Who knows what to expect when you go on a “Mission Trip?” My first trip to Russia was to attend a Nadezda sponsored Conference for Social Workers. Everything was new to me—the culture, the language, the orphans, and the delightful people who cared so much for them. I saw the need for help for the orphans to be financially stable as adults, to provide for themselves financially.
In November 2009 a team of seven Americans led the first Junior Achievement “Success Skills for Work” 
Seminar for forty older orphans who attend the Vyazniki Technical School in Vyazniki, Vladimir region. We were assisted by seven, wonderful and highly capable young interpreters and our program director, Yelena Kharitonova of Nadezda Fund. Each team member and their interpreter led a small group of students in small group discussion and through hands on activities and games. Each day’s activities covered a different aspect of how to be successful, such as having a “Win-Win” attitude or “Beginning with the End In Mind”. Two successful business people – orphans themselves – spoke to the students about what it takes to be successful in the workplace. We even took the students out to special dinner for an added social experience. The teachers at the school honored us by participating in the large group and small group discussions.
God provided peace and joy each day. A highlight came at the last day celebration where each participant received a diploma, and the teachers requested and received their diploma as well. And the school’s Director took time to attend our final celebration lunch and invited us to come back.
But the most satisfying feedback was from one of the students who said, “I learned that conflict doesn’t have to be solved by fighting.”
We plan to refine and repeat the seminar 
regularly.We will be training some of the Russian staff members and older orphans to facilitate the training, so that even more students can have its benefits.