Count Your Blessings

Are You Counting?

I found this on the web and just had to share it...

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section.
Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.'

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section..

The angel then said to me, 'This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them... 'I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. 'This is the Acknowledgment Section,' my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed 'How is it that there is no work going on here?' I asked.

'So sad,' the angel sighed. 'After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments.'

'How does one acknowledge God's blessings?' I asked.

'Simple,' the angel answered. Just say, 'Thank you, Lord.'

'What blessings should they acknowledge?' I asked...

'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy.'

'And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.'

'If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.'

'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world.'

'If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.
'If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare.'

'If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.'

Ok, what now? How can I start? If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.

ATTN:
Acknowledge Dept.:
'Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people to share it with.'

26th All Ukrainian ECB Convention

Jeff has spent the last three full days listening to and in fellowship with many brothers from the Evangelical Christian Baptist chuches. The Lord has used this time to set seeds for future church planting trainings. Please pray for those seeds for the beginning of new trainings in new places. Jeff has come home each day enthusiastic about what God is doing in the Baptist Union and in Ukraine.

Scrapbooking Class

Last weekend I had the privilege of working with a small group of ladies in doing a scrap booking class. I am so often amazed at the creativity of people when they are let loose with a few materials. I am very grateful for those who have sent scrap booking supplies as it is such a joy for the ladies to discover and use them. Above are a few of their pages they made.

Imprisoned

For those of you who prayed for our imprisoned friends that I wrote about earlier they have been released after 80 days. We haven't been in touch with them, we can't be in touch with them, therefore, we do not know their condition. I do know that the wife had been on a hunger strike for some time. How long I do not know. And during this entire time they were not allowed to see their children. Please continue to pray for them, their children and for the "No Access Country" that imprisons people for their faith. The believers in that country go through testing we hopefully will never know, but the God in heaven who sees all things and knows all things understands their trial and hears our prayers. Continue to pray for people of persecuted faith in closed countries around the world.

Bethany Baptist Church Craft Ladies

Our ladies are preparing crafts for children here and later we did a cards class. I so enjoy working with them and they are ever faithful.

Spring Unfolding

Hyacinths have just finished and tulips are in full bloom. We also have vinca, primroses and pansies (some I planted and some volunteer). Each year at this time I have such a wonderful sensation of God's playfulness and love as all the new variations of His creation show themselves in all their pride and glory. We are so grateful for the home God has given us here and try to share the beauty of this garden with others. It is a little bittersweet at times since we know that one day we will be leaving it behind after so many years of working on it. Nonetheless, we know Who is in control of the timing and plans so we rest in Him and will trust Him for his future plans for our lives.

Don't Quit

Just click on title for a lovely encouragement.

Belichi Baptist Church

Victor Kulbich, pastor of Bethany BC, parent church to Belichi BC
Jeff Franks
Youth Sang
Last Sunday we had the privilege of participating in the 10th anniversary of Belichi Baptist Church in Kiev, Ukraine. This is a daughter church to our church Bethany and the pastor of this church, Nikolai Dikterenko calls Jeff is God-father, meaning the person under whom he was saved. It was a great joy to participate with them in this celebration.

Belichi Baptist Church (cont.)

Pastors: Jeff Franks, Nikolai Diketenko (pastor of Belichi BC), Victor Kulbich and deacon Gregory also from BBC.

The entire church after their celebration.

Spring In Ukraine

I'll bet you wonder what this is. Spring in all it's wonder is unfurling literally before our eyes. Some things you can see the changes even hourly. This interesting critter is rhubarb. When I was a little girl my grandmother grew rhubarb in her suburban yard outside of Chicago. She would make a sweet/sour sauce with it that my dad just loved. Now here I am, probably close to the age I remember her and I'm growing rhubarb in my Kiev suburban yard. It is so interesting when I think back at the influence she was in many areas of my life. I pray as a mother and grandmother that I too can have a good influence on those around me. Do you ever think about that? She's been gone for decades and yet she still influences my life. What a responsibility we have for the generations that follow. I think I'll make rhubarb pie this summer.

The Next Stage In Life

Many of you have prayed for Leah and her future. She is here enjoying her graduation celebration and her new net-book computer. In the fall she leaves for further education. Our little chick will fly the nest. Please continue to pray for her as she makes this next transition in life. Not only will she be moving out from home, but she will be moving far from Ukraine to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The good part of this is she will live her first year with family there. Thank you all for your loving prayers.

Land of Mount Ararat, Armenia

In June Jeff and I will visit here. Jeff has been asked to speak to the graduating class of the Armenian seminary in the capital city of Yerevan. While Jeff has been here many times in our 16 years here, it will be my first visit. Got camera and sketch pad ready to go. I'll blog it there if I get access to internet.

Crawling Out From Under A Rock

Spring is finally in full swing here in Ukraine. I laughed when I saw these daffodils struggling to emerge from around this rock. I laid the rock walk last summer long after the daffodils were gone and obviously forgot they'd been there. Still, I marvel at the tenacity of things God creates. How much more should we be tenacious and enduring when obstacles confront us. I would say these flowers were certainly moving along in faith that they would find the sunlight....and they did. I'm so glad.

Dynamic Church Planting International in Ukraine

Chris Centeio from DCPI was in church with us on Sunday to tell about their mission. They have a vision for opening 5 million dynamic churches, able to reproduce themselves world wide. Jeff has been working with these men for the last week and a half and is excited about the possibilities. Ukraine has already been a "sending nation"...sending missionaries to many parts of the world.

Church of Ukraine

One of the more beautiful churches of Ukraine. This is a Baptist church located in the Vinnitsa oblast (county) in central Ukraine take on one of my husband Jeff's recent trips.

Kyiv, Ukraine

I just wanted to share this picture of a truly awesome new mall that has opened up in the capital city of Kiev. It would easily surpass many malls in America and is a far cry from our experience of burning coal to keep warm in our village home here 16 years ago. There are still some things here we cannot get, but they become fewer and fewer every year. I am thankful for that.

Dynamic Church Planters International

This week Jeff has been involved with Dynamic Church Planting International. He is participating each day and next week he will teach the same class to more Ukrainian pastors. Training pastors in starting churches is something Jeff has done for many years, so this is an opportunity for him to strengthen and hone his skills.

Kyrgzstan Events of this Past Week

Stunned Bewilderment over Kyrgyzstan Events
By Kristina Gray
Yesterday at 5:56am

What’s bewildering is one might know much in Kazakhstan concerning the Kyrgyzstan events of last week from American friends who are currently “on the ground” in Bishkek and who are “netizens” while the rest of the world just yawns and goes on with life as usual. But NOTHING is ordinary with 80 people dead, 100s wounded and a deposed president in the south of Kyrgyzstan refusing to resign after he drained all the country’s money from banks. That leaves a new, unsteady leadership with impoverished funds to try to clean up the mess they presumably created in order to have the power to have the same thing done to them again in five years. These revolutions in Kyrgyzstan seem to be following a Soviet style Five Year plan…

Read the following account from an American we know who has been in Bishkek for the last five years, he is a father of four children. I fully expect that he and many others did NOT know the demonstration would turn into a bloodbath.

April 7th Demonstration in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

On the way home from school (to get the camera) we noticed that everyone was wearing black. We passed the police headquarters close to the Chinese restaurant in the basement. Heavily armed guards with big guns were at the scene, with at least 8-10 large dogs, mostly German Shepherds. Upon arriving at home, I quickly found a dark navy blue rain jacket and a camera with an extra battery. As soon as my brother and I reached Jibek Jolu, we noticed 100 armed police and soldiers with helmets, vests, guns, shields, and batons. We walked up a different route toward Panfilova, but then turned and saw all of them marching up behind us. We walked a little bit faster, unsure if they were after two handsome boys like us, but fortunately they stopped at a police station. We continued on ahead, saw the smoke rising up. Next to Panfilova, behind the museum, there was a lot of scattered trash everywhere. We could hear more gunfire and the shouts of people.

We walked up towards the city square where the statue and the big flag is. We saw more and more people and large rocks on the ground along with broken slabs of concrete. I saw that to my right, they had burned a little kiosk, and it was smoking gray, meaning it was a while ago. I saw that they had crashed army trucks into the gate of the “White House” and set it ablaze. The “White House” was surrounded by about a few hundred police officers and soldiers with guns, shields, helmets, and beating batons. I heard gun shots, and I saw about a few hundred protesters running back. They were carrying a man on their shoulders and took them to the square. There, a Damas ambulance was waiting as they loaded him into the trunk. From my view point, I couldn’t tell if he was dead or wounded. Then the whole crowd, there must have been ten thousand or more people, started cheering for him. But I could tell that they were furious, and they then rushed towards the White house, yelling.

I finally came to the place where the two guards stood, and men were throwing rocks at the glass. A few others were yelling at them, telling them not to. Some guys smashed the strobe lights with their feet. There were large pieces of glass and rocks everywhere. There were also a lot of cigarette boxes, Coke bottles, and miscellaneous trash. I saw some guys giving speeches on top of a platform with a megaphone. Others next to them were waving theKyrgyz flag.

The people there were mostly wearing black. Mainly men, about 90% but there were young women, young boys, old women, and old men. Some men wore the whiteKyrgyzhats like mine. I did not see anyone carrying arms besides sticks or stones. I noticed that some had beaten police up and had taken their shields, helmets, or batons.

I walked through the crowd, taking pictures. One guy asked me if I wasKorean, and I said yes. Then he told me to put the pictures on the Internet, so that the whole world would see what is going on. There were some T.V. stations there, and people wanted them to get closer to the action, but they didn’t want to. I eventually fought my way to the columns and got closer and closer to the “White House”. There was an occasional burst of gunshots. Then I saw one guy get shot. He was running toward the “White House” and someone shot him in the stomach. It was probably a sniper from the corner of the rooftop. There was a spotter and a sniper. The spotter was wearing a helmet and a mask. Blood spurted out. Two men rushed, waving their arms and carried him by his arms and feet to safety. I saw another man grasping his leg, and someone was with him with a red first aid kit.

I came to the columns and saw a HUGE puddle of blood, with a bloody jacket on top. It scared me and at first I didn’t think it was real. But when I returned later, someone had wiped it off, proving it wasn’t paint. I continued to the corner and saw that they had torn down signs and were standing on large pieces of concrete. More demonstrations were going on further up on Kievskaya. I saw puddles of blood on the ground. It was if someone had beaten a head with a baseball bat. I walked along parallel to the “White House”, getting dangerously close. Other people were also taking pictures with their cameras or phones. Then an ambulance came and quickly, people loaded the two men who were shot and the ambulance quickly carried them away. They had set about 5/6 trucks on fire and smashed them into the wall, denting the fences or breaking them. One sky blue truck had even gone through the gate.

I kept walking down, and I saw more people rallying. Some were carrying the red flag of Kyrgyzstan. Some were yelling at the people, encouraging them to fight. I went to the grass and found more splotches of blood. A nurse walked around the gate, and men started crowding around her, I don’t know why. I think she told them to go away, judging by the gestures of their hands. There was a bloody black shoe next to a large splotch of blood. The people started getting worked up and one kid was furious, he was about 6 years old, wielding a large stick and was screaming.

Imprisoned

You might want to read this article to see the attitude of the Iranian president. Click on the title to go to it. This is the country that is holding Christians captive and torturing them. Please continue to pray for the couple who have been imprisoned for their Christian beliefs. The wife has gone on a hunger strike and we are concerned for her well-being. These are people, amongst others, whom my husband Jeff has worked with for years, training in Christian doctrine outside their country so they can go back and edify others. Please pray.

Easter Service

The adult choir that Jeff and I participate in sang for Easter services. Easter continues to be celebrated long past the date of Easter. Recently the choir traveled to another church to sing and bring the service. Jeff and Pastor Kulbich both preached for that service.

Blessing of the Babies

This is something we do for all the newborn babies in the church. Here we have Inna and Dima praying with Pastor Victor Kulbich, along with all the rest of the church. What a blessing for a child to get these kinds of prayers from so many.

Imprisoned

For those of you who have been praying for our imprisoned friends from a no-access country, I am writing to ask you to please continue lifting them up. To this day nothing has been heard from them and even their two children ages (appox.) 9 and 13 have not been able to talk to them. Please pray for the children as well. This is a country where torture is common so please do not forget them.

Our hostess on the left, Vicki. Next to Vicki is our daughter, Leah. And friends from South Africa who are leaving soon. Such is missionary life, friends come and go.
Getting ready to thank the Lord for his provision and our fellowship.

Leah made mini-cupcakes for a lot of people.

Though being with family would be priority with all missionaries, we still gather with others and have a delightful time. This was as good as any Baptist potluck. We were grateful to be included in this celebration of the Lord's raising.

Children's Ministry

One of our little performers in the church. We are blessed to have people who work with the children and give them wonderful training in music and drama.

Life in Ukraine

We still have snow on the ground, but milder temperatures are melting some of it. This picture shows how some live here. Though the snow is leaving us, there is still plenty of heating weather left for a number of months yet (May/June). Some still heat with wood, and many, due to economic recession, have gone back to heating with wood. So much of the population here is without transportation beyond bicycles and walking. Thus explains the three men working together to bring their wood back home. Another unfortunate outcome of this situation is that more and more trees are being cut. Whereas many roadways were lined with trees, they are thinning considerably. All I can say is thank you Lord that I have a car and a warm house. Let me not take these things for granted.

Imprisoned

Not long ago I wrote about friends who have been imprisoned for their faith. If you would like more information on these people and more pertinent details than what I can write about you may go to the link below. There is no new news other than except that someone led the police to them when they were arrested. This person needs praying for as well.

http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue8903.html

Sergey and Vica in Oleksandrivka

Jeff returned on Sunday from Armenia and we are grateful for the Lord's loving protection in bringing him home. Tomorrow he leaves again to go from our area of central Ukraine to western Ukraine. He will be visiting our BMA missionaries Sergey and Vica in the village of Oleksandrivka. They have a ministry to children that is spreading well beyond the borders of their village to surrounding towns and village. It is my privilege to be able to send them craft materials for this work that is lovingly supplied by the folks at First Baptist Church of Carthage, Texas. Please pray for Sergey and Vica's ministry and for Jeff's protection as he travels to and from there in what is still freezing winter weather. We are ever grateful for you who lift us up before the throne of grace that through your prayers we are enabled to serve with joy. Thank you for your love and kindnesses.

Youth in Bethany Church

This is some of our girls performing in the church. They often do skits and songs as part of our services. From left to right is Liza, Tanya, Lesya and Tiya. They are high school and college students. We are grateful for their hearts of service.

Sunday in Yerevan, Armenia

Jeff had the honor of being the preacher at this service on Sunday morning in the Armenian church. He said it was a time of joy and fellowship with other believers and a sense of God's presence permeating the church. Four people came forward to make professions of faith just before the above picture was taken. In Yerevan they have communion at the end of their worship service. This is Asatur, Tigran (Y-10), and Andronik (Y-10) thanking the Lord for giving his body to be broken for our sin and for shedding his innocent blood for our forgiveness. We are rejoicing and praising Him for the new souls that have come into His kingdom in the week Jeff was gone. Please pray for their growth.

Nightly Meetings - Armenia

Here's a report from Jeff in Armenia: We have had very good meetings with the brothers in every way, sensing God's presence. During the day I am studying the Word and in the evenings I go to their various meetings. Some until late in the night. God has been speaking to me in so many ways.

We had a wonderful meeting today. Aram is the name of the leader of this group. One of his members felt led to open his apartment for meetings.....nightly. Amazing how sometimes we in American churches complain about going to an "extra" mid-week service, yet they meet nightly, gathering in song and worship, simply for the joy of being altogether. God works in so many different ways in people. Some try to over organize and say church planting must be done "this way," but there is only God's way and it can vary considerably. This meeting was the real essence of Christianity, very down to earth, rubber-meets-the-road faith in action. It was just a time blessed by the Lord. I was privileged to give a word of encouragement to all. The time was so blessed by the Lord. Three people came to salvation after I preached. Its been a very gratifying time for me.

FAITH

Just wanted to share this with you.

Faith never knows where it is being led, or it would not be faith. True faith is content to travel under sealed orders.

J. Oswald Sanders

So often we want to know what is next in our lives. What does God have in store for us. We fervently seek his will as if he was just ready to send us an email and spell it all out. Faith is a matter of trust. Trusting that whatever the future holds, the Lord, our God, has us in mind. He loves us like no other and wants the best for us as does a father for his little child. So the keyword of faith is trust. Leaving it all in his hands is trusting. Are you ready to give it all over to him today and trust in his future for you?

May your day be blessed.

Yerevan 10 Pastors

These are the Yerevan Ten Pastors (Y-10) that Jeff is visiting this week. One of the meetings Jeff visited with Camu and his group. Jeff said the room seemed full of children, but there were also teens, young couples and older folks. It was truly a time of celebration for all. Jeff said Camu is a very inspiring teacher and it was a joy for him to listen and also to share the Word himself.

Later that night Jeff was treated to an Armenian culinary delight at the home of Asatur and Jasmine. Asatur is the head of the Baptist Union in Armenia and he and Jeff are long time friends.

Winter in Ukraine

Here's the big tree that fell on our garage from the heavy snows this winter. If you look way up in the top of the left tree(upper picture)you can see the whiite where it broke off. You can also see how it damaged the tree down below it. The amazing thing is how God protected us. If we'd have been home then the tree would have landed on our car. The bend in the tree caused it to fall arching over our picket fence and doing NO damage. It did poke a small hole in the garage roof and we had to change out a couple panels and one of the facing boards, but that was it. We were praising God for his mercy on us. Now we only have two more trees to be concerned about, but we are trusting in Him.

Belichi Tent Camp

This is just a reminder to ask you to pray for this church camp. There are already people from America preparing for the trip and arrangements are underway in Ukraine. Pray that those folks will be able to raise the money they need to come. This will be a family camp so we need to pray for those families the Lord wants there. We are ever grateful for your love and care in lifting up the needs of this mission.

Imprisoned

I am writing this letter with a saddened heart as two of our dear ones in Christ have been imprisoned for their faith. I can not say names or from what country, but God knows their names, where they are and what they are suffering now. This is a husband and wife who have brought many from their country, many times to meet with Jeff (my husband) for training in the Word. The chances are without doubt that they could suffer torture and abuse at the hands of their captors so please lift them up before the throne of grace and ask the Lord for mercy on their lives. We must pray that they will not be detained long so they can continue the work the Lord has given them. They are in a place now where believers are being persecuted for their faith much as what happened in the former Soviet Union before it collapsed. Pray that this country will also loose the ties that bind people's freedoms, that believers might openly share their hearts of love and the path to salvation.

A Letter from the Church in Nikolaevka, Ukraine

Dear Ones,

We greet you, dear Jeff, brothers and sisters, with God’s love.

Thank you very much for your prayers and material help which you have
already given us. God will grant you many blessings.

It’s been already 13 years of our prayers about the House of Prayer,
as all this time we have been moving from one place to another without
our own place. Since 2000 we started our land acquisition and we got refusal time after time. The local authorities of the village said that we wouldn’t get the land here and they don’t need a church. We had to apply and fill in the forms
several times as the applications went around. That was the time of desperation and the testing of our faith. But God has been with us, because it’s His land
and it’s His church and he prepared this land for the church, although
we have come across many troubles. But the Lord has led us in a
wonderful way and today we already have 0, 25 hectares of land. We
got the land in the center of the village. This is somewhat of a
resort place at the sea coast; the land is very expensive. Who knew
that in 2009 there would be a law that could give the land to the
churches in permanent usage? This is the big testimony for us that the
Lord helps us. Our village is of resort type and in our plans we want
a place for Sunday school and on as a base for spiritual
rehabilitation health center for orphans, with whom we have been
cooperating for several years. And that will be the center for the
children from poor families which are on welfare as well. We help such
families.

Now we have started the building of the House of Prayer (church) in
the village of Nikolaevka. There are 15,000 people living around here.
The village is growing very quickly, many houses are being built.
Moreover, in summer many people come to our church to worship. They
are tourists from different cities and different countries. In some
countries there are persecutions. And here people can come to worship
thanks to God and the religious freedom in our country. There have
been cases when people came to salvation and accepted Christ, then
going back to their homes. This is a big benediction because we can
talk about God in such way. There were many troubles for the beginning
of the construction and we didn’t have money but the strong hand of
God’s was with us. We started ourselves and each member of the church
took part in it. The project of the church is for 150 people. Today we
need some help, although we did much ourselves. If the God allows, we
ask you to take part in the building of the House of prayer. Please
read 2 Corinthians 9:8.

With love,

Brothers and Sisters of the Nikolaevka Church

Armenia, The Building of Churches

This is the stunning Mount Ararat as viewed from Armenia where Jeff is today. After years and years of traveling there to work, on one visit Jeff finally caught a clear picture of this, our Creator's masterpiece. He arrived yesterday to visit with the Yerevan 10 (Y-10) missionaries that he trained over the last several years. All ten of these brothers spent the last 3 years coming to seminars on church planting so that they could build up the churches in the capital city of Yerevan, Armenia. They have been asking Jeff to return and see the works the Lord has given them so he was pleased to get this opportunity to do just that. Pray that this will be a time of encouragement for all the missionaries because I know it will be for Jeff. Continue to pray for those missionaries and the building up of their churches.

Small Group Ministry

Jeff sits at the head of the table as he lead this Friday night small group meeting. This group consists of the major leaders in the church. We have been praying for this type of small group ministry to grow in the church. Our prayer is that from this group they will grow to many groups.

Kristina Gray: Quotes from Preface to “The Whisperers”

Kristina is a friend and fellow missionary working in Kazakhstan. She is a university level teacher and is helping in the establishment of a new university for Kazakhstan. I share here with you her notes and comments of a book she's reading as it is information that applies to what all the former Soviet Republics experienced under Stalin's regime of terror.


I haven’t finished reading yetThe Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin’s Russia by Orlando Figes but I have really enjoyed reading the first third of this very detailed book describing the brokenness in many Russian families. However, this is about Russia and the author is a Russophile to the exclusion of other countries and cultures who suffered as much, if not more, than the Russians did during Stalin’s reign of terror. [My own comments are in brackets, I can't help myself!!!]

Preface 31 “A silent and conformist population is one lasting consequence of Stalin’s reign. [wow, how's that for leaving a legacy of brokenness?]

Pre 32 “Historians have been slow to enter the inner world of Stalin’s Russia. Until recently, their research was concerned mostly with the public sphere, with politics and ideology and with the collective experience of the “soviet masses.” The individual – in so far as he appeared at all – featured mainly as a letter-writer to the authorities (i.e. as a public actor rather than as a private person or family member). The private sphere of ordinary people was largely hidden from view. [the same might be written about the culture of Kazakhstan where writing was not as important as telling stories orally, they DO have stories, just not in the written form!!!]

Pre 33 “But while these memoirs speak a truth for many people who survived the Terror, particularly for the intelligentsia strongly committed to ideals of freedom and individualism, they do not speak for the millions of ordinary people, including many victims of the Stalinist regime, who did not share this inner freedom or feeling of dissent, but on the contrary, silently accepted and internalized the system’s basic values, conformed to its public rules and perhaps collaborated in the perpetration of its crimes.” [I suppose there are Kazakhs who did conform and even perpetrated some of the Soviet crimes among their own people...I have heard stories]

Pre 34 “According to some, it was practically impossible for the individual to think or feel outside the terms defined by the public discourse of Soviet politics, and any other thoughts or emotions were likely to be felt as a ‘crisis of the self’ demanding to be purged from the personality.”

“The Soviet mentalities reflected in this book in most cases occupied a region of the consciousness where older values and beliefs had been suspended or suppressed; they were adopted by people, not so much from a burning desire to ‘become Soviet’ as from a sense of shame and fear.” [using fear is a terrible motivation to change, can still be used in teaching practices today]

Pre 35 “…a way to make sense of their suffering, which without this higher purpose might reduce them to despair…

Such mentalities are less often reflected in Stalin-era diaries and letters – whose content was generally dictated by Soviet rules of writing and propriety what did not allow the acknowledgement of fear – than they are in oral history. Historians of the Stalinist regime have turned increasing to the techniques of oral history. Like any other discipline that is hostage to the tricks of memory, oral history has its methodological difficulties, and in Russia, a nation taught to whisper, where the memory of Soviet history is overlaid with myths and ideologies, these problems are especially acute.” [sad but true]

Having lived in a society where millions were arrested for speaking inadvertently to informers, many older people are extremely wary of talking to researchers wielding microphones (devices associated with the KGB). From fear or shame or stoicism, these survivors have suppressed their painful memories. Many are unable to reflect about their lives, because they have grown so accustomed to avoiding awkward questions about anything, not least their own moral choices at defining moments of their personal advancement in the Soviet system. Others are reluctant to admit to actions of which they are ashamed, often justifying their behaviour by citing motives and beliefs that they have imposed on their pasts. Despite these challenges, and in many ways because of them, oral history has enormous benefits for the historian of private life, provided it is handled properly. [Yes, let's hear it for oral history and qualitative research!!!]

Pre 36 “For three quarters of a century the Soviet system exerted its influence on the moral sphere of the family, no other totalitarian system had such a profound impact on the private lives of its subjects, not even Communist China. [wow, that's pretty bad!!!]

Check out http://www.orlandofiges.com

Pre 37 “The population of the Gulag’s labour camps and ‘special settlements’ peaked not in 1938 but in 1953 and the impact of this long reign of terror continued to be felt by millions of people for many decades after Stalin’s death.” [that's a LOT of people who were affected by Stalin and his regime of terror, even after his death!]

Dana's Kazakh Family Story, Life in USSR

Please keep in mind as you read this interesting story that for this university student English is a second language. You can google Kristina Gray Kazakhstan for more stories.

Dana’s Relative was famous among the girls and broke many hearts!!!

I want to tell you one story about my grandparent. My grandfather Kabulda lived in the village Maikain with his 3 brothers, 2 sisters and mother near the Pavlodar city. My Grand-grandmother married when she was 13 years old and gave birth for the first baby at this age. She was a long-liver person and died when she was more than 100. The father of my grandfather died during the World War II when my grandfather was 6 years old.

All the brothers were very famous, beautiful and popular in their village, especially among the girls. The elder brother was the strongest and most popular so that everyone who knew him were afraid him. But the jealousy among the girls was too much. And in order not to have him with anybody they drowned him in the lake.

As stated earlier, it was after the World War II. At that time Kazakhstan was different from how it is now. Most of the people who lived in the villages led a simple life, no education. There was no police, no government or president. At that time Kazakhs lived like in tribes. So, most people were uneducated. My grandfather and his brothers was a aftotitet people in the village.

The elder brother was the most popular, aftoritet, beautiful person with charisma. He was famous among the girls and he was not married till he was in his 30s. For Kazakh mentality to be a beautiful, not married till 30 for man was unacceptable. The girls of the village killed him. All the girls who had been deceived by him drowned him in the lake. I think that he promised everything to every girl sometning and didn’t do that.

The ancestry of my grandfather was closely related to the mathematics, and most of them were scientists. My grandparent was also closely related to the mathematics, but he became an accountant and then a financial director. When he was young he was in Olympic reserve, long –distance runner. But because of injury he left sport. He didn’t marry until he was in his 30s, at that time most of the guys married before 23-24. He was smart, a man of handsome presence. On the wedding of his brother he met a girl. First that he mentioned was the way that she dressed and gloves on her hand. She was so beautiful, fashionable and young, and he fell in love to my grandmother Kalimash. It was love from the first sight. Love…at he’s 30s he met his love. They decided to marry, but Kalimash was sister of the wife of his brother. All the relatives were against of this marriage. However, love became stronger and relatives couldn’t block their way. And they get married. From this marriage they have 3 girls and one boy. The first baby is my mom.

Winter in Ukraine

In 16 years I've never seen the snow pile and stand up on our picket fence like that.

After the first month I gave up trying to keep the weight of snow off the pine branches.

Jeff was digging his way to the mailbox. All this was in early December. It is deeper now, but we know spring will come in a couple months. It's winter that makes us so grateful for the spring and short summer.

VintageTerrace2 Online Shop (My Etsy)

Some of you have already seen our online shop and we've already made sales. The things on here are all sold without profit motive, but are sold to use for missions work in Ukraine. I teach art classes to various groups and the proceeds from this shop go to providing scrapbooks and other items to the children and adults we work with. For those of you who have donated items we are ever grateful for our privilege and ability to be of service here in this capacity. I love what I do and the big payoff is the joy on their faces when they've created something they admire. God has given me a unique tool for witnessing the love of Christ through teaching. Thank you to all who have been a part of making this possible. Please take a look at the things in our shop and see if there is not something there that catches your fancy.

Youth Gathering

This group was led by one of our BMA Missionaries in Ukraine named Alyosha Pivovar. Alyosha has been leading youth since the late 90's. Jeff discipled him for many years and he has been working on his own for years now. He also married last year and is expecting his first child this spring. We are proud to see God using this former drug addict in his work for His Kingdom.

Nikolaevka Church

Some of you know that we used to live in the Crimean village of Nikolaevka where we helped start a church that is still meeting today. It has been on their hearts to build a church and they are trusting that this is something that would be pleasing to the Lord. Such endeavors are difficult in the Ukraine since most live on an averagge of $400 per month. Please pray with us that they will accomplish this and God would provide.
Aerial view from the rooftop next door. Family life, camp center and Sunday school rooms will be in this first building to the left. This is where they will meet once it is done until the time the church is built. Church for now is just a foundation to the right where you see all the blocks.

The pastor, Sergey

Heat in Bethany Church

The good news is that our heating has been funded for the furnace at the church. The new furnace will be more efficient and less costly. The bad news is that it can't be done until spring. Right now we are heating with wood and coal and while it doesn't do what gas does in the church, there is some warmth from it. Yes, we are still wearing our coats and hats through the service (and I wear my gloves), but to install the furnace now would mean a lengthy time of no heat whatsoever and besides the comfort issue, there would be the danger of busting pipes and the impossibility for workers to do installation under such conditions. That said, we are happy we will be getting heat and we understand the Lord has a time of testing for us to go through the winter with little heat. Unfortunately, attendance has gone way down, but we expect it will pick up again when the weather moderates. Praise God with us in this answer to prayer. Our next project will be replacing the drafty old wood windows so things will be more efficient. Maybe your Sunday school class would consider replacing one window. To Him be the glory and honor.

Presidential Elections in Ukraine

"Unofficially, Yanukovich has won the presidential election. GOD IS IN CONTROL! We will wait to see what kind of things God has planned for us. Yanukovich has strong ties to Russia, which if Ukraine goes the way of Russia, it is bad news for missionary activity in Ukraine."

"The worst scenario ...we have to leave. The best scenario ...we get to stay."

These are the words of some dear fellow missionaries here in Ukraine, but they express so well what all missionaries now are thinking and feeling. Many missionaries over the years have left Belarus and Russia due to an unfriendly climate towards them there. Many of them came to Ukraine. We know that God holds kings in the palm of his hand, so we are trusting in Him.

A Little Uplift

Listen to this wonderful song by Casting Crowns to put a lift on your day and joy in your heart. This is why we are here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqk53sAxLmg

Fishing in Ukraine

In America fishing is done mostly for sport. This shot was taken last fall as we traveled west. You can see by the fur had and heavy coat that it is cold out there. Fishing here is done for sustenance, for living. In the winter it changes. They do ice fishing as everything freezes over so they cut holes in the ice. And sadly, sometimes fishermen fall through and drown. This is life in Ukraine.

"Following"

Hello Friends,

Just wanted to mention that you can follow this blog in one of two ways (or both). You can find the Feedblitz gadget on the right and and it will deliver a message to your inbox each time I update with a new post. Or you can push the "Follow" button (also on the right) and I will have your lovely picture up here and can write to you directly from here. I think ideal is to do both. Have a great day, blessed in the Lord.

Coleen and Jeff

Children's Evangelism, Bucha, Ukraine

I am slowly getting caught up on my blogging. This was one of our Children's Christmas evangelism events for which we really had a full house. We do this annually, so people in the our town have come to expect it and some to attend our church after each event.