TO RUSSIA WITH GOD’S LOVE

St. Petersburg, Russia Missions Trip
September 2004

Five Minnesota women went to Russia to join along side with Mark and Jennifer Broberg, missionaries to Russia, with plans to assist with the first women’s conference at Harvest Church, hold a tea for American missionary wives from all denominations, bring baby clothing for a Russian woman and work with the transitional girls home.

The women’s conference was held from Friday eve to Sunday eve. Fifteen workshops were held on women’s issues including hospitality, how to be a friend, how to give a child’s birthday party, contraception, menopause, women in ministry and a pastor’s wives session. We were among the workshop speakers. It was attended by 200+ women from the community of all ages, as it was advertised to the general public. At least four Russian women made a decision to follow Christ because of the conference, including one at a workshop. It was such a success that plans are to have a yearly conference.

Jennifer’s hope was to encourage the American missionaries’ wives with a tea. It was attended by 19 women from the Southern Baptist, Nazarene and nondenominational churches, all seeking fellowship. Many had never met until then. We enjoyed a Mary Kay hand treatment compliments of Minnesota, a potluck, and a getting to know each other game. We did a Minnesota skit thanks to one of our own past conferences complete with buck teeth and wigs. We created quite a stir and I think we were good enough to be considered international stars. We blessed the women with a time to bead a Minnesota Bridging the Gap signature bracelet, also compliments of generous Minnesota women.

We brought a baby stroller over seas for Jennifer’s friend; unbeknown to us that it was for our interpreter Zhenya and his wife Olga. Zhenya is working with Mark on all the projects. They are expecting their first baby in November. Once again, Minnesota women came through with over 20 sets of baby to toddler clothing and a quilt, given at a good old fashioned Minnesota baby shower complete with games and food. They blessed us with a viewing of their tape of the ultrasound done the week before, on their second anniversary. In true fashion, we mothers and grandmothers oohed and ahhed at God’s marvelous works.

The time with the girls from the transitional home was by far the most difficult and most rewarding time for us. Broberg’s have teamed up with nationals involved with the local orphanages and created the transitional home. It is currently a home with five teenaged girls who at age sixteen were required to leave the orphanages and head for the streets. The average orphan is not prepared for life on their own and many disappear or head into a life of prostitution. Time at the home is geared to prepare the girls for the world with a focus on the Christian life. There is only one home for girls with a waiting list of 200. Broberg’s hope is to continue to build more homes and start a home for boys. We also helped to work on remodeling an apartment, getting it ready for Annya, who is leaving the home in February, to live on her own, with continued emotional support from the home.

We could not have gone and accomplished as much as we did without the prayer and gifts from people. We did not recognize the effects of prayer until after the fact. According to Mark, we should have paid fines through customs and been followed throughout our stay by the police. We know without a shadow of a doubt that God was with us and went before us throughout the whole trip.

Sincerely,

The Minnesota Team (Marie West, Cynthia Horn, Rachel Rairdon, Debra Hatfield, Joanne Foreman)