My roommate, Tiffanie, once told me that when God squeezes the heart, the juice comes out our eyes. There was a lot of juice flowing the first three nights for our team in Russia, but the fruit is so good!
I've lost count, but I believe this is our 5th day in Pushkin, and this is the first time I've had a computer to update you all properly! So I am sorry you have had to wait, but we are here!
We landed on the last day of June after a long day of flights and team members throwing up on the plane and in the airport! We still have no idea what caused the sickness outside of a strange bout in warfare. I am pleased to say that after two days and much prayer and rest for those four students, the illness has fled our team!
We are definitely battling in a war, but I am so glad to know that with Christ, we are on the victorious side! As a team, we are reading through 1 John together on this trip. What really struck me was
1 John 2:8 which reads, "the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining."
For the past two years I've prayed for Russia to be flooded as a country with color and life after Alissa shared Is. 60:1-3 with me before she left for Russia in 2010.
1“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
I am excited to see what God wants to do this summer for His great name. We are not here without Christ being here before us! I am excited that both you and I are partnering to contribute this summer. One of our largest problems this year has been that the students who have been a part of this English camp over the past 10 years have started spreading the word and inviting their friends! In prior years, the camp has had 30-40 students, but this year we have 78 plus about 15 University students in a night class with us! What a good problem to have! The students from school 606 had recruited high school and university students from other cities even! How amazing! This is not because of who we are, but becasue of what God is doing in this place!
The juice God has been squeezing has been some great team bonding through pain and hurts that have been brought into the light based off of team relations, as well as, individuals getting some processing time by being away from the everyday life back in America. The other 14 teammates are a joy to be around, and I can't wait to look back and praise God with you on all He is going to do!
I am teaching the sports class with Tannor, Sherin, Nick, and Tanya (my Russian friend who came with other students to America almost 4 years ago while I was at ASU!) I am excited to invest in these 42 students! Pray I can remember names, and my back has grace with me! I wish I could upload new photos, but those will have to wait! Thankfully, my internationally phone allows me to upload some occassionally to facebook!
PRAY as tomorrow night we begin our Personal Belief Discussions (PBDs) with any students who are interested in talking with us. In the past, Gd has used these discussions to draw many brothers and sisters to himself.
Much love to all of you, I hope I get the chance to update again soon!
-Alicia
Here is a picture of Tannor and Tanya from our first day with the students at School 606! I love our Sports class teaching team!
