FFMC: Being Flexible

Our first day at the center was an emotional roller-coaster. We were excited because of all the planning and efforts put into the skit, games and crafts. The anticipation was palpable. There were many unknowns going into this week (How many kids will be there? What will be their ages?), but we thought we had all our bases covered…Boy were we wrong. This day was not going to follow a simple schedule on an excel spreadsheet. We were going to have to think on our (very jet-lagged) toes! Upon meeting all 23 of the kids, we quickly realized our anxieties … Continue reading

FFMC: The team has arrived!

After long travels, the First Free Methodist Church team from Seattle, WA has arrived and getting some long awaited sleep! Thank you everyone for your prayers! Please continue to pray for the team as they go through some training tomorrow, learning about what it means to live in the Russian culture and memorizing some Russian words! Since the FFMC team is here for only 9 days, they have gone through much of the training in the US before their departure. The training empowers teams to serve even better throughout their time of ministry in Russia. It is amazing the impact … Continue reading

SPU: From Russia with Love

Well, our final days in Russia have been quite the adventure. From saying our goodbyes at the orphanage to seeing more beautiful sights around the city, we have made these days count. Here is a recap: Sunday (in the 90 degree heat), we went to our final church service and our favorite post-church food spot, the Teaspoon. We had our final servings of borsch and blini (crêpes), which were delicious as always. After, the team went to the Summer Gardens and had a picnic, spending some quality time in the city together for our final days. It was absolutely gorgeous. … Continue reading

SPU: Back in the city…

Greetings from St. Petersburg! Krista here reporting that we have safely returned to the city this afternoon and can proudly say that we have survived the Russian Wilderness, or as Kalie would say “Russian Wild”. Apart from countless mosquito and horse fly bites, the team is all doing physically well. We all experienced some form of illness while at camp, but we were eagerly mended to by the amazing doctor on staff and have all recovered. The disabilities camp was an amazing experience that stretched all of us in ways and to limits that we never even knew we had. … Continue reading