CBU – St Petersburg: Surprises on the last day

Yesterday was our last day with the kids at the Transit Center. While it was one of the hardest days that any of us have endured, it was also one of the happiest. Being the last day we could spend with these kids we had planned a party for them; little did we know that they had plans for us as well. After we got the kids ready for the party we came back together to dance and hangout, and just enjoy our last few hours with them. When they returned we were informed that they had planned a special performance for us. It included a thank you, some singing, and some dancing; all which had been planned out in advance. As we sat and watched them put on this performance we realized that the Lord had been working more than we thought during these past two weeks.

As we had done before, we spent our last hour with the kids dancing and singing in the gym. We danced to one of their favorite songs, “I Love You Like a Love Song” by Selena Gomez, not once but twice. Stronger than ever we felt connected to these kids, as we actually danced beside them instead of just in the same room. It was a bitter-sweet experience watching these kids laughing and having so much fun, but at the same time knowing that soon it would be time to say goodbye.

After we had calmed them all down and given them the gifts we had brought, we were asked to sit down, because they had a surprise for us. Little did we know that each of the kids had a stuffed animal to hand out to each of us. That is when the crying began. Seeing these kids be so emotionally closed-off at first and now being so vulnerable reminded us of the power of the Lord. As we started to say our goodbyes it was hard to let them go, knowing that we do not know what will happen next to these kids. We could see through their eyes and their tears that somewhere along the way God had been present in this Transit Center. Hearing all the different stories as we debriefed that night brought about more clarity to the experience. Being the oldest kid at the center, Jenya, had an effect on all of us throughout the two weeks. He was like an older brother to all the other kids, and would always make us laugh with his broken English and jokes. During this time of saying goodbye he expressed his feelings about these past two weeks to different members of our team. While talking to Bekah he expressed that these have been the best two weeks of his life and that he really hopes that it makes his future better. While saying goodbye to Kevin, Jenya expressed his brotherly love for him. Even though he kept it together throughout the time of saying goodbye, as he was saying his last goodbye he told Rachel that later that night when he was alone he would cry then. While saying a tearful goodbye to Mahilyo, a cheerful girl from Uzbekistan, Hailey looked her in the eyes and told her in English that she wanted her to promise that she would find Jesus and that if she found Jesus, they could be in heaven together someday. Mahilyo began to cry and indicated that she understood. While there are other stories that we would like to share these are just some that stick out in our minds.

As we come to the end of our trip we all can agree that this has been an amazing and life changing three weeks. God not only worked in these kid’s lives but in ours as well. Even though we know that it is going to be hard going home and leaving this amazing country we are all excited to see how God uses the experiences we have had here throughout the rest of our lives.

Russia A Team (wirtten by Rachel Wilhelm, Cassie Kitchen, Grace Gonzales)