Dear Friends,
This fall was a busy time for our family. Bob has been challenged in his role in serving as Field Director for the Alliance work in Russia/Ukraine. We are blessed to be working with a great team of International Workers located in four different cities through out Russia and Ukraine.
Here are some of the highlights from the past two months:
**Lisa returned to Moscow 5 weeks after having a second surgery in the States. We are thankful for Benjamin, who was able to be with Mom to help during this time. We realized once again the blessing of having friends and church family who cared for her during this difficult time.
**Bob was able to take a group of North American teachers to visit our national Bible College, Kuban Evangelical Christian University (KECU). We are seeking creative ways to better partner with KECU and the Alliance in the US . Presently, over 500 students are enrolled in the university that offers all of their courses in module formats.
**At the end of October Bob and Lisa attended a Leadership Conference in Turkey (picture above). While there, they were able to visit two of the seven churches mentioned in Revelations 2-3. It was a time of reflection to see places where the church once stood, but no longer shines the light of the Gospel.
**Our whole field gathered for a retreat in November for a time of rest and renewal. Since our field is spread across two countries, these gatherings are special times in the lives of our field family. We were blessed by the ministry of Nate & Sharon Howard along with a VBS team from their church in Vineland, NJ. Many of our staff shared how God met them in a significant way during this retreat.
**We hosted 22 people in our apartment for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed great fellowship, lots of food, including two turkeys, and a time of remembering how blessed we are to know Christ.
**Lisa was able to join Bob along with our Regional Director, and his wife, as we visited all the families on our field. We were encouraged to sit down with each of them, hear some of their stories, pray with them for their ministries, and encourage them in their spiritual journey. We have an incredible team of dedicated workers who have counted the cost to bring the Good News to Russia and Ukraine.
**Timothy is enjoying his senior year at Black Forest Academy in Germany. He recently dressed up for the school’s Christmas banquet. He applied to John Brown University and was recently accepted to start next fall. Michael is in his sophmore year at JBU as well.
Looking ahead
Timothy and Michal will soon be heading to Moscow to spend the Christmas/New Year holidays with us. Benjamin is working in Seattle and will not be able to join us. This will be the first Christmas that we are not all together for the holidays. Will you join us in praying for Benjamin especially during this time, for him to have some special times with friends, and for the separation we will all feel, especially on Christmas Day.
Prayer Requests
**Praise for Lisa’s recovery from her surgery in September. There have been a few minor setbacks but she continues to gain strength. We are thankful for God’s protection over her during the recent trip with Bob to visit all our staff.
**Praise for the recent leadership team meetings in early December. We continue to work with our team leaders in developing a field strategy for the next five years.
**Bob has traveled for several meetings with our national church partners. Pray for wisdom as they seek to partner together in planting churches in cities where there is no evangelical church. Some of the least reached cities in Russia are also some of the largest, like Moscow and St. Petersburg.
**Continue to pray for the relief work taking place in Krymsk where the flash flood took place this summer. Many are still without housing and basic supplies. Some have had to leave everything and move away to live with relatives. Our local church continues to
minister to those in need.
