Please pray for Valera (a guy's name here):

Valera is an alcoholic. He also has a fear of God. The two "loves" of his life do battle, and the bottle wins almost all the time. I have spent some of the other times with Valera and I feel deeply for him. I know that the truth is that Jesus forgiveness is stronger than all the stains of sin and that the power of the Spirit is greater that all of the webs of Satan, but it is hard to watch someone groping for these precious elements.
Valera isn't always looking for God. Last week we met him on the beach. We were practicing music for Sunday there, and casually entertaining some people getting drunk. Valera arrived and chatted to us for a bit then he drifted over to the "other" crowd. They were friends of his... He chose their companionship over ours, I was not miffed, or annoyed. My companionship is sometimes more than even I can bear.
Later on that afternoon I saw him with his arm amorously around the shoulder of one of the girls who had been at the beach. They had obviously been drinking.
I thought. Valera got more companionship with that group of friends than I would have offered him. We were at the beach till it rained then he would have had to go to his house cause I had other things to do. I thought. What does it mean to be a Christian? Is it Sunday church, Wednesday night Bible study, witness to your work-mates whenever you can (at least once every three months) and keep your nose clean? There seems to be something missing in that list.
Hebrews 3:12 - See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
It seems that I had never seen the link between verse 13 and 12 before. God says that the antidote to turning away from God is to encourage one another daily. DAILY. I don't know whether I am prepared to sacrifice "my" time for God's church to such an extent that I would fellowship daily with believers. That would be intrusive. But it just may make a difference in our lives. It may be the key to living the transformation of Romans 12:2. Maybe you had better pray for both of us. I do not want to become hardened to sin like I see so many people doing. I want to be prepared to allow others into my life, and in return be in their lives to encourage them onwards to Godliness.

A Broken Ankle Breaks A Spirit

About three weeks ago Jenya slipped as he ran across the indoor soccer field at our Friday night youth group. There is a leak in the roof and as the ice melted it was dripping on the floor. We had put a tyre over the spot but it was getting in the road so the soccer players moved it. Jenya arrived late, and not to play soccer. He does weights and talks. Well he did... He is a big guy and as he dashed across the field he hit the water and fell. We thought he had just sprained the ankle cause it didn't change color. Gresha and Andréa helped him home. He was worried cause he was meant to go and help his granny who was going to have shoulder surgery.
History: Jenya has been on the fringe of our congregation since the beginning. His mother and Grandmother are Baptist believers. Jenya has a history of alcohol abuse, his friends and he "drink, smoke, and mess around with girls". He has repented many times but always ends up drinking again.
I had been especially praying for him 'cause just before we left for Turkey he told me he was scared of becoming an alcoholic. He said that he was waking up and wanting to drink. It was scaring him and he asked for prayer and help.
Since his "fall" he has been in bed for three weeks. His ankle was actually broken. Local medical wisdom says he shouldn't walk at all, so he sits and lies in his bed. And what does he do?
Well he has been devouring the word of God. And praying, and memorizing scripture. He has had to rely on God in ways that he has never had to before and the people who have visited him and shown interest in him and God's people. God has given him a new spirit. He looks different! And he has a gentleness that I haven't seen in him before.
On Thursday he was telling me how he and a few of the guys are really wanting our church to be a family, not just a club. Strange, for many months Jenya only came because we have a billiard table. Now that he has seen the light he knows that the guys who come just to play are missing the goodness that God has for them.
Pray that Jenya will continue to walk with God, that the desire for his friends salvation will burn in him, and that God will draw our church close like a family.

Follow up on Jenya:

Jenya is better and cured at the same time. Better after falling and breaking his ankle. Cured from his addiction to alcohol. His bones were not knitting together and were causing him anxiety. Through the situation he has come to really appreciate his Christian family. Especially Igor, Gresha, and Andria. They and others were Godly companions, unlike those that Job had in his affliction. They spent time encouraging Jenya in the Word of God and praying for him. Jenya feels a great debt of love for these people.
He actually shouldn't be walking yet. The doctor wanted him to have the plaster on for at least another week. One night as Jenya was praying and asking God to give him patience he heard a voice telling that he could walk, now! He asked his mother for some scissors. He started to cut and his mother was worried that he had gone mad. He assured her that God had said it was time. After he had cut the plaster all off he stood and walked for the first time in about three months.
He has been worried that he would be really penalized in his studies but again praise God he has been blessed with catchup work that he can handle.
At church on Sunday night it was great to see him smiling, not normal for the "old" Jenya, and talking with his Christian brothers and sisters.