10/30/2023

Hello everyone, so much has happened since we made our move to Central Asia. It's been a crazy two and a half weeks. We have been able to spend so much time connecting with students, the national staff, and so much time exploring the city. Our schedule here is exhausting but I've never felt Jesus's words in 2 Corinthians 12:7 reign more true in my life. Since we've been here we have been going three days a week to English Talking Club where we get to talk with the students, build relationships, and have a lot of fun in the process!... they've also had a lot of fun teaching us some Russian haha. On Wednesdays and Fridays, I get to spend time at different universities and a youth movement with my teammate, Jaden.

Below is a slideshow of our talking clubs.

With all of these universities and talking clubs, some fun stories and memories have been made along the way. One of which would include the day Jaden and I went to a university that we were not normally supposed to go to. When we got there, we were told we would have to split up and teach two separate classes on our own. After getting over the initial shock, our national staff leader took Jaden off to his classroom, came back Jaden-less and took me to mine. As soon as I walked into the room, the first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of students... and they were all girls. Jaden and I had never been to a university before so we didn't know what to expect to begin with, let alone what to do apart from each other. So what was my first thought?... Hangman of course! I quickly discovered that their English was not quite good enough for Hangman😅. After some awkward silence, they asked if they could ask me some questions so I said of course because I had no idea what else to talk about... The first question out of their mouths was, "Tell us about your relationship history!"... so that is what I did... When our trainers in Orlando told us that we were going to have to embrace the awkward, this not what I was expecting haha. However, what was initially an unexpected and stressful situation ended up being a lot of fun and Jaden and I were able to make some connections because of it.

Below is my class of 20 girls.

We have also had the wonderful opportunity to teach at a Christian school for elementary and middle school students. We got to have dinner with the owners of the school and learn about their story starting the school. It has honestly been one of the sweetest experiences I've had since being here. Hearing about how they homeschooled their kids for years and then felt the Lord calling them to start this school because there wasn't anything else like it in the country was so special. Having been homeschooled my whole life, it was really cool to hear another families' passion for it even across the world.

Below is a slideshow of the students as well as the owner's family.

Outside of connecting with students and teaching, we have had a lot of fun in the city and outside of the city experiencing the culture here. We got to make a trip to the mountains and go horseback riding as well as several other fun cultural experiences. I have also discovered that there are a lot of stray cats and dogs in this city... so I have taken the liberty of making friends with all of the cats haha.

Below is another slideshow...

While we've been here, we've been able to make a lot of friends and be a part of some Bible studies and worship nights. It's really special to be a part of worship and prayer with people who speak other languages. Hearing God worshipped in Russian was such a sweet experience I'll never forget.

Below is a picture of a friend of mine holding my hand. Here in this culture, it is apparently very normal even if it felt weird to me haha. There is also a group picture of some friends from the prayer night we hosted.

With all that being said, our time here has been very sweet despite the busyness and change. It's been amazing to see how God is moving over here in Central Asia and being able to be part of it is something I'll never forget.

Prayer Requests...

• Pray for our team as there's now only five of us here. Lucy made the decision to go home because of her health and LeAnn's time with us was only for three weeks. It feels a little weird now that there are only five of us and we now have some more responsibilities to fill.

• Pray for our interactions with the students. Pray that God would continue to bring spiritual and Gospel conversations with the students.

• Pray for our whole team as we are looking to start three different home groups with the universities that we are helping at. It seems like a tall task but I know that if it's what God wants, He will bring it to pass.

• Pray for physical strength and energy for our whole team. We are all very tired and though we have adjusted for the most part, we are still adapting to life here each day.

• Lastly, pray for Bailee and I - that God would continue to give us wisdom in leading our team and strength and energy as we try to balance leading the team as well as being a part of the team.

Until next time!

- Micah