Hope for the Harvest

First Snow

2007-11-08T05:54:00.000-06:00

Well winter came last week, but it did not stay long. These are a few pictures of our winter wonderland outside our apartment. This is just the begining of our winter fun. Stay tuned to more pictures that look just like this one but more snow.

Technical Difficulties

2007-09-16T04:38:00.000-06:00

I am sorry because it has been such a long time since I have posted but I can not display pictures at this time. I can however tell you what I have been up to in the past couple of months.

Our team went to the Island of Popova for a prayer retreat. It was an enjoyable time filled with team prayer time and fun. The island was not like what Americans would think as nice island or anything and NO we did not stay at a Hilton or Best Western. I mean the only time we had hot water was 7-10 at night and that was it. Even though it was not a luxuries vacation it was nice just to get away and to have some team building.

My deaf ministry is also off to a great start. I have attended Bible Study which was fun. Finally, I actually understood what was going on and being said. PRAISE THE LORD!! I also was asked to go to a cookout on the beach with them one Sunday which was fun just being able to build relationships with them and making my presence known to them. It was nice because both of my teachers went to so if I got in a language bind they could help me out. Mostly though I played with their children which are hearing.

My personal favorite thing I have begun to do is teach an ESL class to preschoolers. I have 7 four olds, and we meet in Jen's teacher's home. I teach using Bible stories, songs, and crafts. They are great kids please pray for them and there families as I minister to them.

I am looking forward to several things coming up soon. Well hockey season has started here and I bought a city team jersey so GO AMUR TIGERS!!! I am also looking forward to a night of Olympic Figure Skating next week. I am a big fan of figure skating and I have watched it ever since I was little with my mom so you could say I am supper excited.

Well I am sorry about no pictures I am trying to fix the problem. I hope to soon have it all fixed.

Celebrating the 4th Russian Style!

2007-07-07T00:17:00.000-06:00

We celebreated the 4th on the beach with our "family". We had a cook out and just hung out together. We even had an adventure look at our pics to see what happened.

Jody showing his true American spirit while driving.

grilling hamburgers

The kids played in the water while they waited for the burgers.

I flew the kid's kite while they played in the water.

Then at the end when we were leaving the adventure began!!!

We drove the van on accident into the sinking mud/sand. We got stuck and it took about 15 minutes to get unstuck.

Then we learned with team work you can do anything even getting a car unstuck. YIPPEEE!!

My Crazy Life in One Post

2007-06-20T18:55:00.000-06:00

Well my life in the past few weeks has been crazy to say the least. I have been busy with my language study and helping with some volunteer college student groups that have come. Well the first group that we had was from Missouri. They were a really cool group. They were here to help our Student Team with English Clubs and speaking to English classes in the univeristies. They really made a great impact on our city. While they were we celebrated our city's 149th birthday. So we spent the day atthe river and watched fireworks that night.

This is our "famous" beach at the river!

Deaf students selling balloons for the celebration.

(my mission field)

Then our new team came from Cincinnati and I took them around to see the city and went on a boat ride. However since they have been here I have gone to see Fantastic 4 in Russian and I went to an orphanage.

I got to walk and play with a dog while I was at the orphanage.

UC team, Jody and Misha leading the kids in song.

Something I was introduced to this week was "summer snow", which is not really snow. It is this fur stuff that comes from the trees here. The cool thing is the wind blows it out of the trees so it looks like it is snowing all the time here.

Last but not least we took Connie our SC out to dinner for her birthday to this really cool Russian resturant. Check this out!

Still Alive

2007-05-27T05:23:00.000-06:00

Well I have not forgotten to post it is just that I have been doing the same thing every week and I thought that might be boring for some people to read. My weeks are full of classes and studying. I was taking 5 classes and 2 languages, but this past weekend it was cut down to 1 language and 3 classes for right now. I had to drop my RSL class and I am hoping to get a private deaf tutor in July. Which will be much better for me. I am exciting about the challenge. However she does hear a little and only speaks Russian, but I learned from the past few weeks that it will be to my advantage to learn this way with my new tutor. So to say the least I have been staying very busy, and on top of that we just had a volunteer team arrive yesterday.
Our volunteer team is here working with the large university student population here in our city. They will be conducting English Clubs while they are here. We even have times where I whole team is involved in some ministry opportunities which I am excited about just so I know what goes on when teams come so I can better prepare and plan for when teams come and work with me.
Jen and I do a Bible Study each morning and right now the study really prepares people for the field and also continues to while you are on the field. Through the past week when we did our study God has just been showing me to love others which I do, but this week God really laid on my heart the student population as I ride the bus and tram with them daily. My heart has just hurt for the young people here in a life of sin. I see them on a daily basis drinking and smoking starting a very young age. I am so excited as I go to church here each week and as I see more and more young people at church. They are few but the ones there are strong in the faith which is a great blessing. I am also so thank for teams like the one here this week who have answered God's call to Siberia to reach the student poplutation in our city. Please pray for the students here and pray that as I live here God will give me an opportunity to minister to the deaf and hearing students. Pray for our team as we try and reach them.

Scenes around town and a parade

2007-05-08T21:33:00.000-06:00

Pics of my new home inside and out!

2007-05-04T05:51:00.000-06:00

Our building is on the left.

View out our living room window.

These two pictures are of my room.

Our lovely living room

Our kitchen

I hope tomorrow to post some pictures of the city, but it is getting late here so I will stop for now.

2007-04-02T21:08:00.000-06:00

Count down to Russia: 16 days

I am full of emotions right now. I am leaving training on Thursday so I am happy to be leaving and going home to move to Russia, but then I am sad at the same time because I am leaving my friends here. It has been awesome the past two months hanging out with all my friends we have had a blast and I just can not wait to see how God is going to use us all on the field.

Another exciting thing that happened this week is my parents came yesterday. I was so excited to see them and get to hang out with them since I just have a few more weeks with them. They got here and informed me that two couples from my old church and one from my new will be arriving on Wednesday for my commissioning service which is nice to have the support here from the churches that are supporting me through prayer. Man the people at my churches are great and I would not change them for the world!!!

Ice Cream with the President!

2007-02-28T18:19:00.000-06:00

Last night I went to the President's house. You are probably thinking Mr. Bush, but you would be wrong. Instead I went to Mr. Jerry Rankin's to have ice cream and coke. It was a lot of fun hanging out with my friends and getting to the know Rankin's. That was the exciting part about the week. The rest of the week so far involved getting shots and going to class to learn about spiritual warfare and doctrine.

You may think all I do is go to class and go to important company events, but I do have fun with my friends. My roommate and I have the most fun each night just chilling and solving the world's problems. Here she is my favorite roommate here at FPO.

Well I need to run but I hope everyone has a great week!

I am Here

2007-02-10T18:50:00.000-06:00

Well I arrived at FPO on Tuesday afternoon. Ihas been great meeting new friends and reconnecting with others that I met in October at screening conference. We are in class most of the day. The classes are preparing us for the field. Our more recent classes have been on how to personalize our ministry and helping churches mobilize to come and connect with us. We also talked about how we are going to learn how to share the Good News. We are even going to go D.C. on a field trip to minister to people closer to the end of our time here. This is something that I am looking forward too.
Besides the assignments that we have to turn in here on a daily basis. Our reigons also give us work to do each week. It is a little overwhelming, but not too bad so far. I am also on the children's ministry team here which is a fun ministry to have and be apart of to minister to the families that are here as well. I even have four children that live in my house as well. I was so exicted because we get to play all the time. Tonight they are even watching one of my favorite movies Sound of Music.
I am so excited about being here. God blessed me so much and I am reminded daily while I am here that He loves me so much and that He has called me to go and share that with others. I ask that while I am here that you will begin to pray for the deaf people that I will be ministring to. I pray that they will see how much Christ loves them.
Stay tuned for more updates to come on here.

COLD COUNTRY

2006-11-17T22:54:00.000-06:00

Well, I finally received my letter, and it looks like I am going to go Khabarovsk, Russia where there are REALLY cold winters. I am excited about where God has placed me and can not wait to get there. God has taught me many things throughout the process, but the main thing he has taught me is patience. This process has been full of times where I have waited and waited to here things. I am glad that I finally know where God has placed me for the next two years of my life, and I will go with a servants heart ready to share the love of God. Please pray for me as begin to try and learn the two languages that I have to learn and for the deaf people that I will be ministering to.

I can not wait until this semesters over I first have to overcome this hurtle before I move on to my move. I am excited about moving home for a little while and spending time with my family before I move. This will be a great time spent with them, and I get to start that next week as I go home and celebrate Thanksgiving and my birthday with my family. Please pray for me as I will be traveling in the coming days. I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

BIG WEEK

2006-11-12T23:34:00.000-06:00

Well this is the week that we have all been waiting for. In the coming days the fate of all who were at the conference will find out where God has placed them for the next two years of there lives. I am both excited and nervous all at the same time just because I am not sure of what of what will be in my envelop that I will receive in the coming days. Please for me along with all my other friends as we are excited to move overseas to share the love of Christ around the world.