November is here and more than likely our thoughts have started turning to Thanksgiving Day. For me, every day is a day of thanksgiving when I think of each one of you who make it possible for me to serve in Odessa year after year. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and giving – I could not be here without your generosity and sacrifice!
I thank God for you and pray that you and your loved ones will have a most blessed Thanksgiving!
Denise : )
11.06.2010
VISA AND REGISTRATION
June 13-21 I traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, in order to renew my Ukrainian visa. Praise the Lord, I received my visa in five days. I was able to visit with teammates from my mission, TEAM, during my stay and see the ministries they are involved in Revnice, a town outside of Prague.
When I returned to Odessa, I had to have my car title and car registration renewed at the police department. They only renew my car title and registration according to the terms of my visa, which means every year I have to make a visit to the police in order to be able to drive my car. After being in the country for three months, I was able to have my visa registered with the government authorities until the expiration of my visa next summer. I begin the process again in April 2011 when I will need to apply for a letter of invitation for another year visa.
Prague - City of 100 Towers
When I returned to Odessa, I had to have my car title and car registration renewed at the police department. They only renew my car title and registration according to the terms of my visa, which means every year I have to make a visit to the police in order to be able to drive my car. After being in the country for three months, I was able to have my visa registered with the government authorities until the expiration of my visa next summer. I begin the process again in April 2011 when I will need to apply for a letter of invitation for another year visa.
Prague - City of 100 Towers
BAPTISM AT THE BLACK SEA
Sunday, August 22, two brothers in our church, Oleg and Slavik, were baptized in the Black Sea. God blessed us with beautiful and warm weather. After their baptisms we went to the church for our worship service. Oleg and Slavik had their first communion and our pastor prayed for them individually.
It was a day filled with joy for our church members and our brothers in Christ. Pray for Oleg and Slavik to find their place of ministry in our church.
More photos of baptism on my Flickr Page
It was a day filled with joy for our church members and our brothers in Christ. Pray for Oleg and Slavik to find their place of ministry in our church.
More photos of baptism on my Flickr Page
DISCIPLING DISCIPLES
Two of my disciples, Ira and Ilina, have recently become involved in a program called, “Hope in Education.” This program is designed to help Christian teachers share their faith in the subjects they teach in public schools. Ira and Ilina have been in several cities in Ukraine; Kotovsk, Balta and Odessa, sharing these principles.
Please pray for them as they share their lives and experiences with other teachers. It is currently against the law to teach the Bible in public schools. Pray for the teachers, who are being taught how to share God in the classroom, to be bold in sharing Christian principles with their students.
Please pray for them as they share their lives and experiences with other teachers. It is currently against the law to teach the Bible in public schools. Pray for the teachers, who are being taught how to share God in the classroom, to be bold in sharing Christian principles with their students.
SUMMER CAMP IN LOUBATAIEVKA – August 2-6
In July, our summer mission team began to meet and make preparations for our camp in the village. The team members were Margarita, Ilina, Lena, Natasha, Oleg, Bajenna and me. Margarita, Lena and Ilina are students who attend my Bible studies and who I have been discipling for many years. What a joy for me to be able to do ministry together with them!
We also needed two young people to help us in our skits. Bajenna, our pastor’s daughter, and Oleg, one of the brothers in our church, agreed to join our team. We immediately had unity and everyone seemed to understand what their role would be for the week. We prepared songs, skits, games, crafts and Bible lessons and looked forward with great anticipation for the opportunity God was giving us to serve the precious children in Loubataievka.
Praise the Lord for the 48 children that attended our camp each day. We had 100 degree weather every day of the camp and there was no running water. Our brother, Rooslan, had to transport water in a huge barrel for drinking water, washing hands and food preparation. Our team was absolutely amazing! We had great unity and worked well as a team in spite of the extremely hot weather.
The children were also amazing! My teammates agreed that the children were like angels the whole week. We didn’t have any fighting or arguing. The last day of the camp, when we started our program, the electricity in the village was turned off. At first we were told that it may be only temporary, but it turned out that there was no electricity for the remainder of the camp. This didn’t stop our team or program. We needed electricity in order to perform our skit, so what could we do? I drove my car into the driveway of the church and put the disc in my CD player and turned up the volume as loud as it would go and the show went on!
On the last day, we presented a children’s Bible to each one of the children who attended the camp. Our team would like to thank the Calvary Church ladies in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for sending us crafts, gifts and treats for the children for our camp. Thank you to all of you who prayed for us.
Please continue to pray that God will use the things that were taught during the week of the camp to ultimately bring the children to a saving knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Margarita is already asking, “What are our plans for next summer?”
More photos of camp on my Flickr Page
We also needed two young people to help us in our skits. Bajenna, our pastor’s daughter, and Oleg, one of the brothers in our church, agreed to join our team. We immediately had unity and everyone seemed to understand what their role would be for the week. We prepared songs, skits, games, crafts and Bible lessons and looked forward with great anticipation for the opportunity God was giving us to serve the precious children in Loubataievka.
Praise the Lord for the 48 children that attended our camp each day. We had 100 degree weather every day of the camp and there was no running water. Our brother, Rooslan, had to transport water in a huge barrel for drinking water, washing hands and food preparation. Our team was absolutely amazing! We had great unity and worked well as a team in spite of the extremely hot weather.
The children were also amazing! My teammates agreed that the children were like angels the whole week. We didn’t have any fighting or arguing. The last day of the camp, when we started our program, the electricity in the village was turned off. At first we were told that it may be only temporary, but it turned out that there was no electricity for the remainder of the camp. This didn’t stop our team or program. We needed electricity in order to perform our skit, so what could we do? I drove my car into the driveway of the church and put the disc in my CD player and turned up the volume as loud as it would go and the show went on!
On the last day, we presented a children’s Bible to each one of the children who attended the camp. Our team would like to thank the Calvary Church ladies in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for sending us crafts, gifts and treats for the children for our camp. Thank you to all of you who prayed for us.
Please continue to pray that God will use the things that were taught during the week of the camp to ultimately bring the children to a saving knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Margarita is already asking, “What are our plans for next summer?”
More photos of camp on my Flickr Page
ROOSLAN & VALENTINA’S WEDDING
A lot of you remember Rooslan, one of the brothers who repented in the village of Loubataievka in 2005. He went on to study at the Odessa Theological Seminary and has been preaching in Loubataievka and the Ivanovka region for the past five years.
Rooslan has been praying for the Lord to provide a wife for him the past few years and God answered. With the help of several pastors, Rooslan was able to meet Valentina, a sister living in the town of Vinnitsa. They started to get to know each other mainly over their cell phones because of the distance between Ivanovka and Vinnitsa.
Rooslan and Valentina got married on September 26 and are now living in Ivanovka and serving in the village of Loubataievka. Please continue to pray for them. Their desire is to honor and glorify God in full time ministry.
More wedding photos on my Flickr Page
Rooslan has been praying for the Lord to provide a wife for him the past few years and God answered. With the help of several pastors, Rooslan was able to meet Valentina, a sister living in the town of Vinnitsa. They started to get to know each other mainly over their cell phones because of the distance between Ivanovka and Vinnitsa.
Rooslan and Valentina got married on September 26 and are now living in Ivanovka and serving in the village of Loubataievka. Please continue to pray for them. Their desire is to honor and glorify God in full time ministry.
More wedding photos on my Flickr Page
BIBLE LESSONS IN SCHOOLS
In August, Maria and Angelika called me and asked when I could start the Bible lessons for their groups in the schools. We agreed that I would teach their groups on Fridays this year. Angelika has 18 students and I meet with them at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Maria has 24 students in her group and we meet at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
I have one parent who attended our group to see what her son was being taught. She liked the lesson so much that she asked if she could invite her husband to attend with her! Last year I taught the same lesson to these groups. However, this year the groups have changed and I am teaching different lessons to each group, which means more preparation time for me. I currently have four Bible study groups each week. Please pray for me to organize my time well so that I can spend the time I need in preparation for these lessons.
I am teaching core Biblical principles in one group and the main stories from the Old Testament to my second group. Please pray for God to use these lessons to reach these students for Christ. Also pray for the teachers, Maria and Angelika, to come to know Christ.
I have one parent who attended our group to see what her son was being taught. She liked the lesson so much that she asked if she could invite her husband to attend with her! Last year I taught the same lesson to these groups. However, this year the groups have changed and I am teaching different lessons to each group, which means more preparation time for me. I currently have four Bible study groups each week. Please pray for me to organize my time well so that I can spend the time I need in preparation for these lessons.
I am teaching core Biblical principles in one group and the main stories from the Old Testament to my second group. Please pray for God to use these lessons to reach these students for Christ. Also pray for the teachers, Maria and Angelika, to come to know Christ.
HARVEST CELEBRATION
On Sunday, October 10, our church celebrated the Harvest. This is a day similar to Thanksgiving Day in America. It is a day we set aside to give thanks to the Lord for the many blessings He has provided in our lives. The children sang special songs and recited poetry and we honored God with songs of praise and thanksgiving.
More Harvest Celebration photos on my Flickr Page
More Harvest Celebration photos on my Flickr Page
ORDINATION SERVICE FOR DEACON YURIE AKSUTIN
In November, we are planning an ordination service for our first deacon. If you remember, Yurie was the interim leader in our church for eight months until we called our new pastor, Bronislav.
Pray for Yurie and his wife, Olga, as they prepare to minister to our church in this special ministry.
Pray for Yurie and his wife, Olga, as they prepare to minister to our church in this special ministry.
NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
Please pray for the New Year celebration we are planning in the village of Loubataievka on December 26. New Year’s is the biggest celebration in Ukraine. New Year’s Eve is when Grandfather Frost (a.k.a. Santa Claus) brings gifts to the children.
Thanks to your financial gifts, I will be able to prepare food baskets for the needy families in Loubataiekva and to prepare New Year gifts for the children. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to work with Rooslan and Valentina in preparing a program for this special event.
Thanks to your financial gifts, I will be able to prepare food baskets for the needy families in Loubataiekva and to prepare New Year gifts for the children. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to work with Rooslan and Valentina in preparing a program for this special event.
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
We are already beginning to make preparations for Christmas in our church in Odessa. We are learning new songs and the children are starting to work on poetry and a program as well. Remember we celebrate Christmas on January 7.
On Christmas Eve we plan to sing Christmas carols on the street and to invite our neighbors to our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.
Pray that God will open the hearts of the people in our community.
On Christmas Eve we plan to sing Christmas carols on the street and to invite our neighbors to our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services.
Pray that God will open the hearts of the people in our community.
GRADUATION TO GLORY
It is with great sadness that I share that our dear brother in the Lord, Pastor Vladimir, was taken home to be with His Lord on September 22. His funeral was on September 25.
God was greatly glorified as many shared the impact Vladimir’s life had on so many people. In a presentation of his life, there was one photograph that showed him standing in the clouds with his Bible in one hand and the words, “Until we meet at the feet of Jesus.”
Praise the Lord for the hope we have in Christ to meet our loved ones in heaven. Please pray for Pastor Vladimir’s wife, Jane, and their children, Olga and Leonid, for Leonid’s wife, Alonya, and their two children as they grieve the loss of husband, father and grandfather.
God was greatly glorified as many shared the impact Vladimir’s life had on so many people. In a presentation of his life, there was one photograph that showed him standing in the clouds with his Bible in one hand and the words, “Until we meet at the feet of Jesus.”
Praise the Lord for the hope we have in Christ to meet our loved ones in heaven. Please pray for Pastor Vladimir’s wife, Jane, and their children, Olga and Leonid, for Leonid’s wife, Alonya, and their two children as they grieve the loss of husband, father and grandfather.
OLGA
Please continue to pray for Olga who is currently continuing chemotherapy treatments. She is not doing well and has become very weak.
Pray for God to give her strength to finish the treatments and for God to provide healing for her.
Pray for God to give her strength to finish the treatments and for God to provide healing for her.
REMODELING ENDS ?!?!
Can you believe it???
Praise the Lord that our remodeling has come to an end!!!
Of course, minor repairs will always be needed, but at the present we have finished our building repairs. Our entranceway was finished in October before our Harvest celebration. We also were able to purchase bookcases for our church library.
Thank you to all of you who gave gifts towards remodeling. May God repay you for your kindness to us and bless you lavishly!
Praise the Lord that our remodeling has come to an end!!!
Of course, minor repairs will always be needed, but at the present we have finished our building repairs. Our entranceway was finished in October before our Harvest celebration. We also were able to purchase bookcases for our church library.
Bookshelves
Thank you to all of you who gave gifts towards remodeling. May God repay you for your kindness to us and bless you lavishly!
Entranceway
Entranceway
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)