Odessa Mission
September 2007 Newsletter
The Bigger Picture
Many American evangelicals would agree that the American mainstream media
is pretty liberal nowadays. Perhaps Fox News is viewed as the one exception
to the rule. But in last week's Republican debate, in New Hampshire, one
candidate broke from the pack by using the term "Neo-Conservatives," which
is a label frequently thrown around by Constitutionalists and other groups
on the right. While I disagree with much of what these right-winged
groups espouse at times, I can still appreciate many of their ideas and
perspectives. Here I'd like to recommend two recent articles by William
Jasper. Both are on www.thenewamerican.com and the titles are: "Behind
Islamic Terror," and "The Real Terror Paymasters." I do this simply to
pick up on last month's blurb about the Sea Breeze and the contemporary
political milieu in Odessa, which is greatly influenced by Russia in so
many ways. For many of you, of course, this will not be a revelation.
However, it might serve as an added reminder of the need to PRAY against
the demonic forces within Russia's government, media, and state church.
The reality is that, aside from hindering all our evangelistic efforts,
these forces may even present global threats that cannot and should not
be ignored. (Always remember Ephesians 6:12!)
The New Site
Lately, many of you may have been wondering: "Gee, I wonder what's really
happening over there. Every time I go online and check the Odessa Mission's
website, it just seems like nothing's changed at all!" Well, if that's the way
you've been thinking then please don't feel guilty in the least! We totally
understand where you're coming from because that actually happens to have been
true. The fact is that the Odessa Mission had set a goal to make the minimal
amount of updates to the old site while the new site was being developed, which
turned out to be a much bigger project than we had originally anticipated it
being. And, unfortunately for many, we met that goal with flying-colored success.
On the other hand, we're delighted to let you know that we're finally online
with the new site. Do check us out when you get the chance.
Some New Kids
At present, all things considered, our two summer VBS programs seem to have been
rather successful. Although we were able to hold the attention of four kids
from the first VBS for about a month or so, they've all since vanished.
However, we're still seeing three kids from the second VBS on a regular basis,
despite the school year kicking in. Additionally, a few kids from the apartment
complex surrounding our new facility are now attending. The problem is that
the latter group seems a lot more rambunctious. In fact, one of the boys,
Misha, has been asked to leave our facility on several occasions. But he
keeps coming back, which is encouraging. (By the way, Misha's mother died
a couple of years ago. His father subsequently abandoned him. He's currently
residing with his grandmother and uncle, who'd be considered destitute by
American standards.) In any case, it finally does appear that we're making
some inroads with our immediate neighbors, who all seemed just "ecstatic"
that a PROTESTANT congregation decided to rent space in their apartment
building. And, well, I say that with just a TAD of sarcasm.
New Prayer Requests
¢ Please pray that the Odessa Mission will get an opening for a booth at the
National Missionary Convention in Cincinnati this November.
¢ Larissa was one of the first people to be baptized at KRCC. Two years ago,
she moved back home (three hours from Odessa) to care for her ailing mother.
She recently returned to Odessa to find work and has begun attending worship
services again. Please pray for her job search and spiritual growth.
¢ Oxonna begins classes at Tavrichiski Bible Institute in Kherson, Ukraine, on
September 19th. Please pray for her spiritual growth, effectiveness, and
sanity, as she continues to balance her ministry at KRCC with her studies.
¢ Nadia, Oxonna's Mom, needs prayer as she considers surrendering all to Jesus Christ.
¢ The Odessa Mission needs prayer and guidance as we contemplate a potential
partnership with Shepherd's Purse. They work primarily with homeless kids and
are interested in uniting with us in order to make a greater impact together.
New Teams Forming
Right now, two American teams are developing for the purpose of carrying out
some form(s) of outreach alongside KRCC during the summer of 2008. If you are
interested in joining those teams, then please contact our forwarding agent,
Bill Ware, by email: wmrware@verizon.net. Only one American team has ever
visited KRCC, which happened to have been the Seniors Group from Olivet Christian
Church in 2005. We obviously cannot wait to join forces with both of these teams!
One team is from Gethsemane Church of Christ, in Mechanicsville, Virginia,
while the other is linked with Shepherd's Purse, who is based in the great
state of Michigan. If you'd rather call Bill Ware for more details, then
please do so at: (804) 779-7528.
Along these lines, we'd also like to make an announcement for anyone planning to
join either of these two mission teams. John's new book, A Dumb American in
a Strange Country, is now available for anyone who intends to speak at churches
for the express purpose of raising funds for their trip to Odessa in 2008.
Rather than just asking the churches to give you money, you'll also have the
option of offering John's book to them and then using half of the sales' proceeds
to cover your trip's expenses. Again, please feel free to contact Bill Ware
for more details.
Some Sad News
Two years ago, a woman named Natasha got baptized at KRCC. Although she never
formerly lived in Odessa, she did stay here temporarily while she was being
treated for her breast cancer. At the time, her operation seemed to go
successfully. She even showed signs of improvement. Several months back,
however, she took a turn for the worse. And, sadly, because the last couple
of months were just more than her body could handle, she passed on just a few
days ago. Please do pray for her brother, Alexander, especially since he still
doesn't know the Lord.