SPU: Camping on the Gulf of Finland!

Dear family and friends! We are now camping off the Gulf of Finland at the beautiful campsite that sits just a few steps from the beach. We love it here. We arrived two days ago after a two hour drive through the country side of Russia. After setting up our things in our tents we each got paired up with a disabled youth and a trained staff member, who we are working with as their assistant. So far it’s been great! The teens, some of them in wheelchairs, have been enjoying the camping experience as much as we have. We’ve … Continue reading

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 … Continue reading

SPU: Today we said goodbye to the little ones…

Dear Family, Friends and Loved Ones, Time for our weekly update and we couldn’t be more excited to share about our experiences at the Baby HIV Orphanage. We apologize that we have been quiet for a few days, but fortunately our time has been well spent and we have so much to share! While Monday was a little shaky with us being introduced to the children for the first time, Tuesday we established what would be our weekly routine. We have been lucky to have an apartment opened up to us for us to stay in and have been treated … Continue reading

SPU: Novgorod team

Hello Family and Friends!! On Tuesday was the first day that we got to work at the TB center, and as a team we have already fallen in love with the kids. As excited as we were to finally see them, beforehand we were a little apprehensive about how we would interact with them, especially considering the language barrier. However, as always, God’s hand was already on the situation. When we saw the children gathered around the windows awaiting our arrival, the nerves left and were replaced by an overwhelming sense of joy and excitement. Today was focused on getting … Continue reading

SPU: Greetings from Velikiy Novgorod!

Hello from Novgorod, Russia!!! We arrived safely last night and were greeted with a delicious meal. Novgorod is the oldest city in Russia, over 1150 years old; we learned about the history and amazing sights we are going to see during our time here. Today we all walked around Novgorod, praying for the people and the children we are going to be meeting tomorrow. Also, it’s Aryn’s Birthday! We surprised her with French toast and birthday cake this evening. (Don’t worry Shelli we didn’t forget it was your baby’s Birthday!!) Today we also met the director of the TB Children … Continue reading