Amazing Grace

Another couple of days have gone by in Russia, and I have been blown away by God's grace and peace that He so freely gives. I came to this country with some nervousness and anxiety about how I would communicate my faith through an interpreter thousands of miles away from anything familiar. Thankfully, our God is universal, so I had no reason to fear.

To backtrack some, Saturday we spent time touring Moscow and seeing the sites around Red Square and the Kremlin. Then that evening, we had an awesome dinner and prepared for our train ride that night. If you've never been on a Russian overnight train before, then it is a crazy experience that cannot be described in a blog post. It was a little difficult to sleep with the frequent jerking stops and screeching wheels, but we all managed and were blessed with a restful night.

The next morning we arrived in Voronezh, and I liked the city immediately. It is not as busy or commercial as Moscow, and the people seems more geniune and friendly. We quickly checked into our hotel so we could attend church service, and it was completely mindblowing for me. The second I walked into the church and heard the passionate and intense worship music being played for our Lord, I started to tear up. It was amazing that even though I didn't understand a word they sang, I really did understand what they were singing. He hears our praise and our worship no matter what the language.

We then were priviledged to feast on an excellent Russian lunch, lovingly prepared by the sweet-natured women from the church. We went back to the hotel and rested that evening and prepared for the Monday events. In addition, we were able to meet our interpreters for the week, and I was blessed to be paired with an experienced one named Julia (pronounced U-lia). She is an excellent interpreter, so I am praying that our week together will be a fruitful one, and that we will develop a sweet friendship during this time.

I have lots of other stories and exciting reports from just this first day, but I will save my stories for a later time, when I can also post pictures and give more specific prayer requests. In the meantime, I would appreciate your prayers regarding the following people and upcoming situations.

The people I spoke with in Borovoe (boroVOYuh) today:
Galina
Vasily
Natasha and her four children
Maria
Alexandria
Ekaterina
Reema

Our entire team here in Russia (a total of 23), plus our interpreters

Our upcoming return meetings in Borovoe and Zimlyonsk

Thank you all for your prayers,encouragement and support. Here is a Scripture that I found that I thought applied extremely well to the week ahead. "O LORD, be gracious to us, for we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. " - Isaiah 33:2

Talk to you soon!
Nickie