It doesn't get any better than this!

What a mighty God we serve! As you know, we have been sponsoring a movie night for the older kids at Child in Danger Shelter (CID) for the past few weeks. This past Friday night we took them to a Christian hip hop concert lead by the youth leadership at New Generation Church. The kids loved it! And the best news - four of them accepted Jesus during the concert! Sasha and Vashya (picture), both boys, about 11/12 years of age, raised their hands when asked if they had prayed for the first time; but they were too shy to go forward and be recognized, so Galya (she dresses in baggy clothes, her hair is many different colors, and she has several body piercings - these are all outward appearances - who loves God and ministers to street people) went over to them and talked briefly with them, inviting them back next Friday night.

Liza, a precious young girl of 12, told Lena that she was praying the prayer until Victor said "...and give me a new heart, oh God" at which time she said she stopped because she didn't think she needed to go that far - she said her heart beat just fine and she didn't think she needed to get a new one. Lena explained to her what he had meant and Liza laughed and said, "Oh, well, then, yes, I want THAT new heart!" Sometimes we forget that the Christian phrases we use are like a foreign language to people who weren't raised in the church.

The fourth new Christian was Katya. She will graduate this year from high school and wants to be a doctor. She is very smart, and she and Lena seemed to really make a connection when we went bowling the first week I was here. Katya did not hesitate to go forward when Victor asked who had accepted Jesus, and she wants to go back to youth night each Friday night and attend church with Lena and the other ROL kids. Katya will also go with us this coming weekend on a retreat that we are having for the ROL family and some prospective new family members.

Sunday was a great day as we got to be a part of Losha's baptism. Losha is the deaf resident at the Frunzenskaya apartment and he and Meisha (the other resident at Fr.) attended a retreat this past weekend at Vineyard Church. A group of 6 of us traveled the one hour bus ride to be there for worship services and the baptism on Sunday. We are so proud of Losha and know that God is going to do great things through him in the deaf community here in St. Petersburg. So keep him in your prayers.

God is good and keeps blessing and blessing! Pray for Greg, Susan, and Jonathon Furr who arrived on Saturday and will minister with me this week here in StP, and then will travel to Sosnova with John Neese next week to work at the orphanage up there. They will have a busy two weeks, as will I, as I get ready to wind down this trip.

From Russia with love,

Nancy