We're here!

Privetstvi! We’re safe and sound – and slowly become better rested – here in Yekaterinburg. The journey was exhausting and relatively uneventful. We arrived Monday morning at about 5am local time and were finally “home” at 6:30am, about 30 hours after leaving “home” in Chicago. We pretty much went straight to bed and slept all day. (Dan only slept 9-10hours, but I’m still recovering from an awful sinus infection, which is my excuse for sleeping 13 hours!) Believe it or not, we were still tired enough to sleep some last night and today have managed to stay awake all day – a small triumph. We took the short walk over to Living Word church this morning and spent some time there drinking tea and catching up with Pastor Leonid. It was a wonderful way to begin! Our schedule and activities are growing clearer – and more options are still on the table, including a possible series of informal café & bible study evenings for young people. Dan will also lead a few seminars – Pastor Leonid particularly wants him to lead one again on preaching principles, something that “always needs improving”, as he said. Our bodies are adjusting to a hard and awkward “bed”, different food and a major time change – we find it takes a little longer for both of us to acclimate than it used to. But we are glad to be here – it does feel like home. We just wanted to give you a brief update to let you know we’re here and how to pray, so I will sign off for now and perhaps let myself indulge in sleep J Many thanks for your prayers!

Pray…

• That together with the church leaders here and in Chelyabinsk, we will be able to make wise decisions about how to spend our limited time.
• That God would show us what ministry together looks like.
• For our health – backs and necks and noses and throats are all vulnerable for us.
• And thank God for safe travel, a great meeting with Pastor Leonid and sleep. And for a working internet connection!