Author: Julia B. is a junior in high school and making her second trip to Slobodskoy. She is traveling with her parents; this is the second trip for her father and her mother is making her first visit to Russia.

I am writing this post on the top of a bunk of a train compartment on the way to Kirov. My parents and I sit in the cozy space and talk about our anticipations for the week awaiting us, while surrounded by bags stuffed with gifts and letters for the orphans or Slobodskoy, their caregivers and teachers and our translators. By looking at all of the preparations made by the Mission 1:27 team, it is clear that these Russians have become part of our family. The number of hours the group has spent around this trip, whether it be writing letters or buying hundreds of fruit roll ups, are countless although completely worth it!

This has been our second day of traveling after a 12.5-hour plane ride to Moscow. We toured the famous Red Square and the Kremlin. The churches inside the Kremlin were breathtaking. The sanctuary was covered from top to bottom with paintings from stories in the Bible; each square inch meticulously detailed and adorned in gold flecks. For the worshipers in the 1400s in Russia, this place was a way of praising God. While studying all the hard work put into the hand crafted sanctuary, it reminded me of Mission 1:27 and our reason for coming to Russia. All of us – travelers, sponsors and followers of the blog – have a calling to praise God through the orphans in Slobodskoy. While it may be hard work, the impacts that we leave on each other are true works of art.

As I am finishing this post, our train is pulling into Kirov. I can’t wait to continue this masterpiece.