Category: Bruce Posts (Page 181 of 211)

This week we’re repairing the ‘kotyol’ (Heating System) throughout our house, in preparation for winter.   Sasha, and his son Sasha have been re-installing radiators, installing new piping and taps.  If we have another winter like the last one, and our house doesn’t stay warm, I’m going to rip it all out and do 100% electric.

Brent (below) is enjoying the basketball net we brought over from Texas.  It’s been too hot all summer to set it up, but today the clouds rolled in and have provided some relief.   Can you spot the guy on the pole?  Neil is having electricity installed at his house today, always stuff going on around here.

Tomorrow Neil and Sergei are taking the van to a small village north of Kiev, where the local orphans are attending a camp.  The director asked if someone could help pick them up as they didn’t have any transportation back to the orphanage.  You’d think they would think about this before they went to camp, but provides some opportunity for missionaries to build more relationships and be a blessing with the resources we have.

Deb and the kids are in full swing school mode.  She has them reading quite a bit, and all huddled around the kitchen table daily.  Books and notebooks piled around everywhere, just the way my wife likes it.

Ephesians class tonight again, it’s been very rewarding to prepare for each chapter study.  We’re in chapter 3 now, and we’ve had a solid turnout.  I’m already praying about the next book to work through.

Deb and I are considering a Russian class in Kiev to change things up and force us to continue learning.  We’ve taken a break this summer with our classes but weren’t excited about continuing in the same pattern.  The problem is that we are leaving for Canada/Texas and will be gone the entire month of October.  The school is considering this and will rule on whether they will ‘take us’ or not later this week.  Last night during our men’s meeting I was very frustrated as the guys were enjoying some theological conversations, with many questions and I didn’t have any translation.  I understood probably 20% of the conversation as it was flying around the room.  It was a good frustration though, the kind that motivates to keep pressing toward greater fluency.

Items to Pray For Please:

– Russian language direction and motivation to keep pushing!
– Visa Registration issues, we all (many of the foreigners) need some better solutions and good counsel.
– Property Downtown, God to help things keep progressing, and for finances to do it.
– Deb’s health, she’s had some sores in her mouth that have caused a lot of swelling this week, very painful too.
– September meetings downtown, for God to draw people to hear the gospel and respond.

Thanks for checking in,

Bruce & Deb

Hello friends,

It is smokin’ hot here in Ukraine, upper 90’s all week.  Our river has turned lime green, it literally looks like it could settle into a jello mold soon.  Ukrainians are whisking away down to the Black Sea by the droves, August is typical ‘shut down’ month in Ukraine.  Half of our church seems to be scattered now across the globe, literally.  Some on little vacations, some attending weddings in other countries.  There’s a sense that God is still preparing for something special this fall though.  Hearts are hungry for the Word, young men seem to rallying to make a difference in the local colleges, and we have some fresh recruits here (Serge & Lesya) that have already been such a blessing with their language skills.

[Thank you Alyosha for your innovations!]

[A little Ukrainian house that we bought this summer and are fixing up to sell or rent].

[It’s a fixer-upper, our specialty!]

[While waiting on this other land documents, this property is for sale, we don’t quite have enough to buy it, but close enough to be seriously praying.  Pray with us, it would be perfect for the cafe and other things, and we could start using it within a few months.  Trying not to get my heart set on it, Lord let Your will be done!]

Other Stuff:

– started Ephesians Bible Study this week, we had 17 Ukrainians come, we made it through the first chapter!  That is a tough chapter, but SO amazing to consider God’s grace and salvation plan to both Jews & Us through His Son.

– Sept 1st outreach planned at one of the colleges, pray for favor with permission and turn out.

– No visitors right now, it feels strange.  Our next foreign guest will be Matt Almeter from Texas, great brother in Christ we look forward to spending a week with you (and ‘cough’ putting you to work).

– Svetlana is back from Turkey, Jon & Ruth are into their last month here as they plan to move back to New Zealand (this is very sad for everyone), Sergei & Tanya are still praying and working towards moving back.

All for now, leave you with this amazing verse!

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  Hebrews 1:3

Bruce & Deb

Great news!  Bronwyn’s bicycle wheels which were stolen a week ago have been returned.  The culprits haven’t been identified but yesterday I found the wheels along our back fence.  We thank God for working on hearts, and many kids have returned to our yard over the past few days.  The little guys that I suspect are responsible haven’t come back, as I now require verbal permission before playing on the trampoline.  I really didn’t expect to see the wheels again, but it’s a neat testimony for Bronywn to see how the Lord has given back her bike and all the while..

Yes Dave, our pineapples!  Give your possessions to God, He takes great care of His property:)  Still trying to get some confessions for the ATV destruction, mostly to help them address matters of their own conscience.

Yesterday Bronwyn was able to play with some girls her age, and someone from Crossroads had donated a bunch of hair bands.  She tried for a long time to give them each one, allowing them to pick one for themselves.  They are so shy, but after about 15 minutes one of them selected, then the others followed suit.  You could tell they were pretty blessed by the gift, thank you whoever donated them:)

Deb has Dana and Tracy from Texas visiting this week.  This weekend they plan to go to Kiev and stay overnight in an apartment downtown for some girl time on the town.   Deb’s parents are mostly into their new house, except for showers (they still don’t have hot water).  Serge and Lesya have arrived, they are settling in and recovering from a few months of living out of suitcases, they are staying with the Gollans for now – pray for them and property to find long term.

Pray for our leadership, we’re currently having to make some tough decisions and need wisdom for the church.  Also pray for the land downtown, we’ve run into some more snags and also need God to direct us through the morally gray areas.. when everything seems to be corrupt, it’s hard to try and choose the righteous path sometimes.

God help us to be wise and also innocent and above reproach as we pursue your will in this town.

Bruce & Deb

Finished saying good-bye to the Boldings, we had a wonderful time hosting our friends the past few days.  We setup a mini-retreat for the missionaries here and gathered to hear from both of them.  Bo shared a few sessions on Vision, particularly the ‘purpose’ of the new testament church.  I hope it blessed the group, I know it was good to hear again God’s heart for discipleship and Kingdom of God expansion.  Beth shared a few times with the ladies from our church, at the retreat and after our Sunday service.   Our boys enjoyed having Brady here, although they spend far too much time behind gadgets and gizmos (my mother is saying, “you sow what you reap!).

We are about to receive two more friends today, Tracy and Dana from Texas.  Deb is excited to have some girl time with them, and let them taste some of her world.  They’ll be here for a week.  Deb plans to take them for an overnight in Kiev, we found some nice apartments you can rent downtown that are cheaper and nicer than available hotels.

Ok, update on the trampoline.  Nobody was confessing, however one of the kids that I know was involved came asking to play on it.  I quickly called Alyosha to come so we could spend time talking to him.  Alyosha put the fear (not sure if fear of God or fear of police) in him, but I simply asked him to tell me the truth.  We talked about truth, how God loves truth, that I expect it from my kids, and the only think I’m asking from anyone that plays at our house is that they are always truthful with me.  He was very nervous, and wouldn’t look me in the eye.  He knew who took the ATV several times, and provided their names, but would not confess that he did it (but that he watched from a distance).  It’s hard because several of them look alike, they are actually brothers and look like twins.  He eventually looked me in the eye, and said he did not take it, but also promised that he would always ask permission for using anything first.  With that he was permitted to jump again.  Later he came back with his little 4yr old sister, so it’s neat to see a few more people coming back.  We also had 4 more newer kids come, unaware of the issue and pretty confident they have no idea about it, so I allowed them to jump as well.  The stinkers have yet to come around yet, but as more and more jump away, I think the pressure will mount.

In the meantime, we had some more theft (maybe I shouldn’t have inserted the law!  It has incited a desire to break it!).. Bronwyns tires from her new bike are gone.  It was in our shed but the lock had recently been broken (by me, but I think it was already tampered with).  In any case, we are suspicious of some older boys that did this, and have put the word out to the kids that they need to be returned.  They stole the wheels because you can use them without being caught.. the bike frame was left but someone is riding around RZ with some new wheels!  Pray for Bronwyn, she has struggled with the liberty in which kids have and are taking things.  I will get her new wheels, don’t worry grandparents!  We feel challenged (Deb and I at least) to be liberal in our grace, to trust and take their word, even if they are lying, to show them love when they deserve a smack on the head.  It may come at a bit of a cost, but we believe the gospel message is more than just words, it’s communicating through actions, earning a right to speak into lives takes time.. and maybe even some bicycle wheels.

Thanks for checking in!

Bruce & Deb