Why does TITUS focus on national Christian workers?
#12-Nationals might not face the same health consequences as foreigners.Read More
Dear Friends,
Vitaliy and I are so impressed with the valuable investment this rehab center ministry has in people's lives! The fields are white unto harvest in this sphere, and we are blessed to be a part of it all.
• Two of the men, Ruslan and Sergei, have started working as helpers now; they do a lot of responsible work, and we're amazed at how fast they are growing. They aren't leaders yet, but they seem to be growing into this work, and it's a huge help. They both desire to stay as volunteer leaders in the ministry after they finish the program. Pray for them to continue growing in the Lord, to be kept from entering into temptation, and to have a good partnership.
• Ruslan and Vitaliy go witnessing at the main Kiev train station each week. You would never guess it from being briefly at the station as a passenger, but there is a world of people who live there! Ruslan used to live there, so he and Vitaliy go there sometimes to witness, and Ruslan knows exactly how to talk with this special category of people; he easily witnesses to them about the Lord and some men they offer to take to the center if they seem interested. Four more men from the train station have come to live at our center right now.
• This rehab ministry reaches into various ethnic and missionary groups, too. For example, Vlad is in our center now, and he is from a nearby Muslim country. He is very interested in learning about God and thinks about witnessing to his relatives back there after he grows in the Lord. Georgi, another current rehab man, is from Moldova—he actually is not an alcoholic; he wants help with the anger and evil inside him. He recently was planning to murder the man he was working for, as he wasn't paying him for his work. But then he met Ruslan at the train station, and now he is studying in our center, wanting to learn about God and change. Another man who left the program was from an ethnic group in Russia, the Chukchi people. We are really encouraged by the evangelism opportunities this center gives, and it's not just one-time witnessing. The men study the Bible and watch various seminars for several hours a day, and Vitaliy makes this the main emphasis of their time there
• Pray for Sasha. He didn't complete the entire six month program, but he grew a lot and returned to his village. He's still reading his Bible, praying, attending church, but is falling into sin again. Pray that God will lead him into full freedom.
• Pray also as the warm weather allows the men to continue building the second building, that the Lord will provide the money. It's a ministry with a great spiritual impact to invest in.
This winter, Vitaliy and I have both felt that we were living in a time of great physical and emotional stress as we have never experienced before. God's definite stability and sustaining has become very real. The Scriptures become real, the fabric of what we are living day-to-day. "My flesh and my heart faileth:but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever." (Ps. 73:26)
• Our baby is due this month
• Little Kostya, our 3 yo nephew with cerebral palsy, has lived with us for four months now. This has been a great and challenging experience for our family—a lot of work, a lot of giving and love. I think Skyla and Vika are the best medicine for him! He wants to do what they do, of course. He eats so much now, has grown a lot, plays, crawls, climbs, "talks" more. He's even started trying to walk by himself! He has cerebral palsy, so he steps on the balls of his feet and one hip turns in too much, so it's hard for him, but at least he's trying by himself and happy about it. It's an enormous development! This Sunday he will go to live with his mom, Natasha, in the rehab center where she is living. She seems to be growing, and really pray that she will continue to grow and become stable. Kostya's dad, Tolya, also drinks, but so far, he is not interested in stopping right now. He keeps trying to get Natasha to leave the center. Pray for him also.
• Vitaliy goes weekly to stay at the center in the village for a few days. As the baby's birth is getting nearer, he's only staying for a day or two there now.
• Vitaliy had to guide another church leader through a time of public confession. The man is growing really well right now and we are very glad. Praying for his restoration.
• We recently had to move to a new apartment. This meant looking at several places, phone calls, and waiting for God's leading. We found a nice place, and rehab and church guys helped us a lot with all the moving, and the church ladies did a lot of the cleaning. After two days of packing and moving, I stayed in bed for a week because I was having so many contractions and some sharp, uncomfortable pain. We're really thankful for all the support that our church family gave us! (We're so thankful for our church here; they babysit, bring food, help with many things. It's a big comfort. Truly the body of Christ is our family.)
• Vitaliy's uncle died suddenly a few weeks ago. Vitaliy helped drive the body out to his village for the funeral and helped with transporting people to the funeral. All these relatives are not Christians. Pray for Aunt Raya, that she will come to the Lord.
• The church Sunday School for kids is doing so well, I'm very thankful for Natasha, the organizer. She has invested a lot into this, and it's wonderful for all of us. I'm being put on pregnancy leave already, so it looks Iike I'll take a break for a while. But I've really enjoyed the other workers and teaching the kids about the Lord. I think it means a lot to me because I have my own kids there.
• Skyla and Vika are reading Russian now. Vitaliy taught them, and they have little Russian children Bibles they read every morning now. They're doing well in their math books, too (I do that with them in English ;)
• I'm plugging away at midwifery studies. I've stopped taking doula clients because of all the church and family happenings, but I'm still getting calls with all sorts of questions about pregnancy, newborns and breastfeeding. I recently met with some other missionaries who are birthing soon too, to answer questions and give pertinent, local information. It's a special area to serve people in.
Here's what's coming in the near future, Lord willing, and we appreciate so much your prayers:
• The on-going rehab center work—for more mature leaders to grow out of the center to help with this work, for salvation of the men there.
• Our baby is due late April
• One-day church leadership day training early May; the topic is worship.
• My mom is coming to visit for 2 weeks in mid-May, so we're all excited about this!
• For the rehab center's new building—building season starts soon, and we'd like to use the summer months to complete the new living quarters. The building foundation and walls are done. About $12,000 is still needed to finish the roof and all the inside details. If you'd like to invest in this ministry financially, let us know! It would mean a lot to so many people here. Thank you so much for all you do for us! "All thou spendest, Jesus will repay."
Vitaliy and I are so impressed with the valuable investment this rehab center ministry has in people's lives! The fields are white unto harvest in this sphere, and we are blessed to be a part of it all.
• Two of the men, Ruslan and Sergei, have started working as helpers now; they do a lot of responsible work, and we're amazed at how fast they are growing. They aren't leaders yet, but they seem to be growing into this work, and it's a huge help. They both desire to stay as volunteer leaders in the ministry after they finish the program. Pray for them to continue growing in the Lord, to be kept from entering into temptation, and to have a good partnership.• Ruslan and Vitaliy go witnessing at the main Kiev train station each week. You would never guess it from being briefly at the station as a passenger, but there is a world of people who live there! Ruslan used to live there, so he and Vitaliy go there sometimes to witness, and Ruslan knows exactly how to talk with this special category of people; he easily witnesses to them about the Lord and some men they offer to take to the center if they seem interested. Four more men from the train station have come to live at our center right now.
• This rehab ministry reaches into various ethnic and missionary groups, too. For example, Vlad is in our center now, and he is from a nearby Muslim country. He is very interested in learning about God and thinks about witnessing to his relatives back there after he grows in the Lord. Georgi, another current rehab man, is from Moldova—he actually is not an alcoholic; he wants help with the anger and evil inside him. He recently was planning to murder the man he was working for, as he wasn't paying him for his work. But then he met Ruslan at the train station, and now he is studying in our center, wanting to learn about God and change. Another man who left the program was from an ethnic group in Russia, the Chukchi people. We are really encouraged by the evangelism opportunities this center gives, and it's not just one-time witnessing. The men study the Bible and watch various seminars for several hours a day, and Vitaliy makes this the main emphasis of their time there
• Pray for Sasha. He didn't complete the entire six month program, but he grew a lot and returned to his village. He's still reading his Bible, praying, attending church, but is falling into sin again. Pray that God will lead him into full freedom.
• Pray also as the warm weather allows the men to continue building the second building, that the Lord will provide the money. It's a ministry with a great spiritual impact to invest in.
This winter, Vitaliy and I have both felt that we were living in a time of great physical and emotional stress as we have never experienced before. God's definite stability and sustaining has become very real. The Scriptures become real, the fabric of what we are living day-to-day. "My flesh and my heart faileth:but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever." (Ps. 73:26)
• Our baby is due this month
• Little Kostya, our 3 yo nephew with cerebral palsy, has lived with us for four months now. This has been a great and challenging experience for our family—a lot of work, a lot of giving and love. I think Skyla and Vika are the best medicine for him! He wants to do what they do, of course. He eats so much now, has grown a lot, plays, crawls, climbs, "talks" more. He's even started trying to walk by himself! He has cerebral palsy, so he steps on the balls of his feet and one hip turns in too much, so it's hard for him, but at least he's trying by himself and happy about it. It's an enormous development! This Sunday he will go to live with his mom, Natasha, in the rehab center where she is living. She seems to be growing, and really pray that she will continue to grow and become stable. Kostya's dad, Tolya, also drinks, but so far, he is not interested in stopping right now. He keeps trying to get Natasha to leave the center. Pray for him also.
• Vitaliy goes weekly to stay at the center in the village for a few days. As the baby's birth is getting nearer, he's only staying for a day or two there now.
• Vitaliy had to guide another church leader through a time of public confession. The man is growing really well right now and we are very glad. Praying for his restoration.
• We recently had to move to a new apartment. This meant looking at several places, phone calls, and waiting for God's leading. We found a nice place, and rehab and church guys helped us a lot with all the moving, and the church ladies did a lot of the cleaning. After two days of packing and moving, I stayed in bed for a week because I was having so many contractions and some sharp, uncomfortable pain. We're really thankful for all the support that our church family gave us! (We're so thankful for our church here; they babysit, bring food, help with many things. It's a big comfort. Truly the body of Christ is our family.)
• Vitaliy's uncle died suddenly a few weeks ago. Vitaliy helped drive the body out to his village for the funeral and helped with transporting people to the funeral. All these relatives are not Christians. Pray for Aunt Raya, that she will come to the Lord.
• The church Sunday School for kids is doing so well, I'm very thankful for Natasha, the organizer. She has invested a lot into this, and it's wonderful for all of us. I'm being put on pregnancy leave already, so it looks Iike I'll take a break for a while. But I've really enjoyed the other workers and teaching the kids about the Lord. I think it means a lot to me because I have my own kids there.• Skyla and Vika are reading Russian now. Vitaliy taught them, and they have little Russian children Bibles they read every morning now. They're doing well in their math books, too (I do that with them in English ;)
• I'm plugging away at midwifery studies. I've stopped taking doula clients because of all the church and family happenings, but I'm still getting calls with all sorts of questions about pregnancy, newborns and breastfeeding. I recently met with some other missionaries who are birthing soon too, to answer questions and give pertinent, local information. It's a special area to serve people in.
Here's what's coming in the near future, Lord willing, and we appreciate so much your prayers:
• The on-going rehab center work—for more mature leaders to grow out of the center to help with this work, for salvation of the men there.
• Our baby is due late April
• One-day church leadership day training early May; the topic is worship.
• My mom is coming to visit for 2 weeks in mid-May, so we're all excited about this!
• For the rehab center's new building—building season starts soon, and we'd like to use the summer months to complete the new living quarters. The building foundation and walls are done. About $12,000 is still needed to finish the roof and all the inside details. If you'd like to invest in this ministry financially, let us know! It would mean a lot to so many people here. Thank you so much for all you do for us! "All thou spendest, Jesus will repay."
Dear Friends,
Third Baby!
Before I forget again, we want to announce that we're expecting our third baby! We're really excited, and thankful for this answer to our prayers. Due late April.
Rehabilitation CenterWe have six to eight men in our rehab cener now! It is amazing, seeing God's hand in the lives of these men. And seeing God teaching them daily and providing for their needs. They've started building a second building already--right now they're living in our house. And the Lord provides for their food daily, too.
Each day they read and study and discuss the Bible for several hours and in the evening they discuss a 10-step program they are going through regarding addictions. They also work daily on building, and other projects on the territory.
Vitaliy spends 3-4 days a week there. And Igor, a man from our church who went through rehab, also stays there regularly. The elder pastor of our church goes there for the weekends so Vitaliy and Igor can come home for a while. Two men came from a village our elder pastor visits reguarly. They both wanted to be free from their alcohol addiction, so the local pastor was just locking them inside the prayer house--they wanted him to do this so they could stop drinking. Now they're in our center, studying the Bible, and one has expressed desire to start a center back in his own village. (Vitaliy's already planning a network of rehab centers :)
Prayer requests:
• For salvation for these men
• Strength and wisdom for the leaders
• That some would become leaders of this center and others would go on to start other rehab centers.
• Material and financial provision--so much has been provided, and more will be needed.
ThanksgivingLast year I started the Thanksgiving tradition of fixing a big Thanksgiving dinner and inviting the couples I've birthed with. We're having another baby wave at our church, so I invited our pregnant families, too. We decorate the house and fix a big turkey and lots of food. It was really special! And a nice way for couples to share family life and experiences.
Sunday School
Another big desire has been answered--we have children's Sunday school! A lady at church, one of our young moms, has taken this on, and is doing a great job organizing lessons and activities, songs, etc. I'm so thankful that Skyla and Vika sing their Sunday school songs at home now, and retell Bible stories and things like that. It encourages me to pray for them even more.
AWANA
Speaking of children's mininstries, our AWANA group did a presentation this Sunday, and it was encouraging seeing the kids taking part. Many of them are from unsaved families. They've been learning the ten commandments the last few weeks, and Lisa, our AWANA commander, reminded us of how Jesus showed love to the children.
Thank you all so much for all you do for us! May God bless you richly, and "all thou spendest, Jesus will repay."
Much love,
Vitaliy, Anne, Skyla, Vika, and ?
Dear Friends,
The deeper God moves me into understanding right faith in Him, the more I am thrilled to be a part of the body of Christ. His purity and righteousness are ours! How blessed we are that God does not treat us according to our sins but according to the perfection of His Son.
This month's letter carries news of big changes in our church here in Ukraine, changes that are affecting us very deeply, though God graciously leads us step by step.
Because of a very long story concerning the financial crisis of last year or so, our main pastor (the other Vitaliy) has had to step out of the pastorate for the time being. We are sharing in his grief, but also trusting God's sovereignty to redeem this situation for our church. This means that Vitaliy is now, temporarily, the main pastor of the church. (Temporary is actually a fairly long time, so we're not sure where this will lead—will God supply another regular pastor?) Vitaliy is more of an evangelist than a local church pastor, but we are trusting God to supply the needs of this body. Pray for both Vitaliys as this transition takes place (it was just announced yesterday), and that God would unify us as His body that we would build one another up in love and faith. I, of course, also want to pray for a miracle so the other Vitaliy can soon resume pastoring, with which he is so gifted, but I'm trusting that God has His good plan for us all in this time.
The other news is that God is working in us and in our elder pastor to start a rehabilitation center to reach out to the many, many souls in Ukraine addicted to alcohol and drugs. A lot has been moving forward in the last few months. Vitaliy and I have property out in a village, and it has a small house and lots of land. So we're going to use the house and land (for further building and for agriculture) to support the center. Tears come to my eyes when I think how God lets us give generously even in what seems to be our poverty. May He bring many souls to Him! (And really, how little I know of true poverty.)
We're actually ready to accept people at this time, and it's possible that a rehab center in Fastov, Ukraine, will lend us some leaders until we can grow our own. Pray for all this. It's very dear to Vitaliy's heart—he has so many family members and former friends touched by this--and so many families all over Ukraine are touched by these addictions. Pray that God would mightily add to His Kingdom through this.
In other news . . .
In May, Ira committed suicide. Ira attended our church faithfully, and she is the mother of one of our youth. She had a very troubled life the last few years—hearing voices, attempting suicide once before, in and out of the psych hospital, never able to grasp her freedom in Christ. I still think of her, missing her. She talked to me every Sunday, and while she had many problems, she still was an example to me of someone who constantly thought about God and was concerned about her relationship with Him.
Summer is the time of camps, and God gave us the wonderful opportunity to help our local public school with a 14-day camp. Our church took 3 hours a day and did crafts, sports, and a lesson about ethics. I am so glad I took part because now I drive or walk through our village and see kids I can wave to and talk to. Pray for fruit from this outreach—that souls would come to God.
Our AWANA group had their camp in June, and then in July the AWANA leaders led a camp out in a village where our church has a small church plant. Our singles group has connected with other singles throughout Ukraine and have done several rafting trips with the two pastors (Vitaliy and Vitaliy). I'm so glad that they are finding fellowship with one another!
I'm really plugging away at midwifery studies. God has me really focused on that. And I was a doula for a birth this month! It was such a wonderful experience, unlike the other births I've seen. I'm so glad God lets me be a testimony for Him in this sphere.
God's been convicting me about withholding myself from deeper involvement in our church, so I've been asking Him to open up ways to love His people more. He's helped do that in several ways—by doing some teaching for ladies (we're starting a ladies SS class, and I'm going to teach about unity in Ephesians), and surprisingly, by sending little encouraging SMS's on my cell phone. I finally learned how to type in Russian on the cell phone, so I'm able to write our other mommies-of-young-children how I'm praying for them, etc. It's really helped me build some closer friendships.
Pray that our church body will develop in maturity in Christ, being built up in love.
In the days ahead, Vitaliy still visits a village church once a month to preach and give the Lord's supper, more decisions will be made about the rehab center, Olya and I want to do a post-abortion Bible study, and Vitaliy may go for a week to Crimea with church guys for fun and fellowship. Also, we have about 8 people who want to be baptized this September.
Skyla and Victoria love the summer, and they play outside a lot. They are such neat daughters. Pray for them to come to God when He knows it's time for them.
Thank you so much for your prayers and giving to us. "And all thou spendest, Jesus will repay."
Love,
Vitaliy, Anne, Skyla, Victoria
"That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Eph.3:17-19
Peas from our garden--we've had great enjoyment from our first garden!
Beets, carrots, cucumbers
Potatoes
The deeper God moves me into understanding right faith in Him, the more I am thrilled to be a part of the body of Christ. His purity and righteousness are ours! How blessed we are that God does not treat us according to our sins but according to the perfection of His Son.
This month's letter carries news of big changes in our church here in Ukraine, changes that are affecting us very deeply, though God graciously leads us step by step.
Because of a very long story concerning the financial crisis of last year or so, our main pastor (the other Vitaliy) has had to step out of the pastorate for the time being. We are sharing in his grief, but also trusting God's sovereignty to redeem this situation for our church. This means that Vitaliy is now, temporarily, the main pastor of the church. (Temporary is actually a fairly long time, so we're not sure where this will lead—will God supply another regular pastor?) Vitaliy is more of an evangelist than a local church pastor, but we are trusting God to supply the needs of this body. Pray for both Vitaliys as this transition takes place (it was just announced yesterday), and that God would unify us as His body that we would build one another up in love and faith. I, of course, also want to pray for a miracle so the other Vitaliy can soon resume pastoring, with which he is so gifted, but I'm trusting that God has His good plan for us all in this time.
The other news is that God is working in us and in our elder pastor to start a rehabilitation center to reach out to the many, many souls in Ukraine addicted to alcohol and drugs. A lot has been moving forward in the last few months. Vitaliy and I have property out in a village, and it has a small house and lots of land. So we're going to use the house and land (for further building and for agriculture) to support the center. Tears come to my eyes when I think how God lets us give generously even in what seems to be our poverty. May He bring many souls to Him! (And really, how little I know of true poverty.) We're actually ready to accept people at this time, and it's possible that a rehab center in Fastov, Ukraine, will lend us some leaders until we can grow our own. Pray for all this. It's very dear to Vitaliy's heart—he has so many family members and former friends touched by this--and so many families all over Ukraine are touched by these addictions. Pray that God would mightily add to His Kingdom through this. In other news . . .
In May, Ira committed suicide. Ira attended our church faithfully, and she is the mother of one of our youth. She had a very troubled life the last few years—hearing voices, attempting suicide once before, in and out of the psych hospital, never able to grasp her freedom in Christ. I still think of her, missing her. She talked to me every Sunday, and while she had many problems, she still was an example to me of someone who constantly thought about God and was concerned about her relationship with Him.
Summer is the time of camps, and God gave us the wonderful opportunity to help our local public school with a 14-day camp. Our church took 3 hours a day and did crafts, sports, and a lesson about ethics. I am so glad I took part because now I drive or walk through our village and see kids I can wave to and talk to. Pray for fruit from this outreach—that souls would come to God. Our AWANA group had their camp in June, and then in July the AWANA leaders led a camp out in a village where our church has a small church plant. Our singles group has connected with other singles throughout Ukraine and have done several rafting trips with the two pastors (Vitaliy and Vitaliy). I'm so glad that they are finding fellowship with one another! I'm really plugging away at midwifery studies. God has me really focused on that. And I was a doula for a birth this month! It was such a wonderful experience, unlike the other births I've seen. I'm so glad God lets me be a testimony for Him in this sphere. God's been convicting me about withholding myself from deeper involvement in our church, so I've been asking Him to open up ways to love His people more. He's helped do that in several ways—by doing some teaching for ladies (we're starting a ladies SS class, and I'm going to teach about unity in Ephesians), and surprisingly, by sending little encouraging SMS's on my cell phone. I finally learned how to type in Russian on the cell phone, so I'm able to write our other mommies-of-young-children how I'm praying for them, etc. It's really helped me build some closer friendships.
Pray that our church body will develop in maturity in Christ, being built up in love.
In the days ahead, Vitaliy still visits a village church once a month to preach and give the Lord's supper, more decisions will be made about the rehab center, Olya and I want to do a post-abortion Bible study, and Vitaliy may go for a week to Crimea with church guys for fun and fellowship. Also, we have about 8 people who want to be baptized this September.
Skyla and Victoria love the summer, and they play outside a lot. They are such neat daughters. Pray for them to come to God when He knows it's time for them.
Thank you so much for your prayers and giving to us. "And all thou spendest, Jesus will repay."
Love,
Vitaliy, Anne, Skyla, Victoria
"That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Eph.3:17-19
Peas from our garden--we've had great enjoyment from our first garden!Beets, carrots, cucumbersPotatoes
That he would grant you . . . to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Eph 3:16,19)
Dear Friends!
The white winter wonderland has evolved into the colorful explosion of spring flowers and trees. Many people take pride in their lovely patches of garden, and it's enough to make one quickly forget the long, frigid winter that just passed! It's a lovely reminder to be thankful for all the seasons God gives us in our lives, that He carefully arranges the pains and joys of each one to serve its purpose in making us like His Son.
I'll back up to Easter time. We were invited again to go through the local public school here (the director is a believer) and explain to each class the meaning of Easter (we did this for Christmas as well). Our AWANA group faithfully does an after-school activity time each Thursday there, and several more of the kids have started attending our Sunday AWANA program. An older teen, the classmate of one of our youth, has also started attending youth group activities. Pray for Ira to come to the Lord, and pray generally for the protection and effectiveness of this school outreach.
In June, the school is conducting a 14-day day camp for all the students, and we were asked to help with the program, so our church is taking responsibility for 3 hours each day. Pray for planning and personal contacts, etc. for this, that God's Word would be glorified in their lives.
Vitaliy has been having two very full years of a lot of personal discipleship. The Lord's brought quite a few young men into his life to mentor and spend time with in Bible study. If you remember them in prayer, some of their names are Sasha, Kostya, Max, Dima, and Sasha. Some are not believers, some are preparing for baptism, others are already baptised. He also is meeting with a young couple, Vitaliy and Ira, who'd like to be baptised this year as well. And he's doing premarital counseling with Zhenya and Sveta, and will be conducting their marriage this fall.
Vitaliy's also been teaching an evangelism class to some other church members here, and he's been continuing his monthly trips out to Radinka village to evangelize and conduct the Lord's Supper. Pray for the people who've been trained how to clearly present the gospel, that they would have moments in their lives when they can use that to reach others.
Vitaliy took Max, a guy from our church that he's discipling, out to our house for a day or two to do some heavy work, and during that time, they visited Max's grandmother who lives in a neighboring village. Vitaliy was able to share the gospel with her and left her a New Testament. Pray for the scattering seeds, that they'll find root in ready soil . . .
Vitaliy and the other pastor Vitaliy attended a wonderful missions class about reaching unreached groups and Muslims, and they were given information they can teach to our church members--this fall they are planning to teach a class for members who want to learn. It was really helpful to see what we can do practically as a church body, and we want our church members to see that they can be participating in missions even if they are not personally led to go somewhere as missionaries. It also raised our vision to reach unreached groups by reaching those foreigners living here in Kiev. Vitaliy's hoping to start a prayer group specifically for unreached people groups and do some actual interaction and cultural learning about unreached people groups located here in Kiev. What a joyful thing to pray about!
Our church continues to have Saturday Bible Institute classes--they just finished the Overview of the New Testament. We also had our annual 3-day church leadership training. Our leaders had sessions about working in teams, missions, and using good deeds in evangelistic outreach. They also presented and discussed portions of the doctrinal statement the church leaders want to accept. Pray for this transition time in our church, as they are adopting a doctrinal statement. It's a step of maturity and growth that is healthy for our members, and the Lord is teaching us all a lot through studying various aspects of His character and dealings with us.
Some believers out in the Chernobyl region--where Vitaliy is from and worked for many years--arranged a one-day meeting for all the believers from all over that region. Vitaliy went and helped to drive others to the meeting as well. It was an encouraging day for them.
We have a small group of older singles, and they have been wanting (for years) to have other older singles to fellowship with, so a few weekends ago, they planned a rafting trip, and about 20 singles from various regions of Ukraine came together and had a wonderful weekend. Vitaliy also went as a driver and to help with the rafting and to speak. They enjoyed it so much, they're planning another in the fall and a skiing trip in winter. Pray for these singles to be growing in the knowledge of Christ's love for them.
I, Anne, was invited to attend a pro-life luncheon for pastors' wives in Kiev. The ladies who organized it presented the need for greater pro-life ministry here, and Olya and I shared our post-abortion work, and our vision for starting a center and hotline. An American missionary to Belorussia spoke and shared her pro-life ministry experience in America and Belorussia. The ladies were very interested and excited about starting ministry. Pray for the continuation of this work. We really, really desire your prayers. Olya and I have been trying for years now to get a larger ministry going, and we are happy to wait for the Lord's timing, but we also want to be diligent. Pray that the Lord will bring together the right time and people.
That reminds me: I took some pro-life booklets with Olya's business card and phone number stapled on it and gave them to the head doctor of our regional prenatal clinic where I teach a lecture for expecting moms twice a month. He has expressed interest in giving them out to ladies seeking abortions. Pray for that information to get into the right hands and for ladies to call for some counseling, for open hearts.
In some family news, I took Vika and Skyla to see the children's theater ballet of Snow White. They are faithfully growing up! :-)
We are praying for new supporters! If you would like to be a part of what the Lord is doing here, monthly support of $20 to $30 a month means a lot to us. Please consider being a small part of the great things God is doing in Ukraine! It's a joy to see His hands moving here.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support! The Lord is faithfully using you to provide for us, and you are having a part of His work here in Ukraine! We love you,
Vitaliy, Anne, Skyla, & Vika
Dear Friends!
The white winter wonderland has evolved into the colorful explosion of spring flowers and trees. Many people take pride in their lovely patches of garden, and it's enough to make one quickly forget the long, frigid winter that just passed! It's a lovely reminder to be thankful for all the seasons God gives us in our lives, that He carefully arranges the pains and joys of each one to serve its purpose in making us like His Son.
I'll back up to Easter time. We were invited again to go through the local public school here (the director is a believer) and explain to each class the meaning of Easter (we did this for Christmas as well). Our AWANA group faithfully does an after-school activity time each Thursday there, and several more of the kids have started attending our Sunday AWANA program. An older teen, the classmate of one of our youth, has also started attending youth group activities. Pray for Ira to come to the Lord, and pray generally for the protection and effectiveness of this school outreach. In June, the school is conducting a 14-day day camp for all the students, and we were asked to help with the program, so our church is taking responsibility for 3 hours each day. Pray for planning and personal contacts, etc. for this, that God's Word would be glorified in their lives. Vitaliy has been having two very full years of a lot of personal discipleship. The Lord's brought quite a few young men into his life to mentor and spend time with in Bible study. If you remember them in prayer, some of their names are Sasha, Kostya, Max, Dima, and Sasha. Some are not believers, some are preparing for baptism, others are already baptised. He also is meeting with a young couple, Vitaliy and Ira, who'd like to be baptised this year as well. And he's doing premarital counseling with Zhenya and Sveta, and will be conducting their marriage this fall.
Vitaliy's also been teaching an evangelism class to some other church members here, and he's been continuing his monthly trips out to Radinka village to evangelize and conduct the Lord's Supper. Pray for the people who've been trained how to clearly present the gospel, that they would have moments in their lives when they can use that to reach others.
Vitaliy took Max, a guy from our church that he's discipling, out to our house for a day or two to do some heavy work, and during that time, they visited Max's grandmother who lives in a neighboring village. Vitaliy was able to share the gospel with her and left her a New Testament. Pray for the scattering seeds, that they'll find root in ready soil . . .
Vitaliy and the other pastor Vitaliy attended a wonderful missions class about reaching unreached groups and Muslims, and they were given information they can teach to our church members--this fall they are planning to teach a class for members who want to learn. It was really helpful to see what we can do practically as a church body, and we want our church members to see that they can be participating in missions even if they are not personally led to go somewhere as missionaries. It also raised our vision to reach unreached groups by reaching those foreigners living here in Kiev. Vitaliy's hoping to start a prayer group specifically for unreached people groups and do some actual interaction and cultural learning about unreached people groups located here in Kiev. What a joyful thing to pray about! Our church continues to have Saturday Bible Institute classes--they just finished the Overview of the New Testament. We also had our annual 3-day church leadership training. Our leaders had sessions about working in teams, missions, and using good deeds in evangelistic outreach. They also presented and discussed portions of the doctrinal statement the church leaders want to accept. Pray for this transition time in our church, as they are adopting a doctrinal statement. It's a step of maturity and growth that is healthy for our members, and the Lord is teaching us all a lot through studying various aspects of His character and dealings with us.
Some believers out in the Chernobyl region--where Vitaliy is from and worked for many years--arranged a one-day meeting for all the believers from all over that region. Vitaliy went and helped to drive others to the meeting as well. It was an encouraging day for them.
We have a small group of older singles, and they have been wanting (for years) to have other older singles to fellowship with, so a few weekends ago, they planned a rafting trip, and about 20 singles from various regions of Ukraine came together and had a wonderful weekend. Vitaliy also went as a driver and to help with the rafting and to speak. They enjoyed it so much, they're planning another in the fall and a skiing trip in winter. Pray for these singles to be growing in the knowledge of Christ's love for them. I, Anne, was invited to attend a pro-life luncheon for pastors' wives in Kiev. The ladies who organized it presented the need for greater pro-life ministry here, and Olya and I shared our post-abortion work, and our vision for starting a center and hotline. An American missionary to Belorussia spoke and shared her pro-life ministry experience in America and Belorussia. The ladies were very interested and excited about starting ministry. Pray for the continuation of this work. We really, really desire your prayers. Olya and I have been trying for years now to get a larger ministry going, and we are happy to wait for the Lord's timing, but we also want to be diligent. Pray that the Lord will bring together the right time and people. That reminds me: I took some pro-life booklets with Olya's business card and phone number stapled on it and gave them to the head doctor of our regional prenatal clinic where I teach a lecture for expecting moms twice a month. He has expressed interest in giving them out to ladies seeking abortions. Pray for that information to get into the right hands and for ladies to call for some counseling, for open hearts. In some family news, I took Vika and Skyla to see the children's theater ballet of Snow White. They are faithfully growing up! :-) We are praying for new supporters! If you would like to be a part of what the Lord is doing here, monthly support of $20 to $30 a month means a lot to us. Please consider being a small part of the great things God is doing in Ukraine! It's a joy to see His hands moving here.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support! The Lord is faithfully using you to provide for us, and you are having a part of His work here in Ukraine! We love you,
Vitaliy, Anne, Skyla, & Vika
Dear Friends,
The days fly by. It's nice to know that God has our days ordained and has created us for good works that He planned long ago.
Vitaliy continues his once-a-month evangelism class out in Radinka village. He's been able to talk to a number of people, and it is great to see what God is doing there. He also spent New Year with some alcoholic friends that he's been witnessing to—friends from his childhood days. Pray for Roma and Andre to be saved. They are both pretty unwell because of their lifestyle.
Pray for Vitaliy's brother also to be saved; he's really having several difficult consequences because of his sinful lifestyle—he's an alcoholic. He has three growing boys, too—we can pray for their salvation. They are open to God still.
We hosted a Good Soil Evangelism class for some church people one Saturday, Vitaliy helped teach, and we're hoping to start another class soon, too, with more church people. It's a small training that helps people understand how to use the Good Soil materials with interested unbelievers or those who are preparing for baptism.
December was a full month. We had a special Sunday morning honoring men, and several unsaved men came. We had the youth over for an all-night Christmas thing, too.
Olya and I hosted another Forgiven & Set Free post-abortion Bible study for several ladies. That is always a neat time to see how God works in their hearts so incredibly while they look into His Word. We took four days for this seminar, and all our attendees were very involved in ministry, so it was a unique group level that worked really well. These seminars are always close to my heart. We're tentatively planning another in March or April; some ladies have already expressed interest.
Pray for our hotline outreach to abortion-minded women—we took some steps to get a website going, but Olya just had her baby, so we're taking a brief break during that transition. Pray that God will bring together the right people to make this a reality and bring ladies to us who need to hear the truth. God's brought another lady along to help us with site development, but there are a lot of things to be decided about just a website! What to name it, will it be static pages or a blog?, how to reach our target audience, etc.
Please pray for our church, too. I mentioned the youth pastor and his wife—keep praying for them; they are growing. Vitaliy continues to meet periodically with them and some others. Pray that God will give them wisdom and insight. The church leadership has rearranged itself from a brothers' meeting leadership to a working church leaders group where we meet a few times a month to anticipate what's coming up, what we need to do, and what we'd like to do in the future.
Vitaliy's meeting regularly with three guys for discipleship, another couple for premarital counseling, and another couple is also interested in discipleship meetings. Pray that God will work freely in their hearts.
Pray for our school outreach. As I mentioned before, the director is a Christian and she has been very brave and circumspect in opening the doors for us to have ministry there. We did sports outreach, winter camp, had Christian clowns come for a program, and visited classesexplaining the meaning of Christmas. Pray that kids will start coming to our AWANA program and will be saved. There's a small Christian orphanage here that also sends their kids to our activities, so that is a great way to touch their lives.
We are rejoicing that Sasha, the 20-something son of one of our long-time members recently repented. Pray for his growth. Two weeks ago, an elderly lady, Nina, after being witnessed to by our grandmas one Sunday morning as they were waiting for their ride to church, also expressed her desire to follow Christ, but I'm not sure what she is doing spiritually right now. We can pray for her!
This Thanksgiving was the most special Thanksgiving of my adult life. We actually cooked a turkey for the first time in Vitaliy and I's history together. And it was a huge one—about 20 lbs! We had over three couples that I'd been at their births as a doula, plus my prolife ministry co-worker Olya and her husband Vasya. (Olya just birthed their little girl last week!) We had a special evening with babies, children, and telling about things we are thankful for.
For Wednesday Mommy Group I've been giving devotionals, and that's been an encouragement to us. I also attended the birth of a German couple in November; it's special to be a part of their lives. But pray that God will use me to be instrumental in changing birth practices for the better here. Some practices, especially for breastfeeding, are changing because of a USAID/WHO program, but there is a lot more to do. This little German baby, for example, seems like she now has a neck injury from the aggressive way they handled her right at the birth, and quite a few babies here experience that. It makes life complicated for new parents. I'm studying midwifery, too, now, and that is something I love doing. Pray that I'll stay focused and be able to witness to people through this.
Thank you for your love, your support and prayers!
Vitaliy & Anne
Skyla and Victoria are doing great. Vika is looking forward to her birthday next month—she'll be four.
The days fly by. It's nice to know that God has our days ordained and has created us for good works that He planned long ago.
Vitaliy continues his once-a-month evangelism class out in Radinka village. He's been able to talk to a number of people, and it is great to see what God is doing there. He also spent New Year with some alcoholic friends that he's been witnessing to—friends from his childhood days. Pray for Roma and Andre to be saved. They are both pretty unwell because of their lifestyle.
Pray for Vitaliy's brother also to be saved; he's really having several difficult consequences because of his sinful lifestyle—he's an alcoholic. He has three growing boys, too—we can pray for their salvation. They are open to God still.
We hosted a Good Soil Evangelism class for some church people one Saturday, Vitaliy helped teach, and we're hoping to start another class soon, too, with more church people. It's a small training that helps people understand how to use the Good Soil materials with interested unbelievers or those who are preparing for baptism.
December was a full month. We had a special Sunday morning honoring men, and several unsaved men came. We had the youth over for an all-night Christmas thing, too.Olya and I hosted another Forgiven & Set Free post-abortion Bible study for several ladies. That is always a neat time to see how God works in their hearts so incredibly while they look into His Word. We took four days for this seminar, and all our attendees were very involved in ministry, so it was a unique group level that worked really well. These seminars are always close to my heart. We're tentatively planning another in March or April; some ladies have already expressed interest.Pray for our hotline outreach to abortion-minded women—we took some steps to get a website going, but Olya just had her baby, so we're taking a brief break during that transition. Pray that God will bring together the right people to make this a reality and bring ladies to us who need to hear the truth. God's brought another lady along to help us with site development, but there are a lot of things to be decided about just a website! What to name it, will it be static pages or a blog?, how to reach our target audience, etc.Please pray for our church, too. I mentioned the youth pastor and his wife—keep praying for them; they are growing. Vitaliy continues to meet periodically with them and some others. Pray that God will give them wisdom and insight. The church leadership has rearranged itself from a brothers' meeting leadership to a working church leaders group where we meet a few times a month to anticipate what's coming up, what we need to do, and what we'd like to do in the future.
Vitaliy's meeting regularly with three guys for discipleship, another couple for premarital counseling, and another couple is also interested in discipleship meetings. Pray that God will work freely in their hearts.
Pray for our school outreach. As I mentioned before, the director is a Christian and she has been very brave and circumspect in opening the doors for us to have ministry there. We did sports outreach, winter camp, had Christian clowns come for a program, and visited classesexplaining the meaning of Christmas. Pray that kids will start coming to our AWANA program and will be saved. There's a small Christian orphanage here that also sends their kids to our activities, so that is a great way to touch their lives.We are rejoicing that Sasha, the 20-something son of one of our long-time members recently repented. Pray for his growth. Two weeks ago, an elderly lady, Nina, after being witnessed to by our grandmas one Sunday morning as they were waiting for their ride to church, also expressed her desire to follow Christ, but I'm not sure what she is doing spiritually right now. We can pray for her! This Thanksgiving was the most special Thanksgiving of my adult life. We actually cooked a turkey for the first time in Vitaliy and I's history together. And it was a huge one—about 20 lbs! We had over three couples that I'd been at their births as a doula, plus my prolife ministry co-worker Olya and her husband Vasya. (Olya just birthed their little girl last week!) We had a special evening with babies, children, and telling about things we are thankful for.For Wednesday Mommy Group I've been giving devotionals, and that's been an encouragement to us. I also attended the birth of a German couple in November; it's special to be a part of their lives. But pray that God will use me to be instrumental in changing birth practices for the better here. Some practices, especially for breastfeeding, are changing because of a USAID/WHO program, but there is a lot more to do. This little German baby, for example, seems like she now has a neck injury from the aggressive way they handled her right at the birth, and quite a few babies here experience that. It makes life complicated for new parents. I'm studying midwifery, too, now, and that is something I love doing. Pray that I'll stay focused and be able to witness to people through this.
Thank you for your love, your support and prayers!
Vitaliy & Anne
Skyla and Victoria are doing great. Vika is looking forward to her birthday next month—she'll be four.
Dear Friends,
The days fly by unbelievably fast. I'll hit some highlights of the last few months:
Second baptism: In early September, we had another baptism for our church here in Kiev. Three were baptized.
One guy who was baptized, Sasha, has attended church and youth meetings for years, so Vitaliy asked to meet with him personally. At the meeting, Sasha expressed his desire to grow spiritually, and Vitaliy said the first step to take was repent, so he prayed to accept Christ and God's gift of eternal life. Later, Vitaliy met with Sasha's brother Kostya-he'd attended church earlier, but then stopped. They met, and Kostya also prayed to accept Christ as his Savior. Now Vitaliy is meeting regularly with them both and they are attending group and church meetings. Please pray for their growth.
Evangelism: Vitaliy started teaching an evangelism series out in the village of Radinka, and he'll be starting the same series again in our church here in Kiev. Discipleship: Vitaliy's meeting individually with 2 or 3 other guys from the church. Pray for all these men, that they will be established in the Lord.
Conference:
Vitaliy attended a Good-Soil Evangelism conference last month
and is using these materials in his discipleship.
Visits: In
September, Pastor Glen Huguenin came for a visit with Fred
Bennett (from TITUS) and Sue (a sweet RN). Pastor Glen lived with us for several days, teaching classes to our
church people and letting us ply him with pastoral questions.
That was a very timely blessing for us and our church!
Local school outreach: This school year, our church started an outreach to kids in the local school. We organized a one-day festival, and then on Thursdays, our church youth lead sports and other activities with the students. Our church is also making contact with some of the poorer families (the principal put us in contact with them) helping them with some practical needs. Pray that good relationships will form and people will be saved.
Outreach: On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, our church guys play volleyball and soccer, and unsaved guys come, too, and Vitaliy uses the opportunities to witness to them.
Dima and Oksanna, a couple who attended my childbirth classes and have good friends in our church, have been coming more regularly to group and church meetings. Also, Ira and Vitaliy (the couple I drove to the birth house for their birth in July) also have been coming to our church meetings. Pray for them: for the first couple that they will be saved, the second that they will grow and be baptized.
The church leadership is experiencing some growing pains. The youth pastor was asked to temporarily step down. Some other difficult steps were taken, too. Good things are happening in their lives, and we are praying the Lord will lead them into complete restoration. They are a great couple to work with in many ways. The situtation has been stressful and is still not over entirely.
Brothers' Meeting: These are the brothers from church
who meet every Wednesday to listen to and discuss a sermon and
pray together.
I (Anne) went to a pro-life conference last month for those involved in pro-life ministries throughout Eastern Europe (Russia, Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Hungary, etc). It was very, very encouraging to all who attended. For example, I have been burdened to have a post-abortion ministry going to men, too, and in Moldova they are already doing this and have materials in Russian! Praying that God will raise up men in Ukraine to lead these Bible studies.
We celebrated harvest in the village of Kulyabovka, where
we have a church plant. They are very eager to evangelize, and
that's what we used the service and mealtime for. Then we also
had harvest celebration in our church in Kiev, too. It's a
service where people can invite their unsaved friends--special
service and fellowship over food.
I'm also occasionally teaching
some birth classes, as the oportunity arises.
Also, some contacts with the international community of Kiev are
opening up; a couple from Germany wants me to attend birth as
their doula. Pray for the Lord's will to be done through me and
these contacts. I'm also speaking about how
birth practices influence breastfeeding this weekend at a
conference.
The Lord providentially led and provided for me to start midwifery studies! I'm trying to add this into the mix of our lives, and I'm finding the discipline, organization, and knowledge really enriching my outreach. Pray I'll be a faithful student. If you'd like to contribute to some of the ongoing costs of books and equipment, that would be a great investment.
Hearts: Pray for the ladies in our church. Several of them are experiencing intense times of temptation and disappointment concerning the men in their lives. I'm doing counseling with them as I can. Pray for wisdom, but mostly pray that God's Word will be living and active in their lives, transforming how they see themselves and their relationships.
Answers: We were able to buy a lot of land with a small house out in a village near Vitaliy's relatives. It's a good investment, and the small house gives us a legal address, which we've needed for a while for legal purposes. It's like a dacha for us, and gives us a place to get outside, especially for the kids. We are thankful to my parents for their loan that made this possible. And we had the happy news that Paul, the boy we'd been working to adopt, is being adopted by an American family! We are just so happy and relieved for him!
Thank you for your prayers
and financial support! It means so much to us.
The days fly by unbelievably fast. I'll hit some highlights of the last few months:
Second baptism: In early September, we had another baptism for our church here in Kiev. Three were baptized.
One guy who was baptized, Sasha, has attended church and youth meetings for years, so Vitaliy asked to meet with him personally. At the meeting, Sasha expressed his desire to grow spiritually, and Vitaliy said the first step to take was repent, so he prayed to accept Christ and God's gift of eternal life. Later, Vitaliy met with Sasha's brother Kostya-he'd attended church earlier, but then stopped. They met, and Kostya also prayed to accept Christ as his Savior. Now Vitaliy is meeting regularly with them both and they are attending group and church meetings. Please pray for their growth.
Evangelism: Vitaliy started teaching an evangelism series out in the village of Radinka, and he'll be starting the same series again in our church here in Kiev. Discipleship: Vitaliy's meeting individually with 2 or 3 other guys from the church. Pray for all these men, that they will be established in the Lord.
Conference:
Vitaliy attended a Good-Soil Evangelism conference last month
and is using these materials in his discipleship.
Visits: In
September, Pastor Glen Huguenin came for a visit with Fred
Bennett (from TITUS) and Sue (a sweet RN). Pastor Glen lived with us for several days, teaching classes to our
church people and letting us ply him with pastoral questions.
That was a very timely blessing for us and our church! Local school outreach: This school year, our church started an outreach to kids in the local school. We organized a one-day festival, and then on Thursdays, our church youth lead sports and other activities with the students. Our church is also making contact with some of the poorer families (the principal put us in contact with them) helping them with some practical needs. Pray that good relationships will form and people will be saved.
Outreach: On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, our church guys play volleyball and soccer, and unsaved guys come, too, and Vitaliy uses the opportunities to witness to them.
Dima and Oksanna, a couple who attended my childbirth classes and have good friends in our church, have been coming more regularly to group and church meetings. Also, Ira and Vitaliy (the couple I drove to the birth house for their birth in July) also have been coming to our church meetings. Pray for them: for the first couple that they will be saved, the second that they will grow and be baptized.
The church leadership is experiencing some growing pains. The youth pastor was asked to temporarily step down. Some other difficult steps were taken, too. Good things are happening in their lives, and we are praying the Lord will lead them into complete restoration. They are a great couple to work with in many ways. The situtation has been stressful and is still not over entirely.
Brothers' Meeting: These are the brothers from church
who meet every Wednesday to listen to and discuss a sermon and
pray together. I (Anne) went to a pro-life conference last month for those involved in pro-life ministries throughout Eastern Europe (Russia, Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Hungary, etc). It was very, very encouraging to all who attended. For example, I have been burdened to have a post-abortion ministry going to men, too, and in Moldova they are already doing this and have materials in Russian! Praying that God will raise up men in Ukraine to lead these Bible studies.
We celebrated harvest in the village of Kulyabovka, where
we have a church plant. They are very eager to evangelize, and
that's what we used the service and mealtime for. Then we also
had harvest celebration in our church in Kiev, too. It's a
service where people can invite their unsaved friends--special
service and fellowship over food.
I'm also occasionally teaching
some birth classes, as the oportunity arises.
Also, some contacts with the international community of Kiev are
opening up; a couple from Germany wants me to attend birth as
their doula. Pray for the Lord's will to be done through me and
these contacts. I'm also speaking about how
birth practices influence breastfeeding this weekend at a
conference. The Lord providentially led and provided for me to start midwifery studies! I'm trying to add this into the mix of our lives, and I'm finding the discipline, organization, and knowledge really enriching my outreach. Pray I'll be a faithful student. If you'd like to contribute to some of the ongoing costs of books and equipment, that would be a great investment.
Hearts: Pray for the ladies in our church. Several of them are experiencing intense times of temptation and disappointment concerning the men in their lives. I'm doing counseling with them as I can. Pray for wisdom, but mostly pray that God's Word will be living and active in their lives, transforming how they see themselves and their relationships.
Answers: We were able to buy a lot of land with a small house out in a village near Vitaliy's relatives. It's a good investment, and the small house gives us a legal address, which we've needed for a while for legal purposes. It's like a dacha for us, and gives us a place to get outside, especially for the kids. We are thankful to my parents for their loan that made this possible. And we had the happy news that Paul, the boy we'd been working to adopt, is being adopted by an American family! We are just so happy and relieved for him!
Thank you for your prayers
and financial support! It means so much to us.