Ufa is a beautiful city that has a number of beautiful parks and trails to explore. There are statues all over the city that are interesting to look at and take pictures of. There are also a number of cafes, which are my favorite place to hang out. The workers at these cafes are friendly, provide great service, and sometimes they even speak English. The ones who do speak English seem very interested in getting to know foreigners and practicing their English. People around town are very friendly, and willing to help foreigners if they are able to. Ufa also has many restaurants and malls, with just about every store you could need. The malls are high quality and nice to shop in. Right now it is fall in Ufa, and the changing colors are beautiful. It is nice to look out over the river and see all of the trees that are turning different colors. The weekends are fun because there are a lot of weddings, and you can go to the park and see people dressed up and celebrating. The local food is delicious, especially the Bashkir meat and potato buns. These are cheap, and taste great! There are a number of people in Ufa who are interested in religion one way or another. Some know a lot about the Bible, but just haven’t had their eyes opened to the truth yet. People are open to talking to foreigners about religion and culture, which provides opportunities for sharing the Gospel and building a relationship with them. Kimberlie D.

It’s been almost a month since I arrived here in Ufa. It’s hard to believe how fast the time has flown. It has been an incredibly busy, yet wonderful month. In such a short time, I have already learned a good bit about the city and have seen God moving here. Since arriving in Russia, I have absolutely fallen in love with Ufa. It’s a wonderful town, filled with wonderful people. Every day I find something new I love about it. I think what I love most about Ufa is the cultural diversity. During my second week here, we went to a cultural festival within the city. It was amazing to see all of the nations represented in the city. There were people from Kenya, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and many more. It was so cool to get to see some many different cultures in one place. I also love the history of Bashkortostan that Ufa is so rich with. I look forward learning more about the history and culture of this great city as the months progress. Since I have been in Ufa, I have also got a glimpse of what God is doing in the city. I really feel like God is reaching out to university students in this area. Like I said earlier, there are so many cultures in this area, with varying beliefs. Many of these people are coming to Ufa to study. I really believe God is reaching out to those students and impacting their lives while they are in Ufa. It’s sad to think that my time in Ufa is rushing by. December will be here before I know that. I look forward to learn so much more of the language and culture. I also look forward to watching God move in the university and being able to glorify him in any way that I can. Kelli M.

Warm greetings to you from Paul in Russia! To the Glory of God 15 years has passed since arriving in Ufa Bashkortostan on 26th July 1997. I have seen how God has used this time to grow me spiritually and I have felt privileged to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to see His salvation work being accomplished in the lives of Russian people. This year has been a step forward for me. I have been excited to see what God has prepared for us this year as a team to help fulfill His Great Commission in Ufa for His purposes, glory, and honor. Praise God as I look to Him who is faithful to accomplish all that He has set out to do in my life and in the lives of those I am ministering to. The joy of ministering the Word in my four Bible study groups this past month has been life changing and a real cause for rejoicing. Our topics of discussion were about Faith, Suffering, Deity of Christ, and the miracles of Jesus. Leadership training has been a real highlight with 3 students in attendance. Theme topics: “How to lead others to Christ? What are the essentials for Christian Service? How to discover your Spiritual gifts? And, How to conduct an Inductive Bible study Group” Another praise point is that Sergey recently expressed interest to be baptized during our Leadership training night. I have been greatly blessed to hand out copies of NT Bibles to people in the streets that are from all walks of life and I am trusting the LORD for my evangelistic efforts to reach the Russian people with the Gospel will bear fruit. I believe that there are no accident appointments in our life. I recently met Eldar on Lenin Street, gave him a copy of the NT Scriptures and shared the Gospel with him. He comes from a Muslim background but knew something about Jesus Christ. He was really keen to attend one of our studies. It is divine appointments like this that I really feel encouraged that God is working through my life to share the Gospel message with others. I give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for the privilege to minister His Word in Ufa and I look forward to the upcoming months ministry and for the work we have yet to see the LORD do. In Christ's Harvest field, Paul