March Newsletter
By Tasha
March 15, 2006
Dear Friends,
We are eagerly anticipating the end of Winter in St Petersburg!
I have recently been struck by some of the difficult things about life here and suddenly I seem to be noticing things that otherwise had blurred into normality for me. It began when I saw a man having an epileptic fit in the metro station and people leaning over him, as he was having the fit, to buy their metro tokens. But there are other things that I see more frequently: a man with no lower limbs begging on the metro - dragging himself through the carriages with his arms. Two blond girls (students?) sniffing glue opposite me, daring me to say something. Drunk men (and sometimes women) passed out, bruised and filthy, and maybe even dead, on the street - ignored by people passing by. I also often hear upsetting stories from the orphanages and about students with alcoholic parents and absent fathers. Life here can be very hard for some.
Spring is still to arrive! We have already had some wonderful signs that it's on its way! One of the most amazing is the clear blue sky and bright sunshine - which feels incredible after the dark and oppressive covering of grey cloud we've had all Winter! Another is that last week they began to sell bright yellow mimosa (a flower sold at the beginning of Spring) - which comes after a seeming lack of colour for months on end.
This all means that, if we hang on just a little bit longer, Spring will come! Russians go a bit crazy at this time of year. Maybe me included?! It wouldn't surprise me if people aren't already out there sunbathing! There is a special wall along the banks of the main river in St Petersburg where people stand at the very first sign of sunshine to maximise their sunbathing potential. This is also where people break holes in the ice in Winter and swim! If I live here any longer I might be tempted to get out there and join them ;)
Easter (the 23rd April according to the Orthodox calendar this year) is such an important holiday in Russia - it comes when there is such a clear physical reminder of life, light and hope!
I have said before that our work seems fragile. The year I went to Siberia I read that the work of CCX is about seeing something beautiful in something small. This doesn't always come naturally to me. And yet I am learning to catch a glimpse of how incredibly beautiful and precious is the small and often slow work of Changing the World: One Student at a Time!
CCX is a young student movement and yet it is wonderful to already meet and hear stories from our relatively young graduates - graduates who are pastors, parents, teachers, businessmen. Please keep praying for our students and graduates - that they might be 'oaks of righteousness' for the display of his splendour in Russia. Even if they are few in number we pray that they will be rooted in his love, grow steadily, be a strong witness to the Saviour and live fruitful lives.
Please pray for students as they celebrate Easter this year and seek to share the Good News of Christ's Resurrection, His light and the hope that knowing Him brings!
Rostov
I haven't done any travelling since the conferences which has been wonderful. I have particularly enjoyed spending time with students in St Petersburg and getting to know some of the new students. This is something I miss when I am travelling a lot.
I am ready to travel again now though and will be heading to Rostov this weekend! I'm looking forward to catching up with the team and students there.
This year the team are concentrating on training student bible study leaders. Please pray for students as they learn to dig deeper into God's Word. The team in Rostov is likely to shrink in the next couple of years. Please pray for them as they seek to prepare students for this.
Weekend Away (1-2 April) - St Petersburg
Soon after that there will be a weekend away for students in St Petersburg. Anya (intern, Rostov) is travelling to St Petersburg to spend time experiencing CCX work in another city. She is a designer and will be the main speaker at our weekend away - teaching about fashion and what the bible has to say about that. Please pray for students as they invite their non-Christian friends to join us for the weekend. Weekends away are always very important relationship building times.
The week after Natasha (intern, St Petersburg) will travel to Rostov to do similar things there. Please pray for our interns as they continue to study and work with students.
Exec Council - Chelyabinsk
The next Exec Council meetings will very probably take place in Chelyabinsk in the middle of April. This is an important time of year for us because we will be discussing intern and staff applications for next year. Please continue to pray for new staff to join the CCX team in the future. We will also spend time studying the bible and being trained in staff supervision.
Good news for everyone is that this month staff salaries will be going back to what they were before our financial difficulties. Praise God for his provision! Thank you for your prayers and support.
Murmansk
I will probably travel to Murmansk at the end of April. Pray that I will be able to encourage students there and help them to plan for the future. I will also visit Moscow and probably Petrozavodsk too.
Thank you for praying.
Love, Tasha
