I have started the last couple of newsletters talking about how fast time passes. This month is no exception. We were appointed missionaries through the IMB July 17, 2007 and this month marks our one year anniversary in Petropavlovsk - Kamchatka. Praise the Lord for all we have seen and heard this past year. We truly have experienced God’s greatness through the AWESOME times and the hard times.
Speaking of anniversaries there is another anniversary coming very soon to you. That is the anniversary of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. It is through this offering that we are able to live where we live and do what the Lord has called us to do. Thanks for being a part of that offering. Christmas is fast approaching, and we want to express our sincere gratitude for your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. In tough economic times like these, giving often means sacrifice. Take the example set by Lottie Moon herself.
For 37 years this pioneering missionary endured hardship and danger in a land oppressed by famine, disease and war. In the end, she loved the Chinese people more than life itself, giving her own food to starving neighbors, eventually dying of starvation herself. During her career, Moon wrote numerous letters home urging Southern Baptists to greater missions involvement and support. One of those letters, excerpted below, triggered Southern Baptists’ first offering for missions in 1888 — enough to send three new missionaries to China.
“How many there are … who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God.”
Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to bring the Small Peoples of the North to faith in our Lord and Savior. Keep Holding the Rope!!!
Family: This month we had the opportunity to travel to Prague for Visa renewal plus attend a conference with the group of folks we were in training with for 8 weeks before we left the states. It was like a big family reunion. We were all very encouraged and spent the week in training and catching up with one another. Prague is a very beautiful city with a lot of history. While there we were also able to take a train ride through the country-side for a quick stop in Germany. It was neat to find out that we traveled the same rail my dad did over 40 years ago while serving in the army.
Once we returned home from our 2 weeks of travel with our new visa we fell right back into our daily routine of school and language study. The kids had to adjust to a new school teacher this month, THEIR MOM!!! How would you like to have class everyday and your Mom is the teacher? Suzanne is doing a great job teaching and the kids are doing very well in their studies. Please pray for our schedule and all the roles that Suzanne fills at this time. Suzanne, wife, mother, school teacher, encourager, language student, missionary, cook, house-keeper, and the list just goes on and on. But most of all she is just my soul mate. Pray for her as she fills so many roles each and every day.
Ministry Opportunities: This month was a month where we had a 2 week opportunity to be taught, challenged and encouraged. How sweet it is to sit under the teaching of the Word and Sing in your heart language. You will never understand how much this is missed until you live where it is not available. Take the time each day to thank the Lord for your place of worship, never take it for granted. Pray for your leaders and teachers that they will be filled with the spirit when they preach and teach. Praise the Lord for His laborers and encouragers.
This month at the spur of the moment Marty was asked to preach at the church in PK. Spur of the moment? Yes, we walked in to church and Pastor Volodia approached and said, “Marty you are preaching today.” Marty said, “Sure, be glad too but probably only 5 to 7 minutes worth.” With only a year of language study it is difficult for Marty to preach much longer than that. Well 20 minutes later he was trying to close his sermon. This was Marty’s first message at the Petropavlovsk church without the use of a translator. The cool thing is that all the folks understood the sermon. This is truly a Balaam story. Marty does an awesome job in communicating with the nationals. Anyone who knew Marty in the states knows he has a huge heart for evangelism. When we first arrived, because we didn’t know the language, Marty was very discouraged because he saw people that needed to hear the Good News and didn’t know how to tell them. Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit and lots of study, he is able to tell people around PK the best news they will ever hear. Pray the nationals receive the message and have a life changing experience.
We have also had the privilege of helping with the services at Immanuel this month. Please continue to pray for Immanuel as it continues to grow. Pray for maturity of new believers and for the national leadership to continue to become strong. Pray for Sasha and his work situation. Pray that his jobs will allow him the time he needs to lead the church.
Language: Language is simply that, Language. We sit in class each day Monday – Friday for 3 hours and usually have 2 to 3 hours of homework. The Russian language is the most difficult curriculum we have every studied. Just when you think you are beginning to understand the language they add a new set of endings that completely changes the meaning of the root word. We are definitely making progress and can communicate effectively in most daily activities, as long as we know the context.
We were blessed to have the Borders visit us this month and spend a week in PK. It was encouraging to us to be able to translate a few statements for them as they spoke to Russian nationals. The Borders serve in the CEE region and do great work throughout CEE. We thank them for being an encouragement to our family.
Visa Update: We have received a new 90 day double entry visa. What does that mean? That means that we can live in Russia until January 14, 2009 and then we will need to exit for another visa. We are in the middle of the process filing for the Temporary Resident Permit. The TRP will allow us to live in Russia for longer periods of time. Currently we are awaiting our criminal background check from the states to arrive to submit with the other papers. We will also be getting medical checkups this month in Russia for the TRP. Please pray that God blesses us with a medical person we can communicate with and feel comfortable around. We hope to have all the information together and submitted by the end of November. Pray that we are purposeful in our quest. Once the paper work is submitted and submitted correctly we must wait for 5 months while it is being reviewed. Only after 5 months will we be given a yes or no.
Prayer Request: - Pray for the new believers in Kamchatka as they continue their walk with the Lord.
- Pray for us as we attempt to complete all the paperwork for the Temporary Residency Permit.
- Pray that we will be faithful to serve the Lord on a daily basis in the midst of __________ (just fill in the blanks).
- Pray for laborers.
Thank you for holding the rope!!! We would love to hear what is happening in your ministry.
