As we came to Anadyr two weeks ago, we knew we’d spend at least a couple weeks in this city doing ministry with Marat's family who runs the Christian café in town. Right away we found out that the tickets to Pevek in two weeks were not available. We were told that we might fly out on stand by and to go ahead and buy tickets to the next available flight to Pevek. 
So we bought tickets not for 2 weeks from that day, or 4, but 6 weeks, July 28th. However, during the first day here we gave a ride to one guy that works within the airport and Marat knows him well. We told him our tickets situation and he said that he can probably find something for us. We didn’t hear from him for a while. Lera was able to beg for tickets for her and the kids for the next available flight, but not for us yet. Regardles, we continued doing ministry at the café. Every day we had many kids, on one day there was about 70 people in the tiny café. It was challenging but it was great. Many kids listened to our stories, puppet shows and skits. Quite a few parents were also thankful for what we were doing. Most surprisingly we didn’t have any problems with authorities, since we played right in the center of the city in a little park in front of the city’s administration building. Marat was expecting that any day someone could come and give us issues. More so we had a kid whose both parents worked for the police come to our kid’s club as well.
After six days of kid’s club, we thought it was time to do something with the youth. Last Sunday was national youth day, a perfect opportunity to do an event. We were not sure what exactly or how to do it. The girls were brave enough to walk the streets, since it was warm outside and many youth were out at the city’s concert, and invite whoever they saw. There was a big rock concert on the main stage downtown that was heard almost around the city. There was a lot of screaming and loud music. It was the same band that was having a concert the first Sunday when we did the Kid’s Club opening celebration outside. Interestingly though, our girls ran into the guys of the band after their concert and invited them too. There were many visitors that night, even though there was a dance that all the youth usually goes to. To our surprise the “rockers” came too, well two of them and a wife of one. We had a great time of fellowship and we knew God had a plan to bring those people in there. They were very simple and open guys, we really loved them and it was not what one could expect of them. We kind of prejudged them by the hard music we heard them playing. The lead singer sang us some of his songs, even though it was hard for him to sing with an acoustic guitar, then we sang some of our songs, at the end they were singing “New Jerusalem” songs with us and really enjoyed them. The lead singer knew some English and shared a phrase that he knew: “What’s the point of your existence?” After that moment God moved me to build on that phrase and share about my life and who I am, who God is in my life and wished them to be able to answer that same question and not wait the whole life trying to figure out the point of their existence.
Next night, no one was showing up for about an hour, but then Igor, the band leader, came and brought two of his other band members, who had many piercings. They turned out to be really simple and cool couple that we had a great time with. At the end of the night we were exchanging emails and phone numbers. They guys have a lot of musical talent and we pray that one day the band we’ll be praising God in Anadyr and in the whole Chukotka. We were so amazed at the opportunity to get this close to this band, since they are very famous in the city and among the young people. We had other interesting people come to our youth nights. Many youth from local pentacostal and charismatic church, and even a pastor from the local orthodox church. We didn’t even relize who he was until he told us at the end, after we played some funny games with him. He was very simple and open to talking with us and was the last guy to leave after our last youth night. He seems like a very good and genuine person, really liked us and what we do. 
Another great surprise today was that it was the last day before the upcoming flight to Pevek on June 30th, for which we didn’t have tickets yet and didn’t hear anything from that guy. Marat called him today but couldn’t get a hold of him. I asked Marat to go to the ticket desk and check, what if he already had pulled everything through for us? At first the lady told me that nothing was available yet, I told her that someone was supposed to get the tickets for us, she called double checked and said that there were four tickets for foreigners! It’s us, I exclaimed! Later we called, and thanked that guy about our tickets. God never has anything that’s just a coincidence, and the time we gave that guy a ride, was in His plan.
Pray for a safe transfer over the lake/river thing from Anadyr to the airport and our flight to Pevek and ministry there. Thank you all!
