May 17, 2005
Dear Friends and Family,
We greet you all in the name of our risen Lord!
Here in Moscow we are still in that unpredictable part of spring
when the temperatures fluctuate between the 50s and the 70s. Winter
ended sometime during my April visit to the States. In the past
two weeks, the leaves have emerged, and this past week the swallows
returned to Moscow, signaling the approach of summer. As our feathered
friends were two weeks early, a hot summer is now forecast. After
last summer’s cold and damp weather, a hot summer would
not be unwelcome (within reason, of course).
For us, the approach of summer signals the beginning of our busiest
season. Looking back over the past year, there has hardly been
a quiet one, but there is a different quality to the pace of summer.
Though many groups have begun planning fall and winter visits,
the vast majority still prefer the warm and sunny months.
Over the next three months, we are expecting visitors from 10
different churches. Our first guests arrive this Friday, to be
whisked off immediately by train to the city of Vologda, some
500 kilometers north of Moscow. This is the initial visit of a
new partnership, which is always exciting. Al and I will accompany
them to help interpret language and culture. We were in Vologda
in February getting to know the pastor and congregation. We look
forward to seeing more of the outreach of the church with this
visit. We understand that they want to show their guests everything.
We’re all looking forward to it.
In early June, Al and the girls will be visiting grandparents
in the States while I head to the Far East with another group.
It will be the furthest that I have traveled in Russia—10
time zones from Moscow. It is an adventure.
We are hoping that it will be possible for our girls to extend
their visit in the United States to spend time with my brother’s
family in Philadelphia. My nephew Jacob has invited Meg to go
to Fun
in the Son with him, and Emma is looking forward to having
her Uncle Peter and Aunt Lisa to herself. This all depends on
whether the airlines will let us change the girls’ tickets
without exorbitant fees. We’re still working on this, but
are very hopeful. Al will return to Russia just in time for the
beginning of camp season. Listening to what our schedule is like
during the camp season is what prompted Peter and Lisa to invite
the girls. During this three-week period every year, our family
is divided in order to manage all the groups. Last year, we had
four overlapping groups, this year it will be five. Camp season
in Russia is limited to about five weeks since only July is reliably
warm. It’s a great relationship-builder—so many partners
connect in this area. The number of churches involved in camps
is likely to grow, so we are looking at the possibility of a volunteer
for next year. We could really use the help all year, so we hope
to get someone for all of 2006.
With August, things will quiet down, with only two groups that
don’t even overlap. There won’t be time for a vacation
this summer, but that was why we went to Italy in April. We will
take another vacation out of the country at Thanksgiving.
For those of you who have read about groups visiting and wanted
to be part of one, the Outreach Foundation is gathering a group
now for a September trip to Russia and Belarus. The dates of the
trip are September 5-17, 2005. The trip will be an introduction
to our ministry and that of our colleagues. It will be a time
of fellowship with other Presbyterians and with Russian brothers
and sisters in Christ. It will be a time to hear the stories of
the Russian church, the struggles during Soviet times and the
rebirth in the last 15 years. The group will be visiting Moscow,
Ryazan, Smolensk and Minsk. They will visit orphanages, building
projects, a television studio, and two seminaries. They will have
time to talk with the leadership of the churches in both Russia
and Belarus. There will be time for tourism as well, as it is
important to get a sense of the history of this place. We hope
that some of you will join us. We would be delighted to welcome
you and look forward to the chance to share a few pieces of what
we are about. If you are interested, please contact the Outreach
Foundation at info@theoutreachfoundation.org
or (800) 791-5023 or (615) 778-8881.
We hope to find time to share many of our summer adventures through
email newsletters. If you are not on that list and would like
to be, send us an email.
May the peace and blessings of our Lord be with you each this
day and always.
Yours in Christ,
Ellen and Al Smith
The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
187 |
