Final from Russia

Well, it's finally here - my last day in Russia - my birthday. This is a cool birthday - I was born in 1954 and I'm 54 today!

I spoke at a public school on Wednesday and the kids were great. One young lady said, "You are kidding about being old, right?" I said, "No, I'm about to celebrate my 54th birthday." She said, "No way! My mother is 40 and she looks lots older than you!" So the answer is - yes, coloring your hair helps, but the greatest key is your heart - you're only as old as you are at heart - of course that's scary, because at heart I'm 21 - and do I really want to go through all this again!?! Oh, another student asked what I liked most about Russia and I said, "The chocolate!" They all laughed, and then Wednesday afternoon, Natasha, the assistant counselor at Child in Danger, whose son was in the class at school, brought me a dog puppet that was stuffed full of all kinds of chocolates! Wow!

The kids at Dormitory 70 (photo at right: Me, Natasha and Luda standing; Tatiana, Anya, Nadia, Ilya, Masha, and Lucya seated) were great Thursday night, and Ilya sang a Spanish love song to me and Pam. He is so funny. We started my first night at the dorm with a kiss to the cheek. The second week, it was both cheeks; the third, three cheeks - are you getting the picture here? Last night we lost count, and the counselor started making loud smacking sounds, and the whole place was rolling in laughter (that's better than crying, right?).

Tatiana, the head counselor of the whole dorm, gave me a really cool birthday present, and Luda, one of the girls that is thinking of coming to live at the family home, gave me a silk screen water color that she painted in class. She is studying to be an artist, but is very shy about her work. She is really talented, and I pray that she will be a great success in whatever she does.

Valya, who has returned from her mission trip to Africa (see blog below), cut Masha's and Ilya's hair last night, so we were having "make-over" time as well as English lessons. And Nicola (pictured above), an American who has taught English at one of the universities here, brought Easter eggs for everyone and shared her testimony. After the testimony, which was really amazing, Tatiana said she could not believe that the young woman standing in front of us could have been an alcoholic and drug user during her teens and early twenties. Tatiana then said, "It is amazing what God can do in someone's life. You are a testimony to His great work." Wow!

Today will be a busy day as I move my luggage to Vera and Vova's for transport to the airport at 3:30 a.m. tomorrow morning. They are also planning a birthday bash there tonight; and I will have tea this afternoon at Natasha and Little Anya's new apartment. I got my suitcases packed last night, and yes, all you chocolate fans, one is full of candy - oh, and some really amazing teas I discovered this trip. So pray that no hungry, thirsty luggage inspectors check me out too closely!

God bless you, and keep me in your prayers. Also, Greg, Susan, and Jonathon Furr will be leaving Saturday morning about 10:30, and Patty Adams hopes to get a flight out on Saturday as well (she flies standby because her hubby is a pilot and she gets really cheap tickets, but has to fly standby, so we're never sure when she's coming or going - that didn't sound good!) so keep them lifted up as well.

From Russia with sadness,

Nancy

Saying “Goodbye” to Dormitory 35

I know it’s been a few days since I last wrote, and this event took place on Monday night, but it is hard for me to talk about (or write about) these experiences – I’m just too emotional right now. Part of it is that I’m physically and mentally tired (okay, I admit it, I’m exhausted!), and part of it is that, as we all know, it is hard to say “Goodbye.” It’s hard when you’ve only been on the mission field for one week, or two; but it’s especially difficult when you’ve been here for six weeks – I can’t imagine how those who have been here for a whole 9-month school term will do it! You spend so much time with the same people that they become like family; you travel to the same ministry sites each week and those kids become like family; your family just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and it gets harder and harder to tell them goodbye that last time.

Dormitory 35 is one of the most awful sites I have ever seen in St. Petersburg, and I’ve seen some pretty bad ones. These kids are not even on the “ladder” of anyone’s thoughts – forget the bottom rung, they’re not even standing close to the ladder itself! They have nothing. There are three young people to each room that has three single beds, two or three straight-back chairs, and one desk. Many of the kids are disabled, either physically or mentally, and no one cares whether they wake up in the morning, or whether they return home at night. More than half of them will simply, as Lucya says, “Be disappearing.” They just vanish, and no one looks for them. They just hold the bed open for a few months and then give it to someone else.

All Russian citizens have a room allocated to them – many are from family inheritances; i.e. the family has a set of rooms and one is designated for the child when he/she graduates from school. All of these kids at Dorm 35 have those rooms allocated to them, and people who like to take advantage of uneducated people drive up in their shiny black cars, hold out a bag of money and a piece of paper, and tell the kids, “Hey, just sign this paper and sell me your room; then you can have this bag of money!” Of course, the kids don’t count the money, they don’t seek legal counsel (they don’t even know what that is!), and suddenly they have lost their inheritance, and when they graduate from the dorm they have no place to go.
Little Losha (pictured here in his "new" clothes that were donated by a local church) is one of those people. He came to the family home over a year ago, but was so addicted to his cigarettes (and lying), and so enjoyed his independence, that Marina Topol, the director of Road of Life, had to send him back to the dorm. She and others had thought that once Losha got back to the dorm he would want to return to the security of the family home, but it didn’t work out that way. You see, orphans don’t look at the world like those of us who had the security of a family and home do. They see you, you take them in, they begin to trust you and love you and depend on you, and then when something goes wrong and you punish them, they see it as another abandonment, someone else throwing them away.

Losha will graduate this spring from the dorm and he has no place to go but to a social hotel. This is like a hostel and is where ex-convicts go to live when they get out of prison, where prostitutes live and do business, and where drugs are the norm. On Monday night, Lucya asked Losha would he please return to the family home and he said, “No. I want to live at the social hotel. It will be an adventure.” I think he’s scared – I know I would be – but he’s afraid to again put his trust in us. He sees his being returned to the dorm as our failure, and maybe it is.
Losha, Olga (pictured above with Lucya), and Natasha (pictured below) walked us to the metro from the dorm, because they wanted to be with me as long as they could since it was my last night with them. Losha had sat beside me all evening, tickling me, trying to make me laugh; hugging me at unexpected moments; just making a general nuisance of himself (and I loved every minute of it!). As I stood in the metro saying goodbye to these three precious young people, I grabbed Losha, hugged him, and then placed my hands on each of his cheeks and said, “I love you! We all love you! I will miss you. Do you understand that?” He said, “Yes.” I then told him, “Quit smoking those awful cigarettes because they are killing you in here (I pointed to his chest).” He smiled and nodded; and then I told him, “And beautiful Christian girls don’t like to kiss handsome men with bad cigarette breath!” He again smiled, nodded, and hugged me one last time.

My main rule is that I don’t cry in front of the kids. I want them to remember all of our time together as happy times. That’s why I carry tissues in my pocket the last week; why I cry on the escalator going down to the metro train; why I cry myself to sleep each night. It’s an emotional time, and it’s going to get harder each day. Tonight (Thursday night), I have to say goodbye to the kids at Dormitory 70 – another tough one! Then Friday night I have to be happy as we celebrate my 54th birthday and then cry myself into exhaustion on the plane Saturday as I return home.

Saying “Goodbye” here on earth is hard – isn’t it wonderful that we will never have to say “Goodbye” in heaven! Once we get “home” we’ll be there forever and ever, never having to shed a tear, or wave goodbye, or hug a child for perhaps the last time. Thank You, Father God for the blessings of this trip, and I will always be thankful for the precious lives your have let me be a part of.

From Russia with Love,
Nancy

Thanks, Karen

I just wanted to take a minute to thank Karen Bull for her faithfullness to read the blog and make comments. So often when you post or publish something like this, you are never sure if anyone is out there reading it! Karen has always made a comment or asked a question, so I know that she (if no one else) is reading along and enjoying my journey.

It's good to have faithful, Christian friends, and we can all look forward to her blog when she, her husband John, and their four children come to St. Petersburg to live as Road of Life counselors next September. TALK ABOUT A CHALLENGE! They will need your prayers for sure!

Nancy

Winding Down – 10-9-8-7-6...

It’s hard to believe my time in St. Petersburg is almost done. I have missed everyone back home, but it is going to be so hard to say “Goodbye” this week. So many special people have helped to make this trip a memorable one. Of course, I couldn’t have done any of God’s work without the help of two great translators – Lucya and Anya. I have known them both for over four years, and feel that they are two of my daughters. We talk to each other like mother/daughter, and share many thoughts with each other. I will truly miss them, and the light that they have been in my life these past weeks.

Anya has been offered an internship with the Childrens’ Ministry at Second Baptist Church in Humble, Texas, and we will have more information on that in the next few weeks. Pray that she will see God’s will for her life, as she seeks His guidance in this decision as to whether or not to live in the US for the summer. (Photo: Me, Liza, and Anya at Child in Danger)

Lucya (pictured with Roustik from Child in Danger) is beginning her own ministry, separate from Road of Life. It has been a hard decision to make, but circumstances that were ordained by God have made it easier for her to see His will in many things that have happened over the last few months. As she has spent many hours in Bible study and prayer, God has shown her His great plan for her. She will begin to do work searching for the children to become a part of the transition/family home ministries that are available here. She has so many wonderful contacts and God is opening so many doors that will allow her to see those young people who are in need, and hopefully have a home to place them in. She will be working closely with both Road of Life, based here in St. Petersburg, and also with Reflections of Hope, the ministry that sponsors Gary and Pam Austutz out of Ohio. It is her prayer that God will continue to place the desire in the hearts of Americans to help sponsor more of these homes, so that we can help to save many of the young people who are disappearing each year.

Meisha, who will graduate from ROL this May, shared in his testimony this past weekend how when he graduated from the orphanage and was offered a place at ROL, he declined, because he wanted to live in the dormitory with his friends. But over the next year, as he watched more and more of them simply disappear, never to be heard from again, he realized that suddenly he was alone more and more, and he sought out the safety and hope that was available through ROL. Please pray for the counselors, sponsors, and residents, as well as the transition and family home ministries, that God will continue to provide for more living quarters for them, and for more counselors to come to help teach them how to be productive, Christian men and women.

From Russia with Love,
Nancy

A True Servant

My paternal grandmother, Mama Jewel, was a real stickler about certain things – you take a bath everyday, you honor God and say your prayers, and you try to find some way to serve others. She taught all of us the value of helping others, whether it was opening a door for an older person, or helping someone who had dropped something at the grocery. We were all taught to look for opportunities to serve, because she believed servanthood and sainthood were almost one and the same thing! Mama Jewel would have loved Vera!

This past Friday night we traveled outside of St. Petersburg one hour by bus to a resort on the Gulf of Finland (I would tell you its name, but I can’t spell it and you couldn’t pronounce it anyway!). Most of the Road of Life family attended (there were 28 adults and 2 children), and we invited several young women who are prospective, future family members – Vera was one of those guests.

I first met Vera on a Monday night after my first visit to Dormitory #35. When we left the building to start our walk to the metro, Vera was there waiting for us. She was always faithful to wait for Lucya and the team and walk with us to the metro. Last Monday night, the night that we brought little Marina home with us, Vera saw that we had extra bags to carry, and a child to watch over, so she decided to come all the way home with us. We offered her some soup for dinner, a quick cup of tea, and then she left to head home to the dormitory. On Thursday, she called Lucya and asked if it would be okay for her to come with us on our retreat, and Lucya told her definitely YES. Vera, along with several others, met us at a northern metro site and we made the one hour trek to the resort.

Throughout the evening, and all day Saturday, every time I turned around, Vera was there – ready to take out the trash, sweep the floor, help serve tea to anyone entering the room. When we started home Saturday evening, she told Lucya that she was going to travel home with me because I had a tote bag to carry and she didn’t want me to have to carry my purse and the bag. I told her that I could make it, but she said, “No, I want to help you. You have done so much for me this weekend.” So I invited her to spend the night with us (Masha, a young girl from Orphanage 6 was also planning to spend the night). Her first reaction was no, because she had forgotten to bring her house shoes, and no one enters a Russian home without slippers on. She said she would go to the dorm and get them, but I told her we had plenty of slippers and to just come on home with us.

On Friday night, when I asked Vera if she would like to come live at the family home, she said, “Yes, I would love to live in the family home with these people, but I can’t.” I asked her why she couldn’t and she told me about a young man at Dormitory 35 who is crippled and moves very slowly, and she feels that God wants her to help this young man. She told Lucya, “If I leave, who will help him? He depends on me. I will visit the family home when you will invite me, but I cannot come live there as long as someone at the dormitory needs me.” I told her that God had given her a true gift – the gift of serving others – and she told me, “Yes, I have felt the need to help others for 10 years. I want to always help others.”

I fully expect that the next time I look up the word “servant” in the dictionary I’ll see a picture of Vera as an example!

From Russia with Love!
Nancy

There are all kinds of orphans.

God has truly blessed us tonight. He has given us Little Marina to come to stay with us for the next three nights (a three-night-orphan is still an orphan, and we have made her a part of our family). You may remember the story of Natasha that I told you – she is the tram driver who was involved in the accident written about below where the 23 year old died. You can imagine the psychological stress that Natasha has been under for the past three weeks, and last Monday night she asked Lucya, “Will you take my daughter Marina?” At first Lucya did not know how to respond, and she told me about it the next day. We have continued to pray, and God orchestrated not only for Marina to come and stay with us for the next three nights, but to join us in our ministry this week at Hospital #15 and Child in Danger.

We had originally planned to be at Fuydor Shelter for Homeless Children, and it would not have been safe to take Marina there, but God already had a plan in action for us not to go to Fuydor, but to do Hospital 15 and CID instead. At these two places Marina will just be another child joining in the games, singing, and making crafts.

As I am writing this, she is in a bubble bath with a crown of bubbles on her head. She has laughed more in the last two hours than probably in her entire life. When we first met her last Monday she was withdrawn and would not even smile when offered candy. All of you who know Lucya know that if she cannot get a child to smile, then no one can! It seemed hopeless to us. Tonight, I presented Marina with a small backpack with colored pens and two coloring book – she and Anya made quite a bit of progress in their coloring tonight! But even then, a quiet thank you, but no smile.

At first she cried when her mother said that she would stay with Lucya, but when we got home and Marina met Sarah (the cat that belongs to our Marina), she began to run and play, just like a normal 5 year old. And Nadezda, the director at CID, has said that she will have a psychologist visit with Marina tomorrow and that Natasha can bring her anytime that she needs some rest, and Marina will be welcome there. We thank God that he has placed this special child of his in charge of Child in Danger – Nadezda is truly a special lady!

It is wonderful that God has placed Christians here ready to serve, ready to take in a child, ready to give a mother a “vacation” (even if it only means a couple days of rest). We thank God for the chance to love this sweet child, and we ask that you pray for her and her family, just as we prayed with Natasha when she left our home tonight – leaving behind her most treasured possession for us to guard and keep.

By the way, when Lucya put Marina to bed, Marina said, "Can I tell you a secret?" And Lucya replied, "Yes, of course." Marina then told her, "My mama beats me. Sometimes when I am bad she grabs me a throws me against the wall." Lucya asked her, "What about your papa?" and Marina replied, "No. He punishes me, but he does not hit me." Please pray for Marina and her family, and that God will help us to find help for Natasha.

I always said when I was a young adult, before I had children, that I could never understand how a parent could hurt a child. Then, after I had my own, and would find myself so tired, and so frustrated, that many times I had to leave the room and go be by myself to pray, "God, please do not let me lift my hand to my child! Help me, Father! Help me!" That's when I realized that I was one of the lucky ones - I had a Heavenly Father to turn to who would help me through those times. And because of His grace and His mercy, I never did give in to the temptation to take my frustrations out on my children. I also knew that for every time God helped me through that time, there were millions of mothers who did not have Him to stay their hand, and their children suffered. Thank you, God, for being my loving Father!

From Russia with Love!
Nancy

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

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

It's a GIRL!

On Wednesday, April 9 at 6:00 pm, Vera and Vova became the proud parents of a girl! Her name is Katya, she weighs about 97 pounds, and is a little over 70" long (that's 5 feet for the mathematically challenged ones!). No, she is not a newborn to the world, but she is to Vera and Vova. We call her Little Katya and she has been a member of the Road of Life family for over a year and is 16 years old. (Don't she and Vera look like mother and daughter in this picture!)

Vera took Little Katya into her home even though she is not a graduate orphan, and immediately began work on adopting her. After a year of struggling with paper work and government officials, it is done! Yesterday Vera met with the last group and the documents are all in order - Katya is now officially a member of the family, joining her two brothers, Nakita and Sasha.

Also living at Vera's apartment is Katya, who will graduate this May from ROL. She is a gorgeous brunette and shyly speaks some English. Vera shared her testimony regarding Katya two weeks ago at our weekly prayer meeting of the ROL counselors. She told how she struggled with Katya and her attitude the first few months that Katya came to live with them. It seemed to be one battle of wills after another, one punishment after another - nothing seemed to work! Then Vera said that the Lord revealed to her during her daily prayer time that SHE was the problem, not Katya. God instructed Vera to love Katya just as she was - not to try to change Katya, but to try to change herself - to basically as my grandmother used to say, "Kill 'em with kindness! It relieves your stress and drives them crazy!" And it worked. Suddenly Vera was hugging Katya more, telling her how special she was, complimenting her on the good things she did, rather than harping on the bad. God changed them both, and now Katya is a confident, loving young woman, and has even brought her sister Nadia into the home, and hopefully Nadia will become a ROL resident as well.

Vova is an assistant building contractor on one of the major buildings being built in St. Petersburg. He is a wonderful father, not only to his two sons, Nakita and Sasha, but the girls that God has placed in his home. When the Nevsky apartment was bought in the summer of 2007, Vova committed himself to doing most of the renovation work himself. He worked all that summer - no A/C and sometimes no electricity - stripping down walls and rebuilding them, renovating plumbing, everything. Now the apartment is beautiful and almost finished. It is a home that he can truly be proud of - not only its physical appearance, but its loving, Christian foundation as well.

Living with this wonderful family is Tyson, a young man who is from Texas and who will be entering medical school in the fall in the U.S. His family, after he and his younger brother were approaching their teens, adopted three children from Russia, so he has had Russia in his heart for years. He graduated from college last fall and decided to come live in St.P to study Russian intensively for the spring.

Tyson is a wonderful, Christian young man and helps with our English classes at dormitory #70, teaching a group of boys. He also plays the guitar and leads the fellowship time on Saturday afternoon at Vera's apartment. He plans to return home to San Antonio in July.
(Seated: Vova, Vera, Sasha, Katya, Tyson, Nakita; standing: Little Katya)

Please keep this family in your prayers, and send up an extra "Thanks" to God for all He has done to bring this family together.

From Russia with love,
Nancy

Boys' Home Residents

Gary and Pam Austutz are from Ohio and are currently the counselors at the boys' apartment. God has truly given them a heart for orphans as they visit different orphanages and dormitories.

They also have opened their own apartment for graduate orphans that hopefully will be up and running soon. They are currently working with Natasha and Valya to get the paperwork completed and everything in order. Please pray for them and their ministry, Reflections of Hope.

There are two young men who live with Pam and Gary. Meisha is in his second year at ROL and will graduate this spring. Meisha loves to cook and dreams of becoming a chef. When I arrived on Saturday, March 15, Meisha was a part of the welcoming committee - even though he missed the annual Christian ball that was being held that evening. He said it was more important for him to meet Dustin and I at the airport (and yes, I gave him an extra hug!).

Please pray for Meisha because when he graduates he has no place to live. He has a communal apartment that is assigned to him, but his sister, her husband, and their new child, have taken the apartment and told him not to return. Our fear is that they would hurt or kill him in order to get the apartment, so ROL is working on finding a place for Meisha to live - as safely as possible. The courts could force his sister to give back the apartment, but there would be no way to guarantee his safety.

The other young man who resides in this apartment is Losha. He is a graduate of the deaf orphanage and became a Christian last fall after God restored part of his hearing. He is an amazing young man and I can see such a difference in him from last fall. Though he's a big, strong man, he is also gentle and caring for others. I know that God is going to do great things through him as he continues to study The Word. Pam said that many times she will come into the room and he is studying his Bible - so eager to learn all that God has to teach him.

Please pray for Losha as he continues his Christian growth, and that the next counselors for the boys' apartment will be as loving and caring as Pam and Gary have been.

Gary and Pam leave May 6 to return to the states. At that time, Losha will go to live with a couple from Marina Topol's church, and hopefully will be able to stay with that family until he graduates next May. It is also hoped that at least one other boy, possibly two, will also move in with this family. Please pray that God will touch the hearts of this couple that they will come to love our boys as we do.

From Russia with love,

Nancy

Meet the Gang!

Anyone who has been on a mission trip with SAC since the fall of 2005 is probably acquainted with Lucya (and I shared some about her in an earlier blog). Well, this is the Lucya that most people know and remember:

But this is Lucya on too much chocolate on April Fools' Day (not a good combination!):

I am currently staying at the Road of Life Family Home at the Electrocila metro station (that's not really true since it is a 20 minute tram ride from the metro to our home, but it's the best way to tell someone where we are!). The family counselor here is Lena, a native of Belaruse who came a few months ago to help out with translation for ROL. It has really been a joy getting to know her and little bit about her country.

This is Lena with Katya, one of the teens from Child in Danger shelter.

Also in our apartment are two young women. Ira will graduate from ROL this May and will then go to live with another of our graduates. She is quite active with school, church, and her friends, and loves to talk! This picture was taken Saturday, March 15 at the Christian Ball that was sponsored by one of the churches.

Also in our home is Yulia. She has been a resident for less than one year and came to us from Dormitory #35 where she had been classified as disabled - meaning the teachers thought she was uneducable, and she also has a speech problem and some physical problems. She is a very loving child with some special needs, and has had a hard time adjusting to Lucya's leaving the home. But like most young people, she is resilient and we pray for God's blessings for her.

Yulia is on the left, along with Natasha from Dormitory #35.

I'll introduce you to more of our "family" tomorrow.

Keep us in your prayers!

Nancy

Pray for Natasha

Natasha is a Christian friend who translates for us at Dormitory 35 on Monday nights through a charity organization here. She translates what we say in English into Russian and then into sign language - you see, she is a translator for the deaf residents. She shared a bit of her testimony with me last week and it was quite moving - she will share with the dorm kids next Monday night.

She was in an automobile accident when she was 17 and lost her hearing. Through several surguries and much prayer, she was restored to almost all of her hearing. She is the first semi-deaf person to be hired as a tram driver in St. Petersburg.

(She is in the red-striped sweater on the left at the back.)

Last night she shared the following with us: On Saturday morning (she has to be at work at 5am) a 23 year old young woman dashed across the street to try to catch the tram, ignoring the fact that she did not have the right of way and was crossing against the light; was hit by a car (and all of you who have been here know that these people drive like they're participating in the Indy 500) and was thrown under Natasha's tram. The car also lost control and hit the tram, causing the window behind which Natasha sits to shatter, cutting her arm enough to require several stitches.

The young girl died as a result of the accident and, as you can imagine, Natasha was devastated. Even through the police assured her that she was not at fault, and that the girl was most likely dead before the tram ran over her, Natasha didn't feel like she could drive her shift on Monday morning. When she went in to ask for a couple of days off to get over the accident, her employer informed her that if she went home, she need not come back, because she would be without a job. His exact response was, "This is not my problem, but your problem" (we hear that a lot here - it is always the problem of someone else). So Natasha drove her route on Monday, and by the time she got to us last night, she was exhausted and wanted us to pray for her. She was so mentally exhausted, she had to relate the story in Russian because she didn't feel like she could tell the complete story in English.

Please pray for Natasha as she struggles through the next few weeks - a prayer of healing for both her body and her mind.

From Russia with Love!

Nancy

Smelly Feet

Now, I know that any of my family members who read the above title are thinking, "We know who she's talking about!" That's because both my daddy and I have really smelly feet. I have, as an adult, learned how to better take care of my feet so that they don't smell as bad, but boy, it sure is a lot of work!

The custom in Russia is that when you enter a home, you immediately take off your heavy coat and your shoes. You then put on slippers, or just parade around in your sock feet if you don't have any, before entering the house. Then, if you enter a room with a rug or carpet, you take off the slippers and wear only your socks. So you can see where smelly feet might be a problem! You walk into a room full of people and suddenly, people are passing out from the smell!

This morning in church, the deacon who gave the offering sermon (it lasted almost 20 minutes, by the way!) told an anecdote about the smelly feet, and it went something like this: A man walked into the doctor's office and said, "Doctor, you must help me!" The doctor looked at him and said, "Why, what is wrong?" The man took off his shoes and threw his feet forward and begged, "Please, you must help me with my smelly feet!" The doctor looked at his feet, then let his eyes travel up the man until he looked the man in the eye, and the doctor replied, "What can I do? Do you see from where they grow?"

The moral of the story: if your whole body is unclean and smelly (including your attitude), how can you help but have smelly feet!? After all, all things are controled by gravity and are seeking the lowest place to reside!

The deacon further talked about the baggage that we all carry - things left to us by our ancestors and how we look like and act like our parents, grandparents, etc. He then made a disturbing suggestion - if you come from a family of unbelievers, and YOU are the first Christian in your family, then all the Christian "baggage" begins with YOU! You are the one who will set the path that your children and your children's children will follow - you are the pathfinder and you must set a good course. Wow, what awesome responsibility; and how thankful I am for my father and grandfather, both of whom were/are wonderful Baptist ministers. They charted my path, and made my way so much easier - Thanks Daddy - Thanks, Papa Ben!

Don't forget to wash your feet - you never know when someone will ask you take off your shoes to protect their clean floor! And watch your path - others will follow after you - you don't want to leave any trash behind, now do you?

From Russia with Love!

Nancy

It ain't Hollywood, but it's fun!

Last night we began a new "ministry" for the Road of Life (ROL) family home that is stuck off down here in southern StP (hence the "ain't" - you know southern, redneck, yeah, you've got it!). This apartment is not easily accessible from the rest of the city or the members of ROL, so we don't often host events. However, it is only a 15 minute tram ride from Child in Danger Shelter (CID), where SAC has been doing ministry for about 6 or 7 years.

To help build a strong relationship between ROL and CID, we decided to start a movie night on Fridays for the older kids at CID, and last night was our first adventure. Anya Tall (my Christmas visitor) has the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks, so she brought it for us to see; Lena (our house mother here) bought popcorn (my favorite!); and I went to CID to get the kids. There were 6 of them who had a "clean" record without any discipline problems for the week and they, along with their counselor Maxim, came to spend the evening with us.

We began with the movie AND POPCORN, which was a great hit. Then we played a new game I had brought on this trip called "Stacker Uno" which is much like the card game Uno, but using plastic cubes that are stacked in a tall tower (something like Jinga or is it Ginga??). Boy, these kids are real strategists and really competitive, and we had a lot of fun with it. We finished with dinner and a name game to help us all remember each other better.

One of the girls, Aleona (bottom row with hood - she hates having her picture taken and this is the only one I have of her), came into the kitchen and sat down to talk. She was sent away by her mother because they could not get along, and because she has a lot of health problems that cause her to be in and out of the hospital frequently. She told us that she had never seen an apartment like ours, and she had forgotten what a "home" looked and felt like. I don't know why this caught me at a weak moment, but I had to leave the room and let her finish her conversation with Lucya, because I didn't want her to see me cry. The loss of a mother, the loss of a home, and traveling from hospital to shelters for the past few years, with no place to call her own! It just became too much for me. Just imagine how unbearable it must be for her!

Please pray for Aleona and the other children and staff at CID. Also pray for us as we continue this new contact with the kids and that perhaps through the church families of our ROL family we can help find foster homes for some of these kids who do not quite "fit" into the orphanage profile here.

Oh, and pray that we can find another good movie for next Friday night! We told them that this would be a weekly event (and we are hoping that some of the girls can spend the night next Friday), but they must not get into trouble because we wanted to see each and every one of them back next Friday night. There were smiles all around as they left, and even Maxim (the counselor) said he was looking forward to next week!

From Russia with LOVE!
Nancy

Pray for Valya

Pam and Gary Amstutz from Ohio are counselors in the Boys’ Family Home for Road of Life (ROL). They also are a part of a ministry called Reflections of Hope that also ministers to orphans in Russia. As they have served ROL this year, they have also allowed God to provide for them an opportunity to open a transitional home (TH) through Reflections; and have been blessed to have two beautiful, Christian young women to be their counselors at that home – Natasha (from Siberia, who knows little English, but is trying, and who always greets me with the phrase, “Nancy, I love you!”) and Valya (from St. Petersburg, who sounds more American than Russian when she speaks English).

I have truly enjoyed getting to know these two young women over the last two weeks, and spent the night with them at their TH last night. After we had enjoyed some “girl” time together, Valya asked if she could practice the mime routine that she is to do while on her upcoming mission trip, since she had not done it in front of an audience in several months. Of course, I was thrilled – always up for a little entertainment!!! When she began to play the song and translate the words in Russian to Natasha so that she would understand the meaning of the gestures, I was excited to hear that it was Ray Boltz’s “Watch the Lamb.” I love this song, and if you have never heard it, stop now, go to any tunes website and listen to it – it truly depicts the story of Easter and reminds us that we should stop to watch the One who died for us.

I have included two pictures here, but of course stills cannot truly depict the beauty of the piece, or the expressiveness of the mime work that Valya did. She has promised me that we can video it while I am here so that I can bring it home and show it to you. Otherwise, she’s going to have to fly over to the US so you can all see it – I would LOVE that too!

This was also a special evening because Valya, who attends Bible college here in StP, leaves Saturday morning for a three week mission trip to the Congo in West Africa. It will take her three days travel to get to the village where their mission team will be trying to help a local pastor stop the influence of witchcraft over the people there. It will be hard work, but I know that Valya is up for the challenge, and we had a chance to have a special prayer for her this morning before I left their home.

Please pray for Valya as she serves God on this mission trip; pray for Natasha as she serves alone in the Reflections TH; and pray for all of us as we reach out to the orphans of StP to hopefully lead them to love us and want to come and join our families!

From Russia with Love!
Nancy

“Don't forget about us, Nancy”

It is hard to get any teenager to trust you, but to get a Russian, orphan teen to trust you is really a difficult undertaking. I don’t know why God has given me a gift for touching these young adults, but they seem to be drawn to me. I often don’t remember much about the visit or the time we spend together, and sometimes I come away afterward and wonder was it a meaningful evening for them. Then, someone or something touches you in a way that you cannot begin to explain or comprehend or even imagine. Such an event happened Monday night at Dormitory #35.

I met Tanya a week ago. She came into the meeting to see “the American who is visiting.” She didn’t stay but a few minutes, asking a couple of questions, before she and two of the other girls left to go to dance class. She looks like a dancer – tall, beautiful, graceful. She also looks like a model – thin and elegant in her carriage.

Well, this past Monday night we talked a little about occasions when you might want to give a card – sharing what events are important in their lives and whether or not we celebrate these in America. Afterward, I gave them card with a piece of craft foil on which they could draw and color their own designs. Some of them struggled with how to begin, but Tanya grabbed her paper, came and sat by me on the bed, and immediately began to draw. It was a funny little cartoon character that she surrounded with hearts. After she had finished, she went over to Valya (counselor for Reflections of Hope Transitional Home and a former orphan herself) and asked Valya to help her write in the card.

After a few minutes of whispering back and forth, and several corrections, Tanya walked over, sat down beside me, and presented me with the card. I was so shocked – I guess I thought they would want to give the card to someone here in Russia who was special to them. Here is what I found inside the card:

“Nancy! Don’t forget about us Nancy and I wish to you all best!!! From Tanya”

I hugged her, thanked her, and assured her that I will never forget her; and I told her how special she had made the evening by presenting the card to me. I will cherish it always! These are the nights when I return home and cry myself to sleep!

Pray for Tanya and the other young adults at Dormitory #35, because these are the ones who have been classified as handicapped, whether physical (many are crippled, deaf, etc.) or mental (many are labeled as educationally handicapped). But despite all the labels that are placed on them, they are just kids yearning for someone to remember them, and I will do that for sure!

Nancy

Love at First Sight

I am not a poet, so I know that when I try to describe Lucya to you words will probably fail me. I call her the Pied Piper of Orphans, but that isn't really true. She's the Pied Piper of EVERYONE. When a child meets her, he is naturally drawn to her infectious smile. When a director or counselor at an orphanage meets her, he is drawn to her sincere love for orphans. When a missionary meets her, he is drawn to her sense of service - always giving to others before herself.

Now don't get me wrong - she's not perfect (but then who of us is). I told her on Saturday that she has one major fault, and that is that she hates to tell anyone "No" or to hurt anyone's feelings. So as we all know, that can get her in trouble sometimes. I told her that sometimes we have to hurt someone a little up front to keep from hurting them "big time" later on.

She is young, only 25, and she has a lot to learn; but the things she knows already could fill a book. I think her gift comes from experience - the experience of being an orphan, of growing up in an orphanage and feeling the sense of hopelessness that many of them feel.

Isn't is great that God takes our experiences - especially those that have been traumatic in our lives - and makes a blessing for others out of them? Lucya is a blessing - to me, to orphans in StP, to administrators, to everyone she meets. Please pray for Lucya as she faces some major changes in her life. God has great and wonderful plans for her, and she is here, awaiting His instructions, ready to do what He says, go where He leads.

Are you ready to do, go, be what God wants of you, for you?

Nancy

Christ is Risen! (but not in Russia)

I wish someone would explain (in language I can understand) why we celebrate Easter in America usually one week earlier than they celebrate it in Russia. Last year was the exception, both countries celebrated at the same time - that was a first for me, but it sure made it easier to remember. This year we celebrated Easter this past weekend, but they won't celebrate Easter in Russia until April 27! Do you know what that means? I won't get Easter this year! The ROL family has promised that we will celebrate my birthday (April 25) and Easter at the same time, just before I head home, and have even promised some died eggs to make me feel better.

Yesterday, when I arrived at All Nations Christian Center (ANCC) for church, I greeted Lucya with the traditional Russian Easter saying "Christ is risen!" and she immediately replied "He is risen indeed!" Then she gave me a bewildered look and said, "But He didn't rise today." And I told her, "Oh, yes He did. He arose in America!" We both got a good laugh out of that, because of course, He didn't/doesn't arise in either.

ANCC is a wonderful congregation made up of mostly university students from all over the world. During the service, which was done in English and translated into Russian, I could hear translators around the room translating in Italian and other languages that I could not recognize. What a wonderful way to worship - all people, all languages - coming together for one purpose - to worship God.

The guest speaker at ANCC was an Englishman who currently resides in Scotland who was simply called Mr. Brian. He spoke on the peace and rest we find only when we come into the presence of God. He also reminded us that all too often we like to say, "I can do it!" And the devil loves that saying. What the devil doesn't want is for us to say "I can do it with God!" We must always remember the source of our strength, the source of our peace, the source of our rest - it can only be found in God.

We left church and went to lunch at Natasha and Valia's apartment on Nevskey Prospekt. They had hosted a number of children from Orphanage #51 over the weekend for visits and three of those children had gone to church with us. On the metro, in route to their apartment, one of the children, Laila, run to sit in an empty seat across from me and Lucya. She then saw an elderly "grandmother" (babushka) standing beside her seat; so she jumped up and offered the woman the seat. The woman motioned for Laila to sit back down and told her that God had blessed her with good, strong legs, and she preferred to stand on them as long as she could to honor Him. We all laughed and suddenly she turned to me, pointed her finger, and said "Who are you?" Lucya told her I was American/Engliski and the woman broke out into a big, toothless grin, and began to shout at me - "God has blessed you. I see God in your face. You are a blessing to these children. You are a blessing to me. God will use you." And on and on - and with each statement she was pointing her finger at me and getting closer and closer, and louder and louder. I just kept nodding and say, "Thank you. God bless you."

When we got off at the next stop, Valia came running over to me to ask if I was okay. I told her, of course, I was just receiving my second blessing of this wonderful Sabbath day - the first from the worship service, and the second from this unknown babushka. At first the experience was a little frightening, but then, as she shouted at me, and Lucya translated each phrase, I began to feel a sense of peace - she was truly offering me a blessing, and I certainly appreciate it.
I hope you received a blessing on Easter morning - and the rest of the day for that matter! I was thinking of you and your services, as you sang about our Risen Savior. Continue to remember us in your prayers.

We will minister to the young people at Dormitory #35 tonight, and will again be at Dormitory #70 on Thursday.
From Russia with love,
Nancy

It's more than just bowling!

On Wednesday night, March 19, we took a group of eight teens from Child in Danger Shelter (CID) bowling. Bowling is fun, but when we take these kids bowling we also invite the Road of Life (ROL) residents and counselors, and the counselors have an opportunity to meet kids with whom they begin to build relationships, inviting them to come visit their home for a party, then inviting them to church, and ultimately inviting them to come live at ROL. I love to bowl, but when we bowl in St. Petersburg (StP), we're bowling for more than just points - we're bowling for kids' lives!


ROL does this all the time. The homes are constantly inviting orphans from wherever they can find them to come and visit, come and play, come and let us love you. It all starts with building those relationships, and then when you've got them hooked - got them loving and trusting you - then you share Jesus with them. Trust is a big thing anywhere, but it's really the foundation of relationships in Russia. These kids don't trust just anybody, and you really have to work at it.


There are several kids at CID that I really feel God is leading us to - kids who would perhaps have a better chance at a better future through ROL and the family environment here. Please pray that God will give us not only the desire to win the trust of these kids, but the courage to step up and really get to know them, and bring them into His family.

From Russia with love,
Nancy

We Have Arrived!

Well, we are here - even all our luggage arrived - PRAISE GOD (Slava Bogum)!! Dustin had a 12 hour layover in New York City - decided to take a trip to Time Square - had a good time seeing some sights rather than sitting in airport. I was not so lucky - it took me five airports and four planes to get here. But, I AM HERE - you can't stop me now!

We were greeted at the airport by Vica, SAC's administrative assistant for this trip (and a friend of mine for 4 years!), Marina Topol (director of Road of Life), and some of our ROL family - Meisha, Anya (Little, not the Anya that was with me over Christmas), Natasha, Nelly, Sasha, and Oksana. Delivery of all materials went well, and we were home by 8pm. I was in bed by 10:30!! Had a great night's sleep.

Church service today was wonderful at New Generation Church. Pastor Demetri preached on the Holy Spirit, the authority of Jesus, and Jesus' command to us to be a witness. What did God touch my heart with today? Just that I have a witness that only I can give - my experience with accepting Jesus, what God has done in my life, how Jesus is MY savior. You cannot give my witness and I cannot give yours. So, bottom line, if YOU do not give YOUR witness, it WILL NOT be given. It's up to you - will you share your witness, your story, or will you be silent? How sad to think that after all God has done for us, we might not be willing to witness to others about those blessings.

He also reminded the people of what their forefathers had done for them - how many had died because they said, "Yes!" when asked by the communist government if they were Christians. They were willing to witness, even in the face of death. What a mighty heritage the Christian church in this country has for speaking God's name. I have never had to face death for Him, nor my forefathers in America; because America was established to prevent that from happening. How unfortunate that America is now moving more and more toward silencing God's word.

Pray for us as we begin our ministry. Monday through Wednesday we will be at Orphan Hospital #15 and Child in Danger Shelter for Orphans during the day, and will also be doing ministry in the evenings at several different sights. So when I leave home in the morning at 8:30 am, I will not see the front door of this home until 10:30 pm! It's a long, hard day, so keep us in your prayers. Also, pray that when the opportunities arrise, we will speak out with boldness to proclaim that Jesus is Lord! Praise Jesus (Slava Jesus - pronounced hey-soos, like in Spanish)!

I love you all and you too are in my prayers!

From Russia with Love! Nancy

I wanted to share one quick thought with you before I begin my journey today (it's 3:45 am on Friday, March 14 and I can't sleep because I'm so excited about leaving!).

Marina Topol, the director of Road of Life Family Homes (ROL) and I had talked last fall about trying to do something special for the residents and graduates of ROL. She had suggested an overnight retreat to a camp outside the city. When we estimated the cost of the retreat it came to between $800-$1000 for the 30 of us to attend. That seems like a lot of money to me, but to God, it was just a drop in the bucket. Almost before Dr. Hawley, my pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church, could contact the missions committee about my using that amount out of the Russia Missions Fund, a donor came to him with $1000 for me to "do something special" with.

Since December of 2006, there have been several large donations given to this fund for specific use in Russia missions, and God continues to bless us as we have helped to fund the renovations at the new apartment for ROL, and now have the opportunity to spend this special time with these wonderful, Christian young people.

We plan to leave on Friday, April 18 to spend the night at the camp, then spend the day together on Saturday, returning home Saturday night so that we can all be in our home churches on Sunday mornng. This will be another opportunity for your prayerful support, as I will be leading two devotions - one on faith and one on prayer.

So mark your calendar - and don't forget the 9-hour time difference!

Your not-so-well-rested-but-ready-to-go missionary :) Nancy

Jump Start

It's time to jump into a new mission trip to St. Petersburg! I've got a spring in my step and spring in my heart - now all I need is a spring in my hair! Don't you love spring with all this wonderful wind! I know it's blowing in a new season, but it's also blowing all the pollen and stuff around, and it's reeking havoc with my hair! Oh, well, no time to worry about that, it's time to pack and repack to try to get everything to fit into those two suitcases that cannot weigh over 50 lbs. each. Talk about a challenge!

Oh, did you hear about the snow we got here in the Deep South!? It was wonderful - it didn't mess up the roads, but was just beautiful - even if only for 24 hours. I know the kids in St. Petersburg will get a hoot out of our "snow storm" - especially since they live in 3-foot-deep snow and ice throughout the winter season, with temps hovering around -10 to -30 degrees F. Like everything else, snow is relative to your environment.

Okay, enough about the weather (and my hair). My first team will be made up of myself and Dustin Clark from Huntsville, Alabama. Dustin will be familiar to you since he was also a part of my fall team last November. As soon as he got home, Dustin contacted me and said, "Ms. Nancy, will you take me back to Russia during spring break?" Of course, I said "YES!" And the rest, as they say, is history. So Dustin and I will have a busy week. Below is our schedule for the week:

Mon., Mar. 17 - Wed., Mar. 18:
morning at Hospital #15; afternoon at Child in Danger Shelter

We will be working each evening with young adults from both Dormitory #70 and #35. These dormitories are for kids ages 17-23 and are multi-story buildings that hold between 300-500 kids. We will be doing a large group activity on Tuesday night with about 135 kids at Dormitory #70, so keep us in your prayers. We, as Americans, are not allowed to share Christ with these kids while in the state-run facilities, but once we make friends with them, we invite them to small group fellowships at the Road of Life Family Homes where we can do Bible study and invite them to attend church with us.

Lots of opportunities for fun, fellowship, and making new frends, especially since I will be there for six weeks.