Christmas 2006-2007
|
RBI Russian Orphan Winter Outreach
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Hello! We are always preparing to return to St. Petersburg for our Winter Outreach to share the love of Jesus Christ with Russian orphans. This letter includes important timelines and information as you consider joining us.
|
We are preparing to visit needy orphanages where team members have been going since 1999. Our Russian staff is also searching for other orphanages that rarely receive visits or assistance. We want to share the love of Jesus Christ with them, too!
The winter outreach is a trip anywhere from 10-14 days as God leads.
We are really excited that God has called us to cooperate with Him in what He is doing in Russia!
We ask you to prayerfully consider if the Lord would have you to join us. With a commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, a willingness to work together for the sake of impacting the lives of the precious orphans and a yielding of the gifts God has given you to be used by Him to touch these kids…you can make an eternal difference.
We Need approximately 20 Volunteers
We are praying for 20 volunteers to join us for this outreach. This will allow 2 teams comprised of 10 "foreigners" (that's us) and 5 Russian interpreters. The teams will work in two or three orphanages for two to three days each. Also, if you know anyone who would be interested in joining us, please pass along this information.
The need is so very great, pray, go or send someone!
Building Friendships and Sharing the Gospel
Since we will be spending two to three days in each orphanage, this will give us time to build friendships and share the Gospel with the kids and staff.
It is always a good idea to bring toys, games or crafts that you can engage in play with the kids. Games like chess and checkers, jigsaw puzzles (which pack easily), jacks and marbles and UNO cards are great. Bean-bag games like tic-tac-toe (using a small tarp with a grid taped on it) are great fun.
Various types of arts and crafts are wonderful, as well. Use your creativity to plan and bring supplies. We have a digital camera and a printer that can print 4X6 color photos of the kids. The kids love to make picture frames out of lightweight cardboard. (The kind that comes with folded shirts from the laundry. I believe any laundry would donate this cardboard to bless orphans!) You will need to bring markers, crayons and stickers for the art work the kids create on their frames. Multiple skeins of brightly colored embroidery yarn can be used to make friendship bracelets.
Small toys make great prizes if we play musical chairs or something like it with the children.
Regardless of their cultural background, all little girls love sitting and doing “beauty” things with hair clips, braids and nail polish. All these things give time for building friendships through which the Gospel is shared.
Prepare an Inspirational Message
Some of the orphanages will put on some sort of "program" for us performed by the children as they have done in years past, some will look for a program from us.
For those of you who love drama, I encourage you to bring a simple skit that you can share with the team. If you are a story-teller and have a Bible story that you can share to grab the kids’ attention, bring it as well.
If any of you would like to help with music, bring a guitar or your other instrument. Most homes have a piano. Or, you can simply bring a song! We will have a master musician from Budapest, Hungary with us and he can sing anything!
The main thing is that we will take time to focus on and "be" with the kids to listen, share and answer questions. Email your ideas to us as soon as you can!
About Packing
You will be allowed ONLY 2 checked bags (weighing no more than 45 pounds each), 1 carry-on and a briefcase/purse as allowed by the airline. We recommend large, rolling duffle bags with handles to make them easy to maneuver.
I strongly suggest that you pack at least one change of clothes and personal toiletries in your carry-on. It has happened that some checked baggage has not arrived until the 2nd day of the trip!
It is IMPERATIVE that all of your bags have no more than a combined total weight of 90 lbs. This is Russian law and is strictly enforced. So unless you want to pay $100.00 for any weight over 90 lbs, weigh your bags carefully beforehand. Thanks for working within these perimeters as you gather supplies.
Each team member must be able to take his or her baggage through customs. Don’t worry; there are carts to load your bags on to get them through the customs station. Our staff will be meeting us at the airport to assist with with transporting luggage to the bus.
NOTE: We are raising funds for humanitarian aid to wire over to our foundation one month prior to our arrival. Our Russian staff will be asking the orphanages what they need, and will have time to purchase these items. The teams will be able to deliver the items to the orphanages after we arrive. (This will also help to reduce the volume of items that need to be transported.) Any funds that can be raised by you for this will strictly go to provide aid to the orphans.
We also ask each team member to bring the following items:
- Pediatric cough syrup (2 bottles)
- Children's Tylenol (2 bottles)
- Pediatric cold & flu medicines
- Anti-bacterial cream (2 tubes)
- Band-Aids (2 boxes)
These items can be purchased "over-the-counter." Each team member will bring these in his or her supplies. When we arrive, the medicines will be divided equally and delivered as a gift to each orphanage.
Required Documentation
1. Your actual passport (no copies).
This is required by the Russian Consulate because the Russian Visa is actually glued into your passport. Ensure that you have enough empty pages designated for “Visas.” Check your passport to make sure you have room for a full page visa! You also need to have at least 6 months remaining before your passport expires from the end of this trip date in order for it to be accepted for a visa. Get your passport updated if necessary.
2. Two Color, Passport-Size Pictures (with your signature in ball-point ink on the back of each photo).
Ensure that you have photos taken by an authorized passport photographer. DO NOT attempt to make them yourself on your computer, do not have them made at the “little photo booth in the mall,” etc. This will delay your visa application.
3. Completed Visa Application Form.
This form can be obtained from RBI along with detailed instructions for its completion. Please obtain instructions before filling it out. All questions must be answered, even if the answer is “Not Applicable” or “No.” Church Workers, ministers, etc. should put “self-employed” as vocation and the church address as the employer’s address. If you are not sure how to complete this form, please contact RBI.
4. Completed Risk Waiver Form.
(This form can be obtained through RBI.)
5. A Completed Team Application.
(This form can be obtained through RBI.)
6. Completed, Signed Medical Release Form
This form can be obtained through RBI.)
7. Two Character References
(This form can be obtained through RBI.)
8. Special Needs
Team members need to all travel on the same day, meeting at some connection point in Europe, like Frankfurt. Let us know from which airport you will be leaving, any specific travel requirements, hotel needs, etc. that you may have. Please remember, there are a limited number “no smoking” rooms available in the hotel.
9. Insurance Coverage
You will need to make sure your insurance covers you overseas, or take out a travel policy. We recommend our Travel Agent and Consolidator:
Wallach and Company, Inc.
107 West Federal Street
Middleburg, VA 20117
Phone: (800) 237-6615
www.wallach.com
Flight Information and Reservations
We recommend that flight arrangements from Frankfurt to St. Petersburg be made as a group, on the same carrier and in advance for the best rates. Arrriving in St. Petersburg as a group also makes being received by our Russian staff much easier.
Riverside Travel, Inc.
2353 Rose Street North, Suite 106
Rosevile, MN 55113
Phone: (800) 337-6658
FAX: (651) 484-2300
Julia Mahoney: julia@rivertrav.com
Airline costs will be between $900.00 and $1,200.00 depending on what city you are traveling from and how quickly you get a reservation.
For the best group rates, we do our best to book at least one month in advance. Please identify yourself as part of the “RBI” group. The sooner we reserve seats, the better the price. Please, no waiting until the last minute! Note: A $100.00 deposit per ticket may be required.
What To Expect
Hotel Accommodations
We are being charged $40.00 for per person per night for the hotel rooms, including breakfeast. This is half price! The team member cost of $65.00 for hotel rooms per person per day of will enable our interpreters to stay at the hotel with us for the ten nights we will be there. This is very important for the teams to bond and work their best. Couples will be able to stay together, and others will have same gender roommates so that we keep costs as low as possible.
Day of Arrival
When we arrive at the airport, we will be met by our Russian staff. Buses will take us to the Deson-Ladoga Hotel near the center of St. Petersburg. We will get settled into the hotel, spend some time visiting, worshipping, dining together and then getting to bed early.
Orientation Day
We will have an orientation day on our first full day in Russia. We will worship together, introduce ourselves and share a bit about who we are. We will organize our outreach supplies and get oriented on how things will work when we visit the orphanages. We will also practice skits, stories and songs together.
It is crucial for the team members to be able to draw upon the gifts and abilities of each other so that the work in the homes is a blessing to all.
Each Morning
Each morning, we will pray together, worship together and review the day's activities at the orphanages. This is so we can refocus daily and all be on "the same page" before we go out to share the love of Jesus Christ.
Each Evening
The plan is to have dinner together each night either at the hotel or a local restaurant. Our staff will have options to choose from, so you can get a flavor of the foods that St. Petersburg offers. Look carefully at the cost breakdown on meals and plan accordingly.
Experiencing St. Petersburg
We will also try to get tickets for a ballet or an opera on in St. Petersburg. These tickets are usually $50.00 for tourists and $15.00 for the Russian interpreters. Please include them if you wish to participate.
We schedule this event during the middle of our stay, so as to give the whole group some “down time.” Ministering to the orphans is powerfully grace-filled and yet can be taxing emotionally and spiritually. Even Jesus drew His disciples aside to rest after intense ministry.
Important Deadlines
Approximately 3 months Prior to Trip
Deposit and Application fees must br received by RBI (including visa application and invitation fees).
Note: Past this date, we will not be able to guarantee that you will get a visa, because it now takes a full month to get invitations for our visas from Russia and then two full work weeks to get the visa from the Russian consulate in the USA. Application packages that arrive after the deadline will have a “Past Dead-line Fee” of $100.00 assessed to cover expediting cost for your visa.
Approximately 2 Months Prior to Trip
The remaining balance must be received by RBI.
Send Required Documentation and Fees To:
RBI
9925 Haynes Bridge Road, Suite 200-302
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Checks should be made payable to: “Mount Pisgah.”
In the memo, write “RBI Winter 2006.”
For Your Reference
Please Read (or re-read)
Yes or No? Straight Answers to Tough Questions about Christianity by Peter Kreeft will help in answering hard questions asked of you about the Faith.
How many Children Live in the Orphanages?
The average number of children in each baby home (new born to 4 yrs) is about 40; toddler homes (4 to 7 yrs) may have 60 to 80; a regular orphanage (7-18 yrs) averages about 90, though some are bigger.
The Weather
It will be cold in St. Petersburg when we are there and the probability of snow is great. The temperature may range from the 20's and 30's (F), drop into the "teens" or fall to zero. Dressing in layers and a warm coat, gloves, scarf and hat make it very do-able. We will not be spending long periods of time out doors. Do not let the weather hinder you if the Lord if nudging you to come!
Exchanging Currency
IMPORTANT: You need to get really clean bills from the bank to take with you. If there are any marks on a bill, the Russians will not allow you to exchange it for Russian Rubles. It is an odd thing, but it is how things are done, so please get really clean bills.
God bless you all! We look forward to sharing the Gospel in Russia with you!
In the love of Jesus Christ,
Mark,
Rev. Mark Browne, RBI rbi@bellsouth.net
|
|