Russia
Posted by Drew | Filed under General
So in the shadow of Paul’s death, our staff team plus 4 students took a vision trip to Moscow, one of Auburn’s overseas partnerships, and my summer project assignment. Good trip. Moscow is big. And cold… though not as cold as we expected, and everyone there was so excited about how warm it was. I really like they way their ministry functions, and the good relationship they have with the universities there. But overall I would say it’s a very challenging place to be a missionary. I didn’t realize this before I went, but Russia is very similar to Italy in that most Russians claim to believe in a faith that they don’t really know much about, and cling more to their traditions in the Russian Orthodox Church than they do to Christ.
Paul
Posted by Drew | Filed under General
I think many of you know that a little over 2 weeks ago, my former roommate, Paul Stephenson, took his own life, and shocked everyone that knew him or his family. Paul was an RUF intern here, a graduate of Ole Miss, and soon to be married to a great girl from Texas. It makes no sense. But Chris, my other former roommate (these were the two guys I lived with in the fall, Chris is on my staff team here) found him Friday morning, March 24. I really don’t feel like I can address this situation properly, but I can direct you to www.auburn.edu/ruf or to www.olemiss.ruf.org to read or listen to campus ministers reflecting on Paul’s life and death. And I do ask that you continue to pray for Chelsea, Paul’s fiancée, Paul’s family, and for Chris whose world has been turned upside down since that house can no longer be home to him, this semester or next year as he had planned.
We all really miss Paul. He loved the Lord, and he loved people. He was someone I always truly enjoyed being around. Chris reminded me recently of the day I moved in with them. I had met Chris in the summer, but had never met Paul. But when I showed up at the house with my suitcases, Paul greeted me with a big hug and I think a funny comment about welcoming me to his home despite my being a State grad. He was such a fun guy to be around. It still doesn’t seem real that he’s gone.
