May 2003

Praises – Rejoice with us!

v     Praise God for several souls saved in Palatka, a village near Magadan where Brother Tim Smith has started a second church.  They are being discipled in this far northeastern area of Russia.

v     Praise God for 26 souls saved through the efforts of a church group from Lancaster, PA who came to Ukraine to help with evangelism and general labor.  We are also grateful to God that despite some changing regulations, which have made the matter more difficult, we have had no problems (so far) processing Russian and Ukrainian visa’s for ministry groups coming to participate in BIEM’s ministry.

v     Our workers in Kyiv are rejoicing over a recent Bible distribution effort during which thousands of New Testaments where distributed containing an advertisement, which stated that visitors could get a whole Bible by coming to a church service.  Hundreds came and many have been reached for Christ!

v     BIEM national missionary Julian Stoian reports that 20 unsaved visitors attended a special meeting.  Several were saved as a result of this and two have already been baptized as result of this effort.  Brother Julian is also reaching out to the nearby towns of Slobozia and Tandarei.

v     The new church in Desna, Ukraine, which began Sunday services in February, is rejoicing over the salvation of a family that has some construction skills greatly needed by this new congregation.

Prayer – Pray with us!

v     Please pray for Karina, the 2-year-old child adopted from Chechnya by Veka and Vitaly Sychov working in Desna, Ukraine.  Since there is no hope for her medical problems in Ukraine, a hospital in Philadelphia has agreed to treat her at no cost and believe they can have her walking normally in just a few months.  Please pray that we can obtain the visa that is needed so she can travel to the US for this treatment and for the finances to cover the cost of bringing this family to the US.

v     Please continue to pray for Iosif Pop, the church planter in Fetesti, Romania we mentioned last month who is suffering from Purpura Trombocitopenia Idiomatica.  He is responding favorably to medication.  Please pray that he will continue to improve.

v     Please continue to pray for the difficulties being encountered by the Grace Baptist church being established in Chervona Sloboda, Ukraine.  The school director in this town is adamantly against the new church and intimidates students and parents from attending.  This director is good friends with the manager of the main employer in the area which is a brewery.  These two have formed a powerful alliance against this church and much prayer is needed.

v     Please pray for souls to be saved this month during evangelism being conducted in Lutsk, Ukraine, as well as Dubovka and Dyedovsk in Russia.