Newsletter - Russia 2008

May 1st, 2008 To Russia With AGAPE(Love)

Dearest Friends,

Thursday, May 1st, I am leaving for Russia. I will meet Sam and Silvanna Shaw in Frankfurt and then we will travel to Kazan, 500 miles east of Moscow. It is the capital of old Tartarstan, a Muslim area. Three Ukrainian friends are traveling 3 days on a Russian train to join us, do puppets, and help with translation. Please pray for all of us as we travel!

As always, I am concerned about the luggage arriving with us and without damage. Please pray that we will have no difficulties in customs.

Begin to pray for the children and ask the Father to call many to Himself! Ever since I was a very little girl, I have prayed for the people of Russia. To me, this trip is a privilege that I never imagined that I would have! I am really excited!

Please stay on your knees!

In Jesus,

Linda for the team

Kazan, Russia May 4th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

RUSSIA OR TATARSTAN

We are in Russia! However, no one here will tell you that you are in Russia. They are very proud of their regional history and are quick to tell you that we are in Tatarstan. This is a Muslim state with very few Christians. If you are Protestant, you are often looked at with questioning eyes. Most people think you are members of a cult.

We are staying in an apartment owned by a Bible College. I can look out the window at an endless sea of 12 story buildings. Most look identical, with little external or internal differences. They are all in various stages of decay. The apartment buildings are the same across the old Soviet Union. We have worked in numerous countries that were part of the Old Union and everywhere, it is the same. You get the feeling that decades ago someone paid an architect to design the first one and they simply kept building it again and again.

There are 1 and a half million people in this city, Kazan.

WORSHIP

Sunday morning was not what we had planned or what we had expected. We were scheduled in 2 churches, but they cancelled because most people in their congregations had to be at school or work. They told us that such a situation happens once or twice a year at special holidays. A third Pastor invited us to come and worship with him.

It was so amazing to be sitting in a Muslim country and worshipping with brothers and sisters. They sang "Shine, Jesus shine". Our prayer is that He would flood this place with His light. Please pray for wisdom as we must be careful not to attract the wrong kind of attention, but still share Jesus with the children.

TWO STREET SHOWS

We never expected to have such a sweet privilege. Our very first day, we did two shows outside on the courtyard that sits in the center of multiple apartment buildings. Children, teenagers, and adults came. Most were Muslims, but they eagerly listened to the Gospel. We also had many conversations with children and even older adults after the show. Even more people stood at what they judged a safe distance and listened. Please pray for all those who came. God knows their names. Please ask Him to call them to faith.

So many of those listening were hearing about Jesus Christ as the only son, of the one true God. The fact that they listened was a wonderful gift from the father. We were threatened at one location, but in the end, they did not call the police. Praise God!

PRAYER REQUESTS!

Please pray for Kazan. The Tatars are a dear people. There is so little light in this city and so few believers. Please stay on your knees!

Tomorrow, we are going to a village and we have a training session planned. We are so excited!

We have a very special praise report. We passed through customs with all of our luggage without anyone opening any of the suitcases. This was a miracle! We were stopped and asked if we intended to bring all of our luggage home with us. I prayed for wisdom and the Lord give us a very funny answer I began to explain to them how I liked my suitcase's and I really hoped I could put the smaller ones inside the bigger ones. They were of course really asking me if I intended to give away all the things that I had inside so, I just kept talking to them about how much I loved my suitcases. God was very kind to us; they became so frustrated with my explanations and told us to go.

In Jesus,

Linda Summer - Director
Sam Shaw - Assistant Director
Silvana Simioni Shaw
Oksana
Masha
Oleg

Kazan, Russia May 5th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

A TATAR VILLAGE SCHOOL

We are having the most encredible opportunities. Today come we drove about 80 kilometers to reach a village school. For quite a dustanse we followed behind the manure truck. The man who was driving for us said that he had grown up in a farm so he did not mind the smel. He said it made him think of home. The rest of us were praying to pass the truck.

The director and his wife gave us a very warm welcome. They knew that we were christians and we had been very honest in telling them that we would talk about Jesus Christ, God touched their hearts. Even thought they were Muslims, they were happy to have us come to the school, they prepared tea and lunch for us, they even gave us a Tatar hat to use in our program. These children were hearing about the good news of the Gospel for the first time. This place was very far from a major city and required traveling some poor roads. Please pray for these children to think about the story they heard today. We told them how they could invite Jesus to be their Savior. Please ask God to call these children to faith tonight.

FOOD

Schuk Schuck is a favourite Tatar food. It reminds me of rice crispy squares that i ate as a little girl only better. It is noodles that are stuck together with lots of honey and is a special treat.

The first day that we were here, some little boys told me to be sure and eat Ish bish muck. It is a pastry stuffed with meat, onions and potatoes. The boys said it was delicious and they told the truth!

TRAINING THE NEW PUPPET TEAM

Tonight was our first opportunity to meet with our Tatar friends that will become the new puppet team in Kazan. They were very enthusiastic and were willing to try everything. We will meet again next Monday. Please pray for these friends and ask God to give them a great desire to do this work. One young man, came up to me after the teaching and was really wanting to learn more about storytelling. However he will be out of town next week and unable to attend the class. He was so desperate to learn that we agreed to give him a special class over the weekend. I am very excited about how interested everyone is in learning these skills.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Tomorrow we are leaving for another city and will make stops along the way doing puppet shows. Our driver for this part of the trip is the director of childrens ministries for summer camps. This will be a great opportunity to work with him and also learn from him. Please pray for us as we are traveling. This is a Muslim country and we have already been told that if we were staying here for a long period of time that we could not do what we are doing. We are attracting allot of attention and we need you to pray that we would be able to finish our work without any outside interference.

Love in Jesus,

Linda for

Sam Shaw - Assistant Director
Silvana Shaw
Oksana
Masha
Oleg

Kazan, Russia May 6th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

We are so blessed! Who has the sweet privilege of sharing Jesus Christ in a Muslim nation. Because you pray and by God's grace, this is our testimony. Let me share with you some blessings.

1.  We were in a Tatar village and God provided someone who could translate from English into Tatar. Then the children could understand the stories about Jesus.

2.  Sam, Silvana and I are so blessed by one of our Ukrainian puppet teams that is working with us. Masha, Oleg, and Oksana spent the night in the Kiev train station and then traveled 2 days by train to reach us. They saved the money for this trip and paid for their own mission trip. This effort represents great personal sacrifice. So we are a team from 4 different nations. We laugh allot and often confuse each other, but we are having so much fun!

3.  After one show, i spoke with 4 widows. They had sat and stood for an hour, listening to the puppet show! We made all of the children balloons and we made each of the ladies a special flower balloon. They were very pleased and happy to listen to me talk with them while they waited for their balloons.

I told them about the great love story that the Father gave Mike and I. The love a Christian man can show his wife is very different from their own experiences. It was precious to share with them about Jesus. One lady was very touched by what she heard. My hands were very dirty from drawing pictures. She grabbed my dirty hands and began to kiss them, telling me how grateful she was for the stories she had heard.

4.  One little girl had made a sign that she held up during different parts of the puppet show. It was written in beautiful English and beautifully decorated. It said, "Very Good". Her sign made all of us smile!

5.  Earlier today, we set up our equipment in a large culture hall. These places were built to teach people about Communism, that there is no God. Today, that auditorium was filled with public school children who heard about the one true God. It was a very special show. All of us could feel a great out pouring of Gods spirit on the children. Many of the teachers came to us and thanked us. They were excited! Praise God!

PRAYER REQUESTS

We have traveled deeper into Tatarstan and need your constant prayers for protection and wisdom.

Thank you!

In Jesus,

Linda for

Samuel Shaw - Assitant Director
Silvana Simioni Shaw
Oksana
Masha
Oleg

Tartarstan, Russia May 9th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

WOW!

Yesterday morning, I asked the Lord to do something that was beyond my imagination. Let me tell you how He answered. Our friends here had been before to a place we visited. They were not permitted to see but a few of children, only the ones who did not speak Russian. More, it was the children nap time and they were told that they could only speak to those who were awake. Everyone was asleep. Clearly, they were not wanted.

However, yesterday God gave us all of the children, their teachers, and their mothers! We were very careful with the sound effects we used because many children were mentally handicapped and loud sound frightened them. They loved the program and everyone laughed even better they listened. We told them about Jesus Christ and how they could know Him. When we finished, the teachers presented us with an official thank you letter! It was addressed to The Agape Puppet Charity. Becoming a non profit (a charity) has been a very wise decision, especially for this place. I am constantly asked if I am from a church. Remember that all this of people are Muslim, either nominal (by tradition) or observant (practice). Protestants are seeing as a cult that is to be feared, ignored, or ____________. It was such a wonder that all of this people were so happy hearing about Jesus death on the cross and how He rose from the dead so that we could be forgiven. It was also very good that we could t! tell them that we are from an American non profit (a charity).

Many of the adults were touched by the Bible stories and testimonies that they heard. One lady said in broke English, "so sweet. I wanted to cry." The gospel is so sweet! Wow! God gave us a great answer to my prayer.

Each day is more amazing than the day before. We went to a special school for handicapped children. Some had minor learning disabilities, others had a cerebral palsy, some were in wheelchairs and many struggle to walk. Sam and I have been in so many of these places across the old Soviet Union, but we have never seen one like this orphanage. It smelled nice, no one seemed to be afraid, the teachers and workers really cared about children, and all of the children had good, clean clothes. All were nominal Muslims.

Always we see God's hands in ours steps. As many of you know, my right leg bothers me when I walk, a lot and it was bothering me. While the rest of the team toured the building, I sat in the auditorium and waited. Children began to come for the program and we talked. I used every Russian word that I had; they used all of their English words. I drew pictures for them, took their pictures and let them see themselves. We laughed together and became friends.

The teachers watched me and seemed to appreciate my effort even if my Russian is not so good. So, by the time program started, everyone was ready to listen. God poured His spirit on the show. Afterwards, the children thanked us by singing. They sang a song that broke my heart. They sang a song about the beauty of a mother's love and they live in an orphanage. Most have parents and are able to go home on the weekend.

The teachers and the director stayed after the program. They were amazed at all of our testimonies. They kept looking for a way to dismiss the truth about Jesus that we were sharing. By God's grace He gave us the answers that they craved. All of them had tears in their eyes. Pray for these Muslims ladies to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Pray for our last day in Chelny.

In Jesus,

Linda for

Sam Shaw - Assistant Director
Silvana Simioni Shaw
Oksana
Masha
Oleg

Tartarstan, Russia May 10th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

TWO PUPPET TEAMS

None of us can believe the Father's blessing to us! We brought 1 set of equipment to equip a team here in Kazan. God opened a door for us to meet with friends in Chelny who already had a stage, sound system and a few puppets. They were already focused on sharing with children.

We met with them 2 nights to give them training and they were so excited at what they were learning that they begged us for a third night of training. Several of the ladies have committed to me that they are going to tell Bible stories they way we do to the children.

They desperately need story telling supplies, balloons, and some more puppets. These friends are willing to stand in the darkest places to reach Muslim children with the hope that only Jesus brings. Some American friends are coming to visit them in June and can deliver this equipment.

If you are interested in equipping this second team with the few things that they need so that we will have a second puppet team in a Muslim nation, please respond to this email.

DIMA AND ALBINIA'S STORY

Dima is a very sweet young man whose Tatar family served us dinner one night. More, even though he is not a believer, he used his own vehicle to take us to shows. All of us were so excited when Dima actually came inside the orphanage to watch the program.

More, Dima's fiancee Albina came with him. She has the most beautiful baby girl and he wants to marry her and be a father to her daughter. She has known so much hurt in her life. Her eyes tell you more than she speaks. A man broke a bottle, attacked her and her friend, and left her with terrible scars across her chest and arm. Still, she has a quick smile.

Dima searches for his answers to life's questions in the study of numbers, numerology. He is hungry to find the truth that he does not realize is Jesus offers. I had some incredible conversations with him thanks to Oksana's translation. He paid us the greatest compliment that someone who is not a Christian can offer. After spending a lot of time with us he said, "If church were full of people like these people, I would want to go to church." Praise God!

LYDIA'S THANK YOU AND VICTORY DAY

A beautiful dark haired little girl came to a puppet show. She wanted to thank me after the program. She took of her necklace; two hearts cared as one on a string of hematite beads and gave it to me. A child's thank you is so precious I was brought to tears by her generosity.

In truth, we all received so many thank you's from the children. They lined up to hug me, she my hand, or just say thank you. Monday was Victory Day in Russia, a day set aside to celebrate the end of World War 2. Many children, their parents, and visitors came to the show that day. There were Muslims and Russian Orthodox friends present. We kept adding more chairs. This show was at a church, so we had complete freedom to share and could pray with the children. I heard some praying in soft whispers. Praise God!

JUST FOR FUN

1.  One of my favorite flowers is snapdragon. Here, they are called lions maws.

2.  The Tatar hat is round with beautiful stitching and bead work. We saw a 10 plus story building here topped with one.

3.  I was asked by several young people from the church that we worked with why I copied Mary Pippins dress style. I smiled and said that she was copying me! They all suggested that I buy an umbrella and a hat.

4.  Shopping in a grocery store when you cant read a single word of Russian is a great adventure.

5.  Riding on buses gives you a chance to see a lot of people. Almost everyone sits, stares and looks so terribly unhappy. I have been praying for a lot of people who appear so broken, so without any hope or joy.

6.  When you know a little bit of Russian, you can really get yourself in trouble. Our driver tapped himself on the chest and said, "Remeshok." I thought that he was telling me his name, but it was not. I replied, "Priviet Remeshok." I actually said, "Hello seatbelt." He just wanted me to buckle up. My friends are still laughing at my mistake!

HOSPITALITY

When I travel, I usually stay with families. We all enjoy getting to know people better over meals that we share. In Kazan, we are sharing a students apartment. He is a Tatar, loves Jesus, and has been so kind to us. Please ask the Father to bless him in return for his kindness.

In Chelny, three of us stayed with one of the sweetest ladies that I have ever met. She was a great grandmother, 67 years old, and slept on the floor so that I could have a bed. Though I begged that she would let me sleep there, she refused. I asked myself a question, when have I ever tried so hard to put others needs before my own?

Her home is very small, a 3 room apartment. Outside her door, the hallway is like all apartments here. It is so dirty and it smells, but as soon as you open her door, you are in a clean, bright place, full of love. If you want cold water anywhere in the house, you must go to the back of the toilet and turn it on. Then, it pours into the sink non-stop. Her life is difficult as I look at it, but she has the kindest spirit and often has people stay with her. She uses all that she has to be a blessing!

ENGLISH CLASS

I am always looking for every opportunity to talk to someone about Jesus. While Sam was teaching 1 night, I met with an English class. None were believers. By tradition, they were Muslim and Russian Orthodox. Before I left to speak to them, we all prayed.

God answered our prayers with and outpouring of His Spirit. I shared my story of God's revealed love in my life and they responded with the best questions. Several of the students came to the Victory Day puppet show the next day where they heard even more about Jesus Christ. Some were moved to tears and some brought gifts.

Please pray for the students of this English class. God knows their names. The teacher was so excited by their questions. Please pray for her to have wisdom and loves as she tells them more about Jesus!

PRAYER REQUESTS

We have only 3 days left! Please focus your prayers on this remaining time. We want to see Jesus do big things in Tatarstan!

Photos are online at: SmugMug

In Jesus,

Linda for

Sam Shaw - Assistant Director
Silvana Shaw
Oksana Pyvovar
Masha
Oleg

Tartarstan, Russia May 12th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

MADINA'S STORY

Madina is Uzbek. She sits on the bridge every morning waiting for someone to see her. God drew my eyes to her as we walked to a breakfast meeting with out friend Misha, a Pastor. I looked at her, prayed for her, and continued to stare back at her as we walked away. Her small child was stretched across her lap. She stared into my eyes and I felt her pain. Honestly, we see many beggars as we travel, but I knew the Father was speaking to us about this lady.

After breakfast, we went to the grocery store and bought bread, cheese, fruit, sliced meat... other simple foods. Then, we sent our Ukrainian friends and Tatar friend to give her the food and tell her about Jesus. She was overwhelmed. She said, "No one every stops. No one ever took care of me like this." She promised to pray to Allah for us.

Our friend Oleg told us that "you could feel her gratitude pouring out of her." Sam, Silvana and I watched from a distance because we thought that since she spoke Russian, it would be easier for her to talk with them.

Before they took the gift, Oksana and I talked, planning how to share with her. Oksana was very wise and loving as she told her that God sees her. He knows her needs! She explained that we were Christians and that God wanted to give her more than bread. God wanted her to know that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be her Savior.

Please pray for Madina to come to faith. We are arranging for different Christian friends to visit her. I expect to see her in heaven someday! Please... let each of us remember Madina's story and ask the Father to give us His eyes. I wonder who I am walking past each day.

BLESSINGS, LEGENDS, AND FACTS

1.  At another church show, we were allowed to pray and heard the children calling on Jesus to save them.

2.  There are phone numbers written as graffiti on the walls of the apartment buildings around us. The word "sex" is beside the number. This is a common way for prostitutes to advertise. Prostitution is a big problem here, resulting in so many broken lives. Abortion is used in many parts of Russia as birth control. Only Jesus can heal all of these broken hearts. Pray for Kazan! Pray for Russia!

3.  We visited and orphanage outside the city and shared with their children. To everyone's surprise, most of the workers came and listened to the Gospel. This orphanage was like so many others that we have been in through the years. It smelled, the children were not cared for well, and many of the workers never smiled. These children's lives will change if Jesus changes the workers hearts. Please pray for this place!

4.  The Tatar homes are beautifully crafted of logs, but receive no paint. Only the windows are painted, either blue or green, and beautifully decorated.

5.  Tatar Christian's are sometimes arrested as they go door to door sharing Christ. Legally, it is permitted, but the law is not always respected. They are released after a few hours or days.

6.  Sunday morning, we did a street show in the worst area for gangs in the city. A huge crowd filled the playground and more people listened from their windows or from a safe distance. After the show, many adults thanked me for what had been done for their children. How sweet to be thanked by Muslims when you tell them about Jesus Christ and their need for Him!

7.  We played tourist one afternoon after we finished our shows. We saw the Kremlin, the seat of power for Tatarstan. In side its walls is the only Mosque in a Kremlin in Russia.

8.  In Russian, a babushka is a grandmother. After our visit to the Kremlin, we went to an amusement park. For only a few Rubles (Russian money), we rode a giant Ferris wheel that gave us and amazing view of Kazan and the Volga river. We also enjoyed a roller coaster, a giant swing ride that made me feel very green, and ice cream and popcorn. I was 30 years older than anyone else I saw at the park. Oleg laughed because people saw me and were pointing at me in shock. I had a wonderful time! It was Mother's day and I was sad to be without Josh, Teressa, Jill, Matt and all the grandchildren. However, it was very sweet to be with friends that love me and treat me like family! Oleg and Oksana even brought me a beautiful yellow and pink rose. The Father is so kind to me!

9.  There is a legend told here about a tower inside the Kremlin walls. So many, many years ago, Ivan the Terrible besieged this fortress and conquered it. He demanded that a certain Tatar Princess marry him. She agreed conditional that in 7 days, he build a 7 story tower for her, to prove his sincerity. The tower was finished and she climbed to the top. Determined not to marry Ivan, she jumped to her death. This is a very famous Tatar legend.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Only 1 day remains here for us to share with the children and finish training the Kazan team. Please ask the Father to bless these last hours with a great outpouring of His Spirit.

In Jesus,

Linda for

Sam Shaw - Assistant Director
Silvana Simioni Shaw
Oksana
Masha
Oleg

Tartarstan, Russia May 13th, 2008

Dearest Friends,

We are on our way home. We have had a fantastic time and seen God do many amazing things. Praise God!

Please hold us in your prayers as we travel home.

In Jesus,

Linda for the team