In Russia, a prayer comes full circle
By Jami in Siberia —
A couple of years ago, as Jami and her family were packing up to move from Ulan-Ude, Siberia, to a small village populated by the Buryat people, they were struck by an overwhelming need to gather prayer support for their ministry.
“We felt a fresh desperation to come to God, seek him, and ask others to engage in the spiritual battle of prayer with us,” Jami said. The SEND team in Siberia has sought to pull together 1,000 people committed to praying for the Buryat people.
Now, the team says God is moving in hearts like they’ve never seen before! God graciously is allowing our teammates to see answers to some of those thousands of prayers. Jami shares about one answer that encouraged her family:
A few years ago, as we drove through some towns near Lake Baikal, we picked up a Buryat lady who was hitchhiking. It turned out she was a believer, and we had a lovely conversation. She asked us to pray for her son, who was far from God. We did pray for him, but then we lost connection and didn’t think much about her as time passed.
Then we moved to our home in Spring Village. For the last several months, a Buryat guy in his late 20s has been coming to our home group. At first, he seemed a bit abrasive and antagonistic, but through the months, he has grown softer and HUNGRY for the Word. He reads the Bible ravenously every day, and comes to the group with questions that he writes down throughout the week.
He’s starting to share about the changes that he sees God doing in his heart. Six months ago, he would frequently get into fights with another guy. They were together recently and ended up in a disagreement that would have ended very badly in the past. But this time, our friend felt a calm in his heart; God helped him to keep his mouth closed and to walk quietly away.
We believe that God has plans for this young man. He is a leader and has a heart for God and for his people. He shares his faith with enthusiasm and boldness, bringing unbelieving friends to church, our home group, and other evangelistic events.
At last month’s Buryat Partnership meeting back in Ulan-Ude, we spotted a face we knew: The hitchhiking lady! And, as it turns out, the young man in our group is her son, the one we prayed for years ago!
It was so kind of God to show Jami and her family one prayer coming full circle. We know there are many prayers we pray that we won’t see the answers to until heaven; nevertheless, prayers are important. Your prayers are valuable, and we thank you for them!
Additional Posts

Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?



