Wednesday, November 14, 2012

SEVERODVINSK INDUCTIVE TEACHERS' COURSE


Olga and I have a vision to spread the Love of God through teaching of the Word of God inductively throughout Russia... we realize that it is impossible to accomplish the task unless we train and equip enough disciples who would go in Jesus name and spread the Living Word throughout the former Soviet Union. 

Sometimes I forget where I am or where I have been or what day or time it is... seriously, everything is changing in our lives so quickly, we are always going somewhere to teach or help, all these changes could be confusing but the one thing that we teach that will never change is God's Word!!!

In the month of October we received the invitation from Severodvinsk Heart to Heart Church, which is in  Archangelsk Region to come teach 20 ministers who have a huge heart for missions and want to teach faithful people how to study the Bible inductively and understand the heart of God.

Pastor Andrey who had been teaching Inductive Bible Study (IBS) seminars for a while teamed up with me and traveled to Severodvinsk to teach ministers who signed up for IBS Teacher's Seminar. Pastor Konstantine, since he has been teaching the Bible inductively at Heart to Heart Church came alongside and tought some of the assignments encouraging the participants to get ready to conduct IBS seminars throughout the Archangelsk Region. Four days of the seminar went just fabulous! We had a great time with our brothers and sisters in the Lord!. By the last day of the seminar we saw how 5 out 20 can teach an IBS seminar (Level 1) even now and 5 more guys are on the way! We came back to Cherepovets all encouraged and refreshed!

Thank you to all who sent the support and prayed for us as we were doing missions work in Russia this time!!!   

RUSSIA MISSIONS OUTREACH

This past month Olga and I were tremendously blessed to experience one of the best missions outreaches ever! The team the Lord put together was amazing! There were six people from JVC Northern Ireland, one sister came from Word of Life Church of Kirov, one from Transformation Church of Vologda and a couple of pastors from Light of Hope Church of Cherepovets as well as Olga and me. We could not have asked for a more cohesive group of people! Every day was a new adventure as the Lord was talking to us about His plans for that particular day... because that is the way He operates! Almost a year ago the Lord laid it on my heart to host a tree day conference in Cherepovets, Russia where people would come and taste the goodness of our Lord. We invited all the churches to come together and participate in "Celebrating the Life of Christ" Conference. More than 150 people attended the services each and every day. Our team was focused on serving the Word of God and praying for people and leading them to the Rock of our salvation. Pastors of different churches and their wives attended the conference and really enjoyed the presence of God as His powerful Word had been preached! A lot of people rededicated their lives to Jesus, some of the participants confessed their sins and believed in the Gospel afresh. That first week was real full, we all worked really hard and had a great great time serving people of God together! It was huge blessing for me to watch each of the team member teach the Word, pray with people and see the people respond and very often in tears of repentance or joy! For that, we praise the Lord! On Sunday Olga and I divided the team into three groups and sent them to serve three different towns where our ICM of Russia partners pastor their churches. We are blessed to receive letters, emails and facebook messages about how blessed the people became in Vologda, Cherepovets, Belozersk and Kirillov. It was a long long Sunday but every one of us had an awesome time!!!!!

After we were done ministring there in Cherepovets, Vologda, Belozersk and Kirillov we as a team traveled to Moscow to hold our annual ICM of Russia Forum 2012. More than 30 pastors, worship leaders, children ministers and their wives came to spent three days in the Word of God, prayer, and fellowship. The church leaders we have ministered to, have so much in common; they love the Lord, they love God's Word, they adore people of God and they want to know and understand God's will for their lives and walk daily in His presence! Everyone of us realize that we need to work on our ministries from a Biblical perspective rather than just cultural, but how do you break away from decades if not centuries of Russian Orthodox Church dominance? The answer is with God's Word and the power of the Holy Spirit! By the last day of the Forum we saw pastors being encouraged and renewed and refreshed to teach through the Bible in their churches and bring life of Christ as they serve people in their communities. The Word convicted and encouraged many to reconsider and keep up with good works in the Kingdom of God. We praise the Lord that His Word doesn't return void and He is faithful to complete that which He has begun!

After we were done ministering there in Moscow, Olga and I came back to Cherepovets to do some work at the Light of Hope Street Children's Shelter and Light of Hope Church of Cherepovets where we were able to bless the ministry with the funds and encourage ICM of Russia friends and partners to replace the old windows at the shelter. It is a huge project but it is a working progress! Praise the Lord! We were able to buy a new laptop and fix an older machine so that kids can learn to use computers to do their homework and play educational computer games. Kids really enjoy coming to the shelter to get some physical and spiritual food, computer and social skills. Olga and I were very blessed to see how God is using Tatyana and Abner and Nelly as they serve the Lord and street kids who come to the shelter on a regular basis.

NORTHERN IRELAND MISSIONS OUTREACH

Dear Ministry Partners and Friends!

Olga and I would like to thank all of you for your prayerful and financial support you sent our way as we were getting ready for the missions trip to Northern Ireland and Russia. We can testify today God had heard and answered all your prayers! Jesus is too awesome!! Olga and I were blessed with warm fall weather and warm greetings from friends, family, and neighbors and new faces from different places we hit while we were in Ireland and Russia.

Northern Ireland gleamed with all the love and the glory of our Lord administered by our precious brothers and sisters in the Lord at JVC! As soon as we entered the church pastors and friends greeted us with hugs and kisses. The day was tremendously blessed! Wow! Thank you to all who prayed for the trip! Those who contributed from their precious resourses and pockets, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! We were blessed!!! Also to all our friends in Ireland who tirelessly poured out their energy and strength in hosting us and doing the ministry together both in Ireland and Russia.... thank you for being like Jesus!!!!

Praising the Lord for salvation that took place at church where we served that Sunday morning. Mr. Tyler, a friend of mine and a dear brother in the Lord who came to us in California for training and discipleship went on a trip to Ireland with us. On Sunday he shared his story about what God had done for him throgh ICM. God is my witness, it was powerful! The Lord used Tyler to prepare the hearts of men that morning to receive the Word of God willingly! My Irish friends just fell in love with the guy and invited him back next year. The Lord blessed me with  a great message from the book of Luke and I delivered it in the power of the Holy Spirit, praise God. This one gentlemen by the name of Robert came out to pray Jesus into his heart that morning. It happened to be that he was my friend Adam's father. We all wept, sheding the tear of joy! Jesus saves!!!!!! 

Also Olga and I were invited to the wedding and it was my joy and privilege to pray the blessing over that beautiful couple! It was a great service! Pastor Lewis preached a great sermon and blessed all of us at the wedding! We also did a mid week service there at JVC and were tremendously blessed by what God had done at the service. We just love this beautiful church!