Dear friends, brothers and sisters! I thank the Lord for answering our prayers, because by revealing our desires and dreams before the Lord, He fulfills them according to His will. With the blessing of the church and my wife, I went on a two-month missionary trip to Vietnam.
I haven’t been here for a whole year for a number of reasons. Everything has changed and is changing daily. But the Lord blesses His children, and He does it abundantly. On Sunday my my brother in Christ, Shonny and I traveled to a remote province, he is my translator, where the Raglai tribe lives. With the help of the local church, we preached and distributed snacks to children (about 300 children). Then we visited especially 10 poor families and distributed food, told the Gospel, sang and prayed for the sick. Thank God.
The tribe lives very poorly, they cook on a fire, take water from a stream, not everywhere is is electricity. When we visited the families in which we have been serving for 4 years, we had wonderful and joyful meetings of love.
We thank the Lord for your blessings and participation in the work of the gospel. May the Lord open His good treasury to bless all the works of your hands!
An old father and his son from Mariupol (on the right in the photo) got to Rivne. A year before the war, the son began to create an emergency suitcase: freeze-dried food, blankets, a rope, a portable burner and other things useful for survival. That is why at every checkpoint they were stopped and confused with a saboteur, they took him for interrogations, and searched him. Some time later, both of them were put into a bus that drives people to Russia, to filtration camps. On the way, they both decided to escape at any cost.
The car arrived at the place of collection and registration, where there were so many people that no one noticed how they moved away and moved across the fields towards Zaporozhye. It wasn’t easy. From time to time, civilians who they met showed them sympathy: they fed them and let them stay overnight.
They also, even though completely unfamiliar people for them, decided to help them and give them a ride as close as possible to the town. They stumbled upon an evacuation notice in the city of Rivne, and immediately found the man who had posted it. They had only two seats left. The grandfather notes that on the way they were often fed, carried in warmth, and constantly taken care of. He was left with the feeling that this bus was just the two of them all the time. Our volunteer brother said that it was God who throughout this story showed His care for them. This brought the father to tears.
Thank you for participating in the evacuation and helping those in need!
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” 1 Corinthians 6:3
This verse was a reminder and an encouragement for brothers and sisters in Christ who are ministering to people in this area of Thailand. Together with our team of volunteers we were able to organize a one-day seminar and invite local ministers, pastors, missionaries and youth leaders from different churches and ministries. Most of them serve God in their area and don’t have an opportunity to meet with each other. That’s why God has put on our hearts to prepare an event with the purpose to Encourage, Equip and Challenge.
We chose these relevant topics:
1.Ministry to hurting kids, how trauma impacts the kids we love and what to do about it
2. Using technology and the digital world in ministry
3. Success in ministry. How can you measure your success, what does the Bible say about it.
4. Using art, craft, drama, music in children’s ministry to strengthen their faith. It was truly an encouragement for everyone who came. We had time to learn and exchange ideas for the ministry and also time for fellowship and sharing meal together.
“I would like to say thank you for inviting me to the seminar. It was a big encouragement for me” – shared our sister in Christ who is taking care of the children ‘s house.
We are very grateful to God for sending us the whole team who put their hearts and time in making this event happen. It was truly a blessing and a big support in the ministry. Please pray for our youth camp that we are planning to have together with other churches in our area and for the right people who can help.
Thank you very much for your faithful prayers and support, may God richly bless everyone of you!
Lyudmila, her daughter and nine-year-old granddaughter Arina came from Chernihiv. Both women are widows with no one to take care of them. At first they didn’t wanted to leave because they thought it would all be over soon. Then they heard that refugees were being killed, so they were very careful. But when the Russian troops began shooting in their area every day from 4PM until the morning, the walls of their apartment on the 5th floor were shaking continuously, and they were sitting in a cold basement. When Arina was trembling and crying, they decided to take a chance. Moreover, they learned about the church, which helps people flee. Lyudmila was not a believer, but it was believers who helped this family. Departure was scheduled for 5 PM. It was the last chance, they had half and hour to pack but the shooting started again, and they could not get out of the basement. They thought it was the end, but a friend called and said that the departure was delayed and they could still make it.
Lyudmila recalls how they drove past the shot cars of civilians, saw the bodies of dead people in the middle of the field, who did not manage to escape on foot. The people who took Lyudmila and other refugees out of the affected areas really risked their lives. We do not know their names, but these people knew their Savior well and believed in a future resurrection.
The two widows and the girl are now safe. Our God works miracles through His children and for those who do not know Him. He is true to His word and cares for widows and orphans. If He delivered them from such horror, then they still have time to turn to Him. Glory to Him for
We live by prayers for peace. I think the events in Ukraine have forced many Christians around the world to unite both in prayer and and in help. Sometimes, we hear comments from “well-wishers”, well all dear, with war in Ukraine, all your support will stop, and you might as well pack up and go!
And although it is true that last week we received only 30% of the usual financial support, but we are not going to leave the ministry. There were times when we slept in a hut and ate frogs and worms, And in which case, we will gladly return to them. But we have no plans to stop missionary work here in PNG, no matter what. As part of the medical service we could visit the villages of Kamufa and Hagunamura.
We spent hours in prayer for these people, and then hours in conversation with them. Yes, we bandage wounds, but only the Lord can heal broken hearts. I met a woman who has a chopped off leg with a machete by her husband, just below the knee. When we began to preach the gospel, many wept and in prayer invited Christ into their hearts. Thanks to everyone involved in this ministry!
Local authorities did not issue permission to hold services this year in open, public places. Istanbul, together with the suburbs, has more than twenty-five million people. In recent years, there has been an interest in Christianity among the younger generation.
We arrived as a group in Istanbul and we decided to distribute spiritual literature and the Gospels to people right on the streets. This is a ministry is unsafe for everyone. No one can foresee how the population will react when they get offered the gospel. Some behave very aggressively and make a police report, who then makes an arrest and might deport from the country. When we were walking around the streets offering the Gospel, we saw a miracle happening, people were willingly accepting it. After our backpacks and bags were empty, we returned time after time, filling our bags with literature, and again went to the designated areas to distribute the gospels.
Sometimes before we reached our destination our the bags were already empty. Some of the group were so encouraged and enthusiastic about their work that they forgot to take any precautions and offered the gospel to the police.
The policemen respectfully accepted the gifts. We expected a negative reaction, but the Lord opened their hearts, because they, too, are people in need of salvation. Pray for the awakening of Turkey. Help us to spread the Good News in this country.
