MOSCOW (BP)–I have been to several “See You at the Pole” school prayer events before, both in America on furlough and in Costa Rica where we lived before, so I thought this would be the same thing.
I was wrong.
Now I live in Moscow, Russia, and go to Hinkson Christian Academy. In chapel one morning in September, I heard that we were going to Red Square the next Wednesday to pray for our friends, school and the government.
It was going to be in the afternoon in Moscow, when it was morning in America and the kids there would be praying at their schools too.
As I was considering going, I didn’t think there would be many people there, so I didn’t know if I really wanted to go. Also, who was going to take my little sister home from school if I went to the Square?
During the week, I kept forgetting my permission slip. I knew I needed it to go, and if I forgot it on Wednesday, I couldn’t go.
On Tuesday night, I finally got it signed and my sister arranged to go to a friend’s house. On Wednesday, I found out that all of my friends were going. I was actually a little excited about going.
As we left school on Wednesday, I was wondering how it was going to be. We walked to the Metro (subway) together having a good time.
We came out of the Metro and walked to Red Square. I have been there about five times in the two and a half months we’ve been here, but this time it looked different.
I’m still not sure why. When we got there we sang some songs and were attracting attention from a few people. Then we sat down to pray.
When we had been sitting for a few minutes, a policeman whistled at us and told us to get up. We later found out that sitting means you are protesting something.
So we stood to pray. When they saw us praying, they asked us to move behind St. Basil’s Cathedral. I was a bit annoyed because we went there to show people who we were and they asked us to hide!
Anyway, we moved. We prayed about almost anything you can think of. It was a very good time of prayer and Christian fellowship. Afterwards we went to McDonald’s.
I am very glad I went. It was great to be able to pray with friends like that, and I can’t wait until next year. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.
