January     

                Slobodian Prayer Letter:  January - February 2003

Dear Pastors and Friends,

We trust this prayer letter finds you doing well for the glory of God.  We are so grateful for the opportunities the Lord gives us for missionary service in Russia and Eastern Europe and for each of you who kneel with us in prayer for the work being done in this part of the world.

            Our January sessions in Kyiv and Moscow where we are training national pastors, missionaries and Christian workers were a blessing despite the extra cold and snowy winter that folks in Russia are experiencing.  This time we had Dr. Tony Fox and Van Carpenter from Northland Baptist Bible College teaching along with Dr. Keith Gephart from International Baptist College in Tempe, Arizona as well as Dr. Ron Brewer who directs our educational programs in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Romania.

            One of the highlights of this time was getting together with the original group of church planters we trained and supported in the Moscow area.  Since it has been 10 years that our Moscow area church planting efforts began, we commemorated this event by having a special fellowship dinner with this key group of national missionaries. We had an exciting time as these men contemplated all that the Lord has done through our efforts together.   Over these 10 years, 14 churches have been established in the Moscow area.  Several are now self-supporting, four have completed building programs and a fifth has recently began to build a church building. At this meeting we also looked toward the future and discussed plans for evangelistic and Bible distribution efforts this year which we hope will lead to establishing churches in 3 new locations around the Moscow area.  Please pray for these plans.

            We are rejoicing in a steady harvest of souls.  Four of the teachers saved at our ministry in Zgurovka have followed the Lord in believer’s baptism and are regularly attending church.  This is the location where someone began spreading a rumor that our worker there, Luba Jumick (who is an outstanding soul winner) receives $15,000 for everyone whom she manages to convert.  Luba managed to confront this individual and say that though she does not receive $15,000 for each convert, in reality, she receives much more through the inheritance we have through Christ!  This incident turned out to be another opportunity to share the Gospel and the work in this needy place continues to produce eternal fruit for the glory of God.

We are also glad to report that the ministry in Desna, Ukraine, which has seen a large number of folks saved, began to hold regular Sunday services in February. A new outreach in Snitinka, Ukraine has launched a youth outreach which has reached 50 young people with 12 regularly attending.   There are also 20 attending a children’s ministry.  Therefore there is great potential for a new church to be established in this location.  Several of these new church plants need a piano or keyboard that can be purchased for $300.  Please pray that these would be supplied.

Finally, please pray that the events taking place with the conflict in Iraq do not hinder our missionary efforts.  Just as in much of the world, folks in Russia and Eastern Europe do not get a very positive view of America from their media and therefore the possibility of America going to war is looked at in a very negative way.   In this part of the world, our strategy of enabling nationals certainly makes a lot of sense.  When we equip nationals to reach their own people this allows Americans to stay in the background. This is proving to be the most effective and productive way to do missionary work in this ever-growing part of the world today.  May God bless and encourage each of you who are participating in this ministry through prayer and support.

 Your Missionaries,

        The Slobodians (Sam, Amy, Sarah, Susan, Steven, Sharon & Stephanie)