Our first (and only) team picture. Taken at the Hotel Moscova in a mirror, so we could ALL be in it!
So here we sit. First visit to the orphanage planned in about an hour and we’re trapped in gridlocked traffic in the middle of St. Petersburg. In five minutes of gazing out the window, I’ve seen an ambulance and two police cars go by, so it’s hard to venture a guess as to how long we’ll be here. Yet another lesson in the importance of flexibility on missions trips. We haven’t even started our ‘mission’ yet and already our team has had an amazing journey. Our first two nights at the Hotel Moscow (or “Moscova”) were very adequate. Because my internet card ran unexpectedly longer than it was supposed to, I stayed up until 2:30 this morning uploading pictures and a short video. Four hours of slightly interrupted sleep is enough, right?
STILL stuck in traffic! We’re eager to get to the first orphanage. It’s about an hour’s drive into the countryside. Once there, I’ll be gathering pictures, video and audio for our Team, family and WaY-fm listeners back home. My goal this week is to tell the story of God’s work through Orphan Outreach in Russia and hopefully kindle a passion for others to try a short-term mission trip like this one. It truly changes you. I’ve said many times that when I’m President, it will be a requirement for every American! It’s also my goal to stay out of the way and let our Team tell their story through this blog. I’ll act as facilitator, but the rest of the week, it will be my goal to have at least one member of the team contribute daily. As you bookmark this blog and check back, I truly hope it blesses you!
Oh, and speaking of flexibility! Couple of things that have already made things a bit interesting, the first occurring before we even left Grand Rapids. I had settled into my window seat on our puddle-jumper-excuse-for-an-airplane when a United Airlines gate attendant barked over the intercom: “Did anyone leave a Dell laptop plugged into the wall inside the terminal?” “Hmm,” I thought. “Who would do something so dumb?” Then I realized it was me. I took the walk of shame back up the jetway to retrieve my Cornerstone-issued laptop. Theft insurance exists for people like me.
The place where we had lunch yesterday was great, though the caviar was a little too much for most of us. Plus, I think we seriously offended the guy who tried to pour Vodka into our little shot glasses. He couldn’t fathom how we could possibly turn down such a common treat here in Russia! After a nice meat-and-potatoes dinner, they brought out a baked apple dessert, drizzled in chocolate syrup and topped with whipped cream. I was enjoying the apple and had nearly finished when a small piece of hard plastic engraved with a few numbers and letters sort of popped out of the apple. I pulled it out, cleaned the whipped cream off and instantly created in my mind the most logical explanation for this strange find: My dessert was meant for a secret agent, perhaps an American spy (I can see why they would confuse me for one) or maybe an undercover KGB operative! The misplaced plastic was magnetically encoded with instructions for another mission… perhaps including a digital map and hit list. With scenes from “Born Identity” playing through my mind, I slyly pocketed the plastic, in hopes that I might someday be able to determine its true source.
We FINALLY just started moving again. Not sure what the hold-up was, but we’re on our way! More later from the Team after our first visit to the orphanage. Thanks again for your prayers and interest! – John
Tomorrow, we leave the Hotel Moscova for the countryside, and our first visit to the orphanage. The team is definitely excited to meet the kids!