almost there...

Hello everyone,
I am starting to like the idea of posting my random thoughts online, so if you happen to run by our blog then welcome to my brain.
I (Chris) have been thinking about quite alot lately. I finished my finals at Fuller Seminary last week and am now enjoying life as a free man (until next quarter anyways). Anya and I are getting more and more excited about going to Russia. However, we certainly need your prayers at this time since neither of us currently have our passports. Mine is in Washington, D.C. receiving a Russian Visa so that I can enter the country. Anya's is in San Francisco getting some sort of special stamp that will alert the authorities that I am Anya's husband and that some of her documents contain this funky name "Gandy".
Well, anyways, we hope that everyone enjoys their Christmas. Party hard on New Years. And while you are at it, post some comments on our blog.

Fall 2006

We have worked hard at filing all the proper documents and arranging everything so that Anya's move to America might go smoothly. The hard work paid off because Anya has just received her Green Card as of last month. This means that Anya is able to work, get a driver's license, travel out of the country (and return to America), and she will be able to apply for US citizenship in 3 years.

God has truly taken care of us. There have been some uncomfortable times, but in the end this has been an exhilarating and wonderful year. Just when we would wonder how to pay for graduate school, the Lord would bring about some kind of financial blessing. When we were lost as to how to stay afloat and pay the rent, God provided both my wife and I with a job at the US Center for World Mission. We are doing well and we want to thank the many of you who were praying for us and supporting us in so many ways.

Working at a missions organization has been like a dream come true for Anya and me! We work in the Curriculum Production department for a distance education university that the US Center for World Mission administers. The experience of working in a missions environment developing resources for missionaries currently on the field has been priceless.
Every day God has opened our eyes to the possibilities and the needs that exist in the missions community. There is no doubt in our minds that God is calling us to serve as missionaries in Russia. We will be in California for the next several years as I finish with seminary, but we are inquiring into different ministries in Russia and doing our part to prepare for life overseas.

Russia Trip 2007
Even now the doors have opened for us to travel to Russia in January! This will be a wonderful time for us, especially since Anya will not have seen her family for over a year by the time we go. We will be traveling to Anya's home city of Nizhny Novgorod and will then make a trip to St. Petersburg and will be developing contacts for future ministry in Russia. Here is a run-down of all that we have planned for our trip:
• Celebrating New Years (Russian style) with Family and Friends!
• Visiting Anya's home church and the InterVarsity group she worked with.

Conversing with ministry leaders in order to explore future ministry opportunities; ministries such as:
- Church Resource Ministries
- Youth With a Mission
- SEN research group
- Foursquare Missions International
Please pray with us, as this will be an intense trip where Anya and I will be exploring how we might be a part of what the Holy Spirit of God is already doing amongst the Russian people. Also, we are dependent on the monetary support of friends and family. Our trip will cost $4,000, so any financial gift is greatly appreciated. We appreciate the prayer and support that we have already received from so many of you.

ВАЖНАЯ ГОДОВЩИНА

ОДНО ИЗ НАШИХ ВИРТУАЛЬНЫХ СВИДАНИЙ В ЯПОНСКОМ РЕСТОРАНЕ
Сегодня, 7 марта, ровно год с того дня, когда в нашем очередном телефонном разговоре Оклахома-Нижний Новгород, посвященном 4 месяцам знакомства, Крис лишил меня дара речи на пару минут вопросом: "А не стоит ли нам пожениться?" Согласитесь, событие незаурядное, тем более накануне Международного (!!) Женского дня.

Фотографии нашей свадьбы

Всем привет!

Разобравшись наконец в современных интернет-фото-технологиях, мы можем показать вам фотографии нашей свадьбы. Чтобы просмотреть наш альбом ( и даже, по-моему, скачать несколько фотографий), вам нужно пойти вот сюда:

http://community.webshots.com/album/548155707uFCnCk

и нажать View Photos.

Аня и Крис

Wedding Photos -- finally!

Hello All,

we are finally able to share the pictures of our wedding with you. Look up this link -

http://community.webshots.com/album/548155707uFCnCk

- and enjoy!

Chris and Anya