Greetings from Moscow, dear family and friends! It has been a long time since we have updated our blog. As most of you know, we were in the US for 8 months. It was the longest visit since we joined the work in Moscow almost 11 years ago. Though it was not our choosing, God used that time for our good and for His perfect purpose. We were able to spend some extended time with family and friends, take care of some medical check-ups, and attend to a few projects that had been moved to the back burner.

The Lord has been prompting me over the past few years write a book recording the many things He has done in and through over lives over the past 15 years or so. Actually, the events of the book had already been written on our hearts and minds. Our job was to simply write it down as His Spirit brought it to mind. The body of the book was completed a few weeks prior to our return to Russia. There is still much to be done with editing. What a blessing and encouragement it has been for us to put down on paper the many lessons we have learned and the miracles of God we have witnessed. Even if it never gets published, the legacy of it all will be passed on to future generations in our family and the lives of those whose stories are shared in the book. To God be the glory.

We were blessed beyond our wildest dreams to be given a home in the Blue Ridge Smokey Mountain area. Some very dear friends allowed us to stay there as a result of the Lord moving in their hearts to offer it to us. God used their generosity in a powerful way to minister to our family by providing a beautiful, peaceful atmosphere for getting some much needed rest and solitude. Other wonderful and gracious provisions were made as we traveled to different areas visiting with family and friends. We are grateful for each and every one of you who opened your home to us to meet not only a physical need but the need for fellowship and rest. God is so good to us! We returned to the US very weary but the Lord faithfully renewed our strength through many of you and equipped us for our return to Moscow.

We were only able to obtain 3 month visas, allowing us to be in Moscow until July 30th. We enjoyed a good and safe flight over. At the airport in Moscow, we were met by Egor L. as well as friends from Golgotha, our church here. Andrei S., a brother from Golgotha whom we work alongside in the orphan outreach, brought our van to the airport so we could go straight home from there. What a blessing that was. We hit the ground running! Misha H. met up with us that same day and he and Egor helped us shift boxes out of 'Drei's room where we had stored them for the 8 months.

We praise God for the time He has already given us with several of our Russian young people. It has been a true source of encouragement to see how some are serving the Lord and ministering to others, including children in orphanages. We were able to make a trip to the orphanage in Bezhetsk and stayed there for 3 days. There were about 18 of us from our church and other churches in Moscow that were able to make the trip. Arseni S. and Galya K. were among those that went with us. What a blessing and joy it was for us to see the children again and to witness the love and sacrifice displayed by the young people who accompanied us on the trip. God is alive and working all things together for good for His people.

We had a great time over this past weekend sharing time with Galya K., Arseni, Egor L., Misha H., Kostya, Sasha G., and his friend Jaana. We made a Mexican meal at Sasha's request and we enjoyed getting caught up with each one. Please pray for those who need to make changes in their lives based on Truth. They know what's right in their heads but need to transfer it to their heart. Pray they will desire to do what is right above all else. Obedience is not always convenient and usually not the easy thing to do, but it is always the right thing to do.

Our prayer request is simply that we would make the best use of our short time here. May the Lord find us faithful in sharing His love and Good News with everyone He brings across our path. May we walk out our faith, knowing that faith is not what we believe but what we do as a result of that belief. We desire that every decision we make in these next 3 months be consistent with what we believe. May the Lord find us faithful followers of Him.

We are so very grateful for the many ways the Lord reveals Himself to us. We are grateful for His faithful provision through many of you, for His hand of protection upon us, and for the blessing of fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ. May the hand of the Lord be upon you as you seek and serve Him wherever He places you for His purpose and glory.