Team Kharkov Requests August 12th-18th

"Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!  Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!  For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens" (Psalm 96:1-5)

For over 2 weeks, much of the world has been captivated and tuned in to the 2012 Summer Olympics.  I haven't had much opportunity to watch them, but I try to read  about some of the athletes when they are mentioned in sports headlines online.  One in particular, Gabby Douglas,  stands out in my memory this morning because she simply gave all the glory for her performance to the Lord.  Others have bowed on the track, or raised a finger to the sky, or in some other way seemed to acknowledge the LORD , but her "tweet" just before the all-around competition so simply stated truth:   "Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me."  

I am in awe of all the good things He does for me, including allowing me to live out my life at this time in a place called Kharkov, Ukraine!  As a child of the King, my task, regardless of my giftedness, regardless of where I am, or what I am doing in this moment, is to use my life to declare his glory!  As I read out of Psalm 96 this morning, the words of a song by Gateway Worship called "Glorify You Alone" kept filling my heart and mind.  
                   "You alone are worthy of our praise forever. 
                     You alone are seated on the throne of heaven....
                     glorify, glorify You alone....."
(You can listen to this song by Gateway Worship at http://youtu.be/iMPqi_W4x0g)

Join with us (Amanda and I) in praying that our lives would "declare his glory" among the people of the Kharkov oblast by all that we say and do!  Would you also intercede for me personally, that I would turn away from any "worthless idols" in my own life, and keep my eyes fixed on the One who alone is worthy of praise!

Sunday, August 12th  We will attend worship services in Zmeeov this morning with Pastor Yuri and his church family.  After services, we will discuss possibilities for working alongside them in the future.  Pray the Lord will speak clearly to our hearts and minds concerning His plan for partnership in reaching the community of Zmeeov with the love of Christ.

Monday, August 13th  We will meet today with Nadia Morokovetz and the planning team for a September women's retreat for widows and single women.  At this time over 70 women have made plans to attend this 6 day event.  However, Nadia received word this past week that the center where the retreat to be held plans to raise the cost per person per day for the original quoted price, raising the cost for the week per person to almost $100.  Petition the Lord to show himself mighty on behalf of his daughters by either turning the heart of the owner of the center to reduce the price, or provide in a way that gives him all the glory!

Tuesday, August 14th  Last weekend Amanda and Oleg had the opportunity to have engagement pictures taken at an outdoor museum on the outskirts of Kiev.  Their hope and desire is to have a late October or early November wedding in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska so that they will not have to plan around the holidays.  All is dependent upon when Oleg is able to receive his visa to go to the states.  Pray the Lord would grant approval for the visa in time to make their desire a reality.  Intercede for them as they pack up their separate "lives" (and apartments) in Kharkov in anticipation of their move to the other side of the world.  

Wednesday, August 15th  The women's group from New Hope Ukrainian church continue to meet and study "Breaking Free" each Wednesday.  Pray for each of our hearts to be set free in the presence of our Savior.  Ask the Father to bring healing and hope into the lives of each of the women participating.  

Thursday, August 16th  We praise the Lord for the ease with which we got new visas in Budapest.  Pray for Pastor Vitaly Sorokun and for us as we "navigate" the offices of officials in the Kharkov region to secure registration.  Intercede for those in authority as they seek to understand the new laws as well.  Pray all our documents necessary for registration will be accepted without problem by those in authority that this process may be completed quickly and smoothly.

Friday, August 17th  In less than 2 months, I will leave for my scheduled time in the states.  Pray for me as I seek the Lord's plan for future work upon my return in January to Kharkov.  Ask the Lord to enable me to articulate his vision for churches in the states to come alongside our Ukrainian brothers and sisters through partnership in prayer, in giving through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon offering, and in coming as volunteers.  Pray the Father will raise up churches in the states with a passion for being used for his glory to reach the people of this region of Ukraine.

Saturday, August 18th  Pray for Amanda and I as we prepare to teach together from Colossians for the women's retreat September 2nd-8th.  May we have a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit into and through our lives as we open the Word of Truth.  Pray that even as we study in preparation that our hearts would be changed by his Word.

To God alone.....ALL glory, honor, and praise!