I/O

[Joshfire]

The first thing he needs to do is develop a clear understanding of the differences between the Orthodox and the Reformed views and from that stand point, he can begin to develop some sort of amicable arrangement with a lady.  If he tries to be dogmatic he is wasting his time. 

I/O is right and I think truly this would be the place to start.

Also most churches I know of have singles groups.  Why would you not look there for a wife?  Or why not try Christiancafe.com  You might find that is a better solution if you cannot afford searching for a wife abroad.  Plus it would remedy your paradox of wanting to find a wife who has the same beliefs.

[swindoom]

My sister in law is a strict baptist, goes to church 2 or 3 times a week amd all that jazz. There seems to be a large baptist community in the Omsk area. I would imagine there are similar groups through out Russia.

[Jet]

To give you a somewhat clearer understanding about where most women stand, and what they've been taught regarding religion, check out http://www.oca.org/OCIndex.asp?SID=2 and read through the "About the Orthodox faith" and "Q & A" sections. It is not exactly what the Orthodox church in Russia/Ukraine teaches, but it will give you a very good feel for their religious beliefs.

[Bruno]

Religous Compatability:  I would like to find someone who is Christian and whose faith is important to them.

FSU is very big... you can find Orthodox, Muslim and Christian... simply choose the right place... by example, the Western side of Ukraine ( L'viv by example ) have more christian that other place...

[Icarus]

Hi,
Just a small inclusion to the credit card discussion.
I found that I get frequent flyer points using my visa card, so perhaps you could look at the rewards that credit card programs/banks offer.

Another idea for saving money, consider if you have 10K owing on your mastercard with Bank A. Many banks offer 0% interest for 6 months if you transfer your balance to them.

NAturally during these 6 months you'd want to pay off as much of your debt as possible, and then when you near the 6 month date you transfer again.

BUT, keep in minfd there is only so many times you can do this. Keep control of your credit card, and dont let it control you.

If you want something badly enough, you'll find a way

Good luck, hope my insight may prove helpful

Icarus