Month: April 2010

For friends and family that haven’t visited Ukraine (most of you!), thought a little video tour would be nice.  These are the main roads that I drive in town, if you like them, I’ll take some more:)

[Brent looking suave while Broderic poses at a skate park in Kiev]

Random Bullet Update:

• If we can find a Ukrainian citizen that would give up their privitization, they City will donate a block of land by the school. The only other way to buy city owned property is through auction, and not ONE has successfully made it through the courts.  Still looking at some private properties, one is $250k if anyone of you have some loose change around?
• Neil’s container(s) have arrived, our house is packed with boxes.  Only $1000 ‘payment’ needed at customs to allow it in for 1 yr.
• Neil & Noline have been stuck in England for 2 weeks from this volcano cloud.  They hopefully return Saturday, we really miss him in the kitchen.
• There are at present 9 Ukrainians employed by our unofficial construction company, plus 2 sub-contracted on another house.
• Got the new van registered and Tom/Dan legally driving it, at least for 3 months until we have to do it all over again (permanently).
• Simeon & Asia return next Wednesday with their new little bundle Amelia, and mom in law.  Van pick up!
• Tom took the new van to Kiev this morning with the director of the Kuzmencia school/orphanage, to pick up humanitarian aid.  They did not have any transportation.
• Next week last Home Group until the fall.  We are going to host a monthly ‘event’ night at our house, BBQ, music, invite neighbors and non-church folks.. build more relationships in the community!
• Our spring newsletter is out, those in US/Canada should see them on shelves near you, grab one, Deb wrote it:)
• Bronwyn is excelling at piano lessons, her hands now officially move faster than mine, how unfair!
• Cypress is about to undergo some major server migrations, going to cloud based hosting, very cool stuff (for the techies out there).
• It is very muddy at the moment, I actually got my SUV stuck beside my house, from snow to mud.
• We just wrapped up studying various characteristics of God.  Everyone (except for one kiwi:) did a great job studying and sharing on their topic, it was great to relax and listen.
• We have 25 young men and women committed to Passion Conference in Kiev.  What is cool about this, is that most (15) of these are unbelievers or at least, non-church going students from English club, and friends of friends.  Pray with us May 10th!!
• Jono needs a boat motor, his is fried.  Without it, Camp 120 transportation/logistics become very difficult.  Donate towards it, and I’ll pass it on!
• Another couple is moving to RZ.. Shane and Jemimah from Australia are getting married, and coming over in August for a year.
• Sergei and Tanya, and Sergei and Lesya need a place to live.   Add to the list, Shane and Jemimah.  Can God do it?  Let’s join them in prayer regularly until He does:)
• Special Needs outreach in town (led by Cheryl & Sveta) is this coming Saturday.  Last time only one family came, pray they all come out again, a lot of effort and planning go into these outreaches.
• Deb & I will be sharing at a marriage conference this September (we think) in Ireland.  More details later, but pretty neat opportunity to share to young marrieds.
• Some neat open doors for sharing concept of Missions Network through Christian TV/Radio in Europe.  More on this later too!
• Bo, Beth and Brady Bolding are scheduled to come end of July.  We are terribly excited about this and hope to plan a small leaders retreat for missionaries and church leaders in area.   They will be an encouragement to us and our friends.I think that is about it for now!  A few pics of the kids for family, we miss you 🙁

[Brent at the door of the store, entering on his own, he came out with exactly what I asked for!  две белые хлеб – two white bread]

[Tucker and Clark hanging out in the toddler play area, park in Kiev, they were selling burgers and charging top dollar]

Bruce & Deb

Am I the only one in disbelief that it’s April already?

This morning Tom and I drove to Kiev to the automarket in search of a second vehicle, in particular one that could help shuttle more people around besides just my family.  There are only a handful of working vehicles at any given time among the church community, and last fall we asked Crossroads (our home church in Texas) to help us raise some funds for this. It’s been two years since we had a second vehicle, we’ve managed fine so far, but with increased activity, incoming groups, family, and church ministry desires which require more transport, it is time we expanded our wheels!

We found a 2006 Toyota HiAce, not a brand found in North America, but one that is very popular over here among the road warriors.  Vehicles are under constant repair here because of the treacherous road conditions, so we wanted something that will endure and I’m a loyal Toyotian.  It only has 80km on it, one owner, seats up to 12.  A very large Ukrainian business firm which took clients to Germany and back frequently.  Thank you Crossroads family, everyone that helped us get this.  It will be a great blessing to our family, and church family as we serve together.. and to you if we need to pick you up at the airport with your 6 suitcases.

We met a very nice guy who represented the company selling it, he offered to help us look into residency actually, something we weren’t expecting.  He has ‘contacts’ in high places who have helped foreigners fast track documents which can take months.  We’ll see what comes of it, he’s supposed to contact us next week with some information.  We’re considering Residency for a few reasons:

1. No more visa/temporary registration every 6 months (costs, time wasted, potential new rules that change)

2. Import my truck at no (or little) cost.  Currently it’s tied to my registration and a royal hassle and additional cost to keep road legal.

3. Travel in/out of country without worry (or starting paperwork over).

4. Can own vehicles and better management of property/ministry assets.

Pray that we make the right decisions with this, it has a few repercussions we’re looking into in terms of US legal status/documents and potentially our children medical/schooling requirements… not sure of the logistics yet.

Trying to plant some grass, we miss having a lawn. Right now our yard is a dirty, weedy, and bumpy mess, with clods of grass here and there.  It’s the one thing Deb and I were amazed at when we returned last fall, particularly in New Orleans, the immaculate, finely kept, soft to the foot lawns.. oh how orderly and pleasant to look at after 2yrs of concrete and dirt!

Calixto, do these instructions look right??  🙂

Pray for the local church here in RZ.  We are slowly but surely putting what we (as elders) believe to be biblical principles of leadership and structure in place, for the benefit/growth of the believers, and glory of God in this town.  The body is still small in number, which can sometimes make changes more difficult.  We need to break out of a small minded mentality, there’s still a present ‘youth group’ feel.  I sometimes feel as though I’m still in high school or college myself as we gather together.  I miss being around older believers, their sobriety and wisdom add so much to the mix of a church body.  The strength and weakness of the church (at least our local gathering) is our ‘youthiness’, pray that we harness the positive idealism and energy, and grow in the weaker areas that keep us from growing numerically and in depth of spiritual commitment.

We love and miss you all!

Bruce & Deb

Can’t remember an Easter weekend where I pondered the significance of the Cross so heavily.  I’m not a builder, the guys here don’t let me swing a hammer, but I know what a plumb line is (although I checked dictionary.com to be sure!).  When you survey the wondrous Cross, like Isaac Watts did when he penned that hymn, you get the sense that the further you survey, the further away the bottom actually is.  Like a plumb line that reaches far into an abyss, it keeps going, and going.

The Atonement, to me, is the richest study we can embark on.  It unpacks in so many different ways.  Even the apostle Paul, guided by the Holy Spirit, seemed to pull from all sorts of human reality to try and convey different aspects.  From reconciliation & redemption (commerce terms), to justification and payment (legal), to salvation and forgiveness, each expressions of this divine act we’ve experienced.   In any case, I’m encouraged to know that no matter where I live, what circumstance I find myself in, I’ve been given this gift, and like the nature of the one that gives it, it’s eternal.  Now that’s encouragement!

‘Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood. ‘

Some spring cleaning, and great helpers, especially the old guy!

Thanks for checking in,

Bruce & Deb