Good Connections

Another week and a half has gone by and there is so much to tell!

On June 27^th we moved into a new apartment. Two younger women, named Katia and Anissa offered us a place to stay for the next three weeks. Living with them for the past week has been the best! Anissa is a pediatric doctor. She speaks English fairly well, but she challenges us with the Russian language everyday. As we walk up the stairs from a long day she points to everything around us and quizzes us. Katia recently got engaged and she will be getting married in September. Both girls heard our need for a place to stay for three weeks before Kalposheva, and the Lord truly did answer our prayers....and beyond!!

We also have begun teaching English classes four times a week. We have had our first week of classes. At first we kept the classes loose, because we wanted to establish where all of our students were at. It can be hard to structure an English class with such a variety of students, but at the same time I enjoy getting to know each student for who they are.

Yesterday was very encouraging! In the morning we had our first Russian language course with Oksi. She went through the alphabet with us and taught us some basic rules. She understands the difficulties of learning the Russian language for English speakers. Her lesson was very helpful! Later that day, I went to Anissa's open English class and got to see how they teach English to Russians. It amazes me how our Father connects us with the right people at the right time. The man who owns the business and the people who work there are of the same mind as Hilary, Allie, and I. Today, us girls will go to the English staff meeting to see what they are up to and how best we can help. Also, yesterday we had our Independence Day party. Anissa and I walked to the party together after her English class. We had about twenty people at the party. We played games, ate lots of food, and had a great time!

I wish I could just rant and rant about the connections God is making here with people, but I will just let you know that He is mighty and He is strong. All of this is His doing.

I'm excited for this upcoming weekend. We will be going swimming with some English class friends. Also, Hilary, Allie, and I will be connecting with another man to help at his computer company with English. This upcoming week we hope to plan out our English lesson plans, so that they are pristine. Please pray for good communication between our team and the people in Tomsk. Wonderful things are happening here and I'm eager to see them through. Blessings to you all!