By Abigail Pollock | Echo
For most of us, the news of war and politicians is far removed from daily life - information relayed to us from a distance.
But sometimes headlines hit us head on.
This was the case for the Spring Break Missions Russia team, which was forced to change their plans upon their arrival in Russia. The Russia trip is designed around ministry to Russian orphans, and led by April and Jim Jurgensen, founders of an orphan care ministry called the Boaz Project. To accomplish this, the team was divided into two groups and assigned to spend the week at the SES rehabilitation center and VCH (Vladimir Children's Home) orphanage, respectively.
On Tuesday, March 25, their second day, a caretaker at the Russian orphanage reported the team to the government. The team was forced to leave the orphanage facility without warning, and although they re-submitted documentation to the Russian Department of Education, they were not allowed to return for the duration of the trip.The cited reason for this eviction was the American citizenship of the Taylor team members and the current rocky political relationship between the United States and Russia. The two countries have been at odds over the future of Ukraine's government since popular protests chased then-President Yanukovich from power. Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea and the presence of Russian troops massed at the Ukrainian border have caused speculation about the return of Cold War-era tensions.
Senior Morgan Williams admitted that being banned from the orphanage was difficult for her team on several levels. Although they did not feel personally threatened or nervous about the rest of the trip, it was a shock to see the government intervene for vague political reasons. According to the Jurgensens, this incident felt significant because in 15 years of working in Russia, they have never before been kicked out of an orphanage.
For the rest of the week, the VCH group joined their teammates ministering at the SES rehabilitation center. They did service projects on the facility grounds, ran Bible lessons with Boaz Project-designed curriculum and spent as much time as possible with the children. Despite their time at SES, many of the Taylor students struggled with disappointment and even disillusionment over the forced changes.
"Most of us were sad," Williams said. "We had already met the kids (at VCH), we had known their faces and names, and then the chance for more relationship was completely taken away. There is so much inconsistency in the lives of these kids already, and we had said that we would be there all week, and then we weren't able to be."
The Jurgensens pointed out the way the incident highlighted the powerlessness of orphans, and the way that vulnerable people are the first to suffer the consequences of politics. They also encouraged the team to focus on building relationships, rather than be distracted by the incident or let it affect their view of the Russian people.
"You have to embrace the culture for what it is, because it's been shaped by their political and social history," Williams said.
"The everyday person can't do a lot to change their political situation, but it doesn't make them less of a person. I encountered a lot of Russians who were very kind, who love Jesus and want to serve him, and who care about the lives of orphans."
This was a comfort to students who spent the week forming relationships with the children at the rehabilitation center and then were forced to say goodbye. The team had the chance to experience Russia outside of stereotypes and to see the way Russians partner with God in their nation. At the same time, the team returned with a lot of heavy questions and the struggle of trying to reenter Taylor life without forgetting or minimizing their experiences.
"There was no turn-around time between returning from Russia late Sunday night and going to classes on Monday. What do we do with what we experienced, and saw, and are broken up about? How do we talk to people about these things?" Williams asked.(Thumbnail photograph courtesy of Jason Koh.)
