Quote from Forum Archives on April 24, 2004, 10:26 am

Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>

 

     HOPE 4 KYIV

                      NUMBER 19

                     April 24, 2004

 

      The “In-Pact” Prayer Newsletter of

               Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver

           Missionaries to Kiev, Ukraine

Dear Friends, Family, and "InPact" Prayer Partners:

 

So much has transpired since our March letter that it's hard to remember everything as we report to you today.  We have shared some of it in our extra e-letters to those who have e-mail.  God has been unbelievably gracious in both surprising us with unexpected victories and blessings and with His sufficiency during some times of struggle and disappointment. 

 

Answered Prayer:

 

Forgive a longer letter, but we needed to update you with some reporting on your praying.

 

+  By now you know that God certainly intervened in the special request we sent concerning the visas for our four ladies.  They were granted visas at 3:00 pm our time last Wednesday, and left for the airport at 1:00 pm Thursday.  (Jo Ann just called Bob five minutes before he was getting ready to send this letter to you and said that our ladies are absolutely in ecstasy!  The conference is being held in two castles on the shores of a big lake in southern Germany, and our ladies are the hit of the conference.  Luda gave her testimony this morning, and Galyna gives hers tonight.  Questions from the western ladies are flying left and right.  Jo Ann was in tears as she called.  Praise God for His faithfulness!)

 

+  While it didn't clarify things yet, God did grant us an initial meeting with some of the personnel at Kiev Christian University this past Friday, and we are in the process of discussing possible ministry with the school.

 

+  While the evangelistic ESL class Jo Ann was going to lead on April 7th never happened, it did begin on the 21st, and got off to an exciting beginning.  God is good.

 

+  Your prayer for our physical sicknesses was answered.  We're both free from sinus, stomach, and bronchial problems.  And just in time for heavy speaking duties.

 

+  The "PrayKIEV" network has begun.  See details below.  This is the beginning of a ministry of monumental importance that will eventually bring people worldwide together in intercession for our city.

 

+  Jo Ann's Advanced ESL class is growing weekly, and Bob's Tuesday Bible study class on "How To Study The Bible" was a huge hit with attendance growing weekly.  See details below.

 

+  The Student ministries fellowship on April 5th happened, included several unbelievers, and other such gatherings have taken place.  The ministry has been launched.

 

+  "The Passion of the Christ" has been shown, both with legal and illegal copies, and is getting mixed reception.  We've not heard of many salvations, but that's hard to judge in this culture.  This needs continue prayer.

 

+  Praying for a strong pastoral leadership team has resulted in some unexpected developments that give cause to think some different directions may be taking place.  Instead of seeing the team grow in numbers, we may be seeing it reduced.  This also needs continued prayer.

 

+  God is meeting the needs of our Cuban friends through friends like you.  The United Nations program for refugees is also now involved, with some promising initial response.  Keep praying.

 

+  Space is still a major issue.  Three times in the past four weeks we've had one or more rooms taken by other groups without our notification.  This remains a big need.

 

Blow By Blow:

 

+  Church:  "Living Vine" International Baptist Church (the official name) continues seeing its most productive days in two or three years, and we praise God for that.  Attendance keeps climbing (in the low 100's consistently now), new faces appear almost weekly, enthusiasm steadily grows.  This past month we have begun a "Business English" class than runs in the 40's and 50's weekly, our overall ESL program has a weekly accumulative total of around 140 to 160.

 

Bob's weekly Tuesday Bible study has grown into the upper 40's and low 50's (over half are unbelievers).  He just concluded a six week series on "How To Study the Bible", and it was amazing to see the faces of the people as they realized they could actually study the Bible for themselves!  Something we take for granted is a totally new idea to these dear people.   This past Wednesday Bob began teaching a "Principles of Effective Leadership and Management" workshop as another evangelistic outreach.  The first night there were over 30 in attendance.  It will meet twice a month.

 

Greater freedom continues coming in each worship service, the presence of God is evident as we meet, in spite of constant struggles with fitting into meeting rooms and schedules that are often taken from us.  This remains one of our major difficulties, and there seems to be no lasting resolution.  It's fine for a few weeks, and then it starts all over again.

 

Jo Ann has begun a conversational ESL class in our apartment the alternate Wednesdays from when she has her women's leadership development group.  This class is made up exclusively of employees of an Internet service provider occupying the ground floor below our apartment.  Jo Ann reports that the first night last Wednesday the gals literally sat on the edge of their chairs for the duration of the session, awed and thrilled over being able to learn about us and work on English at the same time.  She is extremely excited over this, and has other women who are wanting to attend.

 

Bob continues working on material for leadership development.  There is increased pressure to push ahead in this area because sometime within the next year his role as senior pastor must end.  There is growing interest in the "Principles of Productive Prayer" workshop that meets twice a month, and he is currently revising the strategy to deal specifically with principles and concepts that will result in increased prayer and not just in increased knowledge.  This next session he will begin training the attendees about prayer walking.

 

You know by now that the long battle we had in getting the visas for our four ladies to be able to attend the International Baptist Convention's women's conference was finally won at the very last minute.  The ladies finally got their visas literally just twenty-four hours before the plane was scheduled to leave for Germany.  So, Jo Ann and the other four are currently enjoying what will hopefully be a wonderful week-end.  For three of the ladies, it was not only the first time ever out of their home country, but it was also the first time they had ever flown in a plane.  So, "Bachelor Bob" is winging it on his own for five days.

 

We have not been without our struggles.  It seems that when God works, so does Satan.  The enemy not only attacks from without, but he sometimes infiltrates and tries to create discouragement, discord, or misunderstanding within the body.  While such things have not particularly affected the body (few people know of the struggles), they have caused the two of us some grief and deep concerns.  This has been especially hard on Bob . . . not because of worry or any type of personal attack against him, but because it has created difficulty for him to discern what and how he needs to preach and teach.  Even though he is writing and teaching on some subject five times a week, having only one opportunity a week to try to teach the entire church is still a real struggle for him. 

 

The great thing about all of this, though, is that the two of us are growing closer together, and God is also drawing us closer to Him as He manifests His faithfulness and His sufficiency.  But, it's just a really hard thing knowing that your are ministering within certain parameters and your time is steadily growing shorter.  And, when you realize that it "takes twice as long to do half as much with triple the effort and one tenth the results", you feel the situation compounding all around you.

 

+  City:  Kiev continues to rest heavy on our hearts.  There are days when we hate it, and there are days when the thought of leaving it brings tears to our eyes.  The people of this place can be so vulgar and uncaring, and yet so kind and gracious.  Some days you want to vomit and leave, and others you want to embrace it and weep.

 

Perhaps one of the most exciting developments has been the enthusiastic and rapid growth of "PrayKIEV", an informal prayer network of individuals, ministries, and churches that are beginning to join together to create an ongoing network of strategic praying for the city.  We've written about this before, but it is now officially present, though purely in infant form.  We recognize that this new ministry is likely the primary reason for the rise in spiritual battles.  We anticipate it will intensify even more.

 

Up to now, we have about 100 individuals from over 20 churches and ministries that have agreed together to initiate this movement of prayer.  That agreement is being supported by an informal group of about six to ten individuals giving unofficial coordination to the process.  We have officially begun the "PrayKIEV" e-letter, and it currently has about 800 subscribers after less than two weeks.  We are in the final stages of going on line with the initial form of our "PrayKIEV" website; it should be up and running in a simple version within one to two weeks.  The website address will be www.praykiev.org.  Do NOT try to log on!  We will notify you when it is operational.

 

+  Our Future:  This remains a real roller coaster ride.  Sometimes we're ready to pack up and head home in September, and then other times we feel we could stay for another five years or longer.  One good thing that has happened, though, is that our options seem to be more clearly defined, and everyone involved is pretty well informed about them.  This past week, the IMB leadership here officially notified us that they are asking us to continue on here in Kiev.  While there are several factors involved, we can either extend our current term for another fifteen months beyond its current termination of September, 2004 (taking us as late as November, 2005), or we can end our current term sometime between September and November, go home for a couple of months, and then return for a second assignment.

 

If we extend the current term, we will be able to maintain a progressively decreasing relationship with the church as the transitioning continues away from an IMB missionary as pastor.  This transitioning would require some significant steps being taken within the next few months, and ultimately concluding with our being completely out of the picture by the end of that term extension.  If we do not extend, but simply return for another term, then we would have no connection with the church when that new term began.

 

In addition to the role at the church, we have been asked to officially become "Coordinator of Strategic Prayer" for the city of Kiev.  This, as you well know, is of great interest to us, especially to Bob.  And, to our shock, Bob has been asked to consider becoming "Assistant Academic Dean" at Kiev Christian University, one of the more strategic institutions in the country for preparing young men and women for the ministry.  His primary role would be to develop a four-year practicum program for the students so that they get not only a strong classroom education, but also hands on practical experience on the ministry field with some church in and around Kiev.

 

Along with that position at the school, Bob would also teach some classes from time to time.  The school would also like Jo Ann to help do some English teaching, and she would personally like to do some personal informal mentoring with small groups of women students.

 

So, as you can see, we are facing some truly larger than life decisions, and some of them must be made within the next month or so.

 

+  Personal:

 

We appreciate the concern so many expressed regarding our schedule and well-being.  Frankly, we're amazed at God's goodness in enabling us to hold up under the challenges of a busy schedule in an environment still unfamiliar to us in so many ways.  We are busier now than either of us can remember in our entire ministry, and we find ourselves often living on the edge of physical and emotional drain.

 

We're both experiencing an interesting phenomenon . . . . time seems to be losing its significance.  We seem to be motivated more by task and strength than we do the clock.  It is not uncommon for us to be awake (sometimes not even in bed yet) late into the night, and then wake up in pre-dawn morning hours.  Jo Ann has been waking up around 4:00 for weeks.  Following a light breakfast around 9:00 to 10:00, more and more we eat lunch and supper at strange times of the day.  This is most unusual for Bob; just ask our girls.  It seems that we are conscious of tasks and meetings more than we are the clock.  We don't know if that's good or bad.

 

Bob's back has given him rather serious problems again recently.  All it takes to trigger the problem is for him to sit in just about any Ukrainian chair.  The way they are structured, they provide very little lower back support.  So, last Monday while enjoying a team planning meeting together in another missionary couple's apartment, it went out on him again.  He's been in constant pain 24/7 ever since.  The fact that he also has to spend so much time sitting and writing doesn't help.  Even though we walk everywhere we go, and we do lots of that, he still can't seem to keep the kinks worked out.

 

We both are really enjoying some special times together.  One thing about ministry ---- it either draws you together, or it drives you apart.  We're grateful that our time in Kiev is strengthening our love for each other.  Sometimes we just enjoy being with each other for no reason.  We feel, however, that our times of talking together and praying together just keeps growing.  And that is good.  We know that other missionaries understand.  Pastors and wives do as well.

 

Prayer Requests:

 

+  A special major prayer request for Ron and Pat Owens, longtime friends and acquaintances involved in a high profile and strategic ministry of worship and prayer.  Working as a team with well known people like Henry Blackaby, Leonard Ravenhill, Francis Shaffer, and others, Pat has been diagnosed with cancer.  Her first surgery did not get all the cancer, so another surgery is scheduled.  They have ministered internationally including places like Russia and Switzerland.  Ron's book, Return To Worship, published by Broadman and Holman Publishers, is a book that sets the standard in calling the Body of Christ back to true worship that is unmanipulated by schemes, plans, and techniques.  Please pray for our friends.  If you'd like to send an e-mail or an e-card, they can be reached at ronowens3@aol.com.

 

+  Pray for Sunday's services.  Five of our key ladies (three of whom have major responsibilities) will be gone.  Pray that Bob is focused and anointed for the services and also for the prayer workshop to follow.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will raise the people into God's presence, and that He will anoint and empower Bob as he preaches from Joshua 1:1-9.

 

+  Pray that God will draw our people into the ministry of prayer.  We are convinced this is still the foundational ministry of any church, and this may be one reason why it is always such a struggle.

 

+  Pray for Jo Ann and the ladies in Germany.  They return Tuesday, arriving in Kiev around 7:40 pm.

 

+  Pray for the special showing of a Christian movie to our Tuesday ESL and Bible study groups.  Ask God to give Bob wisdom in selecting which one to show.  Pray that hearts will be open to the truth.

 

+  Pray for both of us as we prepare to have major dental work done here.  Pray we will find the right dentist and that the work will be 100% successful.  Both of us came over here needing some serious work done.

 

+  Pray for our kids, especially Kevin and Cindy as they try to finish up raising support before returning to Colombia the latter part of Summer.

 

+  Pray that God will begin raising up a successor pastor or pastoral team right now to be ready to take Bob's place.  Our pastoral intern has decided to go to Belgium (if he is approved) for graduate work, and there is currently some uncertainty as to the status of another member of our pastoral team.  Pray that God will create a cohesive team of local people and also raise up a senior pastor either locally or from an English speaking country.  This is a major request.

 

+  Pray for the expansion and refinement of "PrayKIEV".  Pray that thousands will join our team of intercessors.  Back up your praying by telling others about it and asking them to sign up for our "PrayKIEV" prayer e-letter.  Pray for the preparation of our next letter to go out soon ---- for translators, for valuable content.  Pray for Lewis as he continues working on the website, that it will be up and running soon.

 

+  Pray for us as we update our own "Hope4Kyiv" ministry website and make it simpler and actively current.  We just learned we can access the site and do our own work, but we're real novices at this.  Notice the new address ---- www.hope4kiev.org/kiev/team/tollivers.htm.   Pray that we can get some more albums added to our webshots.com photo site.  Pray that we can get some virtual prayer walks up and running.

 

+  Pray for us as we continue the process of facing our future.  Pray that we not be distracted from the present because of dealing with the future.  Pray that we will rest in the provision of God, and that we will be at peace with whatever direction His will takes us.  Pray that we not fret, and that we will be content at all times in where God has us at the moment and where He is taking us in days ahead.  Pray that He will enable us to make a visit back to the States to see our family, and that He will give us wisdom and resources for when that should be.

 

Finally:

 

We've never felt more excited, but also felt more inadequate to the task than we do now.  The world itself seems to be spinning out of control, and the people in this city seem as if they wander like a mob that has lost its way.  Even the believers are affected.  We know it is the spiritual battle we're in.  We knew when we began dealing with this issue, especially as it relates to the city of Kiev, that the battle would intensify. 

 

What we're discovering is that, just as more troops are needed to deal with terrorism, more spiritual intercessors are needed to deal with spiritual darkness.  Weariness, distractions, oppression, fragmentation, . . . . all of these things seem to intensify as you get closer to the front lines.  So, we are deeply appreciative of your partnership.  Whenever we write you, we get sentimental; we wish we could see you.  We learn more every day of what Paul must have felt as he penned Romans 1:11 to his friends.

 

With all our love and gratitude for you,

 

Bob and Jo Ann Tolliver

 

IBC - Hope4Kyiv
   Bob:  lifeunlimited@pobox.com

   Jo Ann:  grandma11@pobox.com

 Our Websites:

   www.hope4kiev.org/kiev/team/tollivers.htm

   www.hope4kiev.org/kiev for the general work in Kiev.

   http://community.webshots.com/user/01lum for access to our pix albums.

 

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 www.praykiev.org.

 

To Receive an e-mail prayer guide on Central and Eastern Europe, write

   shirley@healynet.net.

 

For weekly spiritual encouragement and current stories of our work here,

subscribe to "Shoulder To Shoulder", a letter to "lift up hands that

hang down", at shoulders-subscribe@welovegod.org. 

 

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