Last year, I taught at the village school in the morning and the Tomsk Central Church in the evenings. This year we taught at the school in the morning and afternoon and then headed out to an orphanage to teach in the evening. My students were mostly familiar faces from last year but there were some new additions (From left to right: Tanya, Tanya, Me, Yulia, Alla, Sonya, and Alex). I taught the 10th grade students who have just one year of school left before heading off to university (in Russia there are only 11 grades, not 12 like in the U.S.). I am proud to say that the girls I taught last year had made great strides in their English studies and it made the classes an incredibly enjoyable experience. They are all such talented, funny, and interesting individuals with big dreams for their future. However, like most teenagers, there mind is on earthly future and not their eternal future and they weigh heavy on my heart and in
my prayers. In addition to my class we also had 8 graders that Obie taught, and two elementary level classes taught by the two girls on our team, Brandy and Lacy. Overall we had about 40 students total and it was a great experience. Their warmth and friendship made it difficult to say goodbye. Their offer to give us a permanent teaching position was touching and would be very tempting except for the whole swarm of man-eating mosquitos in the summer and bitterly cold Siberian winters :) While we could not stay our prayer is that the seeds we planted take root and that as they grow into adulthood they recognize their dire need for the Savior.
Last year, I taught at the village school in the morning and the Tomsk Central Church in the evenings. This year we taught at the school in the morning and afternoon and then headed out to an orphanage to teach in the evening. My students were mostly familiar faces from last year but there were some new additions (From left to right: Tanya, Tanya, Me, Yulia, Alla, Sonya, and Alex). I taught the 10th grade students who have just one year of school left before heading off to university (in Russia there are only 11 grades, not 12 like in the U.S.). I am proud to say that the girls I taught last year had made great strides in their English studies and it made the classes an incredibly enjoyable experience. They are all such talented, funny, and interesting individuals with big dreams for their future. However, like most teenagers, there mind is on earthly future and not their eternal future and they weigh heavy on my heart and in 
my prayers. In addition to my class we also had 8 graders that Obie taught, and two elementary level classes taught by the two girls on our team, Brandy and Lacy. Overall we had about 40 students total and it was a great experience. Their warmth and friendship made it difficult to say goodbye. Their offer to give us a permanent teaching position was touching and would be very tempting except for the whole swarm of man-eating mosquitos in the summer and bitterly cold Siberian winters :) While we could not stay our prayer is that the seeds we planted take root and that as they grow into adulthood they recognize their dire need for the Savior.
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