LUM Global #075 ---- 1/29/09
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver
Life Unlimited Ministries
Touching Nations Here and Abroad
Number 075
January 29, 2009
Dear Friends, Family, and "In-Pact" Partners:
Yes, you've got it right . . . just as we announced in last month's letter, "Hope4Kyiv" newsletter would be laid to rest and a new name would adorn our monthly praise and prayer letters. The logo above is a test logo, and it will probably undergo several refining changes before we settle on one. It would be helpful if you would tell us what you think about it. We've chosen "LUM Global" because it identifies both our ministry (Life Unlimited Ministries) and our mission (to continue ministering around the world). We look forward to receiving your comments and suggestions.
Updates:
+ We continue getting word from KIBC in Kyiv that things are going well since the completion of leadership transfer. Attendance has been down because of illness, economic difficulties, and the holidays, but is climbing back steadily. Several new people have started attending. We wrote to you earlier about a special problem with the Farsi believers, and we're happy to report that "M" has recovered fully from the gas attack, has just received his Ukrainian Resident Permit, and continues providing primary leadership to that work. Yesterday he spoke as a guest lecturer at Kyiv Theological Seminary teaching on the subject of Islam to young Ukrainian men and women preparing for ministry. We also received word that Vitaliy's English and Bible classes for Ukrainian speakers has relocated to a local university and, since then, the group has grown numerically. All reports we're getting are very positive. The Spanish group is flourishing as we understand it. A few weeks ago fifteen new people attended services, ten of them unbelievers. Raidel, the pastor, and his wife, Margarita, are providing superb leadership. We've had no report from the Arabic group, but assume they are still steadily growing.
+ The more we think and talk about our decision to conclude our work in Kyiv, the more convinced we are that we did the right thing at the right time. As we look back, we realize that we were ending the initial phase of ministry God had given us . . . namely, planting the church, emphasizing a strong teaching and preaching ministry, helping solidify the vision and purpose for which KIBC was born, and helping to raise up the first generation of new leaders to assume ministry responsibilities. By the time we made the decision in October to conclude our work, we could see that those objectives had been reached, and it was time to either leave or to begin a new cycle of leadership training. Almost all of the "trainable" people had either been trained, had left for other ministries, or had shown little interest in the disciplines and faithfulness that would be required. That meant, then, that if we remained, we would have to look for a totally new group of "trainable" people, and would have to find a new energy source that would enable us to take on new projects. Recognizing that our time, energy, and endurance levels were simply not adequate, we knew others would have to lead the next phase. So, in retrospect, we are convinced we did the right thing, and that God has a brand new chapter both for us and for KIBC. We are, however, far from "retired". In fact, we're busier now than when we were in Kyiv.
What's Been Happening:
+ We've been in the States now for seven weeks, and have been able to be in our home church four Sundays as well as speak in two churches who have supported us financially. We've also jumped headlong into putting things back in order in the house. Jo Ann has done a major "cleaning out" of old clothes and shoes, has reconfigured the master bedroom closet, and is working on the guest bedroom closet. Bob has done considerable outside work putting up the bird feeders for the winter season (notice the pictures below he took yesterday), and is doing major work on his office and two storage closets near the family room.
Male Goldfinch in his winter colors Cardinal and Female Goldfinch
Yellow Hammer Young Blue Jay
There are sometimes as many as 100 birds flitting everywhere to and from the feeders, the ground, and nearby trees. So far, we've seen Red headed Woodpeckers, Gold Finch, Blue Birds, Junko's, Chickadee's, Palliated Wood Peckers, Yellow Hammer, Cardinals, Pine Siskins, Tufted Titmouse, and Blue Jays. In addition we've seen an abundance of squirrels and Whitetail deer such as those pictured below. The squirrel picture was taken yesterday, the deer picture two weeks ago. We have a family of deer that live almost constantly around our house. We were able to get four of the six in this shot. As you can tell, Bob loves taking pictures of scenery and wild life. We had some pictures of the house to show you, but we'll save that for next time since adding them would make our letter file too large.
+ We've also made three sizeable trips since we've been home. We went to Stillwater, Oklahoma where we visited with missionary friend Janice Evans before she returned to L'viv, and with former KIBC friends Allan and Carrie Allday (expecting a son this Spring). We made a trip to Springfield to pick up luggage that our friend John Tucker and his team had brought back to the States for us. Then, we went to LaGrange, MO a few weeks ago to visit with our youngest daughter, Deanna, and her family, and thank their church for their support. Their final Sunday in the church was last week, and they are now in the process of moving to a new pastorate in Knoxville, Illinois where Jim will serve as senior pastor. They spent eleven years with their tiny church in LaGrange, and could not have been in a better place for what they faced.
+ Monday we drove to Springfield, MO, to attend the annual State Evangelism Conference. It was great to renew friendships and make new ones during the brief time we were there. Because of the major winter storm that came through our area that day, we had to leave early, drove almost all the way home on icy roads, and were unable to return on Tuesday for the second day. While there, we were honored to attend the vocational evangelists' fellowship of which we are longstanding members. We noticed that we're not the only ones who are growing older . . . and broader.
+ We could not conclude our letter without gratefully bragging that today (January 29th) is our 50th wedding anniversary! It cannot be true! But, . . . it is. As you can see by the picture, we were just mere children. For many years people thought Jo Ann was a sister to our four girls, and not their mother. Our fifty years together have been filled with more blessings than we could have ever imagined. The more years we spend together, the more amazed we are at God's grace and goodness in bringing us together, keeping us together, and using us in ways we never dreamed possible. We are truly astounded, humbled, and grateful beyond words. It has been an incredible journey, and there are still many miles yet to travel together.
We must have a "thing" with our big anniversaries, because they so often find us traveling. On our 25th, Jo Ann was traveling from Bolivar, MO to Des Moines while Bob was traveling from a Bible conference in southeastern Missouri. And, just like today, we both had to deal with snow. In fact, Bob got only as far as Ottumwa, Iowa, before he was forced to spend the night in a motel and continue his travels the following day. Today, we are traveling again to Des Moines where we'll spend the night, and then drive on to Minnesota on Friday to spend several days with our daughter, Cheri, and her family. We're going to the internationally acclaimed annual Winter Ice Carnival. We'll return home by February 5th.
What's Ahead:
The great old Gospel song says what we feel about the future, both immediate and distant. We don't know what all the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. And, we know the vision He has placed in our hearts for the next chapter of our lives. It was October, 1956, when God first called Bob into vocational ministry at little Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, MO. At about the same time He showed Jo Ann that she would be in ministry as well. Less than a year later, June, 1957, God showed her that she would marry Bob and that he would be a preacher. Now, some fifty-two years later, we face the future will equal uncertainty, but with far greater confidence.
Week by week we are getting a clearer picture of our future ministry. We think it will focus, as we mentioned in our last letter, around
> Stirring up the Church in America, urging them toward revival, compassionate ministry, and aggressive missions and evangelism.
> Helping churches develop ministries of reaching internationals and reaching their cities.
> Ministering in other countries for shorter periods of time (one to two months) helping equip them to reach the nations.
> Concentrating on getting some writing done that we've put off far too long.
> Finally get a website developed for our ministry, something that needed to have been done five or six years ago.
With that in mind, here's what we anticipate in the months ahead.
+ Generally speaking, the evangelical church in America is not responding well either to what's going in the world or to what the Bible says about how we are to live and share the Gospel. Most churches are in great need for a fresh touch from God. Tragically, many are just going through the motions, engaged in activities that bear little or no fruit. In addition, we feel that many Christians don't fully understand what the Biblical implications are concerning the economy, the continued rejection of our spiritual heritage, the rise of secularism, terrorism, Israel, the role of oil in the political scene, and other factors that are daily fulfilling the prophecies of Scripture. We have a great desire to share some fresh insights with the Body of Christ in the U.S. concerning these critical things. The return of Christ is near, and churches need to be stirred up to action. This may be America's last chance.
+ Many churches in America have people from other countries living nearby. Even smaller communities have clusters of refugees, migrants, and internationals here either for work or schooling. Most of us don't think much about how it feels to be a stranger and alien in a foreign culture where you are alone, nothing is familiar, and everything seems strange. Because we have experienced it first hand living in Kyiv, and because we ministered extensively with internationals, we feel we have some things we can share with churches to enable them to reach these people who are generally ignored or avoided. Ministering to internationals provides an extraordinary opportunity to help fulfill the Great Commission of reaching the nations.
+ There are also many international churches in other countries, along with national churches who have internationals living around them. Most international churches cater to native English speakers and tend to reach expatriates and local nationals, but don't do much to reach the internationals living there. Likewise, many indigenous churches are like American churches and don't do much to reach these strangers and aliens. We feel our experience can help us perhaps spend a month or two months with a church or a group of churches, assisting them in developing strategies of reaching the strangers within their gates and also developing strong plans of evangelism and missions.
+ Bob is being pressed by numerous people to have some of his material he has written over the years put into book form. This is a major undertaking, but he also feels it should be done. He particularly wants to publish his material on Vision, The Ten Wonders of Israel, Spiritual Warfare, the Doctrine of Salvation, and a few others. This is a years-long project, but he needs to get back to it and at least complete the two manuscripts he started some time ago.
+ We also have a desire to minister to churches that normally don't have the luxury of inviting people in to provide encouragement and training. This is particularly true in the north central, upper mountain, and northwestern regions of America. Someday it is our desire to spend extended periods of time in those areas. This is actually the rekindling of a vision God gave us back in the early 1980's when we first began our ministry in Washington and Oregon. We have always wanted to go back.
+ We also are anxious to find ways to actively plug in to ministry on a local level. We are very uncomfortable simply sitting in a service and having nothing to do. We've already experienced that, and it makes us very impatient . . . especially Bob. So, we're asking the Lord just how He wants to use us during the times we're not out traveling. We'd love to teach some Bible studies at a local church or perhaps on campus of the Christian university not far from us. Bob would love to actually teach a class or two perhaps one semester a year. One of his professor friends has encouraged him to pursue that and make himself available.
+ It has been our privilege to speak in two of our supporting churches, and we will be making a trip in March to Arizona where we'll have an opportunity to do the same thing as we visit family members and friends throughout the State. We'll write more about that in our next letter. But, it is always a privilege to say a heart-felt "Thank you!" to churches, families, and individuals who support us. We're amazed that some have supported us regularly for the entire twenty-eight years of our traveling ministry. No matter how long, we are blessed beyond words through those who pray and/or give.
Prayer Requests:
As you can see, we have lots on our minds and in our hearts for our current and future ministry. Please pray fervently with us and for us about these matters. In addition, please pray about the following:
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