Occupation: OU Campus Crusade staff
Skills: Shepherds, logistics management, previous experience in Moscow, being a cute couple, encouragement.
Favorite moments with Jamie: Bible studies, ministry at MGLU, the banya, team night at the flat.
Favorite moments with Zach: Day one ministry buddies, morning briefing, team night at the flat.
What I learned from the Stevenses: A Christ-centered marriage is a strong and beautiful thing.
Award: The Cool Parents Award. These two had to put up with our team's craziness and made sure we stayed out of trouble, but they stayed fun and hip while doing it. ;)
Occupation: College pastor, Wildwood Community Church
Skills: leader, iPad master, straight-talker, being American, previous experience in Moscow.
Favorite Moments with Jeremy: Ordering for him at Business Lunch, witnessing the MGU "running man," the cactus water song, my ministry team attempting to pickpocket him while walking around town.
What I Learned from Jeremy: It's perfectly okay to be straightforward when sharing the gospel.
Award: Jeremy, my ministry team named the courtyard at MGU, "Jeremy's Park." I feel like that's a pretty cool award, right?
University: OU
Skills: Metro navigation, balancing restaurant checks, speed-walking. not being in the girls' room.
Favorite Moments with David: Sitting next to him at TGI Friday's, plane buddies on the flight to Moscow, prayer walks across MGU, witnessing a proposal in the MGU courtyard, playing Fan Tan.
What I Learned from David: You don't have to be outgoing to be an excellent leader. (You were awesome, DLP!)
Award: Sleepy-Eyes Award. This guy was rarely, if ever, responsive until after his morning shower. ;)
University: OU
Skills: Negotiating with government officials, comfort, dealing with people occupying space on her bed with utmost grace, previous experience in Moscow.
Favorite Moments with Abby: Our day of "no plans," walking and talking together ahead of the rest of the team, singing high school choir songs together, speaking in "Russian" accents, giggling on the metro.
What I Learned from Abby: Relationships become more genuine just by asking deeper questions.
Award: Big Sis Award. Abby and I spent the vast majority of our trip in each other's presence (Holla!), and she was so amazing at looking after my welfare and the welfare of our whole team.
University: OU
Skills: Guitar and vocals, photographer/fancy camera owner, bargaining with Russians, intentionality.
Favorite Moments with Stephen: Chatting with Ignat, leading worship (that one time...ha.), watching Stephen go into artsy photography mode while traveling on the metro together.
What I Learned from Stephen: A passion for studying scripture.
Award: Costa Coffee Award. Stephen was all about coffee. Especially Costa Coffee. Pretty sure a large chunk of his per diem was spent at that establishment.
University: OU
Skills: Charming Russian girls, words of encouragement, body guard for late night metro travel.
Favorite Moments with Steven: Elephant Love Medley duet with Brent, lunch with Dasha, Katya and Angelina, crossword puzzles, the tooth brush dance.
What I Learned from Steven: Even the goofiest of guys can have a sweet, sincere heart.
Award: Vogue Award. Steven strikes a (silly) pose every time he knows someone is snapping a picture of him. The picture to the right is one of few relatively normal shots I could find in my friends' Facebook albums.
University: OU
Skills: Scarf-wearing, moisturizer application, British accent, insightful bible commentary.
Favorite moments with Laura: Back rubs, chatting on Abby's bed, restaurant games, H&M, letting people make wishes in between the two of us.
What I Learned from Laura: We can delight in God's word every day!
Award: Best Smile Award. I mean, the picture right here just speaks for itself. :)
University: OU
Skills: Guitar and vocals, occupying Abby's bed during down time, toothpaste lending, metro napping, matching Jamie.
Favorite Moments with Kaleb: Singing "Lucky" together, language class with Sasha, talking about music, being Pizza Hut buddies.
What I Learned from Kaleb: Sometimes the best testament is being good friend.
Award: Morozhenae Award. I think Kaleb ate the most ice cream out of anyone during the entire trip. Magnum bars, McDonald's ice cream cones, McFlurries, milkshakes, coke floats, etc.
McCall Sanderson.
University: Texas Tech
Skills: Water conservation, conflict resolution, under-the-bed retrieval, Soularium.
Favorite Moments with McCall: Snuggling (that's right, folks. Snuggling.) in her bunk bed with Lauren and Laura, the banya, waiting for soup, H&M.
What I Learned from McCall: Good communication nips conflicts in the bud.
Award: Keepin' It Real Award. McCall is never afraid to speak her mind, and she often had us girls rolling in laughter from her bold statements.
University: Harvard
Skills: The Russian language, prayer, blocking the sun's rays.
Favorite Moments with Brian: Hearing him yell (politely, of course) at the security officer when our group was separated in line at the Hermitage, shopping at Ismaylova, sitting at McDonald's with the other Techies.
What I Learned from Brian: Don't take Christian community for granted. Cherish it and seek it out!
Award: Best Laugh Award. This kid can bust up like no other. His laugh makes you laugh because it's so boisterous. Pretty fun :)
Brent Daugherty.
University: Texas Tech
Skills: Eagle Scout, metro napping, badgering Abby, ordering at McDonald's, learning Russian slang, teaching American slang.
Favorite moments with Brent: Watching him try to keep his balance on the metro, touring the Hermitage, crossword puzzles, shopping at Ismaylova market, plane buddies on the flight home.
Favorite moments with Brent: Watching him try to keep his balance on the metro, touring the Hermitage, crossword puzzles, shopping at Ismaylova market, plane buddies on the flight home.
What I Learned from Brent: When you're a leader, you have to let the Lord lead you.
Award: Song in My Head Award. Brent was constantly humming or singing a tune. Especially really weird things like Toni Braxton's "Unbreak my Heart."
University: OU
Skills: Eagle Scout, British accent, the ability to make socks and Chacos look classy, escorting babushkas, gentleman.
Favorite Moments with Mark: hearing him order at McDonald's, joining in with Steven's and my tooth brush dance without hesitation, routinely wishing us girls a good night.
What I Learned from Mark: Chivalry is still alive and kicking, ladies. ;)
Award: Profound Statement Award. Mark would utter random, thought-provoking truths to our team, such as, "Hey, guys, can you believe that our bodies are made up of trillions of tiny cells?"
University: OU
Skills: Intentionality, hair braiding, befriending anyone, Magnum bar connoisseur, masseuse, garden hose engineer.
Favorite Moments with Lauren: carrying her flowers and her water bottle around after it spilled in her purse (in a church), shopping at Ismaylova, back rubs, girls' bible study.
What I Learned from Lauren: "They'll know we are Christians by our love."
Award: Creeper Photo Award: Just like it sounds. I mean, she took something like over 600 pictures. And she's good at getting candid shots.
University: Cedarville
Skills: Personal chef, encourager, artsy photographer, Russian culture enthusiast.
Favorite Moments with Rachel: Fan Tan, touring the Hermitage, rooming together in St. Pete's, talking in the garden at Christ Our Savior, going to Red Square, sharing food at the Hard Rock.
What I Learned from Rachel: Everyone expresses love in different ways, and it's important to pay attention to that.
Award: Kind Heart Award. Rachel was always writing the girls notes of encouragement, and she was eager to serve anyone. Such a sweet person!
There you have it- a glimpse of the fifteen cool people with whom I got to spend much of my summer. We became a family! I'm so thankful for them. Lifelong friendships? I think yes! I can't tell you how much I gained from living in a Christian community. To have brothers and sisters around you, to build you up, to help you grow...it's a beautiful thing. I would recommend going on a summer project just so you could experience true and constant community like that. There's really nothing like it.
As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another.
-Proverbs 27:17
Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
-1 Thessalonians 2:8
Thanks for a life-changing summer project, team.
Love,
"Sandy Pitts"
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