well, some rather unusual and interesting events have taken place, and we're still getting back on balance.
LOST AND FOUND
On Tuesday last week (eight days ago), I went to the airport to pick up Nicole. She is a young lady who plans to study Russian at a local university and help us in her spare time. She was to fly from Chicago to Beijing, change planes, and then on to Khabarovsk. Well, the plane arrived, but no Nicole. I've had luggage not arrive, but never a missing person. Where could she be? I called her mom and was told that Nicole was on the plane to Beijing from Chicago, the the plane had departed late. The airline wouldn't give us information since we weren't family and would need a police order. The next flight from China would be in two days. Our best guess was that she was at the airport in China, but how to know? This was not the same as a missing piece of luggage.
I sent her an email saying that if she could get on-line, to let me know what's happening. I've never been to China, but I figured they should have internet there somewhere. What else to do? Well, we prayed.
That afternoon we get a phone call from a lady taxi driver in Novosibirsk. She was trying to help a lost American girl at the airport. Keep in mind that Novosibirsk is 2,000 miles away. Nicole had missed the flight to Khabarovsk (due to the delay of her first flight), and had been routed from Beijing to Khabarovsk via Novosibirsk. Kinda like someone (who doesn't speak English) being routed from Atlanta to New York through Los Angeles (with a day long layover in L.A.).
Well, praise God, we have a family with AGWM serving in Novosibirsk. So we made arrangements for this very helpful (God bless her) taxi driver to take Nicole to them.
Well, praise God, we have a family with AGWM serving in Novosibirsk. So we made arrangements for this very helpful (God bless her) taxi driver to take Nicole to them.
Nicole is now safe and sound here in Khabarovsk. She spent the first few nights with us, but is now moved into her dormitory room, and has started classes. I try to warn folks who want to serve with us that once you launch out into an adventure with God, life is never boring. Usually, though, they don't have such a big adventure until after they arrive.
Her she is with next to an ice sculpture in a park near our house.
UPSIDE DOWN
In previous updates we've told about starting a Life Skills training for orphans. The orphanage we work with the most gave us permission to take the graduating class once a week for lessons (which includes cooking, general life training, and a movie). The first two lessons went well, but then suddenly - for three weeks - none of the young people came. Other events were being scheduled at the same time (going to the doctor, required attendance at a celebration, etc.). Slowly, we began to piece together what was happening. An orthodox priest and his wife have started doing ministry at this orphanage. He was putting pressure on the workers to get rid of us. The Christians there were quietly supporting his attempts to put us out. However, many of the staff there are atheists. The atheists on the staff like what we do and see that it is good for the kids.
As the low-grade conflict at the orphanage ensued, it put me in the most Upside-Down situation I've faced in ministry here. The atheists were pushing our ministry forward as the Christians were opposing it.
The director was getting it from the priest on one side and the atheist staff on the other. We decided we could not win by being the most clever, the most assertive, or the most right. The only way we could win was to be the most loving. This was the Lord's battle. So we just prayed and fasted.
The director was getting it from the priest on one side and the atheist staff on the other. We decided we could not win by being the most clever, the most assertive, or the most right. The only way we could win was to be the most loving. This was the Lord's battle. So we just prayed and fasted.
We did, however, decided we needed to widen our net. So we checked with other orphanages to see if they would like to send their graduating orphans for the Life Skills training.
TURN AROUND
I never in my life thought I'd say this, but praise God, the atheists won. The kids we had been working with were able to come last week.
But, oh no, a new crisis. Two other orphanages decided send youth to us as well. Our program had to triple in one week. It was like when Jesus told the disciples to let down the nets one more time. The boat was so full it threatened to sink. However, this did not surprise our Lord. Our volunteer helpers were energized by this new challenge. We planned a new training station for haircuts in an office, had one person teaching how to make salads in the classroom while another was teaching how to cook in the kitchen. So last week we hosted 21 "students" for the training.
Please pray for us that they keep coming (lessons again tomorrow), and that we have enough volunteers for the task, and that the right atmosphere is created to touch the lives of these young people.
Deanna celebrated her 11th birthday (January 28) with a sleep-over. Cake, friends, dress-up, games, girl-talk, all the party stuff. The weirdest thing they did was fall asleep before midnight. What good girls.
There's a couple of web sites about the Assembly's Russia ministry at http://russiaministrynetwork.org/ and http://www.eurasiacommunity.org/ you might enjoy perusing.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna
