Number of days away from Vineland: 18
Number of countries visited: 2 (Russia and Ukraine)
Number of cities visited: 3 (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sevastopol)
Minimum number of hours worked per day: 13
Number of CMA workers we met with personally: 24 adults and 22 kids
Number of nights slept in a different bed than the previous night: 13
Miles traveled between major cities: 12,010 miles
Modes of travel: 7 (walk, taxi, mini-bus, airplane, train, subway, cars)
Number of group teaching/sharing sessions: 11
Number of odd foods tasted: (ask us if you want to know)
Number of Russian words learned (kind of...it I a really hard language): 18
Number of times we fell: 2 (Sharon in the airport, and Nate on an elderly lady in the subway)
We are so thankful that our church supported us for a second year in this trip as the pastoral care couple for our CMA workers here in Russia and Ukraine. God deeply touched our hearts as we got an up-close view of their lives, families, and ministries. We were in almost every worker’s home. We ate with them, played with their kids; we walked with them in their neighborhoods, and rode in their subways. Time after time we heard powerful stories of how God has called them and given them grace to give their lives to be light in a very dark area of the world. Moscow alone has 15 million people, 2 million are Central Asians. Few know Jesus. Life here is not easy for them or their children, but they faithfully give themselves to learning the language, adapting to the culture, and intentionally building relationships with people in order to share the Gospel of Jesus.
We cried as we held one final meeting with the Moscow team. We thanked them for their gift of opening their hearts to us. They wanted to make sure we expressed how grateful they are that we took the time to know them personally and to listen to the burdens they carry in their role here. They asked us to thank our church for sending us and supporting our partnership through prayer and your gifts.
Living Faith Alliance Church, please know that your lives and partnership with North and Central Asia are making a difference!