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Greetings from Sevastopol!! Our snow has melted and we are in the upper forties. When the sun is out it is quite nice. Thank-you for praying last month, God answered your prayers in many wonderful ways.
Praises
Big time praise! God answered prayers for Inkerman in great ways. Vova’s wife was apologized to and rehired. Yura turned around from a bad decision he made and is active in the Inkerman project again. The last meeting went well with more children attending and two fathers stayed and were with their kids. Thanks! (Keep praying see below).
Big time praise! We have reached the $10,000.00 that we wanted to raise in our car fund. We are looking at cars. Pray that the right car will appear and that the exchange rate stays good. Thank-you for your giving.
The leadership meeting the beginning of this month was great. The financial sacrifices this church is making are great. It is wonderful to see such commitment even in the face of financial hardship. (The Ukraine was one of the worst hit economies in this economic downturn).
The study sessions all went well for those involved in the master’s and bachelor programs. By the time our term ends we will see a new generation of workers trained from this church.
There are 10 enrolled in the spring rehabilitation center program. Pray that they will become free of their addictions and that they will turn to Christ.
Update on Elections
In a close election a man name Victor Yanokovich won the Presidency. He leans more toward Russia and likes the leadership style of Putin. Pray that he will remain open to the democratic and religious freedoms that are here in the Ukraine.
Prayer Requests from Volgograd
Pastor Dema is looking to start building again on the walls of the church this Spring after the winter snows have gone. Pray they will find the finances to keep moving on this project. They still need help with the walls and a roof. They would be very grateful for any work teams that could come and assist them. If you are interested please let me know.
Prayer Requests for Sevastopol
Continue to pray for Inkerman. The project is going well but some rumors are appearing that say we are a sect out to hurt the children. Pray that God’s truth will win out. Pray for those who minister with the children as it is demanding in both preparation and in keeping up with 45 active children for three hours. Our next meeting is on Feb. 27.
We keep progressing on plans for the Rehabilitation Center Building. We need teams that could help with building walls, putting on a roof, and doing major electrical work. Pray that God will keep bringing plans together and those teams who would be interested in being a part of this work. Praise: we have a person here willing to act as building manager who can direct and guide the actual construction.
The church is trying to rent an office ministry center in which it can hold programs during the week. Pray that the plans, finances and equipment will come together in the right way.
Pray for Losha, a young man who was a leader in the church at one point but who fell into sin. He has repented; pray that God will heal his marriage and draw him into a close relationship to himself.
Pray for Yura and Tanya Nesef the church’s missionaries to India. Their visa problems are continuing. Now they can enter the country but their three children cannot. The struggle with the paperwork is unending. Pray that the embassy will stop throwing up hurdles and allow the family to enter the country. Pray for the emotional strength of both Yura and Tanya as they work through these issues. Currently Yura is in India and Tanya is here in Sevastopol with the children.
Special Prayer for our field
A number of our fellow missionaries have had unexpected medical/care issues for their children. Would you please pray God’s healing and protection would be around our field. Keep praying that plans for Russian visas would continue to work out. Please pray for our field director Tom Becker as he has to work through these sensitive issues.
How are the Hope’s?
We are excited by what God is doing in Sevastopol. Amazed at what he is doing in our children’s lives. And thankful for the health he has given to us. So much we account for as normal is really a blessing of God and an answer to prayer.
Thank-you again for helping us raise the funds for our car.
Keep praying for Trevor. He is carrying a heavy academic load at BFA which is very demanding of his time and soon the track season will be starting which is his favorite sport. Pray that he will keep up with everything, keep healthy, and still have some time for fun.
Alyssa is doing well at Simpson University. She is studying hard. She is still waiting to see if the summer study at Oxford University in England will work out for her. She wants to go backpacking this spring break with friends, pray that the plans come together for that.
We have been reminded again and again how precious your prayers are for us. Thank-you, Thank-you, for the time you sacrifice for us.
Love, Michael and Joanne
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