not a home...

Ok, so this has been on my mind for the past few days...

There is a sweet sweet girl named Anastasia (Nastya) that we met on our first trip to the orphanage. She formed a really strong bond with Erin, and it has been really cool to see her grow up. She is a beautiful girl, and has such a sweet spirit. She is graduating from the orphanage this year, and will be moving to the city.

That being said, while we were there, one of the women that work at the orphanage told us a little more about her situation. We were told that Nastya inherited a flat that had been her parents when they were alive. Because she is old enough to leave the orphanage now, she can have this flat. At first, I thougth, "What great news, she will have a place to call her own after all of those years at the orphange!!" -- but then we heard the rest of the story. The flat is in very bad shape. Apparently - almost unlivable. Because it has been vacant for so long, there have been homeless people that have used it as their shelter (using it for all sorts of things), and also it has not been kept up through all of these years by the government. I am not even sure of the details, but I think it needs quite a bit of construction work (new door, probably new floors, definitely new wall-paper or paint, etc.) And also, we learned that flats to not come standard with bathroom facilities, etc. That is not a home... I have not seen the place, but I know this sweet girl will need a lot of support to make her flat livable.

The sad fact is that if she is not able to renovate this flat, she will probably end up in the public housing for orphans that attend technical school. We have heard some very hard statistics about the orphans that end up in this housing. The percentage of girls who are sexually abused, mafia interaction, drugs, etc. skyrockets by putting a teenager in this environment.

I am not even sure what I'm saying -- I guess awareness is the key... Please pray for this sweet girl... she would have to move in sometime right before September, and I have no idea how this orphan girl is going make it ready... BUT God is good and He is faithful....

SO - If you know of anyone who would be willing to support us in helping this sweet girl, please let me know... we have some contacts in Russia that we trust wholeheartedly, and they could probably help her with the right resources. Thank you so much and again, just be praying.

Our trip in pictures...

So, here are some pictures from the trip, if you have Facebook, you can check out TONS more! :) I have about 100 in an album and Michelle has a ton too! There are plenty of sweet Russian faces to look at.... but here are a few of my favorites!

This is a picture out Blythe & Michelle's hotel room window our last night in Moscow (at about 11:00pm might I add)... one of my favorite things in Russia are the sunsets, so this was a great way to end our trip...

This is a great picture! Chris and Aaron in their cowboy gear with 2 of our translators and one of the graduates! :)

Chris enjoyed those s'mores a little too much I think! Priceless!

These are our Texas-style s'mores that we brought and then cooked in their little toaster oven! They were a big hit! Along with the chips & queso!

I love this girl! It was her birthday the day we saw her and she turned 12!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe that she is so old.... she is precious!

We got to see Igor & Danil!!!! They were not in the 2 groups that got to come to the city from Solotcha, but God is good, and we got to see them the day before we left! Pray for Igor (left) as a family from our church is in the process of adopting him & his siblings... and pray for Danil that God would move a family to adopt him! He is one of the sweetest boys I've ever met...

I love this picture! This is sunday morning walking from our hotel to the Baptist Church in town.... getting ready to worship with our Russian brothers & sisters!

Great picture of Aaron and some of the boys at the bowling alley! I interrupted their game for a photo-opp!

John, Artyom and Atrur!!! Sweet little ones:)

YAY! So happy I got to see sweet Nadya! Last year she was at camp during our time at Solotcha! Again, she has grown so much...

I love this picture of sweet Masha! I love seeing her... she has one of the sweetest little hearts!

Blythe and Sasha! Sasha is new to Solotcha from a different orphanage... she is so sweet!

ALOSHA! We love him.... what a cutie! He was so excited to see the team... especially Chris!!!!! :)

Bittersweet

Coming home is always so bittersweet....

Stepping down on Texas land is great (besides being back in the hot and humid) and seeing family and friends is great....

BUT - a huge part of me is still in Russia with all those sweet kids and all of our friends that have become so dear to us.

It is really hard to process all of these emotions... I feel myself tearing up at the drop of a hat these days... but this is always the progression of coming home...

I think the hardest part is knowing that I have so much, and these kids and grads have so little... don't get me wrong, God has definitely blessed me and I am SO thankful for it, but I KNOW that on many occasions I use those blessings in ways that benefit me - and not His kingdom. I guess coming home just reminds me of how selfish I am so much of the time...

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I need to re-evaluate a lot of things...

-how I spend my money

-how I spend my time

-the focus of my prayer life (me centered or others centered)

-how I view others (with my eyes or His)

-my future (my plan or His)

I challenge you to pray with me in these things... I think that God wants to do something huge - I can feel it... and He wants to use ALL of us.... maybe in different ways -- but I don't want to miss out on what He has in store

Day 6: My how you've grown!

Today 20 kids from Solotcha got to come to the Ministry Center! Right when they got their, we loaded up and took them bowling! This is a bit of a tradition for them.... each year we take all of the older kids on a bowling and pizza trip. It was SO good to see some of our favorite kids!! Valdemar was there and he must have grown a FOOT since the last time I saw him in December. Also, Sergei was there... and I didn’t even recognize him... last time I saw him he was average height, kind of lanky and looked like 14... now he’s 16 and looks so old. The cool thing is that he was still super involved, and even gave Keith his phone number so that he could contact him the next time we are in Ryazan. It was great to see the kids from Solotcha today. Again, we just keep saying that there is not enough time. My heart longs to go to the orphanage, but I know God is sovereign, and we are bringing Him glory through sharing His word with these graduates. After the Solotcha kids left, we took the graduates to the Coffee Bean for dinner and coffee!! It was an amazing sight to see the graduates laughing and our team members smiling and talking for hours. God is good.

There is still so much more to be done. Tomorrow is our last full day here. It’s hard to believe. We are going to a camp to visit some small children (yay!!) that our friend Viktor works with at the Rybnaya orphanage. We are so excited to see these little ones! Pray for our time with them and pray for the rest of the time we have here with the graduates, staff, and friends.

There have been many great conversations with grads, kids and friends alike about the God we serve, and the one who paid our debt... please pray for each seed that has been planted, and for more opportunities to share and cultivate relationships!

I can’t believe our trip has almost come to an end....

Day 5: Now this is Church!

Day 5: Now This is Church!

Today was a day set aside for us to meet with some of the local churches! We went first to the Baptist church in town, and even though we could not understand the language, it was very cool to worship with our brother’s and sister’s in Christ! Oh, and not to mention we ate some real Russian fish soup.... joy! ;) Then, we went to Slava’s church that afternoon. It was very cool because there were people from 3 different churches (actually 4 including us!) meeting together to praise Jesus! Some of the people were from Nigeria - they are studying here in Ryazan at the medial university and really have a heart for the Russian people. It really was a great day. One of my favorite moments from Sunday was singing “Open the Eyes of My Heart” and hearing words being sung to Jesus in all of our different languages.... now that’s Church!

Day 4: Happy Russian Independence Day!

Day 4: Happy Russian Independence day! haha! We started out by going to the Ministry Center! The first boy to come in was Sergei that we met at Solotcha a few years ago. He graduated at 16 and is now in the city. We thought that he was living in the public dorms, but we found out that he is living with his parents again... he went to the orphanage at a young age because his parents lost their parental rights because of alcoholism and other things... it just breaks my heart to think that he is living in that environment again. Anyway- we came in to the ministry center and a few of the kids started to come in. The older boys really started to open up and started hanging out more on this day. We then went to lunch, and then took a “trolly bus” which everyone renamed a “charly-bus” because it sounds like ‘charly-bus’ in Russian. That’s besides the point haha - so we took public transport over to the bowling alley. We took about 10 of the graduates bowling... it was a lot of fun! There was a lot of laughter and a lot of smiles! After that we walked through the city, and went to the Ryazan kremlin! The buildings and architecture are so beautiful. Walking around with the grads is a great time for conversation... they are really starting to open up!After that, we had dinner and came home to the hotel!

Day 3: Solotcha Kids:)

Day 3: Again (I think this was friday) haha, we started with breakfast and then headed out to the Ministry Center! This was the day that we got to bring some of the kids from Solotcha!!! They arrived, and we were waiting for their bus... It was SO good to see them! They ran off of the bus to come give us big hugs! The first sweet face I saw was Alosha (Sasha's little brother) and he ran straight to Chris and gave him a huge hug! We also saw some of my favorite little 10 year olds! Lolita, Nadya & Nadya, Sveta, Masha (Valdemar's sister), Valya, etc. Blythe got a big surprise when Ana & Nastya got off of the bus.... it was a beautiful moment! They were so excited to see each other. There were 20 kids from Solotcha (about 10 kids that we knew and about 10 kids that were brand new that we’ve never met before. We played some games (Q-Tip wars) and did some crafts. We ordered pizza, and then by the time we looked up, it was time for them to go home..... it went too fast. I can't believe it... it really went too fast. There were many opportunities for good conversations and pouring into these kids. That night, we invited some of the graduates to La Plaza (our favorite pizza restaurant) to have a meal together. It was a lot of fun! And it was also Chris’ birthday, so we got him some cakes and had a celebration! Again, a few pictures from the day (don't worry, we'll post plenty when we get back :)

Day 2: We're Here!

Day 2: This was our first day in the city! We woke up, had some breakfast and then headed to the Ministry Center! We had no idea what to expect, we just knew that once we arrived, we would meet with the staff, and then wait for some orphan graduates to arrive whenever they could. The amazing thing was that the first person that I saw when I walked in the door was Sergei. This is a boy that I met at the orphanage 3 years ago. He was one of the grads that I really hoped to see. He is only 16, and is living in the city now and going to technical school. We played some football (actually the boys did, and we chatted with the girls) and then we headed to lunch! When we got back from lunch, our friend Viktor was outside waiting to see us!!! What a great great surprise! We spent the rest of the day meeting all of the graduates, and then we hung out that night and caught up on the day.

Day 1: In Flight!

I hoped that this update would come much earlier in our trip, but we do not have wifi at the place we are staying at like we'd hoped! So... I think I'll give you a short (actually, after typing it, it may be kind of long! haha) update of the trip, and how things have been going so far...

I can definitely say that trips like these are so hard to describe, so I will not be able to do justice to the stories we have heard, the sweet kids we have met, and the different spiritual battles we have seen.... that being said... GOD IS GOOD!

I'll try and post some pictures in between as well, so you can see what we've been up to!

We are at a coffee shop right now bumming their wifi and, if you read my last post, you know that i'm super happy right now, because I just ate the best cheese sandwich in the world (now I have proof, because Blythe thinks so too! hah)

Anyway- here we go...

Day 1: We left Houston at 5:45 on a straight 11 hour flight to Moscow! The flight was good, but it was actually very turbulent... At one point, Ricardo’s coffee spilled a little bit! haha But we made it to Moscow, and then got into our bus, and made the long 4 hour trip to Ryazan! What a long journey, but we were finally in Ryazan and we crashed at our hotel as soon as we arrived.

Leavin', on a jet plane...

We leave tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't finished packing yet... maybe I should do that! Haha!! In honor of our departure, I have a few things to share with you about what I'm excited about!!! :) hehe! Some silly, and some super great! SO, here we go!!

Top ten things I'm looking forward to in Russia:

10.) Getting to practice my Russian!

I am very nervous about this!! I was telling Anya (my amazing friend/Russian teacher) that every time I get around a native Russian speaker, everything I learned leaves my head and all I can think to say is "da!!" haha!

9.) Cheese Sandwich & Cappuccino at the Coffee Bean

There is this super awesome coffee shop and they have the best grilled cheese & the biggest cappuccino!! Picture below to prove it! :)

8.)Greek Salad @ Pizza at La Plaza

Yes, another food item, but the cheese in Russia is SO good that it has become something I crave!! So, the greek salad and pizza at our favorite pizza restaurant definitely make the list! (The one on the left was some meat salad that Chris got, but the right is my FAVORITE greek salad ever!)

7.)Russian Sunsets

The pictures will speak for themselves! (Oh, and sunsets are kind of one of my favorite things!) God's beauty displayed!

6.)Seeing our translator friends!!!! :):) Yay!

We have built some great relationships with the translators we've had in years past, and they are definitely our friends more than our translators! I can't wait to see them!!!

5.) Getting to visit the local church!!

The last few trips I've taken, we've gotten to spend some time with a few of the local churches, and I'm SO excited to hopefully get the chance to see them while we are in Ryazan! :)

4.) Seeing our brother Viktor!

We met a guy that graduated from our orphanage a few years ago, and he has definitely become part of our family! We are all looking forward to seeing him!

3.) Seeing our Sweet kids!!!!!!!

Even though we are not going to be able to go to the orphanage (we are still playing for a miracle!!!) we will hopefully get to see the kids! They are SO amazing, and I can't wait to see them!

2.) Hanging out with the Grads!!!!

We will be working at the ministry center and hanging out with the kids who have graduated from various orphanages! I can't wait to see all of them, and to meet some new grads as well! :)

Last, but not least, and definitely most important:

1.) Getting to tell people about my Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!! :):)

I will definitely update before we leave with some specific prayer requests, for all of you prayer warriors out there!! And, we should have access to the internet every now & then, so hopefully we can update you guys through blog updates! :)

Scared...

Ok, so our church sponsor's our orphanage in Russia through an organization called Children's HopeChest. They have carepoints and Ministry Centers in Russia, Africa, and are now reaching out to Haiti and many more places.

The CEO of HopeChest, Tom Davis, has traveled all over to these various places and come in contact with hundreds of orphans, and children who are in need. His heart for the Fatherless and 'least of these' is amazing...

He decided to write a book with stories from some of his travels, in hopes to get people involved in the effort to bring aid to the orphan, and spread the good news of Jesus Christ!

Anyway- this is not an advertisement for HopeChest or Tom Davis, but I DID want to let you know about a book that I just read, and one that I am about to read.... Scared was inspired by true stories of children in Africa. I finished it Sunday, and closed the book as tears were still running down my face. I cannot tell you the last time I wept while reading a book.... don't get me wrong, I'm definitely what they call a "cry-er" haha... but this story was heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time.

I will not give anything away, because I want you to experience it for yourself.... but I really encourage you to read it... Tom Davis said it himself, .... it is sad, but it is real, and it is what is happening to sweet children around the world....

So, because HopeChest works in different places around the world, Tom Davis wrote a 2nd novel called Priceless. It is about the devastation that the sex-slave industry is causing to tons girls in that country. I just stared it last night, and I can only imagine what is in store for me as I read.... these are real stories... these are things that are happening NOW...

I really encourage you to get these books, and read.... ask God how he would have you do about it. So Get It, Read It, and then do something about it.... there are tons of ways to get involved!!!!

P.S. I do warn you... these are not 'read in public' books... They will infuriate you, and move you to tears all on the same page... So, make sure you have plenty of tissue handy...

Oh, and by the way, you overpaid...

I can't believe it is June 2nd.

I really can't.

We leave in 5 days! WOW!!!!! 5 Days!!! I am SO excited!

The past month has been a whirlwind of chaos, but life is good, and God is great!

I finished my 2nd to last semester at Sam Houston State University! YAY! I passed my math certification exam, and now, all I have to do is pass my PPR student teach in the fall, do my Teacher Work Sample (oh the dreaded TWS), and then Graduate in DECEMBER! I have been looking forward to this day for a long.... looooong time!!! But it will come soon enough. I'm excited to see what doors God opens up for after graduation!

One of the HUGE things that has been going on in the past month is obviously our trip to Russia, and trying to fundraise for that! I can't even explain to you how much God has provided. Again, and again we have seen his love through His provision. I know in my heart that this trip is exactly what God had in mind, because He has completely moved through His people to support it! We had a garage sale a few weekends ago and had SO much to sell... on Friday as we were setting up car-full after car-full kept pulling in to donate their unwanted items! THEN, to top it off, we made over $2,500!!! I know garage sale's can be a hassle... but what an amazing few days it was! It was great bonding time for our team.... we found some pretty interesting articles... hah, and also it was great to see people from our church body showing their support in ALL sorts of ways! Praise God for all those that supported through donations... if you are one of them, we so greatly appreciate you! Also, those who supported by giving their time! There were quite a few friends that stopped by just to lend a helping hand! Not to mention Hope Heald that came out and priced everything and was our voice of reason when it came to selling items!! It would not have been a success without her! One thing that was amazing to me is that even after all of our fundraising was over, we got a call from children's HopeChest and they said that we "overpaid by $600" so we're getting a refund....... now I'm kind of a math person, so i did the math and I just don't see how it makes sense... but I know that God is showing us His favor even in an event like this!

GOD IS GOOD!

I am overwhelmed when I think about all of the ways that God has provided for us, and I love that He always beckons us to trust Him, even in those moments when all seems lost -- because that is when we truly see that everything is His, and comes from Him..... and it is nothing of ourselves... He whispers to us, just wait, and trust in Me...

Thank you all for being the hands and feet of Christ to our team... and for your support prayerfully, financially, and physically!

We're packing our supply bags tonight.... Velveeta, Rotel, Salsa and all.... I'll keep you updated! Stay tuned for more specific ways you can pray!

Я вас силно люблю и молюсь за вас!