It’s so hard to believe that I have been in Russia for 3 and ½ months. I can’t believe how fast time flew. It feels like just yesterday I was arriving, and I leave in a week. It has been a wonderful journey, and I am so thankful for this opportunity. Living in Russia for the past few months has definitely taught me a few things and allowed me some growth. One of the most important lessons I have learned here is to be humble. Nothing is more humbling than living in a place where you don’t speak the language and you don’t know anyone. Throughout this journey, I have been humbled daily. Not only in the area of language, but spiritually as well. God has definitely taught me humility here. Living in America, I am comfortable, and I rely less on God and focus on doing things in my own strengths. Leaving my comfort zone and coming to Russia, I was made aware of how little I can do on my own. I have been shown my need for God every day, and that revelation was incredibly humbling. My need for God has been so evident in everyday things, like getting to the store, meeting people, communicating across language barriers, and having opportunities to share my faith. Along with humility, I have also learned to be patient. The first month or so, this was a daily lesson for me. I had to be patient with my studies. Learning a new language takes time and patience. Some days would go great, and then the next day, I would feel totally helpless. I had to be patient with relationships. It took a while to meet and develop relationships with locals here. I wanted it to happen right away, but God kept reminding me to be patient. Throughout the last few months, God has continued to be patient. It was a difficult, and humbling, lesson to learn, but it has helped me grow so much. With patience comes trust, so my trust and faith has grown stronger over the last few months through learning to be patient. I have learned so much in my time here. I will be forever grateful for what my time here has taught me. I am so thankful to God for bringing to Ufa. It breaks my heart to leave my friends here and leave this city. I have fallen so in love with the people here, Ufa, and Russia. I pray that God continues to bless Ufa and sends more people to pour into the city. I also pray that one day, I will get the chance to come back. Kelli M.