Intern: An update from Sean, our Intern for the summer.

I have ideas; God has plans.

Just over a year ago I would never have seen myself coming to stay for two months in Russia, I was just getting ready to go for a three week trip with a team from Vanguard University, and that was going to be all. Or so I thought.

Near the end of the trip with Vanguard last year, Tatiana asked us about coming back again, possibly for a longer term, and I felt a pull at my heart to take the opportunity. Several months later the plan was worked out, and I would return to Russia alone, to serve as an intern for SunErgos for two months.

Now a week has passed. The first week of many, and already I have seen God do so much in my life, and in the lives of the teams that have come to serve in Russia this year. Since I arrived last Wednesday, I have been serving full time assisting the staff that live here in the country.

The first part of the week I helped with the training and orientation of the two teams from CBU, Russia A and Russia B. This portion of my work took place all in St. Petersburg, where the teams learned some of the language, about the history of Russia, and what to expect to see from the culture in which they would be serving. I had several different tasks at this time, from running errands around the city, to helping serve as a guide to the teams and make sure that we kept all the members present and accounted for. It was amazing to see the passion that both teams showed for the whole process, whether they were out in the city learning to navigate the metro system, or sitting in the classroom learning how to say their ages in Russian. I was blessed to be able to see twenty-four hearts, willing to serve, and ready to get started.

Once the training time was complete, I departed St. Petersburg for Novgorod along with Russia team B. This team is comprised of eleven amazing girls who are giving almost a month of their summer to put on a camp program for an orphanage here in the city of Novgorod (read previous updates for more info!).

Since coming to this city, I have been helping to take care of food stuffs, encouraging the team in their work and joining in with them as much as I can, doing my best to check in with the team about their devotions and preparation, assisting the staff with travel and accounting, and any other general needs around the church where we are staying or in the city. Lastly I have been taking what time I can to spend my own time praying and seeking God’s will for my time here, letting Him fill me up so I can go out and give my all each day.

I feel so blessed to be working with the people that God has put here. Both the staff and the team are so full of love for the children here that it shows through in everything they do. Please continue to keep us all in prayer, and know that great work is being done by everyone who has come to be an example of God’s light and love to children who have grown up with so much darkness.

One week down, I am excited to see what God will do with the next six!

~Sean