http://www.russianembassy.org/Embassy_eng/Consulate/Homestay_visa.html
For those of you who haven't heard we have been extremely blessed by the recent change in Russian visa laws. This was a huge prayer request for our family and the new laws will mean significantly less stress on us while we're on the missions field.
We will now be able to get a three year visa with which we can stay for six months at a time before taking a trip out of the country to renew our visas. Previously, we would have had to apply for new visas every three months which would have been stressful only being sure of three months approval to stay on the field at any given time. It also would have been a huge financial burden on us. The three year visa will cost us the same to obtain as the three month visas would have. Except that we're paying the fees once not twelve times over the course of those three years.
God is so, so good! We have also been blessed to start Russian lessons... in Tehachapi! Yes, in our little town. Eva was in swim lessons over the summer and happened to be swimming with the daughters of a Ukrainian lady. When I approached Olga about teaching Russian she was really sweet and she has actually offered to meet with us once a week to teach us Russian, which, she is doing for free! What a huge blessing to meet her!
God is using this time to prepare us and to really help us have a time to build stronger relationships with our church family here before we go. I've been able to be a part of the women's Bible study as well as having taken on the role of Sunday School Superintendent. It was something that God really impressed on my heart that I was going to be doing when we first got back from Peru. In fact, that is the biggest part of why we moved to Tehachapi at all was to become involved in Children's Ministry at Bear Valley Church. For a while I wondered if I had just heard God wrong, I of course expected to immediately take on this role... not that it would take a year and a half before I would even start! But God is so good, and his timing is wonderful. I've learned so much about different approaches to ministry over this past year that I hadn't put much thought to before. What a blessing it has been to go through the various phases since returning from Peru!
Well, I must go for now, but am thankful that you would take the time to read this update! We look forward to hearing from you and where God has you as well! Please do write, and also let us know if we can send you a couple prayer cards, we would love for you to put one on your fridge or in your office to remind you to keep us in prayer!
-Jessica
