Dearest friends and partners,
Warm greetings from cold Russia! March was a packed month! ICM-Russia team went to Vorkuta and Vologda to teach church core people, Christian workers and missionaries about how to study and preach the Word of God inductively. We encouraged the students of the Word to apply what they have learned in their everyday life to help their personal spiritual hygiene too. We spoke a lot about how to raise spiritual children, ministers, and new pastors for the work of the ministry feeding them on the Word on a regular basis. It is very important to realize that IBS vision starts with the pastor! God is my witness, it was a very fruitful time! The outcome from this time of ministry is that some of the participants are going to start teaching Bible studies once a week. This is way cool and a huge blessing!!! Please pray for the participants as they prepare each week for the study. They are so hungry to learn Gods word!
Another blessing was a special time in between sessions when people could come and confess their sin that had been bringing them down and hindering them from developing relationships with the Lord for a long time. It was a miracle how the Lord started that after one of the services. One of the praise and worship people came up to me and told me that the Lord spoke to him during the service that he needs to come talk and confess his sin that drags him down on a regular basis to us. He was so down and sad! My heart went out to him. As the man started opened up and it was not easy for him, it was not that easy for me either, I saw the Lord working on his heart in a mighty way. I saw the picture in the spiritual… the Lord cleaning the yard, weeding, scrubbing the floors, washing windows of the man’s soul, pressure washing the fence, chopping the poison brush. When we finished the guy went out of the room beaming the light of hope! It was marvelous!!! Next service I encouraged participants to feel free to come and talk to us. The blessing is that the people came. You pastors know that when people trust you and come to confess, it brings joy to your heart because people of God are cleansed, refreshed and renewed! Jesus was moving in the hearts of his people in a very powerful way!
Olga and I would like to say big, big Thank You to all who have sent your prayerful and financial support to ICM-Russia this month. We do appreciate your open heart to help us harvest in the former Soviet Union and to the ends of the Earth!
1 comment:
Beloved Igor & Olga, I am reading this blog in tears over the story about the worship singer who came to you to confess his sin....your response reminded me of our life today. We have literally been living in that spiritual picture you described; scrubbing, painting, weeding, working many long hours to restore a home that we financed for a brother and sister in the Lord who abandoned it and us, leaving the place in a mess! I am still working on forgiveness toward this couple,and our labor over the last four weeks has been part of that process. With the help of our dear CCP family, we have been cleaning up the mess, as well as restoring our faith in others. When you get back, we'll share.Thank you for the new perception you have given me! In His continued service, Heather
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