“March (and April) Madness” (April 2013 Update)

No, it’s not about basketball, although I certainly love that too!  It’s about our busy schedule.  At the end of last month, I helped out with a church planting class on prayer.  Jim Albright (from the International Church in Milan) taught the class but I helped with preparations, hosting, grading and teaching some of the classes.  Katya and I were delighted to have Jim and Karen spend the two weeks at our home also.  It was a great joy being able to see them and having Jim teach his first class for us.  But it was also very busy with class every day and small group or other ministries each night.  All of this with the biggest snowfall in Ukraine since the 1960s!

The Prayer class for Church Planters was a special joy.  This group of 4 students will be graduating this May and it was great to spend the week with them learning more about their lives and ministries.  (Normally I teach classes of over 30 so I don’t have a lot of one-on-one time with students).  One student from Lithuania came to Christ in prison and he is actively involved in leading a new church plant in Lithuania.   Another student has planted a church near Kiev after serving as a missionary in Kazakhstan.   The other two students came to faith out of drugs and alcohol (one out of Satan worship!) and they are planting a new church in eastern Ukraine.   What a joy to hear how their seminary education has changed their lives and helped them in ministry! Continue Reading »