I have lots to do this month but the big item is going to Poland to renew my visa. It is something I will have to do every year and this will be my first experience with it. Ukraine only grants 1 year religious visa now and mine expires on December 1st. Since I will be teaching all of November, I cannot leave to renew my visa. So I will be doing this in October (12-16). Also, Ukraine changed their visa laws this September. Now, to renew your visa, you have to leave the country , go to a Ukrainian Embassy outside of Ukraine (Poland is the closest and cheapest), and then you return to Ukraine with a 45 day visa that has to be submitted to the Ministry of Culture to be changed into a 1 year visa. So there is a lot of red tape to go through (not to mention waiting in lines and hoping you are in the right one). Katya will be going also so she has to get a visa to be able to go with me to Poland. So … this month is “visa month” for us. Be praying that we can get our visas and that everything will go smoothly as planned.
ESL Clubs began at our church last Sunday with 25 students! Katya and I will be working with these students each Sunday morning before church, teaching them English and building relationships that we hope will become avenues to share the gospel. Many of the students who are now at our church came to faith through this outreach (and through the summer ESL camp). Please pray for us as we prepare to teach and build relationships with these students.
Also, we have been asked to lead a small group Bible Study this year. This will be interesting since I know very little Russian but we think Katya and a couple of others can translate most of what I say. We are studying through the Book of Genesis this year and this is a new experience for most who will come to our group. We are using study sheets (“Green Sheets” for Cabot Bible People) and we are trying to help believers grow in personal discipleship also. Pray for us as we prepare and as we minister to those who are part of our small group.
I’m working on Russian – just not as much as I need or want. But I continue to see improvement, especially in my listening and comprehension. I’ve been trying to do 3-4 hours each day but I also have to spend time working on classes too. This month I’m working on preparations for Church History (November 7-18) and World History (November 21-December 2). It is difficult to juggle my time schedule between teaching, church ministry and language studies. Pray that I will be wise in my use of time.
Please continue to pray about our support levels. We are trying to add 11 people to our support team. Our support has been consistently more than a $1000 short each month since January and we are managing by using savings and reducing costs everywhere we can. But we would like to add more people to our support team. Right now, we have only 19 very generous people. So we want to focus, not so much on the money that we need, but on adding more people to our team. We have been amazed and humbled how much support is given to us each month by such a small number of people! I will be sending out some more letters this month to other friends and colleagues in ministry to ask for their support. Please pray that God will put a burden on the hearts of some to become part of our support team and help with the work we do here in Ukraine!
If you didn’t see these last month, check out two links with short YouTube videos that show something about the impact this ministry is having (on our website http://www.teachingresources.org). Church Planting Video clip … KTS Students graduating at Talbot Theological Seminary.
Thank you again for your support and your prayers. It is because of you that we are able to minister here in Ukraine.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
Ибо вы знаете благодать Господа нашего Иисуса Христа, что Он, будучи богат, обнищал ради вас, дабы вы обогатились Его нищетою. 2 Corinthians 8:9 (Russian)
Teaching Resources International 