August 18, 2006

Find out more about the  Carr family on the Team page.

August 24, 2006

“Dear friends, we are still packing and turning our thoughts more and more toward our return to Ufa.   We are scheduled to fly out of Tulsa this Sunday (Aug. 29) at 2:30pm and land in Chicago about 4:30pm.  We then layover in Chicago several hours and depart around 9:30pm on an overnight flight to Frankfurt, Germany, arriving there at 1pm (early morning Oklahoma time) on Monday the 28th.  We will layover in Frankfurt about 8 ½ hrs and do some sightseeing while there.  Then we will fly out of Frankfurt at 9:30pm that evening on an overnight flight to Ufa, arriving there around 7:15 in the morning on Tuesday the 29th (8:15pm the evening before in Oklahoma time).

 Our visa situation is still not clear.  The gov’t is asking for multiple documents in support of our current 32-day visas; we do not have ½ of these add’l documents and are unable to get them here in USA.  So, we are asking you to pray with us, that when we go to register the short-term visas, that we have a spirit of wisdom in order to discern and negotiate regarding this situation.  The Russian Baptist Union and Int’l Mission Board offices in Moscow are doing everything they can at this point to assist us with legal and documentation issues.   Those offices are hopeful that such additional support will help convince the Ufa authorities to either extend our current visas up to a year, or else issue us completely new visas with a length of a full year.  Pray with us for favor on these matters.

 Also, pray with us for physical stamina in the coming days.  It is getting easier to travel with 5 kids, but nonetheless, the length of the journey coupled with the 11 hour time change could present formidable challenges to thinking clearly when chatting with gov’t officials regarding the visa situation.  Plus, there will be little time to rest after arrival, since there are multiple other needs which must be addressed in the days immediately following our arrival.  

 We will attempt to get word to folks of our safe arrival in Germany, as well as sending out an arrival email ASAP after making it to Ufa.  Thanks for standing with us in prayer; never forget that we are called to turn and follow Christ, stand and resist the devil, to watch and pray at all times, to put on the full armor of God, and to put off the old qualities and put on the new ones.  You are doing those things as you covenant with us in strategic prayer for our visa situation and the great city of Ufa, Russia.

 Please remember to periodically check our ministry website (www.hope4ufa.com)  for news and prayer needs, etc.  

 Blessings!
 Chris Carr
Tulsa, OK