Redeeming the Time … (September 2017 Update)
Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time.” That sums up our August here in Ukraine! While we had planned to make August a rest and recover month before the start of classes, God had other plans for us. We had planned to head west to the mountains for a vacation time, but we had to stay in Kiev to work on documents and some other things around the house. That opened the door to a number of ministry opportunities that we did not expect.
Preaching and Counseling …
First, we planned to take a vacation to the Carpathian Mountains with our pastor (Sergey) and his family. But, many things kept us at home, including needing to renew my visa for Ukraine, house-related documents, and a driving class for Katya. Once we decided to stay, Sergey asked if I would preach for 2 weeks and also do some pre-marital counseling sessions while he was gone. So much of August was spent getting ready to preach and preparing for the counseling sessions.
Sergey asked if I would preach something on a theology of suffering since so many people in the church were asking questions about why God allows believers to suffer. So I preached for two weeks on a theology of suffering for the glory of God. Many in the church responded very positively, some even saying that they needed to hear those messages!
I also began the counseling sessions with a couple planning to marry in October. Our plan was for Katya and me to do the sessions together so that she could translate the sessions for the couple. But on the night before the first session, Kristina got really sick. So we had figure out what to do. I suggested that I do the sessions in Russian as best I could and see what we could accomplish. So, with all my Russian grammar errors, we did the first session (1 ½ hours) in mostly Russian with very little difficulty. But my brain was really tired after trying to think about how I would say everything in Russian! At the second session, Kristina was better so Katya was able to join me and it was much easier for me (and probably for the couple too!). It was good to see that my Russian has improved enough to use it in ministry, even though I still have a long, long way to go! It reminded me that I need to get back to studying Russian and “redeem the time” so that I can be more useful in ministry here.
Preparing for classes …
Also in August, I spent time getting my fall classes organized and ready to post online so students can access the materials. In September, I will be teaching Soteriology at Kiev Theological Seminary. Then in October, I will be traveling to Lviv to teach Prayer and Worship classes at Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary. Finally, in November, I will be teaching Church History at Kiev Theological Seminary again. I am almost finished getting everything translated and posted on the websites for students to access. Be praying for me as I teach the Doctrine of Salvation in September.
In addition to teaching these classes, on October 31st, I will be teaching some special seminars in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. In the morning, I will be teaching a seminar on Luther’s Breakthrough. In the evening, I will do a seminar on John Calvin as a Pastor. I’m working on preparing for these lectures this month.
Additionally, sometime during this fall, I will be working on converting my World History class to an online format. This is really a lot of work, finding videos, developing lectures and projects and getting everything translated and set up. I will be working on this all year and hopefully have the class ready to go by next fall.
Finally, Campus Ministry will be having the fall English Club Outreach this year September 25-October 6. We usually have over 400 university students sign up for these classes. It is a great opportunity for outreach for the gospel. Pray for me as I teach during these two weeks also.
Thanks for praying for me as I prepare and as I teach. It is a lot to do this fall, but I hope that I can redeem the time and use my time wisely!
Getting Ready for winter (almost) …
This month, we enjoyed harvesting tomatoes and cucumbers and green beans from our garden almost daily. It won’t last much longer as we will probably have an early frost mid-September. We are going to try to extend our growing season another month or two using plastic to cover our plants.
We have also been canning every week. Unlike the states, prices for fruits and vegetables goes way up in the winter. So we are canning as much as we can so we can have fruits and vegetables in the winter without having to spend a lot of money. We have applesauce, tomatoes, peaches, as well as various jams. We have learned to take skins and cores and boil them down to make really tasty syrups for pancakes and ice cream. We are already enjoying just thinking about opening those jars this winter!
Our woodstove arrives this week just in time before the cooler weather starts to set in. Right now, we have been having weather in the 50s but it will drop even lower sooner. We also have our wood shed stocked with almost enough wood to burn through the winter. We are getting ready for winter!
Our final task before winter is putting insulation on our house. We waited to do this last because we would not need it through the summer. Last month, we received 2 large gifts that will cover 2/3 of cost of installing the insulation. So we plan to start with the insulation at the end of the month. We will still need another $1500-2000 to finish the project so we are praying about that need.
Praying for Provisions …
As we mentioned above, we have need for some extra finances to finish the insulation job. But that is really not our greatest need. Over the last 4 months, our giving levels have dropped significantly. We have been hoping to save some money for working on the house in the fall but we have had to use all our extra funds to cover regular expenses. If you would like to help us at any monthly amount, we would greatly appreciate it! We have a small group of supporters that have been very generous in their support of us. Last month, we added one new family to our team of supporters. But we need to add at least 3 more families to get our monthly support back up to regular levels. Let us know if you would like to help by becoming a regular supporter.
Enjoying time with Family …
We have been enjoying the summer together at our new home. The girls love being outside almost every day, often barefoot. They are also learning about gardening and know when various vegetables and fruits are ripe. They are often walking around eating a fresh tomato or cucumber! They love to see how everything is growing and they are excited to help us plant new seeds too!
The girls (especially Kristina) love cooking and baking. Kristina often prepares the salads by cutting up the vegetables for us. They both love to make cookies and cakes – and they love to eat them too!
The girls also love to draw and work with playdough and other crafts. They enjoy singing and going to church. Nadia often says she wants to go to church and sing, “alleluia.” We don’t sing alleluia very often but that’s how she identifies all worship songs! That’s pretty correct theologically!
Katya has been busy learning to drive. It is amazing how much drivers have to go through to get a license here. She is now in the lectures stage, listening to 3 hours of lectures 3 days a week for 2 months! She should start her driving hours soon too. But it will be at least October before she can get her license. It takes a lot of time but it will be worth it when she finishes.
Praying for Ukraine …
Please don’t forget to pray for Ukraine. It is easy to forget that we are still living in a country at war. Pray for the millions of refugees and for the churches ministering to them. Also, remember to pray for our chaplains sharing the gospel on the frontlines and ministering to families who are losing loved ones each week. Many of these chaplains are graduates from our seminary.
Thank you for your prayers and for your support! Thank you for being part of our team and for caring for us as we prepare men and women in Ukraine for ministering the gospel. Pray that we may use our time wisely and be fruitful for the Lord in the coming months!
By His Grace,
Jim and Katya
Kristina and Nadia
Teaching Resources International 