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HOPE4KYIV #029 ----3/24/05
#1 · March 24, 2005, 11:33 am
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
HOPE 4 KYIV
Number 029
March 24, 2005
The In-Pact Prayer Newsletter of
Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver
Missionaries to Kiev, Ukraine
Dear Friends, In-Pact Partners, and Family:
Today is really not the best day to be writing to you ---- March has been a long, cold, wintry month, and the two of us are still suffering from the flu and related symptoms that we contracted close to three weeks ago. As far as we can remember, this is the first time in our entire married life of 46 years that we've both been sick at the same time.
Nonetheless, March has also been a wonderful time of exciting progress and great blessings, and we need to share those reports with you.
Since our last letter Jo Ann has had a birthday on February 27th, and Bob just celebrated his 67th last Saturday, the 19th. >From the bottom of our hearts we thank all who sent us e-cards or "snail mail" cards. We enjoyed them all thoroughly, but it is your thoughtfulness that means the most to us.
We've also made a trip to London for a conference with the International Baptist Convention, and our good friend, Nancy Jobe, has arrived to help us in our work here for about five or six weeks.
What's Been Happening:
+ The Spanish church was officially established as a congregation on February 27th. Then our founding leaders, Carmen and 'Jesus, emigrated to the U.S. on the 11th of March. However, God used them to equip several young leaders, and Igor from Venezuela and Ridell from Cuba serve as co-pastors, supported by Tania from Cuba and Ricardo and Rosa from Peru. The group continues growing, and people are still coming to Christ. Just last week Ruiz from Cuba, a baseball player/coach, accepted Christ. Bob meets every Monday night at 8:00 with the leaders to mentor them in Bible doctrine and leadership development. Even though we have to work through a translator (a Ukrainian translating between English and Spanish!), it is profitable time.
+ We know of a Lebanese believer who will be moving to Kiev soon. This has rung a bell with us that perhaps the Lord might be getting "Living Vine" ready to initiate another new work with another language group. When you think about it, it's amazing that this little church has planted four churches in four different languages (Ukrainian, Russian, Iranian, and Spanish) in just six years. Frankly, we don't know of a church in America that has done that.
+ We attended the annual IBC Leadership conference in London March 3rd to 8th. Even though the program itself was excellent, it didn't turn out as we had planned. Because the two of us became ill the day before we left, we spent most of our time in our hotel room. We had gone a day early to do some sightseeing, but to no avail. Even though we were just two blocks from the famous Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, we hardly left the hotel. On arrival day, we got to the hotel at noon, checked in, walked around the corner to a little Chinese restaurant for lunch, went back to the room, and climbed into bed at 3:00. We finally got up for breakfast the next morning around 8:00 and then went back to the room until supper.
Bob was able to get to the sessions more than Jo Ann, but most of our fellowship time was over breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Just about the time we were getting better, we both had a relapse as a result of sitting under a draft from a heating unit, and the fever, coughing, and aching returned. Returning home feeling somewhat better, we were confronted with the presence of a major remodeling job on the apartment next to us. Cement dust was everywhere, so that set us back within hours. Then, up and down, we've continued the process, having our third relapse just yesterday. This has been a real bummer. Maybe we'll get back to London another time to see a few of the sights. It would be nice.
+ Our two mentoring groups ("Sisters In Prayer" and "Timothy Fellowship") continue to be a great blessing Both continue to grow, although our goal is not to have large groups. We just want those who are faithful, available, teachable, servant-hearted, and obedient to the call of God. One of the guys in Bob's group has already been asked to serve an "internship" on the Pastoral Shepherding Team. There are a couple more who will be asked soon to do the same.
+ The Pastoral Shepherding Team continues working well, each man faithfully taking roles of responsibility. It's a blessing to Bob to be part of this group and to watch them assume more and more spiritual oversight to the church. This is exactly what we had hoped for when the group was formed last Summer. It is clearly paving the way for a smooth transition from our ministry to that of Rick and Jody Crampton when they arrive next August.
The exciting thing is to see, though, how the men cover the bases when unexpected things happen. For example, two Sundays ago we got up fully intending to go to services where Bob would preach. However, by 10:30 it became evident that, because of our heavy coughing, we would be no value whatsoever. So, Bob called Vitaly, who assured us that everything would be taken care of. Vitaly preached an excellent sermon at the last minute, and things went off without a hitch.
+ Nancy Jobe is with us, as we noted earlier. She is a retired school teacher from Eldon, MO, and has traveled to Croatia, Bosnia, and Ukraine with us on several of our teams. She also handles our "snail mail" version of our monthly "Hope4Kyiv" letter for us. She's here teaching one of our English classes, ministering in the services, and also working with Keri and Jason (and a few others) in prayer walking, English clubs, Bible studies, etc. We feel terrible that we've been unable to spend much personal time with her because of our sickness, but she's been a real trooper and, thanks especially to Keri, has been well cared for.
+ Our English program has been in perpetual transition for the past couple of months as teachers have come and gone. But, through it all, God has provided. Whenever one teacher was going to be gone, He has provided another. But, we're still in the process. Currently Rosemarie Manney is back in the States with her husband, David. However, John Sargent returned just as they were leaving, and with John leaving again last Tuesday to return to the States for a few weeks, Nancy Jobe has been available to fill in. Manneys return the end of April, and Sargents will return early May. Depending on the Manney's future, Jo Ann will probably drop her advanced class and turn it over to someone else. This is just another part of the steady transition that will ultimately send us back to the States next Fall.
+ Rick and Jody Crampton and the boys are still on schedule for seminary graduation in May and then a move to Kiev hopefully in August. However, they've had lots of hurdles along the way including the recent death of Rick's mother last week in New Mexico. But, they are pressing forward, fully convinced that God has called them to succeed us here this Fall. We are excited beyond words for this family.
+ Our home church, FBC, Eldorado Springs, MO, has been amazing in their partnership with "Living Vine". They have committed themselves to partner with the church here in the following ways:
> Regular prayer and intercession
> Development of a communication system between the two churches and their members
> Monthly financial support for at least two years
> Sending volunteer teams to Kiev at least once a year
For their first two months, they have given more than double what their monthly commitment is. What a blessing this has been to both churches. And, plans are progressing for ongoing communication between members, and their first volunteer team is tentatively scheduled for this coming August.
For our part personally, it's a real joy to see how our home church has formed a bond with the church here in Kiev, and not just to us personally. This assures an ongoing working relationship long after we're gone. That's great. We're asking the Lord for a couple more churches to do the same. Living Vine IBC of Kiev has the potential to be the "flagship" English speaking church for all of eastern Europe . . . . if they can move through the next step of growth and stability.
+ Family wise, it seems like our kids are all doing pretty well. They still have all the challenges of teens and the weirdness of pre-adolescence with which to contend, but we think our tribe is getting along fairly well. Cindys are back in Colombia and having outstanding ministry results. Christopher has even worked with medical teams as a translator at times. And, of course, his new dog, Cocoa, brings him lots of pleasure.
Our first grandchild, Abby, just returned from a school trip to France, and is planning on coming to visit us in Kiev in July. Deanna's kids, Michael and JoyLinn, continue making life unpredictable. Michael continues to be quite a reader, and participated in the First Grade spelling bee recently. We keep hoping to upgrade our photo album again on the family, but just haven't had the time.
What's Coming Up:
+ After months of prayer, assessment, and discussion, the Pastoral Shepherding Team has reached a unanimous consensus that, as long as "Living Vine" stays in its current meeting facilities, it will not grow much more. The space for growth is there, but it is not available simply because of Central Church's growing ministry. And the general philosophy of church varies greatly between the two of us. So, the Team is beginning serious examination of various alternatives.
Boiling it down, there are really only four or five options available:
> Stay where we are, and maintain the status quo.
> Rent another facility, which would still put us under the wishes of the owners.
> Work together with some other churches in the same boat and try to jointly purchase a building for shared use.
> Provide funding to an existing church to finish off a section of the building for our own use for the next five to seven years.
> Buy or build our own facility.
At this point, we're looking seriously at the fourth option because it appears to be the most financially feasible, even though it will still require "Living Vine" to raise a sizeable amount of resources. This option would provide us the use of a 300-seat amphitheater every Sunday, and the use of several classrooms at the same time plus two evenings a week. This particular church already has ten congregations using its facilities on Saturdays and Sundays every week. It's quite an innovative idea. If you want more details, feel free to write us; there just isn't space to explain the situation further here.
+ Bob will be teaching at St. James Bible College again this Spring. He taught the Book of Acts last Spring, and will teach his "city reaching" class beginning April 4th. This is always a pivotal class for the seniors because it introduces them to the idea of reaching a given city through authoritative prevailing prayer, strategic ministry, and planting churches. Everyplace Bob has taught this seminar, people have indicated it was one of the most comprehensive and yet practical approaches they have ever seen to reaching a given area. Unfortunately, he has never been given an opportunity to share these things with other pastors and missionaries in Kiev.
+ Jo Ann is still working with her single gals from "SIP" for an upcoming women's conference in Germany next month. While they've been able to get started on all the paperwork earlier, it seems the German Embassy has demanded more documents and papers this time than last year. Makes you wonder why there is apparently such animosity and resentment between the two countries that they make their own citizens suffer. Just last week the Embassy required a letter be re-submitted with the name of the German man in charge included. The identical letter was submitted earlier, but it didn't have the man's name on it. So much for diplomacy.
+ With weather breaking, we hope to get out more and enjoy moving around the city. It has been so cold, cloudy, damp, and windy, that we just haven't wanted to get out except when necessary. The temperature has begun to slowly rise and the sun is shining more and more each day. It's up into the 40's most days now, and we're hoping to see some 50's soon. Kiev is a beautiful city, and we've really missed being able to feel good enough to get out and enjoy it.
+ We're trying to revive our "PrayKIEV" ministry again. This has been a most frustrating experience, especially for Bob. A city-wide prayer strategy is not only one of his passions, but it is also pivotal to the spiritual victories to take place in any given region. And yet, we as well as other key leaders involved have experienced interruptions, family crises, ministry changes, and all kinds of other obstacles. And, frankly, Bob has had so little energy since January that he's had a very difficult time motivating himself to try stirring up interest again. But, it must be done. And it will be. We hope to get our next letter out later this week or early next.
Prayer Requests:
+ Pray for our physical needs. This has been a rough month, and we need to be free from these flu-like symptoms, the weakness, and the weariness. And, we feel like the physical conditions also drain us emotionally and dull us mentally.
+ Pray for the Rick Crampton family as they mourn the loss of Rick's mother, prepare for their final days of schooling and graduation, raise their own support for their ministry here (they are coming on their own), and prepare for the move to Kiev in August.
+ Pray for the Pastoral Shepherding Team as they continue leading the church. Pray that God gives them wisdom, stamina, and a sense of purpose in leading the church.
+ Pray that God will make His will known and His resources available concerning a new place to meet. Bob posed the following questions to the men last week at the monthly meeting ---- "Where will the church be five years from now if we take the initiative to move to more acceptable facilities? Where will the church be five years from now if we stay where we are?" The contrast is stark.
+ Pray that God will strengthen the partnership between "Living Vine" and FBC, Eldorado Springs, that it will release a massive movement of prayer, and that both churches will gain a limitless vision of missions and what can be done. Pray that God will raise up one or two more churches to form partnerships with Living Vine.
+ Pray that the Spanish church (Upper Room Spanish Baptist Church) will be strengthened and will grow in might and power. Pray that God will give Bob the right message for them when he preaches there on April 3rd. Pray that the young leaders will grow in their knowledge, vision, and influence at highly rapid rates.
+ Pray that God will continue bringing more people to "Living Vine" to strengthen it. Pray that the people will progressively see the vision and the plan God has for the church. It has such enormous potential.
+ Pray that the "PrayKIEV" prayer strategy will regain momentum and that thousands of believers in Kiev and around the world will begin to target the city with strategic, authoritative, faith-filled, floods of prayer.
+ Pray for the two of us as we face an unclear future. Pray that, over the next five or six months, God will show us what the next chapter is in our lives. All we know at the moment is that we "think" we'll return to the States sometime between October 1st and December 1st. But even that is not definite. It's our hope to be home in time for a Thanksgiving reunion with the Tolliver clan.
Finally:
Thanks, dear friends, for your unwavering support of prayer and encouragement. We would not be here if it were not for such undergirding. The longer we stay here, the more we understand that one never fully adapts to a culture that is not your own. There are constant ongoing characteristics that influence you, wear you down, and remain points of uneasiness and unfamiliarity. It's the prayers of God's people that enable missionaries to stay on the field. Even though we love Kiev deeply, and we are passionately in love with the people we serve, we fully understand that we are here because of two reasons ----- God's call, and your prayers.
We love you and thank God for you.
In His Bond, By His Grace, and For His Kingdom,
Bob and Jo Ann (The Tollivers)
Our Websites:
ministry photo albums.
http://www.praykiev.org for information on our city-wide strategic prayer movement.
To receive "PrayKiev", a monthly (or more) prayer letter on a city-wide prayer
network, send a blank message to praykiev-subscribe@associate.com.
To reach the "PrayKIEV" website, go to http://www.praykiev.org.
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