On our trip to Siberia we experienced a NUMBER of fascinating numerical facts and people who make those numbers important.
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2.3 Billion—Enormous Goal.
Yes, 2.3 billion people in the world between ages 10-29 do not know Jesus.
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144.5 Million—Big Country.
Russia contains 144.5 million people within 6.6 million square miles. God knows each one—like
Praveena
. Brought up Muslim, a friend introduced her to Jesus. She prayed for her mother, who now follows Jesus. As a result, her father divorced her mother, and he gave Praveena a Koran hoping to persuade her back to Islam…instead she experienced “just how alive and fresh the Word of God is.” Now she disciples other students in her church to follow Jesus. God is at work in Russia…one life at a time!
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12,477—Long Trip.
Our team traveled 12,477 air miles to and from Novosibirsk, Siberia! Though half way around the world, we “encouraged, equipped, and empowered” Russian youth leaders for 11 days.
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3,500—Churches to Train.
At a private dinner with “Church of Russia” bishops, they invited Reach Out to equip their 3,500 churches in
Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry
.
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500—Youth Leaders Worshiping.
500 youth and student leaders traveled to Novosibirsk from numerous regions of Russia. Some journeyed two days by car, and others flew 2,397 miles one way--to worship, fellowship, be inspired and equipped. And they participated in filming our Russian version of
Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry Online
.
At one session Randy and Barry spoke. We did “tag team preaching”—back and forth. The response: all 500 people bowed down before the Lord—10 minutes of silence and weeping, and then spontaneous praise and worship.
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190 Degree “Heat Treat”.
Our Russian brothers “treated” our USA team to a “Russian Banya”—a 190-degree sauna accompanied by “flogging” with birch limbs--approximating hell—followed by cooling down with snow. Really, try it if you’re ever in Siberia!
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25 Eagle Leaders.
We hosted a 3-day retreat with 25 of Reach Out’s "trainers of trainers". Our Russian leaders—
Pasha and Tanya Koryakin
—and the USA team led the intense, yet fun, sessions. We reflected on our personal lives, heard “across Russia” ministry reports, and worked on specific ways to improve how we train leaders. People like
Eva
inspired us. She rides weekly on the back of a
truck
for four hours one way to disciple four recently converted teenage girls in a small village with no church. Motivating!
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24 Online Video Segments.
Our behind-the-scenes superstar video team filmed, edited and put “in the can” 16 JFYM Online Content Segments and 8 Impact Stories—all delivered excellently by our Russian leaders.
Todd Slocum
and
Dima Petrov
—our incomparable video producers—did the filming. A massive undertaking, we filmed everything needed for our
JFYM Online
experience!
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4 Man USA Team.
Todd,
Larry Kelley
, Randy and Barry made this remarkable journey together. Though often we felt like we did not know where we were or what time it was, we experienced God every step of the way…from the Russian visa fiasco…to successfully navigating $50,000 of video equipment into and out of the country…to worshiping intensely on our faces with Russian leaders…to praying for and talking about reaching and discipling a nation of teenagers of whom only 1% know Jesus.
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1 Awesome God.
We thank God for answering our desperate prayers, gracefully opening the way when we seemed stuck, and energizing our tired bodies to finish our filming and ministry tasks. All glory to Jesus—“the only hope of the whole world” and particularly the 144.5 million people in Russia!
And thank you for believing in us enough to pray and give!
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