Extended Ministry Opportunity

Although my family is my first ministry, God has given me an opportunity to extend that ministry. Today Yuri and Christina brought a lady named Svetlana with them to church. Following the services, Lina and I talked with her about having Bible lessons and she said that she would like to. So, we will be starting lessons with her on Wednesday an hour before the Wednesday meeting. Please pray that she will not cancel and will be there. Pray also for me that God will give me wisdom as I talk with her and for Lina.

JUST the Cook and Babysitter

The past few weeks have been exciting and exhausting. Now that we are living in the village, it seems like we have visitors almost every day. It has been a struggle to keep cookies or cake prepared (you can't be Ukrainian if you don't provide for your guests). The house is still not completely in order but it will probably be an ongoing process. What a blessing it is to know that whether everything is just right or not God is already using this home to win the lost! We were so excited when Tamara came and received Christ as her Saviour! While Eric was talking to her my job was to cook muffins, then the meal, while keeping the kids out of the living room (besides making sure that the house stays in "guest receiving" order, which is more difficult than I thought in a small house). Even though I was praying for her, Eric, and Lina the whole time, my old flesh of envy still kicked in. You would have thought that I would have been too busy for that, but alas it snuck up on me. For a second, I was wishing that I could be the one on the front line talking with people about the Bible. My flesh taunted me saying that I was there to be a missionary and instead Eric gets to do all the witnessing while I'm "stuck" watching kids and preparing food. BUT without my willingness to do all of this and if our home was in disorder with bratty kids, I know that my husband would not feel comfortable having people over. God has also recently immediately answered many of my "small" prayers, bringing to mind again the importance of prayer, showing me how I can always be part of my husband's ministry. I pray that I will never forget the importance of being a wife, mother, homemaker, prayer warrior and given to hospitality.

Wordless Wednesday

In the Village!

We are finally moved in to our new home in the village! I must admit that I was beginning to think that it would never happen. Every week we kept saying, maybe next week. It is SO nice to finally have most of our stuff unpacked and to be a little organized. The girls are not only adjusting, but loving the freedom a backyard brings. I just got my camera back from the repair shop (Anna sat on it when I was in America), so I'll try to post some pictures soon...or better yet, a video. There are still a lot of little things that we are working on, but we have the major done...a toilet and hot water. (Eric had those hooked up within 24 hours of us living here.)

Right now, all of the neighbors (and everyone else in the village) just watches us. Pray that God will open doors for us to reach them with the gospel, and for sanity as sometimes it is hard to be constantly watched like that. Also pray for the Christians here to be faithful. Before there excuse was that they didn't have a way to get to church on Sundays. This past Sunday, when we offered them a ride, they had other excuses-they were actually going to be in the city for other reasons! Please continue to pray for not only the lost, but also for the believers here.

Christ's Blood Alone

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" Romans 3:24,25

"Through faith in His blood..." Just reading through verses in the Bible, my heart is just overflowing with thankfulness and excitement over HIS BLOOD. I just cannot comprehend why someone could say that salvation "has nothing to do with the blood." My heart just wants to cry at the blasphemy against the blood of Christ. Yet there are so many people who would rather choose to believe in their good works than to believe in the blood! That is why Tatiana is not attending church anymore.

A few weeks ago, I approached her about her salvation. I just asked her what she was trusting in. During a trip to Israel years ago, she met a group that told her in order to be saved she had to attend their "church" for 40 days, then be baptized in the Jordan River. She believes that is what will allow her to go to heaven. Lina and I lovingly tried to point her to what the BIBLE says, but she closed her eyes and ears. We asked her again to do Bible lessons with us and she said, "Why do I need to? I am already saved." She was very friendly when she left, but has since hardened her heart and does not want to even talk to us. Please pray for her and the many others who are believing in something THEY'VE done instead of the BLOOD OF CHRIST. I just cannot understand how someone can believe that Christ died and yet that it means nothing and does nothing for us.

Praise the Lord that I am saved by His Blood!

If you would like to see the most beautiful house in Ukraine, click here.



Okay, so not everyone will agree with me, but that's okay. I can't wait to get moved in! I'm just itching to stop living out of suitcases and boxes and get the house set up. Once we do, the village Bible study will be held at our home. How nice it will be to finally be kinda (say that because there's always a chance that God will move us again) settled and not have to worry every year about where we will live the next year. Not only did He give us a settling place, but a beautiful little cozy home where we can get revived and rested to serve Him better, and a place for those in need. I pray that it will always be a place that points people to Jesus...whether it is the lost in need of salvation or believers in need of fellowship.

Wordless Wednesday