We need your prayers this week!

This has been a really, really busy week. In fact, as I write this, we have a home brimming with children--John and Han each invited two guests home from an all-mission brunch this morning, so we have six kids running around and being crazy. (Sarah Beth volunteered to walk to the store for tortilla chips--an escape plot if ever I heard one.) We had some event every night (or day) this week, which is unusual for us. On top of that, we also had language lessons, which pretty much wiped us out. The really great news is that Buck and Leslie, friends of ours who have been living in St. Petersburg, have moved to Moscow, along with their three children. We are so grateful that they are here--we had them over for dinner last night, and two of their three kids are here right now. Their arrival is a great blessing for us, and we look forward to spending time with them.
Of course, we always covet your prayers, but this week is especially important, because we have an important decision to make in the near future, preferably this week. Our team leaders, Jeff and Karla, are leaving for Stateside Assignment in a month. We have been asked to consider taking over the Bible Study/House Church that meets in their home. That may seem like a no-brainer, but there are several concerns to consider. First, while we have made gigantic strides in our acquisition of the Russian language, we would have to really prepare in order to teach a Bible lesson in Russian. Conversation is one thing, but "church" words are not in our vocabulary lessons. Second, there are some security concerns. I don't want to spend much time here, but our team is "on platform," which means we (and our children) would have to memorize new "standard tenable statements" about who we are and why we're here in order to protect that platform. That is further complicated by Marc's transition from the team we are currently on--a church planting team--to the administrative team--our permanent team. Finally, and most important to the leadership here, we are at a critical moment in our lives as missionaries. This is the time culture shock hits hard and people leave the field. The worry is that the responsibility would be one more pressure in an already pressure-filled situation. (You know those lists of different events that give a number to how much they stress you? I think the point where it physically affects you is around 150. The average score for a first-term missionary on the field is somewhere around 800. There's a little pressure.)
So there are the concerns. But there are also reasons we would love to do this. First, we have several "kids" in English Club who are obviously seeking something beyond learning English. An established group is easier to invite someone to than a new group. Second, we already have a relationship with the people who attend at Jeff and Karla's. Some are incredibly close to making decisions for Christ, and we fear what will happen if they are "shipped off" to another group. Finally, we have developed a passion for seeing God sweep into this country and do something only He can do. Somewhere along the way, we became missionaries who long to do whatever is necessary for Him to be glorified. If this is what He has for us, we want to be a part of it.
We are asking that in your Sunday School classes tomorrow, each of you take time to explain our situation and hold a specific prayer for God's will in this matter. And then we are asking each of you personally to pray about this during the upcoming week. I don't think we have ever asked for you to pray for/about something every day for a week since we began this journey, so you can see how important this is to us. We are looking for God's clear guidance and the peace only He can give about our decision.
Your prayers matter so much. Many of you have been praying for our kids to have friends. From the other rooms in our apartment, all I can hear is laughter and playing. God answers your prayers. He cares about what you bring to Him. Thank you for being faithful to bring Him our concerns. You are a vital part of what we are doing here.
Blessings!
Kellye and Marc