HOPE 4 KYIV #051 ---- January 13, 2007
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
The Monthly Praise and Prayer Letter Of
Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver
Missionaries to Kiev, Ukraine
Number 051
January 13, 2007
Dear Friends, Family, and "InPact" Prayer Partners:
Greetings from a icy, frigid, day in LaGrange, MO. Since writing last, we've enjoyed a wonderful Christmas time with all of our children, sons-in-law, and ten of our twelve grandchildren, we've survived New Year's Week-end, and are now on a nine-day trip of speaking engagements before final preparation to return to Kiev on January 23rd. We were blessed to have the entire family together, including Cindy and her family, missionaries in Colombia. That's grandson Christopher with us in our family room. If you click on the picture, you can then increase the size by a sustained left click on the lower right corner.
Forgive us for not getting our Christmas greeting to you sooner, but between trip recuperation, family Christmas, speaking engagements, and both of us having severe colds and sinus infection, we've had neither the time or the energy to write sooner. That doesn't mean, however, that we haven't thought about you, because folks like you are constantly on our minds and in our hearts. We praise God for you each day.
Updates:
+ Our translators continue working on various projects we left them when we returned to the States for Christmas. Translation of fourteen Bible study booklets for new Christmas should be completed in Farsi and Russian by the time we return to Kiev in a few weeks.
+ Attendance at KIBC has been down a little while we've been gone, but they've had good services as Stan and Vitaliy have covered the preaching responsibilities. Our worship leader, Brent, has returned to Kiev and is back in the saddle. Unfortunately we didn't get to see him while he was in the States.
+ The Persian ministry continues growing as M. and the others provide leadership. Good follow up has taken place with several who attended the dinner last month. A number of those attending have begun attending the English class and also the Bible study. Several are seriously considering the claims of Christ.
+ The Chinese evangelistic Christmas concert on December 24th was successful, according to what we have heard. Approximately 200 attended, and at least thirteen prayed to receive Christ. And, that's what it's all about. While this event was conducted by a Chinese church in Kiev, our ministries significantly intertwine as a large number attend our English services on Sunday, and we will be offering English classes and Bible studies for them this coming Spring. We also provided $800 toward the expense of the concert. We will be meeting with Pastor Feng to find ways to work together in evangelizing and training these young people for when they return to China. Pastor Feng's vision is to make Kiev a major training center for Chinese evangelists to return to China. Wow! Just what we envision!
+ Several from our home church are trying to assemble a team to come to Kiev in early June. We are praying for that group because they are unfortunately meeting with some resistance to funding the trip. That saddens us very much; we've never looked at souls from the perspective of dollars, and can't understand that approach. The positive side, however, is that we know of several people in other churches who would be interested in joining this team if it comes together.
+ Our bad colds have kept Bob from completing the work on the PowerPoint presentations and the photo albums for our webshots.com site. But, he hopes to finish that up by the middle of next week if possible.
+ We've had two enjoyable opportunities to share our story with churches, and have been blessed with the positive responses we've had thus far. It seems that in every church we find some people whose hearts are really turned toward the Lord and toward intentional and aggressive missions. That always encourages us. We have six more opportunities scheduled before we return to Kiev in just three weeks.
Current and Upcoming Events:
+ Last Wednesday we spoke in Hurdland, MO. Tomorrow morning we will speak twice at churches in LaGrange and Winfield, MO. Following a couple of days visiting relatives in southern Illinois we'll do a strategic prayer walking seminar in St. Louis, and then will speak at the Missouri State Evangelism Conference on Monday morning, January 22nd, before flying back to Kiev on the 23rd. So, we still have a busy speaking schedule, with only a few open slots.
+ Bob has been busy on the internet trying to locate various ministry items we need to purchase before we return to Kiev. He's especially looking at a media presentation remote control unit, several teaching DVD's, and a translating amplification system that will allow us to translate services into several languages. If we had the equipment, we could translate into at least four languages every Sunday.
+ Soon after our return to Kiev, we will resume our ongoing ministries with Chinese, Farsi, and Spanish speakers, our singles ministry, and our Timothy/Esther Fellowship mentoring groups, although those have continued during our absence, in the hands of capable leaders. In addition, Bob will finally begin teaching a weekly evangelistic Bible study as he did in the previous church. We are excited about that possibility.
+ It looks like 2007 is going to be a very busy year for us as ministries expand and also as a number of travel responsibilities face us. For example, we know of at least four trips already on the calendar that will take us out of Ukraine:
> March to southwestern Germany and Croatia
> May to Dubai, UAE
> October to Denmark and British Isles
> November to northern Germany
In addition we're trying to figure out when we can take our next trip back to the States. It will probably be mid to late Summer, but nothing is definite. It is also possible the Dubai trip may not happen until a later time.
+ Upon our return to Kiev we will resume the evangelistic entertaining ministry that Jo Ann coordinates. This is proving to be a highly effective way of sharing the Gospel and building meaningful relationships with people who otherwise would never come to church or sit in a Bible study.
Family:
+ Cindy, Kevin, and Christopher returned to Colombia after Christmas where they have resumed a very busy schedule where Kevin administers the national Bible school, continues working on construction plans for a new building for the school, and, with Cindy, gives direction to the foundation that ministers to thousands of low income families in some of the outlying barrios.
+ Debbie, Abby, Sarah, and Rachel are still in Ft. Worth, although Abby is a freshman at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Debbie was FINALLY approved for disability by SS and will begin receiving benefits, retroactive to all the way back several years to the beginning. That is incredible news! Sarah got snowed in during a ski trip to Colorado last week. Abby, as a member of the marching band, performed in the Sun Bowl in El Paso last week. Rachel left her suitcase here when her Dad came to pick her up.
+ Cheri, Bob and the gang are still in St. Paul. Roma will become a daddy this Spring, Misha and Seriozha are still into sports, jobs, cell phones, and the like, Katya still loves music and performing, and Anya has her own car, still works as a "nanny", and is taking college level classes in anticipation of her high school graduation in May. Bob is still at EcoLabs and Cheri continues as domestic administrator and is involved in some meaningful small group ministries.
+ Deanna, Jim, Michael, and JoyLinn remain in LaGrange, MO, and continue seeing God touch people's lives through various ministries both in the church and through the local ministerial association. They both have been instrumental in bringing the churches together for common projects and ministries, and in doing so, have gained favor with the community. The churches of the community did a cute children's Christmas musical several weeks ago.
+ The two of us are "fine by faith". Spiritually, emotionally, and mentally we feel fantastic. However, we've had our share of physical challenges. We currently are still both battling severe sinus congestion and colds, convulsing coughs and all, and Jo Ann is receiving treatment for TMJ problems that came out of nowhere last Thursday night. She's been to the doctor twice this week, will go again Friday, twice next week, and probably one more time after that before we return to Kiev. All of this tends to make both of us very tired, and we find ourselves running out of steam early in the day. We're praying that this ends quickly because we have too much to do in the next three weeks.
Prayer Requests:
+ For the two of us for physical healing and restoration, for energy increase, and for the mental capacity to get everything done before our return to Kiev January 23rd.
+ For KIBC in Kiev, as they continue during our absence, that attendance will grow, that Stan, Vitaliy, and Brent will have clear words from the Lord when they preach, that the language groups and Timothy/Esther groups will remain strong and faithful.
+ For funding for an acceptable multi-channel/language translation amplification system and other media equipment.
+ For increased financial support. Some are, for various reasons, reconsidering their involvement with our ministry. We praise God for them, and ask that He more than makes up for any who feel a need to reduce or discontinue support.
+ For continued vision that is focused and emanating from the heart of God.
+ For the Spanish, Chinese, and Persian ministries that they will continue to grow, reach more and more people, and draw hundreds to personal faith in Christ.
+ For possible Hindi, Arabic, and Nigerian ministries that have the potential of forming.
+ For the initiation of some evangelistic Bible studies and training of leaders to work with those studies.
+ For the development of our evangelistic sports ministry, particular the Upward program that will begin development this Spring for children. For Stan and Maxim as they head that up.
+ For Asian, African, and Hispanic nationals who are in constant danger of harassment, attacks, and even murder from skin heads, mafia members, and hoodlums. Several have been killed during 2006, the most recent on December 28th. We are constantly concerned for all such people, but especially our own who are active in our ministries.
Finally:
Again, we find ourselves so deeply grateful for those who pray for us, encourage us, and support us financially and in prayer. We pray God's blessing on all who do so. He is teaching us more and more each day of just how faithful He is to us when we become extravagant in our expressions of faith and obedience to the Lord.
Robert Morrison, a pastor from Dallas, TX, has written a life-changing book, The Blessed Life. In it he gives probably the most biblically accurate explanation of the joy of giving. It is also in a DVD teaching form. We urge you to read the book and learn to live by the truths he presents. If we could wish anything for you in 2007, it would be that you discover, as we did years ago, the joy of releasing everything we have to the control of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then choose to take Him at His Word in our managing and our giving.
Have a wonderful month. Next time we write, we will be back in Kiev.
In His Bond, By His Grace, and For His Kingdom,
Bob and Jo Ann
The Tolliver's, missionaries to Kiev
lifeunlimited@pobox.com
grandma12@pobox.com
http://community.webshots.com/user/kic4n
http://www.praykiev.org
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