Some of you have asked for a quick summary of what’s happening with our kids and family – so he-ee-rrrr-re we go!

Here are the Fast Facts of where we are in ministry/life now so you can pray better...

Ministry/Life Fast Facts:

Amber (13)

o Making a photo album scrap book to chronicle her life growing up in Russia

o Enjoying school with her Japanese and Taiwanese girl friends

 

Dustin (15)

o Using his newly learned HTML skills, he’s making a funding email newsletter and web page to help his high school ask you guys and others for a small donation to help with repair costs of their newly acquired "old" building.  The prayer request in this is that the inspectors are coming and they have to see progress towards meeting health and safety regulations – first and foremost being a fire system and operational kitchen.  But all of the money and then some has gone to the mountain of repairs to make a 50 year old school building functional for classes.  The praise God item in this story is that the mayor gave them this new "old" building by special edict when another government agency was kicking them out of the one they were in (for not paying Bribes).   And the “new” one has a gymnasium!

   Our new school   and gymnasium!

 

Move day 1-4

 

Our kids won't be able to offer you chocolates or magazine subscriptions in exchange for your participation in this fund raiser but you might get invited to a few more million year birthday parties in heaven from those who become Believers through the ministry of this Russian and International Christian School. Ministry is not only to the kids themselves, but  the International side of the school makes it possible for 30+ families to minister here in St. Petersburg.  From every new Believer via these ministries you are certain to get a million-th year birthday party invitation once we’re all together in Heaven.  Russians love their birthday parties and invite their most special of friends to celebrate with them!

 

o  Still praying for growth spurt!

Merinda (17)

o accepted by several Universities

o applied for many different scholarships or financial aid (whew that was/ is a lot of work.  They should get a scholarship just for finding AND filling out and mailing those jillions of forms, not to mention hitting deadlines and such from overseas - what tenacity!)

o praying for a good funding package

o  has senior-itis real bad – she took their official senior skip day and went snow boarding about 1.5 hours north of here for the 2^nd time in her life.  She’s so sore – but it hurts sooo good!  Somewhat nervous about re-entering American culture, but still looking very forward to it!

o  Trying to do everything one last time as well as those things she hadn’t made time for in St. Pete.  Includes things like a Marinsky Ballet, jazz concert, shashlik (Russian Shish ke bobs) by the sea, time and more time with her Russian girlfriends,  etc.

Suzanne

o Wearing several hats at school: Principal, Mom, Guidance Counselor, dean of Faculty, Anatomy teacher, Biology teacher, school liaison for joint efforts with the Russian Christian school ( includes everything from building renovation to Board formation.)  Pray for this woman!  Thirty missionary families here in St. Pete are praying for her too. :o)

o investing one-on-one time with a young woman from church

Suz and her gal

 o hospitality and home making on the run

Bob 

o Praising God for one-on-one time to help 13 individuals to deepen their relationship with God (see one of many many God sighting's below)

o Helping Paulina with her dream to establish an outreach to Hispanic students in St. Pete

      It's great... Russians reaching out!  Her guest speaker is our good friend from El Salvador Enrique Nunfio.  I was the guest in the home of Enrique and Margarita some 14 years ago when I went on my first short term missions trip to El Salvador.  We are flying him in to reach these students that will hopefully some day soon return home to all parts of Central and South America changed by Jesus Christ in cold Russia.  Please pray for all the details to work out.  Enrique still has not gotten his USA visa back which he needs before he can apply for his Russian visa.  And the gymnasium is not ready for the conference since funds have run out for the school repair ... we are looking for another place to host the Hispanic student's retreat.

Paulina green sweater in back at a wedding with all our special friends

o Supporting Suzanne in her role as Director, teacher and mom

o Supporting Merinda with her University application process

o Preparing the world wide literacy program/ hands program (so that they can read the Bible for themselves!) for deployment by internet 

Are you on DSL or Cable? I need volunteers who will offer their internet connected home computer to be in my pool of Volunteer Servers.  Once set up, your computer will then be able to help deploy the program to people all over the world automatically upon request.  Write me if you are interested to know how your idle resources can be used for Kingdom expansion.  BobAchgill@hotmail.com 

Actually, the family picture above was taken at a recent church retreat just outside of St. Pete.  Several sister churches put it together and the content was very sound and challenging.  All were Russian pastors, music was done by their various worship teams, and it was an encouraging time for all.   

A God Sighting -

I shared with Tom (*name changed) that God would guide and direct him if he would have quiet times with the Lord in His word.  Tom is a faithful member of God’s kingdom, but was struggling with the blues that sing the following tune:

 In our first meeting he shared with me, " I am over 30 years old, have an engineering degree but am only working as a driver...”  He said, "my desire for self worth has led me to want "covet" a higher paying job.  I thought I had arrived when my boss raised my pay to the level that I wished for.  Then this week he lowered it again... theoretically because I was falling short in his expectations.  I lost my temper, words flew and he fired me completely." 

After he told me his tale of woe I had challenged Tom to go to the Lord in a Quiet Time and expect the Lord to speak to him as though He is directly speaking to me.  The next week Tom called me, and said, “I really need to share with you what God spoke to me when I did my quiet time.”  His voice over the phone sounded as though he was choking back emotions – but I wasn’t sure what kind of emotions! 

Let me show you what God did!  Here is the passage that spoke to his heart….

John 3:14

"Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" (to prepare the way for the Lord) so he said to them, "Don't intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

Tom has been a faithful soldier for Christ.  He has faithfully served as a layman worship leader.  He spent 4 years of his life helping to plant a church in another country choosing what he felt like at the time was more important eternally.  But he was now at a low point in his self esteem.  With perfect timing and clarity God said to Tom's spirit ... you are my soldier... you are preparing the way for Me... you don't need a high salary to be worth something.  Because you are Mine you can expect from now on that I am going to talk with you personally each time you humbly come to me in our Quiet Time together.

That week Tom also received a new job working as a technician with Christian satellite TV. :o)

If I were a spiritual camel (Bob speaking) I could go across a desert on that drink of living water.