August 27, 2001

Hello friends!

I started with that quote from the book I'm reading now, because sometimes I've felt like that "sentient picture" this summer.  In the long run, I know I don't want to be a rough sketch, but it sure does seem like it would be easier!  As you probably know, we had planned to leave June 27th, and then had to change that date to July 4th, and then July 31st.  When we didn't leave on that last date, we started over in the process of getting to Russia, and now we have new tickets for September 10th.

 

After we wrote our last letter we found out that the school we had signed a contract with was closed.  We still don't know whether that is temporary or permanent.  The director said that he could still get us visas, but communication was very difficult.  Some friends in Zelenograd helped a lot with calling him at home and relaying messages to and from us.  Finally, just a few days before July 31st the director told us that we should go to Washington, D.C., and be at the Russian Embassy when it opened Monday morning.  Everything from his end would be sent there at that time.  We could apply for our visas, get one-day processing, hurry home, and fly out Tuesday morning.  Well, it didn't work.  For some reason the documents didn't come through.  We came home without visas and returned our tickets to the travel agent.

 

That seemed like a pretty definite dead end.  However, we couldn't really stay here very easily either.  (In June, when we were first supposed to leave, we had moved out of our apartment, and Will had quit his job.)  We spent a few days praying, looking for other options, writing to friends for advice, and just resting after the whirlwind of packing and trying to get those visas.  Even though this summer has been hard in some ways, it's also been really good.  We've been learning many lessons about trusting God, getting to know each other better, and spending quite a bit of time with family and friends.

 

The outcome of all these changes is, as I said, that we've started over again on getting to Russia.  We are paying a visa company to do our invitations and visas.  The finished product should be here September 3rd.  We've been looking for jobs and an apartment in Moscow. Please pray that we would be able to find an apartment in Moscow before we get there!  Also, we bought new plane tickets for September 10th.  The way that happened was really an answer to prayer.  A friend told us about a travel agency that offers discounts for missionaries.  They found tickets for us at a really good price.  And we got back enough of a refund from our old "non-refundable" tickets to pay for the new ones!

 

Once we get to Moscow we'll be getting involved with Resurrection Church, where Will attended before, and starting to look for teaching jobs.  We do have plenty of leads on that, from friends and various contacts.  It's going to be exciting to see how all this works out!  Please don't stop praying.

 

 

Please let us know if you would like to be on our mailing list.

 

With love and prayer,
Phyllis and Will Hunsucker