Good News in Difficult Times (February 2015 Update)
The situation is Ukraine continues to worsen, both militarily and economically (more details below). But even in this very difficult time, the good news of Jesus continues to be spread! We know soldiers on the front lines are hearing the gospel through scripture deliveries, CD gifts and even personal visits by evangelists. One man from our church regularly travels to the east bringing clothes, food and the gospel to the soldiers. They are hearing the gospel and some are being saved! We also have students who are working as military chaplains and others who are fighting to defend Ukraine from Russian and pro-Russian troops. All of them are actively bearing witness to Jesus in the most difficult of situations.
We also have many churches and individuals supporting refugees fleeing from the east (over 100,000). They are being given clothes (they had to leave everything), housing, and food and, if possible, jobs (with the deteriorating economy, very few jobs are available). Where these ministries are taking place, the gospel is also being shared. Even in this difficulty, we have students going to other countries sharing the gospel. This morning in church, one of my students, Artur Nadiv, shared about serving as a missionary in China the last few years through English Clubs, Bible Studies and discipleship. He will be returning to China March 2nd and his mother is going back with him! They are from Lugansk and they lost everything when the pro-Russians took over. His mother was evacuated last year from their hometown. Be praying for them and for others who continue to serve the Lord even as they go through very difficult times!
More Good News (through unexpected …)
Katya and I received some good news on New Year’s Eve when her doctor’s appointment confirmed what we had suspected – we are expecting a second child. We don’t know yet if it will be a boy or a girl but the baby is due near the end of July. This was truly a surprise as we were not planning for a second child but God had other plans! I was looking forward to getting free of diapers and bottles but it looks like we will be putting our parenting experience back into practice again J. Fortunately, Kristina has been a tremendous blessing and we are looking forward to seeing her continue to grow. But we both are a bit old for two young children (me especially) so we get tired more often. Pray for us as we prepare for the coming of our second child this summer!
A Practical Need … A Car
Over the last 5 years, we have done without a car. But now, for a number of reasons, we believe we need to get a car. First, having a second child is a big factor. Getting on and off fully-packed buses and metro trains has been quite a challenge with one child – it will be nearly impossible with two small children. A second reason for needing a car is increased ministry opportunities. Now that I am able to communicate better in Russian, I will be able to be involved in doing more seminars in other churches (see below in the prayer needs) and in helping with other seminaries. To do this, having a car would be a very big help. Finally, the situation in the east continues to worsen and we really do not know what will happen in the foreseeable future. Having a car will give us the one chance we would have to escape to the west if things get worse in Kiev. This fall, we moved to the right bank to be in a slightly safer area. We are now on the southwest end of Kiev which is farthest from any potential conflict. But if the war should come to Kiev, we would still need a way to leave the city. Without a car, we would be trapped, waiting for evacuation. This is why many mission organizations decided last year that any missionaries without cars would have to leave the country. Having a car would add another level of security for us.
So, we have decided that getting a car is a necessity for us in the coming year. Unfortunately, prices for cars are about the same in Ukraine as in the US. (In fact, for really good cars, the price is often higher). We are looking into the possibility of getting a good, reliable used car – probably in the $10,000-15,000 range. We need help with this. First, pray for finances for a car. We don’t have sufficient finances from our income to purchase a car here. (If you would like to help, please designate a special gift to #1600 Car Fund in the memo line of your check or enclose a noted explaining the special gift.) Second, we need lots of wisdom to find a good, reliable, economical car. Most of the car choices here are European cars or Japanese or Korean. I know a lot about cars, but not the models available here in Ukraine. We have some friends helping us to know which cars might be good possibilities for us. Third, pray that we will be protected from dishonest sellers. In Ukraine, the principle is “buyer beware.” Sellers rarely tell the truth about used cars and often they lie outright about its condition. Again, we will have some friends to help us, but pray for protection from unscrupulous sellers. We plan to buy something when we return to Ukraine in June so please be praying over the next couple of months.
Home in the US in Spring…
We have tickets for our return trip home this spring (thanks to a couple of special gifts at the end of this year)! Hooray! We are planning to be back at the end of March to be in time to help Sean and Meredith with the arrival of their first baby! We are already excited and can’t wait to see her when she is born. Since we will be helping them, we will be in Fayetteville much of the time. But we are hoping to have a couple of “drop-by fellowships” in Little Rock and Cabot the end of April and early May. This seems to be the best way to see everyone this year since much of our time will be spent in Fayetteville. Early next month, we’ll let you know when and where these gatherings will be. We can’t wait to see everyone!
The Situation in Ukraine …
It appears that the military situation here will continue to get worse as the year goes on. Putin has no intention of relaxing the pressure on Ukraine as he continues to send troops and weapons across Ukraine’s border. The EU and the US have both decided that they will not supply weapons to Ukraine for fear of angering Putin. So Ukraine is left to try to defend itself without outside help. We expect to be in a state of perpetual war for the next year or more. Additionally, there have begun to be terrorist attacks in the major cities in Ukraine. So we know that, while we are currently safe, we may not always be. Additionally, the economy is really suffering. Ukraine, already nearly bankrupt, spends over $6 million a day on the war in the east. The Ukrainian currency has dropped tremendously from about 9/1 US dollar to now 25/1! Additionally, we are seeing about 30% inflation in prices (with even worse projected for the coming year). For us as Americans, the strength of the dollar helps to nearly balance out the inflation, but Ukrainians face a double problem – their salaries are worth 1/3 what they were a year ago and prices are rising too! So, please pray for Ukraine – for the military situation as well as the economic situation!
Teaching and Ministry …
This spring is a very busy time for me in terms of teaching. I just finished teaching the Book of Hebrews (great class!) but I still have papers to grade for the next month! This month, I will be teaching Research and Writing for Biblical Counseling (Master’s Program) and, in March, I will be teaching pastoral ministries students and church planting students the Theology and Practice of Prayer. Additionally, I will be revising our bachelor’s level Research and Critical Thinking class to be taught at the end of May.
In addition, I will be traveling to Ternopol March 7 to teach an all-day seminar on Prayer for Pastors in that region. This will be my first teaching outside of Kiev. I have had many requests the last 4 years but I have refrained because I needed to concentrate on Russian. The Ternopol Conference will be the first of many other opportunities in the coming year. Additionally, I have also been asked to teach courses in two other seminaries outside of Kiev. So having a car will greatly facilitate transportation to conferences and other seminars.
Thanks again for your support and prayers for us. We continue to be blessed by your faithful praying and giving to enable us to minister to the future leaders of Ukraine. While the situation does look difficult for the years ahead, we remain optimistic. We know that the gospel will go forth and that leaders will be better trained and prepared to minister in any situation, even if the situation becomes so severe that we personally cannot safely stay. This is why we feel so committed to the education of ministers here in Ukraine – they can minister even after we are gone. Thanks again for being our partners – in bringing Good News in difficult times!
By His Grace,
Jim, Katya and Kristina
Teaching Resources International 