Category: Bruce Posts (Page 128 of 211)

Abigail first skate. That’s about as far as we got.

Our Christmas in Canada is but a vague and pleasant memory!  We’re back in Ukraine. Kids back in school, bringing home various flu-like symptoms that have kept us mostly stationary this past week.  My lovely wife is bed ridden today as the next casualty.  The power goes out for about 6hrs today in our neighborhood.

I discovered a new water leak coming from our furnace, that makes two sneaky leaks this week.  Paid 3,000hrv yesterday for the Cafe’s new electric meter – a requirement now that we’re officially a ‘business’.  They are installing a new phase/switch board to better balance the random jolts of juice our area is known for.  Still no gas, but glimmers of hope coming from the regional office, they’ve started saying ‘next week’ instead of ‘next month’.

Closed our programming office this month.  Too unpredictable, too cold.  Our rink is in full use, perfect weather.  I think we’ll text out some invites tonight for some night skating.  We have about 20 pairs of skates.  We had the local orphanage kids to our house to skate this weekend, they had a blast.  I was an idiot and put halogen lamps next to my window to provide light to the skaters.. from the INSIDE of my house.  Cracked two windows simultaneously.

Launched a 4 month project this past week, and the guys in Texas another 1.5yr project this past weekend for The Brooklyn Tabernacle.  Big relief, but now time to recalibrate and pray about what focus needs to be.  All of us can get busy.  Busy fixing, running around.  Too often I feel last year I was vested in the wrong things.  Emotionally and spiritually engaged in good, but not what the Lord had directed necessarily.  I’m trying to hear His voice more in this area, being caution before committing and knowing my limitations.   I think the first step may be recognizing you have them.

A verse that really encouraged me over the holidays was this promise in Proverbs 16:3:

“Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established.”

I think our ‘works’ consist of the greater, overarching actions of our life.  This might consist of our parenting, our marriage, our workplace, our interests, our time.  What are we doing with our life?  What is the motivating influence for how, what, where and when we spend our energy?  Commit your life’s work, your individual works, your mission – to the Lord.

The promise is that those plans will produce results.  I don’t want to chase my tail, or be swallowed up in a mire of anxiety.  I want my plans established, solid, sure, and to be meaningful in God’s economy.   I want my life to count.   I need to start by giving, laying down, setting before, committing my life and all the works it may consist of to Christ – then trust, and walk in faith.

May the month of Feb be filled with commitments to the right things, pleasing our Lord and bringing pleasure to Him.

Blessings to you,

Bruce & Deb

This week we flooded the rink.  Temperatures dropped to -15C making it a quick freeze.  The kids and neighbors scrambling to put it to use.   I’m kicking myself for not making it bigger.  I think I may hit the Mayor up for a full size rink in the center next year – we’re collecting enough skates to serve the masses.

This morning I was able to share with the church here in Rz.  After several months of prayer and counsel, we’ve decided to officially leave the local fellowship here.  We’re seeking to branch out and see where the Lord might connect us in the area of church planting, and discipleship particularly with an emphasis towards Russia.  We’ll be visiting at least initially a Russian evangelical church in Kiev and take it from there.  This is a faith step for our family, and we appreciate your prayer as we long to see some steps taken this year that more accurately reflect the burden and calling on our lives.  We’ve been encouraged so far by a few open doors and anticipate some new things this year.

We continue to pray and work towards getting heat/gas in the Cafe.  The local gas guys simply scoff at our situation, and offer little to no help.  The regional gas director has been in the hospital, making it hard to get any real answers.  I will be going to the head office this week to inquire again.  Once we have heat, so many opportunities open up for the building itself – but until then, the investment sits there like a block of ice in the center of town.

I’m not sure what the next step will be for our programming office here.  I would appreciate prayer for this as well.

As most everyone knows by now, Ukraine continues to experience significant national unrest.  It’s hard to know where this ‘revolution’ will take the country practically over the next few weeks.  Surely some good will come from it, but perhaps not without some more suffering first.  I’ve not yet ventured into the heart of Kiev, but I’d like to.  It is not effecting us at all outside Kiev (in smaller towns at least), in fact you’d never know it was taking place unless you watch the news, social media, or find yourself in a debate among the locals about what’s being reported.

Thanks for checking in, we shall update again soon.

Bruce & Deb