This past week we continued to host creative workshops at the Cafe.   Some of the classes had very little attendance due to holiday week and a lot of students home for holidays.  May is definitely not the best month to plan events in Ukraine – there are literally holidays every week it seems.

The smaller classes have actually made for some more focused tutoring and relationship building.   My favorite class to ‘hear’ is the vocal lesson class.  Anywhere from 10-20 participate and Liz is an excellent instructor.  She has them doing all sorts of collective training exercises and practically learning a few songs as a choir.  I can’t wait to hear their final performance.

We’ll be hosting a showcase event on the 19th or 20th, where all Awaken students can come, see the paintings, hear some songs and the team will perform a bit.  We hope to share some testimonies as well, and deposit some truth into their hearts in a meaningful way – please pray for this!  We were blessed with a few donations this past week that allows us to provide a custom ‘awaken’ t-shirt to each student as well – I know they will really love that.

Our evening worship and prayer have been really good.  Each night a different group has come.  Last night I wasn’t sure if anyone would come as it was rainy, colder, and the start of another long weekend.  Yet, another mixed group came for some worship and prayer.  It was a shorter evening as we prayed for the Myers family, who just left this morning back to the US.  They were here for the first month only, the rest of the team (7 adults and one child) will remain for the 2nd month.   We have only one full week left of classes and evening worship.  I’m leaning towards mixing up the last week of worship and prayer to be something more public, perhaps even out on our Cafe deck – It’s been a wonderful time of focused prayer and personal ‘filling’ through worship, but there comes a point after 12 or so evenings that you really want to turn outward and proclaim more in public.  Please pray for this too!

The next few weeks we’re praying and asking the Lord to lead the team.  We desire to strengthen/bless the local body, both here in Rz and in Khargalyk where many folks have come from during our evenings and even workshops.   This weekend we’re all going to Khargalyk to worship with the Calvary Chapel there.  The following Sunday night we’ll be doing evening worship and prayer there as well as some evangelism/concert with their church (dates TBD).

We’ll then be looking to spread out in and around RZ, worshipping/playing in the parks during market days each week, and joining various home groups and studies from primarily the two churches here that have been involved.   We’re considering a worship ‘workshop’ for area musicians and singers specifically for practical training and engagement in their local assemblies.  Please pray for continued unity and for vision/passion among the indigenous body here.  It’s been so cool to mix and match various groups, ages and churches – in the context of simple worship.  It’s so easy to get huddled in comfortable groups and the body of Christ being so small in number here, organic type gatherings really strengthens the faith of everyone, especially new believers.

We also have some out of area outreaches you can pray with us about.  One is possibly a small team going with another ministry down to Dnipropetrovsk, which is down towards the front of the battle in the south east of Ukraine.  The purpose would be to encourage the Soldiers and military personnel – as well as possibly some concerts.    Another is connecting with YWAM Kiev base for worship and encouragement of their team/students in a couple weeks over a weekend – which would also include city evangelism which the team is itching to do more of.

In the context of a small town, where relationships are key, we’ve been thankful this team ‘gets it’, that people are not gospel fodder.  God’s mandate is not to simply speak to unknown masses on the street in ‘shot gun’ style, but to build bridges, trust and showcase the life of Jesus through love and message.  This often takes time, building reputation in a hard to reach part of the world, stumped in traditions of men.   A short term team that comes to aid, support and strengthen the existing long term efforts is always the best approach I think.  While it may not seem that ‘exciting’ to the starry eyed, passionate short term tripper, we have witnessed significant encouragement in many hearts, and their gifts/love for God have made a difference on this first month of ministry through the Cafe/2nd Floor.

Thankful, and enthusiastic for the 2nd month as continued ministry desires evolve personally, and fall partnerships come together.   We’d love to see more Kingdom resources flow through our little town, strengthening hope, vision and passion for God’s desires among the emerging body of faith.

Please pray for our family as we feel led to pray and work towards a possible 2-3 month Russian stint, somewhere.  We want to emerge our family in Russian culture and language.  We aren’t intending to move to Russia at this time, but believe God is leading us to pray about something radical (for us) potentially even this year still.   We feel burdened to trust Him for much more than we see – for a network of like minded believers and disciple – makers to emerge, sending teams back and forth, growing the influence of Jesus Kingdom – a missional community.. we’re not sure if that will be specifically through YWAM, or a combination of something new and a partnership with them, but we definitely feel a unity and peace about working with our friends that God has brought into our lives.

We can see the Cafe being the building block from which continued discipleship and ministry (inside and outside of Ukraine) takes place.  May He supply all the needs and receive all the glory!

Enough for now.   I know I write too much, but remember I write this for our children and a history of God’s work on this journey of faith as much anything.

Bruce & Deb

“When I forget the gospel I become dependent on the smiles and evaluation of others.”  – Timothy Keller

What motivates you?  I’ve been thinking more lately about legacy.  Asking myself, ” is what I’m occupied with today is going to leave a lasting result for tomorrow?”.  I think it’s a good question to be continually asking ourselves.

I have 8 kids.  Lent arrows, potential world changers, massive eaters.  Nothing moves me like when I think about my children.  Business and ministry efforts pale in comparison to the intrinsic value they hold in my heart.   What is the best gift I can give them?   I think it’s a legitimate legacy.

This past week a missionary passed away from cancer he caught while living for years in Chernobyl radiation area of Belarus.  He knew the risks.  He along with his wife and young kids advanced the Kingdom through many amazing avenues, leaving behind a treasure of a legacy.  Many lives impacted by his faith and love for others.   Most importantly, his children inherited a legacy in their dad of one that believed fully in this life.

I want to run into eternity.  I don’t want to limp, or gasp into the next life.  I want to throw off the shackles of this flesh and broken world in victory.  Too many of us are concerned about what others think.  We are, as Tim Keller suggests, more impacted at times by the acceptance of others than the acceptance of God thru the Gospel.  This, I believe, incapacitates us from walking in faith toward God, stepping out and trusting Him implicitly – simply because we fear what others might think.

Faith moves God’s heart.  He loves to lead us into deep water, to places desolate of clarity or light – teaching us to cling to His hand and trust when logic or natural wisdom seem lost.   If we are overwhelmed with what others think in these moments or seasons, we allow fear to dominate our decisions.

Our motivations matter.  If we are convinced that Christ crucified has made us completely accepted  before God, our legacy will be that of God’s grace through all our efforts.  If we are moved by the appraisal of men, our legacy will be limited to things ‘we’ accomplished by the strength of the flesh.  It’s who we are, and why we ‘do’ that matters.

God give us an enduring legacy for our children.  At home, at work, at play.  A legacy that is motivated not in pleasing others, but in gratitude for God’s amazing grace!  A legacy of God’s greatness through the Gospel – that He bled and died for a unjust sinner.  Thank you God the news is still great!

I have a feeling that if my children are moved by the reality of God’s grace and presence in my life, and not my human accomplishments, I will have given them the greatest gift.

Great to meet with Kyle and Oxona from Kiev YWAM Base – finally got them out to the Lighthouse Cafe to show them what we’ve been up to, and discuss things we could partner together with in the future.

Help us give every ‘Awaken’ student a free t-shirt!

We need to raise $400, in the next 24hrs?  Can you help?  The Awaken workshops are going great.  We have +50 students attending, many coming early and to multiple classes.  The other day I felt we needed to bless the students with something meaningful that would continue to remind and inspire them to be creative, and look to the Creator.   We are cash strapped with the running of the Cafe, so we’d love your help!

For anyone that donates over $40, we’ll send you a shirt (if you want one!), how’s that for incentive?!  Just tell me your size (M, L, XL) when you give.

Donate by clicking here

I know it’s not ultra important, and I could list a dozen more pressing budgetary items I should be trying to fundraise for, but I would love to order these for our closing event on the 14th.  These will not be wasted shirts, they will be embraced and worn in schools, and around town for years to come, and direct folks to the Lighthouse facebook page as a hub and center of continued inspiring activity.

Each shirt costs about $7.00 – we will order Lord willing enough for the students and team that has come to serve/teach the classes.

Donate by clicking here

Thanks!!

Bruce

We’ve started back up our evening worship and prayer last night. It was packed on the 2nd floor, I think the most we’ve had yet, with only a handful of foreigners. We never know who is going to come, if anyone at all, but each night a different crowd assembles in around 7:00p. One of things that makes these gatherings unique, I think, is I don’t believe anyone is coming out of religious obligation or duty. Something about thinking we’re being righteous simply by gathering on certain times or days limits the moving of God’s spirit in our gatherings.  Our motivations are huge to God in private, and no less important in public.

Those God has drawn thus far, probably about 100 from 5-6 different churches, are coming with a measure of faith and hunger that is encouraging.

One of the biggest encouragements thus far for me personally has been the level of passion among the Ukrainians. I’ve often labelled Ukrainians (and Russians) as spiritually apathetic, overly quite and subdued in their faith – however the past few weeks have shown me my ignorance. They, at least those from the churches here in RZ and Khargalyk, are hungry for more of His presence, for God to work and move in their world – we pray this fire grows and spreads in and through their local bodies.  After all, an awakening must reside in the hearts of the indigenous church if it’s going to gain any significant momentum.

We’re simply providing, by His grace, a worship atmosphere and vehicle for the Spirit of God to speak and engage. Yesterday all day I felt the Lord pointing us to move outward in our prayers, from “Lord touch us” to “Lord touch this nation”. There’s a point at which we are personally filled and overflowing, and we must channel this spiritual desire towards Kingdom service.   We prayed for Ukraine after 30 minutes of worship, and it was moving for me personally. God is near the broken hearted, and it was obvious in the room the people were hurting for their nation, yet not without hope. There is a battle in the spiritual realm, it’s one that reverberates on earth – and Jesus both invites and instructs us to enter this battle regularly, united, and with faith.

God restored doubt last night in many, and touched some new visitors with His presence. I heard several times, “I wish I could come every night”. We had about 15 just from nearby Khargalyk, a slightly larger town 20km to the west of us.

Today the YWAM team is in Kiev doing some evangelism. They won’t be back for our time tonight, but we’re going to move forward with whoever the Lord provides to worship and pray for continued awakening. We’re going to start doing some outdoor worship/evangelism in public areas during our market days as well – please pray that God would draw, touch and cross the obvious cultural barriers, and also give us wisdom as we do some more public things with the gospel.

View of boys each morning being dropped off for school – Tucker, Clark and Noah still going to Ukrainian school, even though they have way too many holidays here.

Kolya cutting down a dying tree on our property downtown. We hope to get permission soon to bulldoze and level it for parking and potentially a park (skateboarders hopeful!).

View from across the Dnepr River – a 10 minute boat ride.

Princess birthday party the other day for visiting Myers family. Abbey sporting the Cinderella attire. Was pretty sweet 🙂

Sunday night closing prayer, sending off Elsa back to her home in Far East Russia (Vladivostock). Was a blessing to have her stay with us and help us with our Russian – and also join the body of Christ in Ukraine over the past 2 weeks.