In Tambov

We arrived at the central church in Tambov last night (Friday) at about 6:00 PM. We were tired but encouraged after 10 full days of camp plus a day on either end for campers to arrive and leave. We spent the night at the church. It was just as warm but there were no flies and there was a nice, private shower that felt very, very good. Today we slept in, ate breakfast at the church, bought a few more gifts to take home, and had lunch at the apartment of a young American couple who recently moved here as long term missionaries.

At 5:00 pm today all the campers from the city of Tambov are meeting up at the church for a mini-reunion. It's a great idea because many of them have never been to church before and may be intimidated at the idea of stepping in the doors. The youth leaders here are very intentional about following up and discipling these young people who attended camp. The hope is that they can gather today and make it more likely that they will come to church for further growth and encouragement to press on in their newfound relationship with Christ.

Tonight we board the overnight train for Moscow. We will have a few hours in Moscow before our flight leaves at around 12:30 PM. Pray that the smoke from the fires would not delay or cancel our flight. We're ready to get home to our families!

Girls at Work

Nicole and Sam have both been very busy at camp. Nicole didn't realize she would be putting her nursing skills to work. She and the other camp nurse see between 30 and 40 patients each day! Ailments range from headaches, heat exhaustion, pink eye, flu, colds, scrapes, a young hypochondriac complaining about high blood pressure, sore throats and more. We have also had three fairly serious medical situations. A young boy fell from about 8 feet and broke his arm. An 18 year old homeless orphan that one of the pastors picked up from the street and brought to camp one day went into alcohol withdrawal and had a seizure. Last night a camper had some type of a seizure as well. In all of these cases Nicole was right there to help take care of the person and assess what needed to be done. I was impressed at how calm she handled herself and the knowledge she brought to the situation.
Sam has put crafts together each day at least once and sometimes twice along with Nicole. They never know how many people might show up. It could be 5 or 20, which makes it tough. In the evening after the meeting the campers have snack time that they can invite people to join. On many nights Sam and Nicole have done crafts with girls until 11:00 or later. Like all our activities, our hope is that the campers enjoy it and that it builds a relational bridge that gives us a chance to speak truth to them.
Both have also helped with the Olympic games and whole camp games that we organize and implement each day. One day they might run an Uno or Dutch Blitz tournament, another day they might referee soccer, help with the climbing wall or frisbee golf, teach softball,  or lead water balloon volleyball.

One Day of Camp Left

It's hard to believe but there is only one day of camp left. Friday morning they will pack up and leave. At first we were all concerned that a camp would last 10 full days with two half days for travel. It seemed like being forced to sprint the distance of a marathon. Now we can see that it has been worth it. It took 6 or 7 days to really connect with some of the campers to the point that they would open up to us. We have had most of our significant discussions over the past couple days.

Dirk can now consider himself an international recording artist. Two nights ago we had a concert with Dirk as the headline act. They wanted it to be retro rock and roll so he rewrote the lyrics to some classic rock songs. In the end he only played a handful of the songs but it sounded great. They even recorded one of the songs and we heard it playing later through the sound system. He has really reached out in a pastoral/fatherly way to many of the younger campers. They really esteem musicians, which helps, but I think they can see that he really cares for them.

Vadim, one of the regional pastors and the camp speaker this year, gave a clear gospel presentation the other night and invited people to come forward to repent (the main phrase the Russian believers use to refer to placing your faith in Christ for salvation). It seemed like more than 20 campers came forward. Obviously we never know if this was simply an emotional moment for them or a whole hearted commitment to Christ that will last a lifetime. Only time will tell. Still, it was awesome to see so many young hearts making a profession of faith. One of the reasons we enjoy this partnership is that we know the churches here are committed to following up with this campers over the next year. They will try very hard not to let any slip through the cracks after they return home. Please pray that their professions of faith would bear genuine fruit in their lives.

Monday

We're getting to the home stretch for camp now and definitely need endurance. The heat continues so we'll have to break out another game today that gets everyone really wet.
I (Dan) had a great talk with two guys named Alex (both of them . . . name creativity isn't a high priority here . . . just ask Sasha, Sasha, or his buddy Sasha). They are in their late teens and are nice guys but aren't believers. One of them speaks a little English and likes to practice so it gives us many opportunities to talk. We spoke for a long time about how they view God and what they have thought about the messages at camp. Alex 1 used to place all his faith in science but now sees that science doesn't explain everything. He thinks that many people just wear a religious mask in order to exercise power over others. As an example they told me about the hypocrisy they see in the Orthodox priests. I told them that Jesus got very angry at religious people who use their position to gain something. I think that surprised them. Their big hang up now is that acknowledging God makes man insignificant. I tried to explain that it is only a worldview that is built on God that can give true value to humans. Pray for insight on how to talk further and for openness in their hearts.
Another prayer request is for a young boy named Pasha. He has been the camp trouble maker. That ended when he took a nasty fall from about 8 feet and broke his arm. Dirk was the first one there, calling for help and comforting Pasha. His right forearm was bent in a wicked, rounding 90 degree bend. Nicole's nursing training came in very handy. They got Pasha to the hospital where his arm was cast. Remarkably, I think he is coming back to camp today! We're all sad this happened but are praying that the Lord uses it to sober him up and work in his heart.
I've included a picture of Dirk with a young boy named Sasha. He's been on all of our hearts because of his downcast expression and lack of participation. He wears the look of a dog that has been kicked around and is just waiting for another boot to come his way. He's responded well to our care and affection.

Heat

A big theme of camp has been heat. It's been hot everyday. We don't have a thermometer here but I'm told it has pushed 100 degrees each day. At night it only cools down to high 70's. Thankfully it is humid also. Actually, I think we are getting used to the heat but it does wear us out. Today we decided to take drastic action to cool everybody off. We built a massive slip n' slide. I assumed this was common in Russia but I think it was a new experience for the campers. Dan and Nicole had to demonstrate before they were willing to try it. After they started sliding it was non-stop laughter and smiles. I think they were just glad to cool off!

It morphed into an hour long water fight. I was swarmed by a group of young, Russian men who grabbed me and hauled me away. 30 years ago a story that started like this would end in the gulag. Now they just tossed me in a huge water trough. Samantha was next. Dirk and Nicole managed to sneak off. We were soaked but it was actually a good sign that they felt comfortable enough with us to pull us into the action. 

Nicole did a great job sharing her testimony last night. I'm sure she was nervous but she communicated clearly and naturally. We're praying that the Lord would use it in the lives of some young girls here. We continue to have good conversations with the tents during "snack time" after the evening meeting. Dirk and I spent some time with a group of young men who wanted to know about American cars, cell phones, and how we met God. The conversation flowed between those three unrelated topics.

We've reached the half way point for camp. In some ways it has gone fast. The days are so full that they are gone before we realize it. In some ways it seems like we have already been here for a long time and the thought of having 5 more days of camp makes me tired just to write about. We need endurance and sustaining grace.

Activities

As camp goes on we are having more and more opportunities to interact with campers. Today we ran several games that allowed us to spend some good time with small groups of campers. Dan and Nicole ran a frisbee golf course, Dirk organized paintball, Samantha helped with the climbing wall. This in addition to the crafts and all camp games we organize and lead each day. It's a challenge getting 100 Russian kids to listen to us when they can't understand us. An interpreter helps, obviously, but it's still difficult. It's like herding cats that can't even hear.
We have seen some neat fruit and opportunities. At least one young girl repented and trusted Christ as her savior after the meeting last night. Dirk has been sharing the gospel with a young man named Alex who is eager to practice his patchy English. Nicole is planning on sharing her story of coming to faith in Christ at the meeting tonight. Please pray that it would be impacting. Her story may mirror the background that many of these young people come from.
Thankfully, all of us are in good health after a week of drinking Russian water. We're starting to feel worn down from lack of sleep but are glad to be able to serve in many different ways.

I've included a few pictures...Cat herding, Dirk and Nicole on the ropes course, Samantha leading crafts.

More pictures

Getting Involved

The past two days have been joyful but very, very busy. We have been rising between 6:00 and 7:00 and going mostly non-stop until after midnight. Temperatures are still hovering near 100 degrees with no rest in sight. We are feeling worn out but glad for the chance to invest our time well while we are here. We know this isn't a vacation or a cultural exchange so we want to help as much as possible.

Samantha and I have been helping with the rock climbing wall built by our teams on previous trips. It is still a big hit. Nicole and Samantha tie dyed bandanas for a craft today. After the meeting at night we were invited to join with a tent of campers for snack time. As I write this I haven't checked with the girls yet, but Dirk and I had a great time. We were invited by a group of 14-15 year old girls and their counselor. We sat outside, taught them a few lines to "Lord, I lift Your name on high", and answered many, many questions about America. They were very interested in our families (thankfully I had a photo album with a few pictures - Thanks, Sarah!), churches, and houses. They also wanted to know how we became Christians, which was a neat opportunity to share the gospel with them. We also sang the song "All in all" in English, Ukrainian, and Russia - it was beautiful! I brought down the average so I tried to sing quietly but Dirk and the girls had beautiful voices. I think this will be a new nightly ritual with a different tent each night. We're really looking forward to it.

Some pictures

Our team sporting our camp shirts

Our first meeting

Samantha advertising English lessons

And The Craziness Begins

Campers showed up today. Lots of them. Last summer there were 60. This summer we planned on 80. Yesterday we heard there might be 50. As of the evening meeting tonight we had 105 campers! This is way more than expected and brings some stress for the camp coordinators but obviously it is a huge praise.

Looking at all these Russian boys and girls that we don't know and can't speak to, I wonder what their backgrounds are. Just like in America, we can't tell what pain is hidden behind a happy face. From what I do know about some kids at this camp, there are many with very difficult family situations. Many are orphans. Many have alcoholic parents. These 12 days may be the bright spot of their whole year. It may be an experience that the Lord uses to change their trajectory. Please pray that this is an impacting time for them.

Before the campers arrived we finalized the ropes course, built a frisbee golf course, and prepared some crafts. Nicole was assigned the added job of assistant camp nurse. She has been very busy this evening already with lice checks, infected fingers, and infected eyes. It's cool to see her skills being put to use here.

Getting Down to Work

We stepped off the overnight train at about 7:30 this morning and went straight to the camp. Campers show up tomorrow (Tuesday) in the afternoon so we have about 1 1/2 days to do some preparations. Samantha and Nicole were placed in charge of crafts during a time in the afternoon when the campers can choose various activities to participate in. Dirk and I (Dan) were placed in charge of games with another American guy who is here full time with his family and a German who speaks excellent English who is on a short term trip. They earn points from the games throughout the 10 days of camp to determine a winner. It was surprisingly hard to divide the campers and schedule the games so that all 80-100 are playing something for two hours in such a way that all get to participate.

Our team also began constructing and rebuilding a low ropes course to help the cabins bond and develop trust in one another. Close relationships and trust are essential for the games but they are even more important for nurturing conversations about the gospel.

Pray that the Lord would use these simple activities to foster deep relationships and significant conversations.

Getting There

After about 22 hours of traveling we made it to Moscow on Saturday at about noon Russia time (2:00 AM Pocatello time). So far, so good. Our connections all had layovers of less than an hour so we were worried about missing flights if there were any delays or missing luggage that wasn't fast enough to make it from plane to plane. Thankfully, everyone and everything made it just fine.

We spent Saturday wandering the streets of Moscow in a sleepy daze. We were all operating on 4 or 5 hours of sleep over the previous two nights combined. We climbed aboard the overnight train at about 9:00 PM. It's now about 7:00 AM on Sunday morning and we are almost to Lipetsk, where the camp will be held. About 80 campers will show up on Monday at 3:00, so we have about a day and a half to work on a ropes course and do some other set up work.

Last year they had about 60 kids and only about 20 of them were Christians. The ratio will probably be about the same this year. Camp is a major outreach opportunity to unsaved kids, many of whom will come from difficult backgrounds. Please pray that we can work with the loving, dedicated Russian staff at camp to display and share the love of Christ to these youth.

Pocatello to Boise: Check

250 miles down. . . 6,000 to go. We made it to Boise today (Thursday) and will be heading to the airport at 4:30 am tomorrow for a 6:30 flight. So far, so good. We met up with Dirk so now we have a fully assembled team. It's funny that we will know each other so much better in 2 1/2 weeks than we do now. Hopefully we'll still like each other, too! I look forward to seeing how the Lord has assembled this team with various strengths, weaknesses, and gifts to serve together.

Thanks for your prayers and support. Pray for endurance tomorrow as we will be traveling for 18 hours, spend 10 hours walking around Moscow, and then we will board an overnight train.

Leaving Tambov

We are packing up our stuff and getting ready to leave Tambov. It has been such an amazing trip!!! Thank you for all of your prayers and support!!! I will try to post again in Moscow, but don’t know for sure. Please check back later to see more pictures and stories from the trip.

Last day of Immanuel's Child

This was the last day of the Immanuel' Child outreach. We went east to Mitchurinsk and and were at two locations. The first location, a school, had some of the oldest kids we have seen so far. Some of the Russians we are ministering with have been doing a skit/puppet show, but not all were able to make it today. So we had a sort of abbreviated version of what we normally did, but things still went well. Please pray for the ministry at the school Raphael is trying to get a weekly program in the school and after our outreach he is going to ask the administration if they would be willing to allow the program. Please pray for favor in the site of the administration. Tomorrow we will be Tambov for a Sunday morning service, some shopping, and then train ride back to Moscow. We cannot believe how quickly our trip has gone. We have loved spending time with these children and ministering with our Russian brothers and sisters. Here are a few more pictures...

 

 

 

Immanuel's Child in a town with a name I can't pronouce or spell.

Today we went to a town and did outreaches in a school and a library. We had some kids who showed up at the school and then walked all the way to the library to see things again. I would like to write more but I am late for another game time with some English speaking Russians. Please pray as we desire to share out testimonies with them. Especially pray for Sveta!! Before I go here are some more pictures of the kids.

Sorry for the delay!

Sorry we haven't posted anything for a little while. We didn't have internet for a while. Yesterday was Christmas and we went to a orphanage just outside of Tambov. There were around 130 kids and a lot of them were special needs. This orphanage is the one where Anya (Translator) and Jenni (Missionary) are able to to the Orphans Reborn program. These kids showed us so much affection when we left. They were hugging us all the way out the door and to the cars. I (Mike) even had one kid open my door while we were driving away. I was very blessed to stars of people that I recognized (even my own). From Twin Falls I had Darren & Mary Ann, Samantha Graff, and Pastor Bear. I was also able to had out a star from Mike Hotrum in Pocatello. It was such an incredible experience to hand out these stars for you!

Debbie with some of orphans.

Pictures from game night

I already posted about game night but didn't post a picture. Here are a couple pictures.

Morshansk--Thanks Topscorer...whoever you are :)

Today we went to two orphanages in Morshansk. The first orphanage had about 20 kids in the 8-13 range. Here are pictures...

Jon standing while everyone else is sitting...we don't know why.

Kathryn teaching caterpillar game

Four of the boys with hats and stars from Boise.

This is the whole group (kids and team).














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The second orphanage was a surprise for us. We were expecting kids who were older than the first orphanage and these this were 1 1/2 to 3 years old (and a couple older than that). One look at these kids and the had our hearts. These kids were so precious and it was hard knowing that they were orphans. We played some games with beach balls (Thanks Ohio team!) and we did Simon says. After that we did a skit about Jesus being God's Christmas gift to them.

Here are some pictures from the second orphanage...

Please pray for continued ministry in these orphanages.









There were a little over 30 kids from the orphanage















Here are some kids with there gifts and hats

Everyone of these kids were as precious as this one.

Game night with Russia University Students

Last night we had a great opportunity to meet some students from Tambov State University. These girls are not Christians, but Anya (translator) and Jenni (Missionary) have been developing relationships with these girls and invited them to come meet some Americans and practice English. We had a blast playing Dutch Blitz (it’s like Nertz).  Please pray for opportunities to share the gospel with these girls.

Today we are starting the Immanuel’s Child outreach. We are going to two orphanages in Morshonsk (I have not clue how to spell it).  Please pray for these kids!! Pray that they would be receptive to the gospel and that we would be able to show them the love of Christ. I will post some pictures when we get back tonight.

Temperature

In case your are wondering on the left side of the blog you can see the current weather and time in Tambov.  It was so cold this morning getting off of the train the Mike’s head was steaming.

Stitches...

So just before our trip Kathryn had arthroscopic surgery on her knee, which required some stitches. Now that a few days have passed she had to have the stitches taken out and we are blessed to have an RN on our team. Today while we had some free time Debbie removed the stitches from Kathryn’s knee. Here are a couple of pictures for those who are interested. 

Kathryn and I (Mike) talked about her classes in order to distract her (the future PA) from the process. She was getting queasy….which I personally think is very funny.

We are in Tambov

Just  a quick note. We made it safely to Tambov and are getting ready to eat breakfast (even though it is 10:30pm in Idaho. We will write more later.

We made it!!!

We were at JFK airport and looking out the window at our plane…and then we saw them take the plane away!! We were delayed until about 5pm as they replaced the plane again. Finally with the fourth plane, over two days, we were able to leave New York and make it to Russia. We are now waiting in the SGA offices in Moscow until this evening and then we will get on an overnight train to Tambov.  Here are some pictures of our time in the airport. The first two are while our team waiting in line for our hotel vouchers (sometime after midnight). The bottom picture is the second day at JFK just before we boarded our plane. Thanks for your prayers!!! Keep praying for the Immanuel’s Child outreach!

Uneventful first day….just kidding :)

So we have had a very interesting trip so far. At this point in the trip we should be getting on an overnight train heading for Tambov, but instead we are at a Holiday Inn in New York. We got on our first plane for Moscow and they had a mechanical problem that they weren’t able to get the part for. So we got of the plane and the moved us to a different gate and loaded us on a plane way out in the middle of nowhere. After being on the plane for a few hours while they transferred luggage, food, water, and fuel they were ready to take off. We were fourth in line when they told us that they had another mechanical problem and we had to return to the terminal. When we returned to the terminal we were told that we would leave at 12:45 am and a half hour before we were to board they canceled the flight. After a long wait in line we were sent a hotel.  We are now getting ready to go back to the airport and try again.  Even with all the bumps we are doing well and our spirits are good. Please pray for our the rest of our flight and the rest of our trip (I hear that there is a big snow storm in Moscow).  Hopefully when I blog again it will be from Moscow.