Hamm Prayer Points

Hamm Prayer Points – Nina’s Miraculous Journey – 22|05|08

2008-05-22T08:20:00.002-05:00

God is so very good!

It has been almost seven months since Lena left to bring her mother Nina to Canada for a six-month visit. There were of course many highlights to Nina's visit, but there was no time more memorable than her past eight weeks. When Nina was admitted to hospital on March 16, we couldn't have imagined what would come next. After Nina's life-saving emergency triple by-pass we quickly recognized God's hand in leading Nina here, in having her extend her stay (she had been scheduled to return in early March) and in surrounding her with a community of His people.

God provided for Nina's needs in miraculous ways. Through the incredible donation of the surgeons (providing all their services at no charge), through the generous reduction in fees from the hospital and through the overflowing kindness of friends, family & strangers (correction: brothers & sisters in Christ whom we simply have yet to meet!).

We are thrilled to share with you that we have received over 99% of the needed funds for Nina!!! Here are the actual figures:

Total Expenses: $14,582.44 Gifts Received: $14,480.00

Nina's expenses grew somewhat from the time of her surgery due to follow-up examinations and tests. While we do not anticipate many more expenses in her remaining two weeks, there may be a few minor ones. Regardless, we want everyone to know that Nina's expenses have now been covered and that any additional monetary gifts received will be used for Nina's future care.

On Monday, June 2 at 12:20 in the afternoon, Nina will depart from Winnipeg and head for her home in St. Petersburg, Russia. Lena will accompany her and then return the following Monday. Before that, I will leave on a nine-day trip to Missouri for the A.C.E. International Student Convention. Our family would covet your prayers for the next 12 days as we prepare for our journeys, travel and cope with each other's absences.

We have one final related note to share with you. It was just over five years ago that we put out the call for people to invest in an apartment for Nina. Many of you will recall that Nina had been living by herself in Omsk while we, her only family, resided in distant St. Petersburg. As a family we did not have sufficient funds to obtain a home for Nina, so we asked for people to help. More than two dozen families & individuals answered the call and provided enough money for us to bring Nina to St. Petersburg. Now, five years later, their investment has grown substantially. We are happy to report that Nina's apartment is worth approximately 2.5 times the 2003 purchase price! We will be contacting our "investors" very shortly to share specific details about the apartment investment.

For all that God has done for Nina (and her family) through you, His wonderfully kind people, we offer our heartfelt thanks!

Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya, Deena & Nina

Hamm Prayer Points – Nina Update #2

2008-04-20T00:15:00.003-05:00

April 16, 2008: Greetings, Friends! Thank you for your prayers over the past while. Three weeks to the day Nina left the hospital, she's back…

Here's the latest news:

Nina has been resting & recovering at our home in Portage la Prairie for the past three weeks.
For the past week Nina had experienced increasing pain in her lungs, resulting in coughing fits and shortness of breath. She also had a low-grade fever during this time.
Yesterday (April 15) Nina was blessed by the visit of her Russian nurse from St. Boniface hospital. Svetlana (who hails from St. Petersburg!) called Nina several times over the past weeks. Svetlana drove from Winnipeg to Portage la Prairie to give Nina an unofficial "check-up". After listening to Nina's lungs, Svetlana urged us to take Nina for an x-ray as soon as possible.
This morning (April 16) we consulted with a number of knowledgeable people and decided that it would be wisest to take Nina directly to Emergency at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, where she had the bypass operation on March 19th.

So here we are at St. Boniface again! We will update you on the situation as soon as we are able. Later...after spending nine and a half hours in the Emergency room, Lena & Nina finally left with some good and not-so-good news. It turned out that Nina's nurse was correct—fluid was building up in her left lung, causing it to collapse. The doctor on duty prescribed medicine that should alleviate Nina's condition within two weeks (it's a pity that the doctor in Portage who examined her last week didn't notice it then). Thankfully, Nina's blood work & AKG revealed that she is otherwise fine.

We have some news to share about Nina's financial situation as well. So far (and the bills will continue to grow after today) Nina's & our combined expenses are just over $14,000. This is a far cry from what it could have been! Thanks to the kindness of Drs. Warrian & Peters, and the mercy shown by St. Boniface General Hospital, the money owed by Nina is far less than it could have been. We praise God for His blessings! Of course, $14,000 is still a lot of money for anyone, especially for a foreigner whose pension is barely $125/month.

Many of you have asked how you can help, and many have helped already! Several families provided meals during our first week back home, many visited & brought cards & flowers, and a number of people have given money to cover expenses. Nina's most immediate need is money to cover the medical bills. As of this writing, another $13,500 is required. Some have asked about receiving a donation receipt for monetary gifts, but that is impossible for us to provide since we are private citizens. We are deeply grateful to all who offered or provided assistance to date. Please continue to pray for God's provision to meet this financial need, whether through the giving of God's people or through other means. As well, we covet your prayers for Nina's continued health improvement in both body & spirit!

Thank you for standing with us,

Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya, Deena & Nina

Hamm Prayer Points - 25|03|08 [Nina Update]

2008-03-25T23:04:00.000-05:00

God is so very good!

Thank you all for your faithful & fervent prayers over the past week. We just arrived home and Nina is settled in her new “home” in our living room. Here is a recap of the past week (and a bit) and how your prayers impacted Nina’s life:

Sunday, March 16: After two days of increasing pain and discomfort, Nina asked us to take her to the emergency ward at Portage District General Hospital here in Portage la Prairie. After numerous tests and time spent under observation, an angiogram was scheduled for Nina in Winnipeg.

Tuesday, March 18: After waking up feeling quite ill, Lena received a call from the hospital that Nina was set to depart for Winnipeg by ambulance at 9 a.m. Lena quickly prepared for the trip and accompanied Nina to St. Boniface General Hospital. After waiting until the afternoon for the angiogram, the test finally revealed that Nina’s heart was in desperate shape.

Wednesday, March 19: By noon, doctors at St. Boniface had met and decided that an emergency bypass operation was the only recourse for Nina. Her heart could not survive any further delay. Surgery was scheduled for the evening. I joined Lena in Winnipeg after taking Maya & Deena to my parent’s home. Lena & I arrived at the hospital at 10 p.m., but the surgery went later than expected. Shortly after eleven one of the nurses met with us to assure us that the triple-bypass operation was going well. Just before midnight the surgeon arrived and gave us the complete details. The surgery had gone very well and Lena was able to see her mom just after one a.m. We returned to my uncle & aunt’s home by 1:30 for some much-needed rest.

Thursday, March 20: Lena had to return to the hospital before 9 a.m. so that the nurses could communicate with Nina. We spent much of the day at the hospital, but in the evening we were thrilled to discover that a Russian-speaking nurse would be taking care of Nina for the next 12 hours. Lena & I enjoyed our first restful night in a long while!

Good Friday: Lena seemed to be getting sicker instead of better, so after checking in with Nina, Lena spent the rest of the morning waiting in the emergency room, trying to see a doctor. By lunch time Lena had been given some medical attention and was headed for an afternoon rest (once again a Russian-speaking nurse was caring for Nina). After the rest, my Dad & Mom brought Maya & Deena to visit us. Lena hadn’t seen the girls in three days, so it was a happy reunion for all.

Saturday, March 21: Another day at the hospital, with word received that Nina may be discharged as early as Monday.

Easter Sunday: Lena & I were able to attend the early service at Fort Garry M.B. Church before being summoned to the hospital so that Lena could interpret for the physiotherapist. Lena had to spend the afternoon & evening with Nina, but was able to come downstairs for a short while when our girls (this time including Sonia) came for a visit and supper.

Monday, March 22: Another full day at the hospital, but the end was near—Nina would be released the next day if all went according to plan.

Today: Shortly after 9 a.m. Lena & I met with the hospital administration to find out what Nina’s bill would be. As an out-of-country patient, Nina was expected to pay a substantial fee for her week at St. Boniface, plus whatever the doctor & anaesthesiologist would charge. After asking if there was any way for the amount to be reduced, we were asked to detail our & Nina’s situation. After we explained, the gentleman in charge looked thoughtful and said that it may be possible to reduce the amount by 40-odd percent, providing we could put the details of our situation into a letter for the hospital. We happily assured him that we would, and thanked God for apparently providing a way to reduce the huge bill. As we waited for Nina’s surgeon to meet with us before the release, we wondered what the rest of the bills might be like. After the doctor had given his okay for Nina to go home and had answered all of her questions, Lena asked him if he would be willing to see Nina once more before she left for Russia. The surgeon asked Lena to follow him to the consultation room, closed the door and told her, “I understand that your mother has no medical insurance and that you will have to pay for all of her expenses.” Lena nodded. He continued, “I talked with [the anaesthesiologist], and we decided that we would not charge you anything.” Lena was speechless! Finally she thanked him and told him that this was an answer to the prayers of many friends and family. It truly is! Shortly after that Nina was on her way to Portage la Prairie. We have so much to thank God for! Here are some of the answers to prayer that we have received this week:

Blessings

My Dad & Mom—they took care of Maya & Deena during our time in Winnipeg and also brought the girls to visit us on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
My Uncle Hank & Aunt Lynn—they provided a home for Lena & I during the time Nina was in St. Boniface.
Pastor Ramsy—he visited several times with us at the hospital and prayed with Nina.
The nurses & staff at St. Boniface who cared for Nina.
The doctors, nurses & staff at the Portage hospital who cared for Nina.
The surgeon & anaesthesiologist who donated 100% of their effort to giving Nina new life.
The willingness of the administration at St. Boniface to consider reducing the amount owing for Nina’s care.
All who prayed, visited, sent cards and helped in tangible ways!

Petitions

That Nina’s body will continue to heal as it should.
That we will be able to extend Nina’s Canadian visa so that she will have time to recover before flying home.
That the remaining medical bills (ambulance & Portage hospital bills) will not be too high.
That God will continue to provide for our financial & material needs.

What’s next? While we wait for the final medical bills to come in, we need to ask to have Nina’s visa extended, reschedule her flight back to Russia and likely book another flight so that someone may accompany Nina back to Russia. We will update you further once we have more details.

Thank you all once again for your faithful prayers during this time. We have felt so blessed and covered by God’s grace & mercy. Nina was so thankful for all who visited and made contact with her—even when there was no one to translate for her she understood the love that can only come from God’s people! I’m certain that when she is able, she will express her gratitude to you in her own words.

May God bless you all for the love you’ve shown to our family!

Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya, Deena & Nina

Hamm Prayer Points - 19|03|08 [Kevin & Lena ask for prayer!]

2008-03-19T17:40:00.001-05:00

Nina's Heart

As most of you know, Lena's mother Nina is visiting us from Russia. She arrived in November and plans to return to St. Petersburg in mid-April. This past Sunday (March 16th) she was taken to the local hospital here in Portage la Prairie after complaining of shortness of breath and heart pain. She spent two nights in intensive care before being taken by ambulance to St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg for an angiogram (Lena accompanied her to Winnipeg). The tests revealed that Nina has severely-blocked arteries and is in need of emergency bypass surgery. The doctors deemed it necessary to proceed with all speed, so as of this writing Wednesday afternoon she is being prepped for surgery and will undergo the operation shortly.

Please pray for Nina as she is quite anxious about what has transpired in the past few days. As nice as Canadian health services and staff are, Nina cannot understand what they are saying so it is a bit frightening to her.

Pray also for Lena as she has had to remain by Nina's side most of the time to translate for Nina. Lena has been suffering from a bad cold during this time, further complicating matters.

Pray for the surgeons and nurses as they perform the operation.

Pray for Maya & Deena who have been sick since Sunday, and are a bit distressed by the absence of family members during this time.

After I finish this letter I will head to Winnipeg to be with Lena & Nina. Maya & Deena will be staying with my parents during our absence. We will all appreciate your prayers during this time! Thank you & God bless, Kevin, on behalf of Lena, Sonia, Maya, Deena & Nina

Hamm Prayer Points - 09|10|07

2007-10-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We trust that our Canadian friends had a blessed time of thanksgiving with family.

September has been a busy, exciting month for our family. We had just a few weeks to unpack and get settled in our new house before Sonia moved to Brandon to begin university, Lena began working at Reflections Café and I started my new job at Lighthouse Christian School. All in all it has been a great month, even considering all the completely new experiences for us all.

As you know, we are continuing to transition out of our ministry with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International (MBMSI). Beginning in September, we are no longer serving full-time with MBMSI. Instead, from now until the end of this year, we will be representing MBMSI at various mission events and church services (details following). As we fulfill our ministry responsibilities and as we complete the changeover to life in Canada, there will be some ministry expenses. MBMSI will cover our entire September-December ministry expenses as well as provide us with some additional funds to help cover the shortfall that we experienced in our final year of service in Russia.

We want our donors to know that MBMSI will continue to accept donations on our behalf until December 31, 2007. Those of you who have your donations withdrawn automatically will see withdrawals cease at the end of the year. We would like to assure you that your donations will continue to be used to support our ministry. Of course, since we are no longer full-time with MBMSI, some of you may wish to reduce or discontinue your support at this time. If that is the case, please feel free to contact us or MBMSI direct at 1-866-964-7627. For those of you would like to see your support continue until the end of the year, you need not contact anyone—MBMSI will no longer accept donations with our project code attached after December 31.

Thank you for your continued prayers, and please feel free to contact us about any questions you may have!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

FAMILY UPDATES

Here's a brief summary of what we've been doing over the past weeks:

Sonia has been studying hard in the Fine Arts program at Brandon University. While it has been a blessing living with friends, there is considerable distance for Sonia to travel each week, and with many evening classes it's been a challenge to get around by bus. Sonia is also looking for a part-time job to help pay for transportation and room & board.
Maya is enjoying grade one at Lighthouse Christian School and was excited to be able to go on her first field trip of the year. Maya was also thrilled to be able to begin ballet lessons here in Portage la Prairie!
Deena has been attending dance lessons as well, and has also been participating in the "Family Literacy" program at the local library. Deena is happy to have both "dance school" and library school" to attend.
Lena is now working two days a week (full-time on Mondays and part-time on Fridays) at Reflections Café here in Portage. In addition to caring for Deena, the remainder of her week is spent working on making our home (even more) beautiful and working on the Graphic Bible translation project.
Kevin is enjoying school! My new job as the Vice-Principal/Senior Learning Centre Supervisor at Lighthouse Christian School is going very well. It's wonderful how God has provided exactly the right job for me at this time!

BLESSINGS

We thank God His provision and blessings in our lives. It has been an amazing year for our family—one filled with uncertainties, change and blessing upon blessing!
We are very thankful for our faithful supporters who have helped us through this time of transition.
Our apartment sold in St. Petersburg for a very fair price. Even better, the money was transferred safely (and promptly) to Canada!

PETITIONS

Please pray for Sonia as she continues to adjust to university life. Pray that she will be able to find a job & good friends!
Please remember Nina in your prayers. Lena's mom has applied for a temporary resident's (tourist) visa to Canada. Please pray that the decision-makers in the Canadian Embassy in Moscow permit her to visit us in Canada this autumn/winter.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Lena & Deena are going back to Russia? It's true! They plan to fly on October 24th to St. Petersburg to be reunited with mother/babushka Nina. Lord willing, they will return in about a week's time with Nina by their side. This trip is no small deal, but is necessary to help Nina and also to allow us to bring more of our stored belongings to Canada. Please pray that it will work out well!!!

ESSENTIAL INFO

Kevin & Lena Hamm are former missionaries with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, assisting with Christian Camping International/Russia as they are able.

A printable version of this newsletter 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, please visit www.krhamm.com.
You can help! Please visit www.krhamm.com/support for ways you can help our family & ministry.
Thousands of our recent photos can be viewed at Flickr.com. (Sonia's pictures too!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 03|09|07 [Back to School (for the first time)!]

2007-09-03T14:43:00.000-05:00

Here we go! Tomorrow, September 4th, is the ole' back to school for most, but for Sonia, Maya & Yours Truly it's a day of "first time to school".

Please pray for Sonia:

As she settles in to her first official night after moving into her own residence
As she travels within Brandon on her own
As she attends orientation and pays for tuition and materials at Brandon University
As she meets and joins a church family
As she looks for a part-time job
As she makes new friends

Please pray for Maya:

As she starts Grade One
As she adjusts to a more structured form of education
As she battles a bad cold

Please pray for me:

As I begin my first day as Vice-Principal at Lighthouse Christian School
As I learn my responsibilities and try to fulfill them
As I get to know the students
As I supervise the academic progress of the senior students

As well...Please pray for Lena:

As she cares for Deena during the day
As she continues to adjust to life in Canada
As she takes training for her new part-time job at Reflections Cafe

Thank you for your prayers!!! — Kevin, Lena Sonia, Maya & Deena

Hamm Prayer Points - 08|08|07

2007-08-08T19:50:00.000-05:00

THE MOVE IS ON

Greetings from between the cardboard boxes...

Tomorrow we will get the keys to our new home! This means we can make some final decisions about what additional work needs to be done. Sunday at noon we will take official ownership of the house and will make the big move. We've been packing non-stop since our return from our trip west.

For those of you who are coming to help with the move, Lord willing we will begin loading and unloading (lather, rinse & repeat, etc.) Sunday just after 12. We will have a moving van and several other vehicles, so mostly we'll be in need of strong backs to carry boxes to the various floors (all four levels) and some help setting up Maya & Deena's furniture. Of course, if you would just like to stop in and say hi (and take a peek at the house), you are most welcome too! For last minute details call me at 872-3802.

Please keep us in your prayers as we finish packing, move in, settle in, and as I begin my school training (August 13-17). It looks like a few more busy weeks for us until the routine of school & work begins in September. We will try to update you on our upcoming presentations and other news as we get settled.

Thank you for your continued prayers and help!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

ESSENTIAL INFO

Kevin & Lena Hamm are missionaries with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, assisting Christian Camping International/Russia.

A printable version of this newsletter 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, please visit www.krhamm.com.

You can help! Please visit www.krhamm.com/support for ways you can help our family & ministry.

Thousands of our recent photos can be viewed at Flickr.com. (Sonia's pictures too!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 20|06|07

2007-06-20T23:37:00.000-05:00

MAJOR NEWS!

Sorry for the long period of silence! We have lots of updates to share, so here goes:

Sonia's move to Brandon was very brief. Initially it looked liked Sonia would be given full-time work at Michael's, but it turned out to be only her jewellery classes (once a week) plus a few additional hours. Thankfully Sonia was offered a full-time job at Portage MCC Thrift Store, so she happily accepted and moved back to Portage. Sonia is working at MCC every Tuesday through Saturday, and has been busing to and from Brandon to teach Monday classes at Michael's. So far the arrangement has worked well, with Sonia enjoying her work at MCC (and the treasure discovery that goes with it!). Sonia hopes to continue part-time with Michael's during the upcoming school year.
Maya recently graduated from the "ABC" program (sort of like kindergarten) at Lighthouse Christian School in Southport (south of Portage la Prairie). She thoroughly enjoyed her two months of classes there, and is looking forward to being in school full-time in September when her Auntie Kim will be the Junior Learning Centre Supervisor! Another major happening in Maya's life was receiving eyeglasses for the first time. She will need to wear them in an attempt to correct an astigmatism in her right eye.
Deena has also been the recipient of something new: a puffer. Because Deena continues to have problems breathing normally, the doctor put her on a trial puffer to see if it will help (he suspects allergies are the cause of her woes). On the odd time that she has managed to inhale the mist she seems to breathe better, but getting her to inhale at the right time has proven a challenge!
Lena continues to work at the Graphic Bible translation project. Unfortunately she hasn't had a lot of quiet time to work on it (it's hard to find a quiet place in a mobile home!). Otherwise Lena has been busy caring for the girls, volunteering at Portage MCC and continuing with the acclimatization process!
Kevin has a new job! Starting September 1st I will begin as the Vice-Principal/Senior Learning Centre Supervisor at Lighthouse Christian School. It took a lot of prayer (and overcoming some initial shock) to come to the point of accepting the job. I am looking forward to this new ministry opportunity!

More news:

July road trip: From July 9 to 13 Lena & I will be meeting in Abbotsford, British Columbia to wrap up our current ministry with MBMSI. We plan to depart on or around July 4 and drive to Abbotsford on the Trans-Canada, with stops along the way in yet-to-be-determined southern locales (travel accommodation recommendations welcome!). We will head back east sometime around the 16th with possible stops along the Yellowhead in Edmonton and Saskatoon.
Our new home: It has been mostly decided: Lord willing we will purchase a house in Portage la Prairie, hopefully very soon. We are seriously looking a property this coming weekend, and hope to be able to make the owner an offer then. Please pray with us as we prepare to take this major step.

So what have we been doing for the past two months, you ask? Besides the very needed time of adjustment and rest, we have been busy visiting government offices, filling out forms and getting doctor, dentist and optometrist visits out of the way. Our family put a lot of hours in volunteering at Portage MCC during this time and we have also spent time meeting with supporters and preparing for what comes next. One major "next" will be reporting to our supporting churches. Most of these visits will likely take place in autumn.

As we indicated in our previous newsletter (a month ago!), we were seriously considering a transition to a salaried job, rather than a support-based one. While we have been blessed beyond words by all the support and encouragement we have received over the years, we feel confident that now is the time to move on to a different type of ministry. We'll have more details about the changes ahead in the next Hamm's Headings, due out shortly!

Thank you for your continued prayers, and please feel free to contact us about any questions you may have!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

HEADING WEST

We are in need of the following for our trip west in July:

Places to stay along the way (actual offers and helpful suggestions). We plan to take the Trans-Canada (highway #1) to Calgary, then a yet-to-be-determined route to Abbotsford, and finally return to Portage la Prairie via the Yellowhead.
Names (& addresses!) of people to visit! We would love to see as many of our supporters, friends and family as possible during our trip. Some visits may be short, but we'd be happy to meet anytime and anywhere!
Things to see and do! Got any great suggestions for family fun in western Canada? We're all ears! Since this will be Maya & Deena's first trip west, we want to make it as memorable as possible.

BLESSINGS

We thank God that Sonia is gainfully employed in such a great place! The Portage MCC Thrift Store has been a tremendous blessing to us over the years, and we are pleased that Sonia has the opportunity to serve there this summer.

We are also thankful that I was able to find a new ministry opportunity, especially one that will allow me to spend lots of time with family.

PETITIONS

As we prepare for our western Canadian "tour" we ask for your prayers. Please pray that we will be able to prepare everything before we have to depart and that we find a home before we leave.

Please continue to pray for a buyer for our home. We are not desperate, but selling it sooner rather than later would ease matters for us significantly.

Please remember Nina in your prayers. Lena's mom is doing well, but has understandably been experiencing some loneliness. Pray that she will be able to enjoy the "white nights" (these extremely long days are truly the best time to be in St. Petersburg) and continue to be in good health.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that we are still in need of donations? Even with our end date set with MBMSI, we still need to pay our ministry bills. With almost a year of living on 75% salary we have not been able to pay for all the immigration and moving bills. We continue to rely on your assistance: those of you who support us monthly will find that your automatic withdrawals will cease in August, but to those of you who give one-time or occasional gifts, we ask that you consider giving in July or August rather than at year-end, if possible. We would be very thankful for any and all help to end our service with MBMSI well.

ESSENTIAL INFO

Kevin & Lena Hamm are missionaries with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, assisting Christian Camping International/Russia.

A printable version of this newsletter 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, please visit www.krhamm.com.

You can help! Please visit www.krhamm.com/support for ways you can help our family & ministry.

Thousands of our recent photos can be viewed at Flickr.com. (Sonia's pictures too!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 25|05|07

2007-05-25T12:46:00.000-05:00

WHAT NEXT?

So the transition continues... Sonia is moving to Brandon this week to take up residence with family friends (see Blessings below). Yesterday she was hired by Michael's ("the Arts & Crafts Store") in Brandon, where she is set to begin work on Monday. Sonia has been hired to teach a basic jewellery design course, and will also be given the opportunity to work as a store associate. Sonia is excited to have her first job in Canada, especially as it will allow her to work in a field that she is both talented and interested in! So, if you are looking to learn how to make your own jewellery, and you live in the Brandon area, sign up for Sonia's June course! ;-)

As Sonia makes the move to Brandon, Lena & I are contemplating where the rest of us will live! While our apartment has not yet sold (hopefully soon!), we are starting to look at possible locations and homes. We still haven't decided which city we'll settle in, but it looks like it will either be Winnipeg or Portage la Prairie. Please remember us in your prayers as we seek to settle in the "land" God has prepared/is preparing for us!

The other significant question before us is what sort of work/ministry transition we'll have to make. We are considering several possible options, but we're not yet prepared to explain further. One question we are certainly wrestling with is have we reached the place where we should stop seeking a "support" position? For the past eight years Lena & I have been wholly dependent on the financial support of individuals and churches. Prior to that, I have been fully supported by donations only since 1993! We have been tremendously blessed during these years, but with the passing of numerous supporters we have seen our support base dwindle dramatically over the past two years. It has been a significant challenge to relate to current and seek to locate new supporters over the years, especially as we haven't been able to travel here as a family for almost five years. Much of the effort involved in maintaining our support has fallen to my parents. Without their regular calls, notes and informal talks, many of our supporters would have felt unappreciated and unneeded. The fact is that many (most?) ministry workers depend on donations. We are wondering if the time has come to look for a position that frees us (and our supporters) to serve in different ways.

We welcome your comments and questions, and we continually covet your prayers!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

BLESSINGS

Praise God that Sonia was provided with a home in Brandon. We received an unbeatable offer from family friends to provide Sonia with room & board for basically cost. We are so very thankful for this blessing!

We are also thankful that Sonia was able to get a good job in Brandon.

PETITIONS

Deena continues to experience ups and downs in her health. Please pray that she will attain a (reasonably) healthy life in Canada!

Please remember to pray for a buyer for our home. We have lowered the purchase price, so hopefully this will bring a buyer.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Lena could hardly believe how beautiful the lawn looked at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg (photo above)? She is only used to Russian parks which have next to no cut grass that you could walk on!

...that we are now planning to travel to Abbotsford, British Columbia, in mid-August (sans Sonia)? We have a time of reporting/debriefing at MBMSI headquarters scheduled during that time, and we hope to meet with family & friends along the way. Stay tuned for specific dates, and please let us know if you would be interested in seeing us along the way.

ESSENTIAL INFO

Kevin & Lena Hamm are missionaries with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, assisting Christian Camping International/Russia.

A printable version of this newsletter 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, please visit www.krhamm.com.

You can help! Please visit www.krhamm.com/support for ways you can help our family & ministry.

Thousands of our recent photos can be viewed at Flickr.com. (Sonia's pictures too!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 16|05|07

2007-05-16T12:53:00.000-05:00

THE FIRST MONTH

It's been quite a month! Since our arrival on April 15th we've been alternating between paperwork and housework (and not much else)! At times it has felt uncomfortable not working as such, but it has been a very necessary period of transition for our family. Lena has had some time to resume work on the Graphic Bible translation project, Sonia has been volunteering at the MCC Thrift Shop in between applying for employment, and Maya began formal (not "former" as I previously mis-typed!) schooling at Lighthouse Christian School in Portage la Prairie.

As we continue to adjust to the pace and differences of life in Canada, we are preparing to tell stories of what God has been doing in the lives of believers in Russia. We are still not certain when our trip to British Columbia will take place, but we hope to finalize details soon. Once we have formally met with MBMSI, we will begin visiting with supporting churches, telling stories and saying thank you for the past years of support and prayer.

This past week we celebrated Lena's birthday and yesterday we rejoiced that Nina was able to celebrate her 65th birthday with friends in St. Petersburg. It has been wonderful to celebrate God's blessings in our lives together with family & friends.

Please continue to remember us in your prayers during this time of transition and planning. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are still very much in need of both!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

BLESSINGS

Praise God that Sonia was accepted in Brandon University without having to register as a foreign student (as previously appeared to be necessary). She is excited about the possibility of studying this autumn.

We are thankful that Nina was able to celebrate her birthday together with friends. Praise God for the support and help she is receiving!

PETITIONS

Maya is adjusting to a regular school schedule. Please pray that she will adapt well to formal studies.

Please remember to pray for a buyer for our home. Our apartment is still being "showed off", so there is interest, just not yet a buyer.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Sonia is looking for a place to stay in Brandon? If you know of someone in need of a roommate, please contact us!

ESSENTIAL INFO

Kevin & Lena Hamm are missionaries with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, assisting Christian Camping International/Russia.

A printable version of this newsletter 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, please visit www.krhamm.com.

You can help! Please visit www.krhamm.com/support for ways you can help our family & ministry.

Thousands of our recent photos can be viewed at Flickr.com. (Sonia's pictures too!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 08|05|07

2007-05-08T16:27:00.000-05:00

GETTING SETTLED

Now that we've been here for three weeks we are mostly feeling better. We are still experiencing some illness and the culture shock continues to make life "interesting". In particular, grocery shopping takes a lot longer than it did in St. Petersburg, simply because it is taking a considerable effort for Lena & I to find what we're looking for and figure out what to use in place of what we can't find!

We took time this past Sunday to celebrate (very belatedly) Sonia's 18th birthday. Friends & family gathered to enjoy a delicious meal and great fellowship. It was great to be able to relax with friends and family after several weeks of illness & semi-seclusion!

The next few weeks promise to be a bit busier:

Maya begins former schooling this Thursday
On Friday the 11th Sonia & I plan to take Lena to Winnipeg to celebrate her birthday
Next week we are planning trips to Brandon & Winkler respectively
We hope to finalize our western travel details soon

Please continue to remember us in your prayers during this time of transition and planning.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are still very much in need of both!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya &amp; Deena (& Missy the kitten!)

P.S. I forgot to add this last week: Sonia received a kitten shortly after our arrival, so we have now welcomed "Missy" to our family. What's one more girl? ;-)

CANADIAN CONTACT INFO

Here once again is our current contact info:

Mailing Address:

Box 264, Portage la Prairie MB R1N 3B5

Telephone (cellular):

Kevin: (204) 872-3802
Lena: (204) 872-0325
Sonia also has a cell of her own; number available upon request

Email: (No change)

kevin@krhamm.com remains our main address (please note that there were some problems in the past few months with our krhamm.com addresses, and some mail may not have been received. However, we have since changed servers, so from mid-April we should have received all of your emails).

BLESSINGS

Praise God for slow but sure adjustment to life in Canada. We are thankful for all who've helped us with gifts & meals, and for all the encouragement we've received.

We are very thankful that Lena's mom has been doing well in our absence.

We thank God for improved health for our family, especially for Deena.

PETITIONS

Please pray for continued improvement in our family's health.

Please remember to pray for a buyer for our home. Our apartment is still being "showed off", so there is interest, just not yet a buyer.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that we're in need of bicycles for Maya (something with 16" tires should do), Sonia & myself. If anyone has some good used bicycles available, we love to hear from you!

ESSENTIAL INFO

Kevin & Lena Hamm are missionaries with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, assisting Christian Camping International/Russia.

A printable version of this newsletter 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, please visit www.krhamm.com.

You can help! Please visit www.krhamm.com/support for ways you can help our family & ministry.

Thousands of our recent photos can be viewed at Flickr.com. (Sonia's pictures too!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 28|04|07

2007-04-28T07:25:00.000-05:00

WE ARE HERE! (AND WE MOSTLY SURVIVED)

By now most of you are wondering what happened to us. Since we last wrote at the beginning of April we went through an incredible experience of packing, selling/giving away, sickness and leaving our home far behind...

The day after we sent our last newsletter Sonia was hit hard with chicken pox, forcing the cancellation of her 18th birthday/farewell party
Thankfully all three girls were fully recovered from the 'pox by the time we had to fly
Our "yard sale" was postponed so many times (and so many potential shoppers were scared away by the 'pox plague) that we weren't able to empty our home until just before we left
The flight/move went well (more details below), but the entire effort has taken its' toll on our family health-wise. Please be patient with us as we slowly adjust to our new surroundings!

As we continue the process of relocation and acclimatization we continue to covet your prayers. It may be a while until we're fully functional. We are living in a temporary residence, we have no telephone line (only cellular) and no internet connection. However, we do have a fully-functioning van and our cell phones work! We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible over the next few months, especially as we being MINA and visits to our supporting churches. We also plan to travel to BC in the next few months, so we may well see many of our western friends as well!

Thank you for your continued prayers, and we look forward to updating you on our plans in the near future!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena (& Missy the kitten!)

CANADIAN CONTACT INFO

Now that we're mostly settled in we have new contact info. Here's how you can reach us:

Mailing Address:

Box 264, Portage la Prairie MB R1N 3B5

Telephone (cellular):

Kevin: (204) 872-3802
Lena: (204) 872-0325
Sonia also has a cell of her own; number available upon request

Email:(No change)

kevin@krhamm.com remains our main address (please note that there were some problems in the past few months with our krhamm.com addresses, and some mail may not have been received. However, we have since changed servers, so from mid-April we should have received all of your emails).

BLESSINGS

Praise God for a safe trip to Canada:

we managed to fit most of what we urgently needed into our ten suitcases
Russian customs didn't say boo when we left (I was somewhat chagrined about that since I had spent many hours cataloguing the contents of our suitcases!)
the three flights, connections and passage through Canadian customs went without a hitch
Lena & Sonia's admittance into Canada when smoothly & quickly
All of our luggage arrived safely in Winnipeg (although we mistakenly took a wrong suitcase home and had to return the next day to exchange it for our own)

Upon our arrival at our temporary home in Portage la Prairie we were greeted by a furnished home, with plenty of food and supplies. We are especially grateful for:

All the people who, over the past year, donated furnishings, appliances, food and needed supplies for our Canadian home
My Mom & Dad and the rest of my extended family, who spent countless hours cleaning and setting up our home
Friends at Community Fellowship church in Newton who organized a food shower/celebration for us. We were greeted with Canadian flags & lapel pins, a program, food and even a fireworks display! We barely managed to pack all the food & gift parcels we were given into our van! What a welcome!!!
Of course, all of you who continually prayed for us during this incredibly challenging time. We certainly could not have made it without God's help.

PETITIONS

Please pray for Nina as she remains in St. Petersburg. Pray that she will continue to have good health and strength (we had to place the final moving and cleaning into her hands, since we were unable to complete the emptying of our apartment before our departure). Pray also that she will not be overcome with loneliness as adjusts to the loss of her only family's (our!) presence.

Once again (still?) we request your prayers for improved family health. Deena & I are almost recovered after a week of bad colds (and no voice) and now Maya is getting ill. It has taken us two weeks already to get adjusted, and it may take even longer for our family to fully adjust to the climate and pace of our new home.

Please remember to pray for a buyer for our home. Our apartment is still being "showed off", so there is interest, just not yet a buyer.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that some of the things we're doing now that we've never experienced in Russia include:

raking leaves
gardening
living in the country
cutting grass
buying milk in 4 litre jugs
living in a "non-apartment"
eating fat-free yogurt
free internet access and video rentals in a public library

ESSENTIAL INFO

Kevin & Lena Hamm are missionaries with Mennonite Brethren Mission and Service International, assisting Christian Camping International/Russia.

A printable version of this newsletter 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, please visit www.krhamm.com.

You can help! Please visit www.krhamm.com/support for ways you can help our family & ministry.

Thousands of our recent photos can be viewed at Flickr.com. (Sonia's pictures too!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 02|04|07

2007-04-02T15:07:00.000-05:00

CRAWLING TO THE FINISH LINE

What a week! We're operating at less than 40% efficiency at the moment with Deena down with the chicken pox, Sonia battling a persistent cold (and perhaps the early symptoms of chicken pox) and Lena struggling with severe headaches. Thankfully Maya is on the mend and I am so fully able to care for my ailing girls. Our planned yard sale was again postponed due to illness, and with Sonia's birthday rapidly approaching (see below) we have invited people to come and "shop" on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

With less than two weeks to go until our departure we are struggling with the good news/bad news of departing furniture: we now have shelves only in the hallway (hence almost no place to place things), no beds left save Maya's (so four of us are now sleeping on the floor), and practically no appliances left save the bare minimum in the kitchen (no more Russian TV shows...or is that good news?)!

With the poor health and disorderly state of our home it's a bit difficult to enjoy the spring weather and the approach of Easter, but we are so very thankful for all the friends who have been helping us and for all the prayers being said on our behalf. Thank you for upholding us in prayer during this time!!!

We wish you all a blessed Easter celebration this coming weekend. There was no greater sacrifice given and no greater victory won. Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!!!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

As my parents continue to send pictures of our temporary home, we are encouraged by the fact that the disarray we are living in now will soon be exchanged for a clean, orderly Canadian mobile home! Thank you to all who have helped to prepare us a home!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SONIA!!!

As Sonia prepares to celebrate her 18th birthday on April 5th, we ask those of you who know her (or who would like to!) to send a special birthday wish to the following special address: happybirthday.sonia@gmail.com. We thought it would be great if we could compile a bunch of greetings, congratulations, wishes, prayers & blessings to give to her. If you have any words of wisdom, love or whatever you would like share with Sonia on her big day, please don't hesitate to write a short note! I'm certain she would appreciate your thoughtfulness!

BLESSINGS

Praise God for continued progress in the moving & packing department.

We thank God for eighteen years of Sonia!!! Please join with us in praising God for her faith and life.

PETITIONS

The "yard sale" was postponed yet again. Please pray that everything we need to part with will be taken in the next few days (we desperately need the room, especially with Sonia's party coming up on the 5th)!

Please continue to pray for improved family health. Deena has a worse case of the chicken pox than did her older sister. Please pray that she will continue to persevere!

Please remember to pray for a buyer for our home.

Remember Sonia in prayer as she (more formally) makes the transition from child to adult. May she grow into a godly woman!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that the Russian word for Sunday is Voskreshenie (Resurrection)? It's wonderful to be reminded of Easter every Sunday (as the early believers did)!!!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 26|03|07

2007-03-26T14:24:00.000-05:00

GOING, GOING...

...almost gone! This past week has seen a steady stream of potential buyers come through our door (often with just a few minutes warning), so it certainly looks more hopeful that a buyer may be found before we have to depart.

Tonight Lena & I emptied the girls' bookshelf, cupboards & closet. Tomorrow everything but their bed will leave, meaning we will have almost no place to store things except for our suitcases. At least this will help us see how much we'll be able to fit, and how much more we'll have to either get rid of or try to store at Nina's.

In other news chicken pox came and went (for now). Maya is still covered with spots but after finding relief with oatmeal baths (despite the strict orders of the local doctor not to bathe Maya at all for 10 days) she is doing fine. Sonia took ill shortly after Maya, but it seemed to be more of a flu than anything. Today Sonia forced herself to school so that she could get closer to finishing her final project. Deena remains healthy, but of course may still be harbouring "the pox". Time will tell...

Thank you for keeping us in prayer during this hectic time. We're trying hard to keep our heads above water during these final three weeks, but it's a challenge some times to get the dishes washed before bed (to say nothing of the laundry)! We truly appreciate your prayers!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Well, we have a home! (For now, at least!) The mobile home that was made available to us last fall for storage will remain available to us until autumn. While the home is a bit small for us, it is a short walk to my parent's home and halfway between Brandon & Winnipeg, meaning that we will be conveniently situated. The search for a permanent home, schools and future employment will commence once we land and get over jet lag. We are very thankful for all who are helping my parents to prepare our home and are providing needed household items and food for our family.

BLESSINGS

Praise God for continued progress in the moving & packing department. Tomorrow the second-last batch of available furniture will pass out of our doors, leaving us with lots of floor space for our many suitcases.

Thank you for praying for Maya over the past week. She is doing much better and has all but forgotten about her recent "miserable existence". ;-)

PETITIONS

The "yard sale" was postponed due to ill health in our home, so this Saturday (the 31st) will be it. Please pray that everything we need to part with will be taken (we desperately need the room)!

Please continue to pray for good family health. Sonia is almost back to full health (her very nasty cough remains).

Please remember to pray for a buyer for our home.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Russian law prevents the sale of our property until we can either provide a new home for our under-16 children or unless we can show that we are leaving the country? The law states that every child must be registered in a legal residence, and people cannot sell a home without first giving up their registration. So until we have a new home (or leave Russia), we cannot sell ours! (Although we can, of course, have a few weeks of "temporary un-registration".)

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 19|03|07

2007-03-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

MOVING ON

This past week has been filled with selling & moving. No, our apartment has not been sold yet, but only Maya & Deena still have beds left, and much of the other furniture in our home is now elsewhere!

In the midst of our packing & shuffling Maya contracted chicken pox! She went to bed Sunday night with one known spot and woke spot covered. Lena & I are the only ones in our family that have had chicken pox before, so we're holding our breath as we wait to see if Deena & Sonia will join the club! Such fun!!!

Even with all the commotion we've been blessed by the visits of numerous good friends. We are very thankful for all the godly people God has placed in our lives during our time in St. Petersburg.

Your continued prayers and support and most appreciated!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Less than four weeks to go! As we get closer to our arrival we will be posting a list of semi-urgent needs for our "landing". Stay tuned!

BLESSINGS

Praise God for good progress in moving & packing. We still have a lot of things in our home, so we'll be having a big "sale" (most of it will be given away) this coming Saturday.

Our staff safely returned from a busy, but blessed time in Moscow. Thank you for your prayers.

PETITIONS

Maya's health is primary concern right now. Please pray that she will rest peacefully and will not be bothered too much by the itchiness of chicken pox.

Please pray for continued good health for our family, especially for Deena & Sonia.

We are still trying to find a buyer for our home! We are confident that the sale will take place, but we'd simply prefer it if takes place sooner! :-)

DID YOU KNOW...

...that the local doctor told Lena today that since Maya has chicken pox, she should not be bathed for ten days???

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 13|03|07

2007-03-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

THE FINAL MONTH

It's official! The five of us are coming to Canada on April 15th. This afternoon I paid Lufthansa a princely sum to transport our family and a portion of our material goods for five sets of air tickets. Here's our itinerary:

Depart St. Petersburg at 1430; arrive in Frankfurt at 1525
Depart Frankfurt at 1700; arrive in Toronto at 1945
Pause for passport control, immigration processing, baggage claim, baggage check-in...and perhaps time for coffee with friends!
Depart Toronto at 2155; arrive in Winnipeg at 2328

All of this is Lord willing, of course! With Nina's willingness to complete the sale of our apartment in our absence, and with most of our belongings either sold or spoken for, we are almost ready to leave Russia.

This past week has been a whirlwind of people either calling or dropping in to ask about what's available. We had planned a fairly large (indoor) yard sale, but it looks like most things are claimed already! Yesterday we were surprised by the quick sale of our bedroom set (a buyer needed it immediately, and begged us to sell our mattress, which we had hoped to hang on to until next month!), leaving us with a completely empty bedroom! So for the next four weeks Lena and I will sleep on the couch while our room becomes a packing zone. Deena is still a bit anxious about all the disappearing items—yesterday she asked me if someone was going to take our toilet!

Thank you for your prayers for our family during this exciting, crazy time,

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Thank you to all who are helping us to find a temporary home in Manitoba. We hope to be able to decide on a place soon. Please continue to pray for our "safe landing" in Canada. It will certainly be a big adjustment for us all!

BLESSINGS

Thank God that we were able to purchase the needed air tickets in time!

We are thankful that so many of our things have found new homes. We have been trying to "stretch out the blessings" by giving away the many things others had previously given to us. Thank you for all of your generous gifts to us over the years, and know that the blessing will continue!

PETITIONS

We are still hoping to find a buyer for our apartment before we depart. It would be wonderful if a Christian family were to take our place in this neighbourhood. Pray that it may be so!

Please continue to pray for CCI/Russia staff in Moscow as they complete the meetings and training of future leaders.

For the third time in as many weeks Deena has (mildly) injured her neck. Tomorrow Lena will take her to a specialist to have her examined. Deena is not a great fan of doctors, so please pray that the appointment will go well and that there will be no further injuries to her neck.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that the March 11 municipal elections in Russia were the first under the new "streamlined" rules? Gone is the minimum turnout limit (less than 34% turned out in St. Petersburg, well under the old limit that would have rendered the election void), the "against all" option (the old rule allowed for a win for "against all" to disqualify all candidates)(though some 37,500 voters defaced their ballot in protest) and the independent candidates (now all vote-seekers must be members of "approved" political parties). Lena did cast her vote (the party she voted for came in last), but like many Russians (a majority it seems) feels it hardly matters. With President Putin personally appointing governors and the two main political parties openly supporting Putin it doesn't look good for democracy in Russia.

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 05|03|07

2007-03-05T14:44:00.000-06:00

FINALLY HERE!!!

Lena & Sonia finally have their Canadian immigration visas!!! Last Friday Pony Express delivered two envelopes to our door. Inside were the Russian foreign passports with shiny new Canadian visas inside! Also included was an info sheet (answering many of the questions that we've had for months) and two large forms which the girls will exchange for permanent residence cards once they enter Canada.

While the visas allow our family to remain here for another nine months, the wheels have long been in motion for the "big move". As we prepare to part with most of our material possessions, sell our apartment and relocate across the ocean, please continue to uphold us in prayer.

Thank you for your continued support & encouragement!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

With the visas in hand, we now need to focus on where we will be living come April 15. Several people have kindly offered us places to stay in the southern Manitoba countryside, but for a number of reasons we are likely going to try to rent a home in Portage la Prairie instead. Since our family will be coming to a "new world" as such, we will need to be close to family (my parents live just south of Portage and my sister and her family live in nearby Oakville) for support reasons. And because we will need to explore school and home options we will need to be able to travel easily (requiring the services of family babysitters). So...while we appreciate the home offers and "for sale" notifications, we will settle for a humble residence in a centrally-located humble city! In the meantime, please keep us in mind when hearing of possible homes in the not-too-distant future.

BLESSINGS

Praise God for the safe arrival of the visas. It's been a very long time coming, but we are simply grateful they're here! Thank you for praying!!!

People continue to offer us needed furniture and appliances for our Canadian home. Thank you to all who have helped!

We are very thankful for improved health for our family. Thank you for praying!

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for a buyer for our apartment. As time passes without a sale it becomes more stressful for Nina (please keep her in your prayers too!).

Please remember CCI/Russia staff in Moscow as they meet and plan future ministry.

With six weeks to go before I leave Russia (and only three weeks until my official departure from CCI/Russia), I have a new office replacement to train. Please pray for Denis as I try to prepare him to take over the hands-on aspects of the IT Manager job. Pray especially that we will understand each other clearly as his English comprehension is practically non-existent!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Lena graduated from university in 1988 with a teacher's degree? During her five years of study she completed twenty-five different courses, all with the highest possible scores. Notable courses among them:

The History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Philosophy of Marxism-Leninism
Political economy
Scientific atheism

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 28|02|07

2007-02-28T14:15:00.000-06:00

APRIL 15, 2007...

...is the day that my Russian visa expires. Since it makes little sense to go through the trouble and expense of applying for a new visa just to leave Russia, we have decided that this will be the day that we will depart from Russia as a family. For the last several days as a family we've been discussing our impending move (hence the lateness of this newsletter). Our biggest concern was having to leave with (possibly) our home unsold. Today Nina surprised us by offering to act on our behalf and finalize the legal matters if needed. What an answer to prayer! Now we can set a firm departure date and prepare to leave without having to be concerned about any delays in selling our home.

Thank you for upholding us in prayer!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Tomorrow will mark two weeks since Lena & Sonia handed over their passports to Pony Express for delivery to the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. What we thought would be a simple, quick process of picking up the visas (judging by the price they charged!) has turned out to be another long wait. Will we ever see the visas??? ;-) Hmm, perhaps Pony Express uses real ponies...?

BLESSINGS

Praise God for a growing pile of prepared documents. We are now preparing for bureaucracy in Canada by getting important documents translated. Birth certificates, diplomas and more need to be readable on the other side of the ocean!

We are very thankful for all of the encouragement and congratulations we have received over the past weeks. Thank you all for your kind words & prayers!

PETITIONS

Sickness seems to be coming upon us! Today Deena had a high temperature and both Lena & I seem to be coming down with colds. Please pray for health and healing for our family.

Please continue to pray for a buyer for our apartment. It's not the best time of the year to sell real estate right now, but hopefully we will be contacted soon by a potential buyer.

Beginning March 6, CCI/Russia will be hosting three important events in Moscow:

March 6-9: CCI/Russia Ministry Strategic Planning
March 12-16: Camp Director's Institute instructors training course
March 18: Camper's New Testament planning session

Please pray for the CCI/Russia board and staff as they will be joined by regional and other leaders to plan and prepare for future ministry.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that I finally attended a hockey game in Russia? Together with Lena and several staff from the CCI/Russia office we helped cheer the local team SKA on to victory! This was the next best thing to an NHL game—the Russian Super League is the premier Russian hockey league. As impressive as that sounds, I couldn't help but find more comparisons with minor league hockey. But it was a lot of fun nevertheless! Lots of photos can be viewed over at Flickr. Some interesting things I noticed:

Almost no one sang the national anthem
The scoreboard displayed only the most basic of information and the video screens showed no replays and only once an animation
The game featured very few bodychecks and no fights
The referees and linesmen were skating bank advertisements

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 20|02|07

2007-02-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

BEING JESUS

During this month's Christian Camping Leaders Conference I listened to a camp director from Estonia share about how a first-time counselor impacted a young boy's life. The director told how a certain camper had been completely overwhelmed by the love and compassion shown by the camp staff, particularly that of his counselor, Valentine. One day the boy asked his him, "Are you Jesus?" Taken aback, Valentine answered, "No, but I am trying to be."

I can very much relate to this young Estonian boy. Going to camp as a boy in Canada I remember well how my counselors showed Christ's love to me. I recall little of the fun activities, Bible lessons, food and chapel talks. But what remains vivid in my mind these 30-odd years later is how my counselors treated me. Young men like Larry Schmidt, Brent Petkau & Harry Froese truly were Jesus to me.

There are countless children & youth who need us to be Jesus to them. Praise God for my counselors who encouraged and inspired me to follow Christ. Praise God for men like Valentine who prayerfully accept the call to volunteer at camps in the former Soviet Union. Pray that many more godly men & women will heed Christ's command to "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 35)

May we all strive to not simply be like Jesus, but to be Jesus to those who need Him the most!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

P.S. In case you missed it, I just sent out a four-page Hamm's Headings in which I shared in greater detail about our upcoming move. If you didn't receive the newsletter this past Sunday, you can read it online at http://hh.myinjesus.com. As well, you can easily receive future issues by sending a blank email to hh-subscribe@myinjesus.com.

COMING TO CANADA

I've been trying to prepare Maya & Deena (particularly the latter) for our impending move. During evening prayers I've encouraged them to pray for someone to buy our home so that we can move to Canada. Deena is having a hard time comprehending all of this. Today when I told we want to sell our apartment, she said, "but then we'll be outside!". When I reminded her that we were going to take an airplane to Canada to live there she said, "but where's the airplane? I don't see it!" Admittedly it's a bit hard for us adults to see how it will all work out as well. Please pray for us during this time!

Speaking of Canada, please don't hesitate to contact my parents, Jake & Elsie (204-857-3802 or jakehamm@mts.net) if you think you might have something we might need for our new home. Thank you to all who have helped so far!

BLESSINGS

We are very thankful for all of the encouragement and congratulations we have received over the past week. Thank you all for your kind words & prayers!

PETITIONS

Municipal elections are being held in Russia on March 11. Many Russians believe that elections are becoming a farce in this country. Please pray for fair elections and honest, upright representation for the Russian people.

Please pray that our home will find a buyer. Or the other way around. ;-) Regardless, this is the one major thing that needs to take place before we can come to Canada.

Just when we thought Deena had recovered from her neck injury last week (thank you for praying!), she hurt it again! Please continue to pray for her healing and safety.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that a school principal in a small town in the Urals has been charged under anti-piracy laws? He apparently permitted the installation of pirated versions of Microsoft software on 12 school computers and is therefore being made an example. This kind of piracy is common here—Sonia did all of her school computer lab work using pirated software, and rare is the Russian home or business that doesn't use the widely-available and inexpensive CD-ROMs!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points (VISAS!!!) - 13|02|07

2007-02-13T14:07:00.000-06:00

COMING TO CANADA...REALLY!!!

Today THE letter arrived from the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. "Your visas are ready to be picked up" is essentially what it read, precisely the news we've been waiting for for over a year! Praise the Lord!!! Tomorrow Lena will bring the passports to Pony Express so they can pick up the visas for us (it's less expensive than Lena travelling to Moscow herself to go to the Embassy).

Now begins the process of putting our apartment up for sale, selling some appliances and furniture, giving away toys & books and packing whatever we can fit into ten suitcases!

Oh yes, the Christian Camping Leaders Conference was a great success, with over three hundred participants from across the former Soviet Union and beyond. There is much to report, but for now please take a look at photos on Flickr from the six-day event!

Since there is so much to tell, I will save more writing for the next issue of Hamm's Headings, which I'll try to put out this week. If you are not already subscribed to our "summary" newsletter (or simply aren't certain that you are), please send a blank email to hh-subscribe@myinjesus.com.

Thank you for your prayers throughout the long process...and please don't stop praying now!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Yes we are! Now that we know we are coming in the near future, the scrambling begins. While we wrap things up here, my Dad & Mom are busy organizing our newly-collected belongings in Portage la Prairie. The mobile home that we were given to use for the winter has become simply a storage facility, and since by the end of next month we have to move out, my parents will have to find another place to store our things. Our course we'll need a home to live in once we come, so we are looking for three- (or more) bedroom homes that we could rent or house-sit in from the end of March/early April until we can find a more permanent home.

We will soon update you on further happenings & needs pertaining to our arrival in Canada!

BLESSINGS

Praise God that the visa process has been completed successfully. It feels a bit strange now that the wait is over, but we are so very thankful for all who encouraged us & prayed for us during this time.

The 2007 CCLC was wonderful. We thank God for His provision and blessing on the conference!

Our deficit with MBMSI has been paid off!!! Praise God for the many who gave generously over the past few months to help us start the year in the black. While we're encouraged by this development, we are still only receiving 75% of our salary, so we definitely need your continued support.

PETITIONS

Please pray for our preparations & packing. The biggest question for us is when will our home sell. If we can sell it soon, we can be in Canada before the end of March. Please pray that we will be able to sell our apartment at a good price in good time.

Deena injured her neck this past week, thankfully not too seriously. Please pray for her continued healing and for safety in our home.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that one of the biggest hassles of travelling to Russia is apparently easy to avoid? Every foreigner crossing into Russia must complete a migration card that subsequently must be registered at their place of stay. This costly process seems to be for naught: for the past six exits from Russia I've never been asked to show my migration card! (Of course, someday the authorities may come looking for me, wondering why I've never "left" Russia!)

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 29|01|07

2007-01-29T14:59:00.000-06:00

THE LONG STRETCH

Today is the start of a fifteen-day work week for CCI/Russia staff. From now through February 9 we will be pausing only for sleep as we complete the preparations for the Christian Camping Leaders Conference, move three van loads from the office to the conference site and run the six-day event!

We're all excited to again be part of our annual conference and are looking forward to incoming day. Until then we will be scrambling to prepare the registration material, welcome packages, CD & DVDs for distribution, packing lists, silent auction items, teacher's handouts, testing materials, certificates and so much more!

The only downside to the conference is the fact that we will have to leave our families behind in St. Petersburg. On only one previous occasion was Lena able to participate fully. With Nina unable to manage the household in our absence, Lena will have to remain home during this time.

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry of Christian Camping International/Russia!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

News! Confirmation that our paperwork had reached the Canadian Embassy in Moscow finally arrived this past Friday. Now that we know that the paperwork has arrived safely we again go into patiently-waiting mode as we pray the documentation sent will satisfy those in charge of our case. Please keep the visa process in your prayers—we really don't know what will come next, but we pray that the next thing we'll hear is "Your visas are ready for pickup"!!!

BLESSINGS

Praise God that the immigration paperwork arrived in Moscow.

Sonia is getting closer! Today she finished (more or less) a pair of elaborate silver earrings. She has one more major project to complete before she can recive her diploma.

PETITIONS

Pray that the "proof" (a letter from MBMSI) that was sent to Moscow will satisfy the authorities that I will return to Canada with my family.

Please continue to uphold our office staff in prayer as we make the final prepartions for the conference and make the move to the site this weekend.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that weather reports in Russia state the wind speed in metres per second? To make matters worse for foreigners, they don't mention the windchill factor!

...that the Canadian Consulate here in St. Petersburg is closing at the end of February? This will be a real hardship for local residents (like Nina!) who will want to apply for tourist visas to Canada.

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 22|01|07

2007-01-22T14:23:00.000-06:00

WE (HEART) SNOW!

Winter has come back to St. Petersburg. While we may live at the 60th parallel in Russia, that doesn't mean that we have a "real" winter! Too often our winters are simply cold & rainy, but once in a while we get enough snow to cover the dirt of the city!

Work is pretty busy right now with lots of preparation for the conference. Meanwhile Lena is starting a new project for Canadian LifeLight Ministries: she is translating the Lion Graphic Bible into Russian.

Thank you for your faithful prayers & support of our ministry!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

No news is...no news! We're still waiting for confirmation that our paperwork has reached Moscow. We're but a few weeks away from the ultimatum that the Embassy laid down for us in December. Without those documents our application will be denied and we will have to begin all over again. Please keep the visa process in your prayers!

BLESSINGS

Good health has returned to our home! Thank you for praying for Lena over the past week.

It looks like sleep habits have also improved in our home. Your prayers are appreciated!

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for the upcoming (Feb. 4-9) Christian Camping Leaders Conference. We have eleven days until our staff leave for the conference site, and there is still lots of preparation to do. Please pray for good health and plenty of energy for our staff of eight as we sprint toward the conference start date.

Sonia is hoping to complete her jewellery studies by sometime next month. She still has several tasks and a major project to complete before she is given her diploma. Please pray that she will be able to finish well.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Soviet bus stops were, well, "unique"? I've seen a lot of interesting ones in my travels, but this site showcases some of the best (or worst). Enjoy!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 16|01|07

2007-01-16T13:05:00.000-06:00

HAPPY OLD NEW YEAR!!!

Russians love saying that each year at this time! January 14th was of course the first day of 2007 for those (read: Eastern Orthodox churches) who follow the old Julian calendar. Celebrating two Christmases and two New Years is perfectly fine for holiday-hungry Russians! Now that we have entered the second half of January/New Year, a regular work schedule will finally resume in this country.

Our office staff of eight have been working diligently during this time, preparing in earnest for the upcoming winter camping conference. Following is the conference course list, giving you a good idea what is in store for the 300+ pastors, camp directors and other senior camping leaders:

Track 1: Camp Director I

Basic Camp Directors Course
Legal Aspects of Camp Management
Strategic Planning

Track 2: Camp Director II

Staff Performance Analysis and Evaluation
Staff Interviews
Effective Ministry Principles: Start with Yourself
Beyond Time Management

Track 3: Program Leader I

Basic Program Leaders Course
Vital Principles of Working with Campers
Effective Bible Lessons

Track 4: Program Leader II

Advanced Program Leaders Course
Generating Ideas
Motivating Staff
Developing Camp Staff

Track 5: Spiritual Counselor I

Spiritual Counseling
Helping Victims of Accidents and Natural Disasters
Sowing and Reaping Spiritual Fruit in a Child

Track 6: Spiritual Counselor II

Teaching Campers to Forgive
Christ, the Fulfillment of the Law and Prophets

Track 7: Special Campers

Campers from Orphanages
Deviant Behavior in Campers
Campers with Special Needs

Track 8: Youth & Young Adults Ministry

Ministering to Young People in Camp and Church
Youth Camps
Youth Subculture Peculiarities
Extreme Projects for Youth

Track 9: Regional Seminars

Course for Regional Seminar Program Leaders
Seminar for Regional Seminar Group Leaders
Regional Seminar Logistics and Academic Program

Minor Courses

Photo Ministry in Camp
Building Camper Relationships
Tent Camps
Winter Camps
Code Sign Camp for Boys
Day Camps
Round Table for Pastors
Owning Your Own Campsite
Family Camps
All Camp Games
Tent Camp Ideas
How to Avoid Burn-Out in Ministry
Camp Territory Activities
Night Games
Video Salon

As you can see, there is a lot planned! Please remember in prayer our academic team and all the instructors, the majority of whom come from Russia and the CIS.

Thank you for upholding the ministry of CCI/Russia in prayer!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Here is where we're at: All of the newly-requested papers have been sent to the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. We have not yet received verification of the arrival of said documents (those sent by registered mail), nor do we know if the medical tests have already been processed and sent to Moscow (from St. Petersburg they were sent to London for processing). We trust that the documents we have sent will satisfy those handling Lena & Sonia's case. For now there is nothing more to do but pray & patiently wait some more!

Once we receive further news from Moscow, we will have to start things moving:

Our apartment will be put on the market in hopes that it will quickly sell.
Most of our furniture and appliances will be sold, given away or brought to Nina's apartment for her personal use (those she can fit into her tiny one-room apartment!).
All that we are keeping will have to be packed into suitcases for transport to Canada, shipped directly to Canada (if we can find feasible means of doing so) or packed for storage until we can retrieve it later.

Please continue to remember the visa process and our preparations in prayer!

BLESSINGS

Snow has finally come to St. Petersburg! It's not much, but it covers the dirt nicely...

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for the February 4-9 CCI/Russia Christian Camping Leaders Conference. Pray that all those who plan to attend the conference will be able to do so (many are struggling to find the finances needed), and that the remaining conference staff will be found to fill positions in hospitality and instructor services.

Lena has been very ill for the past two days. As I write this a doctor is on her way to our home (praise God that house calls still exist in Russia!). Please pray for her healing and for comfort during this trial.

After three days of normal sleep after our trip, delayed jet lag has seemingly set in. Maya especially has had trouble sleeping through the night, which of course affects the rest of our sleep. Please pray for better sleep patterns to develop in our home.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that some of things I'm getting used to not seeing in St. Petersburg include vending machines, newspaper dispensers, drivers who stop for pedestrians, clerks who make small talk, stores that give treats to children and charity drives/donation boxes (or even evidence that there are such things are charities!)...just to name a few!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 11|01|07

2007-01-11T12:50:00.000-06:00

THANK YOU, CANADA!

Or "Gift Canada" as Maya put it one day after receiving yet another gift from a complete stranger (this time from the Post Office).

What a wonderful time Maya & I had in Manitoba! The weather was unbelievable and God provided amazingly through His people. We were showered with gifts and blessed by nearly everyone we met. It was of course difficult to be away from Lena & the girls during this time, but God cared for us all. Despite some ill health, Maya & I thoroughly enjoyed our time with Canadian family & friends.

I should add that the "time with friends" part was minimal, due mainly to lack of good health on our part. We would have loved to have been able to take more people up on their invites but it was not to be.

Thank you to all who prayed for our family especially during our time in Canada. We will share in more detail about some of the blessings we received when we resume our regular publishing schedule.

May God continue to use you to bless others!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Now major news to share...yet! Please keep praying!

BLESSINGS

Praise God for a safe return journey! We had no difficulty with our flights or (whew!) with Russian customs.

Lena, Sonia, Deena & Nina had a safe and enjoyable Christmas during our absence. Prais God for His protection and care.

Thank God for the many gifts we received during our time in Canada. Most of our financial needs were met by the generous hearts of God's people!

PETITIONS

Please pray for preparations for the upcoming CCI/Russia Christian Camping Leaders Conference, to be held north of St. Petersburg February 4-9. There is much to get ready, and our staff of eight are in the thick of preparations. Please remember them in your prayers.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Russian passport control stamps the passports of all Russian citizens? I've never had my passport stamped by Canadian authorities, so I guess that the Russian practice is unusual...

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.

Hamm Prayer Points - 19|12|06

2006-12-19T19:01:00.000-06:00

TWO WORLDS, ONE FAMILY

We made it! Almost twenty-four hours from start to finish (I should have taken a picture of Lena braiding Maya's hair at 3:10 in the morning!) we made it to Canada. Praise the Lord and thank you all for praying for the journey!!!

So far the adjustment has gone well, with Maya quickly adapting to life on the other side of the planet. Jet lag has been a bit of an issue for us both tho, with a few mornings starting just after 4! Health-wise we're doing fairly well, but I'm still not over my cold (or whatever) and Maya hit a bit of a low on Sunday with a bout of the 24-hour flu. Thankfully she's better now, especially since neither us Canadian citizens can get any free health care from the system!!!

There has been a lot of other adjustments for me, however. It's been two and a half years since I last set foot on Canadian soil, and seven years since I've been here for Christmas! Renewing my driver's license was a cinch, but getting used to sitting behind the wheel took a bit of getting used to. It's been a treat to be able to stand in line without being pushed or jostled and be greeted with a smile when you reach the counter. Talk about culture shock! ;-)

Being together with family again has been so wonderful. Extended family has also been a true blessing. From the moment we arrived people have been so good to us! One couple even told us that they were foregoing giving each other Christmas presents so that they could help us financially during this time. God is so good!!!

Please feel free to contact us while we're in Manitoba; most times you should be able to reach us at my parents' home (204 857-3802). We'd love to hear from you!

Wishing you a blessed Christmas filled with Christ's peace & joy,

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

P.S. I will be sharing at the Community Fellowship Church in Newton this coming Sunday morning (December 24). We'd love to see you there!

COMING TO CANADA

Two of us may be here already, but it's just temporary. It looks like Lena was able to get the needed papers much earlier than we expected, so with the medical tests on their way to London for processing, we are hopeful that the Canadian Embassy in Moscow will have all the requested paperwork by early January. So when will we see to visas? Immigration Canada isn't giving us any hints, but we figure that since it took eight months of processing for them to ask for more paperwork, we should be near the end of the "ordeal". ;-) We think there's good hope that by February all should be done, meaning that by March or April we should be ready to make the move. Please keep praying!!!

BLESSINGS

Praise God for a safe and manageable journey! Maya travelled better than expected and we made our connections without too much difficulty.

Lena underwent minor surgery this past week and came home is good shape. We are very thankful that Nina was able to care for Deena during this time.

Thank God for the many gifts we have received since our arrival in Canada. We have a great many needs, and it is so encouraging to see God's people respond. One family is even sending money to help Lena make a special Christmas meal.

PETITIONS

Please pray for God's continued protection on Lena, Sonia, Deena & Nina in St. Petersburg. Pray also for their health, especially Deena's as she has been battling a cold for almost as long as me.

Maya & I will need your continued prayers as we experience new food and new situations. This truly is a different world for us! Pray also for our health and safety, especially since we cannot easily get assistance from local health institutions.

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 http://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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 11|12|06

2006-12-11T12:47:00.000-06:00

GOD'S PLANS, NOT OURS!

What a week! Last Monday we were set on staying home for a quiet Christmas, with hopes that the visas would be ready by year-end and we would have the opportunity to have a late Christmas with our Canadian family. Such simple plans!

On Tuesday we received the news of the visa delay: more documents needed (one is proving difficult to obtain) and a complete re-do of all the medical tests (at great expense to us)! With a narrow window of opportunity available, we all decided that sending Maya & I to Canada for Christmas would be in our best interests.

On Wednesday we managed to get tickets online, and just this afternoon, with a few hours before we are to be at the airport, we received the tickets by courier! Whew! It's now evening for us, and we'll have to be up just after 3 a.m. in order to get to the airport on time. Maya is asleep, the bags are packed and I am ready to hit the hay once this is sent.

It certainly is a crazy life we lead, but we are confident that God knows what's best for our family. We are all very tired, somewhat confused, but ultimately resting in the arms of our Heavenly Father. Thank you for encouraging us to trust in Him!

Please feel free to contact us while we're in Manitoba; you should be able to reach us at my parents' home (204 857-3802) or by email. We'd love to hear from you!

Your prayers for our journey are of course coveted. Pray for Maya that she will travel well (she tends to suffer from motion sickness) and pray that our flight connections work out (we have only an hour in Montreal). Strength for me is needed, particularly as I'm still not feeling well, and as I have to move all the luggage by myself. Thank you for praying!

Blessings on you all,

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

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!)

2006-12-04T12:34:00.000-06:00

HANGING IN THERE

Sorry for the absence, but I've been waaaaay under the weather for the past ten days. I seem to be doing a bit better, but I'm still without a voice (I haven't spoken a word out loud for seven days). Every time I even whisper or use my throat, I end up coughing and coughing. Needless to say, this means a lot more work for Lena as my attempts at communicating with hand signals aren't too effective with Maya & Deena! ;-)

While I'm staying home from work, I am able to do a little extra packing. We finally made the decision not to unpack our Christmas decorations. We had such hopes of setting up our Russian decorations in Canada this year! Oh well... Since we still had our tree accessible (purchased from The Bay in 1999 with gift certificates from dear relatives) we decided to make our own Christmas tree decorations this year. Yesterday afternoon Lena & Maya got busy and created sixteen different ornaments for the tree.

Almost two weeks ago we received our first Christmas card, as usual from a very faithful supporter, Hilla Funk. I can't think of a Christmas in Russia in which her Christmas card hasn't been either the first or second one received! It is so wonderful to be able to share the blessings of this season with our true "extended family". Praise God for His Gift and for the privilege to be able to celebrate as one family!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

By now the chances of our family coming to Canada in 2006 are very slim. Even if the visas are ready tomorrow, it will take us some time to get everything ready: our home needs to be "fully" put up for sale, we have mounds of things to sell or give away, things to move to Nina's, packing, etc. By then we will surely be unable to fly before the Christmas high season, so we are pretty much resigned to staying put for the next month or two regardless of when the visas arrive. Still, we're coming, Lord willing! Thank you for continuing to pray for us and for the visa process. Yes, it is taking a long time, but the process is still within the given time frame. When the time finally comes for the visas to be granted, we pray that all will be ready!

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from previous weeks! Maya's health is almost 100%. She has resumed her studies at school (she attends classes just 3 times a week) and is happy to be able to play outside again.

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for preparations for the February 4-9 winter camping conference. Mailings containing information packets and application forms are being prepared for distribution to the far reaches of the former Soviet Union. Please pray for our staff as they prepare for the conference.

Deena's health is thankfully not as bad as mine (or even as bad as Maya's was). Please pray for improved health in our family, especially for healing for Deena & yours truly.

Visa news would certainly be welcome!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that the Russian government categorizes farms in this way: agricultural enterprises, private household farms and private (peasant) farms? I'm not sure what these "peasant" farms are about, but they produce less than 3% of all Russian farms (2002 statistics).

...that the average Russian has 19.5 square metres of living space (2002 statistics)? This means that our family of five is living in the "less than average" category: we share 72 square metres, leaving an average of 14.4 per person. On the other hand, our family is double the size of the Russia norm...

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points 20|11|06

2006-11-20T14:20:00.000-06:00

LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MISSIONARIES

So who is harder to save? A Russian, a Jew or a Muslim? The answer: None of the above! It is "the grace of God that brings salvation" (Titus 2:11). Salvation is God's work, not ours. By God's grace each of us are able to partake in His holiness. It cannot be any easier or more difficult for Almighty God to save me or you or anyone else to whom His grace extends. Often we missionaries see ourselves in the role of the "doers" while those who stay home are the "supporters". The truth is that it is not any of our "work" that brings about salvation.

God is not waiting on mission committees to develop new strategies for reaching the lost. He isn't stuck waiting on new workers to be trained and sent to the field. He can't be held up waiting for fund raising events to bring in the needed cash. Rather He has called us all of us to join with Him through intercession and prayer for the lost. Quite simply it is God's work to save and ours to get in tune with His will.

"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved." (Romans 10:1 NIV) The Apostle Paul was called as a missionary to the gentiles, but his real ministry was to the Jews through His prayers. It is prayer that brings us in tune with the will of God and from there the salvation of the world.

What is your prayer? What is your part in missions? For which country, region or people group are you petitioning the Lord for salvation? Consider carefully your role as a true missionary!

May we all be found faithful in the service of our Lord!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

"Will we come for Christmas?" is the big question in our family right now. With no visas in sight and the Christmas travel "high season" fast approaching we are wondering if we'll have to dig out the Christmas decorations from their very well-packed box. (It's hard to believe that it was ten months ago that we started packing for Canada...sigh!) It's hard to look at the calendar (not to mention the damp, dreary darkness of an approaching St. Petersburg winter) and not be somewhat discouraged. However, the good news is that none of this is in our hands! We gave the immigration process to God over a year ago and He will certainly bring it to a conclusion in His good time.

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last week! Thank you for praying for the Christian Camping Leaders Conference planning meeting last week. Twelve regional leaders and board members joined our eight staff members for three days of intensive prayer and planning. Meeting accomplishments included brainstorming about the theme "All My Springs Are in You" (taken from Psalm 87:7), logistics planning, academic program development, the appointing of leaders and giving a "test run" to the conference Bible study program. There are still many things to be done before the February 4-9 conference, but we give thanks to God for a wonderful time of preparation.

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for CCLC preparations. Specifically, please pray for:

creativity in planning,
a deeper commitment from conference leaders, and
greater unity and cohesivenesses among the leadership teams

Maya's health is still not back to normal. She has missed the entire month of school already and is fearful (not really) of not learning anything again. Please continue to pray for her healing.

Oh, for some word from Moscow... :-)

DID YOU KNOW...

...that today is my sister Kim's birthday? More significantly, our family has now missed seven of her last eight birthdays!!! Happy Birthday, Kim! Next year we'll be there for sure! ;-)

...that I have been prescribed a sure-fire cure for my aching joints? The good professor at the clinic I have been receiving treatment at suggests the following:

Boil two unpeeled potatoes in water, then drain. Mash the potatoes and add 50 grams of hot vodka. Mash again, then place the mixture onto a towel and wrap in plastic. Place the towel on the sore joint and leave in place for forty minutes.

I'll let you know if it works... ;-)

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 13|11|06

2006-11-14T04:35:00.000-06:00

COMING IN...MARCH 2007???

What a process we have begun! When we first started the immigration process for Lena & Sonia some 18 months ago we anticipated a relatively easy procedure. Little did we suspect that we would be living in such limbo! It has now been a year since we sent our application material to Canada. Here's a brief timeline of the process:

August-October 2005: Police reports, medical tests and lots of forms completed!
November 13, 2005: Thick package of documents sent via Finland to Canada.
December 8, 2005: Immigration Canada received our application.
January 12, 2006: Immigration Canada began processing our application.
March 28, 2006: Immigration Canada reached a decision about our application.
April 3, 2006: A letter arrives informing us that the application has been approved and Lena & Sonia's information has been forwarded to Moscow for visa processing.
May 3, 2006: We received a letter from the Canadian Embassy in Moscow informing us that they have received the paperwork and began processing visas on April 10. They told us that the process will take at least six months and that we should not contact them at all during the process.
September 2006: Hope that "at least six months" might mean "less than"!
October 2006: The great six-month milestone arrives...and passes without visas.
November 2006: We are reminded that the process can take "five to eleven months"!

At least life isn't dull! ;-) While we certainly would like the visas to arrive sooner rather than later, we are trying our best to completely rest in God's hands. As we (slowly) pack and distribute many of our possession to churches and friends, we continue to work with CCI/Russia and our local church. How ever long we'll have to wait is anyone's guess, but we won't stop moving forward with the work God has called us to do!

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers and for providing us the financial means to serve!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Visas or no visas, we are certainly receiving more & more things for our future home! We are very thankful for all of the people who have given generously to supply us with a wealth of used (and sometimes almost-new) household items. If you have anything to offer to help meet our remaining needs, please contact us directly, or my parents at jakehamm@mts.net.

And of course, please keep praying for visa news to arrive!

BLESSINGS

Sonia is enjoying her new jewellery school, and we are all very thankful that it is located so lose to our home! The school is located less than fifteen minutes walk from our home—almost across from the CCI/Russia office! Being able to walk to school every day means that Sonia doesn't have to pay for public transport (a good thing, especially since she still doesn't have a job) and she is able to come home much earlier.

PETITIONS

Tomorrow morning (Nov. 14) eight CCI/Russia staff members (everyone but me) will be leaving for three days of planning for the 2007 winter conference. They will be joined by regional leaders for intensive planning, preparation and prayer. Please pray for God's blessings upon their decision-making and pray that they will make the best use of their time together.

On Wednesday Lena will be going to the clinic for some tests. Please pray that the doctors will be able to correctly diagnose what (if any) treatment she might need.

Maya has been sick with a cold for now two weeks. Please pray for improved health for her and for good continued health for the rest of us.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that a Russian woman successfully (well, sort of) sued Coca-Coca for causing a chronic health ailment? She had sued for 5,133 rubles, but only won 3,133 (134 CAD). Not happy with her small victory, she is now planning to sue for 3 million rubles (about 128,000 CAD)!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 06|11|06

2006-11-06T13:56:00.000-06:00

TWO YEARS AGO...

...was the last time my mother saw our entire family (Sonia travelled to Canada in 2005). My father, sister and her family (with the exception of my niece Mikayla) have never seen Deena, and haven't seen the rest of us (except me & Sonia) for over four years!!!

This visa process is starting to feel a wee bit long—it was one year ago that we sent the one-inch thick envelope on its' way to Immigration Canada. This week will mark seven months since the Embassy in Moscow said that they would start processing Lena & Sonia's visas.

While absence may make the heart grow fonder, we have also found that it makes for fading memories. In the four years since we last did "MINA" (Ministry in North America), our support level has steadily decreased. We urgently need for people to see us again so that we can share what God has been doing in our lives and in the lives of Russian believers! At this time we do not even have enough funds in our MBMSI account to purchase air tickets to Canada!

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers as we wait, and thank you for not forgetting about us!!!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Okay, tomorrow is 7-11. Surely a good sign about going to Canada! If Slurpees aren't enough of a sign, how about the fact that tomorrow marks 121 years since Canada's transcontinental railway was completed! Grasping at straws we certainly are... ;-)

Hopefully news about the visas will come soon (tomorrow!)—please keep praying!

BLESSINGS

It looks like things are finally coming together for CCI/Russia's 2007 conference. After nearly a months' delay, our staff will be joined by several key regional leaders to plan the February conference. The meetings will be held November 14-17. Please keep these meetings in your prayers!

Lena has had a few more opportunities to use her hairdressing skills over the past week. She appreciates the practice and the extra money certainly helps!

PETITIONS

Visa news (of course)! Please pray that some news will come soon!

Maya has been sick with a cold for most of the past week. Please pray for improved health for her and for good continued health for the rest of us.

We still have a long way to go before our MBMSI deficit is paid off. Even with a 75% reduction in salary we have a lot of ground to make up. Recently we lost another supporter to "pensioner limitations". Please continue to pray for our financial needs and consider whether you could be a part of the solution. More information about our support needs can be found at www.krhamm.com/support, or by contacting us.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that eighty-nine years ago today the Bolsheviks launched the Russian Revolution? While the current administration has tried to downplay this and other Soviet celebrations by "reconstructing" national holidays, somehow calling November 4th the "Day of Accord and Reconciliation" doesn't make you want to party...

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 30|10|06

2006-10-30T14:45:00.000-06:00

CANADIAN ARRIVALS

Sorry, not visas! Last Wednesday the long-awaited parcel from Grandpa & Grandma arrived. We had hopes that it would arrive in time for Maya's birthday in September, and then we were sure it would make it in time for Deena's birthday last week. Regardless, the ten-week wait was worth it as Maya & Deena happily unpacked lots of goodies: clothes, toys, books, gifts, food, treats, medications for Nina (a HUGE blessing) and more.

Many of the parcel contents had been sent originally in spring, with hopes it would arrive in time for Easter and Lena & Nina's May birthdays. Sadly, that parcel returned to Canada without ever reaching us (due to some mix-up), at great expense. It had been a long time since we had received a care package, so this was very special. As this will likely be our last parcel before we come to Canada, it was extra meaningful.

Thank you for faithfully upholding our family in prayer. It's been an emotional challenge for us these past few months, but God is good!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Hopefully news about the visas will come soon—please keep praying!

It seems the longer it takes for us to get to Canada, the more we are provided with! We are so thankful for all the help we have received from family and friends: we have been given many wonderful used furnishings and appliances in the last few weeks. Valuable help was also given by many to help load, transport and unload. It looks like our immediate needs for beds and furnishings have now been met. We would still appreciate the means to purchase several mattresses for our family (an almost-new mattress suitable for Sonia has already been given).

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last week! Sonia has been able to switch to a different jewellery school, one that is within walking distance of home! Now that the dark days of winter are upon us, not having to travel across town in the dark is a wonderful blessing for Sonia! (Pictured here is Sonia's latest creation—click the picture for more.)

We were able to send a few gifts and personal belongings along with a friend who was passing through town on his way back to Winnipeg. If anyone knows of helpful (read: with room in their suitcases) travellers passing though St. Petersburg on their way to Canada, we would appreciate knowing!

PETITIONS

Visa news (of course)! Please pray that some news will come soon!

CCI/Russia is in the process of interviewing candidates for the soon-to-be vacant position of Office Manager. Lena S., our current Office Manager, will be leaving our office in spring. Please pray that we will be able to find a capable replacement for her.

I recently visited a local physician to try and find out why I've been experiencing so much abdominal discomfort. The doctor's diagnosis was that I have an ulcer. He told me to buy five different types of herbal extracts (conveniently on sale in his office), which I was to take every morning after drinking 1.5 litres of water and vomiting. (I am passing on this advice for now.) Your prayers for my health are appreciated.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that when you go to the doctor for an appointment, some of the things you may be required to provide here in St. Petersburg include:

slippers (or baggies for your shoes),
sheets to put on the examination table, and/or
disposable syringes?

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 23|10|06

2006-10-23T14:53:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEENA!

Such a big girl! Yesterday (the 22nd) was the big day for Deena. Ever since big sister Maya's birthday three weeks ago Deena has been counting the days (as best as she is able) until her turn to be "big". I guess it can be tough having your birthday after everyone else's when you're the youngest.

We all enjoyed a great day of food, fun and presents. Deena greeted everyone with an enthusiastic "It's my birthday today!!!" It certainly was! As always, pictures of the big day are online on Flickr.

Thank you all for your prayers and support of our family over the three years of Deena's life. We look forward to the day when our family (and the rest of you) can finally meet Deena in Canada!!!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Eight days left in October, and still no word from the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. We're trying very hard to be patient!!! Hopefully news will come soon—please keep praying!

In the meantime, we have been receiving more and more offers of help with material needs for our arrival in Canada. It looks like much/most of our kitchen needs will be taken care of before we arrive. One thing we haven't mentioned before is the need for mattresses. We would really appreciate the means to purchase some new sleeping surfaces for our family upon our arrival.

BLESSINGS

Speaking of sleep, we received word from British Columbia that Shannon Wall and her daughters Nicole & Amanda have decided to make blankets for Maya & Deena as Christmas presents! We are very thankful and touched by their thoughtfulness.

Praise God for our dear daughter Deena! She was a surprise from the beginning, and we can't imagine ever getting tired of the joyful surprises she brings into our lives.

PETITIONS

Visa news (of course)! Please pray that some news will come soon!

While Sonia continues to look for a new part-time job she is considering switching to a different jewellery school. Please pray that she will make the right decision about school.

Please continue to pray for our financial needs. More information about our support is at www.krhamm.com/support.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that regular trolleybus service in St. Petersburg began on October 21, 1936? The first St. Petersburg trolleybus was actually test-driven on March 31, 1902. While trolleybus use is currently in decline, in 1990 the city had some 1300 trolleybuses running, carrying in excess of 550 million passengers per year.

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 Portable Document 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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 16|10|06

2006-10-16T14:30:00.000-05:00

CIRCUS!!!

Sunday afternoon we (Lena, Maya, Deena & I) had the opportunity to visit the Grand St. Petersburg Circus for what may be our last time. The girls love going to the circus, though we rarely go more than once a year. (For pics from our visit check out Flickr.)

It's quite the privilege to be able to live in such a culturally-rich city. Permanent circuses, ballets, symphonies, museums and puppet theatres abound! There is almost no end to the list of cultural attractions in St. Petersburg.

We will be sorry to leave our beloved "Piter", but we are thankful for the opportunities we've had to enjoy some of the city's treasures over the years.

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Patiently waiting... Still no word from the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. Hopefully news will come soon—please keep praying!

BLESSINGS

Praise God for the opportunity to serve in St. Petersburg. Despite the frustrations we've had living in the "Venice of the North" this city has been a source of endless wonder and adventure for our family.

We praise God for you, our friends and supporters! You continue to bless us in so many ways—thank you for continuing to stand by us as we wait and prepare for the changes to come.

PETITIONS

Visa news (of course! Please pray that some news will come soon!

Sonia is still looking for a new job. Please pray that she will be able to find a part-time job that will not interfere with her studies or require late-night travel.

Please continue to pray for our financial needs. More information about our support is at www.krhamm.com/support.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that the Grand St. Petersburg Circus is in it's 129th year of operation?

...that there are two permanent circuses in St. Petersburg and more than twenty troupes in Russia?

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 09|10|06

2006-10-09T14:59:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Today we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with the Friesen family. Perry & Lynda Friesen, who live just a few kilometres north of our place, invited our family to share a Thanksgiving meal with us.

Unfortunately Sonia had school tonight and Deena was feeling under the weather, so Lena had to remain behind with her. So Maya & I headed off to catch a bus and made our way to the Friesen residence. We were greeted by the Friesen Five and treated to a wonderful meal of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, cranberries and, of course, pumpkin pie! What a feast!!! Maya even discovered that she likes pumpkin—go figure!

We are very thankful for the time together—what a wonderful way to celebrate!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

The 6th came and went without news from the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. Hopefully news will come soon—please keep praying!

BLESSINGS

Praise God for co-workers in the local field! I've known Perry & Lynda Friesen, Christian & Missionary Alliance missionaries, since the mid-90s. Being able to share Thanksgiving with them today was very special. We thank God for all our co-labourers in the Gospel.

This past Saturday our church (Living Grace Ministries) honoured me with a (apparently too early!) send-off. I was thanked for my years of service in the camp and youth ministry and given several nice gifts. It was quite a surprise and a wonderful blessing.

We are very thankful to God for our family. Sonia, Maya & Deena all love God and are such a blessing to us!

We praise God for our loving family, giving friends and supportive church fellowships. We have been blessed beyond measure!!!

PETITIONS

Visa news! We would love to have an idea when the visas will be ready, how long Lena & Sonia have until they must leave for Canada and when we can start packing! Please pray that some (any!) news will come soon.

Sonia is still looking for a new job. Please pray that she will soon be able to find a good part-time job.

Please continue to pray for our financial needs. More information about our support is at www.krhamm.com/support.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that hundreds of children from across Russia recently took part in the contest to submit drawings of President Putin? One of the more interesting creations showed Putin sporting his black belt, fighting the four evils of crime, corruption, inflation and drug abuse, against a backdrop of the map of Russia!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 02|10|06

2006-10-02T12:58:00.000-05:00

ENTER OCTOBER

Maya celebrated her 6th birthday with friends and family on September 27th. Maya desperately wanted a princess party, so we invited as many of her friends as we could to join her for a princess-themed party held at a local shopping centre. Lena prepared the food and I prepared the royal games. Maya was joined by five other princesses and three princes. Much fun & food was had by all! Check out the party pics on Flickr.

We have been very touched by the response to our need for more financial support. To date half of our deficit with MBMSI has been wiped out! Praise the Lord! We are very thankful for all who have increased their monthly support, sent in special gifts and those who have started supporting us. We're halfway there! Please keep praying that we will be able to get out of the hole and start participating in ministry events again.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Could this be the week? October the 6th marks the six-month anniversary of the start of visa-processing in Moscow. It's only once or twice a week that we get anything placed in our mailbox, so any envelope is cause for excitement. As we (mostly) patiently wait, we take great comfort in the fact that we now have a temporary home and a (hopefully much-more-than-temporary) vehicle. Please keep an eye on our "Needed for Canada" list. We would appreciate any help you can offer.

BLESSINGS

Praise God—the painter finished the job! Two months later, we're finally eating in our kitchen again!

We are very thankful to God for our Maya. She is a true delight to have in our family, as both a daughter and sister. Praise God for her comprehension of and love for her Heavenly Father.

Many have responded to our need for increased support. We thank God for all who have helped and are helping!

PETITIONS

Continue to pray for me as I try to transition out of day-to-day IT management of the CCI/Russia office. Pray also for Mark B. as he learns to take over from me.

Sonia is still looking for a new job, hopefully as an English tutor. Please pray that she will soon be able to find a good part-time job.

Please continue to pray for our financial needs. More information about our support is at www.krhamm.com/support.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that police officers smoke while on duty in St. Petersburg? It's a common sight to see traffic cops puffing away while waiting to pull someone over!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 25|09|06

2006-09-25T14:30:00.000-05:00

WHAT A WEEK!

It's been c-c-cold this past week, but great news from home, a wonderful closing for the Camp Director's Institute and a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Peterhof really made it a great week for us all.

We received a bunch a great news this past Monday, starting with an offer we couldn't refuse. Friends offered to sell us a 1997 Dodge minivan for a very reasonable price, and we accepted! Now we are the proud owners of a vehicle, for the first time in our married lives (now if only one of us had a driver's license...). ;-)

We were also offered a used washer & dryer set for free, although we can't make use of it until we get a home. For now our friends will hold onto them for us, since the mobile home we will be staying in until the early 2007 is already equipped. As well, several other offers of help have arrived over the past week, for which we are very thankful!

Two days ago the Camp Director's Institute wrapped up in Moscow, with thirteen of the twenty-one directors graduating with full honours. The graduation ceremony was a wonderful time of closure for the event; it really made the students feel they had accomplished something significant.

We praise God for these graduates and for every camp director in the Institute who studied diligently and applied themselves wholeheartedly in their camp ministries.

While it had been a cold week Sunday was a gloriously warm day, so we (minus Sonia) decided to introduce the girls to one of Russia's crown jewels, the Summer Palace gardens at Peterhof. We took a 30-minute cruise to the lower gardens and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon of sunshine, fresh air and 18th century splendour. The girls especially enjoyed the "fun" fountains, and managed to get quite wet in the process! Pictures of the fun are posted for all to see on Flickr.

Thanks for your encouragement & support! Hope you had a wonderful week too!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

The list has been revised! Our support page of "Canadian needs" has been updated to reflect the aforementioned news. One new thing on the list is the need of a freezer. We would appreciate any help you can give. Please pass on the word and stay tuned for more updates! Thank you for your continued prayers for our big move.

BLESSINGS

Praise God for the successful conclusion of the 2005-06 Camp Director's Institute!

We just learned that the residents in Nina's apartment building have agreed (finally!) to install a domophone – an outside intercom door-thingy (I can't remember what they're called in English!). We pray that this will bring to an end the use of Nina's stairwell by drug addicts.

We are very thankful for provisions such as the minivan and appliances. It's so encouraging to see how God provides through His people!

PETITIONS

Continue to pray for me as I try to transition out of day-to-day IT management of the CCI/Russia office. Pray also for Mark B. as he learns to take over from me.

Sonia is looking for a new job, hopefully as an English tutor. Her current job entails a great deal of late-evening travel downtown, which is not at all desirable as the darkness of autumn sets in. Pray that she will be able to find a better way to earn some funds.

Please continue to pray for our financial needs. More information about our support is at www.krhamm.com/support.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that standalone food freezers are practically unheard of in Russia?

...that the Russian government is considering measures to encourage an increased birth rate including a "childless tax"? With Russia’s population declining by 700,000 people each year, the government is starting to take notice that Russia is fast disappearing...

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 18|09|06

2006-09-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

ONE YEAR OF PLAY!

It was one year ago yesterday (September 17, 2005) that the MBMSI St. Petersburg Playground Project was completed after three years of prayer & giving!

We are so thankful for the blessing this playground has become. We always thought that we might be a tad too selfish in desiring a safe play place, but as it turned the neighbourhood has benefited far more than we!

It has been such a joy to witness parents flock to this, the only freely-accessible "protected" playground in our region. The playground has become what Lena first envisioned in Abbotsford, BC, over three years ago, "a way to impact our community for Christ by providing a safe place to play".

Together with help from the girls, Lena & I have been groundskeepers, sport instructors and playmates over the course of the past year. As we prepare to say goodbye to our neighbourhood we thank God for the couple from Kansas who gave us the initial cheque moments after our desire went public and for who helped from that day on!

Thank you to all who prayed for and gave to the Project. You have helped to bless hundreds of families in St. Petersburg! Please continue to pray for continued safe use of the facility and for more ministry opportunities to arise from the presence of this safe place to play.

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

The list has begun! Click over to our support page for a list "Canadian needs". Starting now we will be updating the list of things that we will be in need of upon our move to Canada. Since we have next to nothing already in Canada, this list could get rather long! :-)

We will start small, with only the essentials. Currently the list looks like this:

Home for five (or possibly six if Nina comes to visit). Status: Temporary home quite possibly found; longer-term home (starting early 2007) still needed.
Vehicle for five (minivan or similar). Status: Still needed.
Car seats for Maya (age 6) and Deena (age 3). Status: We're not certain what is required; at least one seat may be made available.
Home appliances (just about everything). Status: Microwave oven has been received; most other home appliances still needed.

We would appreciate any help you can give. Please pass the word on and stay tuned for updates! Thank you for your continued prayers for our big move.

BLESSINGS

We received word from the Camp Director's Institute in Moscow that the group is experiencing a wonderful family spirit (this is the third and final session that these 20 camp directors have been together). They are also thankful for the good instruction being received from the faculty. Praise the Lord!

Praise God for the one-year anniversary of the playground and for the blessing it has been to our community.

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for Session 3 of the Camp Director's Institute. In particular, please pray for the following needs:

strength and health for staff and students
more vibrancy and energy at this last segment of CDI - many students seem to be taking a break after a full summer
health for Tanya B, Lena K. and Misha P.
best graduates to form the core faculty of the next CDI

Please continue to pray for our financial needs. More information about our support is at www.krhamm.com/support.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that during the G8 summit in August, shops in underground passageways were closed (supposedly "voluntarily") and construction was almost completely halted for the week. The latter was likely done to keep construction workers out of sight—most are illegal workers from Central Asia!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 11|09|06

2006-09-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

PATIENTLY PAINTED

Since July 25th our kitchen has been mostly covered awaiting the return of anyone willing to finish re-painting our kitchen! It's a pretty strange story by now, as you'll see from the key events in this drama:

Late on the evening of April 16 we experienced the first of three "floods from above" (our neighbour Olga had been drinking heavily and managed to leave all taps open until they flooded her home and ours).
In late May we experienced two more floods.
In late June we received assurances that Olga's family would hire someone to repair the damage to our kitchen, hallway and bathroom.
Mid-July saw the arrival of the painter with a carpenter who fixed a damaged shelf.
On July 25 we told to expect the painter to do the first coat in the kitchen. We quickly bought plastic, dismantled the dining table and moved essentials out of the kitchen. The evening came and went, with no word from the painter.
Almost a week later we managed to track down the painter's sister who informed us that her sister was currently involved in another, more "lucrative" project.
On August 9th Lena reassembled the dining table so that we could properly have a meal for my birthday. The table was quickly taken apart again in hopes that the painter soon would arrive.
After waiting some more we were about to talk to Olga, but she called us first to say that she hired a new painter, who would come tomorrow.
The new painter arrived as promised (a miracle!) and laid the first coat of paint, with a promise of a return the next day.
Some fourteen days later we managed to track down painter number two, who informed us that she had been in the hospital for minor surgery. But she would come soon!
Another fourteen days passed and still no painter.

So, we've now lived without a "normal" kitchen/dining room for fifty days! Hopefully Olga will find a painter who will like us enough to stick around for another coat of paint!

Thanks to all of our friends and supporters for sticking with us! ;-)

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Coming home (temporarily): Praise God, it looks like we have a home for our arrival. Because of the visa delay, we have had to pass up several offers of house-sitting or rental. However, the Lord has provided the possibility of a mobile home almost next door to my parent's home! This would be very short term (winter only), but it may well be all that we need for now. This would allow us to be close to family while we "get our bearings". As well, this would allow us to search for a more permanent home from a position of reliable childcare!

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last week! On August 17th we were informed by MBMSI that we had a significant deficit. Before anyone knew of this God nudged three people to send special donations: all three cheques were dated August 16th!!! One donor told us later that he was prepared to give a certain amount, felt God telling him to send more - so he doubled his amount! "...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:8b (NIV)

Answered prayer from last week! Several new monthly donors have come forward and another has increased their monthly support. This is certainly a help and encouragement to us. Praise the Lord and thank you to all who give!

PETITIONS

The third and final session of the CCI/Russia Camp Director's Institute takes place September 16-22. Please pray for the final preparations and for the camp directors and instructors who will travel from great distances to take part in this important training event.

Even with the increase in giving, we are still in need of more financial assistance. Please continue to uphold our need in prayer. Of course, if you can help by giving, please visit www.krhamm.com/support for more information.

Please continue to pray for CCI/Russia staff member Tanya as she searches for a new home.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that a street party took place yesterday in St. Petersburg where people were served free bread, buckwheat porridge (steaming hot from an army field kitchen) and vodka? Check out some pictures from the event (shot from a bus, no less!) at www.flickr.com/photos/krhamm.

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 04|09|06

2006-09-04T14:01:00.000-05:00

AWESOME AUGUST!

Wow! God is so very good! We are still buzzing after a great church youth camp held August 21-24. Every day since Deena talks about going back to camp, and she doesn't understand half of the great things that took place! ;-)

We were blessed with thirty youth in attendance, most of whom came from our church. We had invited five youth from a local orphanage, but at the last minute they were unable to attend. Still, we had a great group (with a few "challenges") and the three pastors & I were thrilled to see the depth of questions the youth had about going through the transitions in their lives. Many of the youth come from broken families, and have faced many difficult transitions in their young lives.

Lena & I were able to take turns being with Maya & Deena, so while I was with the girls Lena was able to cut and style hair for seven of the girls plus Pastor Andre (who got to be first in line). During my "time off" I lead all the games and activities, hosted the sessions and even had the opportunity to preach one morning.

There is much more to tell, but for now enjoy some camp photos: www.flickr.com/photos/krhamm/sets/72157594268686279!

Immediately after camp ended Thursday morning we headed home and I quickly re-packed and caught my train bound for Finland.

Friday afternoon saw over twenty Bible school students, youth leaders, missionaries and laypeople assemble to learn how to use recreational sport to further God's kingdom.

I taught over one hundred games during the three-day seminar, and showed participants how to prepare, teach and evaluate a recreational program. The response was very encouraging and everyone went home with a wealth of resource material and the determination to use their newly-honed skills to the glory of God!

You can see lots of pictures from the seminar in Helsinki at www.flickr.com/photos/krhamm/sets/72157594259246272.

Thank you for your continued support of our ministry! May God be praised!!!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

As we draw closer to the six-month anniversary of the promised "reply date" for Lena & Sonia's application for permanent residency, it's hard not to get anxious! Please pray for peace as we pack and plan (and keeping praying that we'll hear from Moscow soon)!

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last time! While we didn't have a completely full house, we did see a last-minute sign-up of campers and a blessed time was had by all at camp. Thank you so much for praying!

Answered prayer from last time! Several people recently came forward with some generous donations. This has been very encouraging and, of course, helpful! Praise the Lord and thank you to all who give!

Answered prayer from last time! The sport seminar went very well, and I'm very thankful for my good health throughout the camp, travel & seminar.

PETITIONS

After countless invites, Marina, one of Sonia's best friends finally came to church this past Sunday! Praise God for Marina's sudden openness to the Gospel and pray that she will continue to draw closer to her Heavenly Father. Pray also that Sonia will be a consistent witness to Marina.

We are still in need of more financial assistance. In particular, we are in need of more monthly donors. We have about twenty people who support us with monthly giving of $10-$25. Another twenty people like that would certainly help! For more information on how to support us, please visit www.krhamm.com/support.

Please pray for Mark B. as I prepare him to take over many of my responsibilities at the CCI/Russia office. Over the next few weeks I will be unloading a lot of information on his shoulders—please pray that he will be able to handle it well!

Sonia is trying hard to juggle a part-time job and courses at jewellery school. Please pray for her health, safety in travel and stamina.

Tanya, a CCI/Russia staff member and dear friend, has had to move out of her rented apartment on very short notice (an all-too-common experience for renters in this country). This evening I helped her move all of her belongings into our office, where she will remain until she can find a new (affordable!) room to rent. Please pray that a new home will be found for her soon!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that some traditional Russian recipes call for nettles as an ingredient? (Now why can't they use rhubarb?)

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 19|08|06

2006-08-19T14:37:00.000-05:00

AN URGENT NEED

We are in serious need of additional financial support. No one wants to start a prayer letter this way, but we were just informed that we have a major deficit in our donations account with MBMSI, so we must now take a cut in monthly salary and are currently unable to claim ministry expenses.

We mentioned several weeks ago that our support level has been steadily decreasing due to supporter deaths and other "drop-offs". We have never been at full support, but thanks to timely donations from individuals and foundations, we have been able to stay in the black.

No longer! Without new donors or generous one-time gifts we will have to cut back on all ministry travel and we will have to use personal reserves to get by. We have had many increased expenses over the past year including immigration costs, Nina's medical expenses and a jump in the cost of living in St. Petersburg.

As we prepare to make the transition to Canada there are many questions. However, we do know that God is faithful! We will be able to continue with MBMSI for the foreseeable future as we attempt to settle in Canada and establish ourselves. We have many faithful supporters and friends who are standing with us during this time. We have so much to be thankful for!

Please pray with us that help may be found for our family's situation. We would very much like to clear our deficit as soon as possible. We will do all we can to cut back on ministry and personal expenses until the situation improves. For more information on how to support us, please visit www.krhamm.com/support.

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Reminder: We're in need of child car seats for Maya and Deena. If you know of any used seats suitable for Maya (she'll be six years old) and Deena (she'll be three years old), please let us know. Thank you!

BLESSINGS

Camp is about to start! As of this writing we have twenty-three campers confirmed. We'd love to have twice that amount, but we are grateful for those who are coming. Praise the Lord!

My upcoming trip to Helsinki will be covered by the inviting Bible School (I will only have to pay for some meals). Praise God for the opportunity to teach and blessing of being cared for!

PETITIONS

Many youth are unable to attend camp due to lack of funds. We are still praying for additional sponsors to be found to help cover the costs of camper fees (up to 1500 Rubles or about 60 CAD per person). If anyone can help, please let us know ASAP (you can pledge the funds) so that we can invite more youth!

Please pray for our camp and for all the camps that will wrap-up this next week. We are starting to receive the reports of the blessings bestowed upon the camps this summer, and look forward to sharing them with you in more detail!

Please pray for my trip to Helsinki and for the sport seminar to be held August 25-27.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that property prices are rising so fast in St. Petersburg that the government had started an inquiry into the situation?

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 14|08|06

2006-08-14T14:42:00.000-05:00

DO YOU BELIEVE?

"Do you believe in God? Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for you? Does Mommy believe it too? Does Sonia? Does Babushka? Good, 'cause I want everyone to be with God!" These were some of the questions Maya was asking last night as we were about to say our evening prayers. It seems that watching The Story of Jesus for Children had a profound effect on our soon-to-be six-year-old. Her pointed questions of my (and Deena's) beliefs revealed a deep understanding of God's mercy and grace. Praise God for His unspeakable gift and for the faith of a child! May many more children across this vast land also be able to say, "I believe!"

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Reminder: We're in need of a vehicle for family travel once we arrive in Canada. A used mini-van (there are five of us—six when/if Nina comes) would suit us just fine. If you know of any suitable means of transport that will be available sometime this autumn (in southern Manitoba!), please let us know. Thank you!

BLESSINGS

Sonia has found her first-ever part-time job! Starting today she will be working three evenings a week downtown doing telephone surveys. She will still be able to attend classes at jewellery school, so this is a great opportunity for her to earn (and hopefully save) some money.

Thank you to all who who sent congratulatory messages on my 40th birthday. It was a yet another wonderful day spent in the company of my four wonderful girls (plus Nina!). I am so blessed!!!

PETITIONS

Yesterday after church Sonia received a call from Omsk that her paternal grandfather had suddenly passed away. While he was well into his seventies (well beyond life expectancy for Russian men), he had been in good health, so his death came as quite a shock. Sonia had last seen him was one year ago, and she would have travelled to the funeral but for the lack of air tickets. Please pray for Sonia, her grandmother and father as they mourn his passing. The funeral will be held tomorrow (the 15th).

Please pray for safety as Sonia travels home each evening from across town. The white nights are almost gone, so it has become less safe to be travelling late at night.

Camp begins next Monday (the 21st)! Please pray for last-minute preparations, safety in travel, for a great turnout, good weather, health & safety and the work of God's Spirit in the lives of the youth and leaders!

Camp ends on Thursday morning (August 24th) after which I will immediately depart for Finland. Please pray for my final course preparation, safe travel and for the students as we work & learn together over the weekend (August 25-27).

DID YOU KNOW...

...that foreign concepts in Russia include telephone books in phone booths, newspaper boxes, coin boxes in public buses and illuminated crosswalks? There's probably lots of other examples, but living in Canada is such a distant memory by now! ;-)

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 07|08|06

2006-08-07T14:37:00.000-05:00

LOOKING BACK

Forty years! I can't imagine how tired I'd be by now if I'd been wandering in the desert all this time! ;-) Wednesday (the 9th) will mark forty years since I first saw the light of day (or at least the delivery room lights). Needless to say, it's hard to believe it's been so long! I have now celebrated thirteen of my last fourteen birthdays in Russia. Who could have imagined that I would spend (so far) over 1/3 of my life here! God has been so very faithful. Since my part-time beginning with Kingdom Ventures to our full-time ministry with MBMS International and CCI/Russia, God has blessed despite my personal shortcomings and failures.

Thank you to all who have stood with us over the years and upheld us in prayer! It has been an incredible journey, and it goes on! Glory be to God!!!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Here's where we're at: As we wait for news from the Canadian Embassy in Moscow about Lena & Sonia's visas we are carefully considering our housing options. As we told you before, housing prices are rapidly climbing here, and since we don't have a home of our own in Canada we'll likely have to sell in order to purchase a home in Canada. While we have no desire to burn (or rather sell) any bridges, we will likely have to put our home on the market soon.

And then there's the move! Do we try to reduce our material possessions to ten suitcases (or so) or do we pay thousands of dollars to ship our (only!) belongings to Canada? Should we take Maya and or Deena to Canada earlier (for the sake of Maya's schooling—she is ready to enter grade one—and for the ease of packing and moving without little ones underfoot)? So many questions, so little time. ;-) Please continue to remember our preparation in prayer!!!

BLESSINGS

Nina received 500 Rubles (about 21 CAD) this past week to help cover the cost of her prescription medications. This is an annual donation from a local deputy (city councillor) in St. Petersburg (it's not much, but it helps).

The schedule for the upcoming Bible School Sport Seminar in Helsinki has been confirmed. Immediately following our youth camp I will depart for Helsinki to teach a 16-hour course on using recreational sport in camp and church ministry.

PETITIONS

Please pray for Sonia as she switches to a new course this week. She will now be working primarily with precious stones (actually imitations!). New lessons to learn as she seeks to hone her jewellery-making skills!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that during Soviet times (a mere 15 years ago!) there was a time when in order to purchase books you first had to collect x-number of kilograms of scrap paper and cardboard? Russians love books, so it wasn't hard to motivate the citizens to recycle this commodity!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 31|07|06

2006-07-31T14:55:00.000-05:00

WAITING GAMES

Back on April 17 we told you about the incident with Olga, our upstairs neighbour who flooded our home while in a drunken stupor. We didn't tell you that "showers from the ceiling" occurred two more times in the past few months!

After several nice talks with Olga and her son, they offered to hire someone to fix the damaged woodwork and re-paint our stained ceilings. We were very thankful for their willingness to make things right, and looked forward to a better relationship with Olga.

Two weeks ago the (minor) repairs were made and we were told that the painters would come soon. Last Tuesday we were informed that the painters would be here Wednesday at 6 p.m. We scrambled to move everything out of the kitchen and cover what remained. Wednesday came and went with no painters in sight. One hundred and twenty four hours of silence later we were finally able to reach the sister of the person in charge of repairs/painting. She explained that her sister was terribly busy and just couldn't come until the other ("more important") project was complete! Busy, indeed—not even enough time to tell us we could resume eating in our kitchen!

In happier news, we received a very thoughtful care package from our friends at Lakeview Community Church in Killarney, Manitoba. Maya & Deena were thrilled to receive stickers, notebooks and even Lifesavers!!! It was a very nice way to end a frustrating week!

Thank you to all who bless our family through prayers and gifts!

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Here's a question: When Lena & Sonia receive their immigration visas, how long will they have before they must arrive in Canada? Anyone know the answer to that one?

Friends told us that the USA and Finland only give 30 days before you have to arrive–30 days! That's hardly enough time to pack, ship belongings and sell your home! I went looking for an answer to that question and came upon two different stories of personal experience. One family said they had three months, another said the visa was valid for six months (but only received it 6 weeks after it was issued). I've yet to find the official answer. We would very much like to know the real answer to this question! :-)

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last week! Nina's test for Hepatitis A produced negative results! Praise the Lord that she has no further health issues to deal with at this time!

We have finally confirmed the date for our upcoming church youth camp! August 21-24 are now the official dates. Now we can go ahead with promotion of the camp.

PETITIONS

Please pray for me as I work in earnest on our youth camp program. Our theme for this year is "Making the Transition". Please pray that I will put together a program that will complement the Bible teaching planned for the camp.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that the Canadian Immigration web site lists helpful info for new immigrants? Some gems include (the following are direct quotes):

If you arrive in Canada in the winter, you will need warm clothing such as insulated, waterproof boots; an overcoat; a scarf for your neck; a hat that covers your ears; and gloves or mittens.
People normally line up or queue according to the principle of "first-come, first-served." They will be angry if you push ahead in a line-up instead of waiting your turn.
You should always arrive on time -- at school, at work and for any meeting. People who are often late may be fired from their jobs or suspended from school. Many Canadians will not wait more than 10 or 15 minutes for someone who has a business meeting.
Call the police officer "officer." Never try to give money to a police officer. Canadians do not bribe police officers.

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 24|07|06

2006-07-24T14:57:00.000-05:00

CAMP "CODE SIGN"

CCI/Russia president Alexander Kharitonov recently returned from Camp Code Sign in southern Russia. Following are some highlights from his time there as camp chaplain:

Camp Code Sign was a wilderness tent camp (boys only, age 13-17), situated in a clearing amidst thick deciduous woods. Campers were completely responsible for their own wellbeing: they had to fetch water, collect wood, prepare a fire, cook their meals, etc. Success was only possible if the entire team worked together. It took some teams several days of self-induced fasting to recognize that truth!

The camp had a challenging program for young men. All the activities were tied into a sequence that led a camper to a celebration of achievement. The first half of the camp was dedicated to team effort; the second half was more about individual skills and persistence.

This camp had targeted Bible teaching. Focus was placed on Scriptures that reveal God's purpose for men and showed specific masculine challenges and shortcomings. God was clear right from creation about His plan for men, about our role and character. Still, century after century, we failed to "cultivate and keep" what God entrusted to us. The Bible is full of examples of misery Israel found itself in because its men fell short of their calling as God's messengers, priests, husbands and fathers. The same holds true about today's Russia. Yet there was (and is!) the second Adam, our Lord Jesus, who was able to fulfill God's high calling for men and reconcile manhood with its Creator. It was a joy to reveal to the boys the opportunities for personal fulfillment and the victorious life that every young man has in Jesus!

Most campers were non-believers, even though majority of them came from Christian homes. This is a dilemma our churches face: at "teen" age many kids abandon churches and choose other pursuits. This disease first afflicts boys–and as a result, our churches are men-desolate. Changing this destructive pattern was one of our major goals when we planned this camp as a group of ministry leaders from various cities of Russia.

Many of the young men present heard God's voice and obeyed it. Every fourth camper was reconciled with God, praying for God's forgiveness and direction in front of the group. Likely many more made serious decisions in their hearts. Most importantly, none left without being exposed to a better way in life. A life of victory, life with a purpose, life with God.

Praise be to Him! Please join us in lifting up the hearts and minds of the 100+ Camp Code Sign community as they returned to their homes and try to put into practice what they learned and resolved at camp.

- Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

One hundred days and counting....may be all the time we have left before we must leave our present home and move to (a yet-to-be-determined) home in Canada. One apparent blessing of the visa-processing delay is that local property values continue to climb. Every week our home is climbing in (book) value, which does bode well for the likely sale of our apartment. Regardless of whether we have to sell our home or are able to rent it out, please pray that the timing for our decision will be wise.

BLESSINGS

Praise God for the camping ministry! Thousands of children and youth are being confronted by the life-changing news that God loves them and has a plan for their lives.

Families from Lakeview Community Church in Killarney have been faithfully taking turns sending us personal letters each month. It has been so encouraging to "meet" new friends and to hear how God is blessing them in their place of ministry.

Nina has been doing very well since her time in Finland. Praise God for her improved health—she has even been able to resume helping us with the girls (even if only for short periods at a time).

PETITIONS

Nina was told today that she may have contracted Hepatitis A. She is now awaiting the results of additional tests to determine if this is the case or not. Please pray that results will be negative!

Hundreds of camps are still operating (or yet to begin) in the former Soviet Union. Please pray for the health and safety of campers and staff, and for the unhindered work of the Holy Spirit.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that people visiting parks and tourist attractions in St. Petersburg are now being serviced by "toilet buses"? These mobile washrooms have several "stalls" in each bus, each labelled with the following warning: "Stalls are very small. If you cannot fit inside, leave the door open."

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 17|07|06

2006-07-17T14:59:00.000-05:00

BACK AT WORK

It was a wonderful six days in Finland (plus two spent in transit on the train) for our family. It was quite short (Russians can only receive 8-day tourist visas), but we managed to squeeze in a lot of fun and quality family time. For an extensive look at out time in Finland, visit our Finnish photo set on Flickr! Now we're back at work (me) and school (Sonia) while Lena is managing to do some hairdressing on a part-time (and sometimes even paid) basis. Summer work at the CCI/Russia office is a bit more low-key, but there is still lots to do: mailings, gathering of statistics, video projects and much more. Of course, there are hundreds of camps operating during this time, faithfully ministering to the spiritual needs of thousands of children and youth. Praise God for these camps, and please keep them in your prayers!

Thank you for faithfully upholding us in prayer!!!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last time! The entire family had a wonderful time in Finland. We are very thankful for the opportunity we had to spend eight days together as a family. It was especially appreciated by Nina and Maya & Deena. Thank you for your prayers for safe travel and Nina's health (she did extremely well)!

For the second year in a row our local church has been able to reserve a great facility for camp. Praise God for the opportunity to minister to youth through camp!

We have finally managed to come together in prayer as a family on a regular basis. I wish the "finally" wasn't necessary, but the important thing is that Lena, Sonia & I are now consistently spending time together in prayer each day. We have so much to be thankful for, not least of which is the faithful prayer support of you, our readers. We in turn pray for you!!!

PETITIONS

Please pray for our camp preparations. Pray also for Pastor Andre & Masha Bay and myself as we plan the program and prepare for camp.

Please continue to pray for Nina's health. She seems to be doing better, but little will be known until Nina meets with the specialist in the next week or so. Pray that she will take good care of herself and that the medications will help.

Please remember our staff as they continue to travel to camps to serve. Many serve as camp speakers, program leaders and directors. Pray for safe travel (sometimes thousands of kilometres) and fruitful ministry.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that there are no newspaper deliveries as such in Russia? Here newspapers come in the mail just like magazines.

...that for Sonia's literature exam each student had to come to a table with 24 tickets spread out face down and draw a ticket with 2 questions on it? Sonia's questions were: 1. Describe the moral and philosophical problems in Dostoevsky's “Crime and Punishment”, and 2. Describe the characters and morals of the key characters in Gorky's play “At The Bottom”. After that she was given twenty minutes to prepare using books and a sheet of paper and pen. Then Sonia had to stand in front of an examination table and orally answer the questions (and face supplemental questions if the teachers were unsatisfied with her answers)!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 03|07|06

2006-07-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

TAKING A BREAK

Lord willing, our entire family (including Nina) will be in Finland at this time tomorrow. Our bags are somewhat packed, the visas have arrived, and Nina is feeling better than she has for some time. We will depart on the 4th and return on the 11th. I will try to get the next issue out next Tuesday evening. While we are gone, several of our staff members will be returning from and heading to local camps. Each year our staff assist camps in various ways. Once again this year I will be assisting with our churches' youth camp, to be held August 14-17. Upon our return from Finland we will begin serious preparations. We are hopeful that Lena and the girls will be able to join me this year. More news upon our return, but in the meantime keep an eye out for Finnish Fotos on Flickr!

Thank you for your prayers and support!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last week! Deena is feeling much better—thank you for praying!

The visas arrived on time as promised from Finnish Consulate. Praise God for this opportunity to have a short rest.

PETITIONS

Please pray for a safe, comfortable journey to Helsinki. While the six-hour train ride is quite relaxing, it can be a bit long for our youngest two. Please pray that Deena & Maya be happy travellers!

Nina is happy to be out of the hospital, and excited to be on her way to Finland. She is very thankful for the opportunity to travel to a foreign land (the first time in her 64 years!). Please pray that her health with remain good and that she will enjoy this trip to the fullest.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that in Russia it is impolite to accept an offer of tea or coffee (or food in general) the first time? You are expected to "give in" only after the third offer or so!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 26|06|06

2006-06-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

CHAPTER THE NEXT

Sonia graduated this past Wednesday, bringing to a successful conclusion her school years. It is certainly a relief for Sonia to be done with homework for a while! Due to Nina being in the hospital I was unable to attend the graduation ceremony and banquet (I had to stay with Maya & Deena, but Lena was able to spend this special time with Sonia. (More pics on Flickr!)

With school behind her, Sonia is now looking for more ways to practice her artistic talents (it certainly beats algebra!). As we mentioned previously, Sonia has begun to attend a special school for jewelers. She is learning how to work with precious stones and metals, and getting some blisters in the process! Classes are six days a week, primarily in the afternoons. Sonia has to travel one hour each way by public transport, so she is putting in pretty long days again. Please remember Sonia in your prayers as she seeks to develop her God-given talents. Pray also that she will discover ways to use her gifts for God's glory.

Thank you for upholding our family in your prayers!

— Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

P.S. The mystery sign from last week turned out to have a not-so-serious explanation. Go to the Hard Dog Hallelujah Flickr photo page for more info.

COMING TO CANADA

Five months (or so) until we land in Canada, Lord willing! While we are still officially looking for a home for our family, we do have one home that looks to beavailablee for us to rent, should we need it. For this we are thankful! However, if anyone hears of anavailablee home for our family, please don't hesitate to share the information!

BLESSINGS

Sonia had a good graduation ceremony and celebration afterwards. Lena came home just before one in the morning after the banquet, and Sonia arrived just before six after a class trip out of town. Praise God for a safe time for all!

Praise God for MCC Thrift Stores! Sonia's dress was one of the most-talked about at her grad, and by far the least expensive at $2!

We have been able to make arrangements to travel to Helsinki, Finland for a one-week family vacation (July 4-11). We planned this for several reasons, not least of which being the opportunity for Nina to spend some time with family outside of the hospital. Nina has never travelled outside of Russia, so this trip with her entire family will be a very special event for her. We are looking forward to spending this time as a family in a stress-free environment and pray that it will be a very positive experience for Nina in particular.

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for Deena. Eleven days after her illness started she is still not completely well. Pray that her digestive system will fully recover from her illness.

Nina is doing better, but remains in the hospital under observation. Please continue to pray for her health and healing. The doctors have given her a (mostly) green light to travel to Finland, and she is hopeful that she will be discharged from the hospital before this week is out.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that there is a saying in Russia, "God loves (the) trinity". This is often quoted when drinking as an excuse to have a third round!

...that when you greet someone Russians traditionally kiss each other three times on alternating cheeks?

...that when you say something that you want to happen, you should spit three times over your shoulder (similar to "knock on wood")?

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 20|06|06

2006-06-20T14:30:00.000-05:00

SAY WHAT?

This sign certainly caught my eye this past weekend in Helsinki (click on the picture for a larger view). I have no idea what it means, but I'm certain that one of my Finnish readers will enlighten me!

It has been another eventful week for our family: Deena was very ill for four days (she is still recovering), Sonia had an up-and-down first full week at jeweller's school, Lena completed her hairdressing course at the top of her class, and Nina had to call an ambulance to return to the hospital. Most of the "excitement" happened Friday and Saturday–just as I was preparing to leave for Finland. Thankfully both Deena and Nina showed signs of improvement by mid-Saturday, so I didn't have to cancel my trip.

As we move into summer with camps already in full swing around the country, we are very grateful for your prayers for our family and the ministry of Christian camping in Russia. We haven't given you many updates on the camping ministry lately, but we can tell you that our 154 member camps are excited about another season of camping. The 1000+ leaders that CCI/Russia trained over the past six months have in turn trained thousands more. Now the camps begin, and tens of thousands of children and youth will experience God's love is a real and meaningful way. Praise God for another year of camp ministry in the former Soviet Union!

Thank you for your prayers and financial support!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

The long road to Canada is just that: a road. We continue to trust in the Lord to prepare the way ahead of us. “The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.” Psalm 85:12-14 (New International Version)

Please continue in prayer for a home for our family in Manitoba!

BLESSINGS

We are very thankful that Lena was able to successfully complete her hairdresser's course this past week. She continues to be overwhelmed with clients (although of the non-paying kind)! In fact, tomorrow she will have three of Sonia's classmates (plus Sonia) for graduation "do's".

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for Nina's health and healing. Her return to the hospital is not a pleasant development, but we pray that it is for the best. Once again Lena needs to travel across town (via bus and on foot) to help care for Nina. Please pray that Nina's health will improve and that the advice she receives from her doctors will be wise.

Sonia's graduation ceremony and celebration is tomorrow (June 21). Russian high school graduations are an all-night affair (the students will go out of town afterwards for an all-night excursion). Please pray for Sonia's safety and for a positive experience for them all.

Please continue to pray for Deena and a full restoration to good health.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that St. Petersburgers are getting less than four hours of nightfall today?

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 12|06|06

2006-06-12T03:58:00.000-05:00

CHANGES...

It's mid-June and things are changing. Sonia has finished high school.The Staff Training Workshops are over. Warm weather has finally come. White nights have arrived. Nina is feeling better,especially after her meeting with the heart surgeon this past week.

Thank you for praying for Nina this past week–she truly felt the power of your prayers. During her meeting on Thursday she was told that instead of certainly needing open-heart surgery, she certainly does not! The specialist told her that in her case it is either going to be long-term medication or corrective surgery; in this case, a coronarography. In three weeks Nina is to call the doctor to tell him how she is feeling. If by then the medications have not given her significant improvement, the doctor will then arrange for a coronarography. The cost for that procedure will be 2500 USD. If after the coronarography there is further need for a surgery, then the next step will be an operation to insert plastic tubes into her arteries. Thankfully, open-heart surgery appears to be unnecessary.

As you can imagine, the ups and downs of the medical news these past weeks has been quite unsettling at times, especially for Nina. She did, however, receive a very encouraging piece of news this past week. A family in Canada gave us 250 CAD to cover the cost of her June medications. What a wonderful blessing!

Please continue in prayer for Nina and for the changes in our lives.

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

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 last week! The Staff Training Workshop in Latvia was a great success. Seventeen camps from across the Baltics sent new and experienced camp leaders to the seven-day course. Praise God for good health for all and a great time of fellowship and training!

Please join us in praising God for the successful completion of the six spring Staff Training Workshops. In addition the the six STWs, CCI/Russia also hosted a conference for pastors and camp directors in Vladivostok. Over 600 participants from 154 camps received hands-on training for summer camp ministry. Our staff covered territory from Riga in the north to Tashkent in the south and from Minsk in the west to Vladivostok in the east (almost 11,000 km!) to help lead these vital training events. Praise God for His mercy & grace!!!

Answered prayer from previous weeks! Sonia successfully passed all five of her exams: she received two 5's and three 4's. All-in-all very good results. Sonia sends a big "Thank you!" for your prayers.

Answered prayer from last week! Our washing machine has been healed! The "doctor" managed to get it back in running form with minimal effort and cost. Praise the Lord for one less major expense!

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for Nina's health and healing. We pray that the medications will help so that she will not require surgery.

As we mentioned several weeks ago, we are in need of additional monthly supporters. Many of our supporters have or are reaching the point in their lives where they can no longer keep up with generous giving. Please pray for a new generation of mission-minded givers!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that 3/4 of Russians surveyed didn't know why today is a holiday? They can be forgiven–there have been a lot of of invented, cancelled and re-invented official holidays since the fall of the Soviet Union. This day, June 12, is Russia Day (formerly Independence Day), the date of the formal creation of the Russian Federation.

...that Sonia is back in school? The day after her last exam she enrolled in a school for jewellers! (More on that later.)

...that the next issue of Hamm Prayer Points will be delayed by a day? I need to make a short trip to Finland this weekend, so I will be typing the next issue on the train!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 05|06|06

2006-06-05T14:49:00.000-05:00

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 29|05|06

2006-05-29T14:29:00.000-05:00

BLESSED!

Dear Mr & Mrs Hamm, Daffodil season is over and so I have completed another season of selling daffodils at the road in aid of Kevin and Lena. Also I grew a good amount of vegetables etc. and made a lot of jam most of which I give to the Food Bank or charity but I did sell some last year and so am able to send a little extra money this year. I've had 2 years struggling with Fibromyalgia–however I am feeling quite a bit better now and I hope it is passed. As long as I can stay in this place I will try to carry on with this little help. In Jesus, [name withheld to protect privacy]

Over the past six years our family has been blessed with an incredible group of supporters. We are so grateful for people who give of their time, money and material blessings to support our family. From growing daffodils to crocheting tablecloths to care packages to monthly donors there has been no end to the ways God's people have been caring for us. As time passes, however, circumstances change and people have to make adjustments with age. Over the past few months three of our regular supporters have had to end their support for these reasons. As we have told you before, we have never reached full pledged support and with the loss of this support we are falling further behind. Lord willing, we will continue in our ministry with MBMSI and CCI/Russia for the foreseeable future. In order to continue in this work, our family needs more regular support. Ten dollars, twenty or whatever you can donate per month would be a tremendous help. You can sign up online (choose your currency: CAD or USD) or contact MBMSI at 888 UNO MBMS (866-6267). Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

NINA UPDATE

Nina was released from hospital this past Friday and happily returned to her granddaughter-filled apartment for a celebration. While she is home, she is not yet healed. Nina is on heavy (and very expensive) medication and is waiting to hear from her cardiologist about the need for surgery. Nina was told that coronarography will be needed in order to restore her to health. This Thursday she will find out more about the procedure and when she can expect to have the operation. In the meantime she rests at home–more comfortably, but still in a great deal of pain. Please keep her in your prayers!

Thank you for your support and prayers for our family.

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

We had been wondering why there had been so many delays in our move to Canada...perhaps now we know one of the reasons: As my mom pointed out the other day, God knew that Nina would need us here this summer!

Please remember in prayer the visa process at the Canadian Embassy in Moscow!

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from previous weeks! Praise God that Nina has returned home.

Answered prayer from last week! Nina's home was kept safe from intruders during her absence.

Last Thursday Sonia celebrated the "Last Bell", the official end-of-year ceremony at school. While graduation is still a few weeks away, it was a great feeling to be able to hear that last bell!!!

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for the Christian Camp Leaders' Conference in Vladivostok, underway until Wednesday (May 31).

Sonia received a 92 on her English exam and is studying for her Russian exam at this moment. Please pray for her next exam (tomorrow; the 30th) and the remaining three after that.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that as part of the "Last Bell" ceremony Grade 11 students are given a tiny bell pinned to a sash to wear?

...that Sonia has posted "Last Bell" pics online?

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 inAdobe 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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 22|05|06

2006-05-22T03:40:00.000-05:00

NINA UPDATE It has now been 10 days since Nina was admitted into the hospital with heart attack-like symptoms. Since May 12 little progress has been made in her diagnosis and recovery. Nina continues to be on a strict regimen of rest and medication. It was only three days ago that she was finally allowed to get out of bed to walk to the dining hall. The doctors continue to run tests and try various medications to try and get her blood pressure down. They seem quite puzzled by her symptoms, which don't quite match their test results! As we wait for Nina's return Lena continues to make the long journey to the hospital every other day. We are thankful that Nina is in good spirits and that I am able to take some time off from work during this time (to stay with the girls during Lena's absence).

Thank you for remembering our family in your prayers.

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Now that Canada seems a lot further away than it did a month ago, it's a little harder to get excited about planning! The other day Maya exclaimed, "I'm tired of waiting! Tomorrow I'm going to Canada!". Please remember our need for a home come late autumn!

BLESSINGS

The last time Nina was in the hospital, this happened... We are very thankful that Nina's home has been kept safe from intruders or other problems thus far.

PETITIONS

Please continue to pray for Nina in the hospital. Pray that her health will be restored so that she can return home. Also remember to pray for Lena as she makes the long treks to bring Nina food and supplies.

Be in prayer for the Christian Camp Leaders' Conference to be held in Vladivostok (May 25-31). This is major event for the camps and churches in the Far East of Russia. For too long we have been unable (for financial reasons, mostly) to conduct a training event in this, the neediest of regions in Russia. Please pray for the final organizational details, and especially pray for the safe travel of the participants and instructors across this vast territory.

Sonia completed her first exam (English—her easiest test!) this past Saturday. Please keep praying for her as she prepares for the next four exams.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that the least expensive (non-bulk) toilet paper you can buy in Russia is simply called "54 Metres"? While you can guess how long it is, did you know the price per roll is around 3 rubles (about 15 cents)?

...that the best bargain in "made in Russia" commodities is wood matches? A package of eight boxes goes for a mere 4 rubles!!!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 15|05|06

2006-05-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

NEWS, NEWS AND MORE NEWS!

Just before we departed for Tashkent, we received an official communique from the Canadian Embassy in Moscow. In the letter we were informed that we will have to wait six months for Lena & Sonia's visas. (Thankfully the letter was dated early April so the six-month point is October.) They cautioned us that the visas could take even longer (or perhaps arrive sooner) than six months. So it looks likes Sonia won't be attending university in Canada anytime soon, among other things! More news...the seminar in Tashkent went tremendously well! Funds arrived in time (so to speak—more details under Blessings) and Lena, Maya & I were blessed to join almost 100 other participants and instructors at Camp Step near Tashkent. Representatives from camps across Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan came to receive intensive training in counselling, program leadership, child psychology, music, sport and other areas. Lena & I were privileged to help train seven sport coordinators along with one future seminar instructor. While we were unable to stay until the end of the seminar (return air tickets were hard to come by), we were absolutely thrilled to have been a part of God's work in Central Asia! Still more news...a day after celebrating the birth of her only child (Lena!), Nina was at the medical clinic for tests when her doctor asked her to go to the hospital for further care. Upon her arrival at the hospital she was told that it was very good that she came since she was very close to a heart attack. She was admitted on the 12th and is on a strict regimen of rest and medication. To date the doctors have not been able to get her blood pressure down to safe levels, so she will remain in their care for the foreseeable future. As with all "normal" hospitals in Russia, the level of care is minimal, at best. Families must provide additional care in order for patients to recover in good time. Unfortunately the hospital is located quite a distance from our home and there is little by way of convenient public transportation in the area, so it is very time-consuming for Lena to visit her mother. We are so very thankful that Nina's health was maintained during our absence. Had this occurred during our time in Uzbekistan it would have been very difficult. Praise God for His grace!

Thank you for your faithful support and prayers!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA (LATER!)

So it looks like we'll be in Canada for Christmas! With a semi-certain departure monthin place (finally!) we can now better plan our big move. Of course, we had hoped to come during the summer, so plans for Sonia & Maya's schooling are on hold. Yes, it is somewhat disappointing that we won't be arriving this summer as hoped, but at least we now know (to a certain extent) when we can expect to come to Canada. The later arrival also means that our search for a suitable home in Manitoba has hit a snag. Several of the homes that had been made available to us may now be out of the question. In some ways we are starting from scratch! Still, there may be better options on the horizon! We continue to trust in the Lord...

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last time! Even though sufficient funds did not arrive in time for the Staff Training Workshop in Tashkent, they did arrive. We managed to bring enough of our own money to pay for the essentials and while we were at the seminar word came that the sponsor had finally come through!

Answered prayer from last time! The three of us had a safe journey and experienced good health in Uzbekistan. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Answered prayer from last time! We received word from the Canadian Embassy in Moscow as to when we could possibly expect to receive visas for Lena & Sonia. We prayed for an answer and received it—even though it wasn't exactly the answer we wanted to receive! ;-)

Answered prayer from last time! Nina managed our home and Deena & Sonia well during our time in Uzbekistan. Again we thank God that her health remained strong until we returned.

PETITIONS

Now that we have a clearer picture about our departure (October/November), please pray that we will plan our remaining months here wisely.

Pray for Nina as she remains in the hospital for the near future. Pray that her health will be restored so that she can return home to her family. Also remember Lena as she makes the long journey to bring Nina food and supplies.

Please remember the Staff Training Workshop currently underway in Kurgan (May 14-19). As well, be in prayer for the Christian Camp Leaders' Conference to be held in Vladivostok (May 25-31).

Immediately after her last day of school on the 19th, Sonia has her first finals exam on Saturday. Please pray for her as she prepares for and completes each of her five exams.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Nina's meals at the hospital cost her 7 rubles per day (about 30 cents)? This gets her either porridge or broth each meal with a little bread on the side. Needless to say, we bring Nina "proper" food every other day!

...that I should should finally be getting a "Hamm's Headings" out this week? Those of you subscribed to Hamm Prayer Points will also receive this newsletter (mostly a Prayer Points summary). If, for whatever reason, you'd rather not receive it, simply use the unsubscribe option when you receive notification of your addition to the list (if that's too confusing, just drop me a note).

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 01|05|06

2006-05-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

MAY...MAY DAY...MAYDAY?

With visas and plane tickets in hand, Lena, Maya & I are set to travel to Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Thursday. From the 4th until the 9th we will be helping to train leaders from across Central Asia. However, while our personal plans have come together, the training seminar itself is in jeopardy due to lack of sponsorship.

It is very difficult to conduct training events in the former Soviet Union without financial aid from the outside. It is a major responsibility each year for CCI/Russia president Alexander Kharitonov to contact potential sponsors, mostly from the United States. We just received word that the sponsor for the Tashkent seminar has not come through with the money pledged. Now we are scrambling to find enough funds to pay for the facility rental, food and other expenses.

Please join with us in prayer that the needed funds will arrive in time (the latest would be Thursday).

Thank you for praying!!!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

We asked for more choices last week, and another possible home was made known to us. It is good to have options, but we are still faced with not knowing when we can expect to travel to Canada. We are waiting for answers from the Canadian Embassy in Moscow as to when we could possibly expect to receive visas for Lena & Sonia. Please join with us in praying that they will respond soon so that we can begin to plan our move. Remember that we still have to sell our apartment before we leave–and we don't know when we can put it on the market!

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last week! Praise the Lord, I have received my third consecutive Uzbek visa. Now I can freely travel to Tashkent in time for the Staff Training Workshop.

PETITIONS

Please pray that sufficient funds will be found for the Staff Training Workshop in Tashkent. We need two to three thousand dollars by Thursday.

Nina will be staying with Deena & Sonia during our time in Uzbekistan. Please pray for her strength and health & safety for all three of the girls.

Please remember Lena, Maya & I in prayer as we fly on Thursday. You can pray for a safe journey and good health as we spend five intensive days training staff. Pray also for Maya that she will remain healthy (she is just getting over a cold).

DID YOU KNOW...

...that May Day was known as International Workers' Day back in Soviet days? Now the first two days of May are "Spring and Labor" days.

...that we likely will not have access to the internet while we are in Uzbekistan? This means that Hamm Prayer Points will be missing from your inboxes next Monday.

...that the old "subscribe or unsubscribe" email address of hpp@krhamm.com is now defunct? Please instead use the addresses listed in this email or write to us at kevin@krhamm.com.

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 24|04|06

2006-04-24T16:07:00.000-05:00

FAMILY UPDATE

Thank you for your faithful prayers for our family. Here's what's going on with our family members...

Lena continues to attend her hair-dressing course three times a week, which continues until the end of May. Lena will finally get some interpreting practice as she accompanies me to Tashkent in early May.

Sonia is rapidly nearing the end of high school. She has about four weeks of regular studies remaining until exams. In addition to her regular studies, Sonia is attending art school two or three times a week.

Maya is going to school just once a week right now, but is receiving regular tutoring from Babushka. Maya is looking forward to returning to Canada, but first comes her trip to Uzbekistan!

Deena isn't attending any school but is learning a lot! She is also excited about going to Canada (not that she has much comprehension about that)!

As for me, in the midst of all the visa- and document-processing I'm busy preparing for my course in Tashkent. As well, I'm heavily into publishing: web site, CDs, documents and more for the spring seminars.

Thank you for your support of our family!!!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Please continue to pray for our decision-making process regarding our Canadian home. In the meantime, we would love to complicate things by having a few more options to choose from! ;-)

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last week! I made a whirlwind trip to Finland and returned with a very valuable (though costly) sticker in my passport. With my new one-year, multi-entry visa I can again live and travel freely in Russia. Praise the Lord for His provision!

Yesterday we had our second Easter celebration (our "real" one). We rejoice that "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"! (Romans 5:1b NIV)

Last Monday Lena & I celebrated our seventh year of marriage. What a wonderful seven years it has been! Praise God for His grace & goodness!!!

PETITIONS

The first CCI/Russia spring seminars began in Moscow today. Please remember in prayer the instructors and participants at both the Staff Training Workshop and the Adventure Challenge School. These two seminars are running concurrently in Moscow until the 29th.

I submitted my Uzbek letter of invitation and application for visa last week. Please pray that the visa will be granted and will arrive soon so that we can finalize our travel plans.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that counterfeit compact discs account for 67% of Russia's audio & video market?

...that Lord willing, Lena, Maya & I will be in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from May 4-9?

...that Lena will celebrate her birthday May 11?

...that Nina will celebrate her birthday May 15?

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 17|04|06

2006-04-17T15:28:00.000-05:00

HE IS RISEN!

We are celebrating the hope and joy of Easter back-to-back this year: "Western" Easter was yesterday and Orthodox Easter will be on the 23rd. Regardless of the date, may we all continue to rejoice in the "living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:3).

Last night we experienced something new: indoor rain. Just before midnight Lena, Sonia & I had been watching a video in our bedroom with the door closed when we heard a strange sound from the hallway. As I approached the door to investigate I remarked, "it sounds like rain". It was, in fact, a torrential downpour coming from the apartment upstairs. As Sonia and I ran for buckets and mops Lena ran upstairs to see if she could stop the flow of water. It turned out that Olga, the lady upstairs, had been drinking heavily again and had managed to leave water running onto the floor. She was so inebriated that she couldn't comprehend what was going on. Finally a neighbour managed to help Lena get the message through the locked door. One hour later we managed to complete the cleanup with (thankfully) minimal damage. We shudder to think what would have happened had we not been at home! Please thank God with us for His protection and pray for Olga—it is all too often that she drinks herself into a stupor. We often hear her bumping and crashing around. We pray that we may be able to be of help to this needy, suffering woman.

Thank you for your faithful prayers.

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

In the past two weeks we received two offers of possible houses to either rent or house-sit. The respective owners would like a response from us soon as to whether or not we're willing to make a commitment. Because such a decision involves timing out of our control (that is, we don't know when we can expect to arrive in Canada) and either a commitment of time (contract) or money (rental), we ask that you join us in prayer as we seek God's will for this decision. This is by no means an "either-or" decision: we are still very open to other possible homes for our family. If you have any suggestions or offers, please let us know!

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from previous weeks! I have now received all of my visa paperwork, so I'm off to Finland tomorrow afternoon! Praise God for the timely arrival of my final (and most expensive) piece of paper: my Russian letter of invitation.

Our local church fellowship celebrated the ordination of ten men this past weekend. Praise God for the growth of the local church and the men and women God is calling to serve.

PETITIONS

The first Staff Training Workshop begins in one week. Please remember in prayer our staff and the local leaders as the time for the STWs draws near.

With my letter of invitation and HIV test results in hand I depart for Finland tomorrow. Please pray that I will be able to obtain my Russian visa without delay so that I can return home in time to get my Uzbek visa in Moscow! As well, please remember Lena and girls in prayer during my absence.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Orthodox Russians bring bundles of pussy willows to church on Palm Sunday? The tradition developed because palm branches were not readily available in Russia.

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 10|04|06

2006-04-10T15:45:00.000-05:00

VIS-A-VIS(A)

Ah, April in St. Petersburg! Sunshine, warmth, rain, snow and icy winds, all in the same day! As always, April also means preparing to travel. In years past Lena and I have travelled to three or sometimes four different CCI/Russia Staff Training Workshops (STWs) each spring. However, as more and more indigenous staff have been trained they have taken over most of the training duties themselves. For this we give thanks to God! When I started training leaders in 1993 the vast majority of instructors were foreigners. Now it is rare to see an instructor come from outside of the country. As Lena & I get ready to travel please remember our preparation in prayer along with the hundreds of other instructors who will teach at the Moscow, Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Minsk (Belarus), Novorossisyk, Kurgan and Norkalni (Latvia) STWs.

Thank you for your faithful support and prayers!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

As we continue to wait for Lena & Sonia's visas we are also pondering schooling options for Sonia and Maya. Sonia has her heart set on studying graphic design and Maya will be more than ready for elementary school. Not knowing when we will come to Canada or even where we will live makes the planning difficult (and there are other questions as well). Please pray with us as we seek God's will for Sonia & Maya's studies.

BLESSINGS

Sonia turned seventeen on April 5th and enjoyed a party with school friends and an evening jazz concert with her best friend. She very much enjoyed this, her last birthday in Russia for some time. Thank you to all who took the time to wish her a happy birthday.

Answered prayer from last week! I received one of my two letters of invitation. For the third year in a row I have been shown favour from the Uzbek government. Praise the Lord!

PETITIONS

Please pray that my Russian letter of invitation will arrive soon (tomorrow would be wonderful!). I absolutely must leave Russia no later than Monday the 17th (our anniversary, by the way). Once the LOI arrives I will travel to Finland in order to apply for a new one-year, multi-entry Russian visa.

From April 17th until the 26th two women's seminars will be hosted by CCI/Russia. Please pray for Carolyn Rice & Kathy Connolly as they come to St. Petersburg to lead the "Forgiven & Set Free" and "Facilitating Biblical Healing" workshops.

The CCI/Russia staff are increasingly busy with preparations for the upcoming Staff Training Workshops. Please remember our staff in your prayers.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that pink snow recently fell in the northern Primorie region in Russia? The interesting colouration was blamed on Mongolian dust!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 03|04|06

2006-04-03T15:37:00.000-05:00

DECISION MADE

Those were the words that greeted us last Tuesday on the Immigration Canada web site. But what was the decision??? That's what kept us in suspense all week as we waited for the letter to arrive at my Mom & Dad's home.

Well, today the letter arrived! It was with great pleasure that Dad read the contents of the letter to us over the phone. Praise the Lord, my application to sponsor Lena & Sonia for permanent residency has been approved!

Now we move on to stage two: the immigration visas. It may be another lengthy wait–according to the Immigration Canada web site, only 30% of visa applications at the Canadian Embassy in Moscow are processed within five months!

Please continue to pray for the process! Thank you all for your prayers!!!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

There is still hope that we will be able to come to Canada this summer. For the sake of Sonia & Maya's schooling we pray that it may be so! A home is still top priority for us: an inexpensive (or free!) home (three bedroom minimum) for us to live in for the first fewmonths is what we need. As for location, we'll consider anything in southern Manitoba! If you have any leads, please let us know!

BLESSINGS

Sonia turns seventeen on April 5th. Praise God for the joy she brings into our lives! Want to give Sonia a birthday gift? Take a peek at her posted pictures on Flickr.com and leave her a comment or two!

PETITIONS

The CCI/Russia office is busy with preparations for the upcoming Staff Training Workshops (STWs). Please remember in prayer our staff and the regional leaders as the time for the STWs draws near.

Please continue to pray for the timely arrival of my LOIs (Letter Of Invitation) for Russian and Uzbek visas. Please pray that the agencies working on these vital documents will be able to prepare them in time for me to obtain my visas.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that in Finland every Saturday (or Friday) is "candy day" for the children? Traditionally, in most Finnish homes children are not allowed to have sweets except on one day when they are permitted to eat as much as they like! According to the Finns, this is one reason why they have such great teeth!!!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 27|03|06

2006-03-27T13:31:00.000-06:00

COLD, BUT SUNNY

It's been a true blessing to see the sun these last few weeks as we very slowly emerge from the long St. Petersburg winter. Yesterday we turned our clocks forward and Maya & Deena are again going to sleep in the daylight.

As we look forward to warmer, brighter weather we are looking forward to seeing our family, friends and supporters in Canada. We pray that the time will come soon! In the meantime we of course have plenty of work to do. Thank you for upholding our family & ministry in prayer.

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Still no word from Immigration Canada. Please keep praying!!!

BLESSINGS

Almost there! Sonia celebrated the start of spring break by baking a cake. Just two more months of school and then the June exams. Praise God for what is behind, and please keep her in your prayers as she prepares for the final stretch.

PETITIONS

CCI/Russia is sponsoring two Women's Seminars in April. The first, "Forgiven & Set Free", will take place April 17-22, and the second, "Facilitating Biblical Healing", follows from the 24th until the 26th. Both seminars take place here in St. Petersburg. Please pray for Carolyn Rice and Kathy Connolly (both from the USA) as they prepare to travel here to conduct the seminars. Also pray that many women will attend and will receive words of hope and healing.

I am waiting for LOIs (Letter Of Invitation) for Russian and Uzbek visas. Please pray that the agencies working on these vital documents will be able to prepare them in time for me to obtain my visas.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that St. Petersburgers are very attached to their pets? Sonia captured this couple transporting their favourite feline in a more modern way than usual (often we see them in handbags)!

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 20|03|06

2006-03-20T14:14:00.000-06:00

GOD IS GOOD!

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.

Â 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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 14|03|06

2006-03-14T14:40:00.000-06:00

TASTING LIFE

Last Wednesday was Women's Day and we celebrated in style at Nina's apartment. March 8 is always a good day in Russia (especially for the women), and even though I washed dishes at every meal it was great for me as well! We ate, played, took pictures and ate some more. I am so thankful for all of my "women"--I am so blessed!!!

May you all enjoy the blessings of life this day. Thank you for blessing us with your prayers and support.

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

P.S. This picture shows Maya enjoying a chocolate "rose" that she received from her Babushka. The rest of the photos from Women's Day can be viewed here.

COMING TO CANADA

Yesterday was the magic 43rd day when we could have expected an answer, but still no word from Immigration Canada. Let's all keep praying! As we wait we are continuing to pray for a home in Manitoba. While we can't give an estimate of our arrival month, we are hoping for word of a suitable place that we could house-sit upon our arrival. Please help us "listen"!

BLESSINGS

The word from the Camp Directors' Institute in Moscow is that all is going well. The group is warm and well fed, and the classes are going great! Praise God for the dynamic group of directors and for the great time of interaction and learning they are experiencing.

I am very thankful for the help that I received from a good friend in Manitoba this past weekend. I was given the task of setting up an advanced network at the office and had reached the need of someone knowledgeable to confer with. Instant messaging and a good friend to the rescue! Thanks again for all your help, Dr. Q!

PETITIONS

Today I began the process of obtaining a new (my 11th?) Russian visa. Please pray that the invitation will be prepared without problem so that I will be able to travel to Finland before our anniversary next month (besides, work gets pretty busy after that).

Speaking of visas, I will also need to apply for another Uzbek visa shortly. Please "prepare the ground" for me by joining with us in praying that the Uzbek government will see fit to allow me to return to Uzbekistan to help train Christian leaders.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Nina qualifies (by virtue of her small pension) for a quarterly allotment of foodstuffs? Last week she stood in line at a government office and returned with eight kilograms of groceries. Included in the bags were 1 kilogram each of rice, buckwheat and macaroni, along with sugar, canned beef, condensed milk and even a wafer cake! While it is certainly not enough to last her for three months, it does help supplement her meager (about 130 CAD/month) allowance.

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 06|03|06

2006-03-06T03:40:00.000-06:00

HANGING IN THERE!

Thanks to all who have been sending us encouraging notes over the past few weeks. It's really great to hear from our prayer supporters!

Thanks also to those (mostly guys!) who have been contributing to the Shopping Tips For Lena blog. Lots of great suggestions there–keep the tips coming!

Thank you for standing with us in prayer!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

When are we coming??? Yes, it's hard to be patient when you're waiting for an answer from the bureaucrats! ;-) We understand that the process takes time, but we are facing crunch time for a number of decisions. If we are to sell our apartment, we will need to put it on the market soon. As well, the time is near for a decision about Sonia's university application, our MINA (Ministry in North America) and many other matters. Please continue to pray that the answer from Canada will come soon and that we will be found "patiently prepared" when it happens!

BLESSINGS

This past week we were able to complete the first of our new video projects in time for the Camp Directors' Institute. Thank God for the help of talented people such as Mark B. & Lena G. You can download/view the five-minute low-resolution version by clicking here (2.4 MB Windows Media Video)

We just heard from Moscow that everyone has arrived safely in time for the start of the CCI/Russia Camp Directors' Institute. Praise God for safe travel for all!

PETITIONS

Today the second session of the Camp Directors' Institute began in Moscow. There are 21 camp directors, five instructors & three interpreters taking part. Please remember in prayer instructors Gary & Susan Fawver, Don German, Dan DeGroat & Dan Bolin as they shake off jet lag and lead the Institute.

We would be very grateful if you would spread the word about our need for an answer from Immigration Canada. Please pass this prayer need on to prayer groups & churches!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Sunday was the last day of Maslenitsa ("Pancake Week")? This is a sort-of pagan/religious festival which occurs just before the start of Orthodox Lent. Each day of "Pancake week" is special in some way. For example, Sunday was the day on which women are to visit and give gifts to their husband's sister! (Kim: Lena send her apologies for not making it to your house in time!)

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!)

Hamm Prayer Points - 20|02|06

2006-02-20T14:28:00.000-06:00

OLYMPICS!

While Deena may not be quite ready to compete in the 2010 Vancouver games (is Finnish Sledding an Olympic sport yet?), we do have one Olympic medallist in the family already. Last week Sonia placed third in the city-wide English Olympiad!

It's been a much warmer week here in St. Petersburg, so we have been able to take the girls out more. The playground continues to get regular use, and we even got out to Central Park for some Finnish sledding and a visit to an ice castle! We really appreciate these opportunities to spend time together as a family. Work is getting busier after a brief lull, and I will soon have to travel to Finland for a new visa, then possibly Moscow for an Uzbek visa, followed by another trip to Uzbekistan and soon after that, Canada.

Thank you all for upholding our family & ministry in prayer!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

It was one year ago that we told you that were postponing our MBMSI-scheduled trip to Canada in order to prepare to sponsor Lena & Sonia for immigration to Canada. A year of prayer & preparation has past and we are excitedly making preparations. Thank you to all who have been helping us search for a home, a vehicle, kids' car seats, furnishings, and more! We still need more help, though, so please don't be shy about offering your suggestions!

Speaking of suggestions, they are coming in from last weeks' request for help for Lena. In order to help people see what has been suggested already, I've decided to post the helpful info on a new blog titled, Shopping Tips For Lena. Got any suggestions or tips for foreigners as they transition to shopping in the North American marketplace? Drop them off in the comments, or send an email to lenahamm -at- gmail -dot- com. Thanks for your help!

BLESSINGS

Lena continues to have opportunities to cut hair for friends and neighbours. She has also resumed studying and travels three times a week to an advanced hairdressing course. We are very thankful for Nina's help with the girls during Lena's absence.

We recently received a small care package from our family in Canada. As well, we suddenly received a batch of Christmas cards and letters (the post office was perhaps saving them for us?). It is always a blessing to hear from loved ones–thank you to all who took the time to send us expressions of your love!

PETITIONS

From March 6-17 we will be conducting the second session of the Camp Directors' Institute. Four of our staff will travel to Moscow to take part, along with the rest of the 25 students. Please pray for Gary Fawver, Dean of the Institute, and the rest of the instructors and staff as they prepare.

We are soon reaching a critical juncture in our plans to move to Canada. We need to hear from Immigration Canada on the state of my application in order to proceed. As well, we need to reach a decision very soon if we will sell our apartment in Russia in order to afford a home in Canada. Please remember our Canadian plans in your prayers.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that "Day of the Defenders of the Motherland" is now a federal holiday? This is the first year that February 23 is a day off, so most everyone is making it a long weekend (schools included). The price for her teacher's partying is that Sonia and her classmates will have to attend school on Sunday (!) through Saturday!!!

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.

Hamm Prayer Points - 13|02|06

2006-02-13T14:55:00.000-06:00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...

...for those outside of Uzbekistan, anyway!

It's been wonderful having a bit more time to spend with family these post-conference days. This past week Sonia & paid a visit to the Palace Square (where the Hermitage is situated) to tour the amazing ice palace (see Did You Know... for more). Yesterday afternoon the entire family went to the St. Petersburg Circus (Deena's first visit) for a great family show. We're starting to feel the shortness of opportunities to enjoy our soon-to-be-former home, but are certainly thankful for the opportunity to serve in such a unique place!

We pray that you will be able to take advantage of all the opportunities you have to enjoy the loved ones in your life!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

P.S. Please view the Circus and Ice Palace pictures at our Flickr site!

COMING TO CANADA

Petmol, Nico, Pekar, Blend-a-Med, Fairy... familiar brands to us in Russia, but likely a bit hard to recognize in southern Manitoba! Lena will certainly need some help when it comes to shopping in Canada–not too many similarities on our grocery shelves! Would some of you avid shoppers mind jotting down some of your shopping wisdom during the next few months? It would be a great help to Lena if she had some kind written guide to shopping in a foreign land! (Perhaps a ladies groups would like to tackle such a "guide" together?)

BLESSINGS

We recently received a very special blessing from relatives in Germany. My mother's cousins had been told of our work and had begun giving monthly towards our ministry. A partner mission in Germany collected the gifts and managed to pass them our way this past month. How wonderful it was to learn of such secret giving!

We've been searching for affordable ways to travel to Canada, but found little by way of reasonable rates for our awkwardly-timed travel plans. Recently though we were blessed with not one, but two affordable possibilities. First a friend who is an Air Canada pilot offered to take our family back to Canada on his airline passes. Then we discovered that Siama could get a super (one-way, high season) rate for us. Praise God for such assistance!

PETITIONS

It has been eight weeks since my application to sponsor Lena & Sonia for immigration to Canada reached Canada. Please continue to pray for a positive outcome to the process!

A major post-conference project for us is the creation of several video montages for churches and camp sponsors. Please pray for Lena G. who will be heading up the project in our office.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that a replica of an ice palace that used to belong to Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna has been built in St. Petersburg? The replica also includes a sauna and an ice slide shaped like an elephant!

...that the Empress who commissioned the original ice palace once ordered her court jester and his new bride to spend the night in the ice palace? The next morning they were found unconscious, but the doctors managed to revive them. All ended happily: the jester family went on to have four kids!

...that the Hermitage has kindly announced that pensioners can tour the ice palace for free? The only catch: they must come between 9 and 10 in the morning!!!

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.

Hamm Prayer Points - 06|02|06

2006-02-06T03:41:00.000-06:00

BACK FROM THE CONFERENCE!

It was a wonderful, amazing and blessed time at the 2006 CCI/Russia Christian Camp Leaders' Conference. In total 315 participants, instructors and staff took part in the six day conference held near Zelenogorsk (one hour north of St. Petersburg). Attendees came from across Russia, Belarus, the Baltic States and even three Central Asian countries! Personally I had a very full plate–I ran the computer centre (servicing everyone's tech needs, producing over 200 conference CDs & more), handled the chief videotaping & photography duties and taught a four-day course on Information Technology at Camp. Thankfully I had great help in the form of one Lehv Panchikhin who dropped everything to come and help me on very short notice.

I've posted a few pictures from the conference at Flickr.com, with more to come. Thank you for your prayers–it was a great conference!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Just four months to go, Lord willing! Now that the conference is over, we need to get serious about Canadian preparations. We would really appreciate some help in the real estate department. Please continue to spread the word about our need for housing. We would happily house-sit for the first few months practically anywhere in southern Manitoba. In addition we would love to have the assistance of a good real estate agent as we seek a more permanent residence. Any and all help is appreciated!

BLESSINGS

Answered prayer from last time! The last-minute cancellation of my conference interpreter/ assistant was quite the setback, but God provided a very capable replacement. Thank God for His provision!

Praise God for His care and protection for Lena and the girls during my absence.

Thank God for His grace! I had a very heavy workload during the conference, yet was still able to serve until the end! There wasn't much sleep to be had in the final days of the conference, but God granted health and strength throughout.

PETITIONS

Pray for the camp directors, pastors and other church leaders that took part in the conference. They now return home to encourage and energize their churches and begin the challenging process of raising funds, finding staff, promotion and for many, procuring a campsite. Please remember them in prayer as the summer camping season approaches.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that for the first time we had a representative from Tajikistan at CCLC? There are less than 0.01% of non-Orthodox Christians in Tajikistan!

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.

Hamm Prayer Points - 23|01|06

2006-01-23T03:58:00.000-06:00

BRR! (not my picture tho!)

Shortly after sending Thursday's missive we lost electricity for almost 24 hours, giving us a very cold night, and forcing us to evacuate our home due to the severe cold (we're very ready for Canada by now!). Hard to believe it can get so bad here, but the older buildings in this city simply aren't built for cold! In our apartment we are generally pretty comfortable until it gets to -10 outside. Up to -20 we have to bundle up. However, since last Tuesday it has been well below that, forcing us (and much of the city) to crank up the electric heaters and stay in one or two rooms. The increased energy consumption led to blackouts, the worst of which hit us Thursday afternoon. With no noticeable heat from our centrally-controlled radiators and no electricity for our heaters the five of us were forced to cram into two beds and bury ourselves in blankets. We survived the night, but since there was no change in the morning we accepted our friend's offer of warm refuge. Lena took Maya & Deena there by taxi and I went to the (warmer) office to get some work done. Meanwhile Sonia remained behind (Nina had joined her earlier in the day) to wait for the electricity to return. We got power back only mid-afternoon, by which time the indoor temperature was well below double-digits. So the four of us ended up staying for night at our friends, while Nina & Sonia tried to re-heat the apartment.

Since our return Lena has spent a lot of time on the phone trying to coax a city official to come and see the state of our radiators. Finally she made it through to a sympathetic ear and a visit has been promised for tomorrow. We pray that some good results will come of this. Sonia returned to school today only to find nearly-freezing temperatures (+2) indoors. Her classroom was only five degrees warmer, forcing students to study in coats and mittens. After six hours of "blue finger studies" Sonia was allowed to return home. Why they even opened school is a mystery!

On a more serious note, the cold has taken its' toll on many Russians: at last count over 40 people have died from the cold. It's a vicious pattern: it gets cold, many drink to feel warm; it then gets colder, people continuing drinking until they can't feel anything and finally freeze to death. The cold also affects the infrastructure; several cities have experienced heating pipeline bursts, leaving thousands of people without central heating. Please remember in prayer those in such situations and those who cannot afford to pay for extra electricity (when it works). It is especially difficult for pensioners right now; most of whom live on their own.

Thank you for sharing the warmth of your hearts & prayers with us!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Good news (we think) on the immigration front: my Dad received a call from Immigration Canada last week to inform us that our application was being worked on. Good to know! ;-) Please remember to pray for the process–all of our plans to come to Canada hinge on the approval of the bureaucrats. If God is not in this application, it will not happen!

BLESSINGS

We have electricity! We have windows that keep (most of) the cold out! We have a roof over our heads, warm blankets, hot water, a gas stove and a healthy sense of humour! ;-) Thank God for all of His provision and care!

PETITIONS

I just received word that my conference interpreter/assistant will not be able to make it. This is very late notice, leaving me with few options. I have a great deal of responsibilities at CCLC, and I need a capable assistant as well as a good interpreter for my four-hour course. Please pray that someone may be found to assist me–we leave for the conference in four days! (Lena would love to fill the role, but Nina is not willing to manage the household for more than a day at a time.)

Preparations for the conference are consuming all of our time at the office. This evening we had several meetings with key volunteers, keeping us in the office until late evening. Please pray for Lena, Nikolai, Ira & me as we seek to get all of our pre-conference projects done in time.

DID YOU KNOW...

...that when it gets to -23, St. Petersburg parents are allowed to keep their children home from school? Today Sonia discovered why that's sometimes a good idea!

...that a zoo in Lipetsk has been giving monkeys wine three time a day in order to keep them warm? And a Russian circus found that giving elephants vodka cocktails can have serious consequences!

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.

Hamm Prayer Points — 19|01|06

2006-01-19T05:44:00.000-06:00

FINALLY BACK!

Greetings from frigid (-30) St. Petersburg! Thankfully the central heating has been restored after a day-long "break". It's not too often it gets so cold here, but when it does we need bundle up and use all of our electric heaters. Thankfully we can pay our electricity bill!

I've been stuck in bed since for the past three days with a fever and related symptoms, but thankfully the worst seems to be over. Hopefully next Monday we can get back on schedule. As you've probably noticed, I have changed the way this newsletter is sent out. While I love sending out Hamm Prayer Points every week (and your encouraging comments make it all the more worthwhile), it is a lot of work to write, email and produce both web and printable versions each week. One top of that, managing the hundreds of email addresses and requests for changes is quite time-consuming. Hopefully a way has been found to streamline the entire process. I am now sending this via a mail list server which allows me to send and post with one click. This also allows you to easily add/remove/change email addresses as needed. If you have any questions about the changeover, or if you receive any duplicate or unneeded messages, please let me know.

Thank you for your prayers and faithful support of our family & ministry!

– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

COMING TO CANADA

Thank you to all who have offered help and items to help us make the planned transition to Canada. Our biggest need continues to be a home to live in. We would like to broaden our search to include most of southern Manitoba–from Brandon to Steinbach. Our first choice would be a place to house-sit for several months, during which time we would search for a more permanent place to live. Of course, we are also open to immediately purchasing or even renting a home. We don't know how long we'll be in Canada, but it looks like Lena & Sonia will need at least three years there in order to complete the immigration process. We would appreciate any help in spreading the word about our housing needs. Thanks!!!

BLESSINGS

After being forced out on Christmas Eve, our local church fellowship has finally found a temporary home in a business centre. The facility is great, but we can use the place for only two evenings a week, meaning that our Sunday morning service now takes place on Saturday evening!

Our family received a number of thoughtful gifts from supporting churches back home. One church even sent a care package that arrived just in time for the Orthodox New Year! Thank you to all who sent cards, gifts and kind wishes during the holiday season–we felt very blessed!

PETITIONS

There are just eight days until our staff leave for the 2006 winter conference site. Please remember us in prayer during this final week of preparation. Among my responsibilities are the preparation of a new Electronic Library CD-ROM, several PowerPoint presentations, numerous posters & info sheets and a music CD.

Please remember our family's health in your prayers. It's hard to stay healthy here, especially in the winter!

DID YOU KNOW...

...that Russians love to eat ice cream in the winter? As locals consume huge quantities of frozen sweets ice cream manufacturers are saving money on refrigeration thanks to the extreme cold!

...that the current cold snap coincides with the Russian Orthodox holiday of Epiphany (January 18th) which tradition says ushers in a cold period known as the Epiphany Frosts? Every year numerous brave Russians celebrate by plunging (or being plunged) into rivers and ponds to cleanse themselves with water "made holy" for the day. As usual, Nina avoided the frozen Neva River and instead went to Kazansky Cathedral to have some water blessed.

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 for 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.