Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas to you all. My wish for you is that it would be filled with love and joy and that you would have great hope for the future. Let us remember this year the "reason for the season" that such a momentous event was marked for all of history when baby Jesus was born. Blessings to you all, Jeff, Coleen and Leah Franks

New Gadget

Would you sign up as a "follower" on our blog? It's a great way for me to be in direct contact with you right from the blog. You'll find it on the right panel just below the calendar. Hit the white button and the rest is easy. That would be a real vote of support for us. Thanks.

The Christmas Holidays Begin

These are crafts we did with the kids on Sunday. On each one we send them home with a Bible verse for witness beyond the church. Right now the kids are using their crafts to decorate the tree that we will put up today. Though you might think that is late, we are just starting our Christmas holidays since Ukraine celebrates on the old calendar. They now recognize the 25th and New Years as part of their recognition of the west, but they celebrate also on the 6th of January for Christmas and the 14th for New Years. So now you see why I say we are just getting started. We have many evangelism events planned for the upcoming holidays and it is a busy time for us here. Our first children's event will be on Saturday the 26th. Please pray that God would touch hearts.

Traditions

When every young family starts out they usually take some of their childhood traditions into their families, but they also have the option of developing their own unique family traditions. One we made was that of doing a puzzle at Christmas time over the holidays when kids were off from school. As you can see above, this is serious business....one thousand pieces.

Great father/daughter project. I'm just not a puzzle person.

Though I didn't participate in any of this I was given the honor of putting in the last piece. Of course, I was around, making the trail mix and cheering them on with each new victory.

Completed. What a beaut.

Brrr! Bethany Baptist Church Without Heat

In the last few days we've hit a low of -16 Celsius, which is very close to zero Fahrenheit. Am I ever glad we have a new heating system as our home would be cold inside otherwise. Naturally all of this brings to mind the situation of our church being without a heating system. They are burning wood now, but that does little more than keep the pipes from freezing and busting. We want to help with this need, but we are only one family can only do so much. Therefore I write to ask you to pray for our church. Nine thousand dollars is a large sum for a population that makes an average of $400 a month, but it is a small thing for a mighty God who can move mountains. Please pray for God's provision in this.

The Missionary At Christmas

Saturday Prayer Breakfast

There was a good group in attendance at the Saturday Prayer Breakfast led by Aleksey Pivovar. The young couple Pasha and Tanya were there to tell about their 3-month mission to Turkey with their three young children. They just returned last Wednesday. They talked about how God helped them in making friends, one of whom was their apartment manager. After a serious operation involving his abdomen he had to haul heavy bags of coal to heat their apartment building. The strain caused his incision to open. When Pasha learned of their desperation, he began hauling the bags of coal for him. That led to a fast friendship which opened the door for many opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ. They shared many such stories of how God led them in exciting and unique ways.

Western Ukraine's Influence

Catholicism is dominate in western Ukraine. These little monuments dot the roadsides and are even in people's yards. As one pastor said, talking about his efforts to evangelize, they answer him: "We go to church on holidays, we confess sins, we ask the priest to pray for us, what more do you want?" Western Ukraine was at one time dominated by Poland out of which came strong Catholic influence. Though that was many decades in the past, that strong influence still prevails today.

Below Freezing

We have finally gotten our first snow and with it very cold temperatures, -8c.(in the teens F.). This morning the car stalled not far down the road due to diesel gelling in the lines. With Jeff out of town, this was an interesting predicament, but we prayed and God helped us. Through an hour of stalling, waiting and short drives we made it the two blocks back home. Now we will try to clear the garage and get it inside.

I'm writing this so you might understand the the church is still without heat and now it is more difficult than ever. The lighthouse is cold and attendance is down. Please pray that God would raise up those who would help supply this need. If you feel led to help in any small way please send donations to our missions office with the notation "Bucha furnace." May the Lord bless.
BMA
P.O.Box 30910
Little Rock, AR. 72260

Jeff's Group

"Another good day. They were blessed and I was blessed" Jeff said. The presence of the Lord brings such things. Praise to Him. There are four of the seventeen that could qualify as seekers in this group. Pray for them. One particularly is very close.

Basic theme Jeff has been covering is "Can we trust the Bible?" First topic was how God reveals himself (revelation, inspiration and authentication). They went onto reliability of the Old and New Testaments, 5 facts for creation and 5 facts for resurrection. Wish I could have been there.

They're final day had a good finish according to Jeff. He led everyone in a prayer of repentance and believes there was salvation in all the unbelievers and strengthening in the others. It was a time of blessing all around. We are thankful for those in America who make it possible for Jeff to meet with these folks. Please continue to pray for these people and their safe return home. God knows their names.

New Gadget

I placed a new gadget on here that I thought would be fun. Would you sign up as a "Follower" of our blog? You can find it on the right panel.

Cold Church

Winter has finally hit in Ukraine. We've had such mild weather for so long we were beginning to wonder. Tonight it is minus 5 celcius (23F.) That means the church will really get cold overnight and and thus be very cold tomorrow. I'm sure our attendance will be down as a result. Please pray for God's provision in a new furnace for our church. We are heating temporarily with wood, but that does little more than keep the pipes from freezing in the basement. It does not add heat to our sanctuary. This is a small project for a loving God who can move mountains and we are counting on Him to help us through this trial. May He be lifted up and glorified through it all.

Turkey, continued

There are 17 people attending Jeff's class in Istanbul. They had a very good first day. Jeff mentioned that two need prayer for health as they are both dealing with flu and two are seeking and asking a lot of questions. He said he has felt more challenged by this group than any he's had previously with their questions and desire to know God. Praise Him for such hunger. Pray for Jeff that the Lord would supply all he needs to minister to their needs. And remember these people who will be with Jeff through Sunday. May the Lord keep them all safe, may the Lord give them eyes to see and ears to hear.

Turkey

Please pray for Jeff as he minister is Turkey this week. He flew out yesterday and will be there for one week. He is teaching on the life of Christ to people from an undisclosed place that cannot freely study or worship in their own country so they travel elsewhere. Please pray for his health and for his teaching. I say health, as we were told one was coming who had the flu. Can you even imagine being so hungry to learn about God that you would travel a long distance while sick, stay in an uncertain place, and listen to someone you've never even met? We serve a mighty God and he has a plan for even these desperate people who want to know him so much they would make great sacrifices of time and money to discover who He is. May the Lord bless these meetings.

Crimea, Ukraine

Please pray for Jeff and I this weekend. On Saturday I will do a scrapbooking class on "Developing Godly Values" in the Simferopol Bible Church. Then on Sunday we will worship with and later meet with the pastor of the Nikolaevka House of Prayer (church). We hope to be an encouragement to him. Nikolaevka is where we first came to minister over 15 years ago so it is a place that is near and dear to our hearts. The church that was started back then is still meeting and they are struggling through the process of funding the building of their church home. I wrote about this last March. We will get pictures to show you it's progress.

Harvest Day, Bethany Baptist Church, Bucha, Ukraine

Not long ago I shared photos of a church where our choir visited on Harvest Day. The following pictures are our own church. Harvest Day is similar to Thanksgiving in that it is a celebration of the harvest. Unlike in the west, it does not have a set day and thus different churches celebrate on different days. What they all do is set up a beautiful display of the harvest. Everyone participates in this by bringing their very largest and most beautiful fruits and vegetables. I just thought you'd like to see how lovely it is.

Adult choir on Harvest Day. Though this was a few weeks back, notice that we all have our coats on. We are still without heat in the church, but praise be to God, we have been having some unusually warm weather. It could be much more severe, but weather has been in the 40's and we are grateful. Please pray for the resolution of our lack of heating and that God would provide for a new furnace. Please also pray for the corrupt officials in our town that are wanting a large payoff(bribe)to remove a fine.

Children's choir on Harvest Day.

Pre-teen choir in Bucha Church on Harvest Day. Second from left is Leah our daughter. No, she's not a pre-teen, she's 22, but she helps with the pre-teen choir as does the girl next to her so they sing with them.

Youth girls singing on Harvest Day.

Thanksgiving, Overseas Missionary Style

Thanksgiving always brings images of family and close friends sharing all that we have to be grateful for and celebrating with a wonderful huge dinner. Though we miss having family around, nonetheless, we all come together to share that tradition that makes us fellow citizens not just of America, but of God's kingdom. Several families from around the Kiev area gathered together at Pine Branch Lodge in Kolonitsi, Ukraine, which is about and hour out in the forest. A lovely place for a gathering and the same place we held the women's conference just two weeks prior. We all had a lovely time and thankful that God gives grace when family is so far away.

Creative snacking tree done by Leah and I. You know we have to put artsy in there somewhere.

Like any real Thanksgiving dinner there was also football. We got to watch the Houston Oilers play the Buffalo Bills. Oh, you say you didn't see that game? Well it was a 1993 game downloaded from the internet. Maybe not current, but nostalgic of American Thanksgiving celebrations nonetheless.

The crowning glory was the real turkey we had to eat with stuffing and all the trimmings. Oh, and the desserts were the best of variety. But most joyful was to have the time to sit back and relax with friends, some old and some new. Cutting the turkey for us was William D.(Dai) Wysong, Kiev Christian Academy director and principal.

Comments and Graphics - Thanksgiving Layouts - Photobucket

The Amazing Journey of Faith Conference, November 2009

This month gave several of us the grand privilege of working with some 50 women who attended this conference. We had ladies from a large cross section that included Ukrainians, Americans, South Africans and Dutch. The Lord blessed and we all went away feeling refreshed and encouraged. To see more pictures that are not on this blog go to http://teaontheterrace.blogspot.com/

This sweet lady was Vicky's translator for the conference. She's the one who really tells the message.

That's me in the white working with the ladies. Our ages ranged from 18 to 73 and what fun we all had. It is such a blessing for me to encourage their natural creative urges. The Father in heaven was the ultimate Creator and he gave all of us a touch of that creativity to express in different ways.

A Hawaiian Luau was our surprise for Saturday night. This also happens to be the drama team that came from the Zhitomyr region. They did a great job with skits each day telling the story of an "amazing journey." Everyone loved it and the dinner served by Pine Branch Lodge was excellent. Pine Branch is located a couple hours northwest of Kiev and is a lovely place in the woods.

Ladies having fun scrapbooking their "Amazing Journey of Faith." This makes for a tangible testimony that they can share with friends or family. A legacy of faith.

The Amazing Journey of Faith Conference

The week before this conference we thought we would have a small group, but at the last it filled up and there were more than we had room to house. Our limit of 50 filled and we had ladies in cabins and the lodge of Pine Branch Retreat. We had a great time of fellowship, crafts, and meetings. Vicky Nelson led the group in talks about the journey of faith. Tanya Sokolovski led in being women/wives of faith and I (Coleen Franks)led them in scrapbooking their journey of faith. I am the one knelt down in front. Vicky is right behind me and Tanya is to my left. More pix soon.

Ukrainian Pastor Dies from Flu and Pneumonia

Please pray for Pastor Victor's widow and children in Fastiv, Ukraine. He passed away yesterday after a diagnosis of flu and pneumonia, which got out of control. His brother Stepan is deathly ill, and may follow Victor to join those awaiting in heaven. Pastor Victor was the brother of Nadia, a member of our church in Bucha. Nadia is very active in the children's EE ministry. She is in Fastiv now with her grieving relatives.

Bucha Church in the Cold

Dear Friends of Bucha Church,
I'm writing this to ask you to pray for our church. We no longer have an operating heating system and thus we are worshiping in coats, gloves and scarves. Sometimes it is even colder in the church than outside. The church has been in need of a new heating system for several years, but without the funding. It is estimated that they need about $5000 to replace the current system. In addition, we have 48 old wooden windows that are in need of changing to modern energy efficient models. Those windows run $300 each. Maybe your Sunday school class would like to sponsor a window or give to the furnace need. Our furnace really is our priority as we need the heat. We have a mighty God who is capable of taking care of this need in no time with your loving prayers of petition. Please join us in calling on Him.
Jeff and Coleen Franks

Communion Sunday in Ukraine

In Ukraine they celebrate communion on the first Sunday of every month. The church is always more full on that day. Sadly, some come to get their monthly fix like a good luck charm and wouldn't miss it for anything. Then they don't come the rest of the month. Several years ago when we first came to Bucha a communal cup was passed around. That tradition stopped when there was a tuberculosis epidemic in Ukraine about five or six years ago. We now have the little cups, but there are those traditionalist that still want to drink from the cup. Fortunate for them there are not many.

Bucha Church Fall Break Camp, Ukraine

Bible time and movie time.

Recharging with a bit of lunch.

This little elf is holding his CD Mini-Book the kids did with the theme "You Are Special." Each child made one.

Some of our youth leaders. Even they had a great time.

Hand painted in preparation for poster print.

First group, the big kids.

Second group, the little ones. See story just below.

Bucha Camp Story

Kids were on school break last week so at the end of the week, Friday, Saturday and Sunday they did a short camp. The leaders asked me to do crafts for the camp on the theme of "You Are Special." We had 20 kids, most of which were children from our Village of Hope orphanage. Our daughter Leah, along with about 7 other young people led this camp and did a terrific job with the kids. They did sports, songs, bible lessons and crafts. We made a CD mini-book covering old CDs with pretty scrapbook papers and their individual picture plus group shots. Theme of the book was also "You are Special" with their picture right on the front. I think these little orphans went home feeling real good about themselves after three days on that theme.

Harvest Day in Koresten, Ukraine

Last week I wrote about "Another Kind of Ministry" when we went as a choir to sing in a distant church. It was their 120 year anniversary as a church and it was also the holiday called "Harvest Day." That is the day when they give thanks for the year's harvest along with everything the Lord has provided. Not so different from our Thanksgiving, though they do not have a set day and thus pastors do it anytime in September or October. The decorations in the church were so marvelous I had to share them with you. A holiday service is usually a long one. We sat for over three hours and 8 preachers. Usually our services are two hours and three preachers. We had a feast of a lunch afterward in only the style that Ukrainians can do. Again, much like Thanksgiving, but with much more variety. It was not a day to be on a diet and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Crafts in the Church

This is a picture of Oxana, Liza and Leah. This was a time of our doing crafts together. I am so thankful that the Lord gives me opportunities to minister to some of the young people of our church, to be an influence of his love. These three girls are leading a pre-teen choir so they also have influence to pass on. Soon we will be meeting with these pre-teens for crafts as well. Some do not understand the value of doing crafts with kids/youth, but it is a concentrated period of time when you have the ear of these young people, you can be an example, be a friend and share God's love. I have the greatest job in the world.

Jeff and Missions in Yablonka, Ukraine

Jeff was asked to be the speaker at a missions breakfast today in Yablonka. He is speaking to young people hoping to inspire them to consider missions. For many years we did not understand why God sent us to Ukraine instead of Russia for mission work, given that Jeff was trained in Russian. In more recent years we have come to see clearly the wisdom of the Lord in sending us here. Of all the former Soviet countries, Ukraine has had the most growth in churches and is the greatest sending country of missionaries of the former Soviet Union. We have been so blessed in our 15 years of living here and seeing the desire of the people to know the Lord and share his Word. We have learned much from these people and we thank the Lord for the experience.