| Update - June 1, 2008 |
June 1, 2008 |
|
We are approaching the 12th birthday (in August) of our pioneer work among the Sakha Tribe. Since our latest return from Siberia, in a blessed season of remarkable ministry fruitfulness, we have been facing a combined onslaught of the deepest internal and external conflicts and trials we have ever experienced... Read the letter... |
| |
| Siberian Mission 2007 Ministry Report – Ministry synopsis New Bethel SBC |
February 1, 2008 |
|
2007 Ministry synopsis... Read the update... |
| |
| Update - December 15, 2007 |
December 15, 2007 |
|
Once again our Father has awed and humbled me by His sovereign and almighty hand leading me through not a few overwhelming barriers far bigger than I, with no fear in my heart and with miraculous and timely provision at every turn (Ps. 23:4&5)....Your faithful prayers for my travel and Diane’s physical healing are greatly appreciated. I trust that our Father will reunite us all real soon, and I can fill you all in on many of the divine appointments we experienced this trip. I remain your emissary and servant of God’s love and your care to the precious Sakha people in the “Black Hole”.... Read the letter... |
| |
| Update - November 18, 2007 |
November 18, 2007 |
|
We are preparing for Mike’s return to Russia to bring many supplies we have gathered for the indigenous pastors and missionaries. He is also returning to retrieve many of our personal items from Vilyuisk. I will not be going with him, as the travel back and forth is too much for me at this time....This has been a very difficult time for us, as we have been seeking His direction and provision. We are very thankful for the support of all who have continued to bless us....Please pray for us during this time and ask the Lord if He would direct you to help with the transportation needs of this trip... Read the letter... |
| |
| Update - November 1, 2007 |
November 1, 2007 |
|
| We flew back to Evansville from San Diego, CA October 15th. We had a blessed time of fellowship, under the preaching ministry of Dr. David Jeremiah October 7th and October 14th.... We finished an interview for upcoming articles on us in a local Evansville paper, which will begin this month.... Please pray for wisdom, provision, and direction for us during this critical juncture of time. We continue to praise the Lord for our church family here and their care for us... Read the letter... |
| |
| Update - October 8, 2007 |
October 8, 2007 |
|
| We completed a TV interview on September 13th in Buffalo, NY, and then attended a marriage seminar in Deland, FL. The following week we spent time with friends and supporters in Starkville, MS and in Clarksville, TN. What a joy it is to fellowship with friends and supporters and share what God has allowed us to be a part of in ministry to the body of Christ in Yakutia!... Read the letter... |
| |
| Week 3 in the U.S. |
September 1, 2007 |
|
| Our Heavenly Father is so good! When our schedule and plans don’t come to pass; do we trust Him when He seems to be changing everything? I think our Father delights to care for us is every bit as much as He delights in our “ministry” for Him... Our schedule has changed once again... We had a blessed time with our family and friends... We continue collecting supplies and funds for our November return to Ügülatsi. Women Today is a women’s’ ministry broadcast on 400+ radio stations, and its scripts are used by Campus Crusade for Christ ministries as devotionals in TruthMedia, and via email to 30,000 subscribers... Read the letter... |
| |
| Week 2 in the U.S. |
August 23, 2007 |
|
| Seeing our lives through eyes of faith, we survey our loving Father’s constant watch care... Our Father gifted us with more guardian angels Sat. as we drove to Florida. As we left St. Simon’s Island and drove south on I-95, we smelled strong gas fumes inside our newly donated car... We are currently in Orlando till Friday... Mike as begun the daunting task of gathering the many supplies we must take back to Siberia in November... We ask that you continue to lift us in prayer for wisdom, direction, and provision. Pray too, as we prepare our full report of activities in Russia this year and go through the hundreds of pictures and many hours of digital video to make a concise presentation of the activities and ministry that the LORD has allowed us to experience. Read the letter... |
| |
| We're temporarily back in the U.S. |
August 16, 2007 |
|
| We arrived safely in the US on August 8th, and are meandering our way to Florida to fix my dental bridge, enjoying fellowship with new and long-time friends and supporters, and we are already beginning to collect supplies for our return trip to Siberia in late October or early November. Once again, our loving Father’s sovereign direction was seen at every step of our travels (Prov. 16:9). We were in transit 30 hours before we slept. Here is that story... |
| |
| Latest events and preparing for our trip to Ügülatsi |
August 5, 2007 |
|
| We arrived safe in Moscow - It is wonderful in the middle of all our “troubles” to see God marvelously work, watch, and care for us who are only conduits of His love here. He dispatches His special guardian angels: unseen in the spirit realm, and seen through His faithful Russian & US servants. Watching God orchestrate our lives literally a step at a time is terrifying to our flesh—but is an awesome paradigm of how He works all things for the glory, honor, and praise of His name as we yield in trust. Read the letter... |
| |
| Returning from Ügülatsi |
July 28, 2007 |
|
| We just returned from our week-long trip with Vasili up the Vilyuy River and its tributaries to his home village of Ügülatsi; Several timely gifts provided us the means to buy a new outboard motor and larger used boat...we are so thankful to all who prayed and gave for this important project... We go to Yakutsk tomorrow to visit Luda in the hospital and will report on her condition afterwards... Read the letter... |
| |
| Latest events and preparing for our trip to Ügülatsi |
July 15, 2007 |
|
| As we prepare for our 7-day river trip up to Ügülatsi and the long journey back to the US, we’re taking spiritual inventory of what has been accomplished. It is amazing how much our Father has done in and through us in such a short time... Read the letter... |
| |
| Highlights of a wide range of events and emotions... |
July 4, 2007 |
|
| One page isn’t adequate to express the range of events and emotions we’ve had in the 3 weeks since our last ministry update. I’ll give some highlights, and give praise and honor to our LORD who daily reveals His sovereign grace, power and will to us in this place of hardship and uncertainty... Read the letter... |
| |
| An URGENT Prayer Request |
June 28, 2007 |
|
| The joy of our 32nd wedding anniversary and youngest daughter Bonnie’s birthday today is overshadowed by a heartbreaking tragedy we are suffering in our beloved Sakha family. You who know our work since 1999 know that Ludmila (our boss and head of the English Department at the Vilyuisk Teacher’s Training College) is a special sister in Christ... The doctors tell us that if Ludmila makes it through the next 3 weeks, she will have a long recovery and rehabilitation... Read the letter... |
| |
| A Wonderful, Busy Week - the Work, Hail and Lots of Duck |
June 16, 2007 |
|
| We had a wonderful week at the Vilyuisk Teachers’ Training College....I was also very busy all week finishing a “hand copy” of my new “Vilyuisk Sakha Hymnal”....This has been duck week: duck soup, duck parts and potatoes....At church today Mike focused on the person and work of God: the Holy Spirit; 4-hours of Biblical discovery....Our spiritual son Pastor Misha, whom God used to establish the Suuntar church, has left Yakutsk and we expect him here tomorrow evening....Internet access will not likely be available to us over the next 4 weeks; so this is our last weekly update until about July 18th when we hope to return to Vilyuisk. Read the letter... |
| |
| Changed Schedule, Upcoming Activities, & a Critical Need |
June 9, 2007 |
|
| We discovered Monday morning, just as we were leaving for the college that our schedule had been changed.... We are fasting for wisdom.... Pray for us too, as we teach this week.... We’re praying for our home church: New Bethel SBC.... We send all of you our sincere love and thanks for your continued prayers and support. We are so honored and humbled to do and to live here what God ordained us, trained us, and filled our hearts to do among His beloved Sakha Tribe - thank you for helping make it so! Read the letter... |
| |
| Grace, Strength & Joy from our Heavenly Father |
June 2, 2007 |
|
| Our Heavenly Father continues to lavish His grace, strength and joy on us as we love on His kids here.... All week we taught our 2nd year students at the Vilyuisk Teachers’ Training College....Thursday of this week, we were honored to participate in an early celebration by our teachers college of “Sykh”, the Sakha Summer Festival....In our Saturday meeting with a growing group of believers, we sang for a ½ hour, and then Mike distributed our Sakhalyy worksheet; Jesus: God the Son.... Read the letter... |
| |
| A Frustrating, Difficult, Rewarding & Exciting Week |
May 26, 2007 |
|
| We’ve had a frustrating, difficult, rewarding & exciting week, all at the same time. Mike had a nasty lung infection; he began his systematic training course at our Saturday home church meeting.... It is really exciting to see Ludmila grow as she translates for us.... A neighbor’s big dog attacked & viciously bit one of our ladies. Ever hear of "Bullwinkle’s Surprise"? Read the letter... |
| |
| Winter is Fading, we are Speaking... |
May 19, 2007 |
|
| Winter is fading as the sun is above the horizon 19 hrs a day. By month’s end we’ll begin almost 6 months of 22 hrs of daylight every 24. This coming week, Mike & Alosha will till the soil of our 4000 square-foot backyard garden and greenhouse for our spring planting.... We are speaking at schools, and are honored to share God’s love with hundreds of new students.... Good news & bad news... Read the letter... |
| |
| May 9th Celebration |
May 13, 2007 |
|
| On May 9th we celebrated Russia’s most important day of the year: “Victory Day”.... We spent time interviewing this precious little 81 year-old lady.... Yesterday (Sat.) we met again with the 1st home church plant here. We had a blessed time... Read the letter... |
| |
| Arrival in Vilyuisk |
May 5, 2007 |
|
| We are finally in Vilyuisk! From our April 3rd Moscow arrival it took 24 days with many trials. Yet, God led us safely back to our beloved Sakha home and family in His perfect time. Read the letter... |
| |
| Safe In Siberia |
April 12, 2007 |
|
| We are safely in Siberia and enjoying raw horse & fish brains once again...leaving for a tiny village 100km away for the weekend. God is doing marvelous things each day... Read the letter... |
| |
| Letter from Diane in Moscow |
April 9, 2007 |
|
| We are so thankful for your love and care. We will let you all know as soon as possible if we will have any access to phone or Internet when we get home to our village. Read the letter... |
| |
| Letter for New Bethel Family |
March 30, 2007 |
|
| We express our deepest gratitude for how you as a corporate body and as many individuals have continued to love on us in so many practical ways. In a dark and trying time, you have been a refreshing oasis of love. We pray that in some small way we have reciprocated and been a blessing to you all. Whether soon or in the distant future... Read the letter... |
| |
| General News |
March 29, 2007 |
|
| As of April 3, 2007, Mike and Diane are back in Russia. Your continued support and prayers go a long way! |
| |
| General News |
April 24, 2004 |
|
| God has been so faithful and gracious. We have had a very difficult schedule, as we have attended two mission conferences in the last two months, as well as completing four more courses towards Mike's and my degree programs.
We have had to do a lot of traveling while working at the same time on our education goals. We are staying in Houston, Texas, with our oldest daughter, Jeanne, and have had the joy of living together with her and getting to know brothers and sisters in Christ in her home church, Jersey Village Baptist. God has been nurturing and strengthening us through their ministry of love and care to us, and allowed us to minister among them. |
| |
| Educational News |
April 24, 2004 |
|
| It is our desire to help train Sakha village pastors. In order for us to be the best teachers and administrators possible, we are using our time here in the U.S. to earn a PhD (DMin) for Mike, and a Masters for Diane. We are presently on schedule to finish the programs in mid June, and hope to return to Siberia in mid September.
Please pray that we can continue to focus the 40+/- hours each week of study and writing, necessary to complete our degree programs. |
| |
| Ministry News |
April 24, 2004 |
|
| A heavy-duty truck has been made available to us for bringing supplies to the areas most in need! Pray that we can fill it each month for those most in need in the villages!
While Diane and I are in the US until April 2003, our well organized and efficient network of humanitarian aid goes on. Funds are urgently needed for the in-country purchase and distribution of food, medicines, and clothing for the most destitute in our remote villages.
Those who desire to use God's bountiful blessings towards honoring James 2:14-16 and Matthew 25:32-46, on behalf of their Sakha brothers and sisters, may designate financial gifts which will go 100% to purchase and privately distribute the most needed supplies to the most needy. THANK YOU for giving to the LORD!
|
|
|
