Week Two-Texas Team!! God Is Great! :)

This is at the first orphanage and we are outside making friendship bracelets. I somehow became the resident friendship bracelet maker that day! lol but anyway, this is Deana(she is 12 years old and came to know Christ while we were there.) The team from Texas has known here for the past few years. Then there is me, and Caitlin and the that's Julie from the team from Texas.(Grand parkway Baptist)

We loved to do little simple activities with the kids such as coloring...and card games! They loved it! :)

 This was one of two of our rooms that all of us girls stayed in at the orphanage. It was just like the kids rooms.

 The kids loved the sidewalk chalk! They went to town with it...lol So pretty:)

 This was the hardest part....saying goodbye!

 Did some site seeing every now and then...Russia is sooo pretty! 

Peterhoff Fountains...kinda like gardens and fountains..we just walked around there for the afternoon.

 The most awesome ladies! The team from Texas! Left-Right:
Sarah,Heather,Susan,Kloe,Becca,Julie,Paige,Dee,Katie,Nana(Margret)

 One of our translators...Yon, He has such an amazing testimony and such a heart for the Lord and such a heart for serving and loving these kids! We loved him! It's so great! :)

 Caitlin, Anya and Kristen out my the fire helping the kids roast marsh mellows! lol So fun! The kids loved it! :)

 Bread and butter! With almost every meal! Look at that butter! And I love Anya's fingers photo bombing this picture! lol Too good! Don't worry I am taking photo's of most of our meals! lol 

 We had a carnival one night and had face painting which kinda turned into body painting! lol

 These are two precious girls that I have been witnessing to. Left-Right:
Kristen, Lusya(16), Me, Sasha(14)

 Inside St. Issac's Cathedral.. incredible   

 St. Issac's Cathedral.  

 Olga being silly with the new scarf she bought...we are on a baot tour on the river..I love her!

 Russian Chocolate bar! Sorry I didn't rotate it...lol

 At our carnival....Kloe and Nana from the Texas team made the kids balloon animals! :)

Yon and Lydia played ball with the older boys! The had a lot of fun!! :)


The Lord is so good! I can't put into words all the emotions I have felt over this past week. This blog would go on for ever, especially if I gave you every detail of every day! Our days were jam packed!! But so much fun...we had a lot of ups and downs of course. We saw Gods hand at work everywhere. Getting to stay with the kids at the orphanage was very eyeopening and such a blessing. There were times where we were very uncomfortable and wanted to complain about being, hot, tired, about the food or the bathroom situations. But it was also a very humbling situation once you saw the kids and thought about how they live like this all the time. But that God shows himself even through hardships. For example, some of us got to share our personal testimonies, like Nana(from the Texas team) who has an incredible one...a little girl- Deanna who is 12 and the Texas team has seen her for the past few years since they have been coming there. She heard Nana's testimony, and got to talk to her(through Olga our translator) ask questions and ended up accepting Christ. Sarah on the Texas team was on a roll in using the EvangaCube! She talked to a lot of kids and planted a lot of seeds! And one little boy, 13 named Victor prayed to receive Christ! Lydia was able to share her testimony and plant seeds and I was able to share mine as well..After I shared my testimony I was actually to able talk to two girls Lusya and Sasha. They seem to be searching...They were at the second orphanage that we went to half way through the week..and the four of us interns are going back there next week. So I am excited about being able to continue those conversations. Please be praying about that. This coming week, now that the Texas team is gone, it is going to be very different, it is going to be more about those personal connections and conversations. Last week with the team, they had a lot of activities and crafts and things for the kids to do. We have a VBS and some things for them to do, but now we are really going to let God move and speak through us this week. We are putting all our trust in HIM! 
I am going to have so many stories to tell and things to share when I get home...I can't possibly type them all now! Sorry! lol This is just a little taste..I am doing some video diaries...I would love to share those with you all when I get back. 
For right now, we are at the half way mark and we are starting to feel a little drained, emotionally and physically. I caught a cold on Friday, I woke up just really not feeling well...I thought at first it was allergies but then I got a bad cough. So I started to take the antibiotic that I have, which is exactly to weeks worth! The Lord is so good...as long as it doesn't get worse i'll be okay..I mean I would love to feel better but, I'll be okay. Anyways, please be praying for us. Love you all and miss you. :)


Dear Healer,
Thank you, that you are bigger than we can imaging. Thank you, that you have a plan for me, for these children and for the world. A plan greater than I can fathom. Thank you, that I can find rest and comfort in you. You are an awesome God.
Your Daughter. Melissa