Welcome to the Siberian Grinder! I am Mike Johnson, a simple guy who is married to the most wonderful woman in the world (no, really!), Maya. We have three terrific kids: David (7), Hannah (5), and Timothy (2). Until June, 2008, our earthly dwelling place was Siberia. Now we live in Geneva, Florida, where I serve the First Baptist Church as an Assistant Pastor.

Maya grew up in eastern Siberia. Her relationship with the Author of Life began while working as a translator at a summer camp during her college days. She has never been the same. After college (she earned the Russian equivalent of a M.S. in English degree), Maya taught school for two years and then she married me.

My natural life started in Orlando, Florida. I grew up in Alaska, Illinois and Florida. My new life had its beginnings in Greenville, SC at a youth summer camp called Centrifuge (SBC) on the campus of Bob Jones University. That changed everything for me too. After finishing a B.A. in Inter-cultural Ministries, I worked in Florida for five years leading college teams on short-term trips. Then I moved to Siberia, and Maya and I married about six months later.

I created The Siberian Grinder originally to keep our friends and family in Florida, and others who are scattered around the globe, updated and informed about our daily lives. Blogging is the perfect solution: quick and easy and, on occasion, interesting.

Sometimes, but not too often, I post on something relating to our interests. Both of us love the Word, and also enjoy books, languages,  coffee, family life; and I dig writing, photography, post-graduate academia, and poetry. Maya loves, and is very gifted at, translation work.

Enjoy the blog!

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the church I serve, nor the organizations of which I am a member.