Hope4Kyiv #058 ---- 8/31/07
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
Hope 4 Kyiv
The Monthly Praise and Prayer Letter Of
Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver
Missionaries to Kyiv, Ukraine
Number 058
August 31, 2007
Dear Friends, In-Pact Partners, and Family:
It's hard to believe that almost another full month has passed since our last letter on July 31st, and we again greet you from our favorite place, Kyiv, Ukraine. Even though our trip ended up being delayed because Jo Ann needed treatment for a spot on her ear that had the potential of being cancerous, we did finally arrive back in Kyiv a week late, arriving on August 8th instead of the 1st. That may catch you by surprise, but we had no opportunity for any kind of update.
Updates:
+ As far as we know, the "snail mail" letters are now being sent again, and we're grateful for that. If you know of anyone who still did not receive our July 31st letter, please let us know by sending us a current name and address.
+ "F" had an amazing opportunity to share the Gospel with his family and friends while in his homeland, and has now returned to Kyiv. While there, he experienced no significant problems or dangers, and we know that was because of the prayers of God's people. Thank you!
+ The spot on Jo Ann's ear turned out to be non-cancerous, but the doctor felt she should have it removed by freezing it with liquid nitrogen. It was a pretty painful one-time treatment that left significant swelling and an angry redness, but that has all gone, and the cells are pretty much gone. She still experiences some discomfort like before if she sleeps too long at a time, but hopefully that's just because it is still healing. We're keeping an eye on it.
+ Pastor Feng and wife Rebecca are still in China resting, and we still don't know whether or not they will be able to return because of meager financial support. We do hope they return because this is an extraordinary ministry opportunity for the church. If we learn that they do plan to return, we want to find some individuals and/or churches who would be willing to support them. This is a strategic ministry of the church where a significant number of Chinese students have come to Christ.
+ We are still without hot water, so it has now been over two months. The new meter was supposed to have been installed over a week ago, but still hasn't happened. In the meantime, we've actually thanked the Lord for the extremely hot weather, because it has actually made our cold showers feel good. However, the temperatures have dropped about fifteen to twenty degrees the past week, so we're hoping the meter will be installed soon. Pastor Phillip informed us earlier this week that an eminent inspection of the heating system should take place soon.
+ So far, nothing further has developed as a result of the unusual circumstances that brought "M" and his wife back in contact with the attorney who at one time was thought to be able to help "M" with his legal documents that would let him remain in Ukraine. But, "M" and his wife are going to follow up with another contact soon just to see where things might be with him in light of the political confusion in Ukraine right now.
Family:
+ Cindy, Kevin, and Christopher have returned to Colombia where they are already immersed in a busy schedule administering the Bible school, coordinating the Compassion ministry to poverty areas of Medellin, hosting and directing visiting volunteer teams and missionaries, and trying to keep a semblance of sanity at home. Christopher is attending "public" school again at the same private school he attended before. We really enjoyed seeing them all while we were home in June/July.
+ Debbie and the girls are all still in Ft. Worth area as far as we know. We don't have any news on them, but assume that Abby is back at MU and will be in Marching Band again. We think that either Rachel or Sarah went on a mission trip earlier in the Summer, and assume it was good and that she remained safe. We don't hear much.
+ Cheri, Bob, and the kids are all still in Minnesota. They've had their share of challenges as the kids get older, and several of them will be out on their own soon as they finish school and face new opportunities. God is using these challenges to strengthen Bob and Cheri. Bob still works at Ecolab's corporate offices developing training manuals and software for the field.
+ Deanna, Jim, Michael, and JoyLinn are still in northeastern Missouri where Jim continues pastoring First Church. Mom and Dad are thrilled that school has started, and claim that they are more excited even than the kids.
+ The two of us are doing well, but continuing to face those little "aging" pranks such as reduced endurance, aches and pains, and the like. But, when we remember people like Ken Kenworthy who's still fit and spry at age 90, Doc Shafer who's still preaching at 93, and Norma Bishop who still goes on mission trips at 90, we feel a little ashamed of our "complaining" . . . until we go sit down and take a rest . . . and think about it . . . and fall asleep. As we already mentioned, Jo Ann's episode with her ear is clearing up quickly. We both can't seem to get a handle on our weight . . . well, that's not true. There are several on both of us . . . in several locations. But we keep trying to get more exercise and get our metabolic rate up. We really have pretty good eating habits, but can't seem to get the energy burning cycle to exceed the calorie intake.
What's Happening These Days:
+ First and foremost, this coming Sunday KIBC will celebrate its second anniversary. On September 5th, 2005, KIBC had its first official service with over 60 people attending from nine countries. Since then, many amazing things have transpired:
+ Completion of our sanctuary.
+ Ministries to Chinese, including beginning of worship services and weekly Bible studies
+ Revival of Spanish language ministry and reconnecting with previously started Spanish language church.
+ Establishment of Persian ministry.
+ Ministry to Russian speaking university students through an evangelistic Bible study.
+ Development of an intercessory prayer ministry to missionaries called "Inter-Mission".
+ Development of a leadership mentoring and training ministry for future leaders.
+ Triple increase in attendance.
+ Acquisition of top-of-the-line media equipment.
+ Two weddings.
+ Birth of KIBC’s first baby.
+ Commissioning of two missionaries.
+ Affiliation with International Baptist Convention.
+ More than 100 salvations through various language ministries.
+ More than ten baptism events with over 70 being baptized.
+ Connecting ministries in Odessa (Chinese) and Kharkiv (Persian).
And, that's just a partial list! Our normal Sunday attendance in English services will range from 80 to 110 from Fall to Spring, and our total with all groups in any given week will run 120 to 160 or even more at times.
God has certainly blessed this ministry beyond our wildest dreams. Here is a totally inadequate shot of our sanctuary where we meet. As you know, fellow believers in the States helped us raise the $20,000 needed to finish off the building. That funding enabled us to use this space rent free until December, 2009 three times a week for a total of ten hours, plus two other rooms. We praise God for this amazing space that seats 300 people. You are seeing about 2/3 of the auditorium.
+ We feel the Lord has made it clear to the two of us that we really need to concentrate on leadership training and development for the next year, so much of what we're looking at for KIBC's third year will center on that. We know that the church must begin seeing that we are not the focus of the work here, and that we are expendable. We know we must train in a way that we work ourselves "out of a job" of the church is to move to the next level. So, . . .
+ We are in the process of again expanding our Pastoral Leadership Team so that the work load will be more evenly distributed. Bob will also be again sharing the preaching and teaching with other guys. Soon they will meet and begin discussing various topics they feel need to be addressed during the preaching slot. Then they will divide those topics between themselves and create a future preaching schedule.
+ Our leadership mentoring and training groups, Esther Fellowship and Timothy Fellowship, will resume next week. However, they will be very different from in the past, and will be restricted to only those who will make a commitment to be faithful, teachable, and available to put into practice what they learn. Jo Ann has about six or seven young women and Bob has about ten young men who are candidates. We'll know in a few weeks just how many will actually participate.
+ Bob will hopefully finally begin teaching that evangelistic Bible study we've wanted to begin for more than a year. It seems now that the time is right. He thinks he may call it either "Road To Redemption" or "From Creation To Christ" because it will be a systematic and progressive study of God's plan to redeem man from the Fall in Genesis through the Promise and then the Presence of a Redeemer, the Lamb of God, Whose shed blood was given to reconcile the two. He will be using his own material which he prepared several years ago, along with material from an outstanding teaching series by New Tribes Mission called "From Creation To Christ".
+ Our very own "T" has been blessed recently in extraordinary ways in which her application for emigration with the UNHCR was miraculously re-opened. We dare not give details, but it was truly an act of the Lord. Her previous interviews the past four years had been a total fiasco filled with complete incompetence and unbelievable errors, document misplacements, and misrepresentations. It's no wonder the U.S. Embassy refused to give her asylum. The people who prepared her case botched it up royally.
However, not only was her case one of fewer than ten that was recently accepted for review out of thousands of others, but, . . . she was approved for emigration by UNHCR! Because of the seriousness of her situation, her case has been sent directly to a specific country with the request that she be relocated there. It will be several months before she knows anything, but this in itself is an amazing development that can only be described as a complete miracle. If this particular country denies her entry, then it will automatically be presented to another country . . . until someone accepts her. All of that process can still take many months, but she is thrilled and amazed simply that her case was re-opened. Her attitude about it all is amazing, and she knows that if she had left Ukraine earlier, she would have missed seeing numerous Ukrainians and Hispanics come to Christ.
+ We met earlier this week with the leaders of our Persian ministry, and God is truly opening some doors for this Fall. A Christian university has graciously opened up their reading room/coffee shop for our people to use for some new ministries to begin soon. As new students come to Kyiv, they will be introduced to an orientation and tutoring service provided by several of our Persian believers. Those who are interested can learn how to get around in the city, learn how to deal with the police and avoid dangerous situations, learn where to find certain shops and products, . . . AND take free tutoring classes in Mathematics, English language, and Russian language.
Out of these services relationships will be built, and the curious and interested will be invited to informal Bible studies, evangelistic parties at our apartment, and other things. In addition, the guys are working on an evangelistic website that will be hosted by one of the men in the States who has offered us free hosting and space.
+ Two different ministries have made free web space available to us, so we are now trying to develop three totally new websites plus do a major revision on another. This is such an amazing answer to prayer, and we are unbelievably grateful. It's just another example of how God meets needs.
+ It appears that not only has the Persian ministry begun reaching new people, but the Spanish group as well. Unfortunately the new Hispanic group from French New Guinea has had to relocate to another city, but the church has made recent contact with another group from Cuba. In addition, God is raising up a couple of leaders to do some major teaching and discipling. "T" is elated over this as Nandy from Dominican Republic takes a major role in such training. "T" says she is a born leader. Nandy is one of the young women "T" led to Christ in our apartment about a year and a half ago.
+ A number of our internationals are facing increasing hostilities from both the police and Ukrainian citizens who have intense prejudices toward "foreigners". We seldom personally experience any of this probably because we're older and we look like most Ukrainians. However, our dark skinned internationals particularly are always subject to immediate and unexpected verbal harassment and even physical attacks. Earlier this week, for example, "M" was simply buying corn at the market and three men came up to him, one shoved him around and then knocked him down. When he ran, the police started chasing him instead of the men who accosted him. This is typical, and we are both grieved and incensed over such action. both "F" and "L" from China, "A" from Uganda, "Mk" from Lebanon, "T" from Cuba, and many others face this type of despicable conduct almost daily.
In addition, most of them have great difficulty finding apartments. "F" from a Middle Eastern country told us of a friend who found a two-room apartment, but when the owner discovered they were foreigners, he wanted $1,000 a month. When "A" from Uganda when to check out several apartments that had been listed, the owners found out he was a foreigner and said they had none to rent. This is a typical response even from Christians. When "T" was staying in another apartment before she came to live with us, the owner of that apartment (a pastor) found out she was a foreigner. He became very angry and told her Ukrainian room mates, "Get rid of her!" One of Bob's dreams is to find some Christian business men in America who would buy a small apartment building and make it available for students to rent at reasonable rates. We'd put several Christians in the apartment building, and then let the building become a mission field. Big dreams! It would be an expensive project, but the need for decent housing for these precious kids is desperate.
+ It appears that, with two years of foundation laying and establishing the base "support joists", this coming year or two will see a more clearly defined development of specific strategic ministries. We are very excited about this, and believe that we may see not only explosive growth in some of our existing ministries, but also the rapid addition of new ministries to new language groups and special needs ministries not only in Kiev but in other parts of Ukraine. At the moment, for example, we are in contact with an orphanage in L'viv in western Ukraine, a "half way house" ministry for street kids just outside of Kiev, and an orphanage for handicapped kids several hours from Kiev that our Spanish church has been ministering to already for two years. We're also looking at some village ministries developing out in Brusilov where we've taken teams since 2001. This year looks to be a mind boggling one that will require increased intercession and support.
Prayer Requests:
We have some big prayer requests, so we ask you to do more than just pray once or twice. Please make these matters of daily prayer. We need some breakthroughs in the following areas:
+ Pray for "T" that the country to which her application has been sent (The Netherlands) will accept her as an immigrant and that she will have an exciting new chapter open in her life. Pray that, in the meantime, her faith will remain strong and that God will continue blessing her fruitful ministry here as she works with our Spanish and English ministries.
+ Pray for "M", "F", "I", and "P", as they continue providing leadership for our Persian ministry. Pray that "M" will quickly have his document situation resolved. Pray especially for him as he continues his university education while at the same time begins taking seminary classes for a degree there.
+ Pray for all our internationals as they face the challenges and threats before them as described above. Pray for their safety, and that they will maintain sweet spirits and strong faith in the face of such hateful adversity. Pray that intercessors will be raised us just in their behalf.
+ Pray for Pastor Phillip at the host church as he continues improving in health, but also as he anticipates probable heart surgery in the future.
+ Pray for our leadership team as we expand, that unity and singularity of purpose will be maintained, and that we can all provide leadership sufficient to motivate our people to aggressive and strategic action in serving the Lord, ministering to others, and declaring the Gospel.
+ Pray for our children and grand children as they face continuing challenges.
+ Pray that God will provide financial undergirding for our Chinese ministry and our personal needs.
+ Pray that we can get the three websites up and running quickly. Pray for the guys who will be creating the sites.
+ Pray for our dear friend "Karen", president of a ministry who supports our language groups, as she faces the eminent death of her daughter Amy who is now in hospice care. Amy has three children between ages eight and thirteen.
+ Pray that God will open the door for us to minister to the Jewish community in Kiev.
+ Pray that our ministry to university students will quickly resume, and that our language ministries will be blessed and be successful in reaching more for Christ.
Finally:
Thanks again so much for your encouragement, intercession, and financial support. We are grateful to consider you as part of our "In-Pact Team", and want you to know just how much we depend on you and others like you who believe in what God has called the two of us to do.
If you have any thoughts or questions about our ministry, please don't hesitate to drop a line.
In Christ's Bond of Sufficient Grace,
Bob and Jo ann.
The Tolliver's
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