Odessa Mission
John's August Update
August 2004 Newsletter
Neskolka bolshiye resheniye v etot mesets! (Some big decisions were made this month!)
As those of you who have visited the odessa mission website know, we just moved into our first real facility. August 8th was our grand opening there, and we're thrilled about all the new ministry options looming on the horizon. We showed our new venue to the congregation on August 1st and they just loved it even though it was completely unfurnished and a bit dirty. We've recently been very busy whipping it into shape and finding the best available options for the decor, etc. Although we are still not quite finished, we're getting there. Making this move was a big decision because when I initially drew up the budget for The Odessa Mission, I expected to be renting for around $200 a month instead of the $650 plus that we will be paying now. "What happened?" you ask. Since I hadn't lived in the Ukraine since 2000, my experience there was ancient history. It's no secret that a lot of inflation can happen in an economy like Ukraine's within five years' time, and, unfortunately, it has. Moreover, I grossly underestimated the cost of living in a major seaport like Odessa. Then again, when we first got to Odessa, we were thinking that we'd be able to start our new church within a couple of months (by September of 2003). Boy, were we young and green back then! All joking aside, however, we do realize the potential burden that this added expense can be on our supporters and we do want to take this chance to apologize for our nearsightedness. But, by the same token, we feel that this step of faith will eventually pay rich spiritual dividends because we, at long last, have a nice facility continually at our disposal. We can't wait to let you know and see via pictures on the website how we're using it for God's glory.
Two other big decisions were also made in July. Sasha, a 26-year old woman whose daughter is a patient at the cancer ward, chose to surrender her life to Christ through repentance and baptism. She actually called last night to inform us that the father of her daughter was killed recently. "So, we're obviously heading home for a couple of days to be with his relatives during this difficult time," she continued. "But," she added, "we'll definitely be back for Sunday's service because I just can't make it throughout the week otherwise! "Several people have made comments about Sasha's astonishing spiritual growth, as of late, and we're overjoyed about that, as well as her daughter's improving condition. Likewise, we're excited that Tamara, a woman in her mid-seventies, also gave her life to the Lord in July. So, Tamara and Sasha are the first of hopefully many folks who will find hope and forgiveness in Christ Jesus at Kind Road Christian Church, and it's happening because of your love for both God and man. Thanks again, my friends, for making it all possible!
Several individuals at Kind Road have expressed desires to use our new facility in order to launch their ministries. Tatyana, a veteran cosmetologist, is talking about the possibility of teaching free courses in that field to anyone willing to learn. In addition to that, she's also interested in starting a singles' ministry here. Vladislav, an English teacher in Odessa, is considering teaching English as a second language at our church. Learning English is a very here despite the high cost of private lessons because most modern businesses are paying bilingual employees twice the regular salary, which is obviously twice the incentive. Since I'll be teaching American History to Vladislav's English students during the Fall semester, we're praying that the Lord will not only cultivate a real hunger in the students' hearts for language learning, but also for a personal relationship with the King of Kings. A third individual, Alla, whose son is a hemophiliac from the cancer ward, is considering starting a support group for Moms in similar circumstances. So I automatically encouraged her to do so, in-turn. offering her our new facility as a platform from which to work. Please do pray for all of these individuals as they make their decisions and begin to serve Christ. We'll surely do our best to update you regularly via the website and newsletters on the progress they're making.
Finally, my friends, this month we're planning to begin a video class at Kind Road. On several occasions previously, we've used Christian movie segments during our regular worship services, and they've been a real hit. So, for the sake of both evangelism and spiritual growth, similar to our usage on Sundays, we're hoping to use movies based on Christian principles as discussion starters during the week too. God poured out His blessings on us in July and He definitely has big plans for August, and we not only look forward to seeing them in action but also reporting home about the results. Do stay tuned, and also, check out our website regularly to stay abreast of the latest news and see the new pictures I'll be sending soon
S Liubovyu (with love), John and Ira