Hello all,
I think you have been getting updates from all over, but I also wanted to give and update on our current status. Yesterday afternoon we had to say goodbye to our readers, the church, and Mariupol as we headed for the airport in Donetsk and then on to Munich. Right now I am sitting in the Munich Airport getting ready to board the plane back to Charlotte, North Carolina where we will have about a three hour layover before returning to Dallas tonight. It's difficult to put into words the emotions of the past several days. In some ways I feel like we don't truly know the pain of saying goodbye as well as Tim does, or others like Brandon and Katie Price, who have invested so much of their lives into this work. However, even after just two weeks, it's difficult to think about not seeing all these wonderful people on a daily basis. I think that is the beauty of a short term mission trip. It gives you the chance to fall in love with a place after being there for only a short time. I wonder how many long term missionaries have been inspired by a two or three week trip? And I wonder if whole church could be filled with a passion for missions if they could just step out in faith for a few weeks, and catch a small glimpse of what God is doing throughout the world? Maybe it doesn't take leaving the borders of our own country, but just opening our eyes to what is happening in our own neighborhoods, and communities. By the time we were finished reading we did not have any baptisms. There were a few visitors last Sunday morning, and possibly this morning as well, but on the whole there were very few visible signs that our work was making a difference. However, I believe that seeds were planted. I believe that friendships were made between the readers and the church members, and they are all in God's hands now, just as they were from the very beginning. And now as we board the plane in just a few short moments, the last thing that I would say is thank you. Thank you for your prayers, and for you encouragement. Thank you for your comments, and your thoughts, and for partnering with us over these past two weeks. My hope is that all of you would get the opportunity to have a similar experience. One in which you are inspired by the work that God is doing, and the love that is running through all the members of His family. We love you all and are so thankful for this opportunity.
I will end with this encouragement from Paul:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Our love and thanks,
The 2009 Let's Start Talking team
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Several Stories from Several Days
Hello all,
I'm sorry for the lack of updates over the past several days. I have been getting home fairly late at night lately, and I haven't had much of a chance to update the blog. It has been a good few days. It's hard to put into words the emotions of a short trip like this. It is very different than going somewhere with the intention of staying long term. In some ways it feels like we are doing a lot, and yet in other ways it seems like we would have to be here for years before we would really be productive. It's during those times when we have to remember that God can use each moment, however short it may be.
Well, as was mentioned in the last post, we had our first LST party this past Saturday. Although it was slightly hectic, overall the party was a success. We probably had nearly fifty people show up, all of which seemed to enjoy themselves very much. We played several different games and even taught the lucky attendees to do the hokie pokie! All in all it was a lot of fun and we continue to pray that deep lasting relationships can be formed between the readers and the church. As for the rest of the weekend, Sunday and Monday were our rest-days, which in reality were used not so much to rest as to do a lot of the things we had been wanting to do the previous days, that due to our full schedules with the readers, we had not been able to do. We spent some time during those days with both readers and church members, seeing different parts of the city, and just enjoying our time together.
Yesterday was a really special day. Here in Mariupol the church that we are working with owns a big building. One part if it is the area where the church meets every week, and the other part is what is called the Transitional Living Center, or TLC. The TLC is a place where orphan teenagers can live while they attend trade school and look to begin a career. Last night the LST team made dinner for all of the TLC kids and people involved in the work that goes on there. We spent most of our free time between readers cooking and setting up for the 25 plus people who attended the dinner. It was so encouraging to see everyone together smiling and laughing and sharing a meal. We are separated by a language and a culture, but we were united last night as family by the love of Christ.
As we look towards the end of our time here in Mariupol, we are starting to think about how to close our time with our readers, and what to leave them with as we leave to go home. This can be a tough question, and sometimes it can feel like there is just not enough time to say everything that needs to be said. Several of our readers like Alex and Alyona and Alevtina, and so many others like Kate and Valeria are really progressing in both their English and their understanding of who Jesus was and what that means for their lives, and we are just starting to build relationships with other readers like Bagdan and Ira. However, there are just a few days left, and it can be hard to leave when it seems like so much more can be done. But God is faithful. He is able to continue working when we are thousands of miles away, and that is what is most important. We want to thank you again for your prayers and support. It's not over yet; we still have one party left!
Love and thanks...
P.S. I have changed the picture site, and made it a little bit easier to navigate (I think... :-) ) so please feel free to look at some of our new pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/LSTMARIUPOL
God Bless!
I'm sorry for the lack of updates over the past several days. I have been getting home fairly late at night lately, and I haven't had much of a chance to update the blog. It has been a good few days. It's hard to put into words the emotions of a short trip like this. It is very different than going somewhere with the intention of staying long term. In some ways it feels like we are doing a lot, and yet in other ways it seems like we would have to be here for years before we would really be productive. It's during those times when we have to remember that God can use each moment, however short it may be.
Well, as was mentioned in the last post, we had our first LST party this past Saturday. Although it was slightly hectic, overall the party was a success. We probably had nearly fifty people show up, all of which seemed to enjoy themselves very much. We played several different games and even taught the lucky attendees to do the hokie pokie! All in all it was a lot of fun and we continue to pray that deep lasting relationships can be formed between the readers and the church. As for the rest of the weekend, Sunday and Monday were our rest-days, which in reality were used not so much to rest as to do a lot of the things we had been wanting to do the previous days, that due to our full schedules with the readers, we had not been able to do. We spent some time during those days with both readers and church members, seeing different parts of the city, and just enjoying our time together.
Yesterday was a really special day. Here in Mariupol the church that we are working with owns a big building. One part if it is the area where the church meets every week, and the other part is what is called the Transitional Living Center, or TLC. The TLC is a place where orphan teenagers can live while they attend trade school and look to begin a career. Last night the LST team made dinner for all of the TLC kids and people involved in the work that goes on there. We spent most of our free time between readers cooking and setting up for the 25 plus people who attended the dinner. It was so encouraging to see everyone together smiling and laughing and sharing a meal. We are separated by a language and a culture, but we were united last night as family by the love of Christ.
As we look towards the end of our time here in Mariupol, we are starting to think about how to close our time with our readers, and what to leave them with as we leave to go home. This can be a tough question, and sometimes it can feel like there is just not enough time to say everything that needs to be said. Several of our readers like Alex and Alyona and Alevtina, and so many others like Kate and Valeria are really progressing in both their English and their understanding of who Jesus was and what that means for their lives, and we are just starting to build relationships with other readers like Bagdan and Ira. However, there are just a few days left, and it can be hard to leave when it seems like so much more can be done. But God is faithful. He is able to continue working when we are thousands of miles away, and that is what is most important. We want to thank you again for your prayers and support. It's not over yet; we still have one party left!
Love and thanks...
P.S. I have changed the picture site, and made it a little bit easier to navigate (I think... :-) ) so please feel free to look at some of our new pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/LSTMARIUPOL
God Bless!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Party Time!
Greetings from Mariupol! I can't believe the weekend is already here. Tomorrow we will have our first LST party for all the readers and church members. We have invited all our readers, and so hopefully they will all come, and be able to connect well with the church. Things are going well, but we are working hard. This weekend will bring with it a much appreciated break for all of us.
Here is an update from Emily:
Greetings from Mariupol! What a joy to be back in this city and working with more of God's children here. I cannot believe that tomorrow is Friday. This week has been busy as we settled in, went grocery shopping, and started reading with our new friends. It has been a pleasure seeing many Christians whom I met two years ago during my first visit to Mariupol.
I read with about 6 people each day, and then have a group of about 6 children that I spend time with to help them practice English. As far as I understand, English is taught in every grade level in school, but since it is in a classroom, the children do not practice speaking very much. Their handwriting is wonderful and most of them know the English alphabet. It is wonderful to be here and working in this way.
Thank you so much for your prayers for our LST team and for those we meet.
Emily
Thank you again for all of your support. Please pray for this get-together, that the readers would form a special connection with the church. We will give an update in the next few days on the outcome of the party. Have a wonderful fourth of July!
love and thanks...
Here is an update from Emily:
Greetings from Mariupol! What a joy to be back in this city and working with more of God's children here. I cannot believe that tomorrow is Friday. This week has been busy as we settled in, went grocery shopping, and started reading with our new friends. It has been a pleasure seeing many Christians whom I met two years ago during my first visit to Mariupol.
I read with about 6 people each day, and then have a group of about 6 children that I spend time with to help them practice English. As far as I understand, English is taught in every grade level in school, but since it is in a classroom, the children do not practice speaking very much. Their handwriting is wonderful and most of them know the English alphabet. It is wonderful to be here and working in this way.
Thank you so much for your prayers for our LST team and for those we meet.
Emily
Thank you again for all of your support. Please pray for this get-together, that the readers would form a special connection with the church. We will give an update in the next few days on the outcome of the party. Have a wonderful fourth of July!
love and thanks...
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Pictures!
Please enjoy some pictures from the first several days of reading! More to come soon!
God bless you all!
God bless you all!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Let the Reading Begin!
This post marks the end of our second full day of reading, and are third full day as a team here in Mariupol, but we are already feeling like we've been working for weeks! At our lunch break we were sitting around talking about the day, and I had trouble getting off the couch! However, despite being worn out, we have had some encouraging moments already with the readers. We are currently reading with over 50 people of which about half are not church members. The other half are members of the church who are coming to learn or improve their English. Some of them are in group classes where the main focus is English. I am teaching a class of about 9 people who speak very little English, and we are covering the basics. Today they learned to count from one to one hundred. It's really exciting to see how they improve a little bit every time we talk. I can't communicate with them very well, but they always seem so appreciative when the class ends. It really is serving as a means to build relationships with members of the church, and be encouraged through fellowship. Emily also started a class today for young children, teaching them some very basic English phrases and words.
As great as it is to be able to provide this service for the church, our purpose in coming was not just to encourage the church, but to reach the lost. The girls have told me several stories of how they have had some meaningful conversations with their readers already, and I am reading with a husband and wife couple who really seem to understand that what Luke wrote about in his gospel really happened. The more we read the more they seem to recognize that the things we are reading are not just made up stories, but actual historical events. Their names are Alex and Alona. Tommie has talked to me about a reader named Alevtina who says she has been struggling with depression and just wants to find happiness again. Tommie gently told her that she had come to the right place. We're praying that over the next two weeks that she would realize the truth of those words. I am sure each of us could talk about the many encouraging moments that we have already had, and we are only three days into the trip. There have also already been some difficult moments, but they are causing us to rely more heavily on God, and on each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thank you for your comments, your encouragement, and your prayers. After only three days there is already a lot to talk about! Please continue to keep us, the readers, and the church here in your prayers. Pictures coming soon!
Our love and thanks...
As great as it is to be able to provide this service for the church, our purpose in coming was not just to encourage the church, but to reach the lost. The girls have told me several stories of how they have had some meaningful conversations with their readers already, and I am reading with a husband and wife couple who really seem to understand that what Luke wrote about in his gospel really happened. The more we read the more they seem to recognize that the things we are reading are not just made up stories, but actual historical events. Their names are Alex and Alona. Tommie has talked to me about a reader named Alevtina who says she has been struggling with depression and just wants to find happiness again. Tommie gently told her that she had come to the right place. We're praying that over the next two weeks that she would realize the truth of those words. I am sure each of us could talk about the many encouraging moments that we have already had, and we are only three days into the trip. There have also already been some difficult moments, but they are causing us to rely more heavily on God, and on each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thank you for your comments, your encouragement, and your prayers. After only three days there is already a lot to talk about! Please continue to keep us, the readers, and the church here in your prayers. Pictures coming soon!
Our love and thanks...
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Arrival
Well, we're all here. I(Brent) got in Thursday night, and the rest of the team arrived to Donetsk this afternoon at about 4P.M. (8A.M. central time) and after a 2 hour van ride everyone finally arrived to Mariupol, the end of what had been a journey of nearly 24 hours. This evening we ate together at the church flat, the apartment where the women will be staying, and tomorrow morning we will meet in the same building for Sunday morning worship, and in the afternoon we will have our "information meeting" where we will explain how LST works, and actually schedule people for times when they can study during the next two weeks. Because of a slight mix-up in the dates on the fliers announcing this LST campaign, we have already scheduled a few readers who showed up at the building yesterday thinking that it was actually the first day of the campaign. Thankfully after explaining the situation, we were able to get things sorted out, and most all of them have now scheduled a time to read with us starting Monday. Monday will be the first day of reading and from that point on we will have people coming every day, so things are getting started quick. The schedule problem worried us at first, but it really has turned out to be a blessing, since we now have almost 20 readers signed up, and the team just got here today! We are hoping that more and more people will wander in as time goes on.
We're tired and slightly disoriented, but thankful to be here, and excited about what's in store. Already God has brought good out of something that initially looked like a problem, and I know he will continue to work in every situation for His glory. We will continue to share with you as new things happen, but for now we thank God that we have made it safely, and look forward to what He will do in the next two weeks!
Love and thanks...
We're tired and slightly disoriented, but thankful to be here, and excited about what's in store. Already God has brought good out of something that initially looked like a problem, and I know he will continue to work in every situation for His glory. We will continue to share with you as new things happen, but for now we thank God that we have made it safely, and look forward to what He will do in the next two weeks!
Love and thanks...
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Beginning
Hello everyone!
This will be the blog site for our Ukraine-bound Let's Start Talking team over the next several weeks. We will arrive in Mariupol on Saturday the 27th of June in the evening, and will begin the next day with our LST activities. We will be part of one of the shorter two week campaigns, and will be arriving back to the states the 12th of June. We are excited to keep in touch with you and share all of the things that God is doing. Please feel free to comment, subscribe, and interact with us in any way through this blog site. We will try to be as frequent as possible with updates and pictures to help you get a better feel for what is happening in Mariupol. We want you to be on the journey with us.
So this is the beginning... Please keep us in your prayers.
Our love and thanks...
This will be the blog site for our Ukraine-bound Let's Start Talking team over the next several weeks. We will arrive in Mariupol on Saturday the 27th of June in the evening, and will begin the next day with our LST activities. We will be part of one of the shorter two week campaigns, and will be arriving back to the states the 12th of June. We are excited to keep in touch with you and share all of the things that God is doing. Please feel free to comment, subscribe, and interact with us in any way through this blog site. We will try to be as frequent as possible with updates and pictures to help you get a better feel for what is happening in Mariupol. We want you to be on the journey with us.
So this is the beginning... Please keep us in your prayers.
Our love and thanks...
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