Help to Renew Ukraine

Well, Abe had a double header

Well, Abe had a double header a couple of weeks ago and came home energized by all of God’s good works. It was demanding to run workshops back to back, but was a very good time. Always filled with testimonies and with prayer. Those are the mainstays of every workshop. Because (1) people need to hear real stories of what God is doing. And (2) we cannot do anything without God’s power, strength and wisdom. And so, some of our people even have creatively set up points of contact in their cities offering “Prayer for Peace” Some of them even have opportunity to pray with soldiers as they reach out. They pray for God to bring them “people of peace” whose hearts are open to Him. And God is! PRAYER More workshops coming up. Next week from May 13-15, and the following week May 20-22. Thank you for bathing these times in prayer. These people are also lifting up holy hands to the Lord Jesus to bring a great harvest for the Kingdom of Heaven in Ukraine! Here are a few verses for your meditation: 1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands…Leviticus 9:22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them,Exodus 17:11 So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.Psalm 63:4 So I will bless You as long as I live;I will lift up my hands in Your name. Psalm 28:2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.Lamentations 3:41 We lift up our heart and handsToward God in heaven; May the Lord encourage your heart as you pray for the salvation of souls, for the nurturing of these souls to thrive in the Kingdom of God, and for the Lord’s faithful workers in the harvest.

23 Apr

PRAISE in pictures

PRAISE in pictures taken from all the ministry that is happening across the country. Explaining the Gospel in a nursing home—both mother and daughter received Christ. Bible study held weekly in a correctional institute. Outdoor Bible studies already! Needy children receiving love at a Center of Hope (the blue and yellow sign in the background reads “Welcome to the Center of Hope) Children learning to read and study the Bible! And seekers Bible studies. Finding out the Bible speaks now, to them. Young and old—studying the Bible. Men and women—studying the Bible. Girls and boys—studying the Bible. The Words of Life! Just a small taste of some of the ministry going on! PRAYER Pray for more Centers of Hope to open. They are opening in different forms and ways, but the key is to reach out into the community—not to sit in a church building and wait! Another sign is going up for a Center of Hope. Praise the Lord! Pray for Abe and Vera. This week is very intense with two workshops back to back starting tonight (Monday) and finishing up Friday afternoon. Casting vision. Casting vision. Pray they will catch it! And here is a letter: The Council of Evangelical Protestant Churches of Ukraine makes efforts to protect Ukraine by appealing to the Speaker of the US Congress Mike Johnson and members of the House of Representatives. "On behalf of the Council of Evangelical Protestant Churches, which represents more than 8,000 churches and reaches nearly 2 million believers, we ask for your action and prayer," the letter to Speaker Johnson said. The letter was signed by the heads of 15 Protestant denominations of Ukraine. "As you know, on the night of April 10-11, another brutal Russian missile attack on Ukraine took place, a number of regions were attacked, and one of Ukraine's largest power plants was completely destroyed. In addition, there was another merciless attack on the outskirts of Odessa, in addition to drones, 9 Iskander ballistic missiles were launched. As a result of rocket fire in Odesa, 5 civilians died, among them another minister of the Protestant church, Vitaly Taranenko, who became another victim of Russian terrorism. We call on our brother in faith, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, as well as all Christian congressmen to protect Ukrainian churches and our entire people from genocide. We ask you to vote for the allocation of an aid package for Ukraine and extend to us now the hand of support that we so need. Nowadays, every day of delay brings new and new victims, our churches are destroyed, believers and ministers are killed and tortured, every day of delay hits the churches," explains Anatoliy Kozachok, the acting Chairman of the Council. (The attack on the power plant that is referred to, and that was totally destroyed, is not far from Dan and Priscilla.) Pray that Ukraine can continue to be a country with religious freedom. I understand right now that an aid bill has passed the House and will move on to the Senate and the President. And you can pray for that passing if you feel led. But the issue that has been from the beginning is that this is a spiritual battle. Russia is an oppressive country. Whether more money and more weapons help—I do not know. But on the basis of an issue of spiritual freedom—yes, every Christian needs to do what they can regardless of what country they live in. And from my perspective nothing will happen unless God does it. And thus—we pray on! If you feel helpless—do not. We serve a Mighty God with the power to change the events in the world. And our part is to ask.

21 Mar

Time marches on and circumstances sometimes limit

Time marches on and circumstances sometimes limit my ability to get more frequent updates out—but the Kingdom of Heaven marches on also! Praise His name! PRAISE Yes, Abe and Vera were pressed to their limits this month with all the meetings and all the follow up. But they both found their ways to victory even in the stresses! So important! They set the tone for the workshops and the people who come. And these people are already tired and burdened. So they need to see the path of victory in their leaders. At the last workshop Abe called me in the morning and said that 25 people had been led to the Lord in the past 3 weeks. By the time he returned home the next day all of the statistics had come in and 62 people had been saved! There were 81 people in attendance at the workshop! This is all personal evangelism. Not altar calls or street services but talking to individuals and asking for a commitment. The most recent event was this past Tuesday when Abe again had a meeting with leaders, chairmen of committees in the Baptist Union. He was feeling uncertain about his contribution but went ahead and shared as the Spirit had led, and the response was overwhelming. People are just ready! It is like after two years of war, stripped of hope, surrounded by suffering, they have opened their hearts and minds to God’s Spirit and are full of fire! They are ready for action! And as you know, Abe is certainly a man of action! So much ministry goes on. In the midst of so much hurt. Just a few pictures: Seeker Bible studies: Children’s ministries: Even designing t-shirts with the theme: God is with me! 5 teenagers got saved in this youth group! (This month!) And a last picture we leave with you: baptism. The goal—new citizens in the Kingdom of Heaven! PRAYER Do continue to hold Vera up in prayer. One of her brothers died this week. A sister-in-law died earlier this month. These things lay heavy on her heart and she does not have the option to go and participate. All of her family is in Crimea. And so, she grieves alone. Pray for her comfort. April will again be very busy with the first workshop Apr 2-3. In all Abe will have five meetings in April which means he will be a lot on the road even though they are only in Kyiv. It is a 4-5 hour drive one way depending on road conditions. And then the preparation for it all. He can only do so much in the strength of the Lord, and your prayers contribute to that. So—pray on! Easter will soon be here. Our church here has been doing a series gearing up to Easter, but one sermon was so impactful to me. The pastor went through several scriptures where Jesus was telling His disciples about the suffering ahead (which they did not comprehend) but He always ended with “and after three days be raised again” which the disciples were totally baffled by. But…how great the Hope of Easter, especially in a country that has been suffering war for 2 years. The battle on the front is very intense, relentless. They are training men for only 2 or 3 weeks and sending them off to the heat of the battle. But there are good solid believers among those soldiers who are sharing the Good News. There is a fresh influx of refugees from the east as the danger increases. Dan and Priscilla and their church are trying to provide for some of them. And in the midst of war their church is growing. People are finding Christ. It isn’t about death because—there is Resurrection! In the suffering, in the fear, there is Hope. We have a Risen Lord. He is not dead!!

13 Mar

I (Diane) decided to go in for a medical check last week

PRAISE I (Diane) decided to go in for a medical check last week to Kyiv as resources are better there. I ended up being there the whole week! Saw several specialists and spent an overnight in a cardiac hospital for testing. The overall report is that I have excellent health. Yeah, a bit wear and tear from the years rolling by, but everything important is functioning well. Does not answer why I have been lacking energy the past few months, but, I can live with that knowing that there are no pending issues! Praise the Lord! I just love the testimonies we have coming in from the level one workshop which is focused on especially on evangelism at this point, which means contacting people on the street. Michael: On Friday, my wife forgot her wallet in the store, on Saturday they called that they had found it and wanted to return it. When I met the saleswoman, I thanked her by giving her candy and told her that we were Christians. We went to the car, but I felt that I had not done everything. So I took the Prayer Pamphlet and went back to the store. I briefly gave my testimony: how God healed me from cerebral palsy as a child. That is why I am serving Him now. She started to cry. It turned out that her child, Anna-Maria, is not developing well. Taking her hand, I prayed to Jesus, thanked him for making me an example of Righteousness! And this reveals why the story with the wallet happened! I prayed for Anna-Maria, for her life and development, for mother Kateryna! May the Lord show His mercy to them, as He showed to me! Amen! PS: Please pray that the glory of the Lord will fill their hearts! That they accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! Amen. Anna: I want to share a testimony: It so happened that this time I was going back home by train from the workshop. My lady beside me was Natalya, a woman who was going to Germany to earn money. She needed medicine (I had just such) - and I shared it. Then I testified to her, she listened very attentively, and kept repeating that she could not believe that she met a person on the way who told about God🙏 And I kept thanking God for giving me such an opportunity - to share the Gospel with one more person... At the end, I prayed (placing my hand on her), she was very happy about it, asked me to send her a link to the online Gospel, so that she could listen to the Word of God, there, in Germany🙏 We continue our correspondence 😌 Vacil: Returning from the session on the train, God sent a girl Tanya whom we told about Jesus Christ using John 3:16. We testified what the Lord has done for each of us. Upon arrival, our car was nearby, and we offered to take her home. When we brought her home, my wife offered to pray and the girl agreed. And they prayed peacefully. We trust God. We thank God for everything. Amen. Many more testimonies and pictures people send of their ministries. What rejoices our hearts the most is how excited these people are about learning practical steps in connecting with people and leading them into the presence of Jesus. The spiritual need is so great. How will they hear? Thank you, Lord for these people who are “going”. PRAYER March is another heavy month. Abe has workshops the next two weeks (March 5&6, 12&13) and on the third week he has to go into Kyiv again for a leadership meeting (March 19). I have asked many times for prayer for safe travels and for wisdom and strength. Do pray for those things. But please hold Abe and Vera up very faithfully to the Lord. This task is huge. There are many people to minister to. Many people to counsel. Then praying and figuring out where extra help is needed. It is just on and on. Both of them are feeling drug out with the load. This schedule will go on until June so there are several months ahead. Pray that they both, in their individual ways, will find how to walk strongly through this time. That they would feel the Lord truly undergirding them. That they would receive fresh insights from the Lord. And that at the end of each day they would be able to lay the burden down, knowing that God is sufficient. I know for Abe the burden lays so heavily on his heart about people being lost and not having heard the Gospel. A burden we should all have. But he dreams about it even. They are soldiers on the frontlines—but the frontlines of heavenly battles. And you could say that Abe and Vera are “generals” leading the troops forward. Ukraine is falling back from their frontlines because they are lacking ammunition, among other things. In the Kingdom of God we need to press forward and gain territory for our Mighty King! And He is all-powerful! Pray that He would release His power in Ukraine.

13 Feb

Some of you asked what Abe was doing

PRAISE Some of you asked what Abe was doing in the picture I posted last time! LOL He was illustrating the Good Samaritan and, since the focus is on evangelism, relating it to reaching out to the needy people around us who are attacked and wounded by satan and need someone to help them. We rejoice in testimonies of people going out and evangelizing on the street. Not just waiting for someone to come to them. Just one example in these pictures of some creativity in reaching out. The sign says “Coffee and the Incredible”. Going to a village and offering coffee—and hope—from the back of their car! Abe also encourages them to take candy with them andgive it to ADULTS as a way of connecting. The personaltouch!! Showing Jesus’ love in a tangible way. And people respond and listen and are willing for someone at least to pray for them. So much more could be written. Women who are using Immanuel Prayer and also learning the principles of evangelism A group of young leaders being trained by “Abe’s” people (but more importantly “God’s” people) to evangelize teenagers. A two-day meeting that was blessed with God’s presence by their own testimony. Yes, and people being led to the Lord and baptisms, with the vision of nurturing and discipling them and helping them to become workers in the harvest! PRAYER Yes, and much to pray about. Abe is leading another workshop today (already) with his second year people. Pray that they will be strengthened and encouraged. One situation is very difficult. A couple working in Kyiv have been very successful in leading people to the Lord, but the “mother” church wants to claim that this is “their” work but does not want to help at all with their financial support. This is very concerning to Abe. Our goal is to help all of these couples move to a place that they are “weaned” off of western support. We are in danger of going back to the mindset that was here in Ukraine when we came 30 plus years ago. “We are poor. We can’t do anything. We just need help.” Indeed, they are poor. They do need help. But…they can do SOMETHING! Therefore this couple will be faced with the decision of continuing their ministry without our support, or moving to another needy place to start again. Pray for Eugene and Kathy. The next workshop, which is for “first year” people will be Feb 20-21. Abe and I will be going to Kyiv already on Saturday as I will have a medical checkup there on Monday. (And therefore will not likely send another message before that time.) He does not get home until tomorrow night and so will have only two days to make sure all is in place before we leave. Pray for the details! Pray also that God will continue to move in the hearts of those who have come, that He will bless them as they seek to evangelize, and that He will call those who should become leaders of a Center of Hope. As I have tried to explain before, some of them already are leaders, but have not completed the training to move to the next level. But others are experiencing this training for the first time. And we desire to see “many” of them become leaders of Centers of Hope. May this be the prayer of each of us (and you can pray it for these leaders and evangelists): Holy Spirit, stir in my heart and call me to my knees again and again until my life’s breath is prayer. May revival start within me and spread to every person in my sphere of influence. Shatter the darkness around me with Your holiness as You awaken Your people to the reality of Your power and Your Presence in our midst! From Harvest Ministries

01 Feb

We have a rental agreement for another 13 months!

PRAISE the Lord! We have a rental agreement for another 13 months! No increase in rent! All is good. And it gives us great peace of heart. (We have a long history with the house for those who don’t know. And in 2021 the landlord and landlady {brother and sister} died and the house has been in a nebulous state since then with the heir to the property living in Russia.) The workshop this week was attended by about 100 people, all of whom seem truly engaged. Many of them committed to seek to lead someone to the Lord in February. Towards the end of the meeting, on Wednesday, Abe told them that those who were not planning or already involved in starting a Center of Hope could be dismissed while he discussed specific details. Only one man got up and left! If you have heard Abe speak then you know that he is dynamic and likes audience involvement. 😊 He came home feeling invigorated and excited about the future. Pray that God would work in the hearts and lives of all of these people. There were also a number of women there, so we are not talking about leaders for 100 Centers yet, but…probably as many as we can handle at this time to help them get up and going. Many different situations. Many beautiful testimonies of how God had been working, so many that Abe had to limit them. Psa 126:6 “He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” Abe has been heavily burdened and certainly he is rejoicing right now! But pray now for these men and women as they go out to sow seed and—to harvest!

Page 2 of 14

Prayer Blog