It seems there is a problem in the stratosphere and I'm not currently able to update my website.
But I really wanted to get a newsletter update to the world so I am posting it here. It's not exactly the same voice as my blog, but I think you'll like it ok.
Let me know if you have any questions or if you'd like to partner with me for the next year in Moscow. I know God will bless you in return.
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Reflections
from a Writer in Moscow
May / June 2014
Kris A. Newman
Greetings from Moscow!
I trust that you are enjoying the same lovely spring/summer
weather as we have been blessed with in Moscow.
They tell me it is unseasonably warm and I’m ok with that. It is incredible how quickly God can change
the landscape from winter to summer.
I had no idea that God was setting a new thing in motion
that would change everything. I never
imagined I would be in a classroom with students from literally around the
world.
I am humbled that He chose me to be here this year. When I consider the many new friendships and
connections He has provided with people from all over the world, I am
humbled. When I consider the
conversations about His grace I have been able to share with honest,
transparent seekers, I am humbled. When
I consider the healing I have received for my back when “just one more prayer”
was prayed, I am humbled. God has been
good to me this year. In return, I hope
that I have used the right words, shown the greatest amount of love, returned
good at every hand and been a vessel of honor for His glory.
Moscow is a hard city in many ways. It takes a lot to build a foundation of
trust. There is a long history in this
country of hurt, deceit and treachery.
It’s ingrained in their culture. To find the beauty, one must look
beyond the walls, reach beyond the surface. You can’t Photoshop reality. I have done my best to reach out and make
several connections with people around the city. They are from many facets of life. Mostly, they want to practice their English
with me and, in return, help me with my Russian. However, I have lived long enough to know
that every friendship made is an opportunity to share grace.
This point was driven home for me at Easter time. On Good Friday we had a special devotion
where the students each read a portion of the Easter story from the Children’s
Bible. As we read, we discussed what the
story meant. At the conclusion, the
Sudanese Muslim girl looked at me with eyes wide, “Does that say that Jesus
died for me? For all of us?”
I assured her that is exactly what it meant. She became very quiet and thoughtful for the
rest of the day.
When it was time for dismissal she had one more
question. “Miss Kris, that story about
Jesus, is it real or is it fake?”
But, as always is the case with God, there is never only one
job to be done. I have also been
actively involved with the United Pentecostal Church of Moscow and the local
missionaries, the Robert Moses family.
Using my limited computer skills, I helped them create a website for the
church among other sundry tasks to enhance their visibility in the
community. Due in part to this exposure,
several saints from the Philippines and one from Venezuela have been added to
our church family here.
As an Associate in Missions with another year-long teaching
contract before me, I am excited to see what the next school year will
bring. However, this can only happen if
I raise the necessary budget to cover another year on the field. I do receive a salary from the school, but it
doesn’t quite cover the cost of living in one of the most expensive cities in
the world. My budget for the upcoming
year is $13,700.
I am also in need of prayer partners. There is no such thing as having too many
people praying, and I appreciate the words of
encouragement and support received more than words can say.
As we close off another Moscow month, here are the current
prayer requests:
Pray for strength and wisdom for
the Filipino sisters who are attending our services. They often travel for three hours to attend
service. Their lives here are very
difficult. Often they only have one day
a week off from work and it generally isn’t on Sunday. Pray that they will be able to attend
services.
Pray for safe travels for me and my
colleagues as many of us are heading out of Moscow for the summer.
Pray for us to be able to bridge
the cultural gaps as we share the Word.
Pray for my students to continue to
seek God for themselves.
Thank you for everything.
Your prayers and support mean a lot to me. There are days I feel like I’m being carried
on someone else’s strength and I know it’s your prayers at work. Drop a note to me here or through my e-mail
at miss.kris.newman@gmail.com.
In His Service,
Kris
