SPU: First week of camp at the TB Center in Novgorod

Greetings from the Novgorod team! Here’s a little update from each team member!

Adrienne: Hello from Novgorod family and friends!!  Today was day 4 of our VBS with the kids, and I can’t fully express my love for each and every one of them. Their energy and joy is contagious, and I can’t get enough of their hugs. I could seriously go on for days about each of them. Not only are the kids wonderful, but this place is amazing as well. It already feels like home even though we’ve only been in Novgorod for a week (not to mention the food is absolutely delicious). I can’t wait to share the stories, memories, and pictures when I get back with all of you. I miss you all lots, and send tons of love from Russia!!   Love, Adrienne.  P.S.- Happy Birthday Blair!!! Wish I could celebrate with you, but I hope you are having an amazing day, and I send lots of love and best wishes!! Hope you went and saw Harry Potter with mom (just kidding of course).

Tim: Hi friends and family! Greetings from Novgorod. Today was day 4 of our VBS at the T.B. Center. It has been great spending time with the kids, playing with them and just seeing their smiles. Its only day four and they are already wanting us to stay there overnight. Our translator Artyom and Marina told us that before, the kids did not do that until the last day. That meant a lot to me and my team. And just thinking that we still have two weeks to spend with them is a dream! Can’t wait to get back and share amazing stories!

Alli:  Hi Family and Friends!!!  We have now been in Russia for 11 days and I love it! We started working with the kids in the TB center on Tuesday. There are about 50 children and they are all full of love and energy. We start every day with a song and a skit, then we do a craft with them. They are so grateful for everything we do with them; from making bracelets to playing games and coloring with chalk. Most of the children go home on the weekends, so tomorrow we are going into the city (Novgorod) and to the banya (it’s like a Russian sauna.)  Then on Sunday we are doing the children ministry in the church we are staying in. Before coming to Russia we were a little bit skeptical about the food here, but I have loved everything we have eaten. We eat the best food and drink tea at least once a day! I hope everything is great back home! I love you and miss you all!  Love, Alli   (PS Sammi and Marla…have fun moving into the apartment! J)

CaBaHa (Savannah): To my family and droogs!  Oh how I miss you guys so much! But let me tell you…I have fallen in love with the children of Russia. We have been at the TB center for four days now and I feel like I have known these kids for years and years. They are the sweetest children in the world. It hurts me to not know all of their stories and know that they come from broken homes, but we have just been loving on them and trying to make them feel special. The little boys are crazy but I get along with them so well and I have been playing soccer and volleyball every day. Every single one of them melts my heart and I cannot wait to see them again Monday. I have not had a bad day here, and I can just feel God’s presence at the center. This trip has really been a blessing. I miss you guys so much but I am loving life. Love you all!

Jess:  Hello to my lovely family and friends! 🙂  Today marks the end of our first week working with the children in the TB center in Novgorod, and I am completely in love with them. They are all so vibrant and full of life, despite the broken families and lives they’ve come from. My favorite times spent with them have been simply jump roping, making bracelets, and picking flowers. They seem to love our presence there too—after the first day they were literally blocking the gate so we couldn’t leave! Even though it’s sometimes difficult to communicate with them because of the language barrier, I feel like God is still allowing us to get through to them and share His light. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this trip holds for me, my team, and these incredible children. Thank you for the continued prayer and support, I love you all very much!  Love, Jess.   P.S. Mom, Dad and Alex I love and miss you all! I hope you’re having a great month and I’ll email soon!

Aryn:  Hi Friends and Family!!!  I miss you all lots and I appreciate all the prayers and support, but the work that we are doing here is really something amazing.  We finished our first week at the TB center and seeing the relationships that are being built are AMAZING! The kids haven’t opened up a lot about their lives, but seeing their smiles is enough.  We fill the days with crafts, games, and lots of running around.  At first there were some teenage boys that would just distance themselves from us, but now they are starting to play futbol (soccer) and Frisbee with us, and we have only been around them for four days.  God is at work here and witnessing His work is one of the most beautiful things I have seen.  The team cannot wait till Monday, so we might surprise the kids on Sunday!! I wish you could all meet these kids and see how special they truly are, words cannot describe how wonderful they are.  I cannot thank you enough for all the prayers and support.  Much love coming from Novgorod, Aryn.   P.S. Grandpa I am so happy to hear that you made it to the reunion!  Dad, Mom, and Jordo you mean the world to me and hopefully we will get to do one of these trips together! LOVE YOU!

?????? (Tanisha):  Hello friends and family!  How I miss all of you so very much! It is hard to imagine that I’ve been in Russia for only 11 days. This beautiful place has started to feel like home. Today marked our official week in Novgorod, with 4 days at the TB Center. I can’t believe how many months my team and I have thought and prayed about this place. Our time with these children has more than I could have ever imagined. They are just all so special. There is such a light in them. They have so much love to give. The moment we had entered the TB center, they grabbed our hands and hugged us all. Every time I hug them, I don’t want to let them go. I have fallen in love with each of them.  I pray every day that these children know how much we all care for them. The language barrier can be hard at times, but we have two incredible translators who help us. My Russian is definitely improving. Thank you so much for all the support, the donations, the well wishes and prayers. Know that I would not have been able to be here without all of your help.  From Russia with love, ?????? (Tanisha)  P.S. I love and miss you so much momma!

??????? (Samantha):  Hello Family and Friends!  This has been the most amazing four days of my life. It seems like we have been here for so much longer. After day one I had already fallen in love with each one of them. They are so affectionate and show us all so much love; it is so hard to say good-bye each day. Everyone on the team is so amazing with the kids and when we aren’t at the center we still have so much fun. I can feel God working in my life and using situations everyday to bring me closer to him. Keep praying for me and the hearts of the kids at the TB Center.       —- Ma and Holly: I miss you guys and wish you could be here to see and experience what I am. Don’t worry I’m trying to remember everything because I know you’re going to want a detailed play by play. I sent you a postcard but it probably won’t get there until after I get back, but know its comin’. And don’t worry Pamogitia (ok, that was a bad translation) is HELP. Holl, Its HP day. This is a big day for us. Again, if you see it I will not be offended. Love,  #1 offspring.

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