New Barn at Tobolsk Rehab Center

December 2011 Merrill Family Update

Home Assignment

This fall was a busy time for our family. We all learned to adjust to Michael being away at college, Benjamin being home after college, and Bob away for fall mission’s tour in Pennsylvania. Bob had an incredible time in western Pennsylvania sharing in churches about the exciting things God is doing in Russia. Being people who are committed to praying and supporting missions around the world was a huge encouragement. Memories were definitely made as Bob was able to visit the Flight 93 Memorial, the Jimmy Stewart Museum, attend a Penn State game, tour downtown Pittsburg, and enjoy Pennsylvania cuisine (but he chickened out of trying scrapple!).

Tyumen

--In August the church was asked to leave the hall they had been renting for over two years. No reason was given as the church had a good relationship with the owners. Unfortunately, with the national elections for the State Duma (like our congress) in December and the Presidential elections coming in March 2012, many public meeting places become more restrictive of whom they allow to rent their facilities. Without any options, the church returned to meeting in Pastor Sasha’s apartment.

PRAISE: God opened an unexpected door for the church to rent a hall in a facility that is located on of the main streets in Tyumen. They can only use the meeting room in the afternoon, but it does give the church a place to gather and worship. And the rent is the same price as the other hall they were renting.

--Pray for special Christmas outreaches that the church is planning during the holidays. Most Russians still celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7^th. Pray especially for the Christmas service being planned on that day.

Butovo (Moscow church plant)

--We have been asking you to pray for months for Pastor Shenya’s wife, Delara, to find a job that would fit their families schedule and not be hard on her health.

PRAISE: Delara was recently hired for a job she can physically handle, is close to home, and has a normal 8 to 5 work schedule.

--The church is still in need of a place to meet on Sundays. They continue to meet in Pastor Shenya’s apartment, which is small and can only accommodate twenty people.

--Pastor Shenya continues to develop relationships in the theater groups. Recently he was invited to appear in a Moscow television drama in a small role. He also was invited to appear on a popular cooking show in Moscow, in which he won a brand new stove.

PRAISE: Shenya had many conversations with actors and people involved in these shows. He was actually introduced as a minister on the cooking show. This opened a unique opportunity for him to share his faith to a large audience of people.

Tobolsk Rehabilitation Center

--The Center recently celebrated their second anniversary of ministering to those addicted to drugs and alcohol. Please continue to pray for this difficult, yet much needed ministry.

--Pray for the Center as they try to develop the farming portion of the ministry. By raising animals the Center is able to supply food for those to whom they are ministering, provide work for those in the rehabilitation program, and sell food to make money to help pay for expenses to run the Center.

PRAISE: The Center rejoices over their first harvest of hay from the land given to them by the local city government to use (see picture above). The 10 acres, rent free, will enable the Center to feed their livestock through the winter without incurring any extra expenses.