Hope in Different Forms.

     These weeks have been good ones.

     This past Sunday we went to our host’s church and afterwards did street evangelism with her and her friends. We wrapped bibles with invitations to their church inside. We handed them out with light bulbs and the phrase, ‘this is the light for your flat, and this is the light for your life.’ It was encouraging and inspiring to us to see women doing evangelism in their own city.

     Thursday and Friday we went to a city called Arsenyev. Our purpose there was to connect with an English club. We prayed that God would open doors for conversation to be about Him. The club met both days and we did have some really good discussions.We were able to build relationships with a few people in particular and to encourage the people we met and call out the potential we saw in them, and are still keeping in touch.

     We have continued with our weekly English class with locals, our children's English classes, and doing ministry with village children and are beginning to build even deeper relationships with the people we've met in each of those. We have also continued with more street evangelism, and are working on meeting up with the people we've met through that to help them with their English, to talk more, and hopefully hook them up with some local ministries and churches we've become apart of here.

     Coming here we knew that God wanted us to be a part of bringing hope to this country and this week the three of us realized that hope looks different to each of us and we each have a different role to play in bringing it here. We’re a mix of salvation, healing, and purpose and we continually pray for God’s ideas in showing that to this country. We've also realized the importance of the small things: compliments, smiles, and hellos. Those things can make all the difference here.

    Prayer for opportunity to speak truth, bring hope, and make a difference would be so appreciated. As well as prayer that God would continually show us and remind us just why He has us here. Paige and Heidi are slightly sick right now as well and we would appreciate your continued prayer for our team in that. Thank you for your prayers and support!   

             Rachel for the team. 

Honoring the Lord with our hearts.

Hello Friends and Family!
     It has been a really great two weeks here in Vladivostok! We have been doing so many different things! We're finding that missions here means building relationships and we've been doing a lot of that. Once a week we lead a ladies English class in an apartment and we've also helped teach a children's English class twice and will continue with that. We cook once a week for a discipleship class; we've done street evangelism in the city a few times; we're working with a church connected to the YWAM team here and we've helped with and shared at their youth group and homeless church service.
     We've met so many people and started so may relationships and we're excited to see where they lead! We're praying for open doors and open hearts that receive.
     Our fourth member will no longer be joining us and while we are saddened by this, Jesus has really been showing us how to embrace Him as a member of our team. We are becoming more solidified as a team of three and will continue to be servants of Jesus and work towards love, joy, and hope in the country of Russia.
     Please continue to pray for unity and good communication in the team. Pray that God would give us his heart for the things that we do and the people we come into contact with.

                                                 ~Rachel for the team

                                Dave and Masha - two members of the YWAM Vladivostok team.  

                                              Walking on the frozen ocean.

                                           View from our apartment window.

Everywhere we walk, there is ice; snow boots are a must.

                  Our new friend Masha we met at church. She runs the homeless service we helped with.

Welcome to Vladivostok!

Hello friends!

     Team Russia (minus Emily) has successfully arrived in Vladivostok, Russia! We left the base on Sunday night in the middle of tornado weather. Our flight was delayed because of the weather so we waited and did a little evangelizing. The flight was 8 hours to Taiwan.

     Because of the delay of our first flight, we missed our original connecting flight, and when we arrived in Taiwan, they rushed us through the airport to a plane that was waiting for us to take off to Hong Kong. Do we still get to say we were in Taiwan, if only for, literally, fifteen minutes? 

     The flight to Vladivostok was about five hours and was basically uneventful. We arrived very early on Tuesday morning and a staff member of YWAM, Vladivostok, picked us up and drove us to our apartment. We had orientation on Tuesday afternoon. Today (Wednesday) they took us into the city and showed us around and we will soon be leaving for dinner at our contact's house.

     Alas, our team will not be complete until, hopefully, Tuesday. Emily's visa was just approved yesterday and she still needs $900 for her ticket. We are praying and believe that everything will be in order for her to leave on Sunday. 

     Please continue to pray for us! Pray for Emily (that the funds would come in and also against the spirit of discouragement), for safety, good communication, and that we would really seek out God's heart in everything we do. 

     Thank you SO MUCH for praying!                                                    

              ~Rachel for the team. 

19 DAYS.

     We are leaving for Vladivostok, Russia, in two and a half weeks - 19 days. That's either an eternity or  no time at all, depending on how you look at it.

      Three of us finally have our visas; Emily does not yet have hers because she didn't have the money to apply, and now that she does, the embassy is closed because their Christmas break is different from ours. We are going to buy our plane tickets this week.

     We met today and asked God how he wants us to pray and how he wants us to ask others to pray for us. Here are some specific prayer points:

         ~ That all of our finances would come in

         ~ Favor with the Russian Embassy and fast processing of Emily's visa application

         ~ Communication between team members

         ~ Unity in the team

         ~ Safety in traveling and for the time spent there

         ~ That we would all have hearts focused on our mission and ready to serve

         ~  Favor for the journey: in the airport, that our flights would be on time and our luggage wouldn't be lost; that it would be a stress-less journey.

         ~ That God would be preparing the hearts of the people we're going to talk to and that they would be open to Jesus!

     We are excited for what God is going to do in and through us and would appreciate your prayers as we continue to prepare. Jesus, this trip is yours! 

           Rachel for the team. 

     

Hello All!! This is Rachel Meck reporting for Team Russia!

      This is going to be a short post; just a small update on whats going on. Team Russia aka Paige Motz, Emily Memmott, Heidi Lopez and myself - will be leaving for Russia on January 27. We have plane tickets on hold but we haven't bought them yet. We're working on getting our visas and its a very long process.
     In the picture, Emily is on the far left and she is from right here in Australia; I'm next and I'm from Pennsylvania, America; Heidi is next and she is from Finland; and Paige is from Texas, America.
     Your prayers are appreciated in this time as we are still getting everything together and ready to go. Pray for team unity, that everything would come together post haste, and that we would continue to seek God in everything we do.
     Thank you!
           Rachel for the team.