Я пoнимаю? ...Почти

(Do I understand? ...Almost.)
In the last few weeks I've been trying to absorb as much Russian I can. It's definitely been a slow process for me, but I've been excited to start learning new grammar structures and pronunciations (and they're so different than Spanish!). What can I say? I'm still a word nerd.
Please continue to pray for our preparations. We sent in our visa applications last week, and are waiting for responses from Student Venture and the Russian Federation. We're also waiting for responses from supporters, as well. Please pray that the administrative and logistic process would be as smooth as possible, leaving us with more time to prepare spiritually.
Please pray for the full-time workers already in place in Russia. Pray for their encouragement and spiritual growth.

And finally, pray for Spain.

Prayers for Russia

As we prepare to serve the Lord in St. Petersburg, here are a few prayer requests for the trip:
1. Pray for our three high schoolers: Chelsea, Rachel and Maria. All three go to school nearby. As far as I know, none have ever been overseas. Pray for ease of transition and dealing with culture shock.
2. Pray for Deb and I as we coordinate efforts with Student Venture headquarters and the people in Russia, as well as encouraging our students in their support raising. It can seem a little intimidating writing support letters for the first time!
3. Pray for our Russian students, some of whom already know we are coming. Pray for open hearts and a hunger for the Gospel.
4. Pray for me as I attempt to learn some Russian before I go. One of the students in my International Bible study, Lana -- from Russia, offered to tutor me. Pray that I would be a good witness to her as we meet each week.

Thank you for all your prayers. If you'd also like to be a financial supporter, you can visit my Campus Crusade donation portal here. Praise the Lord for how He is putting this mission together step by step and piece by piece.