April News Letter

ХРИСТОС ВОСКРЕС ВО ИСТИНУ ВОСКРЕС (Christ Arose in Truth Arose)Thank you so much for the prayers offered on the behalf of our family this month. God continues to teach us daily. We praise the Lord for the opportunity to celebrate Easter with our Russian brothers and sisters this month. I remember often as a kid growing up in the south we would take a fishing trip on Good Friday with the brotherhood from our church. For some unknown reason it would usually turn very cold and the fish would not bite. Early Sunday morning we would then adorn ourselves in our new spring outfits and leave for sunrise service only to realize that our spring clothes were not warm enough. In the Far East this month, we managed to have fresh fish for dinner one night but we woke Easter Morning April 27, 2008 with about 3 inches of fresh snow. We had been in the middle of melt down in PK and everything seemed to look very dirty due to all the black dirt that was put down for traction in the snow. When we awoke this morning God was teaching us a lesson. He is alive and he is the only way that a sin blackened person can be made white as snow!!! Please pray for the people of the Far East. Tradition has taught them to say the above phrase to each other on this day. One person will say, “Christ Arose” and the other will answer, “Truth, in Truth Arose.” For so many people in the Far East these are only traditional words, they have no real meaning at all. For example, this Saturday in Language Club Rachel, our colleague, was able to share the Easter Story for the lesson that day. After class I invited anyone that was interested to join me outside in the hall to learn more about Christ and His resurrection. I was able to present the clear Gospel to eight people who stayed about 45 minutes after class. They were full of questions. For most of them it was the first time they had ever heard that Jesus is the only way and that salvation is by faith through grace. They are reading some in John this week and we will talk again next week. Pray that God opens their hearts to the truth.

Praise: Thanks so much for praying. We received our new registration this month. We are currently registered in PK until October 15, 2008. Please pray that God uses us during this time and that a way is made for us to be able to live here year around. Many of our colleagues are forced to leave due to the new 90/180 law. This law states that we can live in Russia for 90 days and then we must live in another country for 90 days. That is why we spent 2 weeks in Seoul, Korea this month for migration re-registration. Praise the Lord we were re-registered for another 6 months. While in Korea we were able to spend some time with an old friend that came to MS as an exchange student. We spent an entire day with Ye Eun and her family. They picked us up at 9 am and we returned home at 10:30 pm. We were able to share the Gospel with the family over an evening meal in their home. Since Ye Eun returned home from the states her Mom and Dad have been attending church regularly. Praise the Lord for this opportunity to share with them.

School: Lee and Emma enjoyed their spring break in Korea. Emma enjoyed eating at McDonalds for the first time in 6 months. They met some other MK’s there and enjoyed their time with them. They have gotten back into the routine and have about 5 weeks of school remaining before summer break.

Language: Suzanne and I took a Russian language practice test this month. It was a test designed to give us feedback on our grammar and communication level. We were both at the intermediate level. The test indicated that we are a little ahead of where we are supposed to be. Please continue to pray for us. Language is something we need to master in order to communicate the clear Gospel to the Russians in their heart language. Pray that we maintain good study habits and spend our time wisely.

Challenge: Please join us in praying daily throughout the month of May for the peoples of Kamchatka. Please use the attached prayer calendar. Each day on the prayer calendar will give you specific information that we are trusting the Lord to do a work in that will bring honor and glory to Him. Thanks for holding the rope!

Pastors Feature: Please pray for Volodia and Alexander as they lead at Central Church in Petropavlovsk. Volodia is the man with his wife singing and Alexander is the one preaching. Pray that God uses them mightly and that God provides their needs. Pray that many more men are called out for service in the Far East.