Foreign Mission News Blog: Russia by Greg

It's a beautifully warm, sunny Russian day here in Moscow. (I actually began this article yesterday, and it was sunny and hot, really.. but the wifi cafe I was in was too slow to send this article, so now it is tomorrow and it is raining.. ugh.. but warm:) I've finally found a bit of time to myself and so want to begin writing and editing some photos for you. I have had literally no time for writing and the Internet has been rare or too slow to use since my last report, which was written from Ekaterinburg.

Since that report, brother Misha Ustjuzhanin and I have traveled to 4 different Russian republics: Chuvashia, Mari El, Tatarstan and Udmurtia. I contracted some kind of flu virus along the way and though it tried valiantly to put me down (I'm only just getting better now) I was able to slug may way through. I have only a couple days left here in Russia and will spend them in Moscow visiting friends, Christians, and former students whom I have made contact with in past years. I will also buy a toy or book and visit a young boy , Roma, whom I met in the orphange in Ekaterinburg. He is in Moscow for some kind of operation with his kidney.

Brother Misha Ustjuzhanin and I spent about a week in Chuvashia, in the capital city, Cheboksary, visiting different friends and Christian groups, but the main focus of my time in Chuvashia was spent each day with students in the Chuvash State University. I don't remember just how many classes I visited, but each day was filled and I was always encouragingly exhausted by the end of each day.

One of the many enthusiastic classes of students whom I met with at the Chuvash State University. I truly enjoy visiting and interacting with these students. They are very interested in both our culture and in what I have to say concerning faith and salvation.

As in most countries, it is a sensitive matter to bring religion into the classroom, but by our Father's grace, the gospel is always preached as the students and I interact and share one another's lives and cultures.

Yulia and Dasha: Re-connecting with many of the students whom I have met with in past visits to the Chuvash State University

Many of you know Esa and Natasha, university students from Cheboksary who, after coming to know us, spent the summer in South Carolina last year at Brian and Shana Niemitalo's home. Esa and Natasha even attended our ALC summer convention last year!

Meetings in Cheboksary: Ludmila (in pink) is one of the first Christian persons I met in Cheboksary when I traveled there for the first time in 2004. This trip we were hosted by Natalia Burak, the woman behind me in black blouse with white spots. Natalia, though not yet a believer, offers us her home to stay in and attends some of our meetings, like this one, singing and praying with us..

Cheboksary Christian Group: Victor, far right, is the English professor who helps arrange visits for us in the Chuvash State University. The young man beside me in the photo, Sergie, found grace to repent last year when I met him at an outdoor "Student Picnic" on the famous Volga River, which I organized together with Victor and his church.

From Cheboksary we traveled to Yoshkar Ola and the surrounding villages.We spent the first days at the village home of Pastor Alexander and his wife, Anna, who serve in a Mari village called, Shorsala. We joined in with their Sunday service and visited different village families.We also visited the main Agricultural College and I spoke to a number of students.This was my first visit to this college, and though the teacher seemed a bit suspicious of us at first, by the time we left we were being enthusiastically asked to return. "The next time you come, said the English teacher, we will have many more students for you to talk with!"

Pastor Alexander Mityakov and wife, Anna, serve in the Mari villages around Yoshkar Ola

My first meeting with English teacher, Lena (in green) and students in the Mari Agricultural College.

Only a few of these students really spoke any kind of English.

Early morning walk in Shorsala, a Yoshkar Ola village. In the background you can see a Russian Orthodox church/monastery

Mari Villagers, Vadim and Nina, invite us for dinner at their village farm

The changing "modern" sky-line in Yoshkar Ola, the capital city of the Mari El Republic

Yoshkar Ola - Russian Orthodox Church

From Mari El we traveled to Kazan to participate in an outdoor evangelical Christian concert/gathering which was held by a number of different churches.

The 1000 year old city of Kazan lies on the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in the Tatarstan Republic

Here is our Mari El group in Kazan singing Christian songs in the Mari language.

The Mari people are part of the Finno-Ugric group of peoples.

Connecting in Kazan with young people who attended our Udmurtian youth camp last summer.

From Kazan we took a train to Mushga, in Udmurtia, (Udmurts are also part of the Finno-Ugric group) where we were met by Pastor Marat of the Ingrian Lutheran Church. Marat took us to meet with several different Christian groups in different Udmurtian villages and in each place I was able to speak and share the gospel. Later we traveled into Izhevsk, the Udmurt capital, and spend a few days visiting and fellowshipping in that city.

From Mari El and Kazan we head to the beautiful rolling green of Udmurtia!

Pastor Marat, a truly gentle soul...

We visited several Christian groups in Udmurita. Here is Pastor Nickoki (Big, happy man in Red) and some of the members of his Mozhga congregation

Early morning walk in Udmurtian village

Pastor Sergie and his wife, Lena, hosted us at their village home.

Communion service in Gurez Pudga. Pastor Marat does an exceptional job of uniting hearts around the gospel.

Last summer I attended sister Oksana and brother Maxim's wedding. This year I visited Oksana in the hospital to see her beauytiful newborn daughter, Mikalina.