Team Kharkov Requests April 29th-May5th

"Is not this the fast that I choose:  to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?  Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.  Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'" (Isaiah 58:6-9a)  
  
Pastor Yuri Poshtak and his family minister in the city of Zmeeov ("The City of Snakes") about 30 minutes south of Kharkov, and Zhenya Molodchy, with his wife Natasha and their children, works as missions pastor at Christian Life Church in Kharkov (Pastor Yuri and Zhenya are shown in the photo below).   Both of these families have made the choice to "fast" to the Lord through living each day sacrificially for His glory.

While visiting with Pastor Yuri this past week, he shared with us that generally, the people in their city are not receptive to the gospel.  Then, he told us he had gone to the center of the city the Saturday before Easter to do some street evangelizing.  As he walked along some streets, he handed out a few Bibles to people he met along the way.  He had the opportunity to begin a conversation about the gospel with some people, and others began to gather around and listen.  

After a few minutes, some of the men in the group who were opposed to the gospel message went to their homes and returned quickly - one with a shovel and one with a long metal pipe. When they began to threaten Yuri's physical safety, he decided it was time to leave.  Yet we understand according to the scripture in Isaiah that "the glory of the Lord shall be" Yuri's, and our rear guard whenever we chose to walk forth into the world in the righteousness of Christ!  

Sunday, April 29th  Today has been designated by Baptists in Ukraine as the day of prayer for Ukraine.  Call out with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters in Christ for the Lord to answer the cries of His people for the multitudes who do not yet know Him as Savior and Lord!  Pray for an outpouring of His Spirit in this land that will impact every level of society, from government officials to the homeless on the street.

Monday, April 30th  Zhenya and Natasha Molodchy are expecting their 3rd child in late August/early September.  Natasha was hospitalized last week for bed rest, with concerns for a potential miscarriage.  Zhenya is our Ukrainian coordinator for our volunteer team, and will be with the team all of next week.  Petition the Lord for healing of Natasha, and that she would be released from the hospital to rest at home.  Pray for Zhenya as he continues with full time ministry at Christian Life as well as working alongside Team Kharkov and our volunteer team next week.

Tuesday, May 1st  Intercede for Amanda and I as we finalize all the plans for the Mississippi team that will work in Zmeeov, Balaklaya, and Kharkov (at Christian Life Church) May 6th-11th.  Pray the Father would give us wisdom and knowledge of His will as we prepare every detail for the work ahead.  

Wednesday, May 2nd  Pray for our Ukrainian friends who are working through the Breaking Free study one day at a time, allowing the Lord to teach them by the power of His Word.   Ask the Lord to enable each one to release those things in their lives that have held them captive, and walk in the freedom of Christ.

Thursday, May 3rd  A team of 20 men and women from several different churches in Mississippi will leave the states today, traveling over 5,000 miles to arrive in Kiev, Ukraine on Friday, then on to Kharkov, arriving Saturday morning, Kharkov time.  Pray the Lord would grant them "uneventful" travel each step of the way.  Ask Him to expedite all the 40 pieces of luggage from plane to plane along the journey. Ask Him to enable them to rest each leg of the journey.

Friday, May 4th  Intercede for the team as they arrive in Kiev, that each of their pieces of luggage will arrive with them and be cleared with no problems.  Pray for the team as they travel by train overnight, arriving in Kharkov at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning.  

Saturday, May 5th  We praise Him for the passion He has given members of this team from Mississippi for the people of the Kharkov region of Ukraine.  Ask the Lord to grant them rest tonight in preparation for beginning ministry through medical outreach and construction on the Zmeeov church building tomorrow.  Pray for the hearts of many in Zmeeov, Balaklaya, and the area around Christian Life Church in Kharkov to be made ready to receive Christ through this week of reaching out with His love.

IMPACTing the Kharkov Region of Ukraine with the love of Christ!

     

Team Kharkov Requests April 22nd-28th

"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your NAME and renown are the desire of our hearts." (Isaiah 26:8)

Sometimes, I'm not very good at waiting.....sometimes I want it ALL, and I want it NOW!  Yet the longer I walk with Him, the more I realize it is the journey, and even the waiting, that are the most exciting part of this life.  Just as a child with sparkling eyes focusing on the "prize" on Christmas morning, anticipating what is under all that glitter, I find myself expectantly waiting for him to "unwrap" the gift - the revelation of just how he is going to make his name and himself known in the world in which I walk.  

We have much to do in the next two weeks as we prepare for a team from Mississippi that has a passion and desire to make HIS name known in the Kharkov region of Ukraine!  Yet the greatest "preparation" is prayer, asking our great God to work in and through us, by the power of his Spirit, to open the eyes of the spiritually blind to One who loves them unconditionally, who, out of that great love chose to die for them, and wants them to say "yes" to that love for an eternity!

May his NAME and renown be the ultimate desire, and driving passion of our hearts in the days before us!

Sunday, April 22nd  Amanda continues to join with the youth at Christian Life church in the study of "Experiencing God."  Pray for the Ukrainian brothers who help lead this group, and for the youth who are attending to surrender their lives more completely to the Father's will.  Ask the Lord to lay a strong foundation for youth ministry in this church that will reach out to the community.

Monday, April 23rd  Pray for Amanda and I as we travel to Zmeeov this week to meet with Pastor Yuri, and on to Balaklaya to meet with the pastor there in preparation for our volunteer team arriving next Saturday.  Pray for our eyes and our hearts to be open to His plans, and His will for the work that is to come.   Intercede for each person who will be his hands, his heart, and his feet, as well as for those to whom they will minister.

Tuesday, April 24th  Intercede for the time Amanda has each Tuesday individually with Yana (young Ukrainian believer), Marina (young woman seeking Truth), and Natasha (believer studying Breaking Free).  Pray she will not grow weary throughout the day, but will be strengthened by the Spirit as she invests her heart and life into these young women.
  

New Life of Spring!

Wednesday, April 25th  Praise the Father with us for the new life in Christ that has been received by "A," one of the young women attending the Breaking Free group on Wednesday evenings.  Pastor V (New Hope) shared last week that "A" had repented at their services on Easter.  Pray the Lord would continue to use our time of study together to change us by the power of His Word, through the Holy Spirit.

Thursday, April 26th  The Book Club continues to study the Scriptures, now focusing on the days following Christ's resurrection.  Ask the Lord to grant us wisdom in knowing His plans for the future of this small group that has been meeting for several years.  Petition the Lord to lead each person attending who is not yet a believer into a personal, intimate, eternal relationship with Christ.

Friday, April 27th  Pray for our international students as they prepare for and take their final exams in the days and weeks ahead.  Ask the Lord to continue to draw them to himself even as they experience the stress and tension of study and testing in another culture.  Pray the Lord would grant them favor as they go through their oral and written exams.

Saturday, April 28th  Amanda and I will attend a wedding today for one of our young women from Breaking Free (Karina) and a young man from New Hope International Church.  Pray this young couple will be used by the Lord to make HIS NAME known in the Kharkov region of Ukraine.  Ask the Lord to bless them as they begin serving Him in the unity of marriage.

IMPACTing the Kharkov Region of Ukraine with the love of Christ!

Team Kharkov Requests April 15th-21st

"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.....For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:  that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures....."  (1 Cor. 15:1, 3-4 NIV)

Христос воскрес! Воистину воскрес! (Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!)  These words will ring out across the land tomorrow as Ukrainians celebrate Paska or Easter.  Yet, even as they speak those words, and see the new birth of spring, most have no understanding of the One who died for them on a cross, that they might walk in newness of life.  Pray the power of the Holy Spirit will convict hearts and lead many to repentance as the glory of Christ is revealed through the people of God, and through his creation!

Sunday, April 15th  Easter is the most celebrated holiday in Ukraine.  Many "not-yet-believers" will attend church today for perhaps the only time this year.  Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the lives of believers and "not-yet-believers" alike.  Ask the Lord to ignite a passion for him in the hearts of multitudes of Ukrainians.

Monday, April 16th  Last Wednesday, Amanda joined with youth from "XTZ" Church and Pastor Vitaly Maslyanka to minister with the love of Christ to special needs children at a local orphanage.  Praise the Lord for their desire to be the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus for "the least of these" among us.  Pray the seeds planted into the hearts of children and workers will take root, grow, and bear the fruit of repentance in the weeks to come.

Tuesday, April 17th  Pray for Amanda and I today as we visit an English class at a local private school to share the truth of the Resurrection of our Lord through Resurrection Eggs.  Ask the Lord to work in the hearts of the young women in the class as they read the Word and tell the story themselves from materials provided.  Pray the power of His Word will penetrate their hearts and minds with Truth!

Wednesday, April 18th Please continue to pray for the Breaking Free group from New Hope meeting each Wednesday evening.  The Lord is working through the power of His Word to speak hope, healing, and truth into the hearts of the 10+ women who come each week.  Petition the Lord to continue to tear down strongholds in each of our hearts, that we might walk in the freedom of Christ, proclaiming Truth to those around us.

Thursday, April 19th  We praise Him for the opportunity to show the "Jesus" film last week to some of the participants of The Book Club English group.  Ask Him to grant Amanda and I knowledge of His will for Bible study in the weeks to come.  Pray those who have come to this group over the past 5+ years will be drawn to follow Him more passionately. 

Friday, April 20th  Our first volunteer team is scheduled to arrive in Kharkov in just over 2 weeks!  Pray for Amanda and I as we make certain everything is in place for transportation, housing, translators, and ministry.  Intercede for the Lord to prepare hearts and minds of many for the planting of the seed of the gospel in Zmeeov, Balaklaya, and the area around Christian Life church in Kharkov.  Pray for our Ukrainian doctor and translators to be refreshed and renewed in preparation for the week of ministry to come.

Saturday, April 21st  We praise Him for all He has done in the hearts and minds of international students through the study of Breaking Free over the past few months.  Tonight we will celebrate completing the study with our last discussion group and dinner.  Pray the Lord will inhabit the praises of his daughters tonight as they proclaim victory over the strongholds in their lives.  Ask the Lord to strengthen them to walk in the freedom He desires them to have as they prepare to return to their homes for the summer months.

We covet your prayers, knowing the Lord works through the prayers of His people.  Please continue to pray for us as we seek His plans for Team Kharkov for future ministry in this region.  Pray he will raise up Ukrainian believers with a vision for starting new work throughout the city and region of Kharkov, and that we might have the opportunity to join many of them in that work.

IMPACTing the Kharkov region of Ukraine with the love of Christ!

Team Kharkov Requests April 8th-14th

"But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities:  The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.  All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him."  (Isaiah 53:5-6)  "I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20 ESV)

As with the celebration of Christmas, we will celebrate 2 Resurrection Sundays - this Sunday with most of you, and next Sunday with most of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. During our Bible time with "The Book Club" Thursday evening, Amanda taught on Palm Sunday and the events of the last week of Jesus' life, leading up to the cross and His death.  

She then reminded them about Passover, and taught them about the other Jewish feasts that are celebrated around this time and how significant it was that Christ was crucified at this particular time....."the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).  Some remembered the origin of the Passover from our Old Testament study several years ago.  We continue to watch as the Lord works in the lives of those who come, taking them step-by-step closer to living lives by faith in the Son of God, or going deeper into a relationship with Him after coming to that place of being "crucified with Christ."  

Amanda and some of the folks in The Book Club

As I write this, I am overwhelmed with what Christ did for me, listening to an arrangement of "Worthy is the Lamb/Crown Him with Many Crowns," and acknowledging MY need to daily choose to be "crucified with Christ" so that He is the One who reigns within my heart, mind, and life.  As we celebrate the amazing truth of the Resurrection of our Lord, my prayer is that each of us who confess that we are "Christians" would choose to daily "take up our cross and follow Him."   May the words that Ukrainians proclaim during these days of the "Paska" (Easter) festivities be true in our hearts:  "CHRIST IS RISEN!"  "HE IS RISEN, INDEED!"

Sunday, April 8th  "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week.....Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.  Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.'"  (John 20:19-21)  Rejoice today in the Resurrection!  Allow His peace to reign in our hearts.  Pray each of us will go out with rejoicing, into a world that needs to know our Risen Lord, proclaiming by our lives the Truth of the Good News - Jesus Christ.

Monday, April 9th  Preparations continue to fall into place for a volunteer team from multiple churches in Mississippi that will arrive in Kharkov on May 5th.  Intercede for our Ukrainian brothers who are working to complete all the necessary paperwork so that this team has "official" permission to work in any Baptist Union church in this region.  Pray for favor with our Ukrainian officials in Kharkov and Kiev as these documents go before them for signature.

Tuesday, April 10th  For most of our Ukrainian churches, this is "Passion Week" leading up to Resurrection Sunday.  Pray for the special church services that most of the Baptist churches will have this week commemorating the events in the life and crucifixion of our Lord.  Intercede for the pastors and church leaders as they prepare sermons for this week, asking the Lord to fill their hearts and minds with His words.  Pray for those who do not yet know Him as they are invited to attend with friends and family, that hearts would be made ready to receive Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Wednesday, April 11th  Praise Him for how He is using the study of  "Breaking Free" to take believers deeper into His Word, and into an understanding of the freedom we have in Christ!  Pray for the 10-12 Ukrainian women who meet each Wednesday evening to go phrase-by-phrase through this study, and His Word, that they might truly know truth.  

Thursday, April 12th  We will watch the "Jesus" film tonight during our "Book Club" english group.  Ask the Holy Spirit to fill the hearts and minds of those who come with the truth of the gospel.  Pray each one of us will be pierced by His love, and His obedience to the Father, that led to His death, burial, and resurrection.  

Friday, April 13th  Pray for Pastor Yuri (Zmeeov), Pastor Vladimir (Balaklaya), and Amanda and I as we coordinate the transportation and clinic details for the Mississippi team.  Petition the Lord to work in the hearts of believers to reach out with love to their neighbors in these small cities, and to prepare the hearts of those who are not yet believers to receive with joy the Good News of Christ.

Waiting for the priest

Saturday, April 14th  This evening, multitudes of Ukrainians will line up at Orthodox churches with baskets of food and drink items, waiting to receive a blessing from a priest.  Behind the priest who will sprinkle them with "holy water" will be another with a box to receive an offering for the blessing.  Join us in praying for reformation within the Orthodox church, and an outpouring of His Spirit wherever His Truth is proclaimed, that multitudes in this land will enter into a personal, intimate, eternal relationship with the Risen Lord.  Pray the light of the gospel will penetrate hearts, enabling them to understand the price for their salvation was paid for on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Impacting the Kharkov Region of Ukraine with the love of Christ!