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Mia
In preparation for Mia starting in the Russian kindergarten in September, we were told she needs to have her eyes, ears, throat, brain, bones all checked before she's allowed to start! We have had to go on 4 occasions to different Russian medical clinics for children in the city. This is all normal Russian procedure. At each one you queue up and see a different doctor, pay some money and then get an official stamp. We got the final stamp yesterday, having seen the Psychiatrist! Thankfully, she passed! Mia was very good about it all and enjoyed trying to
win her stamps! It was a real exposure to the Russian system and at times really hard for us as we just didn't know what we needed to do or what forms we needed to complete. One lady started yelling at the receptionist for us one day, which was slightly awkward when she suddenly walked off leaving Rachel with a wound up receptionist! But it's done now, praise God!
To help Mia with her language before she goes back into a Russian system, we are taking her for lessons with a lady from church to boost her confidence.
Needless to say though, Mia loves her baby sister.
Has it been 2 years already?
And so we are in the final month of our initial two years, having first landed in St Petersburg on 1st August 2008. And it's all only just beginning really! Back then there was no church, just us and another family moving here, and getting to know each other, as well as the new city. There were no relationships either with any other churches. There were no Russian's added, no one saved, no Sunday meeting, no website - nothing. But by the grace of God He has done far more than we can ask or imagine in this time, because all the above, and more, has happened. In fact, things have happened to such a degree that we knew, even when coming back here in June, we were returned to the next stage of things, to the next level of this church plant. We know in these last two years we have both learnt more than in many years before. God has also changed us from the people we were back in 2008 to who we are today, and He will continue to change us. It has been an amazing journey so far, and there is so much more to do!
Prayer points
● Please pray for continued safety, protection and health for all of us.
● With our first two years coming to an end, and with all the financial support we needed for this time coming through individuals and churches who gave for a two year period, we are at a time when we need to see new amounts and givers emerge for this next eason. Please pray with us for God's provision.
● Please pray for the quick processing of Rachel's new passport and our subsequent visa extensions which must be done before the end of August.
● Finally, thank God for His amazing faithfulness He has shown over these last two years. He really has done more than we could ask or imagine. He asks so little from us, while doing so much!
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