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HOPE4KYIV #072 ---- 10/28/08

#1 · October 30, 2008, 2:43 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on October 30, 2008, 2:43 pm
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
   Hope 4 Kyiv

            Monthly Praise and Prayer Letter Of

              Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver

             Missionaries to Kiev, Ukraine

                          Number #072

                      October 29, 2008

Dear Friends, Family, and In-Pact Partners:

Here we are at another month's end and we're scrambling to get an update off to you. To our great surprise, and through the blessings of the Lord, we are actually writing you today from the city of Jerusalem, Israel! Yes, even though we had no great desire to take a trip to the Holy Land, God, by His grace made it possible for us to be part of a Bible study tour of the country. Our group of about 33 people plus driver and guide is truly an international group with people from the United States, Ireland, Ukraine, The Cameroons, Rwanda, Trinidad/Tobago, Germany, Switzerland, France, India, the Philippines, and other countries. We have a group picture we'll try to send in next month's letter after we have a chance to scan it into our computer and reduce its size.

This trip is different from a standard tour group, even a Christian group, in that it first provides opportunity to focus on scripture and related biblical sites, and then second goes to sites that are more in keeping with true locations rather than those traditionally claiming to be those places. As a result, we're not visiting places such as the churches supposedly built on the locations where Jesus was born, baptized, etc. Thus far we have visited Jaffa where Jonah set sail away from God, Caesarea, Nazareth where Jesus lived most of His life, the Golan Heights, Capernaum, Bethsaida (the home of Peter, James, Phillip,and Andrew), Caesarea Philippi, Mount of Beatitudes, Jordan River, Tiberias, En Gedi where David hid from Saul, Masada, Mount of Temptations, past some caves of the Dead Sea scrolls, the Mount of Olives, numerous places in and around Jerusalem including the Old City of Jerusalem, the Western Wall, the ancient First Century temple steps, Jaffa Gate, Garden of Gethsemane, Shepherds fields, Ein Kerem (where John the Baptist was raised), and the amazing Holocaust Memorial. And, to our total surprise, we found ourselves today actually going into the West Bank area to the town of Bethlehem. This was totally unexpected and came about at the last minute.

Frankly, we have been more than amazed at just how beneficial the trip has been for us. Even though we were both raised in pastors' homes and have been Christians for many years, being there and listening to the history from the viewpoint of a wonderful Jewish tour guide, Ron Perry, it has helped us "connect the dots" and understand the settings of many passages of scripture. As you know, Bob did extensive writing last year on Israel in his "Shoulder to Shoulder" letters, and the trip has provided him both clarification and a wealth of insight for his current re-writing project before he tries to get it published. It truly has been a life-changing experience. And, yes. . . . we were totally safe all the time.

Thoughts about the election:

The purpose of our newsletter is absolutely not political. Nonetheless, we need to share some thoughts that are incredibly important to this election. Probably no election in the past 50 years has been as important to the future of America as this one. It includes not only the election of a president, but also the control of the legislative branch as well as the shaping of the future Supreme Court of the United States. If one candidate wins, one party will control not only the White House but also the Senate and possibly the House of Representatives. If the other wins, you will still have a means of keeping legislation in check through the power of negotiation and veto. And, whichever candidate wins, the new president will appoint thousands of federal judges and will also appoint candidates for as many as four Supreme Court Justices. The future of America hangs in the balances of the coming election. Such a situation requires from each of us both intensive prayer and aggressive action.

Bob gets lots of articles every day regarding the election and the various issues involved. He has tried very hard to digest these articles into the most basic of statements. We have agonized over this election because we realize it is probably the most important election to have ever taken place in the past fifty years. Seldom has so much been at stake. Never has so much been held in the balances. Our greatest sadness is that we are fearful that many Christians will have abandoned the absolutes of God's word for the sake of expediency, convenience, or deceptive sound bytes. The craving for "change" simply for the sake of change has clouded the minds of many otherwise reasonable and loyal Americans. Our greatest need is not for change but rather a return to the foundational truths of "The Solid Rock". Times of great storm and upheaval are not the times to abandon the safe harbor in order to sail into uncharted waters.

As we have watched the news reports from five different countries, and from reading the many articles that have come to him over the internet, Bob recently a summary which he included in another letter. We wanted to pass this "summary of the summary" on to you, even though it has nothing to do with our ministry or our personal lives. So, summarizing all those articles, here it is . . .

    + One candidate has a highly questionable record as to character and associations, such as Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, Father Flager, and Kaleedie, a former spokesman for the PLO according to the L.A. Times. The other is known for honesty, tenacity, and consistency.

    + One has been deceptive in his ethnicity which is more Arabic than anything else. The other has been transparent regarding his ethnic background.

    + One has tried to hide or blur his Islamic-based education. The other has been open and honest as to his education.

    + One is an articulate visionary with little leadership experience in government or business. The other is pragmatic, seasoned, and highly experienced with decades of public service.

    + One will raise taxes in an effort to distribute wealth more evenly (redistribution of wealth is called socialism). The other will try to lower taxes and, in doing so, provide incentive for creating more jobs.

    + One supports abortion even into the third tri-mester, including partial birth abortions. The other is pro-life and will at least try to hold abortion in check and hopefully reduce it.

    + One supports same-sex marriage and homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle. The other opposes same-sex marriage, homosexuality, and sees marriage as being exclusively between one man and one woman.

    + One will negotiate with Israel's enemies while trying to remain friends in a tenuous and compromising way. The other will stay firm in fighting terrorism without negotiation, and will strengthen America's battle with terrorism. Researcher Joel Richardson and terrorist expert Phil Little both say that terrorist attacks will return to our homeland, and those terrorists hope the first candidate wins because they see him as weak.

    + One is supported by almost all Arab states, Palestinians, Russia, Muslim countries, and many European countries because of his secular "globalist" views. The other is supported by countries like Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and a few European countries. Just this past Thursday morning while shopping in the Jewish Quarter of Old Jerusalem we walked into a little shop and, before we could say anything to the two merchants, they welcomed us, told us they were praying for us, and said all of Israel hopes John McCain becomes our next president. That is the strong sentiment of most Israeli's.

    + One will appoint Supreme Court Justices who are more pro-abortion and pro-choice. The other will appoint those who are more middle of the road and conservative. This is significant because the next president will appoint from one to four new Justices as retirements come.

    + One will create a Reid-Pelosi-Obama trinity that will bring in "the era of harsh decisions" in which there will be more governmental incursions and taxations to private affairs. The other will continue trying to protect all basic human rights and will try to reduce the size of government.

    + One has close ties to numerous liberal left wing organizations such as ACORN, recently accused of voter rigging. The other will reign in such organizations and bring them under control.

    + One will become president of the equivalent of a one-party government, where any and all decisions they make will totally change American culture into a socialist-type country. The other will be a president who will try to maintain bi-partisan approaches to government, and who can use veto power against unwise laws and hopefully bring some balance and perhaps even break the gridlock in Washington.

    + One will be supported by those who have already announced a "total takeover" of Washington, pushing a single agenda while claiming to be bi-partisan. The other will be supported by people who still believe in the basic values portrayed in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

    + One will be one who compromises for the purpose of expediency. The other will remain constant and firm in his values, decisions, and commitments.

    + One will continue the cycle of relinquishing rights and rewriting America's rich history of Judeo-Christian values. The other will seek to restore the historical truth of those roots, and will continue seeking to preserve the freedoms we have known in the past.

    + One is supported by people like George Soros, People of the American Way, and other far-left wing liberals who favor socialism and globalism over true democracy. The other will be a Reaganesque leader held in high respect by morally conservative people who still believe in absolutes, integrity, transparency, and truthfulness.

    + One has had the aid of the liberal media to help hide or ignore inconsistencies, past records, his true ethnicity, his voting record, and a liberal philosophy. The other will be maligned, ridiculed, and misrepresented by the media despite the facts that he has been honest, above board, truthful, and consistent in his entire political career.

    + One will be a president coming from the "good old boys" club. The other will come from a bi-partisan respect and track record of the highest integrity.

You may feel we are being biased, but the facts stand on their own merit. The congressional, video, and printed records are there for all to see. Perhaps never in U.S. history has an election been as pivotal as this one coming in just a few short days. In many respects, it is a life or death election. Founder and President of American Family Association, Donald Wildmon, said it this way in a recent letter: "If the liberals win the upcoming election, America as we have known it will no longer exist. This country that we love, founded on Judeo-Christian values, will cease to exist and will be replaced by a secular state hostile to Christianity. This “city set on a hill” which our forefathers founded, will go dark. The damage will be deep and long lasting. It cannot be turned around in the next election, or the one after that, or by any election in the future. The damage will be permanent. That is why it is so important for you to vote and to encourage friends and family to vote. This is one election where your vote really counts. "

This past Monday, Fox News ran a series of reports and discussion groups in which they boiled the election down to two fundamental philosophies. One pundit brazenly said that the choice is between having a country built on "entitlements" or one built on "opportunity". Another summarized it by pointing out the differentiation between "socialism" and "democratic capitalism". A third one said it was the difference between the "redistribution of the wealth" and the opportunity to realize "the American dream". One thing is clear in the own words of the candidates. One has said he will increase spending and increase taxes; the other has said he will lower taxes and reduce spending. Those facts are undeniable.

If there is any question in mind, click on this link to hear in Obama's own words what he wants to do regarding the redistribution of wealth. Listen to this 2001 interview in which Sen. Obama is clear that he supports “redistributive change” and that one of the tragedies of the Warren Court was that it didn’t do more to help redistribute the nation’s wealth.The choice is truly scary, and right now the move toward the radical and liberal left is frighteningly probable unless something dramatic happens on November 4th. His attitude toward the authority of the Bible, as expressed in his own words, can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/v/4FCNKwHRCQM.

As we said earlier, no election has been more critical to the future of America. So, from our hearts to yours, . . . please, please, please vote! Vote not for what is convenient, but for what is right. As President Kennedy said years ago, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

Well . . . that's our take on what will happen next Tuesday. Now on to other things.

Updates and Happenings:

+ Our "Advanced Leadership Training" group continues studying "Principles of Great Leadership", a study Bob developed back in 2004 while we were still with the IMB. The three main participants are really coming to the forefront and are destined to be strong leaders both in KIBC and in the Persian work. We feel like we're doing exactly what the Lord has in mind for us as we continue phasing out of the work here and others continue taking on more and more responsibilities.

+ Our Tania has had another wonderful experience. Last month we talked about the Chinese woman she was witnessing to. Two weeks ago "Jing" accepted Christ into her life. Tania is thrilled as to be expected, and the church as a whole stands in awe at how Tania shares the Gospel so lovingly, patiently, and easily.

+ Our financial support base has continued to diminish a bit more. With the economic "crisis" (nothing is a crisis with God) and the weakness of the dollar, our financial needs increase. But, God has been faithful. Most missionaries here in Ukraine are experiencing similar trends.

+ The two of us led the worship time again a few weeks ago while Emily, our worship leader, had to leave the country in order to satisfy her visa requirements. Again, we enjoyed it thoroughly; it made us realize how much we have missed that part of our past ministry when we used to lead worship in our churches and in revival meetings. Maybe someday we can do more of that.

+ The English class and Bible study for Ukrainian speakers has begun and is developing well. Even though the attendance has been less than we had hoped for, we know it will grow. In the meantime, Vitaliy is doing a great job, and is really in his element. Before he became a professional translator, he was a teacher. His teaching skills are being put to very good use.

+ With the pastor deciding to remain in Kyiv and pastor the church, the Spanish ministry has taken on a new excitement and we anticipate a renewed growth and emphasis on reaching people with the Gospel.

+ The Persian work continues strong. They held their first worship service on November 19th, and are seeing new faces drawn into their Thursday night Bible study. They continue contact with the believers in Kharkiv, and have recently had a group in another city ask them to come and lead a Bible study for them so they can learn about Jesus.

+ The Arabic work remains small but consistent. We've recently seen two young men from Syria start attending. Also, believe it or not, they are seeing some Jewish young people begin to attend the Sunday afternoon Bible study.

+ We had the joy of commissioning Max, one of our Ukrainian young men, as a missionary to Bangkok, Thailand. He arrived there on November 4th, and is already settling in and developing some strong relationships. He will be teaching English for the purpose of developing those relationships. He'll also be helping a missionary and a pastor in their work.

What's Ahead:

+ Upon our return from Israel next Monday, our good friend John Tucker will spend a couple of days with us exploring future ministries for his organization, Extend Global, in Ukraine. It will be good to see him. John was on our very first volunteer team we took to Croatia in 1996.

+ Beginning November 9th Bob will do a five-week Bible study on "Effective Personal Witnessing", dealing with some very practical things that most people never think about. Unfortunately most of us have been trained to use a particular witnessing "formula" or set of steps or principles. This study will focus on building relationships, learning to ask good questions, sharing one's personal story, and so forth. It should be a good study.

+ We are scheduled to return to the States for Christmas, arriving in Collins on December 12th. Our return to Kyiv is uncertain at this point, but we are again spending more time in the States than in the past. While we are home, we are hoping to minister in a number of churches. We're looking forward to enjoying Christmas with at least most of our family. We're also looking our 50th wedding anniversary in the face in January.

+ Bob is still working as often as possible on "The Wonders Of Israel" manuscript, and is really looking forward to getting it finished up after the Christmas holidays are behind us. This current Israel trip has given him even more insight into the amazing people of God called the Children of Israel.

+ More than a year ago God showed us that 2008 was going to be a transition year for KIBC, and that has certainly been true. As we've written before, we've lost a large percentage of our people through relocations and ministry changes. Many of them we have "commissioned" to new fields of service. We have lost three of our Pastoral Leadership Team members this year and will lose still another in December. We have replaced one of those, and need to add another. At the same time we have experienced these losses, we have had others come to be part of KIBC. We anticipate that several new families and singles will be vital parts of the future KIBC ministry.

+ It also looks like our own ministry is facing transition as God seems to be once again enlarging our ministry to where we will be releasing more and more of our responsibilities at KIBC and beginning to minister more and more in other countries including the United States. We currently have doors opening to a number of countries, and God is placing in our hearts some very strong messages pertaining to revival, spiritual awakening, growing indicators of Christ's soon return, and related topics. So, we'll say more about that as things develop. But, we are personally anticipating this expansion of ministry in coming months.

Prayer Requests:

+ Pray for the U.S. elections. We've already tried to honestly contrast the outcome without being vindictive.

+ Pray for the Pastoral Leadership Team as it reorganizes during the next two or three months. Pray for the guys who are leaving, and pray for the new ones coming on board.

+ Pray that during the continuing transition time, KIBC will never lose sight of the purpose for which it was created, and will never become so cumbersome that it cannot do what God birthed it to do.

+ Pray for us as we travel back to Kyiv on Monday (CST we leave David ben Gurion airport at 12:15 am Monday) and immediately jump into a flurry of activities with John Tucker, leadership training, and other ministry activities. Pray for Bob as he preaches three of the remaining five Sundays before we go to the States for Christmas.

+ Pray for Israel in light of coming elections both in Israel and in the U.S., especially in light of her role in God's plan of redemption. God has promised that any person or nation that blesses Israel will be blessed by Him.

+ Pray for the salvation of Israel's arch enemies. Tens of thousands of Jews, Arabs, and Persians are coming to Christ around the world. The Bible prophesies that many of the other children of Abraham will come to acknowledge "Yeshua Meshia".

Finally:

Sorry we haven't included any photos this letter, but our internet access is so limited that we didn't want to take the chance having to resize and modify them. So, maybe next month we'll try to include some Israel shots along with other things. In the meantime, we again thank the Lord for your faithfulness and your support. You bless us daily by believing in what God has called us to do. We pray that He will bless you in everything to which you send your hands.

In His Bond and By His Grace,

Bob and Jo Ann

The Tollivers

Bob's E-mail: lifeunlimited@pobox.com

Jo Ann's E-mail: grandma12@pobox.com
KIBC website: http://community.webshots.com/user/KievIBC?vhost=community
PrayKIEV website: www.praykiev.org
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Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>

   Hope 4 Kyiv

            Monthly Praise and Prayer Letter Of

              Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver

             Missionaries to Kiev, Ukraine

                          Number #072

                      October 29, 2008

Dear Friends, Family, and In-Pact Partners:

Here we are at another month's end and we're scrambling to get an update off to you. To our great surprise, and through the blessings of the Lord, we are actually writing you today from the city of Jerusalem, Israel! Yes, even though we had no great desire to take a trip to the Holy Land, God, by His grace made it possible for us to be part of a Bible study tour of the country. Our group of about 33 people plus driver and guide is truly an international group with people from the United States, Ireland, Ukraine, The Cameroons, Rwanda, Trinidad/Tobago, Germany, Switzerland, France, India, the Philippines, and other countries. We have a group picture we'll try to send in next month's letter after we have a chance to scan it into our computer and reduce its size.

This trip is different from a standard tour group, even a Christian group, in that it first provides opportunity to focus on scripture and related biblical sites, and then second goes to sites that are more in keeping with true locations rather than those traditionally claiming to be those places. As a result, we're not visiting places such as the churches supposedly built on the locations where Jesus was born, baptized, etc. Thus far we have visited Jaffa where Jonah set sail away from God, Caesarea, Nazareth where Jesus lived most of His life, the Golan Heights, Capernaum, Bethsaida (the home of Peter, James, Phillip,and Andrew), Caesarea Philippi, Mount of Beatitudes, Jordan River, Tiberias, En Gedi where David hid from Saul, Masada, Mount of Temptations, past some caves of the Dead Sea scrolls, the Mount of Olives, numerous places in and around Jerusalem including the Old City of Jerusalem, the Western Wall, the ancient First Century temple steps, Jaffa Gate, Garden of Gethsemane, Shepherds fields, Ein Kerem (where John the Baptist was raised), and the amazing Holocaust Memorial. And, to our total surprise, we found ourselves today actually going into the West Bank area to the town of Bethlehem. This was totally unexpected and came about at the last minute.

Frankly, we have been more than amazed at just how beneficial the trip has been for us. Even though we were both raised in pastors' homes and have been Christians for many years, being there and listening to the history from the viewpoint of a wonderful Jewish tour guide, Ron Perry, it has helped us "connect the dots" and understand the settings of many passages of scripture. As you know, Bob did extensive writing last year on Israel in his "Shoulder to Shoulder" letters, and the trip has provided him both clarification and a wealth of insight for his current re-writing project before he tries to get it published. It truly has been a life-changing experience. And, yes. . . . we were totally safe all the time.

Thoughts about the election:

The purpose of our newsletter is absolutely not political. Nonetheless, we need to share some thoughts that are incredibly important to this election. Probably no election in the past 50 years has been as important to the future of America as this one. It includes not only the election of a president, but also the control of the legislative branch as well as the shaping of the future Supreme Court of the United States. If one candidate wins, one party will control not only the White House but also the Senate and possibly the House of Representatives. If the other wins, you will still have a means of keeping legislation in check through the power of negotiation and veto. And, whichever candidate wins, the new president will appoint thousands of federal judges and will also appoint candidates for as many as four Supreme Court Justices. The future of America hangs in the balances of the coming election. Such a situation requires from each of us both intensive prayer and aggressive action.

Bob gets lots of articles every day regarding the election and the various issues involved. He has tried very hard to digest these articles into the most basic of statements. We have agonized over this election because we realize it is probably the most important election to have ever taken place in the past fifty years. Seldom has so much been at stake. Never has so much been held in the balances. Our greatest sadness is that we are fearful that many Christians will have abandoned the absolutes of God's word for the sake of expediency, convenience, or deceptive sound bytes. The craving for "change" simply for the sake of change has clouded the minds of many otherwise reasonable and loyal Americans. Our greatest need is not for change but rather a return to the foundational truths of "The Solid Rock". Times of great storm and upheaval are not the times to abandon the safe harbor in order to sail into uncharted waters.

As we have watched the news reports from five different countries, and from reading the many articles that have come to him over the internet, Bob recently a summary which he included in another letter. We wanted to pass this "summary of the summary" on to you, even though it has nothing to do with our ministry or our personal lives. So, summarizing all those articles, here it is . . .

+ One candidate has a highly questionable record as to character and associations, such as Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, Father Flager, and Kaleedie, a former spokesman for the PLO according to the L.A. Times. The other is known for honesty, tenacity, and consistency.

+ One has been deceptive in his ethnicity which is more Arabic than anything else. The other has been transparent regarding his ethnic background.

+ One has tried to hide or blur his Islamic-based education. The other has been open and honest as to his education.

+ One is an articulate visionary with little leadership experience in government or business. The other is pragmatic, seasoned, and highly experienced with decades of public service.

+ One will raise taxes in an effort to distribute wealth more evenly (redistribution of wealth is called socialism). The other will try to lower taxes and, in doing so, provide incentive for creating more jobs.

+ One supports abortion even into the third tri-mester, including partial birth abortions. The other is pro-life and will at least try to hold abortion in check and hopefully reduce it.

+ One supports same-sex marriage and homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle. The other opposes same-sex marriage, homosexuality, and sees marriage as being exclusively between one man and one woman.

+ One will negotiate with Israel's enemies while trying to remain friends in a tenuous and compromising way. The other will stay firm in fighting terrorism without negotiation, and will strengthen America's battle with terrorism. Researcher Joel Richardson and terrorist expert Phil Little both say that terrorist attacks will return to our homeland, and those terrorists hope the first candidate wins because they see him as weak.

+ One is supported by almost all Arab states, Palestinians, Russia, Muslim countries, and many European countries because of his secular "globalist" views. The other is supported by countries like Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and a few European countries. Just this past Thursday morning while shopping in the Jewish Quarter of Old Jerusalem we walked into a little shop and, before we could say anything to the two merchants, they welcomed us, told us they were praying for us, and said all of Israel hopes John McCain becomes our next president. That is the strong sentiment of most Israeli's.

+ One will appoint Supreme Court Justices who are more pro-abortion and pro-choice. The other will appoint those who are more middle of the road and conservative. This is significant because the next president will appoint from one to four new Justices as retirements come.

+ One will create a Reid-Pelosi-Obama trinity that will bring in "the era of harsh decisions" in which there will be more governmental incursions and taxations to private affairs. The other will continue trying to protect all basic human rights and will try to reduce the size of government.

+ One has close ties to numerous liberal left wing organizations such as ACORN, recently accused of voter rigging. The other will reign in such organizations and bring them under control.

+ One will become president of the equivalent of a one-party government, where any and all decisions they make will totally change American culture into a socialist-type country. The other will be a president who will try to maintain bi-partisan approaches to government, and who can use veto power against unwise laws and hopefully bring some balance and perhaps even break the gridlock in Washington.

+ One will be supported by those who have already announced a "total takeover" of Washington, pushing a single agenda while claiming to be bi-partisan. The other will be supported by people who still believe in the basic values portrayed in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

+ One will be one who compromises for the purpose of expediency. The other will remain constant and firm in his values, decisions, and commitments.

+ One will continue the cycle of relinquishing rights and rewriting America's rich history of Judeo-Christian values. The other will seek to restore the historical truth of those roots, and will continue seeking to preserve the freedoms we have known in the past.

+ One is supported by people like George Soros, People of the American Way, and other far-left wing liberals who favor socialism and globalism over true democracy. The other will be a Reaganesque leader held in high respect by morally conservative people who still believe in absolutes, integrity, transparency, and truthfulness.

+ One has had the aid of the liberal media to help hide or ignore inconsistencies, past records, his true ethnicity, his voting record, and a liberal philosophy. The other will be maligned, ridiculed, and misrepresented by the media despite the facts that he has been honest, above board, truthful, and consistent in his entire political career.

+ One will be a president coming from the "good old boys" club. The other will come from a bi-partisan respect and track record of the highest integrity.

You may feel we are being biased, but the facts stand on their own merit. The congressional, video, and printed records are there for all to see. Perhaps never in U.S. history has an election been as pivotal as this one coming in just a few short days. In many respects, it is a life or death election. Founder and President of American Family Association, Donald Wildmon, said it this way in a recent letter: "If the liberals win the upcoming election, America as we have known it will no longer exist. This country that we love, founded on Judeo-Christian values, will cease to exist and will be replaced by a secular state hostile to Christianity. This “city set on a hill” which our forefathers founded, will go dark. The damage will be deep and long lasting. It cannot be turned around in the next election, or the one after that, or by any election in the future. The damage will be permanent. That is why it is so important for you to vote and to encourage friends and family to vote. This is one election where your vote really counts. "

This past Monday, Fox News ran a series of reports and discussion groups in which they boiled the election down to two fundamental philosophies. One pundit brazenly said that the choice is between having a country built on "entitlements" or one built on "opportunity". Another summarized it by pointing out the differentiation between "socialism" and "democratic capitalism". A third one said it was the difference between the "redistribution of the wealth" and the opportunity to realize "the American dream". One thing is clear in the own words of the candidates. One has said he will increase spending and increase taxes; the other has said he will lower taxes and reduce spending. Those facts are undeniable.

If there is any question in mind, click on this link to hear in Obama's own words what he wants to do regarding the redistribution of wealth. Listen to this 2001 interview in which Sen. Obama is clear that he supports “redistributive change” and that one of the tragedies of the Warren Court was that it didn’t do more to help redistribute the nation’s wealth.The choice is truly scary, and right now the move toward the radical and liberal left is frighteningly probable unless something dramatic happens on November 4th. His attitude toward the authority of the Bible, as expressed in his own words, can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/v/4FCNKwHRCQM.

As we said earlier, no election has been more critical to the future of America. So, from our hearts to yours, . . . please, please, please vote! Vote not for what is convenient, but for what is right. As President Kennedy said years ago, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

Well . . . that's our take on what will happen next Tuesday. Now on to other things.

Updates and Happenings:

+ Our "Advanced Leadership Training" group continues studying "Principles of Great Leadership", a study Bob developed back in 2004 while we were still with the IMB. The three main participants are really coming to the forefront and are destined to be strong leaders both in KIBC and in the Persian work. We feel like we're doing exactly what the Lord has in mind for us as we continue phasing out of the work here and others continue taking on more and more responsibilities.

+ Our Tania has had another wonderful experience. Last month we talked about the Chinese woman she was witnessing to. Two weeks ago "Jing" accepted Christ into her life. Tania is thrilled as to be expected, and the church as a whole stands in awe at how Tania shares the Gospel so lovingly, patiently, and easily.

+ Our financial support base has continued to diminish a bit more. With the economic "crisis" (nothing is a crisis with God) and the weakness of the dollar, our financial needs increase. But, God has been faithful. Most missionaries here in Ukraine are experiencing similar trends.

+ The two of us led the worship time again a few weeks ago while Emily, our worship leader, had to leave the country in order to satisfy her visa requirements. Again, we enjoyed it thoroughly; it made us realize how much we have missed that part of our past ministry when we used to lead worship in our churches and in revival meetings. Maybe someday we can do more of that.

+ The English class and Bible study for Ukrainian speakers has begun and is developing well. Even though the attendance has been less than we had hoped for, we know it will grow. In the meantime, Vitaliy is doing a great job, and is really in his element. Before he became a professional translator, he was a teacher. His teaching skills are being put to very good use.

+ With the pastor deciding to remain in Kyiv and pastor the church, the Spanish ministry has taken on a new excitement and we anticipate a renewed growth and emphasis on reaching people with the Gospel.

+ The Persian work continues strong. They held their first worship service on November 19th, and are seeing new faces drawn into their Thursday night Bible study. They continue contact with the believers in Kharkiv, and have recently had a group in another city ask them to come and lead a Bible study for them so they can learn about Jesus.

+ The Arabic work remains small but consistent. We've recently seen two young men from Syria start attending. Also, believe it or not, they are seeing some Jewish young people begin to attend the Sunday afternoon Bible study.

+ We had the joy of commissioning Max, one of our Ukrainian young men, as a missionary to Bangkok, Thailand. He arrived there on November 4th, and is already settling in and developing some strong relationships. He will be teaching English for the purpose of developing those relationships. He'll also be helping a missionary and a pastor in their work.

What's Ahead:

+ Upon our return from Israel next Monday, our good friend John Tucker will spend a couple of days with us exploring future ministries for his organization, Extend Global, in Ukraine. It will be good to see him. John was on our very first volunteer team we took to Croatia in 1996.

+ Beginning November 9th Bob will do a five-week Bible study on "Effective Personal Witnessing", dealing with some very practical things that most people never think about. Unfortunately most of us have been trained to use a particular witnessing "formula" or set of steps or principles. This study will focus on building relationships, learning to ask good questions, sharing one's personal story, and so forth. It should be a good study.

+ We are scheduled to return to the States for Christmas, arriving in Collins on December 12th. Our return to Kyiv is uncertain at this point, but we are again spending more time in the States than in the past. While we are home, we are hoping to minister in a number of churches. We're looking forward to enjoying Christmas with at least most of our family. We're also looking our 50th wedding anniversary in the face in January.

+ Bob is still working as often as possible on "The Wonders Of Israel" manuscript, and is really looking forward to getting it finished up after the Christmas holidays are behind us. This current Israel trip has given him even more insight into the amazing people of God called the Children of Israel.

+ More than a year ago God showed us that 2008 was going to be a transition year for KIBC, and that has certainly been true. As we've written before, we've lost a large percentage of our people through relocations and ministry changes. Many of them we have "commissioned" to new fields of service. We have lost three of our Pastoral Leadership Team members this year and will lose still another in December. We have replaced one of those, and need to add another. At the same time we have experienced these losses, we have had others come to be part of KIBC. We anticipate that several new families and singles will be vital parts of the future KIBC ministry.

+ It also looks like our own ministry is facing transition as God seems to be once again enlarging our ministry to where we will be releasing more and more of our responsibilities at KIBC and beginning to minister more and more in other countries including the United States. We currently have doors opening to a number of countries, and God is placing in our hearts some very strong messages pertaining to revival, spiritual awakening, growing indicators of Christ's soon return, and related topics. So, we'll say more about that as things develop. But, we are personally anticipating this expansion of ministry in coming months.

Prayer Requests:

+ Pray for the U.S. elections. We've already tried to honestly contrast the outcome without being vindictive.

+ Pray for the Pastoral Leadership Team as it reorganizes during the next two or three months. Pray for the guys who are leaving, and pray for the new ones coming on board.

+ Pray that during the continuing transition time, KIBC will never lose sight of the purpose for which it was created, and will never become so cumbersome that it cannot do what God birthed it to do.

+ Pray for us as we travel back to Kyiv on Monday (CST we leave David ben Gurion airport at 12:15 am Monday) and immediately jump into a flurry of activities with John Tucker, leadership training, and other ministry activities. Pray for Bob as he preaches three of the remaining five Sundays before we go to the States for Christmas.

+ Pray for Israel in light of coming elections both in Israel and in the U.S., especially in light of her role in God's plan of redemption. God has promised that any person or nation that blesses Israel will be blessed by Him.

+ Pray for the salvation of Israel's arch enemies. Tens of thousands of Jews, Arabs, and Persians are coming to Christ around the world. The Bible prophesies that many of the other children of Abraham will come to acknowledge "Yeshua Meshia".

Finally:

Sorry we haven't included any photos this letter, but our internet access is so limited that we didn't want to take the chance having to resize and modify them. So, maybe next month we'll try to include some Israel shots along with other things. In the meantime, we again thank the Lord for your faithfulness and your support. You bless us daily by believing in what God has called us to do. We pray that He will bless you in everything to which you send your hands.

In His Bond and By His Grace,

Bob and Jo Ann

The Tollivers

Bob's E-mail: lifeunlimited@pobox.com

Jo Ann's E-mail: grandma12@pobox.com
KIBC website: http://community.webshots.com/user/KievIBC?vhost=community
PrayKIEV website: http://www.praykiev.org

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