A New Chapter :)

For those who have been following my Moscow journey on this blog site these past four years, THANK YOU! It's been such an incredible adventure, and now, in my fifth year in Moscow, a new chapter is starting: marriage! On July 17, Lindsey and I got married in her hometown of Austin, Texas, and three weeks later we flew back to Moscow for our first year of both teaching full-time at Hinkson Christian Academy. Here at the end of our first week of the school year, we're both loving it, and we praise God that He's called us here for this time.

However, as this new journey is beginning, my priorities and time are looking differently these days. Desiring to give as much time to my wife during our first year of marriage, I've decided to not blog regularly this year. Instead, we are sending regular e-mail updates to family, friends, and supporters. In those e-mails we include specific praises and prayer requests, stories of what God's doing here, and links to photo albums that we create online. If you'd like to receive e-mail updates from us, please send an e-mail to me at lukehays7@gmail.com



The above pictures and many more can be found at http://blog.jenniferbellahphotography.com/.

May God bless and keep you all!

School's Out, Wedding Bells, and Visas

Oh how wonderful it is to be home with family here in Michigan! Since arriving home on June 4, the past week and a half have been so restful and rejuvenating. There's something about being with family and in one's home culture that brings about a deep, refreshing rest.

A few short updates about things in the past month. School finished really well, and I was so proud of my 11 fifth graders who moved on to 6th grade. I can hardly believe that I've already taught four fifth grade classes at Hinkson! This coming August, I'll have around 17 fifth graders, and I'm excitedly praying for them this summer, that God would prepare their hearts for the year ahead. Thanks for joining with me in prayer!

The middle school lock-in was a great time of hanging out with and really getting to know the sixth through eighth graders. In their words, it was the best lock-in in recent years. Though Lindsey and I were quite tired by the end, we found adequate rest and felt rejuvenated to return to school on Tuesday (Monday, May 9, was Victory Day and hence, no school). Thanks for praying!

Our last two English Cafes were also a lot of fun, and we had quite a few show up, especially on May 8 as we talked about freedom. Our "Destinations" cafe, which involved going on photo scavenger hunts in groups around Moscow, drew a much smaller crowd, but once we all converged back at the school, we had a lively discussion. At one point, one of our Russian guests asked me directly about my life goals and the destination I'm aiming for, and that opened the door to talk about eternity and desiring to live my life for God's glory and pleasure. What an opportunity! Please pray for our English Cafe leadership team as we seek God's will for the Cafe for next year: for leadership, vision, and direction. We want to do His will with this ministry.

Lindsey and I made it through the very busy final month of school, and there were times that were very difficult - but we endured! Thanks for the prayers! We learned some valuable lessons this year about our level of commitment, and we're praying about our commitments for next year, during our first year of marriage. We want to devote the proper time to growing in our love and marriage, which is the commitment of commitments, aside from our commitment to Jesus Christ.

Speaking of marriage, Lindsey and I are thrilled about getting married in Austin, Texas, in just 33 days (July 17)! Wedding preparations are coming along splendidly, and we're so excited that the big day will be here before we know it. We ecstatic about starting life together, taking our honeymoon to Acadia National Park in Maine, soaking up time with both of our families, ministering together in Moscow starting in August, teaching at the school together (Mrs. Hays's class - 6th grade science and high school geometry - will be right across the hall from Mr. Hays...I'll have to be sure to use my prep time wisely and not get too distracted by my beautiful wife across the hall!), and seeing God's love and faithfulness again and again.

Currently, while Lindsey is in Texas and I'm in Michigan, we're both busy working on developing our prayer and financial support team for next year. We know, like the Apostle Paul, that our "God will meet all our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus"! (Philippians 4:19) Join with us in praying for just the right people to join our support team! If you are interested in joining, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at lukehays7@gmail.com

One last big prayer request for us and for the school's visa situation. About a month ago, I joyfully told you that we had been granted the visa quota book. However, a few weeks later, our staff was greatly disappointed when we were told that that was a mistake. Since then our administration has been working diligently to find a way for our school to still be granted our 2010 quota book (which would allow the school to issue the necessary one-year teacher visas for this coming year), in addition for applying for our 2011 quota book. We just received news that we will receive the 2010 quota book on June 23rd and then the 2011 quota book on June 30; however none of that would be official until we have written confirmation in hand one week after each of those dates. Please join our school community in praying for this process to be finalized and for us to be granted both of these quota books as soon as possible - this is of utmost logistical and financial importance for our school community!

I'll leave you with a few engagement pictures from Red Square and the surrounding area...

May...Your Will Be Done, O Lord!

Well, here we are in May, with only three weeks left of school and four weeks left before flying back to America! Since my bedtime is calling, only a short, concise update is possible, so here goes!

• Praise God that our school received the quota book for this year! This is a great and timely answer to prayer. This means that the school can now issue teacher visas...however, there are still many details that must come together. Pray for these details to fall into place by early June, so our teachers can be issued letters of invitation and visas during the summer.
  
• The Easter Fair went really well back on April 10. Between 60-70 people came, and there were many deep and interesting discussions that took place around the room, many of them specifically about God, Jesus, and the beliefs of Christianity. We pray that many seeds were sown in the hearts of those who came!
• The Alpha Course weekend away, which took place two weekends ago, also went well! Only one guest came, but he fully participated, and he was especially interested in reading the book of Genesis during his free time. Last Thursday during the next Alpha Course meeting, he wanted to do not only one, but two optional Bible studies! Pray for him and the other guests as the last few weeks of the Alpha Course are coming. Tomorrow night's topic will be "What About the Rest of My Life?", and it's an intentional follow-up to the weekend away, an opportunity to wrestle with the questions of eternity and how to live a life pleasing to God.
• This Friday night we will have a Middle School lock-in. Pray for a good time to be had by all and for relationships to deepen with the students, and for everyone to have sufficient energy and endurance to make it through the night!
• This Sunday, May 9, is Victory Day here in Russia, a very special holiday marking the 65th anniversary of the victory for the USSR and other Allies during WWII. Therefore, we thought that "Freedom" would be a very appropriate topic to discuss on Saturday night in the English Cafe. Pray that we could have good, deep connections with those who come, and that God would open doors to share about true freedom being found in Christ!
  
• In two weeks (May 22), we'll have our last English Cafe, which will be an outing on the town that will eventually end up at the school for a celebration. The topic? "Destinations: Where are you headed?"
• This month is VERY full: school is finishing, 5th grade promotion, 4th and 5th grade chapel, Caring Community Group meetings, wedding planning, support raising, and trying to take good care of ourselves in the midst of the busyness. Please pray for Lindsey and me, that we would keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, seeking Him first every day. Pray for peace, endurance, wisdom, and patience!

Hristos Voskres! Christ is Risen!

Hristos voskres! Chris is risen! Voistinu voskres! He is risen indeed! Easter is here, and on this Resurrection Sunday (the Russian word for Sunday is "Voscresenie", which means resurrection), the beautiful spring weather testifies powerfully to Christ's victory over sin and death! What a great day to be alive!

While I could elaborate on many details of ministry here in Moscow this past month, I have decided to keep it simple, because simplifying is exactly what God has been doing through a painful, humbling process in my heart in recent days. Essentially, He's been teaching me how Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation we have, the only Solid Rock. He's shown me just how quickly I entertain the hundreds of lies that the enemy throws my way and how deep-seeded worry and fear can be in my heart. "Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!" (John 20:26b). In reading this verse yesterday, I was struck by how Jesus broke through the barriers of the disciples' fears and appeared in their midst, tangibly bringing peace to them by His presence. That same peace is what He longs to bring to all of our hearts, if we will just rest in Him. If you want to know one single, simple prayer to pray for me during these last two months of school, it is that my soul would find my rest in Christ alone (that He only would be my all in all, that I would seek Him for Him, not for His blessings).

No hymn better captures what God is doing in my heart recently than "The Solid Rock" does:

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Amen! In other news/ways to pray, here's the quick summary:

• Join with us in praying and believing that the government committee will see our application for a quota book for 2010, find favor with us, and grant us the book for 2010 (the more urgent one) and 2011 as well! The committee will be meeting here in early April.
• Praise God I was able to return to the country on my new visa without trouble. Making a two-day trip over Spring Break was a blessing and a timely way to navigate these uncertain days with our visa situation.
• Easter Fair this Saturday! Please join in praying for our biggest English Cafe of the year. It will be from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 10 (11:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time). Pray that people would encounter the living God through the different stations, activities, discussions, and testimonies that will be shared!
• The next Alpha Course weekend away (retreat) will be on April 23-25. Join me in praying for God to anoint this time with His Holy Spirit, especially in the hearts of those who are searching for truth.

Check out these pictures below of various events from the past three months:

Here my 5th graders are, standing in front of the cosmonaut museum. We went there as a culmination of our space unit in science class - what an amazing place!

One morning in the past couple weeks, my students noticed how the sunlight was shining through the translucent yellow sun on the window and then casting the yellow light on the picture of the cross and broken shackles that we have on the white board. The kids said, "Mr. Hays, it's a God Sighting!" I'd certainly say so!

During the space unit, I had the kids act out the stages of a star's life and death. Here one student is becoming a white dwarf (which is what our sun will become in 5 billion more years, if the Lord tarries).

A protostar, the second stage of stellar evolution.

Celebrating Pi Day on Friday, March 12. We enjoyed some delicious pies as we honored Archimedes' great discovery.

I challenged this student to break the class record of 100 digits of pi memorized...here he is reciting 150! What an dazzling display it was!

About a month ago, the school threw a big "mega shower" for the three couples who will be getting married this coming July. All three of us guys are living together in the same flat this year, and rumors are going around about something being in the water! The mega shower was so much fun, as we played "The Almost Newlywed Game" and had a cake cutting/eating time. We were amazed by the generosity of everyone in the Hinkson community - praise God! From left to right are Luke and Lindsey, Russell and Sarah, and Chris and Caitlin.

When Lindsey asked me if I wanted to "go messy" with the cake feeding (practice for the wedding day), I didn't hesitate to say yes. We got a bit carried away!

Karaoke/Open Mic night at the English Cafe.

Go Huskies! Middle school basketball - 4 of the 5 boys clad in blue are former students of mine!

Speaking in elementary chapel in early March...the elephant costume was part of Spirit Week. On that particular Friday, the elementary kids/teachers had to dress up as animals (and I love elephants). Amazingly, the kids listened well, in spite of my ridiculous attire!

Bible character day...I dressed up as a shipwrecked apostle Paul, ripped shirt, wet hair, and all.

Wacky Tacky Day! Yikes!

Book/Movie Character Day

English Cafe at Moscow First. We've had three meetings so far, all with about ten people. The discussions have been good, and we're trusting God to continue working in the hearts of those who come. Thanks for your continued prayers! Our last two Cafes of the semester will be on April 24 and May 15.

Cross country skiing with Lindsey and a bunch of other friends from Hinkson during Winter Break in February. It was quite a workout!

Mr. Hays and the four fifth grade girls during a class sledding party

My middle school boys pictured with some of the kids at the orphanage that we try to visit about once a month

Lindsey and I at the first Burger King to open in Moscow...the lines are pretty long, and Whoppers still taste the same in Russia!

On test day for our ancient Greece unit, many of my students decided to dress up as Greek gods/goddesses/heroes/heroines. They are so creative!

Ready or not, here March comes!

Sitting here at my computer tonight, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for all that has transpired in the recent past, and I'm excited about everything that's coming in the next days and months. What's taken place in the past month? What's yet to come? Join with me in praising God for His work in the following ways!

5th grade at HCA: My flock of fifth graders continue to grow and mature, and my relationship with the kids continues to deepen. I just love those kids! We've had some stellar classes and memorable moments lately, especially during Bible class, Social Studies, Science, class prayer, and God Sightings time. Some of the kids are really starting to own their faith and take it seriously. We're kicking off our Loose Change to Loosen Chains campaign to help free slaves around the world. One girl was tickled pink this week when she received an autographed book from an author in Ireland whom she had written to. The author encouraged my student, who desires to be a missionary, saying, "If you believe in Jesus, you are a missionary already"! The boy who is in Korea with his mother for health reasons is still there, but in my limited correspondence with him, I've learned that his mother is doing well. Praise God! Certain students who have lacked motivation are continuing to progress academically. This week is school spirit week, and the kids will be decorating our door, dressing up in all sorts of crazy ways, and rooting for the Hinkson Huskies in the All-City basketball tournament on Friday. We're also very excited this week to have a Skype conference with 5th graders from Oklahoma City who would like to interview students who live in Russia, as they have been studying Russia in school. What a cool opportunity! Continue to pray for me have the wisdom, love, and patience to wisely and humbly shepherd these precious souls! Also, please pray for me as I continue to seek God's heart about what to say during elementary chapel this Friday. I will be speaking out of Mark 7, and I sense God leading us to focus on intercessory prayer in the K-5 classes.

Visa situation: The school is still sorting through a lot of confusion with the visa situation. Join us in praying for the government to grant our school an exception, which would allow us to extend the visas of teachers whose visas are about to expire. This would be a temporary fix as we still await the word on whether we will receive the much-needed quota card for this year (and next year). If we receive the quota card, almost all of the headaches involved with the visa issue would be solved. Join with me in believing that God will grant our school favor this Wednesday, March 3, as our case will be examined in a committee meeting that deals specifically with the quota cards and our particular situation.

English Cafe: So far in 2010, we've had three English Cafes at the school, and they've all gone very well! Two weeks ago, we had about 60 people come for Word Game Night, which was a huge success, and we're eagerly anticipating Karaoke/Open Mic Night this coming Saturday. Each week we are seeing new faces, and as a leadership team, we are trying to more intentional about developing relationships with all those who come. In a little over a month, we will host our 2nd annual Easter Fair, which was a big hit last year and opened the door for some great spiritual conversation. Pray for those who come, that they would sense the love and presence of Christ, and that they would desire to not only come back to the Cafe, but that they would see their need for Jesus.

Church English Cafe: This ministry is officially up off the ground! Last night we had our second ever English Cafe at Moscow First Church of the Nazarene, and we had 10 people come, 9 of whom do not attend our church! Both times we've hosted this event, we've had a fun, laid-back atmosphere and good conversation. God is opening doors for more and more people to hear about the Cafe, and we are excited to see where God will take this. Join us in praying for this ministry to grow as God leads and for just the right people to come, that they would sense the love and warmth of community, ultimately desiring to know the God who made and loves all of us! Below are our remaining Cafe dates at the church:

March 27
April 24
May 15

Alpha Course: Borne out of the English Cafe at the school, our second Alpha Course is underway. We have five new guests, and so far the discussions have been excellent. The leadership team has told me that our current guests have very good English, which makes deep conversation much easier, and they also have been coming with many tough questions about the Christian faith. One friend of mine, a man from Sweden who is studying here in Moscow and who is attending the course, recognizes that he has a void in his life that he doesn't know how to fill, but he is struggling to accept that Jesus Christ is the way to satisfy that desire. He struggles with accepting that, in Christ dying on the cross for our sins, it places us in a tremendous place of debt to Him, a debt that we can never repay. My friend struggles because he didn't ask Jesus to do that for him, and yet Christ did. Another friend is trying to reconcile the differences between the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and the teachings of the Bible. Yet another of the guests said on this past Thursday night, "The is the first time I've actually understood why Jesus died!" Praise the Lord with me for His great work in the Alpha Course! Join praying for each soul who comes, that they would find peace with God. Pray also as we are preparing for the weekend away, which will be April 16-18. The weekend away is a crucial time for building community and going deeper and more intimate with God.

Orphanage Visits: God has opened the door for my middle school boys and me to return to the orphanage we have been visiting for the past two years, but which we had been prohibited from visiting for about 8 months! We are hoping to make our second visit of 2010 in the near future. When we visited about a month ago, the orphans went crazy when they saw us (see January 30 entry), and they wanted to know when we would visit again to play basketball and card games, drink tea, eat snacks, and just hang out. Please pray for relationships to develop between my students and the orphans whom we visit, that the orphans would sense the love of Christ in us.

Lindsey and I: It's always fun to save the best for last :) As of tomorrow, March 1, Lindsey and I will have been dating for exactly one year! I'm planning a fun date with her that will take us around the city and will allow us to celebrate all that God's done in bringing us together! Less than five months until the wedding...about 139 days (but wait, who's counting? :-) Praise God for writing such amazing stories!

I'd like to leave you with a couple verses from Psalm 57 that have been speaking to my heart recently, especially as God's been showing me how crucial it is that we walk humbly with Him and desire to see Him be glorified in all the earth:

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends his love and his faithfulness...Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth." (Psalm 57:1-3,5)

One Year Later...

Wow! It sure is amazing to see how much change can come in just one year! Exactly one year ago today, Lindsey and I had our first picture together after an English Cafe. For that particular evening, themed "The Times of Your Life", we had both dressed alike unintentionally! I had dressed up in denim and a wig (the beard was really mine!) to imitate George Harrison of the Beatles, representing the 1960s. Lindsey had dressed in denim, but her goal had been to represent the 90s! I remember really wanting to get a picture with her, thinking that this was a really cool coincidence, wondering if it might be indicative of more. So I mustered up the courage to ask her if she'd like to take a picture together, and she said, "Yes!" However, neither of us really knew how to pose, so it was a bit awkward :-)



Now, one year to the day later, Lindsey and I have been engaged for over six weeks, and we're less than five months away from our wedding date on July 17!!! We're working on bridesmaids dresses, guest lists, invitations, and many more exciting details - quite a bit of change from a hope-she-accepts-it invitation for a picture! Posing with her now isn't awkward at all :-)


Today, the 21st, is also a very significant date to me, as it was on the 21st of December, 2003, that I first saw the WAIT tombstone. After a long and difficult first semester of my sophomore year at Olivet Nazarene University, I came home quite exhausted for the Christmas break. After a couple days of sleep and rest, I decided to take a long, quiet walk through the snowy streets of Flushing. I distinctly remember that on that particular day, the snow was so gorgeous and fresh (like the weather we've got right now in Moscow), and it created such an atmosphere of peace and joy. My heart was in need of that peace, as I was really starting to desire a girlfriend. Many of my friends and peers were in dating relationships, and some were even getting married - and here I was at 20 years old, never having dated. Up to that point, I had never really had a problem with that, but at the beginning of my third decade of life, I realized how much I desired a companion to share the journey with. So I had gone out on a long, slow walk with God to sort out my feelings and seek His guidance.

While I was praying, asking the Almighty what He wanted me to do about girls, His answer came in an unforgettable manner. I had just asked Him, "Do you want me to date? What do you want for me to do? I'll do what You want, Lord", and then a few minutes later, as I was walking up the snowy hill of Boman Street toward the old cemetery, I looked across the street and was stunned by the tombstone that seemed to have God's will for me written in stone (albeit a person's last name): WAIT. Amazing! I remember walking over to the tombstone, standing in front of it in a worshipful attitude, thanking God for being so gracious and clear to me about His will. From that point on, my heart was at rest in WAITing on God for all my needs and direction, and in WAITing patiently for the right woman to come along at just the perfect time.

Little did I know that exactly six years later, on December 21, 2009, I would have the honor and privilege of taking Lindsey on a walk through Flushing on a snowy day, leading her eventually to Boman Street, telling her the amazing story of what had transpired six years before at exactly the same place, showing her "the tombstone", which is my favorite place of worship in the world, and excitedly telling her that I've been WAITing patiently for her (I'd kept it a secret until then)! What a day that was!

Thank you, Lord God, for writing the most amazing stories and for graciously including us, Your children, as characters in Your grand story of history and love. You are incredible!

Some Encouraging Anecdotes

On this quiet, sunny Saturday afternoon in Moscow, I've decided to take a few minutes before writing lesson plans for next week to write down three quick, encouraging anecdotes from my life this past week.

Just a half hour ago, I returned from visiting a local orphanage with two boys from my middle school Care and Community Group. For a variety of reasons, we hadn't been there for about eight months, and it was so good to be back! We brought along five women as well (three leaders and two guests from our Alpha Course), and the entire morning/afternoon was a blast. The ladies played cards with the girls, while the guys played basketball in the newly refurbished gym (it's definitely too cold outside to play out there). Afterwards, we gathered together for tea and snacks. While seated together around tables, we all said our names and shared something we're excited about for the year 2010 (this was all in Russian, of course). When it came time to go, many of the orphans didn't want us to leave, and that was hard for me. However, we did say that we'd return soon. I think the highlight of the morning was being greeted by some of the kids as we entered the orphanage; they saw us walk through the gate and shouted from the the third floor of the main building, "Luke Skywalker!"

Just yesterday I was talking with the boy in my class who accepted Christ in November. I asked him if he senses that he's changing and transforming from the inside. He said yes! I proceeded to explain to him how I've seen his heart and disposition change so much from the beginning of the year. When I was home in the States at Christmas, I had purchased a camouflage Bible for him so he could really start to cherish God's word. His mom said in an e-mail that he takes it to bed with him! When I asked him about when he reads his Bible, he shared that he reads it whenever he gets the chance! I rejoice with the angels in heaven over the victory that is being won in this boy's heart!

One final encouraging moment came last Saturday night at our first English Cafe at the school. On that night we had about 30 Russians come, which is a little less than normal, but not bad considering that many students aren't in the city right now because it's the end of one university semester and the beginning of another. At one point in the night, I was talking with a young university student who has been coming regularly all year. He shared with me how exhausted he was from his exams and how Moscow is such a difficult city in which to live. "It's so fast-paced, it can almost kill you! There's just so much pressure." What he said about the Cafe, though, really warmed my heart: "When I come here, though, I feel like I'm at home. I was born outside the city in a small village that was so peaceful and quiet. When I come to the cafe, the people are always so kind, and I feel like I can just relax, like I'm at home." Wow! That is exactly what we pray for, that those who come to the Cafe would leave encouraged after having been in the presence of those who love God and want to share His love with others. I pray that the Cafe would continue to be a place of rest and solace for many who come! It reminds me of Jesus's words in Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

In just over an hour, I'll head out to the church to help lead our first ever English Cafe there. We have no idea who will come, but we are anticipating God to work in and through it. We are aware that faith like a mustard seed can grow into a great plant - we are trusting Christ with this event!