A Week in Russia

We are in Russia!  The traveling process went smoothly.  Dan and I got to see the sunrise over the mountains in Greenland from the plane (Aaron was on a different plane), and it was such a beautiful depiction of God's majesty.  When we arrived in Moscow, we had to wait until our evening overnight train to the city, so we toured the city.  

Taken after over 24 hours of traveling.  Keeping our eyes open. 

The morning our train arrived in Liepetsk, camp began, so we hit the ground running.  It was a family retreat camp, meant to encourage and give rest to the pastors in the area.  Christian families were able to spend time having fellowship with each other and taking a break.  Dan, Aaron, and I helped out wherever help was needed, and have loved learning more about the culture and language.  We got to play with the kids, clean, organize crafts, and other random projects.  It was such a joy to be able to give these families (especially the parents) a week of physical and spiritual rest and rejuvenation in the Lord before they go back to their jobs.  The three of us were also blessed in seeing the joy of the Lord in these families, and getting to know them.  While the week was physically, emotionally, and spiritually stretching, there is not a doubt in any of our minds that this is where the Lord wants us right now, and we are enjoying Russia so much!

Some of the teenage girls at the camp.  They helped me with my Russian and I taught them some English.  This called for a lot of charades and laughs.

We are now in Tambov for 4 days of rest.  From here we will go into the villages for 10 days to do evangelism outreach.  Please pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed in truth as we go to these villages.  Pray for the Russian believers as they leave camp and go back to their lives, that they may be strengthened in the Lord.  Pray for health, strength, and joy on our team (there is already some sickness going around).  We cannot wait to see how God allows us to be a part of what He is doing here in Russia!  

One week.

It's hard to believe that a week from today, our team of three will be on a plane to Moscow.  I'm going to jot down a few things for anyone who wants to can be praying about as we prepare to leave.

• The attendees of the three camps we will be helping with (Youth English camp, youth discipleship camp, and family camp).
• The believers in the cities we will be going to, and the missionaries who are already there and who spend their lives dedicated to that region and those people. 
• The bonds of alcoholism and depression in the region. 
• The Gospel to establish light, hope, and peace to a dark land.
• All of the necessary preparations for our team as we go (buying all of the necessary craft supplies, the paperwork, and most importantly, spiritual preparation). 

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." 

The Contents of Prayer.

 "Our prayers for the evangelization of the world are but a bitter irony so long as we only give of our superfluity and draw back before the sacrifice of ourselves. " by M. Coillard in On the Threshold of Central Africa.  Influenced Amy.

I'm currently reading through Elisabeth Elliot's biography of Amy Carmichael (missionary to India), entitled A Chance to Die.  Something that has struck me as I have read this book is Amy's intense dedication to prayer.  Surprising, her letters home were not filled with all of the victories won on the field; but rather, all the sorrow.  In these stories of sorrow, she earnestly beseeched her friends and family at home to pray, because she believed in its power.  The contents of her prayer requests have been rather surprising to me.  Instead of primarily asking people to pray for her strength, health, peace, etc, she asked them to pray for the country, the people, the lost, the spiritual warfare, and the like.  She was so focused on the greater missions of bringing glory to God that all of her concerns and needs were overshadowed and swallowed up by the greater need of reaching the lost and discipling them into being mature believers in Christ.  She was intently focused on her purpose, so much so that she truly did sacrifice her needs and even her prayer requests so that other needs and prayers could be lifted up on behalf of God's ultimate purpose.  It is with this in mind that I include this quote from the book.  It was a quote that Amy counted as very dear to her, and she truly did model self-sacrifice.

This book has taught me that I spend far too much time praying for myself, and thus allow the needs of the world to be put on my secondary prayer list.  Prayer for others must be primary, and I am sure one will find personal growth and personal peace when one does practice self-sacrifice. In light of this, I have a request.  Please, pray for Russia.  Pray for the students, children, and families my team will be working with.  Pray for the believers there - that they would be discipled, and would thrive as a visible body of Christ to the Russians.  Pray that the light of Christ pervades the hurting country of Russia.  Pray.