Preeviet!

Hello from St. Petersburg! We have now officially been gone for one week, but it feels like much longer. We all got settled into this city really quickly, and it truly feels like home. Or as close as you can get when you are in a huge city filled with people who speak a different language than you. We've been at our apartment - "home" - since Monday. It is really awesome. The hot water is turned off for the month of July, so we get to take freezing cold showers every day under a dripping faucet. And no, I don't mean that it leaks, I mean that drips are all we get out of it. But hey, at least we have running water, right? Other perks of the apartment: A stunning view from the 9th floor where we can watch gorgeous sunsets every night at about 11:30 pm, a cute little kitchen where we cook our own meals, an elevator that has worked 2 of the days we've been here so far, and a wonderful host Tatiana (aka Tanya) who is staying with us this week. Starting on Tuesday we have been taking Russian language, culture, and history classes every morning from Tanya and our other host, Misha. Then in the afternoons after lunch Tanya has been showing us all around the city. Tomorrow is our last day of class, and then we head to Moscow for the weekend! We get back from Moscow Sunday morning and then head off to a camp outside the city that afternoon, so don't expect any more posts from us for at least 2 weeks. At the camp we will be running a VBS program for orphans. So the real work is about to begin! We'll tell you more about that once we get back.
Everyone is healthy so far, praise God. Or as the Russians say, Slava Bogoo!
Hopefully next time we'll be able to post some pictures. We have some great ones already, but everyone forgot their USB cables! Whoops! Along with pictures we are also filming an Oscar-worthy video of all of our experiences. It will premier on September 9-10 at the Deputation retreat. Can't wait to see all of you there!
Paka!

Carly, Breanne, Angela, and Kendra