A Fresh Start

For most Russians summer is the time where they take time off, get away to their “dachas” (a cozy cottage in the woods) and take it easy. The streets of Moscow are less congested, church attendance is smaller and life lulls along at a surprisingly lazy pace. That is until August reluctantly takes a bow, exits stage left and September comes crashing in ready for action. This is when the millions of rested and tanned Muscovites come running back from the corners of the world ready to tackle another school-year.

This year we have a unique challenge. We know Moscow and the universities well. We have plenty of ideas for what to do. We have a full staff team which is ready to go. However, we have hardly any students involved. Most of our solid, stalwart leaders have graduated and are moving on to the next chapter of their lives leaving us wondering what the next chapter of God’s story in Moscow is going to look like.

It is tempting to mourn the loss of our great leaders, lick our wounds and look forlornly at the semester ahead. Yet, this is actually a great time for us. We get a fresh start. We can try new things or retry old things in a new way. God is giving us the flexibility and the experience to be creative, bold and strategic in what we are doing. Here is where we need your help.

Pray for Us

We are gathering as a team soon to discuss what we want to focus on this year and what we want to trust God for. Pray for us that we would be led by God as we do our planning. Pray that God would reveal to us where he is moving and that he would give us the ability to follow him in that. Mostly, pray that we as the staff team would love, worship and adore God as we seek the peace of the city of Moscow. There is no way anything good will come out of this year if God doesn’t do it. Pray that we would have the humility and trust to follow him as he leads.

Got an Idea?

Another way you can help is by passing along a great idea. If you’ve seen something work really well in a complicated, multi-cultural, post-modern, tech-savvy mega-city like Moscow or if you have a low-key proposition that you have no idea would work, then we want to hear about it. Either way we’re always hunting for new ideas and creative innovation to get the heart of the Gospel into the heart of the students of Moscow.

Come and Help

Right now, even as this school-year begins, we are praying for and recruiting for next year’s STINT/staff team and next summer’s project. Is there an itch in your soul that Moscow scratches? Is there a deep, echoing voice in your heart saying “why not?” or maybe it’s a lucid understanding of “this is what I want to do, I just don’t know how to do it”? If that sounds or feels familiar then we want to help you process that and consider what giving a summer or a year would look like. If you have questions or want more info contact us at themetroteam@moscowfocus.com

All through the Bible it seems like God loves to give his people a fresh start. Whether it’s forgiveness and a cleansed soul, a promised land finally inherited, or a new way of experiencing God’s Spirit, God loves to do the unexpected in a new and different way. Pray with us that we would be open to the unexpected and that we can rejoice in the fresh start he is giving us.

David Coats

Moscow Focus

August 2011

Pray With Us!

 Your prayers are the most practical and powerful way you can help us. Please pray with us for the following.

Visas

Pray for our staff team and our visas. As of August it looks like we will be able to get visas for the next 12 months. First we need to submit a lot of paperwork and then jump through a lot of hoops, but after waiting for nine months it appears that the our work permits and visas are almost ready. Pray for the last few steps to go smoothly and quickly.

Planning for the Year

Our team is gathering right now to pray, worship and, following the Lord's leading, plan out the school-year. Pray for us, that we would seek God's face, that we would be led by him as we plan and prepare for the school-year. Pray for our student leaders and the staff that will disciple them this year. Pray that God would give us the courage and the grace to follow him as he leads us this year.

Student Leaders

Pray for our student leaders at our various schools. Pray that God would raise up more student leaders that will catch the vision of reaching their classmates and that we would know how to help them. Mostly pray that students would be led by God to pray and to stand in the gap on behalf of their universities.It is such a privilege to work with these amazing students and see God use them.