How is it Already July 13?

It seems like 2 years since I last posted! I don't even remember what day that was. Hmm.

But I am currently back at Sasha, Nadya, Ruvim, and Vitalik's. For those of you who know them, you know how blessed I am to have such a sweet host family. I know I say that about all of my families, but it's so true. I wish I could stay with all of them at the same time, actually. Another reason to long for heaven!

But since they have a very poor internet connection, I'll be updating my blog and reading emails a little less than when I was with Din and Inna, who are now in Teberda at the teen camp. They left me a key, though, so I can come here and feet Malish (the crazy cat), blog, etc. I have lots of homes here. :)

Ok, so I moved on Saturday. Then on Sunday after church I went with Dinis to Min Vody to pick up...AMERICANS!!! I had never met them before, but I was still really excited. They are from a church in Georgia who has been sending teams for teen camps about as long as Fellowship has been sending teams for family camps. Eight people arrived Sunday and one more came from Ukraine (he's in the Peace Corps) yesterday.

Not only was it wonderful to talk to them, but it was SO encouraging to realize how far my Russian has come since I arrived in June. We had no translator until the next morning, so it was up to me to communicate between Dinislam, the host families, and the team...although Dinislam's English is probably sufficient to do the job without me. But the Lord encouraged me through the experience of getting them settled here. My many prayers concerning the learning of this language are slowly being answered. I can finally have limited conversations. Limited. But still conversations.

Now I get to go home in three weeks and forget it all. JUST KIDDING. Hopefully....ha...

This week we are preparing for the Kids Club (slash Vacation Bible School) which will take place next week. It will be at the church every day from 2 until around 6. We are busy making decorations, planning games, and preparing to teach lessons. And Natasja is making me be a clown...no kidding. A clown. I have a clown nose and everything. I knew it was coming when she asked me this morning, "Have you ever done any clowning?" Have I ever done any clowning. Do I look like I have experience clowning? Milking goats, I can do. Clowning is new territory.

So yeah. And I need to fit in some more Russian lessons this week. And tomorrow I'm shopping for some supplies for the kids' part of the family camp. It's a week of random things.

I wish I had an update on the orphanage, but I haven't heard anything new. They were at church on Sunday, but as far as I know, it's still closing this week. Thanks for praying!

I have a tentative count for the family camp: 41 women, 31 men, and 37 children. I'm posting it here so you can be in prayer for all of them. (And don't forget the teen camp currently going on!) That's a whole lot more kids than we were expecting, which is good, but takes some adjustment in supplies/plans. I'm really really excited to see the team, but also really really sad that I'll only have a week left here at that point. Again, I'm longing for heaven...

Just so you all know, your comments on my last post made me laugh out loud, again. Thank you all for your incredible support. Zack, I went back and looked at my goals...and you're right! My goals for this trip were simple from the beginning, and if God allows, they will be fulfilled. It takes a lot of trust to say this, because I still don't emotionally feel it, but God is going to accomplish His goals through me. The weaker I am, the better. It's a strange thing, isn't it?

Goodbye for now. Hope all is well on the other side of the globe. How about that Spain, huh, winning the World Cup? I was pulling for Spain all along. We get some Egyptian news broadcast in English on the TV here, so I watched a story on Paul the octopus today. He's my hero.

Still praying that prayer,

Jordan