Prayer Letter
April 23, 2002
From John:
It is so exciting to see God building His Church here in Ukraine. This past week, I spent several days in Belgorod observing a "proto-presbytery" meeting, made up of the pastors and elders of the churches planted by the PCA in Ukraine. It was encouraging to see how well they already function as a group, helping to guide the Presbyterian Church here in Ukraine as it grows. Additionally, Dal Stanton, our team leader, presented his plan for an aggressive increase in church planter training and new church starts. It was very warmly received.
This past Sunday at our church in Kyiv, the Presbyterian Church of the Holy Trinity, the members elected their elders. It was exciting several weeks ago to listen as the men who are the potential elders and deacons shared their stories of how God has worked in their lives. It's inspiring to me as a new missionary to see the progress that has already been made here in Ukraine.
What is significant about the election of elders is that next week the church will be recognized as a self-governing "particular" church. The MTW missionaries will move into an advisory role. Please continue to pray for Presbyterian Church of the Holy Trinity and the Ukrainian leaders. And please rejoice with us at the big step!
From Alexandra:
Before we moved to Kyiv, I tried to keep my expectations at a minimum. I tried not to envision what life would be like here--I really didn't know what to expect. Yet, I did imagine that I would get to bring the children to the park and meet other mothers. Talking about how sweet someone else's children are is a pretty safe ice breaker in any language!
I few months ago (when it was still cold so our trips to the park weren't frequent) I met Renatta. She has 5 children, from 7 months to 16 years old. We hit it off right away. She's patient with my slow speech and we have quite a bit in common. This week, though, she started asking me about our church, what it teaches, and what I believe. I believe God has brought Renatta and I into each other's lives. Please pray for our friendship to develop and for me to share clearly what the Bible teaches. Specifically, help me understnad what she is saying. The words make sense, but my listening skills are slow so the phrases don't always fit together in a sensical way.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support of us in Kyiv.
Soli Deo Gloria,
John and Alexandra
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