Tambov Mission Trip

In Tambov

2010-08-07T07:35:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-05T08:45:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-04T08:19:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-02T21:14:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-01T09:41:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-30T09:05:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Getting Involved

2010-07-28T12:46:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

Our team sporting our camp shirts

Our first meeting

Samantha advertising English lessons

And The Craziness Begins

2010-07-26T19:26:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-26T19:21:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-25T10:29:00.001-07:00

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

2010-07-22T22:02:00.001-07:00

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

2010-01-10T07:56:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

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.

2010-01-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-01-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

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

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

2010-01-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

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).

.

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

2010-01-05T19:38:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-05T00:36:00.001-08:00

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...

2010-01-05T00:24:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-04T21:24:00.001-08:00

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!!!

2010-01-04T03:46:00.000-08:00

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 :)

2010-01-03T08:39:00.001-08:00

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.

test

2009-12-23T12:55:00.001-08:00

testing

Pictures from Trip

2008-10-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

I had been really slow with updating this blog and I appologize for that. Here are some more pictures from the trip.

This first picture is the traffic outside out hotel in Moscow

Second picture is us at My My (pronounced moo moo), it had a cow theme.

Next is a picute of the team that won the Wilson log course (they were really fast)

After that is the disc golf olympic team (the Red team one after Mike H. got a hole in one)

Last is a picture of a group getting ready to get their whole team over the wall behind them (13feet high).

We're back!

2008-08-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we made it back safely Monday morning at 2 AM. Our trip back went very smoothly and now we are adjusting to the time change. Please pray for the students who had to start school yesterday. Adjusting to a 10 hour time difference AND starting school at the same time is really hard.

I (Mike C.) also wanted to let everyone know how proud I am of the team that went to Russia. It was a blessing to see how they fit in with the camp ministry. Christ was central and the gospel went out. Praise God!

And we also wanted to thank everybody for their prayers. It was such a vital aspect to our ministry and it was greatly appreciated.

Homeward Bound

2008-08-24T14:27:00.001-07:00

Greetings everyone,

Just wanted to give you an update on where we are at. The campers left camp yesterday morning on bus and we left for Tambov that evening. We stayed last night in the church and today we have been able to walk around town. Tonight we will have dinner with the camp staff and we will say our goodbyes (we are not looking forward to that) and will get on the overnight train to Moscow. From what I know there were at least 4 people that repented, and one of them was the Anya that we asked you to pray for. Praise God!! It has been such an incredible thing to be a part of this ministry. I have been very encouraged as to the content of the camp. This camp pointed people towards Christ, both the campers and the staff. There are a lot of good people that God has placed in the region.

We were able to pass about Bible's Friday morning at camp and there were a lot of kids who got a Bible who never had access to one. Please pray that God would open their hearts to the truth of His Word.

Please pray for Olga. She was one of our campers who didn't repent, but she took a Bible home with her. She was encouraged to read John and Romans. Please pray that she would come to know Christ. Some of the kids came from places that did not have a church, please pray that God would make a way for them to hear His truth. One of the things that was encouraging to see is that Vadim (Pastor in Tambov and director of camp) wants each of the campers to be contacted within the next few days. The people here want to have a lasting impact on these kids and are doing everything they can to do that.

The last day (unfortunately after campers left) we were able to finish the zip line, and half of the staff was able to try it out. We built a wall for a rope course that was 13 feet tall. We were able to take around forty kids over the wall. It was incredible to see how at first they didn't think it could be done, but after they finished it they were so excited. One of the things that we have noticed is that a lot of of Russia are quick to say that things are "impossible" and give up without even trying. We hope that the experience with this wall, in some way, would challenge them to look at things differently. This wall was just one of the ways that we were able to challenge the kids and build relationships. One exciting things was to see Staus on the 13 foot wall. This is a young man who's life was changed drasticly over the last year. This kid listened very carefully and took it upon himself to make sure his team was safe. He wouldn't have done this a year ago. He give's the credit for the changes to God and we rejoice with him.

When we get back into town we will post pictures for you all and each one of us will write about our personal experience with camp and the campers. Hopefully you will be able to understand why, as we head for home, there is a large part of our heart that will always be here in Russia. We love these people dearly and pray that God would use them in a mighty way here in Russia.

In His love,

The Tambov Team

Just for Fun

Kelsey is sad to leave Russia, but is craving a hazelnut latte. (Make sure you ask Kesley about Andre's special tea made with socks)

Mike C. says "ditto" to the first part and is craving a Bacon Cheeseburger (with crunchy bacon).

Jess is craving Pepsi, Bacon Cheeseburger, and pizza.

This is what Mike C, Jess, and Kelsey think our team is craving:

Luke is craving a bubble bath.

Mike H is missing Ali (go figure) and craving "oreo salad" (you will have to ask him about it)

Amber is craving hotdogs

Nicole is craving a cucumbers and tomato salad. (She didn't get enough at camp)

Kathryn is craving anything "granola"

This is what the team claims they are craving:

Kathryn is craving a "beefy" salad.

Mike H. is craving "I don't care, probably pizza". Which translates to "I want to see Ali".

Nicole is craving ice cream.

Amber is craving pizza.

Luke is craving hotdogs. (he really did say this)

Note's to family:

Nicole's note:

I hope you had a great time at fair and that everything went well.

Kathryn's note:

"I having a great time here"

Mike H.'s note:

"Mom, my knee is doing well"

Mike C. note:

"10 hot dogs (once for breakfast) and still counting"

Kelsey's note:

"Keenan, I can't wait to see your dorm room."

"Kaylee, I am really looking forward to seeing you."

God is so Faithful!

2008-08-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody,

We are still doing very well. We only have two full days of camp and then the campers go home Friday morning. Please pray for the campers and our last couple of days with them. We know of one who repented and turn to Christ last night. There are others who are asking good questions, but they are afraid of their families will do. Kelsey asks for specific prayer for Olga and Anya. Please also pray for our team to finish strong. We are tired but we want to finish the camp strongly. Also pray for our translators, they have been such a blessing to us and it gets very exhausting (but they do it with great attitudes).
We were able to do our "Everything" skit tonight and it went well. We also finished our 13 foot obstacle wall and we are excited to use it tomorrow. I (Mike) have really enjoyed seeing how our group has worked together. God has been very gracious to us.
As I write this it is Tuesday night at 10:30pm and, as I said before, we have two full days of camp. Then on Friday morning the kids go home. We will help clean up camp and then Friday night we will go into Tambov and stay the night. Then we will tour the city Saturday and catch the overnight train to Moscow. Sunday morning we will get onto our plane to Atlanta, and then onto Salt Lake City. We are torn between wanting to stay with our Russian brothers and sisters and yet long for home. We are so blessed to have this experience.

In Him,

Your Tambov Team

Notes for home:
"Mom I am alive, I love you." ~ Luke
"Ditto" ~ Kathryn
"Ditto" ~ Rest of team
"Can I borrow your toothbrush, I can't find mine." ~ Kelsey
"Happy Birthday mon. I love you. I hope you have a special day" ~ Jess
"Happy Birthday Dan and Happy Anniversary Dan and Sarah" ~ Team

Carol--Mike's knee is doing really well and he is being very careful and yet very productive for the team. You would be proud of him.

2008-08-17T22:45:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Russia,

Thank you for your prayers, everybody who was sick on our team is feeling well. Please pray for Brittany Linn, she has Thyroid surgery today.

We have been able to build a "Wilson log" course (obstacle course where the kids have to take a log everywhere they go) and the kids are loving it. We took the course that last years team made and made things bigger and harder. There are now two trails up the rock on, with the second one being harder than the first. We are working on a zip-line and had the trial run today. We will have to adjust it to make things faster, but it looks like it will work well (and is safe).

The team has been able to get to know the kids in their tents better and have had opportunities to share the gospel with them. Pray for Sasha and Olga, the seem to have head knowledge of Christ but no heart knowledge. Please pray for the rest of the kids at camp, there are so many that have a really poor home life. Our hearts go out to these kids and we desire to show them the love of Christ.

As we were preparing for this trip we heard that we would be eating a lot of hot dogs, so I (Mike C.) decided to keep track. We have had hotdogs to eat.....only two times. Camp goes until the 22, so we will see how many more times we will have them.

One of our funny quotes (from Mesha one of our translators)
"What kind of animal was that?" "It was a concubine...I mean a porcupine, a porcupine!!!"

In His love,
The Tambov Team

p.s. Carol--Mike's knee is doing really well. He is being really careful and is taking good care of his knee.

Camp...

2008-08-12T13:01:00.001-07:00

Sorry it took so long to send to post this. I just found out how to send email. It is different than Dan did last year.
We arrived at camp safely and everything is going well. We were arrived 24 hours before kids showed up. We were welcomed very warmly and have found it easy to become part of the camp. I cannot express is words how wonderful it is to be a part of this ministry. It is amazing how easily it is to love the youth and staff.
The theme of the camp is Christ's house, and today they learned about building their house on the Rock and not the sand. We are able to understand teaching with the use of radio's and translators.
Please join us and pray for the youth and their salvation. We are able to play, laugh, and have fun with the kids, but we want to spend time talking about the gospel. Please also pray for the health of our team. Nicole was sick and slept all day yesterday. Jess was sick, but still able to help, and now my stomach is not doing well. It is nothing bad (don't worry mom's), but it does make it harder to do our work.
I am not able to send pictures, but we will put more pictures on the blog when we return.
In His Service,Tambov Team
2 Cor. 5:14-15

Waiting to go to the train station

2008-08-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is how Mike H and Luke wait for a ride to the train station.

Tour of Moscow

2008-08-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody,

We have just spent the day touring Moscow and are a little tired, but we had a really good time. We saw the building where the KGB was started (under a different name) and then we were off to Red Square. At Red Square, we were able to go inside Lenin’s tomb and see him. From Red Square we went to Christ our Savior Cathedral and they would not let three of us in because we were wearing shorts. After that, we went to Sparrow Hill (Moscow State University). We are now waiting in the hotel to be picked up to go to the train station.

With Love,

Your Tambov Team

p.s. Mike H’s knee is a little sore but he is doing really well
Kelsey says “hi mom”
Luke says “word to my bros”

Quotes
“Not my guilty” ~ Sergey
“I still have nightmares about hotdogs” ~ Luke
“I did not expect it to taste like that” ~ Everybody
“This is probably something I should not eat before a drug test”~ Nicole (poppy seeds)
“How much is this?”---“600 rubles”—“How about 200?”—“That’s impossible!!” ~ Mike and Jess with Russian salesman

We made it!

2008-08-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

Shannon will be posting on our blog for us the rest of the trip, but since I had the opportunity I wanted to let everybody know that we made it just fine. We are getting ready to go have breakfast and then we will be off on a tour of Moscow.

Watch out Customs

2008-08-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

I (Shannon) had the privilege of spending time with the Russia team before they left for Russia. It was so encouraging to see all the supplies people have donated... God blessed Mike by having a gentleman donate 24 ultimate dics, some little girls from a church back east collected socks, and there's all the craft supplies people were so generous to donate. I think they had around 3 bags of just craft supplies. God is so good and faithful!

People around here are all in high spirits! It's been encouraging to see God work in each of these people's lives and see how excited they are to serve the Russian people.

Please pray:

They will be able to get their 13 bags through customs and they won't be lost.

The team will adjust quickly to the time change.

They will get some rest while traveling.

They will have time to prepare for the kids.

Pray for each of the kid's heart to be prepared to hear God's word.

Signing out!

Skit for camp

2008-07-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Our group has been working on a skit for while we are in Russia. It is based on a skit we saw on youtube. (you can see a similar skit if you go to www.youtube.com and search for "lifehouse everything skit") The skit is coming along well and we are excited about it. Please pray that we would able to preform the skit well, but even more importantly that God would use it in the life of the Russian youth.

This is for Anna

2008-07-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

We got your note and thought of this picture. We will see you soon!

I'm a little late in putting this up, but.....

2008-07-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

...it's better late than never.

This was one of the obstacles that we had to do for a ropes course we went to in Twin Falls. The goal is to get everybody over the 14 foot wall. We will be putting one of this up for the youth in Tambov.

p.s. Our whole team did make it over the wall!!

Mike H's knee surgury

2008-07-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

Mike had knee surgury on Tuesday and it went well. He is at home recovering, but will still be able to go with us to Russia. We are excited that Mike is still able to go with us.

Praise God for our support!

2008-07-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

It has been really encouraging to see how God has made a way for us to go to Russia. We have really been blessed with the generosity of people giving to our ministry. We have raise enough money to cover the cost of our trip and also money to help send Russian youth to camp.
We leave for Tambov in two weeks and still have lots of work to do. Please pray for us and our preperations.

Our team with a map of Tambov

2008-05-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

We were able to get a Russian map of the oblast of Tambov. We weren't exactly sure where the camp was located, but from what we understand Mike H. (on the left) was the closest.

Check out the paper

2008-02-22T09:39:00.001-08:00

We just got done doing an interview with Emily Jones from the Idaho State Journal. The article will be in tomorrow's Faith section. The picture will only have 6 of the team members in it. My wife Jessica was working and so was Amber. We are excited to see how it turns out tomorrow!

Date Change and team change

2008-02-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

We were originally going to be traveling from July 18 through Aug. 6, but there has been a change in plans. Due to a conference that is happening in Russia, we will be traveling from Aug. 6-24. Unfortunatly that meant that two of our teammates (William and Kevin) are now unable to join us on the trip, due to timing of school endevors.

Thanks for checking us out

2008-02-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome! If you are looking at this website in response to one of the support letters that we have sent you, we want to thank you for looking into what we are doing. This blog has information about the first group of students going over in 2007 and we will continue posting about our process in preparing for our upcoming trip. We want you to feel like you are a part of what we are doing. Please come back often.

Home

2007-08-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

We pulled into beautiful Pocatello at about 3:00 a.m. on Monday night. Mike's mom met us at the airport in SLC to drive us back and my wonderful wife, Sarah, surprised me by showing up with her. It was so good to be back together with our families and on familiar soil. Sarah made me chicken pesto pizza last night and it didn't even cost me my camera. It has been a little difficult to readjust our clocks to Poky time but I think we're all getting there. Overall we are so glad that God gave us the opportunity to be part of this mission trip. There is a lot to process in our own minds from the expereince, but in debriefing together it's obvious the Lord has used this in some good ways and has expanded our vision for serving Him with our lives.

If you attend UBC, you'll see a brief presentation this Sunday morning on our trip. The plan is to take a Sunday evening in a month for a more detailed account.

It's been encouraging and humbling to hear that people were reading our blog and praying for us while we were away. Sorry for the break in posts over the weekend. We didn't have internet access after Saturday morning. Thanks again for your prayers.

P.S. The picture shows the American team at camp. As you can see, we've changed a little from the experience. Must be the kashi.

The Longest Monday Ever

2007-08-07T21:12:00.002-07:00

We are waiting at our gate in the Moscow Airport as I write this. Because we're chasing the sun we have a 34 hour Monday ahead of us. 11 hours flying to Atlanta, 4 hour layover, and 4 hours to SLC. Yikes! Because of the timing, I expect this to feel much longer than the trip over.

To catch up on the past couple days . . .

2007-08-07T21:12:00.001-07:00

Saturday we left camp and rode in a very crowded bus for two hours to Tambov. We stayed that night at the central church after spending a couple hours walking around the city. It felt like the Hilton after the accommodations we had at camp. I'm not complaining about camp - it was what we expected and we loved every minute of it. But it was nice to sleep on regular (although very hard) beds in a finished room.

On Sunday morning we were on our own for breakfast. We found an outdoor market a few blocks away and picked up some delicious mushroom and potato filled pirogues. During the church service they brought us up on stage to introduce ourselves and sing a song. The whole team crowded around two microphones. I hope Luke and I didn't bring down the quality of the team. We had a little time to shop for souvenirs that afternoon, drank some tea with our friends from camp, and attend the evening service at church. At 8:45 we boarded the train for Moscow and began the long journey home. It was hard to say goodbye to our friends and there were many teary eyes (for the record, it wasn't just the girls). Our translator, Anya, chased us as long as she was able to keep up with the train.

We arrived in Moscow at about 7:30 and headed straight to the airport to kill time. Unfortunately we also killed some healthy rubles. We needed to eat breakfast so we sat down at a regular looking cafe in the airport. The food was mediocre but expensive - about 750 rubles each (the exchange rate is 25 rubles to 1 dollar - you do the math).

Our flight is about to board so I better shut this down. Thanks for your prayers this week. We can't wait to fill you all in on the details in person.

The Best News

2007-08-02T08:16:00.001-07:00

Good news! Dema, the young boy we asked you to pray for, prayed to repent and receive Christ today! Mike shared more with him and the other guys in his tent this afternoon. By the end, Dema and one other boy wanted to pray a simple prayer that acknowledged they are asking Jesus to forgive them of their sins and be the king of their lives. Thanks for praying for him and the other campers and for sharing this joy with us. Please continue to pray that they would be established in their new-found faith and that their faith would prove genuine over time.

In other news, Katie dominated the basketball court today. We played several games of lightning with the Russians. I think she won 5 in a row. I would like to say I wasn't playing at that time, but I was. She kept getting me out over and over and over again. It was a humbling experience and I suppose that's a good thing.

Part way through the evening meeting tonight a serious thunder storm rolled in. The rain dumped in thick sheets and the lightning was cracking close. After a few minutes, the power cut out. We actually stayed in the tent and continued on by using flashlights for another 15 minutes. Although we assumed it would be cancelled, they still wanted us to do our skit. The stormy darkness and pouring rain on the tent roof made a great backdrop to our skit that had a serious tone to it. Eventually we headed inside and finished the meeting. Afterward, we played a hilarious new game called "viking king" that we can't wait to import to America. It's the perfect game for late nights at camps in thunderstorms.

More kashi anyone?

2007-07-31T17:22:00.001-07:00

The "newness" of the experience here is starting to wear off. I, for one, am getting a little tired of a dozen varieties of kashi and hotdogs. I look forward to food that crunches. The food has actually been very good, but it's not like home. I think I would trade my digital camera for a slice of my wife's chicken pesto pizza. I think the water is starting to have an affect on our digestive systems as some of us are feeling a little squirmy. From now on it's bottled water only.

We played softball with some of the staff and campers today. The only other time I've felt so talented on a baseball diamond was when I played with a similar group in China. It doesn't take much skill to be leagues above someone who has never held a bat. They're a very athletic crew but baseball takes a little practice. They picked it up fairly quickly and I look forward to more games. Mike shared his testimony tonight at the meeting. By God's grace, he's feeling much better and did a great job communicating.

One of the brothers here, Andre, is a graphic designer. I asked if he would be willing to design a logo for Crossroads. Within a day he had a half dozen options to choose from. They're all amazing and I can't wait to show them to the rest of our college crew. I don't know how much that would cost to have done in the free market, but it can't be cheap. Andre did it for free, although he keeps joking about a payment of 25 American t-shirts. At least, I think he's joking. Like I said, it's hard to tell sometimes. He's a very neat and creative guy, always quick with a sound effect and facial expression to emphasize a story or joke. He's one of the many Russian brothers and sisters we'll miss when we head home (which is less than a week now).

God bless!

Between Two Worlds

2007-07-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

We have been studying heaven and life with an eternal perspective in our group devotional. We've studied the New Earth to come, which will once again be free from sin's consequences. God will once again walk with us as He did in the garden before the fall. Today we considered our present state as pilgrims and sojourners on this earth, awaiting our true home to come. Life makes so much more sense when we realize that we are living between two perfect worlds - the original sinless creation and the restored earth (heaven - Rev. 21:1) to come. The pain, frustration, and longing we often feel is natural if we are not yet in our homeland. Nicole spoke for all of us when she said that she has studied this before, but it makes so much more sense now that we are away from our present homeland of America. We miss our homes in America, but even more we long for our true country that awaits us as citizens of heaven.

Today we were able to borrow a guitar and sing a few worship songs in English during our group time. It was like drinking from cold, fresh water after being in the desert. They music is great here and I imagine the words are good, but we have no clue what they are saying. To sing and hear music in English felt like such a treat!

Dema, the young boy we shared with yesterday, followed up with us today. He tracked me down this morning and said he thought about the question and knows what God will do if he fails to obey His commands - He will punish him. He really wanted to talk more (as did I) so we met after the evening meeting with our translator. The short of it is we spent an hour talking through Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Through asking questions, drawing pictures, and explaining the passage Dema understood (I think) that God made a way for him to be in heaven with Him through Jesus' death on the cross. Both God's love for Dema and His requirement of justice were satisfied in that one act. All Dema has to do is receive God's free gift. He understands the need to obey God, but he has obedience in the wrong context. He thinks obedience earns God's forgiveness instead of obedience being a result of forgiveness. It was difficult to communicate through a translator, but I think he understands. He wants to think about it more. We still have four more days of camp, so please pray that God would work in His heart, reveal His truth to Him, and that Dema would receive God's gift of salvation.

Thanks for following along at home. We really appreciate your prayers. Thanks to those of you who post comments. We check once in a while and are encouraged by your words.

(The picture is of Luke and Dema in a silly game on stage during the morning meeting)

Sunday, July 29th

2007-07-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day. We all spent more time with campers and had many conversations about God. We performed another skit at the main meeting tonight. If you know me, you probably know that skits aren't exactly my "comfort zone" but they have come together pretty well, praise God. Luke and Nicole have really shined though. I hope Hollywood doesn't get ahold of any clips or we may lose them to the big leagues.

Luke also shared his testimony tonight at the main meeting. He emphasized a burning question he always had growing up. "God, I believe in You. But what do you want me to do?" In college he found out that God desires him to trust in Christ's finished work at the cross and learn to walk in obedience through Christ's power in him. It was obviously difficult for him to speak through a translator because he had to say a few sentences and . . . pause . . . and say a few more sentences and . . . pause . . . It's difficult to keep a train of thought going at full speed when it keeps making stops along the way. He did a great job though and we're very proud.

Luke, Mike, and I had a chance to talk with a neat, young boy named Dema today. He looks to be about 14 and is very amiable. I asked him the same question Luke used in his testimony - "What do you think God wants from you?" He said that God wants him to obey his commandments. I told him that he is right, but can you obey his commandments all the time? He replied with a quick and sheepish "no." We followed with, "What do you think God will do if you cannot obey Him?" He seemed a little surprised by the question and said that he didn't know but would think about it. We asked him to think about it tonight and we will ask him tomorrow what answer he came up with. Pray that he does consider it and the Spirit of God would convict him of his own sin, not simply to lay a thick "guilt trip" on him but so that he could see his need for Christ's provision on the cross.

Mike has been feeling a little sick the past two days. I think it's a combination of a cold and exhaustion. Our team very strongly encouraged him to rest today and he took us up on it - sleeping for 5 hours this afternoon. He looked much better tonight, but please pray that his strength would continue to improve. (Mike says, "Don't worry Mom and Dad, I've had worse)

The picture is of Luke and Nicole discussing anatomy and physiology with Serge, whose parents are doctors. I think the other guy is Serge also. Or Dema. Or Sasha. If we can't remember a name we just through those out and they work for 50% of the Russian guys.

Technology

2007-07-29T17:39:00.001-07:00

We've been surprised by the level of technology here at camp. Digital cameras seem to grow on trees. Laptops litter the office. My own cell phone would be obsolete. I'm accessing the internet via a wi-fi connection hooked up to a cell phone. In the middle of Russia. At camp. For some reason, our assumption about Russia was that they would be a little behind us technologically. The opposite is true for this group. Not only is the technology here, the people I have met use it very well. The first night of camp they recorded and edited a video based on The Matrix to introduce the camp counselors. I think Spielberg would be impressed. That's not to say they are rich. I believe the average income is around $400 per person, so money is tight for most people. But they use the technology they have very well.

Saturday, July 28th

2007-07-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today the campers used the obstacle courses we built for the first time. Everything turned out very well. They got frustrated at some points, but that's the way team building exercises go. In the end, they had a great time, got dirty, and built community with each other. That sense of closeness helps them to be open with their tent leaders and other kids at camp.

We tried to tie in spiritual message when we could. On one part of the ropes course, they are all tied together and attached to a rope that winds around trees and over obstacles. The whole team must follow the rope through everything. At the end of the course the rope was attached 25 feet up a tree trunk. We designed it so that it was impossible for them to do. When they started complaining that there was no way they could do it we explained that it is an illustration for our lives. Although there are many difficult things we can get through, there is no way we can be reconciled to God and live a perfect life. It is impossible. However, Christ came to earth and did what was impossible for us (lived a perfect life) and paid the penalty for our sin on the cross. God treated Christ as if He had lived our lives and, for those who respond to Him in faith, He treats them as if they had lived Christ's life. Hopefully it will help get through to some of the campers. I was told that of the 52 campers here, 20 of them are not believers. They have already had several chances to hear the gospel. Please pray that they would listen carefully and that they would respond this week. The camp director, Vadim, shared his testimony tonight at the meeting. He actually came to Christ at this very camp about 9 years ago. It was a very powerful picture of how God may use the kids at this camp in the future. Tomorrow night someone from our team will share their story. Please pray that it translates clearly and connects with the campers.

Friday, July 27th

2007-07-27T13:54:00.001-07:00

One of the other camp leaders, Sasha, speaks a little English. He thought it was very funny that Katie majored in biology. He thinks the word sounds like "booger" so he keeps asking to see her "booger collection." Very funny.

The campers arrived this afternoon so we had many finishing touches to do. Again, we rarely rested all day long. It's good though. We came to serve and God is giving us opportunities to serve. Sometimes the communication of expectations is difficult, but we are learning to be flexible and willing to change our plans when needed.

Katie, Luke, Mike, Amber, and Nicole are all assigned to tents with 5-8 campers per tent along with one or two other counselors and a translator. Please pray that they could connect well with their campers and be welcomed in as part of the "tent family" and not seen as an outsider.

Spokana noche (good night - sp?)

Thursday, July 26th

2007-07-27T13:53:00.001-07:00

Thursday was non-stop activity. Luke spent 7 1/2 hours suspended from his harness attaching climbing holds to a 30 foot tall brick wall with Mike assisting. By dinner time they had it finished and it looks great. The crowd of Russians gathered around grew in proportion to Luke's progress and height on the wall so that by the time it was done around 20 were ready to watch the first person try. Luke is very safety oriented (unlike some of our Russian brothers) and was very good about insisting on proper safe climbing procedures. After spending almost all day building the wall, he and Mike finished the day by teaching them to climb it. They were very thankful when it became too dark to climb.

While they were building the wall, the rest of us designed an obstacle course that the campers will have to navigate while carrying a 20 ft. log. They will weave it in and out of trees, lift it up to pop balloons, use it to walk across a water pit, carry teammates on it, balance a cup of water on the end, and much more. It was nice to exercise our creative juices and our muscles. We checked with Vadim, the camp director, part way through our design process. He loved it but wanted to make it harder, wetter, and dirtier. Our kind of guy.

I'm so proud of our team. They have hardly had a chance to sit down over the past couple days but they have pushed through and worked very hard. Please continue to pray that we don't get worn out. We usually have activities scheduled until late at night and haven't been able to get as much sleep as we would like. Thursday night we were around the campfire singing songs and listening to each of the 30+ camp helpers share about their expectations and hopes for the camp ahead. It was almost 1:00 a.m. before it was over and we could head to bed. We enjoyed the fellowship and were encouraged by their hearts for the campers and the Lord, but we were also very sleepy. Thankfully, God placed Macy in my life 6 months ago so I would be prepared to function on little sleep. Unfortunately the others haven't had the same blessing. Parenthood has prepared me for camp and camp will prepare them for parenthood.

Adventures at Camp (Wednesday, July 25th)

2007-07-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

We stepped off the train in Lipetsk yesterday morning at about 7:30. Waiting for us were Vadim (the main youth leader for the Tambov region), Rick (an American who has been ministering in Russia since 1993), and another Russian brother who would drive us to the camp. The camp is located about 30 minutes from town in thick, lodge pole pine type trees. There is one large building in camp that is about 40% finished. Only the first of three floors is usuable. It contains a large kitchen and dining area where we will eat, two small bathrooms, and about a dozen bedrooms. We will sleep in two of the rooms until the campers arrive. After the campers arrive on Friday we will sleep out in 10 person tents with them.

The gruff, serious dispositions of the Russian people in Moscow have been replaced by joyful, smiling faces and people who are quick to crack jokes. "Luke" means "onion" in Russian, which they find very funny. They like to tease often and it can be difficult to tell when they are joking or being serious, but we have connected very well. It only took the girls a couple hours to have a crowd of men, women, and children gathering around them and working on crafts. They were laughing and joking without a translator, melting away any apprehension Nicole, Katie, and Amber had. We are all very glad to be here and very much looking forward to the next two weeks.

As I write on Wednesday evening, a serious thunder storm is crashing outside so the whole camp is gathered together in the building. Mike just made his big entrance on the unicycle. Vadim introduced him with a "drum roll" and the whole camp is amazed. Now "Onion" is about to step on. Thankfully he purchased travel health insurance before we left. After Luke, several Russians have attempted. They did about as well as me on my first attempt. Not so good. But everyone is laughing and we are building relationships. Slava Bogu (praise God)!

We have spent the past two days building a low-ropes obstacle course, attaching a safe anchor and climbing rope from the top of the building, preparing the craft projects, helping with camp cleaning, and brainstorming camp games. Katie already had an opportunity to share her story of coming to faith in Christ with a young man named Dyem. Dyem has helped in the kitchen at camp for several years because his friends come here, but he has not yet placed his trust in Christ. He was very interested to hear Katie's testimony though. Please pray for Dyem over the next two weeks, that we will have more opportunities to share with him and his heart would be softened.

By the way, Mike's luggage arrived today. Slava Bogu! His sky blue, 1960's style, hard sided suitcase was a little banged up, but we're very glad it's here. Thanks for your prayers. We miss you all!

Day 3

2007-07-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 23rd - Day 3

We're on the overnight train from Moscow to Lipetsk as we write this. It's dark now but we had a couple hours of light to look out over the Russian countryside. Rolling green hills stretch out to the horizon with thick stands of aspen trees breaking up the grassland. We've passed several small communities with groups of 100 year old farm houses and matching barns. People in Russia say there are two different countries here: the country of Russia and the country of Moscow. It's easy to see that as we ride out of the modern city with 12 million people, Mercedes and BMW's parking on the sidewalk because the city is overflowing with cars, and hotels running $2,000 per night and into the rural areas with subsistence gardens and outhouses in the backyard.

Before boarding the train at 9:00 p.m. we spent the day touring the city with Serge, an accountant with Slavic Gospel Association's Moscow office. He explained that Moscow is an ancient city, founded in 1170 A.D.. We didn't see any buildings that old, but there are many churches and buildings that date back several centuries. They are proud of their history as reflected in the many monuments and churches dedicated to battle victories, conquering generals, poets, and communist leaders. Red Square is impressive, bordered with the tall walls and towers of The Kremlin on one side and beautiful buildings and cathedrals on the other.

Throughout the city are unavoidable remnants of their communist past. A towering statue of Lenin stood right outside our hotel. His embalmed body still resides prominently in a tomb in Red Square. The buildings are decorated with stonework depicting Communist symbols. The railing in bridges show sheaves of wheat and sickles. Many subway stations have mosaics depicting the working class and bronze reliefs of Communist leaders. Serge explained that this poses a problem for the Russian leaders who want to break from Communism but also retain pride in their past and please the people, many of whom still believe in that system. It's a beautiful city though and we enjoyed our tour.

In the mid-afternoon we met up with Vadim, the main youth leader for the Tambov region. He is in charge of the camp we will help with. Vadim would like to turn part of a 30 foot high brick wall at the camp into a climbing wall. The problem is he doesn't have any experience. We happen to have two very experienced climbers in Mike and Luke who are thrilled at the chance to help put the wall together. Coincidence . . . hmmm?

It was nice to board the train and sit for a while after walking the pavement and cobblestones for hours. We had a fun time of fellowship piled into one cabin for the first couple hours. We played a card game, looked out the windows, and talked about the benefits of being around believers from other countries. We've realized it helps us see ourselves and critically analyze our Christian walks in a new light. Now the girls are next door in their cabin and we guys are in another. When the sun wakes us up in the morning we should be in Lipetsk!

P.S. The pictures show the crew in Red Square and Mike, Luke, and Dan on the train

Breakfast in Moscow

2007-07-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

We just polished off breakfast while listening to American pop music from the 80's and 90's. There's something strange about eating hotdogs and sourcream for breakfast in a beautiful, ornate ballroom with M.C. Hammer singing "Can't Touch This" in the background. Besides the hotdogs, most of the food was very good. It was buffet style with fruit, bread, cheese, salami, yogurt, cereal, eggs, and a cooked barley dish. Everyone slept well and we are feeling adjusted to Moscow time. It's been nice to have a day in Moscow to recuperate before heading to the camp. I think we're all anxious for the "ministry" part of our trip to begin but this has been good for our bodies to have a chance to adjust. Today we'll take a tour of the city before boarding our overnight train at 10:00 p.m.

Traveling Mercies

2007-07-22T15:19:00.001-07:00

We landed in Moscow this morning at 10:00 a.m. (midnight Poky time). We're safe, sound, and very sleepy. Although long, everyone agreed that the flight wasn't as difficult as we expected. God was very gracious and allowed us to get some sleep on board. Which is good because I think we're all going on about 5 hours of sleep over the past 48 hours.

The only problems we experienced were with our luggage. We spent two hours in Atlanta waiting in one line after another trying to track down Mike and Luke's bags. We found them eventually and Delta checked them into the system but apparently Mike's two bags didn't make it to Moscow with us anyhow. Please pray that they show up on tomorrow's flight because they hold some valuable items for camp (not to mention for Mike). If they don't show up tomorrow then we'll have to leave without them.

Team unity has been great and we've really enjoyed each other's company. Because we're so far away from home it seems to make the fellowship even sweeter with each other. I'd love to write more, but my bed is calling and it has a very loud voice right now.

p.s. The two pictures show our "bag ladies" waiting patiently in Atlanta and Amber, Katie, Nicole, Luke, and Mike posing on a bridge near our hotel in Moscow. What a photogenic crew!

Waiting in SLC airport

2007-07-21T04:31:00.000-07:00

We showed up at the airport in Salt Lake City a full three and half hours before our flight. Our aching shoulders bearing the weight of bags carrying unicycles, ropes, crafts, and lead stones from Idaho. Maybe not the stones...but it felt like it. With no lines, we breezed through to our gate and now we wait. Luke is drinking the first of many, many lattes. Mike is buried in the book of Numbers. Amber broke a nail . . . but I think she wants to press on. Nicole is journaling. Katie is plugging in her MP3 player. And Dan is typing.

The aiport can be a little taste of heaven. Not so much the over-priced, mediocre food. It is neat to be surrounded by people of different languages, skin color, clothing, and nation. It reminds us of Rev. 7:9-10

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." "

We look forward to the day when all who trust in Christ will worship the Lord together. Until that day . . . we have missions. Thanks for your prayers as we head out on this adventure. We'll try to keep you posted.

Prayer Calender

2007-07-19T22:29:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 20
Psalm 96:3 "Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples."
Pray for traveling mercies and divine appointments as the group leaves tonight and travels as far as Atlanta. Today's verse is the team's theme verse.

Saturday, July 21

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing."
Pray for team unity during the upcoming trip. The group leaves Atlanta this afternoon for Russia.

Sunday, July 22
Psalm 121:71 "The Lord will protect you from all evil."
Pray for quick recovery from jet lag as the team arrives in Moscow. Ask God to keep everyone healthy and safe in the days ahead.

Monday, July 23
Psalm 4:8 "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for Thou alone, O Lord, dost make me to dwell in safety."
The group spends the day in Moscow and travels overnight to Lipetsk. Pray for everyone to sleep throughout the trip.

Tuesday, July 24
1 Corinthians 16:14 "Let all that you do be done in love."
The team arrives at the camp today where beginning Friday they will be ministering to 80 high school aged young people. Pray for bonds of Christian love to develop between our group members and the Russian counselors.

Wednesday, July 25
Genesis 31:49 "...May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other."
Pray for Dan's family while he is gone. Ask God to give Sarah grace and patience as she takes care of the children and deals with day to day issues.

Thursday, July 26
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
On this last day before the campers arrive, pray for God to equip all of the camp staff so they can effectively proclaim the gospel in the week ahead.

Friday, July 27
Isaiah 55:11 "So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
As camp begins today, pray for the team members to rely totally on God as they reach out to the campers with the love of Christ.

Saturday, July 28
John 6:35 "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.'"
This is today's theme verse. Each day of the camp is focused on one of the "I am" statements of Christ. Pray that the testimonies of the team members will be powerful and used by God to draw the campers to Christ. Pray for accurate translation.

Sunday, July 29
John 8:38 "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.'"
Pray that today's theme verse will come alive through the skits, music and discussion.

Monday, July 30
John 10:9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
This is today's theme verse. Pray for our team's devotions this week, focusing on heaven and living with an eternal perspective.

Tuesday, July 31
John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me."
Pray that good relationships are developing between the campers and the counselors. Today's theme is the good Shepherd - how God cares for us.

Wednesday, August 1
John 11:25-26 "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
Pray that today's theme of resurrection and eternity will prove to be powerful, as the campers consider their own eternity.

Thursday, August 2
John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.'"
Pray that today's theme verse will prompt many questions and that the counselors will have answers that point the campers to Christ.

Friday, August 3
John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser."
On this last day of camp, pray for many decisions for Christ.

Saturday, August 4
2 Thessalonians 3:3 "but the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."
Our team travels to Tambov today. Pray for safe travel and spiritual protection.

Sunday, August 5
Psalm 119:18 "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Thy law."
The group attends church in Tambov today and travels overnight by train to Moscow. Pray for the team to continue to be amazed by our awesome God.

Monday, August 6
Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
Our team returns home today. Praise the Lord! Pray that this trip created a passion for missions in our college students.

Location, location

2007-07-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering where Tambov is...

The camp we will minister at is actually located in the oblast (state) to the west near the town of Lipetsk (not shown).

Trip itinerary:

2007-07-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a rough itinerary for the days we're gone.

Friday, July 20th:
Leave Pocatello ~ 6:00 p.m.
Depart SLC 11:59 p.m

Saturday, July 21st:
Arrive Atlanta 5:30 a.m.
Depart Atlanta 3:40 p.m.

Sunday, July 22nd:
Arrive Moscow 10:30 a.m.
SGA driver picks us up at the airport, takes us to our hotel
Spend remainder of Sunday at hotel or nearby

Monday, July 23rd:
Tour Moscow with guide
Board overnight train to Lipetsk

Tuesday, July 24th
Arrive in Lipetsk (probably around 8:00 a.m.), picked up at train station and taken to Transformation Christian Center (camp)
Prepare camp for campers; practice skits, testimonies, music, etc.; bond with Russian camp coordinators

Wednesday, July 25th - Thursday, July 26th
Prepare camp for campers; practice skits, testimonies, music, etc.; bond with Russian camp coordinators

Friday, July 27th – Friday, August 3rd
Camp with 80 Russian high school students

Saturday, August 4th
Travel to Tambov with Russians

Sunday, August 5th
Fellowship and Worship at the central church in Tambov
Board overnight train for Moscow

Monday, August 6th
Depart Moscow 1:10 p.m., arrive Atlanta 5:00 p.m.
Depart Atlanta 9:15 p.m., arrive SLC 11:06 p.m.
Arrive in beautiful Poky at about 2:30 a.m. – unless we are too tired to drive safely and need to stay in a motel :)

Testing...

2007-07-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

Less than two weeks to go! This is a test of our blog. We hope to update it daily while we are traveling and in country.