Youth Team Buryatia

Meet Pastor Svieta . . . church planter/missionary/pastor

from Belarus who has lived in Buryatia for at least 12 years.

God has spoken to her over a period of time and through

various means about youth in this region and Russia in general.

One evening while teaching in Angarsk, I arrived for our nightly

tea time to find that Sasha (see Angarsk translator) was in deep

discussion with Svieta regarding youth ministry. We talked long

into the night, and Svieta knew this was the time to step out.

She and I have spent long hours together, strategizing, praying,

and finally traveling the region together to seek out where we

have youth, where there are potential leaders, what the heart

of the churches are, and what the keys to the community might be.

Youth Ministries Course - Angarsk in November 07

In November, I again found myself teaching Youth Ministries in a city 10 hours west of home. Pictured here are some of my 24 students, mixed in with some from the other class. One of these guys was quick to let me know, on the first day, that this was "American" material, but by the last day, his whole attitude had changed, he was very thankful, and God had done a work in his heart toward young people.

These students never knew what I might do next :) One afternoon, they were starting to yawn, so I invited them to stand as we (my translator and I) had a seat and kept on teaching . . . one student snapped this pix on his cell phone. Project time - creating a mock youth ministry in teams.Worship and prayer times . . . the last day was powerful!!! Before our test, each student stood by region, city, town, and we prayed for the youth of their area. The presence of God was so rich, and the students taking their finals in the other class joked that I must be grading my students based on how loud they could pray - Hah! God really spoke into hearts about the future of youth ministry in this region and challenged these students to take on the call.

Sasha - the wonder translator! Also a key part of the youth team

developing in the Irkutsk region 8 hours west of Buryatia.

Team Building

More Group Studies.
Team dramas . . .

. . . so, what IS the difference between youth ministry and youth group anyway???

Happy Thanksgiving a bit early

November 3 - on the train (& a plane) again to head over the river and through the woods back to Xhabarovsk for our Siberia Team Meeting and Thanksgiving.

Clarke & Carolyn Gage came from Estonia to feed our spirits.

We all pitched in to feed our faces :)

Now you see us . . .

. . . And now you don't

Worship New Russian Visa Laws were a hot topic of conversation.
. . . a good time of learning and relaxing and bonding.

Novokijinginsk

October 2007 -

This last weekend I drove 4 hours outside of Ulan Ude to

Novokijinginsk. Over dirt, icey, and snowy roads. Actually

the roads were a vast improvement over the last time, so

I cannot complain. It's always soooooo good

to see Oleg & Lena & their kids Andre & Luda.

Group shot after Sunday afternoon's youth meeting.

Yup, that's actually Pastor Oleg in disquise - The theme
of the service was "Value" and he snuck into the service
dressed like this - no one knew who he was, and
the responses were interesting and varied, but they
got the point when he stepped to the podium & took off his hat.
We look so often on the outsides of people and forget to
consider what might be on the inside and that NO PERSON is
replaceable . . . all are necessary and important.
Prayer for the kids as they head of to Sunday School.

Men's choir worshipping.

Congregation

Preaching

Praying

See ya next time!

Xhabarovsk - Youth Ministry Course

October 2007 -

An 8 hour train trip to Irkutsk and one late flight later,

and I arrived in Xhabarovsk (pronounced "Ha-bar-ovsk") to

teach a 2-week Youth Ministry course at MTI, an extension

Bible Institute in the Russian Far East. BEAUTIFUL city

. . . I actually had some moments of culture shock

since the roads and landscaping were so different from the norm.

Fall City Center view from the 9th floor apartment where I stayed.

19 students plus the director and another

student from the other course.

Trying to teach, but everyone knew

someone was taking a pix, so . . . :)

Tonya - main, in-class translator - she's gold

. . . and not just her shirt!!!

Group assignment - creating a mock youth ministry.

Valera will return to Kyrgystan to begin Youth Ministry.

Okay, yes, Olya (my translator) and I ARE in the sauna

correcting finals, but it was the quietest hiding

place in the whole house. No the heat isn't on!

Xhabarovsk Missionary Team (Cecil & Tonya, Aaron & Beth, & Elf)

along with guest Missionary Professors Arnold & Joy Lastinger

eating shashlik (like shishkabobs) at a park on the banks of the

Amur River - this river separates Russia from China. We are about

6 hours from the Pacific Ocean here and north of Japan. Some beautiful Russian Orthodox churches in this town.

Cecil & Tonya's kids - Timothy, Vera, and Deanna . . .
it is very fun to be a part of their conversations
which are a constant mixture of Russian and English!

Sitting in front of another beautiful

Russian Orthodox Church w/ Beth.

Happy B-Day on Baikal

August 25, 2007 - Happy Birthday to me! I took 3 friends back to Ust Barguzine where the Ladies' Rehabilitation Center is near to Lake Baikal. The weather had been lousy for at least 2 weeks flirting with fall weather, but that day was AMAZING - everyone said it was God's special gift to me when the day dawned a perfect, warm summer day. Even better was when the following day was also sunny and beautiful but a very chilly fall day. Yup, God blessed me :)

Moms are good to send candles to make sure tradition is kept!

Olya, Natasha, me, and Luda at Baikal.

Thank you, family and friends, for the Birthday

packages and cards and emails. I opened

two boxes on the sandy beach of Baikal.

Everyone from the Rehab got in on the B-day picnic too!

No Russian Birthday party is complete without drama . . .

. . . presentations . . .

. . . and seranading!A truly perfect, beautiful day!

Cold? Yes, but not bad since Baikal's water is at it's warmest now!

This is the first time on a major holiday overseas that

I have not felt a huge piece of my heart was somewhere else

with family and friends in the USA. God has filled the gaps,

blessed me with friends, and given me a new home!