Here is a video montage I did of some of the orphans I met in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Russia Trip Recap
So, I've been home for nearly two weeks and I can't believe I haven't updated this with the full story. It has been so crazy coming home and I have been trying to sort out pictures/videos and get back on track!
There is so much I could say about this amazing trip that I was so blessed to be a part of. Right now I can tell you, this will be a long post, but I will try to be as concise as possible.
God definitely used this trip in my life for a number of reasons. I was so blessed to be a small part of the lives of the orphans we worked with. I also met 25 amazing and wonderful people that I am grateful to calls friends. The team that traveled there, the staff that works in Russia and the translators were all fantastic. I could talk for hours of how wonderful these people are!
Group picture on the Gulf of Finland- everyone but Sasha & Yuri (2 translators, taking the pictures)
Here is a run down of the trip- the best way I can give you the details in a blog- please, please, please feel free to contact me if you want more stories/details! Thanks in advance if you read the whole thing! :)
Friday, August 13, 2010 (into Saturday, 8/14)-
20 of us left Grand Rapids and flew to Chicago. In Chicago we met up with Paula from Orphan Outreach- such a beautiful and spectacular woman! We then flew to Dusseldorf, Germany. I sat next to Chelsea B, who would be my roommate and we were able to chat for most of the flight- though we probably should have slept! Chelsea B is such an amazing woman and I was so lucky to have her as a roommate and so glad we became friends! We explored Dusseldorf, even leaving the airport (just to the sidewalk) even though we were told not to! haha, We got stamps in our passports though! Then we took our last flight into St. Petersburg, Russia!
Me and Chelsea B on the flight to Dusseldorf!
Saturday, August 14, 2010-
Arriving in St. Petersburg we met Olga. Olga works for Orphan Outreach and lives/works in St. Petersburg. She goes to all 9 of the Orphanages that Orphan Outreach works with and "has 500 kids." Olga has such a compassionate heart and amazing spirit. I wish you all could meet her! From there we took a bus to our hotel- the Mosova Hotel (Moscow Hotel)- and checked in. We ate a wonderful dinner at Balzak (?) and celebrated John's birthday (a team member). We drove around the city a bit before heading back to go to bed!
Our hotel in St. Petersburg- photo credit: John Balyo
Sunday, August 15, 2010-
The Orphanages aren't open to "outsiders" on the weekends, so we did a bit of sightseeing. First we visited the Alexander Nevsky Monastery which was across from our hotel. Our tour guide, Galina, was amazing! We got to go into a cathedral that was holding a Russian Orthodox church service- it was sad and beautiful. Then we visited a cemetery on the property that held the graves of Fyodor Dostoyevsky (author of Crime & Punishment) and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (composer of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker). After lunch at the Tchaikovsky Restaurant, we visited the Hermitage- the 2nd largest art museum in the world with over 3 million pieces of art. It was amazing. We saw original Van Gogh (we weren't allowed to photograph them), DaVinci, Rafaelle, Michael Angelo and Rembrandt. We had another wonderful dinner and headed back to the hotel.
Alexander Nevsky Monastery- photo credit: Lori Plummer
The Hermitage
Monday, August 16, 2010-
Checked out of the hotel in the city and traveled to Zelenogorsk on the Gulf of Finland. During the summer the orphanages in the city get renovations. As a result, the orphans are sent to "camps" (old, run down building in the woods) for 3 months. There they have open fields and few pieces of "playground" and sports equipment to entertain themselves. After lunch we headed to one camp that held multiple orphanages in multiple buildings. We spent time with #2 (kids 4-12) and #60 (kids/teens 9-17). We did balloon animals, face painting, volley ball, soccer, nail painting and other games. Most of the younger kids just wanted to be held and given attention. The teens liked volleyball and a game they called "Potato."
Nikita getting his face painted by Katie.
Playing "parachute" with the kids.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010-
First day of VBS. We spent the morning with the kids of #2 doing a Bible Story (creation), Memory Verse (You are the potter, I am the clay), Craft (making things out of modeling "clay") and Recreation. Then we just played with the kids and showed them love. After lunch we came back and did VBS for the teens of #60. The "Bible Story" was testimonies by Em & Paul, two of the team members and an amazing story/drawing by another team member/artist, Katie- there's a video on my Youtube- link at the bottom! Craft was "friendship bracelets" and memory verse discussed how people judge from the outside but God judges the inside. Tuesday was my roommate, Chelsea B's, birthday so we celebrated that. We also went down and spent some time on the Gulf of Finland.
Craft time with boys from #2
Some of the teen girls from #60
Wednesday, August 18, 2010-
2nd day of VBS- last day with #2 & #60. We spent the morning again with the kids of #2. The story was of the Shepard who lost his sheep. Craft was picture frames (we took a picture of each kid and tried to print with a mobile photo printer to hand them to the kids right away, but it was damaged- they still had fun creating them!), Memory Verse was how God never forgets us. In the afternoon we did VBS with the teens of #60- testimony from Jen, story from Paul. On this day we also brought the donations for each of the orphanages- things like clothes, underwear, lice shampoo, socks, combs, hair accessories, etc. We also had a "watermelon party" where we brought 18 watermelons for the kids and they just loved it! It was a sad goodbye to the kids and teens of #2 & #60. We miss them, love them and will continue to pray for them.
Watermelon Party with #2 & #60. photo credit: Greg Yoder
Donations. photo credit: Greg Yoder
Thursday, August 19, 2010-
VBS Day 1- the morning was spent with Orphanage #40. Probably the most heartbreaking orphanage we visited. #40 is for children 3-7 who are delayed or disabled. Some kids had sight issues or other physical disabilities- some even using little walkers :( Other kids had mental delays. Many had Down Syndrome. Many I couldn't tell you what was "wrong" with them (nothing, all of the kids at that orphanages were amazing and perfect in God's eyes, but you know what I mean). There was one girl who used to have a cleft pallet. It was fixed, but she was there. A little boy with glasses was there. That's it. It is amazing the culture because the slightest "abnormality" and the kids are tossed aside. Children born with Down Syndrome are left at the hospital. They are sent to an orphanage and then at the age of 7, they are institutionalized and never heard from again. The government doesn't try to get them adopted. I could talk about this for days because I was most affected by this orphanage- it was my "favorite" and broke my heart the most. We could only do VBS with 1 group who was the "least delayed." One little girl, Oksanna, stole my heart. She has Downs and everyone thought she was a boy at first. She has 2 bald spots because she wasn't picked up often as an infant. We would sing to each other and I would say "Krasyva Oksanna" (Beautiful Oksanna).
Little Boy from #40. photo credit: John Balyo
Me and Oksanna ♥ photo credit: John Balyo
In the afternoon we went to see the teens of #14. These were yet another group of amazing kids. We were surprised at how open the older teen boys were to things like the memory verse and "solarium cards" (pick a picture card that describes___ and explain why). We provided the donations on the first day to this orphanage because the director of that orphanage is notorious for not giving the kids the donations- he happened to be out of town that day and we wanted to make sure they got them. He was not happy when he found out about this.
Sasha (translator) with some of the boys from #14 photo credit: John Balyo
#14 Donations. photo credit: John Balyo
That night we met as a group to "check in" and ended up sharing a lot about our lives and our journeys with each other. We grew very close that night and became a family.
Friday, August 20, 2010-
VBS Day 2- Morning once again with #40. I spent most of my time with Oksanna after doing craft (my assigned station) with the "least delayed" kids. We mainly just played with the kids at this orphanage. They loved to be flipped upside down, blow bubbles, play with stickers, be twirled and hugged. I learned to say "I love you" to Oksanna and her face lit up :) I miss her and all of the kids.
Me & Oksanna♥ photo credit: Greg Yoder
The afternoon was with #14 and Chelsea L shared her testimony with the teen girls, Paul with the teen boys. Bonds were definitely formed here as well and it was such a sad goodbye.
Boy from #14 photo credit: John Balyo
Once again, we miss, love and pray for the kids/teens of #14 and #40.
Friday night we drove back to the city and checked back into the Moscova hotel. We at dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Tequila Boom (haha!) and it was a very sad goodbye to our amazing translators- Sasha, Masha, Yuri and Alex.
Me & Masha (translator/now friend) before we said goodbye :(
Me & Sasha (translator/now friend) before we said goodbye :(
Saturday, August 21, 2010-
Our last full day in Russia was spent sightseeing again. Though it was great to see the city, we were all a bit sad that we had left Zelenogorsk, the orphans and our translators. We had grown so attached to that place and those people.
We spent the morning at Saint Issac's Cathedral and learned about it's history from our tour guide, Natalia. Such a beautiful place! We even climbed the 300 steps to the top of St. Issac's to overlook the city of St. Petersburg. I'm not quite in shape, so I did not love the climb up, but the view was so worth it!
St. Issac's Cathedral. photo credit: John Balyo
3 of my favorite/the most spectacular women: Chelsea B, Lindsey & Em (and me).
View from the top of St. Issac's Cathedral.
After lunch we went to the Church of Our Savior On Spilled Blood. This is such an amazing place and the outside is what is traditionally thought of Russian architecture- though most of the building do not look like it at all! Inside everything was mosaic- literally, everything. The floors, all the walls and even the ceilings! Plus the mosaics were pictures of Jesus and other Biblical people, some of them familiar stories from the Bible. The idea was that no matter where you stood in the church, the eyes of Jesus were on you. Many of us girls bought rings that say "Save and Protect" (in Russian, of course). Then we went to the outside souvenir market for a while.
Church of Our Savior On Spilled Blood. photo credit: Greg Yoder
Church of Our Savior On Spilled Blood, mosaic wall.
Most of us didn't even go to bed that night because we had to have our bags packed and ready at 2:30 AM! We left for the airport at 3AM. Olga came with us to the airport to say goodbye and it was really hard to leave her. I definitely miss her and wish she didn't live so far away! Most of the group left just before 6AM on a flight to Munich, Germany (a few flew to Frankfort, including Paula who is from Texas, so we had to say goodbye in Russia- very, very sad). From Munich we flew to Chicago and then back to Grand Rapids.
Me & Olga
Me & Paula
Chelsea B, Me, Em, Paul & Jill on the plane from Munich to Chicago- I think we look pretty good considering we were up for more than 24 hours at this point! photo credit: Lindsey North
I was happy to see my parents and all 3 of my siblings waiting for me when I returned. It was very difficult leaving all my friends, who were my new "family" at the airport. It was particularly hard to say goodbye to my "roomie" Chelsea B. I am so thankful that the majority of the team lives in Michigan. Even if they are an hour away, they are much closer than Russia!
I would LOVE to go back and work with Orphan Outreach and the orphans of St. Petersburg. If God provides the money, I would do their month-long internship next summer. I particularly would like to go back to orphanage #40.
It has been really hard being back home. My heart has definitely changed and this trip confirmed that I need to do something that I feel is meaningful and helps change the world in a positive way. After some depression the first week (going from people 24/7 to a lot of alone time really threw me off!) I am starting to adjust to daily life, but my life will never be the same. I feel significant changes in me already and I now have such amazing, life-giving friends that there was no way I couldn't be changed.
Since being home, I am once again looking into ways to make a difference in community/the world- I'd love to do the Peace Corps, but I don't have a degree... yet. I've also expressed interest in volunteering for my church with the younger kids and have expressed interest in volunteering for the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan- in honor Oksanna and all the Downs kids in Russia. As hard as it was to raise funds and as much as my heart broke when I left, I hope that God has more missions in store for my life. It's heartbreaking but life-giving at the same time. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
If you are interested in supporting me for future mission trips, please contact me a curnowj@gmail.com. I don't have anything planned yet, but like I said, if God provides the support, I will do His work!
Also, I have upload a selection of my pictures and videos on my facebook. If you are not friends with me on facebook, you can request my friendship. However, I do have all my photos and some photos from some of my teammates on Webshots. I also have a Youtube page with my videos. The videos of my teammates are listed as "favorites" on my Youtube page. The links are below. Please also visit Orphan Outreach's website and consider donating to their efforts. And please, let me know if you have any questions or would like to hear additional stories- I have plenty! :)
Pictures on Webshots-
http://community.webshots.com/user/genzaichi
Videos on YouTube-
http://www.youtube.com/user/genzaichi
Orphan Outreach-
http://www.orphanoutreach.org/
Once again, thank you to everyone who supported me financially, with material donations and most importantly with prayer. Please continue to pray for me and my team, that our hearts continued to be moved and changed by this experience. Please pray for Orphan Outreach that their work and efforts continue to help orphans all over the world. Please pray for the orphans of Russia, particularly St. Petersburg and especially the orphanages we visited. Please pray that the orphans remember the love we gave, the Love of Jesus Christ, and seek that out in the people they meet as they continue on in life.
God Bless,
♥♥ Janessa
There is so much I could say about this amazing trip that I was so blessed to be a part of. Right now I can tell you, this will be a long post, but I will try to be as concise as possible.
God definitely used this trip in my life for a number of reasons. I was so blessed to be a small part of the lives of the orphans we worked with. I also met 25 amazing and wonderful people that I am grateful to calls friends. The team that traveled there, the staff that works in Russia and the translators were all fantastic. I could talk for hours of how wonderful these people are!
Group picture on the Gulf of Finland- everyone but Sasha & Yuri (2 translators, taking the pictures)
Here is a run down of the trip- the best way I can give you the details in a blog- please, please, please feel free to contact me if you want more stories/details! Thanks in advance if you read the whole thing! :)
Friday, August 13, 2010 (into Saturday, 8/14)-
20 of us left Grand Rapids and flew to Chicago. In Chicago we met up with Paula from Orphan Outreach- such a beautiful and spectacular woman! We then flew to Dusseldorf, Germany. I sat next to Chelsea B, who would be my roommate and we were able to chat for most of the flight- though we probably should have slept! Chelsea B is such an amazing woman and I was so lucky to have her as a roommate and so glad we became friends! We explored Dusseldorf, even leaving the airport (just to the sidewalk) even though we were told not to! haha, We got stamps in our passports though! Then we took our last flight into St. Petersburg, Russia!
Me and Chelsea B on the flight to Dusseldorf!
Saturday, August 14, 2010-
Arriving in St. Petersburg we met Olga. Olga works for Orphan Outreach and lives/works in St. Petersburg. She goes to all 9 of the Orphanages that Orphan Outreach works with and "has 500 kids." Olga has such a compassionate heart and amazing spirit. I wish you all could meet her! From there we took a bus to our hotel- the Mosova Hotel (Moscow Hotel)- and checked in. We ate a wonderful dinner at Balzak (?) and celebrated John's birthday (a team member). We drove around the city a bit before heading back to go to bed!
Our hotel in St. Petersburg- photo credit: John Balyo
Sunday, August 15, 2010-
The Orphanages aren't open to "outsiders" on the weekends, so we did a bit of sightseeing. First we visited the Alexander Nevsky Monastery which was across from our hotel. Our tour guide, Galina, was amazing! We got to go into a cathedral that was holding a Russian Orthodox church service- it was sad and beautiful. Then we visited a cemetery on the property that held the graves of Fyodor Dostoyevsky (author of Crime & Punishment) and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (composer of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker). After lunch at the Tchaikovsky Restaurant, we visited the Hermitage- the 2nd largest art museum in the world with over 3 million pieces of art. It was amazing. We saw original Van Gogh (we weren't allowed to photograph them), DaVinci, Rafaelle, Michael Angelo and Rembrandt. We had another wonderful dinner and headed back to the hotel.
Alexander Nevsky Monastery- photo credit: Lori Plummer
The Hermitage
Monday, August 16, 2010-
Checked out of the hotel in the city and traveled to Zelenogorsk on the Gulf of Finland. During the summer the orphanages in the city get renovations. As a result, the orphans are sent to "camps" (old, run down building in the woods) for 3 months. There they have open fields and few pieces of "playground" and sports equipment to entertain themselves. After lunch we headed to one camp that held multiple orphanages in multiple buildings. We spent time with #2 (kids 4-12) and #60 (kids/teens 9-17). We did balloon animals, face painting, volley ball, soccer, nail painting and other games. Most of the younger kids just wanted to be held and given attention. The teens liked volleyball and a game they called "Potato."
Nikita getting his face painted by Katie.
Playing "parachute" with the kids.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010-
First day of VBS. We spent the morning with the kids of #2 doing a Bible Story (creation), Memory Verse (You are the potter, I am the clay), Craft (making things out of modeling "clay") and Recreation. Then we just played with the kids and showed them love. After lunch we came back and did VBS for the teens of #60. The "Bible Story" was testimonies by Em & Paul, two of the team members and an amazing story/drawing by another team member/artist, Katie- there's a video on my Youtube- link at the bottom! Craft was "friendship bracelets" and memory verse discussed how people judge from the outside but God judges the inside. Tuesday was my roommate, Chelsea B's, birthday so we celebrated that. We also went down and spent some time on the Gulf of Finland.
Craft time with boys from #2
Some of the teen girls from #60
Wednesday, August 18, 2010-
2nd day of VBS- last day with #2 & #60. We spent the morning again with the kids of #2. The story was of the Shepard who lost his sheep. Craft was picture frames (we took a picture of each kid and tried to print with a mobile photo printer to hand them to the kids right away, but it was damaged- they still had fun creating them!), Memory Verse was how God never forgets us. In the afternoon we did VBS with the teens of #60- testimony from Jen, story from Paul. On this day we also brought the donations for each of the orphanages- things like clothes, underwear, lice shampoo, socks, combs, hair accessories, etc. We also had a "watermelon party" where we brought 18 watermelons for the kids and they just loved it! It was a sad goodbye to the kids and teens of #2 & #60. We miss them, love them and will continue to pray for them.
Watermelon Party with #2 & #60. photo credit: Greg Yoder
Donations. photo credit: Greg Yoder
Thursday, August 19, 2010-
VBS Day 1- the morning was spent with Orphanage #40. Probably the most heartbreaking orphanage we visited. #40 is for children 3-7 who are delayed or disabled. Some kids had sight issues or other physical disabilities- some even using little walkers :( Other kids had mental delays. Many had Down Syndrome. Many I couldn't tell you what was "wrong" with them (nothing, all of the kids at that orphanages were amazing and perfect in God's eyes, but you know what I mean). There was one girl who used to have a cleft pallet. It was fixed, but she was there. A little boy with glasses was there. That's it. It is amazing the culture because the slightest "abnormality" and the kids are tossed aside. Children born with Down Syndrome are left at the hospital. They are sent to an orphanage and then at the age of 7, they are institutionalized and never heard from again. The government doesn't try to get them adopted. I could talk about this for days because I was most affected by this orphanage- it was my "favorite" and broke my heart the most. We could only do VBS with 1 group who was the "least delayed." One little girl, Oksanna, stole my heart. She has Downs and everyone thought she was a boy at first. She has 2 bald spots because she wasn't picked up often as an infant. We would sing to each other and I would say "Krasyva Oksanna" (Beautiful Oksanna).
Little Boy from #40. photo credit: John Balyo
Me and Oksanna ♥ photo credit: John Balyo
In the afternoon we went to see the teens of #14. These were yet another group of amazing kids. We were surprised at how open the older teen boys were to things like the memory verse and "solarium cards" (pick a picture card that describes___ and explain why). We provided the donations on the first day to this orphanage because the director of that orphanage is notorious for not giving the kids the donations- he happened to be out of town that day and we wanted to make sure they got them. He was not happy when he found out about this.
Sasha (translator) with some of the boys from #14 photo credit: John Balyo
#14 Donations. photo credit: John Balyo
That night we met as a group to "check in" and ended up sharing a lot about our lives and our journeys with each other. We grew very close that night and became a family.
Friday, August 20, 2010-
VBS Day 2- Morning once again with #40. I spent most of my time with Oksanna after doing craft (my assigned station) with the "least delayed" kids. We mainly just played with the kids at this orphanage. They loved to be flipped upside down, blow bubbles, play with stickers, be twirled and hugged. I learned to say "I love you" to Oksanna and her face lit up :) I miss her and all of the kids.
Me & Oksanna♥ photo credit: Greg Yoder
The afternoon was with #14 and Chelsea L shared her testimony with the teen girls, Paul with the teen boys. Bonds were definitely formed here as well and it was such a sad goodbye.
Boy from #14 photo credit: John Balyo
Once again, we miss, love and pray for the kids/teens of #14 and #40.
Friday night we drove back to the city and checked back into the Moscova hotel. We at dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Tequila Boom (haha!) and it was a very sad goodbye to our amazing translators- Sasha, Masha, Yuri and Alex.
Me & Masha (translator/now friend) before we said goodbye :(
Me & Sasha (translator/now friend) before we said goodbye :(
Saturday, August 21, 2010-
Our last full day in Russia was spent sightseeing again. Though it was great to see the city, we were all a bit sad that we had left Zelenogorsk, the orphans and our translators. We had grown so attached to that place and those people.
We spent the morning at Saint Issac's Cathedral and learned about it's history from our tour guide, Natalia. Such a beautiful place! We even climbed the 300 steps to the top of St. Issac's to overlook the city of St. Petersburg. I'm not quite in shape, so I did not love the climb up, but the view was so worth it!
St. Issac's Cathedral. photo credit: John Balyo
3 of my favorite/the most spectacular women: Chelsea B, Lindsey & Em (and me).
View from the top of St. Issac's Cathedral.
After lunch we went to the Church of Our Savior On Spilled Blood. This is such an amazing place and the outside is what is traditionally thought of Russian architecture- though most of the building do not look like it at all! Inside everything was mosaic- literally, everything. The floors, all the walls and even the ceilings! Plus the mosaics were pictures of Jesus and other Biblical people, some of them familiar stories from the Bible. The idea was that no matter where you stood in the church, the eyes of Jesus were on you. Many of us girls bought rings that say "Save and Protect" (in Russian, of course). Then we went to the outside souvenir market for a while.
Church of Our Savior On Spilled Blood. photo credit: Greg Yoder
Church of Our Savior On Spilled Blood, mosaic wall.
Most of us didn't even go to bed that night because we had to have our bags packed and ready at 2:30 AM! We left for the airport at 3AM. Olga came with us to the airport to say goodbye and it was really hard to leave her. I definitely miss her and wish she didn't live so far away! Most of the group left just before 6AM on a flight to Munich, Germany (a few flew to Frankfort, including Paula who is from Texas, so we had to say goodbye in Russia- very, very sad). From Munich we flew to Chicago and then back to Grand Rapids.
Me & Olga
Me & Paula
Chelsea B, Me, Em, Paul & Jill on the plane from Munich to Chicago- I think we look pretty good considering we were up for more than 24 hours at this point! photo credit: Lindsey North
I was happy to see my parents and all 3 of my siblings waiting for me when I returned. It was very difficult leaving all my friends, who were my new "family" at the airport. It was particularly hard to say goodbye to my "roomie" Chelsea B. I am so thankful that the majority of the team lives in Michigan. Even if they are an hour away, they are much closer than Russia!
I would LOVE to go back and work with Orphan Outreach and the orphans of St. Petersburg. If God provides the money, I would do their month-long internship next summer. I particularly would like to go back to orphanage #40.
It has been really hard being back home. My heart has definitely changed and this trip confirmed that I need to do something that I feel is meaningful and helps change the world in a positive way. After some depression the first week (going from people 24/7 to a lot of alone time really threw me off!) I am starting to adjust to daily life, but my life will never be the same. I feel significant changes in me already and I now have such amazing, life-giving friends that there was no way I couldn't be changed.
Since being home, I am once again looking into ways to make a difference in community/the world- I'd love to do the Peace Corps, but I don't have a degree... yet. I've also expressed interest in volunteering for my church with the younger kids and have expressed interest in volunteering for the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan- in honor Oksanna and all the Downs kids in Russia. As hard as it was to raise funds and as much as my heart broke when I left, I hope that God has more missions in store for my life. It's heartbreaking but life-giving at the same time. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
If you are interested in supporting me for future mission trips, please contact me a curnowj@gmail.com. I don't have anything planned yet, but like I said, if God provides the support, I will do His work!
Also, I have upload a selection of my pictures and videos on my facebook. If you are not friends with me on facebook, you can request my friendship. However, I do have all my photos and some photos from some of my teammates on Webshots. I also have a Youtube page with my videos. The videos of my teammates are listed as "favorites" on my Youtube page. The links are below. Please also visit Orphan Outreach's website and consider donating to their efforts. And please, let me know if you have any questions or would like to hear additional stories- I have plenty! :)
Pictures on Webshots-
http://community.webshots.com/user/genzaichi
Videos on YouTube-
http://www.youtube.com/user/genzaichi
Orphan Outreach-
http://www.orphanoutreach.org/
Once again, thank you to everyone who supported me financially, with material donations and most importantly with prayer. Please continue to pray for me and my team, that our hearts continued to be moved and changed by this experience. Please pray for Orphan Outreach that their work and efforts continue to help orphans all over the world. Please pray for the orphans of Russia, particularly St. Petersburg and especially the orphanages we visited. Please pray that the orphans remember the love we gave, the Love of Jesus Christ, and seek that out in the people they meet as they continue on in life.
God Bless,
♥♥ Janessa
Monday, August 23, 2010
Home Again
Well, friends, I am back home from Russia and it is very bitter-sweet. Though I love seeing my family, drinking water from tap and knowing I get to go to my church this Sunday, I am really missing Russia. The orphans were amazing and adorable. My team is awesome and I have made some great friends. Russia, as you probably guessed, is very, very different from the USA, but in it's own way, it was a piece of heaven. The accommodations were better than expected, though in US standards, not super fantastic- of course, we didn't expect super fantastic as this was a mission trip after all, not a spa vacation! :). However, material amenities were not important as the greatest thing we could do is spend time with kids and with each other.
I am exhausted, haven't eaten in 24 hours and a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be done as well as the idea of going back to work this week. But I am trying to focus on all the good that came out of our trip. Praise God for all he as done in us and through us.
I will be providing a much more detailed account of the trip soon. I will also have photos here and on my facebook page. In the meantime, you can check out the following pages for photos and videos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbproductions/
http://www.YouTube.com/MissionNetworkNews
Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Grace & Peace,
♥♥ Janessa
I am exhausted, haven't eaten in 24 hours and a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be done as well as the idea of going back to work this week. But I am trying to focus on all the good that came out of our trip. Praise God for all he as done in us and through us.
I will be providing a much more detailed account of the trip soon. I will also have photos here and on my facebook page. In the meantime, you can check out the following pages for photos and videos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbproductions/
http://www.YouTube.com/MissionNetworkNews
Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Grace & Peace,
♥♥ Janessa
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Ready for Russia!!!!
My team and I leave for St. Petersburg, Russia tomorrow!!! Ahhh! I can't believe it's already here! It seems like such a long time coming.
On Monday we had a "Packing Party" to pack all of the supplies/clothes we are bringing to the orphanages. There was so much stuff some of us had doubts of whether or not we'd be able to fit it all in our suitcases! But God did His work and we managed to get it all in. Here are a few pics that one of the girls, Lindsey, took!
The couch has boys clothes, in the corner are socks and in front is underwear... this was only a portion of what we are bringing!
Lori, Autumn and Chelsea L prepare the school supplies for packing.
My team, minus Paula from Orphan Outreach- she lives in TX. Back Row (L-R): Paul, Me, Allison H, Jen, Em, Chad, Bekka, Jess, Allison S, Greg, John, Chelsea B. Front Row (L-R): Jill, Chelsea L, Lindsey, Autumn, Katie, Nicole, Kristen, Lori.
We leave from Grand Rapids at roughly 1:45 PM tomorrow. We'll have a layover in Chicago and one in Dusseldorf, Germany. We will reach St. Petersburg at roughly 3:45PM on Saturday (they are 8 hours ahead of EST).
I am not sure if I will be able to update my blog or facebook while I am there. If I can, I will! But otherwise you can visit the Orphan Outreach blog here or visit www.way.fm and find a blog that we'll be updating. Also, if you are in the West Michigan area and listen to Way FM (89.9 in GR), we'll have broadcasts from Russia, so you may even hear me on the radio! :)
Thank you again to everyone who helped me go on this trip. I couldn't have done it without such amazing people in my life! God bless to you all! I return on Sunday, August 22, 2010. I will try to get updated blogs and pictures up as soon as possible!
Grace & Peace
♥♥ Janessa
On Monday we had a "Packing Party" to pack all of the supplies/clothes we are bringing to the orphanages. There was so much stuff some of us had doubts of whether or not we'd be able to fit it all in our suitcases! But God did His work and we managed to get it all in. Here are a few pics that one of the girls, Lindsey, took!
The couch has boys clothes, in the corner are socks and in front is underwear... this was only a portion of what we are bringing!
Lori, Autumn and Chelsea L prepare the school supplies for packing.
My team, minus Paula from Orphan Outreach- she lives in TX. Back Row (L-R): Paul, Me, Allison H, Jen, Em, Chad, Bekka, Jess, Allison S, Greg, John, Chelsea B. Front Row (L-R): Jill, Chelsea L, Lindsey, Autumn, Katie, Nicole, Kristen, Lori.
We leave from Grand Rapids at roughly 1:45 PM tomorrow. We'll have a layover in Chicago and one in Dusseldorf, Germany. We will reach St. Petersburg at roughly 3:45PM on Saturday (they are 8 hours ahead of EST).
I am not sure if I will be able to update my blog or facebook while I am there. If I can, I will! But otherwise you can visit the Orphan Outreach blog here or visit www.way.fm and find a blog that we'll be updating. Also, if you are in the West Michigan area and listen to Way FM (89.9 in GR), we'll have broadcasts from Russia, so you may even hear me on the radio! :)
Thank you again to everyone who helped me go on this trip. I couldn't have done it without such amazing people in my life! God bless to you all! I return on Sunday, August 22, 2010. I will try to get updated blogs and pictures up as soon as possible!
Grace & Peace
♥♥ Janessa
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Getting Ready for Russia!
It is hard to believe, but this time next week I will be in St. Petersburg, Russia! Crazy. It doesn't feel real yet!
I once again want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me and my team in getting ready for our mission trip to Russia. From monetary donations, to supply donations and most importantly prayers, everyone has been great! We are in the final stretch now!
On Monday we have a "Packing Party" as we are each taking 2 suitcases- one for our stuff and one for supplies. Each suitcase will be 50lbs (the limit) and we have a lot to bring! This is also be the last time we see each other before leaving on Friday!!
I have had some medical issues for the last week and unfortunately had to stay home, unpaid, for 4 days this week. The two weeks I'm gone in Russia will be unpaid as well. In addition, co-pays and prescriptions were pretty expensive, so I am working to trust that God has a plan for me financially in this time. Prayers for that, as well as healing, would be great. I will still be on medication the day we leave, but after that I am hoping to be OK.
Here's some general flight information:
We leave Friday, August 13 from Grand Rapids at 1:40 PM EST, our layover is in Chicago, where we will switch airlines and fly out of Chicago at 4:15 PM CST. We will then have another layover in Dusseldorf before departing to fly to St. Petersburg at 11:05 AM and arrive in St. Petersburg at 3:45 PM (St. Petersburg is 8 hours ahead of EST).
On the way home we are split up into 2 groups. My group leaves St. Petersburg at 5:50 AM on Sunday August 22 and we have a layover in Munich. We leave Munich at 12:35 PM for Chicago. We will meet up with the other group in Chicago and we will return to Grand Rapids at 6:40PM.
This of course is all ideally. As anyone who has ever traveled knows, there can be delays and complications to get you off course. Please pray for safe, on time flights. Also please pray for the health and well being of everyone while we are there as well as spiritual well being as we work with the Orphans.
We are so looking forward to spreading God's Love and spending time with this kids.
I am not sure if I will be able to blog while I am there. I will be updating when I get home.
Thanks again!
Grace & Peace
♥♥♥ Janessa
I once again want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me and my team in getting ready for our mission trip to Russia. From monetary donations, to supply donations and most importantly prayers, everyone has been great! We are in the final stretch now!
On Monday we have a "Packing Party" as we are each taking 2 suitcases- one for our stuff and one for supplies. Each suitcase will be 50lbs (the limit) and we have a lot to bring! This is also be the last time we see each other before leaving on Friday!!
I have had some medical issues for the last week and unfortunately had to stay home, unpaid, for 4 days this week. The two weeks I'm gone in Russia will be unpaid as well. In addition, co-pays and prescriptions were pretty expensive, so I am working to trust that God has a plan for me financially in this time. Prayers for that, as well as healing, would be great. I will still be on medication the day we leave, but after that I am hoping to be OK.
Here's some general flight information:
We leave Friday, August 13 from Grand Rapids at 1:40 PM EST, our layover is in Chicago, where we will switch airlines and fly out of Chicago at 4:15 PM CST. We will then have another layover in Dusseldorf before departing to fly to St. Petersburg at 11:05 AM and arrive in St. Petersburg at 3:45 PM (St. Petersburg is 8 hours ahead of EST).
On the way home we are split up into 2 groups. My group leaves St. Petersburg at 5:50 AM on Sunday August 22 and we have a layover in Munich. We leave Munich at 12:35 PM for Chicago. We will meet up with the other group in Chicago and we will return to Grand Rapids at 6:40PM.
This of course is all ideally. As anyone who has ever traveled knows, there can be delays and complications to get you off course. Please pray for safe, on time flights. Also please pray for the health and well being of everyone while we are there as well as spiritual well being as we work with the Orphans.
We are so looking forward to spreading God's Love and spending time with this kids.
I am not sure if I will be able to blog while I am there. I will be updating when I get home.
Thanks again!
Grace & Peace
♥♥♥ Janessa
Monday, July 26, 2010
Donation Update
Time is really flying and it is only 18 days until I leave for Russia! Wow! I can't believe it! :)
I feel like all I have time for lately is "quick updates." I apologize for that, but as you can imagine, trying to get ready for a trip like this, plus work and do things in daily life keeps you busy! This week I had my grandfather visiting from California, a wedding and my niece's 6th birthday!
But, here is where things are with the trip:
On July 19 we had our last "official" team meeting before our "packing party." We started finalizing our VBS plans and determining where we are with donations of supplies. As a team, on July 19 we were $10,000 short of the cost for land funds!
I am happy to report, however, that I personally have been able to raise all of the funds I need to go on the trip! Thanks to all the amazing people who donated money, soda bottles and prayer, I have officially sent in my last trip payment as of today! Woo Hoo!!!
Now I am focusing on making sure I have all the donations of supplies. I still have some money saved from the soda bottle donations, which I have been using to purchase some supplies. I have also been given some clothes donations and other donations by some amazing people- thank you!
Right now I am still looking for the following items:
*boys t-shirts ages 3-12- I need a minimum of 9
* jeans- new or gently used, girl and/or boy ages 3-7
*underwear- girls and/or boys, new only, ages 3-12
*kids vitamins
*lice shampoo
*Money to go towards the purchasing of the items
I will also be taking pages, pre-printed in Russian that will play into the crafts I will be doing for the VBS. So, any money donations may also go towards printing those.
I just got a donation from my Aunt & Uncle in Australia today and it came at such a good time as I just spent a lot of money on supplies and wondered where the rest will come from! It was reassuring to know that people are still thinking of me, my team and the orphans of this mission trip and are donating. We have a long way to go as a team and every dollar and prayer is important!
I am meeting with my VBS team (we're broken down between younger kids & teens) on Thursday to go over the final details. Then on Tuesday the 3rd we'll have another "informal" meeting of the group. Finally on August 9 we will have our "packing party" and then we leave on Friday, August 12!
Thanks for all your support. Please continue to support me, my team, the orphans and the orphan caretakers in prayer!
Grace & Peace
♥Janessa
I feel like all I have time for lately is "quick updates." I apologize for that, but as you can imagine, trying to get ready for a trip like this, plus work and do things in daily life keeps you busy! This week I had my grandfather visiting from California, a wedding and my niece's 6th birthday!
But, here is where things are with the trip:
On July 19 we had our last "official" team meeting before our "packing party." We started finalizing our VBS plans and determining where we are with donations of supplies. As a team, on July 19 we were $10,000 short of the cost for land funds!
I am happy to report, however, that I personally have been able to raise all of the funds I need to go on the trip! Thanks to all the amazing people who donated money, soda bottles and prayer, I have officially sent in my last trip payment as of today! Woo Hoo!!!
Now I am focusing on making sure I have all the donations of supplies. I still have some money saved from the soda bottle donations, which I have been using to purchase some supplies. I have also been given some clothes donations and other donations by some amazing people- thank you!
Right now I am still looking for the following items:
*boys t-shirts ages 3-12- I need a minimum of 9
* jeans- new or gently used, girl and/or boy ages 3-7
*underwear- girls and/or boys, new only, ages 3-12
*kids vitamins
*lice shampoo
*Money to go towards the purchasing of the items
I will also be taking pages, pre-printed in Russian that will play into the crafts I will be doing for the VBS. So, any money donations may also go towards printing those.
I just got a donation from my Aunt & Uncle in Australia today and it came at such a good time as I just spent a lot of money on supplies and wondered where the rest will come from! It was reassuring to know that people are still thinking of me, my team and the orphans of this mission trip and are donating. We have a long way to go as a team and every dollar and prayer is important!
I am meeting with my VBS team (we're broken down between younger kids & teens) on Thursday to go over the final details. Then on Tuesday the 3rd we'll have another "informal" meeting of the group. Finally on August 9 we will have our "packing party" and then we leave on Friday, August 12!
Thanks for all your support. Please continue to support me, my team, the orphans and the orphan caretakers in prayer!
Grace & Peace
♥Janessa
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Latest Update
Yeah, my title is pretty lame. I want to give a quick update before I leave for the weekend and since I haven't updated in a while.
On June 21st we had another official team meeting where we got to meet Paula from Orphan Outreach. Paula lives in TX so she is not able to make it to all of our meetings, but she is coming on the trip and has traveled with Orphan Outreach multiple times to Russia. It was nice to put a name to a face.
We also got broken up into teams- Younger Kids and Teenagers. We'll all be working with all of the kids, but we are leading VBS in different groups. The tentative plan is to spend the first 2 mornings with one "younger kid" orphanage and the first 2 afternoons with one "teenager" orphanage. Then the next 2 days we'll spend the morning with a different younger kid orphanage and afternoon with a different teenage orphanage. The respective groups will lead the VBS- Bible story, memory verse, craft, games- and the alternate group will lead groups of kids to the different stations. I am working on crafts with the younger kids, so it's time to put on my creativity hat! On the Friday we'll just be hanging out with a couple of orphanages and loving on kids. It should be a good time!
We got our Orphan Outreach T-shirts and luggage tags as well as a list of supplies we'll need to gather to bring to the Orphanages. Things are really coming together!
On Tuesday, June 29, we had another "informal" meeting with about 10 of us in Plainwell to just chat, continue to get to know each other and see where we were with planning/fund-raising. Some of the same people from last time came, and some "new" people, so it was nice getting to see all of them.
The final deadline was July 1 and I didn't have all the money I needed, but they are being extremely flexible with this deadline since it's just land costs (we don't need to pay for food, etc, upfront so they can relax on deadlines!). I am hoping to have the remaining donations in by next week, then I will see what I still need. I trust that it will all come through and I have been so blessed with the donations that came- THANK YOU to EVERYONE who donated!! ♥♥♥
The photo shoots that Evergreen Photography Studios did for me provided more than expected- $430!! This was in part due to kind customers who paid extra so that it would go towards my trip but mostly due to the wonderful work by my sister-in-law, Michelle- Thanks Michelle!! :)
I'm going camping for the weekend (shock and awe I'm sure for those of you know know me well, haha!) for our annual family vacation . It will be nice to get away and spend time with family up in Petosky.
Thanks again, I'll keep you posted on things.
Grace & Peace
♥Janessa
On June 21st we had another official team meeting where we got to meet Paula from Orphan Outreach. Paula lives in TX so she is not able to make it to all of our meetings, but she is coming on the trip and has traveled with Orphan Outreach multiple times to Russia. It was nice to put a name to a face.
We also got broken up into teams- Younger Kids and Teenagers. We'll all be working with all of the kids, but we are leading VBS in different groups. The tentative plan is to spend the first 2 mornings with one "younger kid" orphanage and the first 2 afternoons with one "teenager" orphanage. Then the next 2 days we'll spend the morning with a different younger kid orphanage and afternoon with a different teenage orphanage. The respective groups will lead the VBS- Bible story, memory verse, craft, games- and the alternate group will lead groups of kids to the different stations. I am working on crafts with the younger kids, so it's time to put on my creativity hat! On the Friday we'll just be hanging out with a couple of orphanages and loving on kids. It should be a good time!
We got our Orphan Outreach T-shirts and luggage tags as well as a list of supplies we'll need to gather to bring to the Orphanages. Things are really coming together!
On Tuesday, June 29, we had another "informal" meeting with about 10 of us in Plainwell to just chat, continue to get to know each other and see where we were with planning/fund-raising. Some of the same people from last time came, and some "new" people, so it was nice getting to see all of them.
The final deadline was July 1 and I didn't have all the money I needed, but they are being extremely flexible with this deadline since it's just land costs (we don't need to pay for food, etc, upfront so they can relax on deadlines!). I am hoping to have the remaining donations in by next week, then I will see what I still need. I trust that it will all come through and I have been so blessed with the donations that came- THANK YOU to EVERYONE who donated!! ♥♥♥
The photo shoots that Evergreen Photography Studios did for me provided more than expected- $430!! This was in part due to kind customers who paid extra so that it would go towards my trip but mostly due to the wonderful work by my sister-in-law, Michelle- Thanks Michelle!! :)
I'm going camping for the weekend (shock and awe I'm sure for those of you know know me well, haha!) for our annual family vacation . It will be nice to get away and spend time with family up in Petosky.
Thanks again, I'll keep you posted on things.
Grace & Peace
♥Janessa
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Fund-Raising Photo Shoots
Over the past couple of weeks Evergreen Photography Studios has been running a special where all proceeds go towards my fund-raising efforts for my mission trip to Russia! Based right here in West Michigan, Evergreen Photography Studios is owned and operated by my wonderful sister-in-law, Michelle Curnow!
A big THANK YOU goes out to Michelle and all of the clients who participated in this special. So far we have had 5 photo shoots and 2 more scheduled on Monday. There is still some time to schedule your photo shoot with Evergreen Photography Studios and take advantage of the "Janessa Is Going To Russia" promotion. My deadline is July 1, 2010, so schedule your booking now by clicking HERE to go to the Evergreen Photography Studios website! If you can't schedule a shoot during the promotion, still check it out- they do all kinds of events and packages and are very reasonably priced!
Here is a picture from one of the photo shoots- two of my good friends, Amanda and Nicole, have daughters who were born one day apart! BFFs Annika and Charlee got their picture taken with "Nessa" during their shoot. It was towards the end and they wanted to go play, but they still look ADORABLE!!
Fund-raising efforts are still going on, so please consider donating in anyway you can. I need an additional $1,100 by July 1st!! Click HERE for more details!
♥♥ Janessa
A big THANK YOU goes out to Michelle and all of the clients who participated in this special. So far we have had 5 photo shoots and 2 more scheduled on Monday. There is still some time to schedule your photo shoot with Evergreen Photography Studios and take advantage of the "Janessa Is Going To Russia" promotion. My deadline is July 1, 2010, so schedule your booking now by clicking HERE to go to the Evergreen Photography Studios website! If you can't schedule a shoot during the promotion, still check it out- they do all kinds of events and packages and are very reasonably priced!
Here is a picture from one of the photo shoots- two of my good friends, Amanda and Nicole, have daughters who were born one day apart! BFFs Annika and Charlee got their picture taken with "Nessa" during their shoot. It was towards the end and they wanted to go play, but they still look ADORABLE!!
Fund-raising efforts are still going on, so please consider donating in anyway you can. I need an additional $1,100 by July 1st!! Click HERE for more details!
♥♥ Janessa
Friday, June 11, 2010
Unofficial Russia Team Meeting= Awesome
This past Thursday, me and a few of the women I am going to Russia with met for an informal Russia Team Meeting. We had an official meeting scheduled that day and the date changed, but we still wanted to meet up and get to know each other better. BEST. IDEA. EVER.
I had such a great time getting to know those women better. The women who showed up were: Autumn, Lindsey, Nicole, Jessica, Kristen, Lori, Jen, Allison, Emily (Em) and of course, me! There were about 15 people who couldn't make it- sad- but we had a good time. We talked about how we heard about this trip and what made us sign up for it. We heard pieces of each others testimonies and we prayed for each other and the trip.
We have an official team meeting in Grand Rapids on Monday, June 21 and another "unofficial" team meeting in Plainwell on Tuesday, June 29. A big THANK YOU to Lindsey who has been so great in planning our informal meetings and to Autumn who provides a place for us to meet!
Talking with the girls on Thursday definitely started getting me pumped for the big trip. I was excited to go, but distracted by other things in my life that I didn't give it much thought other than how much I still needed to fund-raise. Thursday really made me realize that this is coming up soon and we are going to have such a great time!
Speaking of fund-raising... I do still need between $1,500- $1,700 for the trip, so please consider donating if you have not already! Please visit my past post for details on donations or contact me at janessac917@yahoo.com if you have additional questions.
♥♥ Janessa
I had such a great time getting to know those women better. The women who showed up were: Autumn, Lindsey, Nicole, Jessica, Kristen, Lori, Jen, Allison, Emily (Em) and of course, me! There were about 15 people who couldn't make it- sad- but we had a good time. We talked about how we heard about this trip and what made us sign up for it. We heard pieces of each others testimonies and we prayed for each other and the trip.
We have an official team meeting in Grand Rapids on Monday, June 21 and another "unofficial" team meeting in Plainwell on Tuesday, June 29. A big THANK YOU to Lindsey who has been so great in planning our informal meetings and to Autumn who provides a place for us to meet!
Talking with the girls on Thursday definitely started getting me pumped for the big trip. I was excited to go, but distracted by other things in my life that I didn't give it much thought other than how much I still needed to fund-raise. Thursday really made me realize that this is coming up soon and we are going to have such a great time!
Speaking of fund-raising... I do still need between $1,500- $1,700 for the trip, so please consider donating if you have not already! Please visit my past post for details on donations or contact me at janessac917@yahoo.com if you have additional questions.
♥♥ Janessa
Friday, June 4, 2010
Halfway There!
In this post I first wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far towards my mission trip to Russia. As you may know, June 1st was the first deadline and we had to have $1600 in our trip accounts to pay for airfare. This coming week they will make all the finishing touches on the tickets and then we will find out the final cost of that portion. When I find that out, I'll know officially how much I have left to raise to get me to Russia! Right now I am estimating anywhere between $1,500 and $1,700 to go!
As we get closer to the final deadline for fund-raising (all money due by July 1, 2010!!!) I do start to get anxious, but I trust that God will provide. I pray that He speaks to the hearts of friends and family (and strangers??) to give what they can and help me meet the financial needs. From there I will be able to focus on gathering supplies that we'll be taking to the orphans and also working with my team to create a program for the time we spend with the orphans.
Once again, if you are in the West Michigan area and would like to get your photos taken by Evergreen Photography, contact Michelle at michelle@evergreenphotographystudios.com and schedule a photo shoot. If you mention my trip, all proceeds will go towards my trip! Book before July 1!!
On June 10 a few of us are going to have an informal meeting to just hang out and get to know each other better. I hope I can make it and that work will not interfere. Then on June 21 we have our next "official" team meeting where we will meet Paula from Orphan Outreach in person. Paula will be going on the trip with us, but since she works at Orphan Outreach in Texas, she was unable to make our first meeting. We'll also be turning in our Visa applications on the 21st!
Please continue to pray for me and my team. Please pray that we all receive the monetary donations we need to go on the trip, that we bond as a team and that we keep our minds and hearts open to the experiences we'll face in preparation for and during the trip.
Grace & Peace
♥ Janessa
As we get closer to the final deadline for fund-raising (all money due by July 1, 2010!!!) I do start to get anxious, but I trust that God will provide. I pray that He speaks to the hearts of friends and family (and strangers??) to give what they can and help me meet the financial needs. From there I will be able to focus on gathering supplies that we'll be taking to the orphans and also working with my team to create a program for the time we spend with the orphans.
Once again, if you are in the West Michigan area and would like to get your photos taken by Evergreen Photography, contact Michelle at michelle@evergreenphotographystudios.com and schedule a photo shoot. If you mention my trip, all proceeds will go towards my trip! Book before July 1!!
On June 10 a few of us are going to have an informal meeting to just hang out and get to know each other better. I hope I can make it and that work will not interfere. Then on June 21 we have our next "official" team meeting where we will meet Paula from Orphan Outreach in person. Paula will be going on the trip with us, but since she works at Orphan Outreach in Texas, she was unable to make our first meeting. We'll also be turning in our Visa applications on the 21st!
Please continue to pray for me and my team. Please pray that we all receive the monetary donations we need to go on the trip, that we bond as a team and that we keep our minds and hearts open to the experiences we'll face in preparation for and during the trip.
Grace & Peace
♥ Janessa
Monday, May 24, 2010
First Russia Team Meeting!
Well, last Thursday was the first Team Meeting for our Russia Team! Not everyone was able to make it, but it was nice to put some names and faces together!
We started out by having pizza and introducing ourselves. I think we have a good mix of people. Both genders, a good range of ages and very different backgrounds, which is nice. I know God brought together this specific group of people because of what we can offer.
We went over some information about the trip- more details about the itinerary (which I will post once I get the new version), got our paperwork for our Visa's and filled out a sheet stating our preferences/likes, etc.
Finally, we split up into groups and prayed for each other, for the orphans, for the caretakers of the orphans and for our trip. Next time we meet we will start planning exactly what we are doing to do with the kids!
Here's something I didn't know- in Russia, orphans are looked at like 2nd or 3rd class citizens. They are not respected. Furthermore, the people who lovingly take care of said orphans are also looked down on and treated with little or no respect because they associate with the orphans!
In the USA we tend to feel pity for those in the foster care system and those without stable or living parents, but for the most part I think that the majority of society is impressed with and think highly of the foster parents or foster care system workers. I had no idea that they were all considered a different "class" of people. It breaks my heart :(
So, it will be nice to love on the kids and also love and show how much we respect the workers!
I will update you all after our next meeting. In the meantime- THANK YOU to everyone who helped me get the funds for the airfare! I still need about $1800 before I have everything covered and then I will start working on getting the supplies we need to bring with us! I have a long way to go, so prayer and financial support is VERY much appreciated!
♥ Janessa
We started out by having pizza and introducing ourselves. I think we have a good mix of people. Both genders, a good range of ages and very different backgrounds, which is nice. I know God brought together this specific group of people because of what we can offer.
We went over some information about the trip- more details about the itinerary (which I will post once I get the new version), got our paperwork for our Visa's and filled out a sheet stating our preferences/likes, etc.
Finally, we split up into groups and prayed for each other, for the orphans, for the caretakers of the orphans and for our trip. Next time we meet we will start planning exactly what we are doing to do with the kids!
Here's something I didn't know- in Russia, orphans are looked at like 2nd or 3rd class citizens. They are not respected. Furthermore, the people who lovingly take care of said orphans are also looked down on and treated with little or no respect because they associate with the orphans!
In the USA we tend to feel pity for those in the foster care system and those without stable or living parents, but for the most part I think that the majority of society is impressed with and think highly of the foster parents or foster care system workers. I had no idea that they were all considered a different "class" of people. It breaks my heart :(
So, it will be nice to love on the kids and also love and show how much we respect the workers!
I will update you all after our next meeting. In the meantime- THANK YOU to everyone who helped me get the funds for the airfare! I still need about $1800 before I have everything covered and then I will start working on getting the supplies we need to bring with us! I have a long way to go, so prayer and financial support is VERY much appreciated!
♥ Janessa
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
PictuRes for Russia
Ok, so I couldn't do a double R this week, but I tried. haha.
Anyway, if you are in the West Michigan area, check out this wonderful promotion that Evergreen Photography Studios is doing to support my trip to Russia!
Contact Michelle Curnow (yes, my sister-in-law and VERY talented photographer) to schedule your session! If you can't make it on either of these Saturdays, call for an appointment and don't forget to mention me & my trip! ALL proceeds go towards funding my trip and I still have quite a ways to go!
It's a win-win-win- you get FANTASTIC photos, Evergreen Photography Studios gets your business and I get money to go towards my trip to Russia! Can't pass up this great deal!
Also, don't forget to check out my previous blogs, like this one, this one or even this one for more details!
♥ Janessa
Anyway, if you are in the West Michigan area, check out this wonderful promotion that Evergreen Photography Studios is doing to support my trip to Russia!
Contact Michelle Curnow (yes, my sister-in-law and VERY talented photographer) to schedule your session! If you can't make it on either of these Saturdays, call for an appointment and don't forget to mention me & my trip! ALL proceeds go towards funding my trip and I still have quite a ways to go!
It's a win-win-win- you get FANTASTIC photos, Evergreen Photography Studios gets your business and I get money to go towards my trip to Russia! Can't pass up this great deal!
Also, don't forget to check out my previous blogs, like this one, this one or even this one for more details!
♥ Janessa
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Renovations in Russia
Do you like how I have this "double R" thing going for my post titles? I do. Makes me feel witty... just me? Ok. haha.
Anyway, there is a point to this title. Our itinerary has changed a bit from what was originally planned, but I am confident that this is what God has had planned from the beginning!
Our original plan was to spend the majority of our time in one orphanage- Crisis Center #15. However, the government has mandated some renovations/construction in the months of July & August, so Crisis Center #15 will be closed for that time. The children of #15 will be dispersed to other orphanages while the renovations take place. Though the we & the staff are sad we will not be able to spend our time there, this is exciting news since these renovations- fixing a leak in the basement and repairing roads/driveways to the hospital- are much needed.
Here is an excerpt from the email we received from Orphan Out reach that discusses our new plans:
Having assurance that God is in control of these events and our trip and has a purpose in it all --- our plans are now to spend our time with the children from orphanages #2, #14 and #40 at their summer camp locations just outside the city of St. Petersburg. Each summer, the children from orphanages in St. Pete have the opportunity to leave the crowded city and spend some time in the country. This is a special time for them where they can run and play in the wooded areas near the Gulf of Finland. The camps are made up of very old buildings and houses and the grounds are not manicured but the children enjoy the time in the fresh air away from the city. I can assure you that the time we spend with them will be the highlight of their summer.
We will still be doing a Vacation Bible School type program and we hope to share the love of Jesus Christ with the orphans of these 3 locations.
As far as fund-raising goes... I have been getting quite a few pop bottle donations (THANK YOU!) and I have now started to receive a few donations in the mail (THANK YOU!!). I still have quite a ways to go to even get to the 1/2 that is due by June 1st, but I am putting my faith in God that he will speak to peoples hearts and donations will be made.
In addition to that (no, I'm not just sitting around, waiting for checks in the mail!) I am still collecting pop bottles, I will be selling some items (contact me at janessac917@yahoo.com if you'd like to know details before I post them on Craigslist!) and I will also be offering these services:
* Babysitting
* Tutoring
* Budget-planning
Contact me if you would like to take me up on the offer of these services. I do work full time, so we'd have to work around that, but all payments for these services will go to my Russia trip!
I'm sure I'll do other things to fund-raise as well (if you want/need family photos this summer & you're in West Michigan, hold off. I will have an awesome opportunity soon... details to come later!), but I haven't got all the details sorted out. If you want more details of supporting me financially click HERE.
Thanks for your support both financially & in prayer!
Grace & Peace
♥ Janessa
Anyway, there is a point to this title. Our itinerary has changed a bit from what was originally planned, but I am confident that this is what God has had planned from the beginning!
Our original plan was to spend the majority of our time in one orphanage- Crisis Center #15. However, the government has mandated some renovations/construction in the months of July & August, so Crisis Center #15 will be closed for that time. The children of #15 will be dispersed to other orphanages while the renovations take place. Though the we & the staff are sad we will not be able to spend our time there, this is exciting news since these renovations- fixing a leak in the basement and repairing roads/driveways to the hospital- are much needed.
Here is an excerpt from the email we received from Orphan Out reach that discusses our new plans:
Having assurance that God is in control of these events and our trip and has a purpose in it all --- our plans are now to spend our time with the children from orphanages #2, #14 and #40 at their summer camp locations just outside the city of St. Petersburg. Each summer, the children from orphanages in St. Pete have the opportunity to leave the crowded city and spend some time in the country. This is a special time for them where they can run and play in the wooded areas near the Gulf of Finland. The camps are made up of very old buildings and houses and the grounds are not manicured but the children enjoy the time in the fresh air away from the city. I can assure you that the time we spend with them will be the highlight of their summer.
We will still be doing a Vacation Bible School type program and we hope to share the love of Jesus Christ with the orphans of these 3 locations.
As far as fund-raising goes... I have been getting quite a few pop bottle donations (THANK YOU!) and I have now started to receive a few donations in the mail (THANK YOU!!). I still have quite a ways to go to even get to the 1/2 that is due by June 1st, but I am putting my faith in God that he will speak to peoples hearts and donations will be made.
In addition to that (no, I'm not just sitting around, waiting for checks in the mail!) I am still collecting pop bottles, I will be selling some items (contact me at janessac917@yahoo.com if you'd like to know details before I post them on Craigslist!) and I will also be offering these services:
* Babysitting
* Tutoring
* Budget-planning
Contact me if you would like to take me up on the offer of these services. I do work full time, so we'd have to work around that, but all payments for these services will go to my Russia trip!
I'm sure I'll do other things to fund-raise as well (if you want/need family photos this summer & you're in West Michigan, hold off. I will have an awesome opportunity soon... details to come later!), but I haven't got all the details sorted out. If you want more details of supporting me financially click HERE.
Thanks for your support both financially & in prayer!
Grace & Peace
♥ Janessa
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Rubles for Russia!
At long last, my friends, here is the information you've been waiting for!
If you are interested in helping to support me financially in my mission trip to Russia, please continue reading! Also, here is the link to the post where I listed the itinerary: http://mission-love.blogspot.com/2010/04/mission-trip-to-russia.html
Please pray & consider supporting me financially in this mission trip. Know that your monetary gifts will allow me to share the love of Jesus Christ with orphans in need.
The total amount I need to raise to fund my trip to Russia is $3,500.00. This includes: airfare, food, bottled water, lodging, interpreters, transportation, sightseeing, cultural events, etc. I need the first 1/2 by June 1, 2010 and the second 1/2 by July 1, 2010.
All Gifts Matter!
One Day Sponsor= $350.00
1/2 Day Sponsor= $175.00
1/4 Day Sponsor= $87.50
All gifts make a difference, no matter how big or small. Money is tight and the economy is rough. If you are unable to sponsor a full, 1/2 or 1/4 day, your support is important to me! Please consider donating what you can!
Easy to Give!
There are 3 ways to donate to this cause!
ATTN: MISSIONS
2001 West Plano Parkway Suite 3700
Plano, TX 75075 USA
* If you would like a tax-deductible form sent at the end of the year, please include a sheet including your name, address, phone # & email address. Also, if you prefer sending your checks to me directly, still make it out to Orphan Outreach & you can email me (janessac917@yahoo.com) a request for my address.
- Make sure to put my name- Janessa Curnow as the Trip Participant and Trip Code RU10-08WFM!
It's Tax-Deductible!
Gifts to Orphan Outreach, with an expression of preference for my trip expenses, are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. If I am unable to participate in the trip, your gifts will be used to support the short-term mission program of Orphan Outreach!
Thank you in advance for your financial donations. And don't forget to PRAY! Christ's love to you!
Grace & Peace,
Janessa ♥
If you are interested in helping to support me financially in my mission trip to Russia, please continue reading! Also, here is the link to the post where I listed the itinerary: http://mission-love.blogspot.com/2010/04/mission-trip-to-russia.html
Please pray & consider supporting me financially in this mission trip. Know that your monetary gifts will allow me to share the love of Jesus Christ with orphans in need.
The total amount I need to raise to fund my trip to Russia is $3,500.00. This includes: airfare, food, bottled water, lodging, interpreters, transportation, sightseeing, cultural events, etc. I need the first 1/2 by June 1, 2010 and the second 1/2 by July 1, 2010.
All Gifts Matter!
One Day Sponsor= $350.00
1/2 Day Sponsor= $175.00
1/4 Day Sponsor= $87.50
All gifts make a difference, no matter how big or small. Money is tight and the economy is rough. If you are unable to sponsor a full, 1/2 or 1/4 day, your support is important to me! Please consider donating what you can!
Easy to Give!
There are 3 ways to donate to this cause!
- Mail a check: made payable to Orphan Outreach & including my name (Janessa Curnow) & trip code (RU10-08WFM) on the memo line to:
ATTN: MISSIONS
2001 West Plano Parkway Suite 3700
Plano, TX 75075 USA
* If you would like a tax-deductible form sent at the end of the year, please include a sheet including your name, address, phone # & email address. Also, if you prefer sending your checks to me directly, still make it out to Orphan Outreach & you can email me (janessac917@yahoo.com) a request for my address.
- Mail Cash- to mail cash to me, please email me (janessac917@yahoo.com) and ask for my address.
- Credit Card or EFT (electronic funds transfer) Payments can be made at www.orphanoutreach.org!
- Make sure to put my name- Janessa Curnow as the Trip Participant and Trip Code RU10-08WFM!
It's Tax-Deductible!
Gifts to Orphan Outreach, with an expression of preference for my trip expenses, are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. If I am unable to participate in the trip, your gifts will be used to support the short-term mission program of Orphan Outreach!
Thank you in advance for your financial donations. And don't forget to PRAY! Christ's love to you!
Grace & Peace,
Janessa ♥
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Recycling for Russia!
Hey everyone!
Fundraising has begun for my trip as I finally got the "official" confirmation that I am going to Russia! There will be more information on my fundraising efforts posted soon (hopefully this weekend) but here is one thing you can do to help...
If you live in Grand Rapids or Holland, MI (or near by), I would love bottle donations. Anything that is empty & recyclable in the state of Michigan would be great! If you can bring them to me or meet me, great, but I am willing to come to you to pick them up as well (depending on where you are and how many you have!).
So far I have had a few people tell me they'd save me their bottles and some have dropped them off at my desk at work! You can commit to one donation or all bottles throughout the summer!
Every little bit counts... $.10 is $.10!!
And remember... keep a look out on this blog for more ways to help! :)
♥
Fundraising has begun for my trip as I finally got the "official" confirmation that I am going to Russia! There will be more information on my fundraising efforts posted soon (hopefully this weekend) but here is one thing you can do to help...
If you live in Grand Rapids or Holland, MI (or near by), I would love bottle donations. Anything that is empty & recyclable in the state of Michigan would be great! If you can bring them to me or meet me, great, but I am willing to come to you to pick them up as well (depending on where you are and how many you have!).
So far I have had a few people tell me they'd save me their bottles and some have dropped them off at my desk at work! You can commit to one donation or all bottles throughout the summer!
Every little bit counts... $.10 is $.10!!
And remember... keep a look out on this blog for more ways to help! :)
♥
Friday, April 2, 2010
Mission Trip to Russia!
Hello Friends & Family!
Thank you for visiting this blog!
I have set up this blog specifically to bring you along on my journey as I prepare and travel to Russia!
Here are some more details:
I will be traveling August 13-22, 2010. Leaving Grand Rapids and flying to St. Petersburg, Russia! I will be working with a group of 30 and partnering with Orphan Outreach, Mission Network News and WAY FM! We will be ministering to orphans in Russia who may not know that they are loved, let alone loved by our Amazing Savior, Jesus Christ!
Here is my Itinerary:
Friday, August 13- Depart Grand Rapids for St. Petersburg, Russia (via Chicago and Duesseldorf).
Sat, August 14- 3:45pm – Arrive St Petersburg, Russia Check in to hotel, team meeting and dinner.
Sun, August 15- AM- Team devotion and worship PM- Visit Hermitage and Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center.
Mon, August 16- Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center PM- Visit Baby Home orphanage.
Tues, August 17- Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center.
Wed, August 18- Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center.
Thurs, August 19-Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center.
Fri, August 20- Travel to Luga (Leningrad) for ministry in orphanage and Luga hospital.
Sat, August 21- Sightseeing.
Sunday, August 22 — AM- Early departure for the US 7:55 PM- Arrive Grand Rapids
The most important thing my team and I need is PRAYER!!! Please pray for the work we will be doing, the people we will be meeting and prayer that we bond as a group! God has a great plan for us and we pray that we will live out Christ's plan of love in Russia!
There will be more information coming about financial support, so please start to prayerfully consider supporting me financially! Right now I'm working on getting all my paperwork/deposit into Orphan Outreach so they can set up my donation account!
I will update on this blog to let you know how I am coming with fund-raising. I will also keep you updated as I meet my team and prepare for the trip. Photos and stories will be posted after the trip is completed!
Thanks for supporting me with your prayers (and possibly financially!!).
Grace & Peace!
Janessa ♥
Thank you for visiting this blog!
I have set up this blog specifically to bring you along on my journey as I prepare and travel to Russia!
Here are some more details:
I will be traveling August 13-22, 2010. Leaving Grand Rapids and flying to St. Petersburg, Russia! I will be working with a group of 30 and partnering with Orphan Outreach, Mission Network News and WAY FM! We will be ministering to orphans in Russia who may not know that they are loved, let alone loved by our Amazing Savior, Jesus Christ!
Here is my Itinerary:
Friday, August 13- Depart Grand Rapids for St. Petersburg, Russia (via Chicago and Duesseldorf).
Sat, August 14- 3:45pm – Arrive St Petersburg, Russia Check in to hotel, team meeting and dinner.
Sun, August 15- AM- Team devotion and worship PM- Visit Hermitage and Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center.
Mon, August 16- Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center PM- Visit Baby Home orphanage.
Tues, August 17- Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center.
Wed, August 18- Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center.
Thurs, August 19-Evangelism Ministry to orphans at the Crisis Center.
Fri, August 20- Travel to Luga (Leningrad) for ministry in orphanage and Luga hospital.
Sat, August 21- Sightseeing.
Sunday, August 22 — AM- Early departure for the US 7:55 PM- Arrive Grand Rapids
The most important thing my team and I need is PRAYER!!! Please pray for the work we will be doing, the people we will be meeting and prayer that we bond as a group! God has a great plan for us and we pray that we will live out Christ's plan of love in Russia!
There will be more information coming about financial support, so please start to prayerfully consider supporting me financially! Right now I'm working on getting all my paperwork/deposit into Orphan Outreach so they can set up my donation account!
I will update on this blog to let you know how I am coming with fund-raising. I will also keep you updated as I meet my team and prepare for the trip. Photos and stories will be posted after the trip is completed!
Thanks for supporting me with your prayers (and possibly financially!!).
Grace & Peace!
Janessa ♥
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)