God Going Before Us

"The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place" (Deuteronomy 1:30-31).

I read these words in my quiet time this morning, and they were a great encouragement to my heart. Looking back on this year, and especially this semester, I feel like the son whom the Father has been carrying so faithfully. I've seen Him fight for me when I couldn't fight. I've seen Him work before my very eyes, even in those desert moments that we all have. And all this time, He's been going before me, leading the way, the destination of which is usually unknown to me. He's led me all the way up until reaching this place: Moscow, Russia, Hinkson Christian Academy, 5th grade room 201, the teacher's desk on a quiet, rainy Saturday afternoon on May 23 (with a little Kenny G saxophone jazz playing softly in the background :)

Praise You, Lord! You are worthy of all praise and glory! It is through You I can do all things! Thank You for being so faithful to me this year, even when I haven't been faithful to You!

Before giving any kind of update on life here in Moscow, I just had to take some time to praise the One who makes all of this possible!

Life here is so sweet, but especially in this last week of school and leading up to early June, it's quite bittersweet with the ending of school and the beginning of summer. I'm already a sentimental guy, so saying goodbye to a class of 5th graders whom I've grown to know and love is always hard. Next Thursday, I'll be honoring them with a 5th Grade Promotion ceremony, celebrating the fact that they're graduating from elementary school and transitioning to middle school. I'm working on numerous projects at the same time, preparing for that big event. Next Friday won't be easy at all as I'll be praying with my kids one last time before the summer, hugging them all before they head out the door as sixth graders. Some of them I might never see again this side of heaven.

If that's not tough enough, I've got many friends to say goodbye to who won't be returning to the school again next year. Over the past three years in Moscow, I've grown really close to some solid, humble men of God - true friends. And now three of them are moving on to another stage of their lives, and one will be gone for a semester because his wife is expecting a baby in the fall. Another friend is leaving to get married, an event in early July that will reunite many Hinkson staff on "the other side of the pond." She has impacted my life, teaching, and classroom more than she'll ever understand. Yet another close friend is leaving to get married and start life with her husband in America. She's got such an authentic faith, and her influence through the English Cafe and just through personal interaction has left a great mark on my heart. This year more than years past is really hurting. It's sort of a good thing that all of the goodbyes happen on practically the same day, our last contract day on June 2 (shash-lik dinner...Russian shish-kabob), since it doesn't drag out the pain. But it sure is a blow!

After having lived abroad for three years now, I can say that having to say goodbye so frequently is one of the hardest things for the kids, families, and teachers at Hinkson. It might be the toughest part, since you never know who might have to leave next. But God gives grace for every situation; it's at a time like this that I really need to live in that!

What's the sweet part of this time of year? The fact that summer is almost here! And this summer will be unlike any past summers. On June 3, four friends and I will fly to Vladivostok, Russia (north of China, on the Pacific Ocean) for our Trans-Siberian Railroad adventure. We plan on taking the longest railroad in the world westward through 10 time zones over the course of 19 days and six separate segments/cities, ending in Moscow on June 22! It should be a the adventure of a lifetime! A couple days after returning to Moscow, I'll fly back to Michigan for the summer with my family (yay!), which will be punctuated with a couple family trips and a trip to visit some college friends...all before flying back to Moscow around August 10. Although it sounds like a busy summer, its pace will be much different from the pace of life here in Moscow, and I greatly look forward to a couple months of resting and enjoying the freedom of summer.

What's been happening here the past couple months? So much, and hence the long time since last blogging! I'd like to share a few stories about my students, and then there's some great news regarding the English Cafe!

I just love my students. They are so precious (most of the time), and I often learn so much from them. As a teacher I think it's important to be a student of my students, to learn their ways, tendencies, likes and dislikes, etc. In doing so over the past couple months, a few moments really stand out, and here are the lessons I've learned:

Kids have a huge heart for others. My female Hungarian student approached me about a month ago. She said, "Mr. Hays, could you please help me write a letter about God for my nanny? She's not a Christian, and I really want to help her learn about Jesus. And you're one of the biggest Christians in my life. Could you help me?" I quickly responded, "Of course! I'd love to!" So over the course of a couple recesses (which she doesn't particularly like going outside for) we crafted a letter to her young nanny, who happens to be a Jew. In it she explained what the Bible says about Jesus, what Jesus said about Himself, and how she wanted her nanny to make the decision to place her trust in Christ. It was beautiful, especially since we've been praying all semester for this nanny, and the reports lately are that the nanny is quite joyful and seems interested in knowing more about Jesus! How humbling it was to be able to help my student share the gospel of Christ with those around her! And then to hear how this same student, who hadn't been really interested in God before coming to school at Hinkson is now very interested in God, loves Bible class more than any other, and thoroughly enjoys praying with her family every night before bed - it all combined to confirm that I'm right where God wants me to be for right now. Praise His name!

Running alongside someone can make a lifelong memory. Because of the high demand from many students in my class, I started a 5th grade running club after we all returned from Spring Break. We met six times this semester on Wednesdays after school for 45-minutes, and each week we'd try out different kinds of workouts: sprinting, ladder workouts, fartlek (a German word for a type of running in which you go all out for a while then jog for a while in an alternating manner - the kids loved saying that one!), mile-time trials, etc. In addition to selecting team captains who conducted stretching and led warm-up and cooldown laps, we made team shirts with the theme of "Run the Race" (from Hebrews 12:1), had a team cheer at the end of each practice, and used the lessons we learned while running to draw parallels to the race of life, the spiritual journey that all of the kids are running. I just love being in the role of coach!

On the afternoon of the mile time trial, one boy, who is an exceptional athlete, set a goal for himself to break 5:30. That's right, 5:30! He's already run a 5:45 in the fall, and he wanted to drop it even further. (My best in 5th grade was 5:55, and so naturally, the boys needed to outdue their teacher!) I told him and the other kids what their split times needed to be for each lap around the pond near the school if they were going to reach their goal time. After three laps, the speedster was a little behind pace, and in spite the grimace of pain on his face, I knew he was still going to give it his all, striving for the 5:30. But I knew he couldn't do it alone. (He later told me that his lungs were burning after two laps and his legs were tired, too.) So I jumped in with him, trying to pace him to his goal, yelling encouragements the whole time, and helping him to kick at the end. The result? A 5:28! He'd done it, and I was so proud of him! He later wrote that his favorite memory in 5th grade was when I helped him reach that mile goal! And after he finished, another boy crossed the finish line in 5:49, 10 whole seconds less than his goal!

There's no greater joy for a teacher/coach than to see his students/athletes grow, mature, and reach goals they've set for themselves - and to have had a hand in it! It got me really thinking about much like a coach our Heavenly Father is :)

Spontaneous gratitude is often the most meaningful. A couple weeks ago, I was teaching the kids about the word "ovation", which was one of their spelling words. So, as I've learned from Jesus, the Master Teacher, that the single greatest teaching strategy is telling stories, I recounted the story for my fifth graders about a time when I'd received a standing ovation: the first time I shared with my home church about my mission to Moscow (summer 2006). Of course they were all ears, but they were also all heart. Completely unexpectedly, the whole class stood and gave me a standing ovation! (It brings tears to my eyes recalling it) They were saying in that moment, "Thank you, Mr. Hays! Thank you for coming here and being our teacher!" It was definitely one of the most unforgettable moments of my teaching career so far.

So what about the English Cafe? God continues to move through this ministry! We've had three follow-up Bible studies since the Easter Fair, and each time it's been a small group of 3-5 Russians who are interested in learning more about God, the Bible, and Jesus. We've spent most of the time studying the gospel of John, discussing topics such as sin and our separation from God, being born again, and how true and abundant life are found in Jesus. Our Russian friends (a mixture of believers and those who are seeking) have been so receptive to the truth we've shared, and some of them are so close to making the decision to give their life to Christ! Praise God for allowing our Cafe ministry to bear fruit!

Tonight we will have our last "big" Cafe until the fall, and the theme will be "Friends". At the end of our fun night of discussion, we will talk at each table about John 15:13 and how God has shown us the true mark of friendship by dying for us. We pray that many will be receptive to that message and would desire to know Jesus as their friend by laying their lives down for Him.

Ways to pray:

• For the hearts of my students as they transition to middle school, say goodbye to close friends and families, and continue to grow in the Lord.
• For the hearts of our Russian friends who attend the English Cafe and the Bible study. Pray for their salvation!
• For wisdom to know how to lead the Bible study throughout the summer and into the fall.
• For love, patience, strength, and endurance to finish this last week of the school year well.