BIEMs of Light: February 2005

Praises – Rejoice with us!

v     In Tandarei, Romania, Iulian Stoian joyfully reports that more members of the church are getting involved in visiting unbelievers to share the Gospel, in following up with people who visit services and in volunteering to help in the overall ministry of the church.

v     All the funds currently needed for renovating and repairing the homeless children ministry center in Kyiv, Ukraine, have been received! Good progress has been made both inside and outside. Even though this work isn’t yet completed, the building is being used to minister to homeless kids in the nation’s capital. (Photos coming in our next issue of the “Challenger.”)

v     Natasha Muravyova shares that one time she walked the three miles to the orphanage in Dyedovsk, only to arrive and find that the children had been taken away on a special outing. As long as she was there, she decided to visit the cooks in the kitchen. Instead of teaching children that day, she shared salvation and Jesus’ parable of the sower and different kinds of soil with the adult workers. She praises God for the opportunity and prays that her words will “take root” in good soil as they consider what she told them.

v      In January, Sam Slobodian and Pastor Rick Adkins visited the military base in Desna, Ukraine. For the first time under the new base commander, they were permitted to preach the Gospel and distribute New Testaments to five hundred soldiers who were under orders to attend the meeting!

Prayer – Pray with us!

v     In Magadan, Tim Smith reports that thieves cut their way through a metal fence around the building project there and stole all the tools and a welder. Construction cannot continue without tools, so he asks us to keep this matter in prayer. Complicating matters, a Russian banking machine did not return his ATM card, which ended up being destroyed.

v     Please pray that Pastor Iosif Pop in Romania will be permitted a visa from the U.S. so that he can visit churches and help raise much-needed building funds for that church. Also in Romania, church planter Blaj Danuts in Mediesu-Aurit needs financial support.

v     BIEM workers on deputation: Bruce and Natalie Tuttle continue deputation with hopes of being in Ukraine before summer. (However, Natalie has had eye problems and will be consulting a surgeon.) Rick Barry also continues deputation to raise support.

v     Fred Canaday hopes to buy at least two Army-style tents for the children’s camp that will be held on the newly acquired property in Romania this summer. They also need a couple small generators and a water pump to bring water from the nearby stream for showers.