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 not get a nights rest for 27 hours! (This was needed for us to get used to the 11 hour time change.:) It seemed like it was the middle of the day when we were going to sleep because the sun was still in the sky and didn’t show any signs of setting soon. This obviously did not bother us though, we slept like angels!
On day two, today, we learned some Russian. We began with the alphabet, and then we did numbers and colors. Then, we went out on the town. We stopped at our new favorite restaurant called Teaspoon. We ate bllini, which are very similar to crepes. They were delicious! After lunch, we took our first ride on the metro. We had to have a mini lesson on how to use and act while in the underground metro. No pictures are allowed and there is no such thing as personal space. We went to Peter and Paul’s fortress; it was full of cobblestone and a very beautiful cathedral. We ended the day with a beautiful boat ride around the canals of St. Petersburg. Now we are back at our home, until Sunday, and looking forward to what St. Petersburg has to offer us until we leave for Novgorod.
Thank you all for the continued prayers and support throughout our journey.
Love,
Alli, Aryn, Tim, Tanisha, Jess, Savannah, Adrienne, and Sam
P.S. More news and pictures to come later. 🙂 The other team says hello as well.
Please leave any comments and words of encouragement and we will read them to the teams. -SunErgos Staff.
It’s great to hear from the SPU team. We’re glad you made it safely. We followed your plane travels until late in the evening on the 4th of July. Just know all of your parents are proud of you for your willingness to serve others. It sounds like you are getting settled into your new locale. Keep the blog going, we’re all looking forward to hearing of your daily experiences. Keep an eye out for each other…Sending special love to Jess from Dad and Mom!
You guys are SO amazing! Happy to hear you arrived safe and sound. Enjoy every single moment and take care of yourselves! I will be over before you know it. I can’t wait to hear more about the rest of your wonderful adventure. Hugs and Love from Canada ( aka Alli’s favorite Canadian, Sunny xoxo <3 )
Pardon my typo *It will be over before you know it*…I do not plan on coming to join you anytime soon, I promise.
So happy to hear you are all safe! You are all so amazing and wonderful to take this challenge and great experience. Enjoy!!! Take care of yourselves. Can’t wait to hear more 🙂 Miss you
Love that tiny picture inset…. can’t wait to see more! Looking forward to hear more about your great adventures. Everyone in Unigen is wishing you luck and they are happy for you. Take care always… have fun.. and don’t forget to say your prayers! May God always be with you and your team. Love you 🙂
It’s great to hear all about your adventures so far. I have people asking every day how you are doing, and I am happy that I now have pictures to share:) Aryn: We love you sooooo much and are praying for you and your team continuously! I can’t wait to read more of the blog! xoxoxo Mom
I am so glad to see pictures!! It looks like you are all having a good time and making the most of this wonderful experience. Sami, we miss you! I am glad that you have this opportunity, but I still can’t wait to pick you up at the airport. Enjoy this time Sam. We are so proud of you!! Always, Mom
Ailee
We are enjoying the reports of your trip and praying for the teams and those you are working with. What a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture while sharing the love of God. Love and Prayers Uncle Al and Karen
Rhonda Hanson
We are enjoying hearing any and all news about your adventures and experiences. Love seeing pictures of all the groups. Tanisha we love you and miss you have a great time. Love& Prayers Mom