NINA
As we told you last week Lena's mother Nina was scheduled for a visit with a specialist this past Thursday. Instead of learning about scheduling a coronarography, the doctor informed her that the results of her test clearly indicated that she needed open-heart surgery.
This came as quite a shock to Nina, as the hospital doctors had said nothing about this (they instead informed only the specialist). Nina was also told that she would have to go on expensive medications (250 CAD per month) while she waits for the surgery, which, coincidentally, she may not be able to receive after all! The specialist told her that there was a very good chance that the heart surgeon would refuse to operate on her because of the deteriorated state of her heart.
This Wednesday (June 7) Nina will meet the heart surgeon to discuss the possibility of open-heart surgery. If she is permitted to have the surgery, the cost will be upwards of 7000 USD.
In the meantime, Nina remains on medications (the monthly cost of which is twice her monthly pension), confined to a "stress-free" environment and strict diet. The discomfort of her condition is not too great, thankfully, but she remains in pain. We are thankful that her spirits remain relatively high, despite Nina being prone to worry and despair.
It was three years ago that Nina left the only home she ever had and moved to St. Petersburg to be near her family. Since that time her assistance and support has allowed Lena & I to minister to Christian camps near and far. Without her regular help with our girls we would have hardly been able to travel to teach at seminars and serve at camps. We are so thankful for our mother and babushka—our only family in Russia!
Please keep her in your prayers! Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena
COMING TO CANADA
As you read above, it is now very obvious that delays in our move to Canada are in no small way related to Nina's need for our presence here in Russia.
We continue to trust the Lord's timing in selling our home, finding a home in Manitoba and transplanting our family halfway around the world. Thank you for praying!
BLESSINGS
Answered prayer from previous weeks! Praise God for the Christian Camp Leaders' Conference in Vladivostok. Seventy-five students and instructors took part in the seven-day course for senior camp leaders and pastors. Twenty-one camps were represented—a wonderful answer to prayer!
PETITIONS
Please pray for the Staff Training Workshop currently underway (June 4-9) in Norkalni, Latvia. This is the training event for the Baltic states: Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia. and the final spring event for our staff. Especially pray for the health and strength of Ira Rechitskaya, who is the dean of this, her third STW this spring.
I had been meaning to add a praise report for our household appliances (really!). It is almost six years since we purchased our apartment and the major appliances for our home. Since then they have worked wonderfully (need a reliable refrigerator? buy Minsk!) for the most part. Unfortunately our German washing machine decided that today was the day to give up the ghost. We of course have no desire (let alone money!) to replace it...but then Lena has little desire to go back to washing our family's clothes in the bathtub! Please pray for inexpensive "healing" for our Bosch!
DID YOU KNOW...
...that high school students from across Russia can check their final exam scores online? Join thousands of anxious Russian teenagers in accessing www.ege.ru to get all the final results (it helps if you can read Russian)!
...that pictures from our trip to Uzbekistan are finally online? View over seventy pictures from Tashkent and the Staff Training Workshop at www.flickr.com/photos/krhamm/sets/72157594152329586.
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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