You've got mail!

One of the cultural differences we have run into has been the mail system on this side of the world. Today we just got a package that Chara's parents mailed on -- pause for effect -- February 21! That being said, I'm sure there are countries in the world where the package might not come at all or come in pieces, so we are thankful for actually getting exactly what was mailed.  

Overall, life is good here in Novosibirsk. We had our last official ESL class of the semester last week, and  I wrapped up our study on the deity of Jesus by giving the decision: Either Jesus is God (in which your only response is to make Him Lord), or your other options are that He is a liar, a lunatic, or the Bible isn't accurate. I challenged the group not to see Jesus as just a good man or a prophet, but exactly who the Bible says He is. Although there were no faith responses, I am sure that God is working in hearts. 

We will continue to press into our language learning going into the summer, and we greatly appreciate your prayers for us as we continue the steep climb toward proficiency in Russian!

Back to school

Last week, we had the experience of visiting several classes at a Russian school with one of our American friends, who lives in Akadem and runs the ESL program we teach at. We answered questions from the students about life in America on everything from what kind of music do you listen to to what do you think of politics. It was a great experience getting to see and experience a Russian school firsthand. It was amazing to see a school with hundreds of students ranging in age from kindergarten through high school. Although our students seemed  fairly well behaved, there very little discipline compared to American schools. For example, students would show up for class way late without the teacher giving any correction. According to our friend, this is a holdover from the communist philosophy that all people are inherently good and that children, if left to their own devices, will become productive members of society. Of course, the Bible has a completely opposite philosophy on that.

The students asked if we believe in God, and one student in particular asked why! Our friend gave a great response that looking at the order of our world and the universe, it makes logical sense to understand that there is a Creator. God is always creating opportunities for His message to be shared!

Afterward, we enjoyed a meal at one of the Mexican restaurants in Akadem. Unfortunately, the waitress did not understand my order so Chara and our friend got their plates and I waited for a long time before realizing that mine was not coming out! Both of them let me have some of their food though!

Please continue to pray for the ESL ministry at Akadem, as we are close to the end of the semester. We are close to wrapping up our series on the identity of Jesus and I would like to close by asking our students to make a response to the gospel. Pray for God to work in their hearts and lives during the next few weeks in particular. We will likely be transitioning the ESL program into an English language Bible study during the fall with our friend potentially leaving for a new city, so pray for a good transition as we move toward this. We are also looking at possibly going back to visit the school in the next few weeks, so pray we will have more opportunities to share our faith.

Until next time!