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January 2005
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This is one of those weeks where I am thankful for indoor heating and hot water heaters. We are right smack in the middle of winter. There has been snow on the ground for longer than I can remember and recent temperatures have dropped into the teens (Fahrenheit). As the winter drags on, I often have to take encouragement in the fact that it is the Lord that has led me here. With assurance of His calling here, I would be packing our bags and heading for more agreeable settings. It is a very good thing to follow where the Lord leads. In the previous update letter, I shared two prayer requests regarding my trip to London to renew my visa. One request was to receive the visa invitation prior to beginning of January (It’s a long story, but trust me that it was vital to receive it before January). Secondly, I asked you to pray for a safe and successful trip to London and protection for Olya while I was gone. Well, I am happy to say that God answered both of those prayers. It wasn’t more than two days after I sent out the update letter that I received the invitation. The trip to London was very smooth and I received the visa without any problems. Thank you for supporting us in prayer. It is a big encouragement for us and we see how God continually answers prayer. Glory to Him! This may be old news to some, but at the beginning of the year we discovered that Olya is pregnant. It has been an interesting time for us thus far as the full impact of this wondrous life-change is slowly dawning on us. Olya, of course, has been most affected by the pregnancy. Her body is changing a bit and she has had some mild morning (read all-day) sickness. For me, it’s kind of hard to realize what’s going on without seeing any outward physical signs. I am eagerly awaiting the first ultrasound and the days when Olya’s belly grows out. God is good! Olya was on vacation for the majority of January. The timing couldn’t have been any better as she has adjusted to the reality of being a mommy-in-waiting. The end of the first semester was very trying due to an issue with one of her student’s parents, so the long break allowed her to unwind and refocus. I had the chance to attend a men’s conference about 80 km west of Moscow from the 24th to 26th of January. Thirteen guys from our regional churches joined about 120 other men from around Russia and a handful of guys from the States. The theme for the conference was grace. God showed me some things about encouraging others to “continue in grace” (Acts 13:43) and about how I should “grow in…grace” (2 Peter 3:18). The question I have been pondering since then is: “How do I do these things, practically speaking?” Perhaps the greatest blessing of the conference was the informal time of fellowship and the late-night worship and prayer gatherings we had in one of our rooms. Even though I’ve been here for two years, I have so much farther to go in getting to know the wonderful brothers in our fellowship. This conference helped push me along in that endeavor in a little. God has continued to show His faithfulness in blessing the Sunday School ministry. On the last Saturday of January, we held a seminar for all the workers. Our associate pastor, Al Harb, taught the first session about studying God’s word and preparing to teach. One of our more experienced teachers, Larissa, closed the seminar with an inspiring presentation on the importance of this ministry and the need to minister to the souls of the children, to show professionalism, and to have passion to serve. We have a wonderful group of people serving in the ministry and a wonderful group of kids to minister to. Please continue to pray for us as we need much wisdom and humility in leading and encouraging the workers and ministering to the children. Finally, we have decided to stay in Russia for at least the entirety of 2005. Though Olya’s pregnancy has solidified the decision a bit, we had made the commitment beforehand after much prayer. We continue to minister on a year to year basis and do not feel led to move to the U.S. or anywhere else at this time. God has given us plenty to do here and has not opened doors elsewhere. However, we are going on faith and will need to raise some support for 2005. I am currently working on a request letter and a short video/slide show presentation for that purpose, though we are first of all looking to the Lord in prayer. God has already provided a church to collect funds for us. We are excited to see how God will continue to work in this area. Before I close, please note the following prayer requests. Please pray:
· For growth in our relationships with God Shalom, Dave & Olya erhosinrussia.blogspot.com (blog web address) Novo-Yamskoi Pereyulok 6-66 Phone: 7-0922-38-04-39 |