On the way to school this morning I was informed by the kids in our carpool that they have a Russian version of the saying “April showers bring May flowers.” The Russian version goes “May snow brings June flowers.” Although it hasn’t snowed that often in Moscow this month, we have seen some cold nights mixed in with some beautiful Spring like days with flowers starting to blossom around the city.
Where have we been these past couple of months? Here is a brief update:
In March we had an unexpected visa trip. Due to some miscommunication between two government offices, our visas for this coming year were not granted. All of our Moscow staff had one day’s notice to get out of the country before our present visas expired. We were able to get to Kiev, Ukraine (a short, one hour flight) where we all camped out while one of our staff flew to Washington DC to get visas for the rest of us. Within 48 hours we were back on a plane heading to Moscow with temporary visas in place.
Bob then flew directly down to Krasnodar (in Southern Russia) to attend the national church’s annual conference. This year was significant in that they elected a new president. This is a critical time in the life of this young, national church. It has expanded dramatically since we started working with them 16 years ago. They are now experiencing some difficulties that come with growth-- conflicts between some key leaders, some wanting to stay small and regional while others see the need to plant churches in major cities of Russia. Please pray for our national church partners during this time. And pray for us as we speak into their lives and try to encourage them to continue to be a missions minded church organization.
After the conference Michael was home for Spring break from Black Forest Academy. We had a good time as he slept half the day and ate the other half! He headed back to school refreshed and ready to finish the school year. Since he is unable to do track because of his bad knees, he decided to be the track team manager for the season. Pray for him to finish the school year well and to stay healthy.
April 19th we celebrated Russian Orthodox Easter in our church. This is the most significant religious holiday in the thinking of most Russians, even if they do not attend church. Our Easter service in Moscow was packed with over 120 people. At the end of the service a gospel presentation was given and 4 people accepted Christ as their Savior. Praise the Lord for this response! Pray as the church follows up with those who attended by inviting them to home groups.
The day after Easter our family flew to Southern Russia to prepare for our annual C&MA field conference. Our speaker for the week was Doug Wellbourn, who served in the Pacific Northwest district several years ago. His messages, shared from the experiences of his life, deeply impacted all of us who attended. Upon returning to Moscow we had the privilege to spend the day with Doug while showing him some of the history and sites of Moscow.
Timothy will be turning 14 on May 8th. He has grown two inches in the last six months! He has passed Mom up and his trying to look Dad in the eyes. He has a sensitive heart and we are excited to see him growing spiritually during this year.
We have started to look at our ministry for next year. We are meeting with the national church to talk about starting a new church plant in a region of Moscow where this is no evangelical presence. This is a huge step of faith. The national church is thinking about it right now.
Tobolsk
Next month Bob will be presenting the first of the Natural Church Development seminars to the church leaders. Pray for the church as they begin this process to identify areas of ministry in the church that are in need of strengthening through teaching and training.
June 6-15 a team from Woodinville Alliance will be here to help hang 300 sheets of drywall at the Rehab center. They will also be ministering in 3 different orphanages. Pray for their safety and their impact in the lives of Russians they will be living with and ministering to.
Tyumen
Easter Sunday saw over 40 people gathered to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. Many of those attending are friends and contacts of the church members. The service was designed to be evangelistic and for many of the guests who attended it was the first time they heard the gospel presentation. Pray as the church continues to develop these relationships.
With the financial crisis hitting Russia, 75% of those in the church have lost their jobs. This is difficult in a small church plant, especially as they have grown to the point of needing to rent a hall for Sunday services. Please continue to pray for the Lord to provide places of employment for the church members. Pray also for their faith during these difficult times, that it would draw them into a deeper relationship with Him.
Pastor Sasha and his family are encouraged by what the Lord is doing in the church. Since they do not own an apartment they are not granted access for their children to attend the local schools. They have to find a school in the city that would accept them. They have been praying about this hoping to send their daughter, Veranika, to first grade at the school in their neighborhood. They felt that was the best way to build relationships in the region where they rent their apartment. Last week they met with the director of the school. They were told their daughter would have to be tested and then a decision would be made. They just called to share that Veranika tested well and she was accepted at the local school. Pray for God to use this opportunity to open up doors for relationships to be developed and the gospel shared.
Due to the hard economic times in the States, the Alliance recently made the painful decision to send home 30 missionaries who serve in different regions of the world. We are losing one family from our missions team here in Russia. Several of the other missionaries going home are ones that we have known for years. One couple has served at Black Forest Academy and has had a significant impact in the lives of our children. It is hard to see each of them go.
It also reminds us of how thankful we are to each of you who support us through the Great Commission Fund in your Alliance church. Because of your sacrificial giving to missions we are able to continue in ministry here in Russia. THANK YOU.
