Road of Life Grads

When I first met the Road of Life family, Lucya was the counselor at the Frunzenskaya apartment. There were three girls living there with her: Anya Tall, Natasha, and Little Anya. Most of you know Anya Tall (seated, second from left), as she was able to spend Christmas with me in the US. She just completed an advanced English course and is working two days a week at Hospital #15. She has also been helping to train Natasha (seated, left) and Little Anya (standing) to work at the hospital. During my first week of ministry, she, along with Lucya, acted as translator for Dustin and I, and did a great job.

Anya lives in a communal apartment with six other neighbors, the closest being next door, and Anya calls her Grandma. I was able to meet this sweet lady who watches over our Anya this past Wednesday night when I went to visit Anya's apartment and have dinner with her. We also experimented with making homemade guacamole, and it was a great success! Anya has also become very involved in our ministry at Child in Danger Shelter, as our apartment hosts the older residents at CID for movie night on Fridays. The kids have enjoyed it, and we have all received a blessing from it as well.

Natasha is very quiet, and always seemed to me to be an observer - she sits back and quietly watches everyone and everything, and I think she has a true gift of discerning truth and the needs of others. She and Little Anya recently lost their apartments through a set of circumstances that are too deep for me to go into; but just to cut to the chase - God answered our prayers and provided them with an apartment for the two of them and their friend Katya, in a good location with good neighbors. We had prayed about this situation during the first week I was here, and during my second week, God showed up with the money to help find a good apartment - just like he ALWAYS does!

Natasha and Little Anya are both being trained at Hospital 15 for work there, and are kept busy all the time. I attended the International (American) Church with them last Sunday, and hope to get a chance to see their new apartment before I leave. Cindy and Eddie Williams had donated a large trash bag full of towels and bathroom accessories, and Natasha and Little Anya are excited to get those items to help furnish their new apartment.

Photo taken after church, Sunday, April 6 (Back, standing: Max, Nancy, Liza, Nelly, Anya Tall, Sasha; Front: Vika, Tyson, Meisha, Lucya, Natasha, Little Anya)

Continue to pray for these three young women, our first graduates from ROL, as they continue to seek God's will in their lives. Anya Tall may have an opportunity to do an internship with a church in Houston with their Children's Ministry this summer, so pray that we will receive word on that soon and that her visa application will be granted. Also, pray for Natasha and Little Anya as they adjust to new living conditions and their new jobs.

From Russia with Love!

Nancy