CAMP AT VORONKOVA, UKRAINE

We had a lovely time with the girls at a weekend camp in Voronkova. They heard different speakers, they did girl stuff, crafts (my part, along with speaking) and even had a beautiful tree guest that many fussed over and took pictures of. You just know these were city girls.

FROM MY GARDEN IN UKRAINE

Iris season in Ukraine gardens. These are a couple of my many varieties. I have a Ukrainian friend who loves Iris flowers and each time I visit her she gives me another kind of Iris. So now Iris season is delightful around our yard with much variety and color.

BAPTIST MEDICAL MISSION INTERNATIONAL IN UKRAINE

BMMI team touring parts of Kiev after their medical mission in Ukraine.

CRAFTS MINISTRY WITH YOUTH GIRLS

Upon returning from the states at the end of April I was quickly hit with requests for ministry. Though I was still adapting to four months absence and much to catch up on at home, I could not turn down the opportunity to work with these youth girls in a weekend camp. In the first picture the girls did bookmarks. They all have Bible verses for a witness that goes home with them. Thank you to Francene for the die-cuts she sent for this class. The following two pictures were of girls doing bracelets. I am blessed that people send old jewelry which we break apart to reuse. As they work it is my opportunity to tell them about the Lord and his loving grace as demonstrated by the ladies who supply the materials for them to do this. I can tell you they love making bracelets and doing crafts. You can tell by the smiles on their faces. Thank you to all who contribute to this ministry. I couldn't do it without you. God is truly gracious and abundant in his provision.

UPDATE ON VERONICA

On May 1st 12 year old Veronica fell from a third story height severing her spine and breaking her elbow. It could have been much worse, but she landed on a person below. After a long surgery and over a month in the hospital she has finally been released. Sadly, there is still no feeling in her legs and she is still flat on her back in the bed. At least now she is near friends and church members who can visit and minister to her. There are plans for her to go to a special clinic in eastern Ukraine next month. Please continue to pray for this young girl and I would be so grateful for the joy it gives her if you would send a post card from your state or country.
Address:
Veronica c/o C. Franks
8a Pushkinska
Bucha, Kyiv ob. 08293
UKRAINE

WHAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF UKRAINE

Enjoy a few of Ukraine's beautiful sights. If you'd like to see more go to my artsy/missions blog at http://vintageterrace2.blogspot.com or click on it in the side bar to your right.

CHRIS TOMLIN, LET FAITH ARISE

BAPTIST MEDICAL MISSION INTERNATIONAL IN UKRAINE

The Baptist Medical Mission International (BMMI) was in several villages in May giving medical assistance and sharing the gospel. Below is one of the women's meetings held on one of the days of clinic. Many were invited and came as a result of the clinic that day.

Our American ladies attending, being translated by Natasha, second from right.
Testimony given.


There was singing and joy.

COLEEN'S GARDEN

Here's a little peak into our garden in Ukraine. It was once all forest, but we've been in this location for 13 years (17 in Ukraine), so it slowly keeps changing. Someday I hope to be one of God's gardeners in heaven. Can you only imagine, with the beauty we have here on earth, what it will be like there?

UPDATE ON VERONICA

UPDATE ON VERONICA: A week ago Sunday Veronica, age 12, fell from 3rd story level in the church breaking her hip and severing her spinal cord. As of today, Veronica is out of IC and in a hospital room. She is talking with family & friends. She has not been told the doctors' prognosis that she will never walk again. I think you know how to pray. I'm hoping to go see her tomorrow. Seems she and I need to start a scrapbooking project.

UPDATE ON VERONICA

As of 10 a.m. the report is as follows: Surgery was from 6pm last night to 2am this morning (TUESDAY). Veronica is in critical condition in Intensive Care with artificial respiration as her lungs are not working. Please continue to pray for this young girl. Her spinal cord was severed and her hip broken. Her life hangs in the balance and your petitions to heaven make a difference. Bless you for it.

URGENT PRAYER NEED

Please pray for Veronica, age 12 who fell from a 3rd story height in the church Sunday morning severing her spinal cord and breaking a hip. It is 9:30 p.m. here and she is in surgery as I write. Pray for her and the neurosurgeons please. I probably won't know more until morning. Posting on my Facebook and here tomorrow.

BMMI Team in Ukraine

Please pray for the Baptist Medical Mission International as they minister medicine and the gospel message in Ukraine this week and through Monday. They are working in the town of Babyntsi and other surrounding villages that are located northwest of Kiev. The first day, yesterday, they worked in a hospital in the morning and at the House of Prayer in Babyntsi for the afternoon. Today they were in Babyntsi in the morning and the village of Budababyntsi this afternoon and evening. They will continue with clinic Friday, Saturday and again on Monday. Tuesday we will show them some of the sites of Kiev. Please pray.

Pray for Africa

We of the Baptist Missionary Association of America have missionaries in Africa and this is such a lovely piece I thought it would serve as a good reminder for all of us to pray for Africa.

WHY WORRY, PART 1 BY ANDY STANLEY

SEE PART 2 AND 3 BELOW

WHY WORRY, PART 2, ANDY STANLEY

WHY WORRY, PART 3, ANDY STANLEY

RETIREMENT THEY ASK?

As we have been traveling the states visiting churches on our missionary furlough (almost 10,000 miles this trip) we have been asked this question. When will you retire or where will you retire? I mean, no one asked such questions 10 years ago. It's an interesting question and one which we know not the answer. I can suppose this comes up because we must be starting to look like those seniors who order breakfast at Denny's. I guess living overseas makes it hard to keep remembering to ask for the discount. I know it is not my memory. Anyway, even though this topic crosses our thoughts and conversations at times, God has given us no indication that it is time for such ideas. And until he does, we will continue to do His will in what he's called us to in the former Soviet Union and beyond. Do we miss our grandkids, our kids, our culture, our friends? Yes, sometimes we do, but God gives the grace and for that we are thankful.

THAT MARVELOUS AMAZING GRACE

http://www.clarrissegill.com/videoclips/amazing_grace.php
THIS IS SO WONDERFUL YOU WILL BE BLESSED DOWN TO YOUR TOES AND BACK!

IF JESUS WERE ALIVE TODAY

THAT IS SOMETHING INTERESTING TO CONSIDER....HOW WOULD HE BE, HOW WOULD HE COMMUNICATE...JUST WATCH AND SEE.

THE MAGIC OF FORGIVENESS

Have you ever struggled with a deep, deep hurt that you just couldn't forgive? Do you have arrows that pierced your heart in childhood or even just yesterday? I found this wonderful video on the internet as I was visiting the blog of another artist. She was dealing with a lack of forgiveness herself. Can't get this to embed, but if you'll copy and paste in a new window you will not regret having done so and you will be blessed. (Crocus from my garden).

http://fairywebmother.blogspot.com/2009/08/forgiveness-and-freedom-of-letting-go.html#links

In the Beginning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Bx3HK_K-mqU

California Flowers

While we were visiting churches in southern California Jeff and I were able to take a few walks. It is always fascinating to me the grand variety the Lord has made in different parts of the country. The vegetation in the California desert is so different from the places I have lived. I say desert because that is what it is, but where these were taken it is cultivated and watered to create an oasis of beauty. If we can enjoy such variety here on earth, can you just imagine what awaits us in heaven?

A Ukrainian in Texas

On January 6th we came from Ukraine to Little Rock, Arkansas, the home of our mission base, to do furlough. That is a time of visiting in churches across the U.S. and talking about our work. No, it is not a time of vacation as many think, but it is a time when we do get to catch up with friends and family.
Nick (on the right) is one of our Ukrainian pastors and a good friend who came with us to America to speak in some of the churches. He was with us for a couple weeks. Here he is getting a taste of Texas with our good friends Stan and Doris Allen of Gilmer.
If it's Texas you know there are guns and hats. This was so fun for Nick who pastors a small church of 58 members on the northwest side of Kiev in Ukraine. He runs a great river camp ministry in the summers for which we would like to invite more church groups to come and participate in a week long camp with Ukrainian youth. It's a week of bible study, sports, swimming in the river, a raft trip and just lots of fun.

When the Tree Looks Dead in Winter

This is so simple, yet such an encouragement for drawing closer to the Lord.

Ukraine As We See It

If you'd like to see a whole display of pictures depicting Ukraine "as we see it," then go to this link. These are photos Jeff has done and they are lovely:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=253613&id=629022637&l=55b63cb037

Ukrainian Winters

Winter in Ukraine looks much like winter in Arkansas today. This photo is Ukraine. We are used to the snow like this, but we also have snow tires and a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

You Are Appreciated

Happy New Year to all our reader friends. We appreciate you very much and thank you for stopping by and taking an interest in what we do. We love our work and know we are here because God had reasons and purpose, but we couldn't do it without all of you. Think of Jeff and I as the "point man" for the team. We're here because of your prayers and support. May 2011 be a blessed year for you. Above is a collage I did earlier this year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

WDJD/WWJD

Hallelujah!!! Merry Christmas To You All

What You Do Matters

Summer Activities

Here's a letter written by one of our Baptist Missionary Association supported missionaries. I'm sure you will praise God with us in what this young couple are doing for the Lord in Ukraine.


Hello Dear Friends,

The summer has passed and I would like to share with you the blessings God has granted us.

We did many different projects this summer. The camp for the disabled during 5 days in June, there were approximately 50 disabled young people with their parents. It was a very interesting and important time in their lives.

July– the camp for teenage non-believers in the Carpathian Mountains (Ukraine).

July – football championship for teenagers in which 8 teams participated (approximately 50 boys non-believers). This championship was timed with the World Cup and then we organized an evangelical concert where the winners were awarded. We have taken the contacts of all those kids and now we want to invite them to our teen club and to keep in touch so that we could bring them to Jesus.

And also we had the bicycle project from 2nd to 12th of August throughout Kherson region (Ukraine). This was a very interesting time. Our team consisted of 37 people from Ukraine,4 from the USA, 2 from Canada, and 1 Nigerian. We rode 500 km on our bicycles, visited 9 cities and evangelized on central squares in each of those cities. Hundreds of people got Christian literature and the Gospel message. We explained the Gospel individually to more than 500 people. 50 of them repented and invited Jesus into their hearts.

We are planning a family conference in our church for the couples of non-believers and the couples from our church.

Our church is doing ok now. It is growing gradually. We have stepped into not such an easy period where we have started the construction of our church. We have started the excavation and we want to make a basement before winter comes.

Thank you for your participation and support of our ministry.

Volodya Ponomorov

Matthew 1:22-23

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

God with us. Divinity coexisting with humanity. Unfathomable.

God. The perfect, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator of all things deigned to walk with and in His own creation. For what purpose? Ebenezer Scrooge asked that very question of the Ghost of Christmas Past. The answer Scrooge received is God’s answer to us: “Your welfare...Your reclamation, then. Take heed!”

Take heed, then. If God came to His creation as part of that creation, our need for reclamation must be great. No human can dwell in the presence of His holiness because in our own stubborn willfulness we choose our own way. Even when we recognize our need for redemption (as Scrooge finally did) we are incapable of our own salvation. Only Jesus, the perfect and pure Lamb of God, Immanuel, can redeem us. Only by trusting in His salvation can we rest in the hope of one day being ourselves with God.

God with us. And one day, we with God.

Our prayer for you.

LADIES RETREAT, UKRAINE 2010

Our first craft was the ladies making angel banners. Ukrainians are so creative and they turned out beautiful.
I led the ladies in creating prayer journals that would also function as a witness tool
Individual counseling went on all weekend
1950's fashion, the girls had such fun
Saturday night fashion show with Tanya Sokolovska, our teacher/speaker in the center
Potato dance, we laughed to the point of tears.
Hat contest winners. They all made them.
Praise and worship
Prayer Stations

All gathered together on our last day for a last group shot. Bittersweet parting.

Ukrainian Culture

This lovely gate was taken at sunset. I don't know who owns it and I was hoping they wouldn't see me photographing in front of their home. It brings up an interesting aspect of Ukrainian culture. In American we have fences around the back to keep the dog in or the neighbor dogs out. Here 99% of all homes are fenced around the front as well. And usually behind that fence is a big mean dog. At the gate is usually a door bell since you wouldn't want to go meet the dog. It is how people keep their homes secure. And, since you were wondering, yes, we have a fence around the front of our home too. It was there when we bought it and we have the big mean dog as well. Just fitting into the culture.

Harvest Day, Bethany Church, Bucha Ukraine

Harvest Day took place at the end of September. It is a time of giving thanks for the harvest and for all that God has done for us. This holiday doesn't fall on a specific day, but is simply done at some time in the fall as each church chooses. Church members bring items from their harvest to make a beautiful display.
The highlight of any thanksgiving service is the preaching. This is our Pastor Victor Constantinovich.
The adult choir added a rich quality to the service with a wonderful performance of several hymns.

A full house.

Visa Application

Today we are in Cracow, Poland. This picture is a lovely door we stumbled upon after our arrival last night. Please pray for Jeff this week as he starts the visa process at the Ukrainian Embassy. Ukraine requires missionaries to leave the country to redo their visas so that is why we are here. Please also pray for divine appointments. Cracow is the nearest spot we can redo visas. As ever, we are grateful for your prayers.

Women's Conference 2010

Last year we had 50 women who attended this conference. Please pray for that and more. We have 56 spaces open for the weekend retreat this year. Please pray for the attendees and for Vicki, Tanya and myself, Coleen, as leaders of the retreat...that we may have wisdom as we minister.

Great Last Day of Training

Jeff is grateful for your prayers. The Lord has answered and blessed the training with the men's interest and enthusiasm. Jeff also visited with one of the missionaries today out in the provinces and and was blessed to see God's work being done there. Thank you for the support that you are to us. The battle is strong and we could not do it without you.