MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) - News came from Russia that Reverend André Bay and his family are doing well and settling in.

Rev André and Masha ministered for two years at the Baptist Church in Louis Trichardt and then decided to return to Russia to minister the gospel of Jesus. They have two sons, Stephen and Daniel.

The journey from Johannesburg to St Petersburg took the Bays almost three days.

“We departed on March 8 at 13:20, arrived in Qatar at 22:00, slept over at the airport - well the boys at least did - and then we flew to Moscow,” André writes. They arrived in Moscow at 14:00, dropped of a package and then waited for the night train to St Petersburg. They did not even notice the train’s stopping in St Petersburg the next morning; they had to be woken up by the conductor.

They arrived at 06:30.

“We could only find a small taxi (the old box- shaped Fiats) and we with 12 or more bags got in and on top of this little Russian faithful.”

After having stayed a few days with a good friend, André started looking for a flat for them. Shockingly, rent had more than doubled since they last lived in Russia. They managed to find a good place not far from Catherine the Great’s palace in Pushkin. It was the same town they used to live in.

“We praise God for taking us safely through everything we had to face without anyone’s getting sick or lost!” André says.

Stephen and Daniel enjoy the snow and have even built their first snowman. Stephen couldn’t stop talking about it. He also made his first Russian friends - communication is still a problem, but children seem to play together without seeing language as a barrier.

Masha is still trying her best to find out how she should go about finishing her studies. She already went to the university three times and came back every time without any clarity.

“It was so good to be back with our Christian family here in St Petersburg. Both churches we used to work with are vying for us to come to their services,” André says. They worshiped at Greater Grace, the church whom they are associated with in Russia. André also had the opportunity to preach on Sunday evening, March 27.

The Bays have the joy of seeing how another church in Pushkin, where they were involved right from the beginning of the church, has grown. They have had two summer camps where they reached a group of young people.

Pastor Sergey Sotnikov from Buryatia is also looking forward to the Bays’ joining him and also for the teams’ coming over this summer.

In April, André has to leave Russia with the boys to get a new visa.