But way down in my heart of hearts Way down in my soul of souls Way down I know that I am a fortunate man To have known divine love
–– "Heart of Hearts" by Mark Heard
When we look back at our (almost) seven years of serving together in Russia as a family, we can not help but be amazed at God's provision. When I arrived in St. Petersburg in March 1999 I had suitcases and a computer. Lena was living in Nina's tiny apartment in Omsk together with Sonia, making just enough money to scrape by. When we married a month later we had no home, no furniture and not much more than the clothes on our backs. (Hmm, sounds a little like our planned move to Canada!)
But we had God—–or to put it more correctly, He had us in His hands. He provided us with a home, two more wonderful girls and the opportunity to travel thousands of kilometres across the former Soviet Union to teach and serve.
To be loved by the Divine Creator of the universe and to be held in His hands is a most wondrous thing. There is no better place to be. Thank you for allowing us to serve in this way. Your prayers & support have kept us in His service. We look forward to many more years of family service, as God allows.
– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena
COMING TO CANADA
As we continue to wait for word from Immigration Canada we continue to pray for other needs related to our planned move. Please remember in your prayers the following needs: a home, a vehicle, university plans for Sonia, school for Maya, furniture & appliances, car seats for Maya & Deena and ministry wotransitionion for us.
BLESSINGS
The second session of the Camp Directors' Institute was a great success! Praise God for the dedicated group of camp directors who now return to their camps to put into practice all that they learned over these past two weeks.
After Maya's face-first fall from her high bed this evening (thankfully, she was just a bit bruised) I was reminded to thank God for His protection. For the most part our family has been spared the need to engage the local medical professionals (a multiple blessing, that).
This past week my mother, Elsie Hamm, was given a clean bill health by her doctor on the 5th anniversary of her mascectomy. So many of you prayed for her during her battle with cancer and we are thrilled to hear that she has made a full recovery. Praise God for healing and thank you for all of your prayers.PETITIONS
Preparations are well underway for the upcoming spring Staff Training Workshops. STWs are planned for Moscow, Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Minsk (Belarus), Krasnoyarsk, Tuapse, Kurgan and Norkalni (Latvia). Please remember these preparations in your prayers.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that alcohol plays a role in the deaths of nearly a third of all Russians? According to a study done by the University of London, alcohol-related deaths increased by 400% from 1988-1994. With the advent of cheaper alcohol and the popularity of home brewing the problem has only worsened in the past decade.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Kevin & Lena Hamm are missionaries with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, serving with Christian Camping International/Russia in St. Petersburg, Russia.
A printable version in Adobe Acrobat format is always available for download.
Visit www.krhamm.com/pray for links to print versions, archives and more.
For more on our ministry in Russia, please visit www.krhamm.com
You can help! Please visit www.krhamm.com/support for ways you can help our family & ministry.
Hundreds of our recent photos can be viewed at Flickr.com. (And now Sonia's pictures too!)
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