Mission Trip to Belozyersk

Last week I led the mission’s team on another mission trip to a city called Belozyersk. Pastor Vitaly asked us to come and do an evangelical event like the one we did in Kirilov a couple months back. Vitaly and his church are going through kind of a hard time lately. In order to provide for his growing family Vitaly has been trying to split his time between pastoring a church and running a plumbing business as well as helping his wife run a thrift store. Over time both Vitaly and the church have started to feel worn out. It is our vision and desire to grow bigger people thru the IBS training.

We spent five days in Belozyersk, walking the streets, in the cold wind and rain, sharing the gospel and inviting people to our evangelical meetings. It was hard because of the weather and the hardness of the people. Never the less, several people came to our meetings and listened to testimonies and a gospel message. It is a joy to see the Spirit working through His people. I take a lot of pleasure in watching the mission team grow as we work to further the kingdom.

During the week I was able to sit down and have a real heart to heart with Vitaly and his wife Julia. And through this meeting the Lord has laid it on my heart to do what we can to help build up a team here in the Church and try to make it strong again. I am convinced that if we invest a little time and effort into this church they can and will be a great partner to ICM Russia. I see a lot of potential in the church.

Sunday we had a great service. I felt led to have Nate, our missionary friend from America, lead the Bible study and I translated for him. He is still getting used to life in Russia and this was a little trying for him. But the Spirit moved and people where blessed by what he said. Later we went to a rehab center and there Nate shared about abiding in the vine. Again this was hard for him but the Spirit blessed the guys there and one man took a step of faith.

We are most likely going to be spending more time here in Belozyersk helping them in any way we can. We are blessed to be able to have done this trip and look forward to what God has for us later. We thank you all for your prayer and support, without which we would not be able to do any of this. I would ask that you join us in praying for the church in Belozyersk and pastor Vitaly, that they would have wisdom and strength to follow where the Lord leads. I really believe that through you’re and our prayer the Lord will do mighty things in Russia. May the Lord’s grace abound in you, that you may be filled with His peace and joy as we fight to build the temple of the Lord.

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Thank You Letter From Moscow

We received this letter of thanks from the Seminary in Moscow. They where blessed by the training we gave them. It is our great pleasure that they received a blessing from us. We pray that they will be able to apply what we taught them in their ministries as the go out and build a strong and healthy church.

IBS Seminar in Tchaikovsky.

Alex just got back from a successful seminar in Jesus Christ Church in a city called Tchaikovsky. Pastor Victor Baranov and around 100 people came and listened to the Word. The presence of the Lord was very strong as people showed sincere interest in the studying of the word. Many were inspired and renewed. Here is what some of their comments:

There is a huge need for this ministry in the church. Many people just read the Word and do not really meditate on it. However we need to listen to the Word because it is living and active. Thank the Lord for this seminar. I received many revelations during this seminar. I saw that I have many things lacking, and learned a lot. May God bless your team as you continue to serve the Him. - Brother Jura

Your ministry is very timely and huge help. I received many useful tools from this seminar. I hope to apply this very practical doctrine in leadership and in service. Praise the Lord for your work! - Grigory Abdulin

Intensive Care Ministries is a blessing and a very timely help. I learned how to search the Scriptures, get to know the Lord personally and grow closer to Him. We received the answers to several questions through this seminar. - Family of Nazmutdinovyh

The seminar was very understandable and clear. My understanding was deepened. This ministry brings new a encouragement and motivation to listen to the Word of God, and to do it. - Family of Satinyh.

I thank God for this service. Because of this seminar, I have learned how to successfully interpret the Bible. I learned that that by doing observation, interpretation, and application, I can comprehend the Word of God to its complete fullness, rather than simply reading. - Alexander Sazontov

I thank our Lord for the ICM seminar. Through it we are inspired, strengthened in our belief and simply blessed. I am very glad to have been able to participate in this seminar. - Brother Gleb

The depths and beauty of the sanctity of the Lord are opened to us by this seminar! I wish you successes and longevity in Christ! - Michael Mihajlov

Through this seminar the Scriptures became even closer, clearer to me. I have new understanding what it means, that Word is for us today. I have learned how important it is to look at the context and to dig deep into the text. - Alena, Tchaikovsky.

Mom was Hospitalized in Cherepovets

Mama Valya was hospitalized again because of her critical condition. She is diagnosed with recurrent cancer of the esophagus. She has been given treatment in the hospital. Please pray with us as we travel to St. Pete for another test on October 14. Mom will be checked on cancerous cells in all of her body. This very test costs 16000 rubles which is about $580. The Lord has blessed us with this amount through Calvary Chapel Placerville. Thank you, friends so very much! To ALL of you who pray and support us in this dark hour we would like to say a BIG, HUGE THANK YOU!

IBS Seminar in Veliki Ustyug

It was my pleasure to send out a team to a small town called Veliki Ustyug to teach an IBS seminar. There is a small church there just starting out that really needs some help and asked us to come over there. As a leader of the group Abner brought Valentine, Nate and Sveta to this beautiful town. It was Nate and Sveta’s first seminar. Nate taught the seminar and Sveta translated for him. Nate came back all fired up and here's what he shared with me and the rest of the team:

On Friday, Abner, Valentine, Sveta, and I went to a small town called Veliki Ustyug to teach my first IBS Seminar. I think it is fun that we went to the city where supposedly the Russian Santa Clause lives. We went to teach the truth in the heart of what I believe to be one of the world’s best deceptions. We went to a small church that is just starting in the city. Valentine has family in the city and had become acquainted with the church. He saw the need in the church for what we offer here at Intensive Care Ministries.

I was excited to be able to finally teach people how to study the word inductively, book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. I am eager to share with others what God has used in my life to change me in mighty ways. If I have ever seen a group of people that need to learn how to study the Word correctly this group is definitely one of them. These people are hungry for the Word, and as I looked at them I saw them through the eyes of Jesus; as sheep without a shepherd. We jumped into the course right away by and though there was a little hesitance on their part at first, when they saw how they could learn to work with the texts of the Bible they were eager to learn. There is a lot I have to learn about dealing with Russian people and about the false doctrines that are crippling the church today, but I know that we have the only antidote that will help heal the church. As we spent three days going through the course it was a joy to see their hearts moved and their desire grow like a fan on the flame.

The team worked very well together and I was pleased to see how the Holy Spirit was able to bring us together to teach his sheep. Sveta is a great interpreter, Abner a great leader, and Valentine has a huge heart for the Lord. I look forward to working together with them in the future as God leads us to different places to strengthen the Church. We have already decided that we will most likely come back to this city in the next couple months to try to teach the second course. We have given them homework so that we can see if they are ready for the second course, if not we will review what they have learned. I hope that they are able to apply what they have learned and are diligent to take the time to really get into the Word. I would ask that you would join me in praying for these people, that they would be filled with the Spirit and filled with wisdom to be able to learn the first course well enough to move on to the second. I am convinced that through our faith we will be able to strengthen these people and give them the tools they need to grow into a strong and healthy church.

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