It has been a week of catching up - on sleep, work, friends and with many of you who wanted to hear about our trip! It has been an absolute blessing to talk to each of you, for all of us. We LOVE talking about these kids, if you haven't already noticed...they are natural comedians, genuine and loving all found in a Russian orphanage - also they are very small kids who have had a really rough life at their young ages. It is always interesting how your first week at home shapes up after a mission trip that far away, inevitably you wake up at 3 or 4 am ready for the day, and then REALLY frustrated your body woke you. After you start your day, you find that you cannot let go easily the kids who found their way into your heart. Russia is a backwards place. It is NOTHING like 'home' and when people travel there on a mission trip, it truly is to touch the lives of these youngsters and faithfully get out of their 'comfort zone.'
What I have constantly thought about this week is how proud I am of each one of these ladies I travelled with this month. Each one of them served their Jesus selflessly with everything they had inside them to give. It is NOT easy, but it is life changing. I saw kids opening up to our team in ways I never imagined for a first trip into an orphanage. These kids are so closed off emotionally because of what has happened to them, and they have NO reason to trust us at all. What I saw was a God who broke through those human barriers we put into place and break into hearts in ways only our awesome God could do.I've also been thinking about ‘playing snowballs,’ which is a new term for me. I have spent A LOT of time in Russia over 7 years, and I have NEVER had snowball fights like the ones I had last week! They were amazing! I was laughing so hard at our ineptitude at playing snowballs that I am sure I helped the kids land far more than they should have been able to land on my face. Then I think of the language barriers we crossed so easily with the boys just by making a snowball and hurling it in their general direction…those are the God moments I live for. The simplicity of finding a common ground in a country where you don’t speak the language, but strongly desire to show love and acceptance to kids who do not normally receive it...truly a God given moment not to be passed up.
Even when you are faced with one of you 'favorite' kids tackling you into the snow, though there was much more respect given on behalf of this ornery teen after I threw him into the snow! Do I have that on video?!?! NO! Only HIM tossing ME down! However, the next day when I left, as I started walking out the door...he was the first to get up and hug me in a strong embrace I never would have believed if I hadn't received it. And I swear I saw maybe a little water glisten in the corner of his eye, as my unaffectionate family group stood one by one to hug me goodbye. I'll confess...I had water in the corner of my eyes as well.
We have said over and over that we cannot believe how much the kids were firmly planted in our hearts in only 6 days. What we neglected to say was we were not alone in that orphanage. We were sent. We followed the calling in our lives to an unknown, sometimes uncomfortable adventure. We served with everything we had in us. We asked God to reach through us and touch our new friends. And now we give the glory to the Lord we serve for an amazing trip.
Another thing I keep thinking about is the lesson time I had with the kids. I was nervous about it in the beginning, as many times as I've been doing this - not once have I ever done the lesson time. My last rotation day with them was the day we talked about dreams. I never in MY wildest dreams thought these kids would share such tender and honest dreams. From 'I want to live in Kirov' to 'I want to be a good dad' to 'I want to be a famous author,' even if these kids don't realistically see a good future - they are dreaming about one. For me that is encouraging, because I have seen what their pasts can be like and their pasts' say they are worthless. It is also encouraging, because it is also evidence to the home they live in now. They are allowed to dream those dreams, because they have a safe place to do that in. A place that puts an expectation out there to go to university, to make a life for yourself - and those expectations are rarely put on orphans in Russia.
Next week is Thanksgiving, what I would encourage you all to do in this week is to lean into Christ...seek Him out...listen to Him...His adventures are not only across an ocean - they are in your home, your workplace - maybe even the grocery store or on a highway off-ramp. Don't get consumed by the coming holiday season...look for your God moments, time He has set aside for you to minister to others. Because I can tell you from experience, there is nothing like being at exactly the spot God wants you in, doing exactly what He is asking of you and being so filled with the Holy Spirit that you cannot help but overflow. Be real in that moment...don't be afraid - the awesome bonus is that He equips you with what you need while you are serving Him! Lift our new Russian friends up in prayer, keep asking us about their stories - long after you stop asking we are still going to want to be talking about our time with them!
May your God moments be filled with courage, laughter and grace!
in Jesus' mission,
Stephanie
