Slobodian's Prayer Letter: March-April 2006
March-April 2006
“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed his name…” Hebrew 6:10
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from the Slobodians! We are in the midst of training sessions in Russia and Ukraine. Now in its 11th year, the school in Kyiv continues to draw students from throughout Ukraine. Students come from churches that are in the Brotherhood of Independent Churches of Ukraine, our partners in this school. The Russian school where we train Russian pastors, missionaries and lay workers is located in Dyedovsk, just northwest of Moscow. Originally, its students came from Moscow, which has a population of 25 million. However, due to Moscow’s changing economy, students can no longer take time off from their jobs to attend the 3 two-week sessions each year. Now the majority of students are from outside Moscow, while the Association of Independent Baptist Churches we work with runs a Saturday school for local students.
Sam and Dr. Bob McQueary (Calvary Baptist Church in Englewood, Florida), a BIEM board member, recently made an exploratory trip to Tbilisi, Georgia. One of our missionaries has considered starting a new ministry there through Georgian believers who were saved in St. Petersburg. Since Georgia’s “Rose Revolution” two years ago, this country of 5 million has made a dramatic swing toward the West. Under this nation’s pro-Western leadership, English has replaced Russian as the second language, and Americans no longer need visas. Georgia has become a wide-open mission field. Please pray for God’s wisdom as BIEM personnel contemplate expanding to this needy field.
As our missionaries continue evangelizing, springtime efforts turn toward construction in several places. In Desna the believers have begun renovating a once-vacant building into a church. In Nahabino, Russia, one of our first church plants recently broke ground for an addition due to overflow crowds! Also, the Lord has provided funding to continue the building program in Chervona Sloboda, Ukraine, through the wonderful response of U.S. churches that two of our Ukrainian church planters visited in April.
In other news, a container is now bound for Ukraine. Please pray for the brethren who must wrestle with bureaucracy to clear it through customs. Summer-camp season is rapidly approaching, and our national workers are gearing up for camps that will involve hundreds of kids. Please pray that the $25,000+ still needed will come in. Also, in case anyone is planning to trade in a passenger van, please consider putting it on a container for our Ukrainian ministry. Right now we can ship a van in a container duty free to Ukraine as long as it is not older than a 2002. Also, churches in Eastern Europe sometimes ask if we can supply musical instruments. This is not BIEM’s purpose, but we are willing to bless churches by passing along instruments. So if you would like to donate a saxophone, flute, or other instrument in good shape, we will be happy to ship it to Eastern Europe.
Consider participating in our 25th anniversary mission trip to Ukraine and Russia September 13-27. This trip will focus on Bible and literature distribution. Participants will see and join in a wide range of ministry efforts in Ukraine and Russia. Outreach is being planned for orphanages, public schools, hospitals, the homeless children’s center and a military base. A highlight will be BIEM’s 25th anniversary conference (Sept. 19-21) at a Christian resort overlooking the Black Sea. This will be an unforgettable event as BIEM missionaries, workers and friends gather from various countries. The meetings will be interpreted into Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian and English. Side visits to historical sites will include the Golden Gates of Kyiv, St. Sophia, Red Square, the Summer Palace, and the Hermitage. Contact us for further information. May God bless you!
The Slobodians