"CHRISTIAN MONSTERS"

LEFTOVER SNOW STORM

After the big snow storm this is what we saw as it all melted.  And it melted fast over a couple of weeks.  Unfortunately there are homes affected in places, but we are in a high area so it is never something we need to worry about.    I thank God daily for the ways he cares for us. 

WINTER IN UKRAINE.....STILL?

 We have had the most amazing winter in terms of the amount of snowfall.  Each time I think we can't get any more??? ....it's like God wants to show me he's the one in charge. I"m sure he's chuckling.

 This is a Ukrainian style teeter totter that was here when we moved in 16 years ago.  You wouldn't know what it was for all the snow.

 My clothes line in the back yard.  The stick is twice as long as you see.

Our house from the back.  I'm afraid my poor evergreens shall never stand up normally again.  I spent a lot of time indoors this winter.  That is when I wasn't involved with functions at the church or other ministry events.  This kind of weather makes me so grateful for a warm house and all the blessings God has given me.  Have you stopped to think about that?  I know in the city of Kiev, 13 kilometers away, there are people that live out on the streets.  Many dogs too.  I wonder how they make it?  I just know that I have much to be thankful for and much to praise Him for.  I hope you think about that when you next stare difficulties in the face.  I know God has a purpose in all things.  I trust in that.

THE ENDS OF THE EARTH by Jeff Franks

In the late 80's I was enrolled in a discipleship group called Master Life, focused
on being a committed disciple of Jesus. Having renewed my devotion to Jesus, I
especially wanted to serve him in Russia, since daily I had been reading about Josh
MacDowell's ministry to orphans in Moscow and the reports were exciting. Not only
that, but I had studied Russian and had developed some fluency. I was "chomping at
the bit" to go to the former Soviet mission field.

But one day during my quiet time a verse pierced me like a well-aimed arrow: "Wisdom
is in the sight of him who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of
the earth." (Prov. 17:24) Jesus was saying, "Quit all your vain imaginings that you will
do great things for me in a far away land. Come follow me right where you are. Right
here where I am Wisdom in your sight. Be my disciple here in your local church and in
your neighborhood."

I heard his call loud and clear. I followed him. Five years later, when I was truly
enjoying my ministry in our church's Sunday school, leading discipleship small groups,
and doing street evangelism, the Lord cracked open a door for a short term mission
trip to Crimea, Ukraine.    It ended up our family moved to Ukraine two years later.  That
was nearly 21 years ago and we are still here.

YOUTH IN UKRAINE

This shot is one of the youth in our church, Bethany in Bucha.  I caught them while they were waiting on the Sunday school teacher to come open the door.  They weren't real happy about me taking their picture, but I convinced them and thus the goofy smiles.  For those of you who have followed this blog for years, the tallest one in the middle, Andre, was the child who got hit by a car in Kyiv when he was about 8 years old.  He suffered some head trauma. I asked him one time if he felt like he made a full recovery.  He said he wonders about his memory sometimes.  Otherwise he seems to function pretty well and gets a long with all.  Please pray for this group and those who lead them.  This is the future of every church and we want this group to grow.  Your prayers are highly coveted.

ARE WE "POST-CHRISTIAN"? by Jeff Franks

How is our nation today "post-Christian"?

I am a Viet Nam era vet and have always been a patriot. Lately, though, The Lord has
convicted me of making an idol of my beloved country. I share the actual mourning of
my brothers and sisters over the decline of our nation, and it is apparently on the verge
of an implosion along every possible line: financial, moral, political, cultural, and what
have you. Nations have life cycles, as many authors (Toynbee, Gibbon) and studies
have noted. But all these works show a common thread in the stage of decline, the
widely shared belief that "My well-being is someone else's responsibility." We are
clearly in that stage. What is not to be sad about?

But there is an element of sadness as if over a fallen idol, as if our one goal would be a
righteous USA, fogetting our "great commission" to make disciples of all nations. Those
who first followed Jesus' command surely mourned over the fall of Jerusalem and the
destruction of the temple in AD 70. Yet because of Jesus' warnings in Mt 24, they were
not devastated, because their love of Israel was no longer idolatrous, if it ever was, but
was directed toward Jesus and making disciples of Him in all nations. I am trying to see
beyond the fall of USA, which is no less inevitable than the fall of Jerusalem in the first
century. Is repentance possible? Yes, for a "remnant", but I think we have long passed
the "tipping point" to avert devastation on a national level. I want my sorrow over this to
be more now about the Lord Jesus than about the idol of my patriotic past.

UKRAINIAN LITTLE ONES

Three cousins sitting together in Sunday school. 

Just wanted to share these darling little kids I do crafts with every Sunday.  Am I blessed or what?  For those of you who send craft supplies just look in their eyes and know you are doing a good thing.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I couldn't do it without your loving and generous hearts.  I love these little ones, but I know God loves them even more than I.

BETHANY CHURCH OF BUCHA, UKRAINE

Though it is March, it is still very much winter here in Ukraine as you can see by all these ladies bundled up.  This is the widow's ministry.  A couple times a year the church gives a big bag of food products to the widows.  The pastor also comes in and talks to them.  These are sweet ladies that play a very important role in the life of the church.  That is that they pray.  And as all churches are, there is much to pray about.  The table in the background are the bags they take home when they are done.  Thanks for stopping by and I really like it when you leave a message.

FORGIVENESS WINS

My Life as an Accidental Artist: I am part of the solution: Forgiveness WIns from Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee on Vimeo .

I would like to think every church has "unsung heros", who labor faithfully in their calling, regardless of whether anyone notices.  Don't you know Jesus has some surprising rewards in store for such as these?  We all know the parable of the talents, where Jesus rewards those who were faithful with what little was committed them.  ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’  (Mt 25:21)  What an encouragement to work faithfully!

Some rewards for the faithful, though, come sooner, in this life.  A few days ago I was training our small group leaders and our numbers were down, probably due to severe cold and bad roads.  I must admit this discouraged me a bit.  Then Natasha shared how she and her husband Sasha, answered God's call to lead the teen ministry in our church.  Because of certain conflicts and troubles this last year, many of our teens quit coming:

"We only had two teens coming to our meetings in August.  The same two kept coming every       week and we continued to work with them in September, October, and November.  Each time we had to drive all the way from Kiev we began to wonder about the time commitment (45-60 minutes).  Nevertheless, we kept praying for all the teens. Finally, in December several more teens returned, and now in January we are averaging fifteen at every meeting!  I am so thankful we did not give up!  God is so good!"

 I repeat, what an encouragement to work faithfully and not give up!  Please pray for Sasha and Natasha as they lead and pray for this teen group that it may grow and prosper with more teens coming.  Small group ministry is growing in our church and for that we are excited.  Natasha is seated in the center (blue sweater).

CRIMEA, UKRAINE ON A SUNDAY

The article below is written by Jeff Franks.  This picture is Judy Van Sant, our dear friends (husband Bob, not shown) who arrived in Ukraine just shortly after we did which is now almost 20 years ago.  She stands in front of a Christmas message, "If you don't have Christmas in your heart, you won't find it under the tree."  Below is the church where Jeff visited this past Sunday.

How rich we are as believers, that in almost any part of the world, we can join with other friends who are fellow members in the family of God!  In some places they may be very few, like here in Simferopol, yet we can visit them because they have a name and a place of worship.  This Sunday I joined the believers in Simferopol Baptist Church, where our long-time missionary friend Pastor Bob Van Sant leads one of their church plants along with his wife Judy.

A number of years ago their church acquired the building where the traditional Evangelical Christian Baptist Church held its services during the Soviet years.  When I walked in Sunday morning I was overcome with a flood of memories, since I had first preached here in August of 1992 during a short-term mission.  Two years later, when our family settled in the village of Nikolaevka, I preached here on most Sunday mornings. However that was another time, another age, and another church.

Bob & Judy's church actually knows Coleen better than me.  Here I am better known as "Coleen's husband".  Several of the ladies, on seeing me, immediately asked, "Did Coleen come?" She has led several seminars in art journaling or as she sometimes calls it, "faith-booking" for the ladies of Simferopol Baptist Church, both young and old.

Before the main service Pastor Bob led a Sunday school lesson on the subject of crowns.  Very encouraging lesson, and challenging, too!  Afterward in worship Pastor Bob had invited me to preach, and since the day before was January 19th, the Holiday of Jesus' Baptism, I chose that for my subject, one of my favorite episodes from the life of our Lord Jesus.   Worship was uplifting and joyful.  Marina, Lena, and Nelya sang "Nearer my God to Thee" in beautiful 3-part harmony.  Here is their performance on YouTube http://youtu.be/kEN5vP0j4_I

WINTER IN UKRAINE

Just thought you might like a glimpse into life where we are.  On December 3rd I returned from a month in California.  It was the first snow that started that day and continued for two weeks.

Here we have our local "quick stop," two of them.  You buy standing outside, but they are heated inside (sometimes).  On the left kiosk, notice the dog laying up against the building.  Lots of street dogs here.

This is the local cultural center for the town of Vorzel which is not far from us.  I like the old architecture.  Notice on the front lawn to the right is a small wooden hut where they later put baby Jesus and his manger.  I liked that.

This is the local fruit/vegetable stand and bus stop.  That's what it says with the vertical letters.  This one you can go inside.

Jeff and I laughed about this sign.  It says car wash.  This is a one-way bridge under the railroad tracks.

Right next to the railroad tracks is where vendors come to catch the passengers in hopes of selling.  This is a meat truck with people lined up and a few hopeful street dogs.  People here are good to help feed the dogs that live out loose.

My favorite picture shows the family blankets out airing in the cold winter air.  So many things we take for granted in America are not always easy here....like laundry, for example.

Children love the holidays that have just finished this week here in Ukraine.  As you can see the snow is still coming down.  It's gotten so deep that some roofs have caved in.  We are praying that our garage roof, which is not a high slant, will hold.  Some get up and shovel theirs off.  We are afraid to do that.  Would appreciate your prayers with us.

The road home through the villages is very slick, but we are blessed with a 4-wheel drive so it's not a problem for us.  Though much time is spent indoors in this season, small group training still goes on as well as ministry to children and ladies.  Thanks to all who hold us up in prayer.

FLASH MOB IN MOSCOW 2012

What a crazy, delightful ever changing world!  Who could have thought that in 2012 young  people in Moscow would put on a "flash mob" happening, dancing to an 83 year old American song written by a Russian born American Jew (Irving Berlin)?  

CHRIST AND ISLAM by Jeff Franks

More Muslims are coming to Christ today than from any other religious background. Two weeks ago I led a Bible conference in Istanbul with 26 people from a closed access country.  Twenty two were believers in Jesus Christ, all from Muslim backgrounds. Of the 22 three were UN refugees because of persecution from authorities. 4 participants were Muslims who wanted to know the Bible and were attracted by the message of Christ. One of them, a young mother, gave her heart to Jesus Christ and asked for baptism. We need to pray for Muslims, and find ways to reaching them with the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ, who died for every last one of them.  Please let us know that you are praying.  It would bless our hearts.

"MY REDEEMER LIVES" BY NICOLE MULLEN

This will warm your heart as the holidays approach.

UKRAINIAN HUMOR

Once we were visiting with a friend in the south part of Ukraine called the Crimea.  It's where we lived for over three(of our almost 20) years before moving up north near the capital.  He was talking about the difficulties of life in their little country village.  We understood as we saw the challenging lifestyle he was referring to.  He was not brooding and in fact was laughing and joking.  As he talked I marveled at his "take on things."  I finally said to him that I could see this was a difficult life and yet he laughed and joked about it.  His answer has always stuck with me.  "We laugh because otherwise we would cry."  It is the method of survival for so many in Ukraine when life is challenging, and not a bad one.  I'm sure under the laughter there may at times be some bitterness, but such he did not betray.  When life has given me a bad pill I've looked at it this way.  I can get bitter or I can get better.  I choose the latter.  Trusting in Christ allows me to know he has a plan for my life and it sometimes includes challenging experiences.  His plan is to continue to refine us like silver to be more and more the image of Christ.  I am grateful to be one of His children, to have been chosen to know Him.  Put your trust in Him and he will never forsake you for he loves you like no other can love you.  He is the author of love itself.  God is love, love is of God.  Believe in it.  Trust in it.  He waits for you and joys in your fellowship. 

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."  Zephanian 3:17

JOY IN TRIALS

Matthew 6:28-29

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Siberian Iris from my garden.

The verse above speaks to me of how we should trust God in our care.   He has all the details of our life worked out.  This verse refers to our clothing, but it is everything.  "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9.  I'm so grateful that He does direct my steps.  Even through the trials and difficulties of life we can trust him for all our needs.  Lily from my garden.

Isaiah 40:8 

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Crocus in spring.

A "flower" in my life "faded" recently.  It was the passing of my father's life into eternal rest in the arms of his Savior.  He died November 23rd in the early morning hours while his family surrounded him in love.  As the "flower fades," I trust the word of God for this new stage in my life.  His wife of 37 years, Diza, also trusts Him for her next steps.  Please pray for her as her life changes dramatically with a move from California to Florida. In all things we are trusting and accepting.  For this trust,  I may mourn the loss but I have joy in my heart.  I hope that you trust in such a way that you have joy ever present, despite the circumstances.   Iris, also from my summer garden.

THE "END" IS NEARER THAN YOU THINK

A Gleaner Article by Jeff Franks

To many of us in the west, the far away Republic of Georgia, nestled amidst the
Caucasus mountain ranges by the Black Sea, is a literal "end of the earth". However,
such a thought would amaze a Georgian believer, since his ancestors knew Christ
long before America was even an explorer's dream. Tradition tells us that Andrew,
Thaddeus, and Bartholomew, Jesus' own disciples, had preached the gospel there in
the first century. Yet our western "end of the world" would remain unknown to them for
the better part of two more millennia.

Simple beginnings.

Who were those first believers in Georgia? I have no doubt that they knew Jesus by
faith and remained true to the scriptural foundations of the gospel. I think they would
have fully honored Paul's admonition to the Corinthians: "I fear, lest somehow, as
the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ." I have seen all sorts of medieval and iconographic images
of Andrew, but I reject the thought that this Galilean fisherman would have distinguished
his appearance by the length of his beard, by fine robes, or other priestly adornment. If
he had a halo, it was not likely visible from our side down here. No, Andrew's Georgian
converts would have followed our Lord in simplicity, although what records do we have?
The power and purity of their faith will remain forever in heaven's annals, where we
know that even a glass of water given in Jesus' name is noted.

Heaven knows.

However, if Georgian believers of the 1st century were like those in Corinth, then they
were "not many wise . . . not many mighty, and not many noble". What happened
to them over the course of three centuries? Why do historians portray the Christian
leaders of 4th century Georgia as wise, mighty and noble, having donned the regalia
of high religion, wearing the bishops' crowns, the ornate crosses and the long flowing
robes? Or is it just that the attentions of earth's historians are a great deal more
galvanized by glitter than by grace? Nevertheless, of the high-church's pomp and
polish, of the gold and the grandeur, records abound. But where are the tent-makers,
the fishermen, the shop-keepers, and the housewives who followed Jesus and led
people to the Lord in the 1st century? Heaven knows! Truly.

The awe and wonder of Byzantium.

So when in the fourth century the "state church" had not so much altered, but
overshadowed the simplicity of the gospel once preached to the common man, King
Mirian made Christianity official throughout the land of Georgia (AD 326). The simple

truths of "salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone" were eclipsed
by the pomp and regalia of Byzantine bishops and priests, ambassadors of Emperor
Constantine, who came to endow the Georgian clergy with their "authority" through a
multitude of rites and rituals. Later kings and bishops would commission the building of
awesome temples which remain as venerated relics to this day. I have seen them and
walked in them, and they are truly breath-taking. But did they serve in any meaningful
way to bring souls to Jesus Christ in humble repentance and faith? I don't know.

A door opened for the gospel.

I had not expected the Lord would open a door for my ministry in the Republic of
Georgia. In a meeting with the president of the Georgian Baptist Union, who had come
to Kyiv, Ukraine in January 1997, I had somewhat awkwardly presented a plan for
training church planters. He looked so skeptical that when he invited me to come, I was
surprised. "This could only be the grace of God," I thought.

First impressions. The charms of vintage Georgia.

For me coming to Georgia in 1997 was a special gift, like bumping into an old friend.
Everything seemed so vintage and old-worldly enigmatic. The porches on every home
charmed me. In the fall families would hang their orange persimmons on strings to dry
on the porch. Pomegranates, grape vines, and orchards abounded. Ancient temples
adorned mountain tops, preserving memories from centuries past. Above all my new
friends in Christ, mostly missionary pastors, showed the kind of love and warmth that
made them feel like old friends in no time. What is more, they shared the simplicity of
Baptist believers in these parts, a simplicity that in my view is honoring to Christ.

Baptist beginnings.

The baptism of Nikita Voronin in the Kura River in Tbilisi in 1867 became a historical
moment for planting churches through Bible teaching and obedience to Christ. These
churches would grow to form a movement of Evangelical Christian Baptists throughout
the countries of the former Russian Empire. Now I was meeting with Georgians who
had come to faith in these very traditions, men and women who were living by the "faith
which comes by hearing" the Word of God.

New churches planted.

Over the next couple of years I trained 18 missionaries in starting new churches.
Church planters often brought their own teams so that in training events our numbers
would swell to 30 or more. Certain men were greatly fruitful in planting new churches,
and in all of this I sensed God's guiding and blessing hand.

Then something strange began to happen.

Over the course of about 5 years certain visible changes caused me great alarm and
consternation. Key leaders among the Georgian missionaries began to wear priestly
garments, headdresses, ornate medallions, and long black robes! Some pastors
grew lengthy beards. What in the world was happening? The president of the Baptist
Union, Malkhaz Songulashvili, a diligent scholar and dedicated servant of the church,
had begun to introduce an Episcopal style of church government. He was highly
intelligent, philosophically adept, Oxford educated, a Bible translator, and president
of the Georgian Bible Society. He reformed worship by introducing liturgical readings
along with priestly garments for bishops and pastors. "Our doctrines remain Baptist," he
assured me in a private meeting. I disagreed, saying that his reforms distort the gospel
message, which in my view is tantamount to crossing doctrinal boundaries. I do not
vilify or judge Archbishop Songulashvili for he stands or falls before our Savior, just as I
do. Nevertheless, I felt responsible for BMAA's cooperation and training of their pastors
and missionaries, and my conscience would not allow me to support those who had in
any heartfelt way adopted these so-called reforms.

Parting ways.

Having shared our points of disagreement with the missionaries, to avoid inappropriate
pressure and give them time to react, we waited several months before ending our
mission with them. On that final day we again shared our beliefs and ended the
afternoon with a meal of fellowship in which we all prayed together and wished one
another well. Those who chose to wear the robes were very polite, expressed their
gratitude for the support and training, and went their separate way. A few were in
agreement with us, but as guests of the Baptist Union, we felt that our continued formal
relationship with them at that time would have been wrongly divisive and inappropriate.
Just what was it in our objections that these men could not accept?

Three simple truths.

First, in my view the wearing of priestly garments in a religiously-minded culture distorts
the precious gospel truth that "there is one God and one Mediator between God and
men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all." (1 Timothy 3:5,6) The
common man, not knowing the Bible, immediately sees the beard, the medallions and
the robe as signifying a "mediator" before whom he may confess his sins and from
whom he may seek both absolution and blessing. The common man on the street
needs desperately to know that Jesus Christ alone is our only hope of reconciliation with
God. Why come to him wearing a stumbling block from which he may have little or no
hope of rising to walk in the name of Jesus?

Priestly regalia distorts a second essential truth: all true believers are priests. From the
time of Jesus' crucifixion, when God tore the veil of the temple in two from top to bottom,
every child of God can "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) Dear man of God, when a child
of God sees your beard and robe, how can he know in his tattered jeans that he has just
as much access to the throne of grace that you do in your vestments?

The third truth is a warning: priestly garments can be a seductive temptation to seek
honor for oneself. In Luke 20:46 Jesus warned, “Beware of the scribes, who desire
to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the
synagogues, and the best places at feasts."

Defensively, one brother replied, "Jesus did not say the robe was wrong. He said the
desire for it was wrong." "Exactly," I replied. The uncomfortable silence that followed
spoke volumes.

A few years passed.

Brother Jerry Kidd and I returned to Georgia to speak with those who had remained
true to the Baptist traditions I outlined above. Over this time faithful servants of Christ,
pastors and missionaries who had been in our trainings, began to come together
and associate freely with one another for support. One of the key leaders in this new
association of churches was pastor and physician Dr. Levan Akhalmosulishvili, who
runs a benevolent medical clinic in eastern Georgia. He served humbly and effectively
in unifying faithful men and women in church-planting and in spiritual leadership. Dr.
Levan invited me to lead yearly prayer retreats and training seminars for their key
pastors and missionaries.

Coming alongside.

We again offered resources which had been faithfully given to Georgia by our churches.
We came alongside them in church planting, providing DCPI training, leadership
seminars and prayer retreats. Several times I had the privilege of working with Baptist
Medical Missions International under the leadership of Dr. Ralph Izard and Dr. John
Ladd. Once, during the Russian invasion of 2008, we were forced to evacuate during
a bombing raid on the town of Gori. In short, we continued to come and share their
burdens in good times and bad.

Now the good news.

Today there are 38 churches in the newly formed Baptist Union of Georgia! In October
2012 my wife Coleen and I attended their first international congress in Kvareli. The
Georgians had invited Baptist leaders from Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Poland,

Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and USA. In addition there were
representatives there from other important missions such as Robert Provost from the
Slavic Gospel Association, John & Stephen Benham from Music in World Cultures, and
several others, including the BMAA, represented by Coleen and me. What a joy! What
a gloriously good time we had!

Here are the words I spoke to Georgian leaders at the congress: "We in the BMA of
America have had the blessed privilege of working with many of you since 1997. We
observed you then when you were faced with strong temptations to abandon some key
gospel truths, the very foundational principles of your calling and ministry. Instead,
you stood strong and refused to compromise the truth. There were others of you who
stumbled, but you recovered and found the grace to continue boldly in service to our
Savior. Well done! I am touched and moved by your faithfulness. Today we rejoice
with you in the formation of your new Baptist Union of Georgia, and we know that the
pastors and Churches of the BMA of America will continue to lend our shoulders to
yours as you plow, water and reap in the harvest fields. May the kingdom of Christ
continue to grow and expand until every man, woman and child in the Republic of
Georgia has heard the true gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

The "end" is near.

Yes, once America was the "end of the world" to believers in Georgia. But oh, how
technology has taken what was "far" and made it "near"! Today, we can have real-
time face-to-face conversations with our Georgian friends over Skype and Facebook.
The "end" is truly "near" in more ways than one!

I would like to bring far-away Georgia even nearer through the photos on these
pages. Hopefully you will sense the warmth and history of this lovely place, a unique
crossroads between east and west. A place where, if you visit, I think you will discover
what I mean about the feel of bumping into an old friend. And if you do, please keep
your Georgian brothers and sisters in the focus of your prayers and missions activities.

A.J. Jacobs: My Year of Living Biblically

As Christians we so often have our attitudes on how to witness to unbelievers.  Sometimes we are trained in this through the church and often we are not. Unfortunately we so often come across with Biblical lingo and ways of talking that the unsaved person simply cannot relate to or understand, much less find purchase in.  Too often, because we don't know how to reach someone we tell them to read the Bible.  Sometimes we give them a specific book to read, but if there is not something that touches them deep inside, even that may not go very far.  Thus is the value of developing ongoing deep relationships with such people so we can gradually bring them along into a love relationship that is characterized by Christ himself.

I'm posting this "Ted Talk" because it was a good reminder of how so many unbelievers think.  It helped me to be reminded in how to relate and not relate to them.  Here is a man who "Lived Biblically" for one year.....a grand experiment for him.  I shake my head to think one could indulge so deeply and not know Christ, yet, it illuminates the need to build relationships with such people.  When you shake your head and want to turn it off (as I almost did), don't.  This is how so many think and it is important for us to understand them so we can bring them to Christ and his love.

SUNDAY SCHOOL IN UKRAINE

Sunday school in Ukraine.  Ministering to the little ones.  They sing and learn to pray, but mostly they learn about love.

Two of the cute little ones learning about God's love.

The very youngest Sunday school making crafts, their favorite thing to do.

Some sweet little girls showing off the craft they will take home to mom.  Don't you just love that smile?

Kvareli Lake, Georgia, Eastern Europe

Last week I had the rare blessing of accompanying my sweet husband Jeff to one of his long term fields of work, being the country of Georgia.  He's been working there for 15 years training native pastors and missionaries in starting new churches, but it was my very first time.  This was a special event so I was privileged to also be invited.  It was the First Annual Congress of Baptist Churches of Georgia.  There were pastors and missionaries from all over Georgia as well as men from America and many surrounding countries.  For me it was a chance to put names and faces together of people I've heard about for years.  We attended two days of meetings and they took us one day on a tour.  Jeff was asked to give an address to the meeting, as did several other people.  It is always his joy to be there as there are so many brothers that he has come to know and love over the years.  Men with whom he's heard their struggles and has been in their homes and churches.  Today I am thankful that I had the opportunity to finally see this breath-takingly beautiful country that suffers from poverty, poor infrastructure and the whims of politics.  Soon I'll show you more of this lovely country.

GIVING YOUR CHILDREN AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

There is so much we want to pass onto our children, but maybe one of the most important things after salvation is there understanding that this is not our home.  This is not where we'll be forever and we shouldn't get too comfortable.  Too often even we ourselves get too "at home" in this life.  Enjoy this article for an "eternal view."  http://thechuppies.com/2011/04/i-dont-want-our-kids-to-feel-at-home/

THE ATTITUDE OF COMMUNISM

This was a very interesting post a fellow American missionary in Ukraine posted on Facebook recently.  It speaks about the past of this former Soviet country and the way some still think today:

"Spent time listening to a government official explaining how "community" has fallen apart in Ukraine. Under Soviet days, everyone was watched out for and kept in various forms of community. There were workers unions, the Communist Party, Consomols Party (teenage Communist Party) and Pioneers (grade school equivalent of Boy Scouts). Everyone fit into a part of the community that created the Soviet Union. Today, with no parties or unions, people are left to themselves, lonely, hopeless and generally drunk. With no party or club to tell them what to believe in, there is nothing that unites the people."

When you hear such things it helps me to understand how badly this nation still needs to know Christ.  Pray for us as we minister here.

 

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY CONFERENCE

Two Ukrainians, One American and 11 Russians spent last weekend in Kharkov, Ukraine praying and listening to what God was saying to them through His Word.  Jeff, my husband,  the American, was richly blessed and greatly encouraged by each and all of them.  Please pray for these folks who recently went through the pain of a church split.  Jeff is on the far right.     

HANDMADE FANS

This is a sampling of some fans that went to a group of Texas ladies.  One of the ladies had seen what we did with the kids this summer and thought it would be a nice idea for her group.  So 25 of these pretties flew off to Texas not long ago.  I know it seems late for fans, but things stay hot in Texas a lot longer than in most other places.  They all have Bible verses on both sides so they will be a nice witness.  And another benefit is that they really work well to blow  the heat off your brow.

LOVE FROM NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA

This is a touching bit of history from North Platte, Nebraska.  I found it very moving.  You will too.

CAR ACCIDENT IN UKRAINE

For those of you who didn't see this on Facebook.....August 26th Jeff had an accident one block from home where he was hit by another driver running a red light.  In the U.S. this would be a no-brainer as to fault, but this is not the U.S.  Jeff was sited as not yielding to oncoming traffic (we think there was a pay-off from the other driver, common here).  Jeff was not hurt other than minor bruising and we praise God that it was only a mini-van and not a semi-truck as so often travel that road.  The following was written by Jeff during one of his morning devotional times just a couple days ago:

Devotional Thoughts from my SOAP devotional this morning, based on the following verse:

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,  that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.  For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,  who are Israelites. (Romans 9:1-4)

The unfairness of being struck at an intersection by a driver who was running a red light, only afterward to hold in my hands a citation from the militia, which found me at fault for the accident, causes me to see Pauls words in verse 1 in a special light.  His subject matter, the salvation of his fellow Jews, was different (and glorious at that!), but whereas before I was enamored with his subject, today, because of these recent events, I am enamored with his passion for truth.  I think it is a special, blessed occasion, a moment of true grace, when someone can speak the truth and his concience bears witness in the Holy Spirit of God.  Today, I have this grace.  I am glad that amidst all the lies surrounding the accident that I can say, "I was partially at fault for failure to anticipate a car running a red light at the intersection."  All the while I know that the greater guilt rests on the violator.  I am also speaking the truth, and I am not lying, and my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I would pay for this accident and accept guilt ten times over if only it would lead to the violator, Andrey Aleksandrovich Yakimovich, receiving the mercy of God, and coming to repentance, being born again in God's Holy Spirit.  Therefore, on September 11, 2012 I go to court with peace in my heart, not worrying about the outcome, and leaving all in God's holy and righteous hands.


I write out my morning devotions (using the S.O.A.P. method), and shared it with Coleen. I didn't intend for it to wind up so public on Facebook. Thank you all for your prayers, for which I am all the more sure that the Father's will will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.

Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer = SOAP, in case someone doesn't know this method. You select a passage and ask the Lord to lay one or more verses on your heart. Then in your journal (or computer) you write the verses (S), your thoughts (O), what you will do in obedience (A), then write out your prayer (P). I share this with church planters and with every person who seriously wants to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

MISSIONS TO RUSSIA

 Pavel (Paul) and Tanya Gerashenko are Ukrainian friends of ours who became missionaries and are now living in Russia working in an enclave of Turkish (Muslim) people.  Below is Tanya's letter.

 She has started a children's club. I"m sending her craft materials to work with the kids.  So happy to be a part in helping this mission effort get started.  Please pray for them and their 3 boys.  The littlest is there at the table.

Hi sister!
I want to share that today was the first day of the home club for the girls, there were five girls. We have made ​​some very interesting crafts: jewelery made ​​from beads and a rose and candy. I bought gifts for all the colored balls are in the waters swell and become big beautiful balls, and we were talking about a rainbow and how it all started. Noah and God's promise. They first heard the story of Noah. Of course, thank you for some of the parcels, they are very helpful for the club (do crafts). And if you still want to tell you that it for this ministry, I would be very grateful, as there is still a need. Also, please send ideas. I want to carry out twice a week for girls, and twice for the boys. Therefore, ideas and different ornamental material very much needed.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
With love your sister Tanya.
Sending photos.

ROMANIA TRAINING FOR PASTORS & MISSIONARIES

My husband, Jeff Franks took this picture.  He was part of a team of three who trained these men in Romania this past week.  From Little Rock, Arkansas were Larry Barker, the tall guy on the left and our Director, Jerry Kidd in the light shirt, front row middle.  The rest are all Romanian pastors and missionaries who were very encouraged from the training.  This is what Jeff usually does on his own, but he said it was nice to do it in a team.  We love being a part of God's work in training and encouraging men from around the world to expand God's Great Commission.