camp photos from Yaroslavl region

Here are a few photo highlights from our time at camp in the Yaroslavl region.

home away from home

Here are a few photos of where we slept at the camp in the Yaroslavl region. This camp is currently owned by a local factory. It was built during Soviet times and has been neglected in many ways. Sleeping was sometimes a challenge, but God gave us good weather, which kept down the humidity.

Up to Camp in Yaroslavl, Now Back in Moscow

Hello!

Mission Accomplished! :-) We just arrived in Moscow, after a beautiful tour of Yaroslavl and 4-hour drive back down to Moscow. After such a great camp in Maloyaroslavets, we were wondering how it could get any better; but after this week at a camp in Yaroslavl similar to Honey Rock, we are blessed to announce a second great week of ministry. After some time of adjustment to the new camp setting, each of us enjoyed connecting with the kids and seeing the Lord sovereignly work. The Spirit was certainly at work, and it was exciting to see him build strong relationships. From morning exercises, to sports, to crafts, to time at the Volga River beach, to evening testimonies (from Danielle, Paige, Stan, and Brian), we made many little friends. We also felt a special connection with the teen and adult camp counselors. We will try to put pictures up as soon as possible.

Thank you for your prayers for health and safety! Everyone is healthy and, though a bit tired from the weeks of camp, are going strong. We said our goodbyes to the Triggs family tonight; they will head out for the airport in the morning. The rest of us are looking forward to a day to tour Moscow with our now good friend, Camila (our translator in Maloyaroslavets). We leave for home on Sunday!

Look forward to seeing you and talking to you all soon!

"Spakoinoi noche!" (Goodnight!)

a few more images from camp in Maloyaroslavets

We say goodbye to Maloyaroslavets and the children and camp workers we have grown to love. Pray with us for them in the days ahead--that God will use this camp to have a lasting impact on their lives.

We leave for Yaroslavl and I don't know when we will have a chance to update this blog again, so we'll see.

Thanks for praying for us.

God at Work in Kaluga Region

Lorraine and I had a chance tonight to visit with Alexei, our host pastor, tonight. This is our third camp with him--the first was 8 year ago, the second 4 years ago and now this one. Since 8 years ago, much has changed. He has a new church building today (and some of the team is sleeping in it). This is a big and wondrous achievement for them. There have been many challenges, but as he looks ahead, he is trusting God to do good things in this community. He is faithful.
When it comes to the summer camps, the camp directors and all of the counselors at this camp were campers at the camp 8 years ago. Many of them point to that camp as a pivotal event in their walk with God. What a great blessing for this to happen and for God to allow us to see Him working in this way.
Now, we must pray for the children at this camp--that in another 8 years, they might be counselors and leaders reaching another group of children.
The team continues to shine. As we come to the end of our first week, we are tired, but the kids and the workers are so great. We are blessed to be with them and we trust that God is blessing them through us. May it be so, we pray.

crazy hat day

Yesterday was crazy hat day--we had to make a crazy hat and wear it to lunch in order to be fed. It was fun and crazy.

a few prayer requests

Last night at dinner, the camp director asked us to pray that God would move in the hearts of the children, that there is a lot of questioning going on about eternal things. He also asked that we pray about some of the children and counselors who have come down with a sickness (some of us also have cold symptoms). He asked that we pray no one has to go home early because of illness.
We praise God for another fun-filled day with the children yesterday.
We are giving testimonies or a brief word each night this week. Monday was Brian and Paige. Tuesday was Dannie and Stan. Wednesday was Danielle and Nathan. Tonight is the Triggs family. Pray that our words and actions--both during that time and throughout the day--will speak to the children.
Also, pray for good weather in Yaroslavl. The forecase right now is for rain all next week. We take comfort in the fact that in Chicago the weatherman is wrong more often than right. But a full week of rain would make it tough on the counselors and us, as much of camp is planned for outdoors.

A few words about our days at camp

For our time in Maloyaroslavets, the day consists of two hours of crafts, two hours of sports, participating with the children in games, helping out in other ways (however and whatever they ask us to do), along with two of us giving brief testimonies in the evening program each night and also performing a skit or silly song. We also eat our meals with Pasha, the camp leader and a variety of other Christian workers/leaders.
We are staying in two locations. The Triggs family and all of the guys are staying at a newly built church in Obninsk, Russia. This church building has only been open about three weeks and they still have some finishing work to do. Just down a couple roads by car from the church is Pastor Alexei's home, where the girls are staying. We rise, get dressed and head for camp at 8:30 am, eat, work and be with the kids at camp until we return at about 11 pm or so.
Much thanks to everyone for your prayer support. I think the jet lag is not too bad, but it does hit folks at different times, though everyone is doing remarkably well!

Prayer and Praise

Praise God with us for the good start we've had here in Maloyaroslavets. Pray for continued strength and good health, for team creativity and unity and a growing bond with the national leaders and the children. Thank you for your partnership with us!

Sharing from the heart

Sharing from the heart with the leaders and the children at camp has been a special time for all of us.

Fun and Games in Maloyaroslavets

We've had a great time of fun with the kids.

Maloyaroslavets Crafts 1

We've had a lot of fun with crafts--tie dye shirts and paper mosaics have been a hit.

Maloyaroslavets Part One

We've had a great time so far at the camp in Maloyaroslavets!

The team after lunch!

the team has all arrived in Moscow

The Triggs attended Moscow Bible Church and came out of service just as the team pulled up from the airport. We are unloading, getting refreshment, lunch and looking forward to connecting with the first camp workers (in Maloyaroslavets) later today.

team delay in Washington

The rest of the team missed their flight connection in Washington--I think it was a flight delay out of Chicago--so they will be arriving in Moscow on Sunday instead of Saturday. This shouldn't be a big problem, but will compress our pre-camp time together to a few hours rather than an overnight in Moscow. :(

Pavel and Wil meeting.

Thursday July 16

In the photo above, we (Lorraine, Philip and Wil) are standing outside the apartment in Moscow. The rest of the team will join us on Saturday.

On Thursday evening, the Triggs and Tokarchuk families enjoyed dinner together at the Takarchuk home just outside Moscow. Pavel Tokarchuk has been our point person in planning the camp outreach and is in charge of the Moscow office. We enjoyed a delicious meal, listened to daughter Nina playing piano, introduced them to "Barrel of Monkeys" and Philip enjoyed a game of chess.

We're About to Leave!

In just a few hours, we'll be heading out of the College Church parking lot bound for Russia! Pray for us as we board the planes, connect in Washington DC, go through customs, and adjust to life in Asia. It is so great to have the whole team back together again. We are really looking forward to all that the Lord is going to do on this trip!

get to know the team--part nine

Brian Picken is a proud Wheatonite, born in Wheaton, graduated from Wheaton College, and now working in Wheaton for a financial company. Brian loves serving in the college ministry at College Church and in his free time likes to play sports with friends, work out, and read.

HELLO FROM MOSCOW

Lorraine on Wil's blog. She's new at blogging. Passport control was a snap, and as we walked through the green nothing to declare channel, we were greeted by our friend and colleague Paul Torachuk. He expertly packed his VW van with our baggage and we soon arrived at Russian Ministries' apartment—always feels like "home" when we walk through the door. Wil was very happy to have Interet access while here—right, Nathan? We've been bombarding him with e-mails. Happy piece of news: Sveta's—a friend from our very first STAMP trip in 2001—husband is leading the Maloyarslavets camp. Can't wait to reconnect. Hurry up team, and get here.

get to know the team--part eight

Lorraine Triggs is wife, mother and homemaker. She is also the senior writer at Russian Ministries and a College Church missionary. At church, Lorraine has been involved with children's ministries for many years and is the editor of the church newsletter, Fellowship Journal. She is excited to be a part of the 2009 STAMP team. Lorraine enjoys gardening, reading, attending live theater and being a martial arts mom.

get to know the team--part seven

Stanley Okoro is a recent grad of Wheaton College who now works for DeVry University's Business school as a recruiter. He enjoys reading, frisbee and cruising the streets of Wheaton. He has many leather-bound books and his apartment smells of rich mahogany. Recently he spends a lot of time trying to fit more hours into the day, albeit unsuccessfully.

get to know the team--part six

Pip Triggs is a Freshman at Wheaton North High School and is enjoying Hyacks which is College Church's High School youth group. He is very involved in Martial Arts at Superstar Karate. He enjoys traveling and is very happy to be a part of the 2009 STAMP Russia team!

get to know the team--part five

Danielle Seaman will be a junior at Wheaton College majoring in violin
performance. She is currently working at Camp Teekna in Newtown
Square, PA as a counselor for 5-7 year-olds. She has attended College
Church for her past two years at Wheaton and is involved in the
College Group's music ministry. She enjoys tennis, reading, and
playing games.

get to know the team--part four

Paige Winfield recently took a job with a think-tank in Virginia,
after working as a newspaper reporter in Naperville, Illinois. She
writes news and feature stories about government and politics and
enjoys interviewing all sorts of people and reading news all day.
Paige lived in Wheaton and attended College Church for the last three
years, where she served with the college group leadership team. She
loves to play the violin, run, travel and live life alongside her
brothers and sisters in Christ.

Get to know the team--part three

Danielle Chauvin was born and raised in New Orleans, LA. She now
attends Wheaton College and is about to begin her senior year in the
Communications Department. She is very excited to be doing a College
Group Women's internship at College Church, starting this August. In
her spare time she loves cooking, reading books and blogs, and hanging
out with kids. She is spending a lot of time thinking about how to
glorify God as a woman, student, and member of the local church in
this precious season of life.

Get to know the team--part two

Nathan Gammie is the leader of this STAMP Russia team and is looking
forward to beginning as a Ministry Resident at College Church. Though
born and raised in Southern California, he made the move to the
Midwest and graduated from the Wheaton College Graduate School with a
Masters degree in Biblical Exegesis this May. He has been programming
for the Blue Letter Bible this summer. His passions are preaching and
seeing the Kingdom of God expand by the Spirit through the local
church. In the midst of that passion, he loves running, longboarding,
rock climbing, snowboarding, playing golf, and talking life and
theology. Right now he's thinking a lot about Jay's sermons about
pastors being an example to the flock, and thinking of how he can be
cultivating a solid foundation for being a godly man, husband, father,
and pastor.