Jan. 2010

Please take a moment and visit this web site http://www.stirmyheart.com and click on the link Get ready to VOTE FOR "ARISE" in Tate Music Group's Artist of the Year contest!

"Arise" is the first song on Joel's new CD which will be released soon.
Joel Strahan, former pastor of Ingram Baptist Church and now singer, songwriter, missionary has written several new songs and will be releasing a new CD in Feb. The link will allow you to listen to the song “Arise” and view some video footage from Esso and Northern Kamchatka. Please take time to pass this link on to others. Joel’s desire is for this to help make others aware of the needs in Kamchatka and for the Lord to use it as a tool to open many doors. Thanks for your vote Feb. 1-5, 2010.

Psalm 61:8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Matthew 9: 37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.

How you can become “HANDS ON” in Kamchatka? Just ask and we will begin to plan your trip.

Family: We had a great first month of 2010. We experienced very cold temperatures and snow this month. We were also able to meet and spend time with some new friends in Esso. Please continue to pray for further contacts to be made during the long winter months. Please pray that we would be wise to every opportunity that is given us.

Family time this month was spent in local activities around the village. We swam in the public hot springs many times, did some snowboarding and cross country skiing. Lee and I also took part in some men’s volleyball at the local school. Volleyball is a very serious sport in the village and they are good at it.

The family also spent some time planning our trip to the USA. Below is our schedule for our time in the states. We hope to see many of you while we are there and we are very excited about getting to see our families again. Please pray for us as we travel and speak at several different locations while in the states. We will also be meeting with a couple of the mission teams for 2010.

February – March
• Feb 11, travel to USA for visa renewal and vacation
• Feb 14 am – Preaching at Light House Baptist (New Albany, MS)
• Feb 14 pm – visiting our home church – Wheeler Baptist
• Feb 21am & pm – preaching and mission team meeting at Malesus Baptist Church (Jackson, TN)
• Feb 28 – Woodland Baptist Church (Pontotoc, MS)
• March 7 – (Journey) Church plant in Olive Branch, MS and mission team meeting.
• March 9 – preaching at Food Pantry, (Baldwyn, MS)
• March 11 - Back to Far East Russia

How long does it take to travel from Esso to Mississippi? First 8 to 10 hour drive from Esso to PK. Overnight in PK, fly from PK to Moscow (9 hours in air), overnight in Moscow, fly from Moscow to Stockholm (2 hours in air), Stockholm to Chicago (10 hours in air), Chicago to Memphis (2 hours in air) and then a 2 hour drive to MS (total 76 hrs with all transfers and layovers). Pray for us as we travel in just a few days.

Ministry Opportunities: Thank you for continuing to pray for the new church plant in the village, Путь к Источникy (Poot k Ee-stoch-ne-koo) - The Way to the Source Church. The Church grew spiritually this month. The nationals wanted to start meeting on Thursday nights in the village for prayer. It was very exciting this month to watch God work in the hearts of the few believers in Esso as they prayed for one another and for their lost friends and family. Many prayers were also lifted up for you. The believers here are very excited that people around the world are praying with them. For that reason we started emailing the Thursday night prayer requests to our prayer representatives at each church. If you would like to get these requests and have not been just ask the prayer representative at your church and he or she can forward them to you. Please keep holding the rope for us and with us.

We were able to travel to a village north of Esso this month and hold service there. The small village “K” has a handful of believers who meet weekly. There are about 10 women, 3 grandchildren, and one man who regularly meet. They were very excited to have us come and fellowship with them. Zhenya and his family traveled with us. Zhenya and I (Marty) preached while Suzanne, Emma, Lee and Sveta sang. After the service we shared a meal with them and then drove back to Esso. Please pray for village “K” as we learn how we can be a partner and help mate to them.

We were also excited to have several English, Russian speaking Germans in our home this month. Most of them are college age students and are currently in Esso on an exchange program working with the nature park. Pray that this bridge will become stronger, that they will fully understand and believe the Gospel, and that it will open up other doors to minister to the natives of Kamchatka.

Language: As some of the “old timers” use to say, “We just keep plugging along.” Suzanne and Marty study with a tutor 3 hours a day, 3 times a week. Our tutor has also started staying late and helping Lee and Emma for an additional 30 minutes each day.

School: Lee and Emma have been doubling up on some subjects this month in order to be ahead once we travel to the states. They will have school while we are in the states but have worked ahead enough to only take about half of their books to the USA. Pray that they stay focused the next couple of weeks and are able to work ahead as planned.

Prayer Request:
If you are not receiving our Thursday prayer updates please let your prayer representatives at your church know this and he or she can forward them to you.-Pray for {Путь к Источникy (Poot k Ee-stoch-ne-koo) - The Way to the Source Baptist Church} a church plant happening in the village of Esso.
-Pray for Alexander (Sasha) and his family as God continues to use him in Petropavlovsk.
- Pray for the new believers in Kamchatka as they continue their walk with the Lord.
- 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. (We invite you to join us physically in the work – for more information about bringing a mission team to Kamchatka…..just ask!)
- Please take time each day and pray for the new law that is being pushed through Russian congress. Pray for the speed and spreading of the Gospel. (You can read more about this law on our blog at http://robertsinrussia.blogspot.com)

Thank you for holding the rope!!! We would love to hear from you!

December

Wow! As the old saying goes, “time sure flies when you are having fun.” It’s almost hard to believe that 2009 has gone and 2010 has arrived. Just a couple of years ago when leaving the USA for Russia we looked forward to 2010 because that would be the year we would return to the states to start our state side assignment. Although our stateside assignment does not begin until the last day of October 2010 it will be upon us very soon. We have already calendared many speaking opportunities from Nov. 2010 – April 2011, if would like for us to come and share with your church about missions in Kamchatka please contact us soon due to limited dates.

While taking some time to reflect on 2009 and think about 2010 I was reminded of the words Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 3: 13-14).

Throughout 2009 the Roberts family has faced some difficulties and celebrated some triumphs while serving in Far East Russia. We thank you for holding the rope for us throughout the year. We praise the Lord for every high and low as we learned and are still learning every step of the way. Please remain faithful to pray for us throughout 2010 as we attempt to press on for His honor and glory!

Below is just a snapshot of 2010 before we leave on stateside assignment in October. Please pray that we finish our first term in Russia well.
January
• Lee returns to Kamchatka from youth camp in Germany.
• 2nd week preaching and singing in Kazarevsk, a village 150 KM North of Esso.
• End of January – First of February – Joint mission project in Milkovo with Team PK. (220 KM south of Esso).
• Ministering in Esso and other northern villages.

February - March
• Feb 11, travel to USA for visa renewal and vacation
• Feb 14 – Preaching at Light House Baptist (New Albany, MS)
• Feb 21 – preaching and mission team meeting at Malesus Baptist Church (Jackson, TN)
• Feb 28 – Woodland Baptist Church (Pontotoc, MS)
• March 7 – Church plant in Olive Branch, MS and mission team meeting.
• March 9 – preaching at Food Pantry, (Baldwyn, MS)
• March 11 - Back to Far East Russia

April
• Ministering in Esso and other Northern villages

May
• Kids complete home school for the year
• Prepare for summer mission teams
• Ministering in Esso and other Northern villages
• 1st mission team arrives last of May

June
• 1st week mission teams
• Second week leave Russia for visa renewal and Annual General Meeting
• Last week – return to Russia – prepare for next mission team arrival

July
• 1st week – mission team arrives
• 3rd week – youth camp and float trip in Esso

August
• Mission team from Canada arrives.
• Ministering in Esso and Northern villages.
• Follow up
• Kids start home school

September
• Ministering in Esso and Northern villages
• Follow-up
• Leave Russia for visa renewal

October
• Ministering in Esso and Northern Villages
• Preparing to leave for state side assignment
• Head to the states.
• We will post our states side speaking calendar at a later date which will define the remainder of 2010 and a large portion of 2011.

Family: Our family enjoyed another very white Christmas. We were blessed to be able to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ with 12 Russian guests. Suzanne baked up some yummy favorites and everyone wanted her recipes. We all ate too much and laughed a lot, especially when the Russian men took over the BB pistols and started a target shooting tournament in the house.

We brought the New Year in while in Petropavlovsk waiting for Lee to return from Germany. Lee was able to travel to Germany and attend MKR (Youth Camp) for missionary teen agers. He came back home refreshed and excited. We are very grateful for all the people who volunteered their time and gave funds to make this possible for our teens.

Both the kids and the grownups enjoyed a break from home school and language school.
Marty and Lee had the opportunity this month to take in a day of ice fishing. It was a new experience for them. They enjoyed it very much after they thawed out. While ice fishing they witnessed a volcano explode. You can see pictures of this on our face book page. It was a cool demonstration on just how powerful this land is and how much more powerful is the Creator.

Ministry Opportunities: This month we celebrated the opening of the new church plant in the village, Путь к Источникy (Poot k Ee-stoch-ne-koo) - The Way to the Source Church. We celebrated Christmas during our first service with singing, 2 messages, a Christmas play, and dinner after the service. We were very excited to have 31 in attendance for the opening of the new church. Praise the Lord! Please pray that the church will grow and flourish in Christ.

We were able to host Russians in our home on different occasions throughout the month of December.

During our time in Petropavlovsk we were able to attend a worship service at Good News Baptist Church. We also met with a few people in the city at different times to encourage and pray with them.

We praise the Lord for the opportunities to share the simple Gospel message with others. Please continue to pray for open doors and open hearts.

Language: We were able to take a couple of days off from formal language class. Although we use the Russian language daily a break from class work is always refreshing. Sometimes the language flows easily for us and other days it feels like we are in a survival situation. Suzanne and I take 9 hours of language a week. 3 hours a day, 3 times a week. We have come a long way in 2 years but still have a long way to go in the language learning process. Please continue to pray for our language ability.

School: Lee and Emma were both excited for Christmas Vacation from school. Both did very well the first semester and will start the second semester January 6, 2010. Please pray that they will finish well in their studies.

Prayer Request:
Please take time each day and pray for the new law that is being pushed through Russian congress. Pray for the speed and spreading of the Gospel. (You can read more about this law on our blog at http://robertsinrussia.blogspot.com)
-Pray for {Путь к Источникy (Poot k Ee-stoch-ne-koo) - The Way to the Source Baptist Church} a church plant happening in the village of Esso.
-Pray for Edict and Eger. They have both heard the Gospel many times. Pray for their salvation
-Pray for Sergei and his family of 4. (A new family visiting our fellowship in Esso.)
- Pray for the many visa struggles throughout Russia.
-Pray for Zhenya and his family, our Russian partner in the village. Zhenya is now working 2 jobs plus working in the church.
-Pray for Alexander (Sasha) and his family as God continues to use him in Petropavlovsk.
- Pray for the new believers in Kamchatka as they continue their walk with the Lord.
- 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. (We invite you to join us physically in the work – for more information about bringing a mission team to Kamchatka…..just ask!)
Thank you for holding the rope!!! We would love to hear from you!

November 09

Luke 2:10-11 and the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Praise the Lord for the Birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus came for ALL.

We want to say thank you to all the people who pray for us on a regular basis. We could not live here without the support of prayer partners like you. Also, there is the reality of giving that keeps us on field. Without the funds that are made available to us through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering we could not live where we live and serve the Lord in Kamchatka. The Christmas season is the time of year that the majority of our supporters will give to International Missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Last year the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering did not reach the set goal. In fact the LMCO was short several million dollars. Because of the decrease in budget many changes have occurred over the past year and many people who feel called to the foreign field will be unable to go. The task at hand is larger than any one person but with a combined effort and the guidance of our Lord and Savior we can reach the ends of the earth. Please take time and ask the Lord how you can pray, give and go to help spread the Gospel around the world.

Here are a few statistics from our European Affinity Group:

EUROPEAN AFFINITY STATISTICAL HIGHLIGHT

Total population 778,795,029
Unreached People Groups (UPGs) 662

Unreached Population 636,552, 281

Unengaged UPGs, over 100,000 population 41

Mark Edworthy, leader of the European Affinity, states to the missionaries across Europe, “While we are certainly facing a difficult year ahead, there is also much that should encourage and embolden us. Earlier this month, we shared with trustees our annual report on the previous year’s work. Last year, you and your national partner’s implemented church planting strategies among 1,159 people groups and 208 major urban centers. 93 people groups and 34 urban centers were newly engaged during the year. Particularly encouraging were reports of more than 11,000 new outreach groups, more than 500,000 baptisms, and more than 24,000 new churches!”

The holiday season is here. We want to take a moment and wish everyone a Merry Christmas Season. The Thanksgiving festivities have ceased and Emma and Suzanne are ready to put up our Christmas tree. I expect that to take place later on today, December 1, 2009.

Family: It seems as if this month has “flown” by. That is probably due to the traveling that we had to take part in to renew our visas and get driving documents in order. We traveled to Seoul, South Korea and received our new Russian visa, spent 2 nights in Vladivostok, Russia, 2 nights in Petropavlovsk, Russia and traveled to and from the village. We were back in the village only a couple of days when Marty had to take the bus back to the city to get our vehicle documents in order. Praise the Lord after 2 weeks of traveling we are back in the village with ALL documents in order. I honestly believe one must live here in order to understand all the paperwork that must be done. This is certainly one of my (Marty) struggles that you can pray about. I don’t enjoy the document processing and being very dependent on a Russian native to help with the processing.

We had a great time celebrating our first Thanksgiving in Esso. We managed to find a turkey in the city and bring it back to the village for our traditional meal. We had turkey, dressing and all the trimmings including many Russian dishes prepared by our friends. We had 15 people crammed into our living room/dining room for our meal. A great time indeed!

Everyone always wants a weather report especially if they are from MS. So, how’s the weather in Esso? We have plenty of snow and more will come, temperatures are usually high 15 below zero and low 35 below zero. The lowest temperature we have experienced thus far 37 below zero. Weather that cold is very strange to a MS boy especially when his mustache freezes on his face.

Ministry Opportunities: During our travels this month we were able to share the Gospel in Seoul, South Korea, join a small group Bible Study in Vladivostok and in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka, preach and teach in Esso and have dinner guests in our home. Our territory was wide spread and God used us where we were for His purpose. Praise the Lord for opportunities.

Language: Suzanne and I take 9 hours of language a week. 3 hours a day, 3 times a week. We have come a long way in 2 years but still have a long way to go in the language learning process. Please continue to pray for our language ability.

School: Lee and Emma are doing very well in their studies. Emma has found a new love for science and each week our kitchen turns into a lab for the latest experiment. Of course, Suzanne also loves science and this makes for a great class. Emma also loves geography and can name the 50 states and capital cities of each. Lee has maintained a great GPA this term and is really enjoying the Bible program. He is using a DVD program with books and enjoys the majority of his teachers. His guitar ability has flourished this year and he now plays the guitar at all of our worship services in the village.

Prayer Request:
Please take time each day and pray for the new law that is being pushed through Russian congress. Pray for the speed and spreading of the Gospel. (You can read more about this law on our blog at http://robertsinrussia.blogspot.com)
-Pray for {Путь к Источникy (Poot k Ee-stoch-ne-koo) - The Way to the Source Baptist Church} a church plant happening in the village of Esso.
-Pray for Edict and Eger. They have both heard the Gospel many times. Pray for their salvation.
-Pray for Sergei and his family of 4. (A new family visiting our fellowship in Esso.)
- Pray for the many visa struggles throughout Russia.
-Pray for Zhenya and his family, our Russian partner in the village. Zhenya is now working 2 jobs plus working in the church.
-Pray for Alexander (Sasha) and his family as God continues to use him in Petropavlovsk.
- Pray for the new believers in Kamchatka as they continue their walk with the Lord.
- 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. (We invite you to join us physically in the work – for more information about bringing a mission team to Kamchatka…..just ask!)
Thank you for holding the rope!!! We would love to hear from you!

October 09

Please allow me this month to take a brief moment to update you on the happenings in Esso and our family. My desire is over the next month you will focus on the prayer request that takes up the majority of this month’s newsletter. Thank you so much for partnering with us through prayer. Holding the Rope is a vital part of our team. Thanks!

Family: The family is doing great and getting excited about the snowfall. Lee and Emma are anticipating the day they are able to strap on the snowboards and take off. If the snow keeps falling like it is today it will not be long. Lee has constructed a snowboard ramp in the side yard and looks forward to using it. Pray for no broken bones and teens to show up and use the ramp.
Nov. 11 we will be flying to Seoul, Korea for visa renewal. Please pray that our travel and re-entry are normal and without problems.

Ministry Opportunities: Please continue to pray for us as we learn how to minister to people in the village during the winter months. Winter creates shorter, colder, darker days. Many people are not out and about much during the hard winter. Pray that we will find creative ways to meet people during this time.
The construction continues on the church in Esso. Please pray that we will have the upstairs opened with heat installed before the hard weather. We continue to meet in a home every Sunday for worship.

Language: Suzanne and I study language 3 hours a day, 3 days a week. Just when you think you understand a little more….well, I (Marty) usually find a setback. Pray for our language skills to continue to develop.

School: Lee and Emma are doing very well in school. They both have made awesome grades and are ahead of schedule. They are looking forward to some ½ days of school while in Seoul for visa renewal.

Prayer Request:
-Pray for {Путь к Источникy (Poot k Ee-stoch-ne-koo) - The Way to the Source Baptist Church} a church plant happening in the village of Esso.
-Pray for Edict and Eger. They have both heard the Gospel many times. Pray for their salvation.
- Pray for the many visa struggles throughout Russia.
-Pray for Zhenya and his family, our Russian partner in the village. Zhenya is now working 2 jobs plus working in the church.
-Pray for Alexander (Sasha) and his family as God continues to use him in Petropavlovsk.
- Pray for the new believers in Kamchatka as they continue their walk with the Lord.
- 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. (We invite you to join us physically in the work – for more information about bringing a mission team to Kamchatka…..just ask!)
Thank you for holding the rope!!! We would love to hear from you!

Please take time each day and pray for the new law that is being pushed through Russian congress. Pray for the speed and spreading of the Gospel.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
(1) Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.
(2) And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

We have been asked to enter into prayer and fasting with the Russian Baptist Union regarding new legislation that is being pushed through Russian congress. Please pray that it will not pass into law. If it does, our missionary activities and the regular Christian life of Russian Baptists will be severely restricted:

1. Children under the age of 14 would not be allowed to attend church without express written permission of parents.

2. Missionaries would be restricted to preach/teach only within Baptist church buildings with a letter of permission from sending and receiving organization for the specific dates he is to preach.

3. Rehabilitation centers would be shut down. No Baptists could work in orphanages or other places of ministry outside the church building.

4. Baptist churches would not be allowed to offer ESL classes, VBS, or any other social work.

5. Preachers will have to monitor the way invitations are given so as not to appear influential.

6. Foreigners who come to be involved in any way at any time in missionary activity would have to ONLY have religious visas, not tourist or any other.

7. Even a simple Baptist church member witnessing to someone inside a public building would become a crime.
Russian Baptist reaction to new draft legislation on missionary activity

M o s c o w -- New draft legislation introduced by the Russian Ministry of Justice on 12 October will, if it becomes law, greatly curtail religious freedom in Russia. On 20 October, the “Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists” (RUECB) published an open letter signed by its President, Yuri Sipko, and addressed to Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation. The letter states: “We observe with alarm and puzzlement the development of church-state relations. Planned changes in the law on freedom of worship will reduce that freedom to a declaratory level” present only on paper. This new legislation intends to exacerbate the already-restrictive current law “On the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” of 26 September 1997. Sharper legislation had been proposed previously – the present proposals are in some instances a milder form of those initially introduced in 2006.

Baptist leadership is also offended by the fact that government representatives at a roundtable of religious leaders in the Justice Ministry on 18 September, which Yuri Sipko attended, did not reveal all segments of the new draft legislation. Yet Baptists understand that the new legislation of 12 October already enjoys the approval of Russia’s four official, “traditional” religions: Russian Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism. They are defined as such by the legislation of 1997. Rev. Vitaly Vlasenko, the RUECB’s “Director of External Church Relations”, believes the new laws are directed above all against Roman Catholics and Protestants – those without their own geographical territories in Russia.

This new legislation will attempt to register and regulate all forms of mission activity while also determining how it is to be carried out. Mission activity must occur without psychological pressure or the offering of material gain. Activities to the contrary will result in fines.

Proposed changes

The new draft legislation stipulates that only religious groups registered in Russia for at least 15 years will be allowed to apply for permission to engage in missionary activity. Only members of a religious organization will be allowed to evangelize, and the individual’s sponsoring body will also be held responsible for any infractions the missionary commits. But one church organization may officially delegate a member to work for another church body.

Persons excluded from engaging in missionary work include anyone ever sentenced for engaging in extremist activities and foreigners in Russia on a temporary (for ex. tourist) visa. Missionary activities must exclude all “offers of material, social and other benefits” while avoiding “any threat of physical violence, psychological pressure and manipulation of consciousness”.

Mission activity shall not occur in hospitals, orphanages or homes for invalids or the aged without the approval of government and institution officials. Such efforts may also not take place within or on the grounds of government buildings, nor in the vicinity of a religious structure of another faith. The journalist Roman Lunkin (Moscow) notes that this requirement should also trouble the Orthodox, for they have several chapels within government buildings in Moscow.

Central to the draft legislation is the stipulation that minors may not be present at religious activities – nor may they be given printed, audio or video materials - without the express permission of their parents or guardians. The Baptist response points out that requiring pastors to turn away the young flies in the face of Jesus’ commandment to “let the little children come to me and do not hinder them“ (Mark 10:14). The absurdity of such a law is backed-up with an example: “Ill-wishers can send minors to a church service and law enforcement will then fine the church for their presence. This will be a convenient and profitable way to ruin a congregation and supplement the city budget. Why should the pastor need to serve as policeman?” The paper continues: “Why should a teenager need parental confirmation to attend church when the same is not demanded from cinemas, stadiums and discos? Is a place of worship more dangerous than a secular location? This legislation wants to define religious organizations as harmful, and that is clear discrimination.”

Baptists resent being placed in the same category as foul language and property damage. The paper asks: “How can unauthorized religious activity be more malicious than a drunken uproar?”

According to the draft legislation, fines could run as high as 15.000 rubles ($517 US or 349 €) for organizations. The average Russian salary presently consists of 24.600 rubles ($848 US, 572 €) per month. The paper assures that a curtailing of missionary activity will also negatively affect the social work of Protestants. “Without missionary activities, drunkenness and the abuse of narcotics will only increase. Protestants have been involved in the rehabilitation of alcoholics and addicts with very good results. If the state begins to destroy the social ministry of churches, it will be forced to build more prisons.”

Protests against ambiguity

Baptists are worried by the ambiguity of these legal proposals. In a society known for its tendency towards anarchism, growth in the quantity of laws will generally only contribute to greater abuse of the legal system. Their statement asks, for ex: What is meant by forbidding churches to offer “other benefits” beyond material and social ones? Promising an alcoholic sobriety through church attendance could also be listed among “other benefits”. In addition, the paper states, “virtually any discussion could be defined as a form of ‘psychological pressure’”. Roman Lunkin adds that a sermon on the Last Judgment and the necessity for the forgiveness of sins could be defined as “psychological pressure” and “manipulation of consciousness”. The fine for that is 5.000 rubles ($172 or 116 €).

Baptists note that the bill does not distinguish between professional missionary activity and the conversations held by laity in the course of living their daily lives. “Practically all believers will become susceptible to penal sanction” – any one of them could be legally punished whenever the need might arise. Parallels are drawn to the cult of denunciation from the terrorist year of 1937: “The murky formulation of legislation will bring to full bloom a fat tree of possibilities for the denunciation of Christians by hostile neighbors, colleagues and acquaintances.”

Generally, the Baptist statement believes the introduction of such legislation would lead to a further moral decline of Russian society. It would also lead to greater alienation between the privileged and the non-privileged faiths, for it offers no guarantee against the renewed religious persecution of minorities. After all, in the 140 years of the Russian Baptist movement, Baptists “have experienced hardly more than 25 years of freedom”.

Not least of all, according to the Baptist paper, this new legislation would “contradict the Universal Declaration on Human Rights accepted by the United Nations and ratified by Russia”. It clearly impinges upon the freedom of the individual to believe as he or she feels fit. Such legislation would “damage the international authority of Russia”. “There is no objective necessity for a new law on missionary activity,” the paper concludes. “There is enough legislation already in place to deal with those who deceive law-abiding citizens.” On the topic of extremist and terrorist groups it adds: “We doubt that any changes to existing law will be a serious obstacle to their activities.”

Vitaly Vlasenko assures: “The RUECB is not against regulation of missionary activities per se, but we are certainly against their prohibition.” The Union will be asking its 1.750 congregations and groups to “unite for prayer and fasting”. Foreign churches are also welcome to participate. He adds that his church is interested in foreign legal expertise and would like to hear from churches who have had similar experiences in their relations with the state. Letters of concern addressed to Russian embassies worldwide are always welcome.

William Yoder, Ph.D.
Department for External Church Relations, RUECB

September 09

Please take note of our new home phone number. Our internet is very slow and our Vonage phone will not work. If you would like to talk to us please buy a calling card or call us on our house phone from Skype for 2 cents per minute. We would love to hear from you. If you call from Skype you do not need to dial the 011-7, just select Russia in the country section. When you call please remember the time difference. We are 18 hours ahead of MS time.

Genesis 12: 1 Now the Lord said unto Abraham, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.

Well, we are not the Abraham family but that is exactly how we felt several years ago. We knew the Lord was calling us out of our comfort zone to another country. We were ready but where would the Lord lead. He placed a people group on our hearts that are called The Small People of the North. They are the native peoples of Kamchatka. God has taken us on a long journey that contained many twists, turns, and learning curves to bring us to the place where we now live.

We have arrived in the northern village of Esso located in Kamchatka, Russia. We have rented a small cabin to live in and we are learning to live as the village people live. We still have much to learn about the place, people, their culture etc... However, we do feel at home. We have a peace about us that can only be explained by the peace that the Father gives. Please pray for us as we minister and proclaim the true Gospel message too many that have never heard or had an opportunity to respond to the Gospel. Please ask the Lord to give us wisdom in developing strong relationships with our new friends and neighbors.

Family: Our family is happy and healthy. We are enjoying the fresh mountain air and quietness of village life. Our kids are getting to experience the way of living as some of you might call the “old days.” Since we have been in the village we have picked an assortment of wild berries and made jam, jelly and syrup for the winter. We also have caught, canned, pickled and frozen salmon for the upcoming winter. We store all of our root vegetables in a root cellar. Our root cellar is accessed through an entry door in the floor of our home. We have a couple of green houses on our property where we can grow tomatoes, cucumbers, etc… Each day we walk to the small store and buy fresh baked bread. There are about 5 small stores in the village. Each store is about the size of an average American living room, around 250 square feet. Each store has its own special product it sells. Most of them will have several of the same things but you usually visit one store for meat, if they killed a hog that day, another for bread, another for household supplies. We praise the Lord for the experience that our children are getting. It is a great way to live for us. Pray that we adjust to the village life and learn to live as they live.

Emma Grace absolutely loves playing outside with her dog Deek now that we have wide open spaces. She and Lee take a ride on their bikes each evening across the creek and up one of the many trails. We also go swimming a couple of times each week in the hot springs. The center of the village has a rock hewn basin that is naturally fed with hot water from the thermal waters produced by the volcanoes. We enjoy a late evening swim and relaxation in the hot water.

Ministry Opportunities: Since our last newsletter we have had several opportunities for ministry. We have preached in the city and in the village. We were blessed to be able to travel back to the city and take part in baptismal service in the Pacific Ocean. This month in the city 4 believers were baptized by the church plants happening there. I am not sure but I think the water was around 45 degrees and the air temp about the same. It was cold but awesome!

Village – We have started a regular meeting in the home of Zhenya in the village. We will soon be moving our Sunday worship service to an adjacent cabin that will be used as the new church. We are planning the opening service to be held the second Sunday in October. Please pray as this takes the turn from a meeting to a church plant. Please pray for Zhenya as we help encourage him to take the lead in the new church plant.

Marty has been able to take part in some physical work/ministry this month. He has enjoyed doing AOK’s (acts of kindness) for new friends and neighbors in the village. Marty has been able to use some gifts that had been put on the back burner due to city life. Just a few hats Marty enjoyed wearing this month: mechanic, carpenter, welder, plumber and fisherman (yes you can use fishing as ministry and an act of kindness). Always be grateful for the knowledge the Lord has given you and be ready to use for His honor and glory.

We have also started a Friday night fellowship time in our home. It is a time for friends to gather, eat, discuss life, play games, laugh, pray and encourage one another. Please ask the Lord to bless this time on Fridays.

Laborers Together: We want to give a special “thank you” to all who pray for us on a regular basis. Please continue to pray and share with others about the work God is doing in Kamchatka. Take a moment to pass on our blog address and/or email address to others. You can view our blog at http://robertsinrussia.blogspot.com or email us at going.east@hotmail.com please remember that we are always excited to hear from you and answer any questions you might have about the work in Kamchatka.

Volunteer teams are needed. If you have any interest in physically joining the work in Kamchatka you are desperately needed. We already have teams that are preparing for their trip here next summer. Please know that it is impossible to plan a trip to Kamchatka in a short period of time. We suggest a year of planning and at least six months of preparation. If you are interested in how you can come to Kamchatka, help in what God is doing and are willing to have your life changed for your investment in the Kingdom don’t hesitate to contact us. The time for planning is now.

Language: Suzanne and I have resumed our structured language study. We currently have 9 hours of class time each week. We meet with our teacher in our home on Monday’s, Tuesdays and Thursdays for 3 hours each day. Please pray for us as we continue to learn a very difficult language. Pray that our pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar abilities will increase. Also pray for Suzanne as these 3 days are especially long for her. She teaches the kids school from 8 am until 2pm and then has language class from 3 to 6pm.

School: Please continue to pray for Lee and Emma. They are full swing in their home school curriculum. Lee and Emma have started the year off very well. They have had several tests and have good grades thus far. Pray for Suzanne as she teaches a 4th grader and 9th grader.

Prayer Request:
-Pray for {Путь к Источникy (Poot k Ee-stoch-ne-koo) - The Way to the Source Baptist Church} a church plant happening in the village of Esso.
-Pray for the discipleship of new believers.
- Pray for the many visa struggles throughout Russia.
-Pray for Zhenya and his family, our Russian partner in the village.
-Pray for Alexander (Sasha) and his family as God continues to use him in Kamchatka.
- Pray for the new believers in Kamchatka as they continue their walk with the Lord.
- 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. (We invite you to join us physically in the work – for more information about bringing a mission team to Kamchatka…..just ask!)
Thank you for holding the rope!!! We would love to hear from you!

August 2009

Prayer request from last month’s newsletter: Please pray for us specifically as we attempt to seek out a place to rent so that we might live in the village over the next 1 ½ years before we come back to the states on our state side assignment. The village is made up of about 3,500 people and will be the strategic place to live as we reach out to other adjacent villages. The village is made up of primarily small wooden houses or log cabins. Therefore, it has proven difficult for us to find a place that is for rent. The majority of the places that are open are for sale only. At the present time due to the shortage of last year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering buying or building is not an option for us at this time. Please pray that the Lord directs us to the person of good will that will help us in locating the exact place in which the Lord would have us to live for the next 1 ½ years. Thank you so much for making this a matter of specific prayer.

Thank you so much for praying over this matter. We made the trip to village “E” in order to continue to look for a place to move. We had looked at a couple of places earlier but they did not seem to have great potential. We simply trusted the Lord and headed north over the dirt, rocky, mountain roads. God heard your prayers and gave us a person of good will. We arrived in the village late Friday evening and prepared to sleep. We were sort of camping out there. Saturday morning with some of our Russian believers we loaded up and drove to another village north of village “E.” We slept there Saturday night and held Sunday services in that village. Sunday night we returned to Village “E.” By Monday evening we had received word that one of the houses we had looked at that was for sale might have an option to rent. Tuesday we went to meet with the owner of the house. It was as if God had already planned everything for us. The time frame, price, and all other logistics just fell into place. A special thanks to each one of you who made this a matter of special prayer. We will be traveling to Seoul, South Korea the middle of August to apply for a new Russian visa. We should return to Petropavlovsk around the 20th and then start packing up to head to the village TO LIVE the first of September. Please continue to pray that all travel, document and moving logistics will be routine.

Family: Our family is doing well and we are getting excited about moving to the village. Emma Grace asked over a year ago for a bike, a dog and her own room when we moved to the village. I know that she prayed for this more than once. God is so great that He even takes care of the minor details. As soon as we returned to the city with the assurance of moving to the village in September we went to the sport’s store in the city and purchased Emma a new bike to take to the village. Now wait, that is not the end of the story. While we were looking at the house to rent in the village and had started finalizing all the logistical matters, the owner of the home had one more question. The lady that owns the house will be moving to the city to live close to her grandchildren. She looked at Emma and said, “I want you to meet someone.” She called and around the corner came Deek, a black beautiful spaniel. Deek is 4 years old and when he rounded the corner Emma kneeled down and Deek ran straight to her. Our landlady asked Emma if she could take care of Deek. She seemed to think that he would not like the city and should continue to live in the village. Emma’s face lit up and a big smile went across her face. She said, “Mom and Dad, I got all I asked for, my own room, a dog, and maybe a new bike.” Of course she got the new bike, her own room and a black 4 year old spaniel named Deek. I was reminded of an old children’s song: “Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

We also received 4 heavy boxes from the states this week. Each box was packed full with Lee and Emma’s home school books for next year. They may not have been as excited about the books as they were the village house and moving. Take a minute and pray for their school year and their home school teacher, Suzanne.

Ministry Opportunities: We were able to travel to the villages this month. It was a great time. We visited with several people in different villages. We held services in village “K.” We met with believers in village “E.” Also, in village “E” we were able to visit a few homes and share the Gospel. One lady, I would guess in her upper 60’s maybe early 70’s, prayed to receive Christ. She had been raised in the Orthodox Church and knew about Jesus but had never understood how to have a relationship with Christ. We spent a couple of hours with her and toward the end of our meeting she said, “I want that.” She prayed and gave her life to Christ and the smile that came across her face was larger than the smile on Emma’s when she saw Deek.

We also invited Mesha, Lee’s Russian friend, to tag along with us on this trip. We were able to help do some minor construction work on the youth camp in the village, work on a future neighbors roof, and help repair some of the water lines. Mesha proved to be a hard worker.

The follow up contacts from the mission teams in the city of PK are underway. Please pray for Mesha and Tanya, Russian nationals from Emmanuel Church, as they continue to make follow up contacts this month. Pray for Sasha and his family who are out of PK at this time on vacation. They will be gone for another month. Pray that they returned refreshed.

Laborers Together: We want to give a special “thank you” to all who pray for us on a regular basis. Please continue to pray and share with others about the work God is doing in Kamchatka. Take a moment to pass on our blog address and/or email address to others. You can view our blog at http://robertsinrussia.blogspot.com or email us at going.east@hotmail.com please remember that we are always excited to hear from you and answer any questions you might have about the work in Kamchatka.

Volunteer teams are needed. If you have any interest in physically joining the work in Kamchatka you are desperately needed. We already have teams that are preparing for their trip here next summer. Please know that it is impossible to plan a trip to Kamchatka in a short period of time. We suggest a year of planning and at least six months of preparation. If you are interested in how you can come to Kamchatka, help in what God is doing and are willing to have your life changed for your investment in the Kingdom don’t hesitate to contact us. The time for planning is now.

Language: Praise the Lord!!! We passed our language exam and have been released from full time language. We will continue our language classes three days a week once we are settled in the village. Pleas pray and ask the Lord to direct us to the teacher we need in the village.

Prayer Request:
-Pray for us as we pack and plan for life in the village.
-Pray for the discipleship of new believers.
- Pray for the many visa struggles throughout Russia.
-Pray for Alexander (Sasha) and his family as God continues to use him in Kamchatka.
- Pray for the new believers in Kamchatka as they continue their walk with the Lord.
- 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. (We invite you to join us physically in the work – for more information about bringing a mission team to Kamchatka…..just ask!)

Thank you for holding the rope!!! We would love to hear from you!

July 2009

Как вас зовут? (Pronounced - cock vas za-voot). This short phrase in Russian translates in English as, what is your name? But when you literally translate this statement it asks the question, how are you called?

Over the past couple of weeks I have given much thought to this statement. How are you called? We had the opportunity to travel to Athens, Greece for our Annual General Meeting (AGM) with International Mission Board (IMB). It was a time of praise, worship, meetings, and giving. I am proud to share with you that your missionaries serving across Central and Eastern Europe gave over $80,000.00 to overseas missions through our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

One evening we had the opportunity to walk the streets of Athens and see some of the ancient structures that remain there. I thought about Acts 17 when Apostle Paul visited this very same city. I thought about all the gods and “unknown gods” of the world that are leading so many people astray. I thought about how Apostle Paul referred to himself throughout scripture. Here are a few words that Paul used when identifying himself: bond-servant, apostle, servant, steward of the mysteries of God, prisoner, minister, child of God and the list could go on and on.

Now take a moment and think of some of the ways that Jesus referred to himself. Words like: Son of Man, The Vine, The Door, The Light of the World, The Bread of Life, Living Water, and certainly this list could be expanded for pages and pages.

Acts 19:15 “and the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?’”

A thought to ponder with me: If you had to honestly, truthfully, describe yourself in a few short words……..How are you called? Как вас зовут?

Family: It seems as if the past month has been made up of only a few days. We said good-bye to our last mission team from the states and then had to immediately prepare for our 11 time zone flight to Greece. We spent ten days in Greece and then whirled back to Petropavlovsk to deal with re-registration, and the beginning of new paperwork for our next visa run which will take place in August. Please pray as these documents are being prepared.

While at AGM we were ministered to in our heart language. Please never take for granted the ability to worship with fellow believers in your heart language, your mother tongue. While at AGM, Lee was able to take part in MKR. MKR is best explained as youth camp for all the MK’s (missionary kids). Emma Grace along with her age group was provided the opportunity to take part in VBS each day, The Boomerang Express. It was a great time for our kids to worship with peers and celebrate Jesus together with their friends. Both Lee’s class and Emma’s led us in a time of Worship and celebration one night. It was awesome to see 300 youth and kids lifting up the name of Christ together. A special thanks to all the volunteers who came from the states to help lead our children during this time.

Also, while at AGM Lee and Emma were both given their achievement tests for 2009. We are very proud to report that both Lee and Emma scored in the upper percentile on a national level. In many areas Lee, our 14 year old son, was ranked at college level. We are very proud of our children not only for their test scores but how they live their lives and see themselves as a vital part of the work that God has called our family to. I am also very proud of their home school teacher, my wife, Suzanne. She fills so many roles in our family. Thanks honey!

Ministry Opportunities: During the short amount of time between the mission teams’ departures and the leaving for Greece we were invited to preach at the small church located in Yeililzo. It was an opportunity to simply brag on Jesus about the recent work He did in PK and to challenge the believers to continue to stretch their faith. Also, working with Team PK and Emmanuel Church the follow ups on the contacts made through the mission teams from the states are underway. Please continue to pray for Sasha and Emmanuel Church as they work on making contacts, setting up meetings and Bible studies. Pray that God will do a great work in Petropavlovsk during this time and give everyone the wisdom needed in taking the next steps.

Please pray for us as we will leave in the next few days on a village run. We will travel to village “E.” This trip will be the 800 mile round trip with the majority being on dirt and rock mountain roads. Please pray for us specifically as we attempt to seek out a place to rent so that we might live in the village over the next 1 ½ years before we come back to the states on our state side assignment. The village is made up of about 3,500 people and will be the strategic place to live as we reach out to other adjacent villages. The village is made up of primarily small wooden houses or log cabins. Therefore, it has proven difficult for us to find a place that is for rent. The majority of the places that are open are for sale only. At the present time due to the shortage of last year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering buying or building is not an option for us at this time. Please pray that the Lord directs us to the person of good will that will help us in locating the exact place in which the Lord would have us to live for the next 1 ½ years. Thank you so much for making this a matter of specific prayer.

Laborers Together: We want to give a special “thank you” to all who pray for us on a regular basis. Please continue to pray and share with others about the work God is doing in Kamchatka. Take a moment to pass on our blog address and/or email address to others. You can view our blog at http://robertsinrussia.blogspot.com or email us at going.east@hotmail.com please remember that we are always excited to hear from you and answer any questions you might have about the work in Kamchatka.

Volunteer teams are needed. If you have any interest in physically joining the work in Kamchatka you are desperately needed. We already have teams that are preparing for their trip here next summer. Please know that is impossible to plan a trip to Kamchatka in a short period of time. We suggest a year of planning and at least six months of preparation. If you are interested in how you can come to Kamchatka, help in what God is doing and are willing to have your life changed for your investment in the Kingdom don’t hesitate to contact us. The time for planning is now.

Language: Praise the Lord!!! We passed our language exam and have been released from full time language. We can now begin looking for a place to live in the village and start planning a move in God’s timing. We will continue our language classes three days a week once we are settled. Pray that God reveals to us exactly where and how we are to move north. Also, pray for us that we will be diligent to study the language on our own until we are settled in our new location.

Prayer Request:
-Pray for us as we seek housing in the village.
-Pray for the discipleship of new believers.
- Pray for the many visa struggles throughout Russia.
-Pray for Alexander (Sasha) and his family as God continues to use him in Kamchatka.
- Pray for the new believers in Kamchatka as they continue their walk with the Lord.
- 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. (We invite you to join us physically in the work – for more information about bringing a mission team to Kamchatka…..just ask!)

Thank you for holding the rope!!! We would love to hear from you!