Steve and I really love the people here are and enjoy their fellowship. However, in a short 10 day span we get a picture of just how difficult it is to minister in the pressure of a huge city with extremely difficult transportation. It takes Anatoly about two hours to get to a training session and two hours to get home. That time is taken up by a lot of walking, some bus rides, a Metro ride with two or three changes and hitching rides with a variety of drivers and cars from the Soviet Era.
Last night Steve visited an open men's 12 step group with several of our key male leaders. It is a unique and very satisfying foray into healing men from the ravages of intentional and intensive Soviet emasculation. Our good friend Yevgeny came by and led Steve by Metro and footsteps to the church that sponsors so many of the Recovery programs. Steve enjoyed the time and shared several new bits of good information with the guys. Then they returned to the hotel where we packed and prepared to leave for home.
Our team and the participants have a hunger for healing that exceeds almost any group I have ever seen. They have to work so hard to even participate that they are often exhausted when they arrive but still they work hard to change. Please pray for our team.
One footnote. Yesterday we met with the heads of a Denomination that has ten schools and seminaries around Russia. They asked us to prepare a training curriculum for all ten cities and send teams to teach the students there. The man who shared the details was severely persecuted for his faith and was denied a college education because he was a Christian. His grandfather was shot and killed because he refused to recant. Now the family leads their group's push to educate and train thousands of pastors and church leaders. WOW! May God bless them.
We are coming home today.
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