Wayfaring Stranger

Wow, Russia here I come!!! Is it really here? Yes, it is really here. Seems like yesterday I had a month to prepare. Today it feels like I have 1 day to prepare ... checking ... checking ... yes I really do leave tomorrow!

There are always a million and 1 details to work out before a missions trip and this one is no different.

I had to copy visa, passport, itinerary, etc... Blow up pictures. Pack EVERYTHING that I can imagine that I might need. Unpack everything I wont really need because of weight restrictions. Repack what I second guess that I might need. Finish up my "ministry notebook" (lessions, family/friends/coworker pics, Russia culture info, prayer requests, and more oh my!). Get power bars and water for the travel from here to Ekat ... you never know what might or might not be available / consumable in other countries. Aka. I dont plan on spending my 2 weeks over there in the bathroom <G>. Get gifts for our interpreters and our missionary hosts. And anon and anon ....

Once I settled on what to pack, re-re-review what I decided.

The night before leaving, do the last bit of laundry and re-re-re-review on what to pack. Great plan BUT, not so great when the POWER GOES OUT! Doh! All those plans were put on hold. Fortunately I got things together earlier this year than I did last year. When the power finally did come back on I quickly finished up with what I could do. But I forgot to print my lessons when I was at work ... ooops. I forgot my last few support checks at work ... ooops.

As you might be able to guess, I am a *bit* frazzled. But keeping a bright and sunny outlook, I proceed forward and know that details will work themselves out. God always provides.

Speaking of God's provision, the English classes only had ~40 students apply by this week. Wow. That's only about 1 class and we have enough teachers for 5 classes. But, on the final testing date, Darin had 120 additional students apply! Yeah! Darin was able to fill all 5 classes, God is good! Last year we saw a lot of spiritual warfare and God always came through ... and that usually at the last minute. Looks like this year will be no different.

Plz keep our team and the Russian student and Russian citizen we will encounter. Pray for God's provision and for "good soil" for all the seed we are able to cast.

Hopefully I will be able to post a couple of times from Russia.

posted by iWantToKeepAnon at 10:22 PM |