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Hope 4 Kyiv #044 -- 4/30/06

#1 · April 29, 2006, 7:57 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on April 29, 2006, 7:57 pm
Posted by: prov2525 <prov2525@...>
Hope 4 Kyiv

The "In-Pact" Praise and Prayer Letter Of

Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver

Missionaries to Kiev, Ukraine

Number 044

April 30, 2006

Dear Friends, "In-Pact" Partners, and Family:

It seems we just can't get our letters sent out as we had intended. Not only are we missing the "twice-monthly" goal, but we can't even seem to get them written on a monthly basis. We apologize! But, it seems our lives are so hectic and filled with distracting and disorienting things that we often let the target dates slip right past us. (Maybe we're getting old!)

At any rate, here is a brief update of praise, prayer, and plans.

Update ---- Report on Past Matters:

+ Finally! Gas (as of three weeks ago!)    Finally! Trim work done on apartment doors (as of yesterday!) Finally! Stove and ovens (as of three weeks ago!)

+ Dryer? No (even though the wiring was supposed to come from the States several weeks ago, no mention has been made.)   In the auditorium? You're kidding! Another promise passed. As of today, more additional requirements ---- three coats of fire-resistant paint now have to be applied to the wood risers before carpet can be laid. We've given up on planning and hoping. When it happens, it happens. We'll be satisfied if we get in by September when our Fall emphasis begins.

+ As a result ---- we're heading home early. If we can get tickets, we plan to return to the States on May 9th ---- no sense hanging around waiting for the auditorium's completion so we can have our first service while we're still in Kiev. Guess they'll just have to move in while we're gone . .. . IF the work is completed. Besides, we have so much to do back in the States before our June 16th return to Kiev. (Since our last letter we had decided to delay our trip by a week so we could help get into the new auditorium; but now, we're back to square one.)

+ Brent Holt will arrive in Kiev on May 17th, but we'll not be here to greet him and help him get settled. Others will do that. Everyone is excited over his arrival. He will be a great addition and we believe will have a great ministry in worship, prayer, and youth work.

+ Internet service? No progress at all. In fact, we've had some setbacks. 1) One company offered us service, but when installed, it was no faster than the old current system.     2) Another company we had checked out successfully earlier has now been restricted from getting new customers because of a recent law passed in Parliament; we're now on a waiting list (that's similar to a dead-end file in America).    3) We discovered last week that the reason our phone bill has been so high is because the company has been charging us long distance costs everytime we get on the internet. We're thinking seriously about going to a network of smoke signals or semaphore flags; we think it would be faster.

+ The worship team continues its transition. We've had two or three guest leaders recently as a volunteer team spent time with us from Egypt. Now we're back to our own church family until Brent arrives. We're going to lose our very special Becky in June as she moves to Russia for a year, so we're waiting to see what the Lord will provide in the way of a keyboard person. We have the makings of a very good and teachable worship team, but it's a challenge to get it all together in one place at one time.

+ Church attendance continues to increase, but we are severely hampered by our meeting room. If we don't get into our auditorium soon, we'll have to re-design our seating arrangement. This will compromise our use of media and will cause the congregation to sit "shot-gun" style and facing distracting light coming through windows. But, we rejoice in the many new faces. If everyone came on the same Sunday, we'd probably have close to 100 people from fifteen to twenty countries.

+ The Egypt team did a great job. Frankly, they were the most mature high school team we've ever worked with . . . ever! They never complained (at least not in our presence), were always immediately ready to do what was asked, and went beyond the call of duty often offering to extra. They did neighborhood children's programs, did four major prayer walks, served in our worship services, ministered to the Spanish church, met with the Timothy Fellowship, and spent the better part of three days in some villages where they worked from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm or later. We were profoundly impressed. Thanks, John and team! You were awesome!

+ "Inter-Mission" is off to a great start with over 35 attending our first meeting, and some 40 to 50 missionaries committed prayer support for each other. There are still more than 100 missionaries in the city who have not responded to this ministry of meeting once a month to pray for each other and for the city. This illustrates the great temptation to either be so busy you don't have time to pray with each other, to be so focused on your own agenda that you have no time available for others, or to isolate yourself from others who aren't "on the same page" as you are. You can see by this just how important your prayer for missionaries really is. "Inter-Mission" participants meet corporately once every two months, and then meet in smaller regional groups on the alternating months.

We are currently preparing material to add to the "PrayKIEV" website that will allow other intercessors to link hearts with us in prayer via the internet. "Inter-Mission" is a play on the words "intercession" and "missionaries", and simply means to "take a break to pray for missionaries". In involves missionaries praying for each other as well as prayer warriors around the world praying for missionaries. When the web page is complete, it will include the names and ministries of many of those missionaries in Kiev, along with links to their personal e-mails and ministry websites.

What's Been Happening and What's Coming Up:

+ The church is in the process of preparing legal documents to become an officially registered and recognized congregation. Doing so opens up many benefits for future ministry, as well as a few limitations that can be easily overcome. Bob, Stan, and Vitaly will actually meet tomorrow to go through the initial document, make adjustments, and return it to Valentine, our Christian attorney. We hope to have this process complete by mid to late Summer.

+ We will have our second baptizing on Sunday, August 7th, just before we return to the States for five weeks. We have at least three (from Peru, Ukraine, and Iran) who will be baptized. There may be more. There are also three or four from the Spanish church who will be baptized, but probably later in the Summer.

+ The Spanish church leadership has asked to have a more formal working relationship with our church, and we will be making a decision on that tomorrow. There is a very strong relationship between the two of us and that church already (Bob mentors the two pastors and the group meets in our apartment every week for worship, prayer, and Bible study, and some attend our English services as well), so it seems a logical thing to do. There is virtually no working relationship between them and the other church, and most connections between them have been cut off by the other church.

+ We continue hosting our singles periodically, and we're having more fun than ever. Last night we had about ten from four countries over for pasta casserole and a movie, in spite of a holiday week-end (Yes, it's another one!) and several who were either out of town or had studies or work. This ministry is destined to explode this Fall after Summer break. We really need someone to head this ministry up. Fortunately, there is an American couple coming to Kiev in June to consider returning just to do student ministry, and we are anxious to talk with them.

+ While we are in the States, we will be visiting several places . . .. . attending granddaughter Abby's high school graduation in Fort Worth, visiting Houston-based Ricky and Marina (former members here in Kiev), making a stop in West Plains to visit with Brent's family (and hopefully church), and reconnect with many friends at FBC in West Plains, meet with Potter's House Church in Camdenton, MO to discuss future partnership plans, and spend a little time in our home church. We also have lots of personal matters to which we must attend . . . taxes, maintenance and repairs on property, medical issues, further support raising, etc.

+ We will be pursuing the acquisition of worship banners and flags. Further research has found that costs are far higher than we originally thought ($350 to $600 per banner). We have also found, however, that we can purchase patterns and pre-cut emblems in the States and then buy fabric and employ one of our Ukrainian friends to do all the needle work. This will reduce the cost to only about $100 per banner. We are very excited about this.

+ The Cairo team blessed us with more than service ---- they brought personal items, guitar strings, books and tapes for the church library, several books filled with short dramas and skits, and chord sheets and PowerPoint slides to more than 500 songs. As a result we will hopefully begin assembling our church resource library and also begin developing the drama and puppet ministry of the church. Because of our own Pete's generosity, we already have a wonderful portable puppet stage, several good quality puppets, and a portable sound system. So, our opportunity for ministry expansion continues to grow.

+ We also hope to initiate prayer walking teams and evangelism teams to begin ministry both within the city and also in outlying villages. We have entered an agreement with David and Anya Jones to help them as needed in their ministry to children in the village of Bortnytchi, with Pastor Sergey and others to help them in Brusilov and surrounding villages, and to work with another missionary in ministering to orphans.

+ We actually had some breathing room this past week to get some things done around the apartment. Not only did the trim work around the doors get done, but we also got most of the pictures and other wall hangings up. Jo Ann has a great eye for decoration, and the apartment looks even warmer and cozier than before. Then adding a beautiful Arabic table runner, alabaster box, and wooden box with inlaid mother of pearl to the shelves, and this looks like a beautiful international apartment.

Prayer Requests:

+ Pray for our refugee friends such as this one. You cannot comprehend what refugees go through in Ukraine, a growing a prospering nation that still does not care for those who have come within its borders to escape persecution and possible death. They find the same thing here, but just in different forms.

+  Pray about our flight schedules. Even though we are scheduled to leave in only nine days, we still don't have tickets. Pray that God will work out a very complex schedule that includes not only our trip to the States and back, but also a trip to Kiev and back for Abby and Anya and a trip for the four of us in early July to international conferences in Switzerland ---- both cost and coordination.

+ Continue praying for the financial needs of our three international students (and for our own). Also pray especially for three of our singles (Uzbekistan, Cuba, and Iran) who are facing serious passport and visa challenges. To those of us who live in free countries, these are not major issues, but for these friends, denials or forfeitures could lead to deportation and possible imprisonment or even death. Most Americans don't have a clue what these courageous believers face, even when gone from their homelands. Try to picture yourself as a stranger and an alien in a foreign country, and nobody to whom you can turn with confidence and trust.

+ Continue praying for Joel Colon and others who are stateside raising support for their return to Kiev. Pray for Brent Holt that the remaining $500 per month that he needs will come in. Pray that the funding we need for the worship banners and flags, sound equipment, music and speaker stands, tables, and other things will be provided.

+ Pray for our physical well being. Both of us feel unusually tired most of the time, and sometimes wonder if there's something more than just sleep deprivation. We both need to have our eyes checked, and have some chiropractic treatments while in the States. Bob's back hurts constantly, and both of us have hurting feet most of the time. Pray that we can get some really good quality active exercise through the Summer months, and especially while in the States.

+ Pray for our family ---- Cindy, Kevin, and Christopher in Medellin, Colombia ---- Debbie, Abby, Sarah, and Rachel in Fort Worth ---- Cheri, Bob, Roma (in Iowa), Anya, Katya, Misha, and Seriozha in St. Paul ---- Deanna, Jim, Michael, and JoyLinn in LaGrange. Pray that all their needs will be met and their dreams realized. Pray that God will give them the desires of their hearts because He gave them the desires in their hearts.

+ Pray for this great church. The vision continues to be fulfilled, but also to expand. We see ourselves now as a church planting entity to the nations, but also as a safe place of reprieve to the people, and a place to call home to missionaries who need encouragement and support. What is before us is beyond us. Pray that we will be totally unexplainable apart from God, and that we will see the people from the nations come to Christ. Pray for the young men and women whom God is raising up, that they will be mighty in spirit and courageous in their ventures. Pray for Stan, Vitaly, Bob, Jo Ann, and others in positions of critical leadership. Pray that we never do anything just because it's a good idea, but only because it is something God has put in our hearts. Pray that everything to which we put our hands will prosper in every way. Pray for the completion of the auditorium.

+ Pray for the city of Kiev and its new born-again 29 year old mayor. Pray for this country as it faces the challenges of trying to gain ground on what was accomplished during the Orange Revolution. Pray that the Parliament will be convicted of partisan and self-elevating arrogance. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict, root out, and expose every form of dishonesty and corruption to be found in both the national and city government. Pray that true revival will come to the churches and true awakening will come to the city.

+ Pray that the pastors and other church leaders in Ukrainian churches will choose honesty, integrity, truth, and righteousness in their personal lives and in the pulpit, instead of yielding to the compromises of the world with which they became accustomed under Communism.  A large number have sold themselves to the ways of the world for the sake of security, comfort, and prestige. Pray for those who have remained faithful and true, that God will give them boldness, grace, and confidence in the midst of a world system that is diametrically opposed to God's Word.

Finally:

We thank you for the privilege of representing you, and being your voice, hands, and feet to the people of Kiev. We count it a personal joy and honor to be your representatives as we seek to be God's ambassadors. And, we look forward to seeing some of you in the next few weeks.

In His Bond, By His Grace, and For His Kingdom,

Bob and Jo Ann

KIBC

Missionaries to the Nations in Kiev

Bob Tolliver
lifeunlimited@pobox.com
http://community.webshots.com/user/kic4n
www.praykiev.org
  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: hope4kyiv-unsubscribe@welovegod.org  

Posted by: prov2525 <prov2525@...>

Hope 4 Kyiv

The "In-Pact" Praise and Prayer Letter Of

Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver

Missionaries to Kiev, Ukraine

Number 044

April 30, 2006

Dear Friends, "In-Pact" Partners, and Family:

It seems we just can't get our letters sent out as we had intended. Not only are we missing the "twice-monthly" goal, but we can't even seem to get them written on a monthly basis. We apologize! But, it seems our lives are so hectic and filled with distracting and disorienting things that we often let the target dates slip right past us. (Maybe we're getting old!)

At any rate, here is a brief update of praise, prayer, and plans.

Update ---- Report on Past Matters:

+ Finally! Gas (as of three weeks ago!) Finally! Trim work done on apartment doors (as of yesterday!) Finally! Stove and ovens (as of three weeks ago!)

+ Dryer? No (even though the wiring was supposed to come from the States several weeks ago, no mention has been made.) In the auditorium? You're kidding! Another promise passed. As of today, more additional requirements ---- three coats of fire-resistant paint now have to be applied to the wood risers before carpet can be laid. We've given up on planning and hoping. When it happens, it happens. We'll be satisfied if we get in by September when our Fall emphasis begins.

+ As a result ---- we're heading home early. If we can get tickets, we plan to return to the States on May 9th ---- no sense hanging around waiting for the auditorium's completion so we can have our first service while we're still in Kiev. Guess they'll just have to move in while we're gone . .. . IF the work is completed. Besides, we have so much to do back in the States before our June 16th return to Kiev. (Since our last letter we had decided to delay our trip by a week so we could help get into the new auditorium; but now, we're back to square one.)

+ Brent Holt will arrive in Kiev on May 17th, but we'll not be here to greet him and help him get settled. Others will do that. Everyone is excited over his arrival. He will be a great addition and we believe will have a great ministry in worship, prayer, and youth work.

+ Internet service? No progress at all. In fact, we've had some setbacks. 1) One company offered us service, but when installed, it was no faster than the old current system. 2) Another company we had checked out successfully earlier has now been restricted from getting new customers because of a recent law passed in Parliament; we're now on a waiting list (that's similar to a dead-end file in America). 3) We discovered last week that the reason our phone bill has been so high is because the company has been charging us long distance costs everytime we get on the internet. We're thinking seriously about going to a network of smoke signals or semaphore flags; we think it would be faster.

+ The worship team continues its transition. We've had two or three guest leaders recently as a volunteer team spent time with us from Egypt. Now we're back to our own church family until Brent arrives. We're going to lose our very special Becky in June as she moves to Russia for a year, so we're waiting to see what the Lord will provide in the way of a keyboard person. We have the makings of a very good and teachable worship team, but it's a challenge to get it all together in one place at one time.

+ Church attendance continues to increase, but we are severely hampered by our meeting room. If we don't get into our auditorium soon, we'll have to re-design our seating arrangement. This will compromise our use of media and will cause the congregation to sit "shot-gun" style and facing distracting light coming through windows. But, we rejoice in the many new faces. If everyone came on the same Sunday, we'd probably have close to 100 people from fifteen to twenty countries.

+ The Egypt team did a great job. Frankly, they were the most mature high school team we've ever worked with . . . ever! They never complained (at least not in our presence), were always immediately ready to do what was asked, and went beyond the call of duty often offering to extra. They did neighborhood children's programs, did four major prayer walks, served in our worship services, ministered to the Spanish church, met with the Timothy Fellowship, and spent the better part of three days in some villages where they worked from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm or later. We were profoundly impressed. Thanks, John and team! You were awesome!

+ "Inter-Mission" is off to a great start with over 35 attending our first meeting, and some 40 to 50 missionaries committed prayer support for each other. There are still more than 100 missionaries in the city who have not responded to this ministry of meeting once a month to pray for each other and for the city. This illustrates the great temptation to either be so busy you don't have time to pray with each other, to be so focused on your own agenda that you have no time available for others, or to isolate yourself from others who aren't "on the same page" as you are. You can see by this just how important your prayer for missionaries really is. "Inter-Mission" participants meet corporately once every two months, and then meet in smaller regional groups on the alternating months.

We are currently preparing material to add to the "PrayKIEV" website that will allow other intercessors to link hearts with us in prayer via the internet. "Inter-Mission" is a play on the words "intercession" and "missionaries", and simply means to "take a break to pray for missionaries". In involves missionaries praying for each other as well as prayer warriors around the world praying for missionaries. When the web page is complete, it will include the names and ministries of many of those missionaries in Kiev, along with links to their personal e-mails and ministry websites.

What's Been Happening and What's Coming Up:

+ The church is in the process of preparing legal documents to become an officially registered and recognized congregation. Doing so opens up many benefits for future ministry, as well as a few limitations that can be easily overcome. Bob, Stan, and Vitaly will actually meet tomorrow to go through the initial document, make adjustments, and return it to Valentine, our Christian attorney. We hope to have this process complete by mid to late Summer.

+ We will have our second baptizing on Sunday, August 7th, just before we return to the States for five weeks. We have at least three (from Peru, Ukraine, and Iran) who will be baptized. There may be more. There are also three or four from the Spanish church who will be baptized, but probably later in the Summer.

+ The Spanish church leadership has asked to have a more formal working relationship with our church, and we will be making a decision on that tomorrow. There is a very strong relationship between the two of us and that church already (Bob mentors the two pastors and the group meets in our apartment every week for worship, prayer, and Bible study, and some attend our English services as well), so it seems a logical thing to do. There is virtually no working relationship between them and the other church, and most connections between them have been cut off by the other church.

+ We continue hosting our singles periodically, and we're having more fun than ever. Last night we had about ten from four countries over for pasta casserole and a movie, in spite of a holiday week-end (Yes, it's another one!) and several who were either out of town or had studies or work. This ministry is destined to explode this Fall after Summer break. We really need someone to head this ministry up. Fortunately, there is an American couple coming to Kiev in June to consider returning just to do student ministry, and we are anxious to talk with them.

+ While we are in the States, we will be visiting several places . . .. . attending granddaughter Abby's high school graduation in Fort Worth, visiting Houston-based Ricky and Marina (former members here in Kiev), making a stop in West Plains to visit with Brent's family (and hopefully church), and reconnect with many friends at FBC in West Plains, meet with Potter's House Church in Camdenton, MO to discuss future partnership plans, and spend a little time in our home church. We also have lots of personal matters to which we must attend . . . taxes, maintenance and repairs on property, medical issues, further support raising, etc.

+ We will be pursuing the acquisition of worship banners and flags. Further research has found that costs are far higher than we originally thought ($350 to $600 per banner). We have also found, however, that we can purchase patterns and pre-cut emblems in the States and then buy fabric and employ one of our Ukrainian friends to do all the needle work. This will reduce the cost to only about $100 per banner. We are very excited about this.

+ The Cairo team blessed us with more than service ---- they brought personal items, guitar strings, books and tapes for the church library, several books filled with short dramas and skits, and chord sheets and PowerPoint slides to more than 500 songs. As a result we will hopefully begin assembling our church resource library and also begin developing the drama and puppet ministry of the church. Because of our own Pete's generosity, we already have a wonderful portable puppet stage, several good quality puppets, and a portable sound system. So, our opportunity for ministry expansion continues to grow.

+ We also hope to initiate prayer walking teams and evangelism teams to begin ministry both within the city and also in outlying villages. We have entered an agreement with David and Anya Jones to help them as needed in their ministry to children in the village of Bortnytchi, with Pastor Sergey and others to help them in Brusilov and surrounding villages, and to work with another missionary in ministering to orphans.

+ We actually had some breathing room this past week to get some things done around the apartment. Not only did the trim work around the doors get done, but we also got most of the pictures and other wall hangings up. Jo Ann has a great eye for decoration, and the apartment looks even warmer and cozier than before. Then adding a beautiful Arabic table runner, alabaster box, and wooden box with inlaid mother of pearl to the shelves, and this looks like a beautiful international apartment.

Prayer Requests:

+ Pray for our refugee friends such as this one. You cannot comprehend what refugees go through in Ukraine, a growing a prospering nation that still does not care for those who have come within its borders to escape persecution and possible death. They find the same thing here, but just in different forms.

+ Pray about our flight schedules. Even though we are scheduled to leave in only nine days, we still don't have tickets. Pray that God will work out a very complex schedule that includes not only our trip to the States and back, but also a trip to Kiev and back for Abby and Anya and a trip for the four of us in early July to international conferences in Switzerland ---- both cost and coordination.

+ Continue praying for the financial needs of our three international students (and for our own). Also pray especially for three of our singles (Uzbekistan, Cuba, and Iran) who are facing serious passport and visa challenges. To those of us who live in free countries, these are not major issues, but for these friends, denials or forfeitures could lead to deportation and possible imprisonment or even death. Most Americans don't have a clue what these courageous believers face, even when gone from their homelands. Try to picture yourself as a stranger and an alien in a foreign country, and nobody to whom you can turn with confidence and trust.

+ Continue praying for Joel Colon and others who are stateside raising support for their return to Kiev. Pray for Brent Holt that the remaining $500 per month that he needs will come in. Pray that the funding we need for the worship banners and flags, sound equipment, music and speaker stands, tables, and other things will be provided.

+ Pray for our physical well being. Both of us feel unusually tired most of the time, and sometimes wonder if there's something more than just sleep deprivation. We both need to have our eyes checked, and have some chiropractic treatments while in the States. Bob's back hurts constantly, and both of us have hurting feet most of the time. Pray that we can get some really good quality active exercise through the Summer months, and especially while in the States.

+ Pray for our family ---- Cindy, Kevin, and Christopher in Medellin, Colombia ---- Debbie, Abby, Sarah, and Rachel in Fort Worth ---- Cheri, Bob, Roma (in Iowa), Anya, Katya, Misha, and Seriozha in St. Paul ---- Deanna, Jim, Michael, and JoyLinn in LaGrange. Pray that all their needs will be met and their dreams realized. Pray that God will give them the desires of their hearts because He gave them the desires in their hearts.

+ Pray for this great church. The vision continues to be fulfilled, but also to expand. We see ourselves now as a church planting entity to the nations, but also as a safe place of reprieve to the people, and a place to call home to missionaries who need encouragement and support. What is before us is beyond us. Pray that we will be totally unexplainable apart from God, and that we will see the people from the nations come to Christ. Pray for the young men and women whom God is raising up, that they will be mighty in spirit and courageous in their ventures. Pray for Stan, Vitaly, Bob, Jo Ann, and others in positions of critical leadership. Pray that we never do anything just because it's a good idea, but only because it is something God has put in our hearts. Pray that everything to which we put our hands will prosper in every way. Pray for the completion of the auditorium.

+ Pray for the city of Kiev and its new born-again 29 year old mayor. Pray for this country as it faces the challenges of trying to gain ground on what was accomplished during the Orange Revolution. Pray that the Parliament will be convicted of partisan and self-elevating arrogance. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict, root out, and expose every form of dishonesty and corruption to be found in both the national and city government. Pray that true revival will come to the churches and true awakening will come to the city.

+ Pray that the pastors and other church leaders in Ukrainian churches will choose honesty, integrity, truth, and righteousness in their personal lives and in the pulpit, instead of yielding to the compromises of the world with which they became accustomed under Communism. A large number have sold themselves to the ways of the world for the sake of security, comfort, and prestige. Pray for those who have remained faithful and true, that God will give them boldness, grace, and confidence in the midst of a world system that is diametrically opposed to God's Word.

Finally:

We thank you for the privilege of representing you, and being your voice, hands, and feet to the people of Kiev. We count it a personal joy and honor to be your representatives as we seek to be God's ambassadors. And, we look forward to seeing some of you in the next few weeks.

In His Bond, By His Grace, and For His Kingdom,

Bob and Jo Ann

KIBC

Missionaries to the Nations in Kiev

Bob Tolliver
lifeunlimited@pobox.com
http://community.webshots.com/user/kic4n
http://www.praykiev.org

  --  To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: hope4kyiv-unsubscribe@welovegod.org