Final update from Vanguard!

It’s that time, the time when we have to say goodbye. However before we say goodbye we would like to give you one last update of our amazing experience here in Russia. Last time we left you hanging with such anticipation for our sauna adventure! As we approached the sauna we weren’t exactly sure what to expect. All we knew was that we were in desperate need of relaxation after the two awesome yet energy draining weeks with the kids. When we first arrived at the sauna our immediate reaction was, “wow this place looks sketchy”. However, once we entered that hot and steamy room we soon realized it was exactly what the doctor ordered. The Russian wet sauna (banya) was a lot of fun! One of the most unusual things about it was when we first got there we received birch branches to hit each other with while in the sauna. I realize it sounds very weird, but apparently it is healthy for your skin, or so we were told.

So regardless to say we had some fun with those leaves of glory. Us guys in the group had a wonderful time, listening to Russian radio and squeezing into our tiny private sauna. It wasn’t till after our experience that we discovered that the girls’ sauna was equipped with a pool table, a small swimming pool, and a large flat screen! But I think we still had more fun!

The next day was filled to the brim with adventures of sight-seeing and of course shopping for the girls. The sights of Novgorod brought such an inspiration to our hearts. They were truly remarkable landmarks both in detail and in history. We visited the original fort that the city was founded upon. We were able to struggle up the ancient stairs that led to the original watchtower used in the fort. From there we experienced the bird’s eye view of the entire city of Novgorod. The fort was last used during World War II when it was captured by the Nazis. After the fort we headed to the mall where we all spent our last rubles on souvenirs and of course good ol’ Russian chocolate.

The last three weeks here in Russia have truly been a gift from God. We spent a lot of time in prayer and devotion and are appreciative for your prayers and support. We all came to Russia with different backgrounds and personalities and through the grace of God we all connected in a powerful way. We made friendships that will last a lifetime and our going to all go home changed. In the world there are 163 million orphans. During the past three weeks we were blessed with the opportunity to impact the lives of fifty.

The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few…