Oh my, that was quite a break from writing memos! Although we did send out a Christmas newsletter. If for any reason you are not receiving our actual newsletters and would like to, please drop us a note and we will remedy that.
PRAISE
We had a beautiful Christmas with our daughter and family and some of their coworkers and friends, including the two refugees who still live with them. It was such a joyous time. A full meal at their church on Christmas Eve with over 130 people in attendance. Lots of fun and laughter and singing and sermon and gift giving. Their church has been growing steadily in the midst of all the sorrow and pain here. And, probably because of all the sorrow and pain as people seek meaning in life.
I could write on and on about all the good things, and, Abe and I extended the Christmas holidays more or less until yesterday, although we did have to do some serious work last week. But still felt in the holiday mood. And, yes, our Christmas tree is still up! We still haven’t totally switched over from Christmas being on Jan 7!!!
A great joy on Saturday was to have a cup of coffee with Nikolai and Maria. Some of you may remember we asked prayer for him as he had serious cancer last year and went to Germany for treatment. He spent six months or so there having surgery and treatments, but he was allowed to come home for the holidays. He will need another surgery and will probably have to be there for another two or three months. But what a joy it was to see him looking well and full of testimonies of the goodness of God. How God provided translators and treatment and funds. It was just so uplifting. Nikolai came to Abe’s training sessions in Kyiv back in the early nineties and then he went several times to eastern Russia for a month or two at a time as a short-term missionary when we were training Russian leaders with courses. He is a pastor and a very faithful man. We rejoice so that it seems the treatments have put the cancer at bay. They have several children and all of them are faithful to the Lord and serving Him in different ways.
PRAYER
Most urgent is to pray for the workshop which is tomorrow and the next day (Tuesday and Wednesday). We asked you to pray many times all fall that God would raise up more people to start Centers of Hope. 130 people have registered! Praise the Lord! Being Ukraine—it does not mean that all of them will come but we praise the Lord for that high of a level of interest. Do pray for travel, we are having bitter cold right now. Pray for hearts to be open through the Holy Spirit to be challenged. And pray that God will call some of these people to start more Centers of Hope. WE cannot call. We can present the opportunity and need. So if you have opportunity to bathe these next two days in prayer, thank you.
And yes, Ukraine is under heavy attack again from Russia. We have had 3 very major missile/drone attacks starting on December 29. The most recent was early this morning with country-wide air sirens. Destruction, injuries, death. It was anticipated, that Russia was preparing to do more damage. There is no let-up on their attack either in the east or in other areas. More men are being called up in Ukraine—they are looking for a half million new recruits. Many wives and parents live with that uncertainty. And so anxiety and fear are high. Next week I will lead another session on Immanuel Prayer for Healing the Heart. There is so much trauma everywhere. We cannot help but pray for it to cease. But mostly our prayers are focused on seeing God deliver people from the kingdom of darkness and bring them into the Kingdom of Light!!
Colossians 1:13 “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” PRAISE GOD!
Be encouraged to keep on praying! Because, God wants all people to come to a knowledge of Him and to leave Satan’s kingdom of destruction and become members and citizens in the Kingdom of Heaven.
There is much more to write but that will have to wait for another day. People saved, people baptized, Abe leading a prayer meeting with the main denominational leaders again—and prayer requests as we go down the road. But, this will suffice for the day.
Your prayers make a difference! We firmly believe that and have experienced it!
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