After a pretty intense time of ministry we were able to take a few days off! My two friends from Switzerland were coming to visit us here in the Far East and that was the perfect opportunity to rent a car and drive up to Mashas parents Dacha (something like a Summer garden). This was my first time driving a car with the wheel on its right side. Here most of the cars are imported from Japan, but we still drive on the right side of the road. Every time I wanted to put on the indicator I first wiped the front window, because the switches are opposite side.

The grandmothers and grandfathers have been waiting for us on the bench outside the home. Our friend, pastor Ruslan, had told them that we would be coming. As soon as they saw us their faces lit up. Babushka Serafima smiled and gave me a big kiss as I hugged her. Over the past visits she and I have become really close. Originally she is form Moldova, so she speaks with an accent, too. Babushka Vera is glad to see us, too. Apparently she had been drinking again, but now she seems more or less sober. ‘How are you doing?” I asked.

Who would have thought that it is so difficult to be the leader of five boys for one week of camp? Because there wasn’t enough Russian speaking staff I was appointed to be the leader of the boys group (I had some awesome non-Russian speaking guy helpers). These are not the nice polite kind of boys. One of them hasn’t gone to school for about two years, just because he doesn’t want to. He definitely has a problem with rules and discipline.

Yesterday we went out to the street kids center to do a bible lesson. Once a week Masha and I take the bus and and visit the christian shelter 'Living Hope'. Three times a week kids can come there to play, to eat, to hang out and – most important - to learn about God. Yesterday three 13 years old boys I have not met before came. Pasha had to fight against sleep from the very beginning. Apparently they had been up most of the night. Of course they are tired now, they are just boys!

9th of May: probably the biggest holiday in Russia. Flags everywhere, people smiling, kids holding balloons, eating shashlik outside, watching parades and so on. My friend Masha and I went to a small town 250km north of Vladivostok - Mashas hometown. The same thing: everyone is happy that today 65 years ago Russia defeated Germany.

This is Jhenya and myself on the first day that I ever met him.

They have been here almost 2 weeks and I thought you would enjoy hearing about their first impressions, their favourite days and the different things they think about Russia.

It has been way to long since I have taken the time to write on here and update everyone on what has been happening in my life and in YWAM Rostov on Don. It is 2010 now though, so here is a new start to this blog!!

Again a blog from Moscow Mc Donalds. It does have free Wifi, but it is really slow. I have just received all the Mongolian visas for our team. I had to travel to Moscow to hand in all the applications and passports for the Visa. Of course they won’t let you do that that easy: first I had to get the power of attorney from each student. That was ok for the Russian students, but there is one girl from Finland.

Hey! Here I am again. I have a very lame excuse for not keeping up with my blog: I completely forgot about it! So many things happened and life has been crazy busy. This is already week seven of the Perm DTS where I am staff at the moment. We just finished workduties – a very important part of a disciple Training School. That’s when the real YOU comes out☺. But we have 12 most -of –the- time- wonderful students and already in one month we leave Russia to finish lecture phase in Mongolia.

Saturday morning Lena (my fiancee) and I will be flying to Moscow.  We will be staying there for 1 week while we complete medical exams and her visa interview at the American embassy.  Please pray for us, for saftey, and God's blessing.  We hope in a few weeks we can travel to the my home in the States for our wedding.  While in America we will enjoy the holidays with my family and raise ministry partners for when we return to Russia.  Our goal is to raise about 100 financial partners.  We need support as a family in order to continue our work here in Perm.&nbs

Moscow again. My body clock is showing a bit after midnight, but here its only 17:15 and I still have about 8 more hours until my plane for Perm leaves.