Monthly Archives: July 2011

Hello from Novgorod, Russia!!! We arrived safely last night and were greeted with a delicious meal. Novgorod is the oldest city in Russia, over 1150 years old; we learned about the history and amazing sights we are going to see during our time here. Today we all walked around Novgorod, praying for the people and the children we are going to be meeting tomorrow. Also, it’s Aryn’s Birthday! We surprised her with French toast and birthday cake this evening. (Don’t worry Shelli we didn’t forget it was your baby’s Birthday!!) Today we also met the director of the TB Children … Continue reading →

Hello friends and family! On Sunday, we went to Calvary Chapel service that was translated into English. The worship was beautiful, as it seems everything is in this city! It was an especially unifying experience to sing a song or two we knew from home in English while it was sung in Russian. It is a reminder of the central thread that binds us all together from all ends of the earth. Afterwards, we enjoyed Russia’s finest restaurant: McDonalds. :))) Then the two teams split up: one stayed in St Petersburg and the other went to Velikiy Novgorod. We, the … Continue reading →

Preveyet from Russia! (“Hi!” in Russian!!!) These last two days have been full of discovering St. Petersburg and creating life long memories. Yesterday began with seeing the Winter Palace inside of the Hermitage Museum. We saw works of art by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and many others. Not only were there beautiful pieces of art inside, but the building itself was a masterpiece. After hours of exploring the Winter Palace we walked outside to our first Russian storm.  After getting under the down pour, we ran to dinner where we sat down for traditional Russian dumplings. Overall it was an adventurous day. … Continue reading →

Today was a new experience for us all. This morning we learned Russian History by Tanya’s husband, Michael, who spoke to us in Russian and was translated by Tanya. This brief lesson was a great insight into the people here and all they have been through. Russia has a rich and deep history with both good and bad. One fun fact we learned about St. Petersburg was that it was built on a swamp. We now understand the mosquito invasion in our rooms. After class we were given an assignment that would allow us to see the city for ourselves. … Continue reading →

After our long journey, 16 hours on the plane, we finally made it to St. Petersburg! Going through customs was easier than we originally expected; however, we had minor complications with claiming our luggage. We lost two boxes, but luckily they were delivered today! We are fortunate enough to be able to stay in a church that provides us with a comfy bed and daily shower. When we first arrived Tatiana (our host) greeted us at the airport and warned us she would not allow us to go to bed until at least 8PM local time; which meant we would … Continue reading →