A personal Mission Trip to Vladimir, Russia

April 16, 2009

"With humility and faith I can say that God was guiding our time in Russia. He led us with a purpose and fulfilled his love through our team.

Our ministry in Russia focused on bringing love to orphans. The team was split up to several orphanages and we each worked with a different group of kids. My ministry partner and I worked with disabled children at the Vladimir Children's Home and we also coordinated recreations and games at Seslovskoye. Although we had a prepared Bible program with a lesson, activities and crafts, most of the time we realized that the greatest need would be to play with each child and be Christ's love to them. Each child has such a deep hunger for love and it broke our hearts to see such beautiful children neglected, abused and rejected. Even so, I would love to tell you stories of how our simple expression of love allowed the kids to rest and heal and hope. Love took on many forms during our week in Russia; talking and hearing kid's stories, rolling on the floor laughing, playing soccer in two feet of snow, or getting tackled in indoor rugby.

Another big part of the trip was working with our interpreters. We were each assigned a Russian student for the week. Right away when I met Lada I knew we were going to have a great week together. We literally spent every spare moment talking and getting to know each other. It was especially fun to be invited to her apartment flat for dinner and meet her family. Throughout the week I had a chance to talk with her about God and discuss views and beliefs. But more than just talking we became good friends.

The team was incredible! Together we worked, laughed, cried and had our hearts broken for the orphans in Russia. Especially upon returning to Taylor we have struggled and prayed together over our experience. It has been challenging to process and reflect. How hard it was to say goodbye to the kids, but even now we are confident that God is with them as he was before we came to Russia. God has been teaching and challenging me personally to love more deeply and serve more faithfully.

Thank you for your partnership and support of this ministry. I have been witness to answered prayers for strength, protection, unity and relationships in Russia. Thank you for your involvement, prayers and care. Praise to God for his might and powerful love! Praise Him for working in Russia and teaching and guiding our team.
In Christ's Eternal Love, Rachelle Howard
Prayer Requests:
God will work in the lives of the orphans to love and protect them.
Continued trust and clarity as our team processes this heartbreaking experience.
For the continued ministry of the Boaz Project in Russia.

March 18, 2009

This will be the last message from Rachelle until she returns from the mission trip to Russia.

I am leaving for Russia in two days. I am so incredibly excited! My team has been growing so much in unity. We have been through a lot of ups and downs already in the preparation for this trip. I am honored to be working with other students who have been called by God and seek to glorify him through this ministry. This has been the most-ever-busiest week of my life. However, in the same breath I have to say that it has also been a time of strength and amazing power in Christ. I should have been extremely stressed out, but instead I am assured with the peace of the Lord and with a joy to share with those around me! My heart bursts at the thought and the joy inside of me. I have been physically exhausted the past two weeks, but I am so spiritually charged! God is truly awesome. This last month God has been teaching me that I am weak and that I need to let go of my tight-fisted control. I realize that I cannot do it on my own, but with God all things are truly possible. He is a gracious giver of gifts to those who allow him to work in their lives.

In a telephone conversation on Thursday, March 19th Rachele requested Prayer. She said, "Our Bible lessons are prepared, our lesson plans are completed and our agenda is set. Pray that we will not be limited by our preparations, but that we are attuned to the Holy Spirit and His leading. Pray that He will use each member of the team for His Glory."

March 11 Email from Rachelle:

"....Our Russia Mission Team is learning a lot about short-term team ministry in general and also the Russian culture. I am most excited about meeting my interpreter and getting to know the children and teens in the orphanages. But I feel that it will be difficult to see their situation and not be able to "change the world" for them. We will be putting in a lot of work and love and it will be hard not always to see the results. I would ask for prayer to be able to surrender that to God. We talked about sharing the story of our relationship with Jesus and how that works with a translator. Some of the words we commonly use in the church don't make sense in other languages! On Monday evening we were assigned our ministry partners and received our VBS curriculum. We can now begin to prepare our lessons. Half of the mission group will be ministering at an orphanage to older children; the rest of the group will be ministering at two orphanages. My partner and I will be teaching VBS to a group of young children. In the afternoons we will be with teens (16 years old); playing games with them. We were told to be prepared to play many, many different games as they have a short attention span.

Thank you to those of you who are praying. I can really see God's hand on the ministry already and I am confident in His power and peace. God is showing me that I am weak and that HE is the one to make me strong.

March 1st,

My Russia Team went out to dinner last night. It was a lot of fun. I feel much more secure as a team and am starting to get to know my team members a little more. We talked about working with the interpreters and specifically sharing our testimony for another language. It will be a challenge to communicate clearly. I am so very used to using concepts and words that other Christians understand. We talked about some of our plans for the trip. We will be assigned ministry partners and roommates next week and then receive our curriculum for VBS. I'm not quite sure what that will include. Our team leaders mentioned that we might be doing some painting/outdoor work and might take the kids on a day long picnic/hike. That would be cold, but fun! I'm nervous about all we have to do in the next 14 days, but we are working together and that is exciting. Thank you for your prayers. I know God is answering them.

It is amazing to see all that he is doing in our team and especially all that he is teaching me. Even in the insecurity I have patience and trust to lay my concerns before God; I know that is an answer to prayer. Thank you.

February 2009 Rachelle writes:

“I love being at Taylor University and am encouraged by all the opportunities I have here to serve the Lord. God has blessed me with so much; it is a privilege to share with others.

This trip is important to me. I feel God has called me to be a part of this mission trip. I see it as a way to glorify God. I want to respond to the call for love and restoration in Russia.

Our 16-member team will be working at two orphanages in Vladimir. We are to bring God’s love to them through Bible stories, crafts, playing games and just loving them, giving lots of hugs and spending time with them. I know that this experience will be challenging and hard work. However, I purpose to live every moment in the strength and love of Christ. Though my skills are imperfect, God’s plan is complete. Through trust in him, he will both use what we have and provide where we lack.”

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