Praise Report

Dear Friends, Family, Partners - Loved Ones,

Last couple months have been truly a growing experience for Olga and I. The more we do the work of the ministry, the closer we get to the Lord, the more we learn, and the more we see how much we need to learn from the Lord. And our growing experiences aren’t stopping any time soon.

In September Olga and I had held our Annual ICM-Russia Leaders Forum. This was Nate’s first time he met the rest of the team of pastors and leaders spread out all over Russia and the former Soviet Union. Olga and I also had the pleasure of hosting our friends and partners Lewis and Adrian from Northern Ireland. They have known us and been working with us for about eight years now. These guys are on the board of the Light of Hope Shelter and have been instrumental in the ministry. They share our same vision and a very close relationship has developed over the years. These guys are fun, refreshing, encouraging and on fire for Jesus! Everyone of us who participated in the Forum learned a lot from the short week of fellowship we had.

In October I told Nate I was going to send him and a small team to a town called Veliki Ustyug to teach an Inductive Bible Study seminar and Sveta would be translating for him. That's what Nate shared with me the other day: "This was a little sudden for me and I didn’t really take it very well. I am not used to the sudden planning of Russian culture, and Igor is still getting used to how to communicate his plans to me. I was glad that Igor wanted me to get involved with IBS seminars and was grateful that Sveta was willing to help me with that, but I did not feel ready. I had gone through the course a couple times, watched the DVD seminar a couple times, and been to a seminar on how to teach the course, but had never taught a seminar, or even been on a team and watched it action. Now I was going to have to do it in Russia, with a slightly different manual I can’t read, and in a culture where I can easily get into big problems because of easy misunderstandings. In short I was not ready to go out on my own, at all! And this sudden thrust out of the nest was not going to fly with me! Igor felt for me and asked if Sveta and I would join him back to Moscow so we could watch him teach the IBS course to the students in the seminary where we held the ICM Forum. This put me at ease and I was glad to go. This trip to Moscow was again interesting. It was a good learning experience to watch Igor in action, specifically how he interacted with the students. At first the students where rather resistant and prideful, but I was impressed with the way Igor handled the situation. It did not take long before the students were very receptive. I learned how to be patient, loving, and gentle as I let the Word itself change their hearts through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The key is to be sincere and real, without shoving it down their throats. Then, when they see the pure motives of your heart towards them and the Word, they will receive the teaching..." After the trip to Moscow Nate and Sveta were ready to go to Veliki Ustyug. So two days after I was back from Moscow, I sent Abner, Valentine, Sveta and Nate to spend three days teaching people how to study the Bible. When they arrived there they were greeted by some of the most hungry, lost and needy people they have seen. The people there needed good solid Bible teaching and they needed it now. At first they were a little hesitant, but that is just the Russian nature. Pretty soon they where joyfully digging into the Word. However, the more we got into the Word more apparent it became that they had been fed a lot of false doctrines. I strongly believe the only true way broken people can be set right again is through the study of the Word in a balanced way that will teach you the whole counsel of God in a deep yet understandable manner coupled with the ministry of the Spirit. In other words, through the IBS method of studying the Word and the working of the Holy Spirit, lives will be changed!!! I was encouraged when I heard a couple weeks after the seminar that the people there were on fire for Jesus and it had been noticed by the pastor of the church who wants us to come again and teach a bigger crowd. Praise God for his misterious ways!

In November we are sending a small team to rehab center to teach IBS, Level 1. Also pastor Victor called me and asked to send Nate and Sveta to his church in a city of Vologda once a week to teach English, so Nate and Sveta help Victor to grow bigger people in his church. I am already trying to find more seminars for Nate to teach, and the Light of Hope Church we are starting here in Cherepovets is starting to gain momentum little by little.The other thing that I really need to do in November is to help Nate get permanent residency so that he can live here long term without worrying about visas, so he can work and travel more to do more seminars. Nate now has all he needs to file the paperwork so I am going to help him do that this week. This is my first time I am filing paperwork for residency, so I am not sure at all what to expect and would ask that you all would keep this in your prayers. Thank you for your prayers and support. As you can see you are enabling Olga and I to do things we would never have imagined possible, and could never do on our own. We together are working as the living body of Christ to build the Kingdom in the hearts of men. God bless you all, and may you be filled with His eternal grace and mercy, bringing peace, joy and righteousness!