It was GREAT!!!!!

I can't believe it's over. That is the phrase that continues to run through my head. After nine months of intense planning (and almost 2 years of "going"), the summer project to Moscow is over. On Monday the vast majority of the team flew back to the states ending what could be described as nothing but a life changing summer.

The entries have been few while in Moscow (sorry...I know, only one), but let me try to give you a picture of my last 5 weeks (buckle in...it's going to be a transatlantic length blog post.) So my summer could only be described a sprint. I'm not a runner, but I think about how long and hard you practice and prepare for a short race, and then how hard and fast the race actually is. Then how quickly it is all over. When running in the race itself, you don't have time to think about what is happening or how to slow down time, you just go...and fast. Then it's over. That was my summer in Moscow.

Now the race is over, and I finally have some time to be still and think through what all the Lord did. Now I want to share. Since this is more of a wrap up, you might want to check out the more consistent blogger/my friend Bethany's posts at www.bethanysticka.com. Here I go, though...

First on a personal note, the gospel became more real to me this summer than ever before. I mean came alive, EVERYONE NEEDS this, alive! I've had Romans 5:8 memorized for quite awhile now, but this verse was the theme of my summer.

"For God demonstrates His love for us in this: that while we were YET sinners, Christ died for us."

This verse became SO TANGIBLE to me in the weeks in Moscow. Through the grace of my team, the humility that comes from leading such a project, seeing the HUGE need Russians have for something more in their life, and the overwhelming joy and understanding of what the Lord did for us on the cross were all factors of experiencing Christ more this summer in ways I never have before. It was a summer of going back to the foundations of my faith, but in such deeper, more intimate ways. I reread one of my favorite passages today Isaiah 6:1-8, and verses 5 and 6 describe Isaiah's deep understanding of his sin, yet the Lord's great love and power to overcome it and wipe Him clean. After being in Moscow for the past 5 weeks, I feel like I am able to not just read this passage and think "That's great for Isaiah", but think "That's not just Isaiah. That's me!" It's changed me reminding me of how the gospel is not just this message we need to tell people who don't believe in Christ and then once you do, put on a shelf. It is for every person to LIVE by. Russians need the gospel. Americans need the gospel. I need the gospel!

So that's what I learned spiritually in a very little nut shell. Maybe a little almond shell. I am still in the process of trying how to put in words everything I learned about the Lord, and how I feel like He's been working in my life and visibly changing me, but since they aren't completely formulated into any coherent thought pattern, I'll move on to some fun Moscow stories and if you so desire, you can get coffee with me to hear the long incoherent ramble of other things the Lord did in my life personally this summer. How's that for one really long run on sentence? Cafe Mocha anyone?

So a topic a little easier to describe...the American students and staff. Thirty six, incredible, fun, challenging, persevering, teachable, faithful, seeking after the Lord, trusting for great things, loving on all, caring for all, did I mention faithful people going after what the Lord had asked them to do this summer...tell Russians about Himself. It was incredible to be a part of a team that put their heart and lives into going on to campus after campus (there are over 200 universities in Moscow) despite rain...despite security guards...despite huge language barries, creating relationships with Russian students and sharing the most important thing with them, their relationships with Christ. Two Russian students became Christians!!!!! and many more came closer to understanding their need for Jesus Christ. These Russian students were not just people we came in contact with for one summer, but are now that we get to know forever.

People like my new dear friends Olya, Juliana, Anatasia, Daria, Masha and Ann. As the leader of this project, with extra meetings and floating around campuses to meet with different staff and American students, I didn't go in with the expectation of getting to really connect deeply with Russian students. I prayed for one significant friendship. The Lord gave me six. These six girls are now ones that I get to pray for, care for and continue being friends with via the amazing invention of this thing called facebook. I'm so grateful for each of them and can't wait to see how the Lord continues to draw them to Himself.

I get quiet and very sad when GREAT things are about to end. So for about all of last week, that was how I was. A little melancholy if you will. Then Monday came. Like I said the vast majority of our team went back to the states. I flew to Italy (more on that to come), but that meant having to say good-bye 15ish hours earlier than I wanted. I realized too late that I had to veer a different direction than everyone else to go through security at the airport and get to my gate, and by that point all but 3 people were gone. The tears started flowing during my three official good-byes probably harder with the reality that there were so many more I couldn't hug and say good-bye to. Then I'm standing in the security line all alone looking out through more blurry, watery eyes. Finally I'm sitting at my gate waiting for a couple of hours, journaling about more of my trip and the tears once again flow. That's a lot of tears. Sometimes, though, the only way to express how you feel at the end of a life-changing, incredible, never able to repeat summer is through the Lord's blessing of refreshing tears.

So when you ask me "How was Moscow?" and I respond with, "It was GREAT!", know that there are literally about a 100 stories behind that phrase. It is a phrase packed with story after story of things the Lord did in and through us. Story after story of people I now love greatly. Story after story of the Lord truly taking His Word to all the nations.

Live my Moscow Adventure via pictures with me Here and Here and Here.