Over the next week or so, I'll share with you about what we saw and experienced on our recent trip to Russia. This is Episode 1.
One of my favorite moments in leading these trips is that first introduction at the gate in the Atlanta airport. Ten people have come together and are meeting for the first time. Our reasons for being there vary. The decisions and direction that brought us there varies.
Here are my friends for our 12 day adventure...
Pastor Bob from First Congregational Church in St. Joseph, MI. Pastor Jim for H2O in Orlando, FL. Pastor Robert and Ernie from St. Mark United Methodist Church in Birmingham, AL. Pastor Greg and David, Carol, and Michele from Christ United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, NC. And Jerry Kaufman from Orlando, FL.
The reason this first meeting is one of my favorite moments is that I have some kind of idea of what to expect for the next 12 days. These strangers will be life-long friends when we next pass through this airport. God will build community among us through our shared experiences and shared vision to live an adventurous life of compassion.
So we get comfortable on our 10 hour TransAtlantic flight. Sleeping, stretching, and good movies are not always guaranteed. But nonetheless, when we arrive in Moscow, we make it unscathed through the intimidating Passport control lines, gather our bags, pass through the Customs Green Line and meet three smiling staffmembers of Fund Nadezhda, HopeChest's Russian partner. Masha, Katya, and Yana welcome us. 'We greet you to Moscow.' We have lunch and begin the 5 hour drive north through the suburbs of Moscow, rolling fields and birch forests, small villages, and wide open sky to the city of Kostroma.
After dinner at The Yellow Submarine and checking in at the Volga Hotel, we bed down. The next day will be our first in an orphanage together.
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