Category: Bruce Posts (Page 137 of 211)

Spring has arrived in all it’s glory.  Our downtown is bustling with activity.  Smoke rises from every yard and streets are being swept by everyone that owns a broom.  This past week the cafe has been open (though not officially) with several activities and construction resuming on the 2nd floor.  While we wait for the gas project to finalize (this week we’re told) and a few other required documents to open, we’re moving forward with renovations of one of the offices.   We even put up the trampoline yesterday.. the circus of smallish visitors has begun!

Tom, Yura and Genya load up the trailer with old radiators from the Cafe and helped me find a buyer – we made over $100!

Who needs a lawnmower?

After a long, hard and isolated winter, it’s like being reborn.  Seeing people you haven’t seen for months.  On Friday I must have visited with at least a dozen friendly faces downtown.  Everywhere I went I was shaking hands and hurdling my rough russian towards poor folks.   I was full of hope again.  Not only was the glare and warmth of the sun on my face again but the reality of blossoming relationships.  We’re here for people, not just business ventures and long lines – the springtime re-invigorates that reality in a small community.

The new office upstairs will be a Cypress development office.  For those that don’t know, I own a small web design and development firm in Texas.  It’s actually two businesses – www.cypressinteractive.com and www.edsuite.com. This August will be 10yrs that Cypress has been in business.  It was an act of faith then, and continues to be today.  I’ve attempted several times over the past 5 yrs to ‘disconnect’ myself from the west.  In particular, I’ve wanted to see my business run on its own, without my direct or indirect involvement so we could be more fully ‘here.’  Alas, after several failed ‘disconnect’ attempts,  I’ve surrendered to the will of God!  As long as I have the privilege of working with and in the realm of business, and it looks like that may be a while, I will embrace it as a vehicle of tremendous blessing.

The new office upstairs construction has begun. It will have room for 3 computer stations.

Practically this means my time is more focused these businesses, both here in Ukraine and the US.  Instead of working against or stressing about this reality, I’m seeing that for our particular family and immediate future, business is where we can be the most effective for the Kingdom.  I no longer see business as a venture that simply ‘supports’ mission like I did early on.  Instead, as a believer living in Ukraine, my business ventures are spiritual by nature.  Everything I do has an eternal mindset and determination to influence for Jesus Christ.  As business owners we have experience and resources enable us to reach people that is unique- whether employees, vendors, authorities in town, competition, and those we are serving (customers).  It’s not ‘business for mission’, but ‘business as mission’.  While our hearts continue to move towards a discipleship school and more strategic missions ‘center’ (and eventually Russia), the immediate road we will travel is through business development.  This feels right.  Admittedly it’s not what we thought we’d be doing 5yrs into this, but it’s very satisfying to realize God uses your actual skill and experiences too.  May God be glorified!

There are many hurdles and prayer requests before us right now that we’d appreciate prayer about – too difficult to explain in detail, so here’s a quick bullet list:

• Kids Permanent Resident Applications: several hurdles and frustrations!!
• Registration of Vehicle
• Cafe BTE document, been waiting over a month for simple document from town.
• GAS Cafe – been waiting 5 months now for a contract and price to move a meter outside and turn it on – we call/visit weekly.
• Broderic Summer employment
• 28th hosting a Christian Event here in town – hoping to have +100 believers attend.  Several musicians and churches participating.
• What to do with kids next school year (Particularly Brent).

Thanks for checking in.  Thank you even more if you would pray with and for us.

Bruce & Deborah Crowe

Missionaries | Rzhischiv, Ukraine

I’d like to say the road is nice,
Filled with treasures and tasty spice.
It that were true, I’d be lost,
For the road I’m on is covered in dross.

This world is broken, slipping and bent,
Its made for hard going, the places I’ve went.
I’d like to say that things will pick up,
That the wind will start blowing and you’ll catchup.

But the honest to goodness truth of it all,
Is that we’re meant for more, more than the fall.
If God is our purpose, and we know this is true,
He’ll grant us the courage and strength to pursue.

To push through the maze of falsehood and strife,
To aim our gaze towards eternal life.
To live beyond the glitter of now,
Take courage my friend, you’ve been shown how.

I’d like to say the road is nice.

There’s always that boy,
He stands out from the rest.
Bumps and bruises he sports,
From his toes to his chest.

We have such a kid,
In our family of seven.
He goes by Noah,
Lives inches from heaven.

Arrow number 6, full of personality and zest.  I thought these few pictures captured best his personality.   This week we took the kids to a hotel northwest of Kiev.  It has the only outdoor heated pool that I know of, and was a real treat to release the fishes for 2 days.

This week in Ukraine it’s spring break, however by the mounds of record level snow piled up along the roads, you’d think we were in Jan.

Back home now, Deb has spent 4hrs at the Kharg Police attempting to get her residency papers looked at to no avail.  Bronwyn is now off to Ukrainka to get braces.  I’m investigating options for neutering the beast Charles.  Getting ready for an amazing April, lots of activity and prayer needs – send us some as we enter back into fray.

Bruce & Deborah Crowe
Missionaries in Ukraine

Just when we thought spring had arrived, we’ve been hit with another snow storm.  This one has knocked out power out several times.  3am I decided it was time to get the generator going, we just can’t risk our pipes freezing overnight.

Last week the kids were riding their bikes down the street and green was sprouting all around.  Today, we sit 3ft under snow with high drifts.  The roads are currently not drivable.

The ice fisherman will LOVE that they get a few extra days of fishing.  They are out there rain, snow or shine.

We’ve never owned a St. Bernard before, but this winter has proven challenging.  At 1yrs old this month, his testosterone has kicked in and he realizes he strikes fear into most people that visit.  Combine that with the fact that most Ukrainians are terrified of big dogs, he feasts on that fear and plays the bully of the yard.  We pictured owning “Bethoven,” and its become “Cujo!” He’s a big cuddly bear to the kids, and absolutely loves the snow.  They were built for winter.  He jumps our 5ft fence like a gazelle, it’s been fun trying to secure the yard, a bit like Jurassic Park.  We’re about to get him neutered to help reel in the aggression.   If that doesn’t help, we may need to downsize as we’re doing everything possible from reading/training – Maybe the Dog Whisperer would like some borsch?

Things we’ll be doing in April:

– Hosting a team of 15-20 from The Springs Church, Colorado Springs.
– Registering the Cafe officially (just waiting on business permit)
– Hooking up gas to Pizza Oven and Range (waiting on new meter)
– Contracting with Coffee Vendor for machine and supplies.
– Begin (Lord willing!) basic renovations on 2nd floor offices.
– Working with Cypress and our new programming partner from Cherkassy, Ukraine.
– Russian, Russian and more Russian.

Thanks for checking in –

Bruce & Deb