For the first time, a camp for children was organized in the Priuralsk tundra. For nearly a week, tundra children had the opportunity to get to know Christ as the best friend of all children. The hymns they learned became part of the program and the overall celebration.
The communication with adults before the camp usually culminates in the Lord’s Supper. This fellowship is eagerly awaited by reindeer herders, a tradition that has been ongoing since February 2023, with a similar gathering in the prayer house in Vorkuta. After the official part of the gathering concludes, local friends willingly express their desire to continue informal communication. The demonstrated love and involvement often solidify theory into practice, a significant aspect of mission work.
After the fellowship, local residents, some on reindeer sleds, some in cars, and others on foot, disperse to their camps and tents, ‘so as to live for the rest of their earthly lives no longer by human desires but by the will of God.’ 1 Peter 4:2.
After completing our pastoral ministry at the Vitmarsum church, we accepted an invitation from a missionary organization to join their team on a permanent basis. We will continue to live in Vitmarsum, but our work will be in Curitiba, which is about 60 kilometers away from us. My responsibilities include teaching (discipleship school and training pastors and missionaries) and assisting in establishing churches. Approximately 40 students are enrolled in the Missionary School! We teach a 3-month intensive leadership seminar, a 6-month seminar for pastors, and a 1-year discipleship school. Students come from all over Brazil. There are social workers from the Amazon working with indigenous people, as well as people from the South living in German colonies.
My wife Luciana continues to work with expectant mothers throughout Palmeira. Since the work has grown significantly, it is necessary to better coordinate support. Currently, she and three medical clinic staff members accompany women. Mothers who have already given birth have come and requested further support. This prompted Luciana to connect with women’s groups from different churches and direct these young mothers there. This way, this work brings the entire family into contact with churches and allows for much more intensive evangelism and ministry.
Our children are now teenagers and have grown up well. They are still attending school. We are all healthy, and everything is going well for us. Thank you for your prayers and financial support, as well as for all the messages through WhatsApp. We are very grateful to you for thinking of us.
I am excited to share wonderful news with you. A few weeks ago, we sent another family to Vietnam for a long-term mission. Praise God! The Lord reigns! The work of God is moving forward there, and His Word is being sown.
Beloved, may grace and peace multiply to you! I thank you for your cooperation on God’s fields, spreading the Gospel of grace wherever we are.
We have been in Russia for a little over a month for training (missionary school) and my wife Irina’s health check-up. The Lord blesses us in such a way that there is always an opportunity to participate in ministry (preaching, testimony, prayer, worship).
In one of our favorite songs, there are these words – ‘What I am still alive for, what I serve the Lord for, it’s the grace of God, it’s the grace of God.’ I believe that I will only stop serving Him when I am called to eternal abodes.
Last Sunday, I served at the ‘Bethesda Mercy House,’ which is very dear to me. I was greatly rejoiced to see that there is now a large team of ministers (10 people) who, through the strength of Jesus Christ, care for, guide, and instruct the people living there on the path of truth. At the moment, 25 people are living in the ‘House of Mercy.’ I met a local resident there who arrived in 1985 when it was still a collective farm. Today, she is a member of the local community.
We continuously thank you for your prayers and financial support in this noble cause. Precious from the heart and soul, we thank you for always remembering us.
Last year, Lena came to us. At that time, she was seven years old. Unfortunately, Lena’s mother did not arrange for her to go to school. We never know how long we will have the children with us. This year, we were among the first in line to submit an application for enrollment in the first grade. We have even passed the medical examination with the future first graders.
And then we encountered a surprise in the form of a refusal, as it was also necessary to pass a psychological-medico-pedagogical commission. In short, our eyes twitched, and our brows turned gray, but we passed the commission. And the child was enrolled in school. When a child enters the first grade, the requirements for their speech, behavior, and way of life change dramatically. It’s an exciting moment for every parent and future first-grader.
Lena is eagerly awaiting the day when she will go to school. So we don’t waste any time: we study, learn to read and write, solve problems, and much more. And from September, our socio-developmental center will open its doors again, and the children will attend additional developmental activities.
Everything in the world starts small, everything is born small, and then it grows: a small seedling becomes a big tree, a stream joins a river, words turn into sentences and great novels, a few notes compose great melodies.
We thank you for your heart and prayers, for your cooperation and assistance in serving the social orphans! May God bless you abundantly!
“Never stop learning because life never stops teaching!” – With these encouraging words, we started our life skills school, where children come to learn life skills that will help them be more independent and also grow in Christ-like character. At this moment, children are learning how to prepare meals using a rice cooker, take care of their bodies and clothes, and also how to manage money, especially when they have only a few coins. There are more than 50 children who come from different backgrounds and family settings. They are happy to spend time together and feel that someone cares. They are also learning that having a good character is very hard on their own, but God is always there to help them!
“Please allow my children to help you in teaching, practicing their skills, and assisting other children.” In other words, “I want my children to be with Christians!” – This was a request from two families whose parents asked us for their teenage daughter and son to join our team. They see the church as a place where their teens can grow, learn, and make friends. Both families’ parents are educated people, with one of them still being a strong Buddhist believer. So now, three young people have joined our team to teach life skills and learn about Christ! We are praying that their parents will join us as well.
One day, a lady from the village (who is not a believer) visited our church. She saw the teens singing and playing musical instruments and, with disappointment, said to her friend, “Why doesn’t my daughter come to church? Look how these young people are singing and seem so happy.” It’s a powerful testimony for people to see that those who do not follow rituals but believe in the Highest God have a better, blessed life!
A few months ago, during a baptism in our church, a young man got baptized, and the non-Christian mom asked her daughter, “Why aren’t you getting baptized as well?” Her daughter was surprised and happy to hear these words. Perhaps her mom could also testify to the changes that happened in their family. A few years ago, Jane* (the name of the girl changed) experienced a lot of pain growing up with her grandma and longing for her parents’ love, as both of them were working in a big city far away from her. Later, she found out that they were not together and were planning on separating. That was an even bigger pain, but she prayed and asked us to pray, holding onto hope that one day their family would be together again. God heard her prayers, He saw her faith! Time passed, and her parents reunited and even moved back to stay with the family. Their family was reunited! God is real! She can testify to how God worked in her life and how life with Him is much better than being on her own. Jane* made a decision to follow Jesus and was baptized last Sunday. We continue to pray for her parents to come to Christ and believe it will happen soon. Thank you for your prayers! These are only a few testimonies of how God is working in people’s hearts. Please pray with us as we strive to reach adults, parents, and grandparents of our children, that they would recognize their personal need for Jesus as well.
Thank you very much for all your prayers and support. May God richly bless every one of you!
Greetings to you, our co-workers of “New Fields.” Thank you everyone for your loyalty and warm hearts, inspiring you to serve with us to the ends of the earth! We have come to the end of an amazing three months that we were able to spend at the “Youth with a Mission” base in Koné.
There, I (Ira) was able to study in the “Foundations in Education” course, and soon, if the Lord allows, I will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge in practice! Immediately upon arriving in Papua New Guinea, I plan to conduct a seminar for teachers – not only those who work in our kindergarten but also many others from the entire region.
It may be necessary to hold two sessions of a week-long seminar, judging by the number of interested participants – and there are already many invitations to visit other provinces of PNG and conduct teacher training there. I am very excited about this because the knowledge I have gained in school, I will gladly pass on so that His name may be glorified. We ask for prayers for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in preparation and also for the financial support of these trips and all materials for the training.
Blessings to you, dear ones – and greetings from Papua New Guinea!
