Category: Bruce Posts (Page 93 of 211)

Our week in Minsk, Belarus was great!  We got up each morning, took a Trolly-bus to the school, and lectured through the Gospel of John.  What made this experience intense was we only had 5 days to work through the entire book with about 15 students (and a few visitors).  Twenty-one chapters on the life and ministry of Jesus from the perspective of the ‘disciple Jesus loved.’

I had previously studied this incredible letter, in a weekly bible study format, verse by verse over 22 weeks a couple years ago.  Fortunately a lot of groundwork was already laid during that study time.  However, truncating that into five class was entirely new challenge, and surprising blessing.

I say surprising because the scriptures came alive once again and in even newer ways I hadn’t seen before.  We often read our Bibles in smaller segments, either because we don’t have enough time, or the truth we are digesting is so rich, we tend to ruminate and savor in our soul.

We are currently studying the nature of worship at Club 180.

Reading, slowly, contextually, in 4-5hr increments, start to finish in five days revealed new, and emphasized known revelation.  Themes are more easily picked up (Eg. the I am’s of Jesus), the thematic hatred of the religious towards the Son of God built with intensity, and the writers primary desire for his audience to ‘believe’ in the One who is Himself eternal life reaches through the pages and grabs your heart well before he actually states it near the end of the book.

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.  John 20:30-31

The Gospel of John is saturated with visuals and miracles.  Good vs Evil, Light vs Darkness, Life vs Death.  Powerful allegorical teachings from wine, bread, sheep, shepherds, branches.  Truly He was and is the Son of God, and there is eternal life in Him!

I’ve been praying for God to open doors into Russian speaking populations.   It’s where our heart lies.  We were invited to a new Russian speaking Bible School in Spain of all places.  I guess Russians are migrating all over Europe en mass with the economic situation worsening – and so are Belorussians and Ukrainians (if they can get out).   Entire Russian speaking communities are emerging around us – and with that opportunity.  We also were encouraged to meet a fellow missionary, from Belarus, who are church planting in Poland – neat family.

We believe Ukraine holds a unique position in this part of the world as God raises up a generation with the intent to live for Him, and take His Gospel to these Nations.  After my second trip to Belarus in the past year, I believe Belarus is also on the brim of something special in the Kingdom of God.  A Gospel movement is taking place.

Excited to host a team from Minsk from a new church there, mostly led by young people.

We witnessed young people with a hunger for God to move.  Many young people gather in Minsk even publicly to pray for their nation regularly.  This is an illegal activity without proper permits.  They take risks, they fear God more than men.  After being around some of them, I thanked God we are where we are.  God is raising up a generation in this part of the world – just you wait and see.  The economic and political conditions are driving His people to united prayer – and nothing will stop God’s work when that happens.

Upon returning to Ukraine we enjoyed a couple days of family, caught a terrible flu, and now on the mend.  We’re happy to have received Collins this week!  We spent the day visiting directors at local colleges, and preparing some things for the upcoming Texas Team which arrives in 8 days!

Large group gathers this morning for ribbon cutting – our clinic just had some renovations.

Wednesday night Club 180 met once again – I love these kids!  They continue to surprise me with their attitudes, attentiveness towards spiritual lessons, and desire to serve.  God is going to do some great things in their hearts over this upcoming Awakening week.  Please continue to pray for them with us.  They are going to be key during this week coming up, serving in different areas and catching a taste of more of the Kingdom and God’s heart.

Our guests will be really thankful for these next week!

We went ahead and bought the beds we needed for the group.  Bought them before we knew anyone had donated.  Also went ahead and purchased 3 loads of gravel, without having the money.  Thankful to hear that a supporting church in Canada, Emmanuel Baptist will be sending us funds shortly which we can use for this – I was a bit nervous because we usually wait until some folks donate (when we don’t have money for things), but I felt we needed to step out and move on things anyway.  I was getting in trouble every day for the mud our customers were dragging into the street – and it’s not fun cleaning the roads.

Thank you God for your generous church!

One of three loads of gravel coming to Cafe – just in time, Pepsi truck terribly stuck today.

We have been praying each morning at the Cafe, and I’m excited to see more continuous, united prayer for the area, churches, students, and for greater faith.  We believe that unless the Lord genuinely moves in hearts (including ours), all the outward obedience and effort lacks eternal value.  God is the Lord of the harvest, he beckons us to lift up our eyes and see the harvest.  When we feel the Holy Spirit move us towards loving action, it makes all the difference in the world.

We ask you to pray with and for us, especially the next 2 weeks as we seek to damage to the Kingdom of darkness.   We don’t battle flesh and blood, God wants to work and move – our job is unite in prayer, and step out in faith.

God move in our area, upon hearts, minds, draw your people to the cross of Jesus where spiritual life is found.  Increase your footprint, the Kingdom of God come in Ukraine as it is in heaven!   Awaken us to your heart, your reality, the greatness of your Gospel.

Sorry, it’s been a long update – when I regularly blog I don’t feel I need to say as much!   Lately I haven’t had the time to sit and type.  Deb is doing well – she has a new fitbit and is walking more than normally.  I’m glad I didn’t get one.  I sure do love this woman.  Kids are back in school and getting ready for ‘Women’s Day’ – it’s coming up soon and it’s a big deal here – schools actually shut down for a few days, poems, ceremonies, flowers – it’s the Ukrainian way.

My little girls – Deb and I, at least once a day chuckle that we still have babies, and then rejoice we are done.

So next Saturday, March 5th begins a full week for us.  More than full.  20 will be here with our teams from Minsk and Texas – and to add to the wonderful chaos in our little town, another team of 15 from the US is here that same week with an orphan house (The Ewings partner ministry) doing things with children.  They will be at the Cafe during that week, and attending some of our worship nights too!  That means before we even have any Ukrainian participants, there will be more than 40 foreigners, all believers, in our little town – get ready folks for the invasion!

Our cafe workers are nervous.  They should be.

Thanks for checking in, for prayer and friendship.

Bruce & Deborah Crowe

We have two requests we’d like to make known.  We’re really excited about the incoming teams, and increased activity at Lighthouse Cafe this spring and summer! 

Here are two practical requests we would be excited to receive some help with.

10 Beds

• $75 per set
• includes mattress, bed sheet, pillow and blanket
• does not include box spring or frame (not needed)
• these are for incoming mission teams and visitors.
• Total $750
  

  ---

3 Loads of Gravel

• $100 per load, 10 ton each.
  
• includes delivery and students labor to spread.
• for temporary Cafe driveway, it’s a disaster of mud.
• Total: $300

To donate towards something soft or hard, please click here to give securely online via Paypal (most major credit cards accepted).  We will notify folks immediately on our Blog and Facebook once these needs are met!

Thank you in advance friends and family!

Bruce & Deb

The local Pentecostal Church had their grand opening of their building while we were gone – so we visited this Sunday. Wine from one Chalice for communion – who’s first! They’ve been working on this building for several years – so happy for them, we know what that is like.

It’s amazing to me how much we lean on Idioms and Metaphors.  It would take me a while to explain to my Ukrainian friends what ‘hitting the ground running’ even means.  They share some more common metaphors, but also have an entire set of their own.  This becomes a challenge when public speaking – I avoid them like the plague, especially when using a translator.

Language is particularly on my mind as I gear up for an intense week of teaching in Minsk.  Stripping away our metaphors is like removing instruments from a band.. left only with a voice.   Did you notice I just wrote “gear up.”  Sigh.

It has been an emotional start to the week back.  I’ve felt both excited to be back, and nervous at the storm of activity (another metaphor) ahead.   We’ve met with our Widow Ministry team – they are amazing, and shared several wonderful testimonies as they take care packages around and meet new friends.  Some really difficult scenarios as well, such as one Widow lost her daughter recently, and now at age 70 is caring for 3 small children – the youngest is only 1!  We are going to help them out in extra measure.

The Cafe team is doing great – I’m so proud of their growth and willingness to be stretched.  It was not easy to leave them with the burden of a non-profit Cafe but they really owned it.

I am legitimately pumped at our home church coming to minister alongside us in March.  There’s quite a bit to plan for however – and I have to remind myself that I’m back in Ukraine, where lists take at least 4x longer to complete.  We’re thankful that the Lord has provided Collins in a few weeks to help carry the load.

As many of you know, last year we started hosting worship nights.  These were relaxed, laid back but purposeful times of worship, prayer and ministry to one another.  I’ve felt the Lord encourage us to continue hosting them in 2016.  Last spring they lasted for 4-5 weeks, but this particular one in March will be just for one week.  We have the Pentecostal church lined up if we run out of room at the Cafe – which isn’t hard to do, we can only comfortably sit about 50 so we’ll see.

I was so encouraged last night when I received a text from a friend in nearby Khargalyk, Dima.  He asked if their worship team, whom attended many of our worship evenings last year, could come and lead a night of worship sometime.

Dima unveiled his drum kit at work! What a guy 🙂

We met this morning and they will be hosting additional evenings of worship after the team leaves.  One will be for area believers on a Sunday evening, the other will be in combination with our Club 180 Youth Ministry.  How cool that God is now bringing Ukrainian area believers together, instigated BY Ukrainians – sweet!

On another note, we are asking for continued prayer regarding our break-in.  As most of you know, the young man has confessed, and has been booked by the police.  He remains at home and going to school (he’s 19), but not allowed to leave the town.   Our next step is to sign documents essentially saying ‘yes’ we want the justice system to operate.  It’s not quite like the US system – and this becomes an “Us vs Them” even though he’s broken clear laws, and even confessed.  It’s a pressure packed situation as the very real result will be prison.  There is additional pressure because he is part of a larger gang of thieves.  I don’t want to post too much online, but I do ask you to pray for this young man Pasha – and also for myself as I weigh through this situation and seek God’s heart in this.  We intend to meet with him this week.

Boys return to Ukraine and begin the detox of Canada – Carrots all round says the wife!

This is a nation that in many ways is seeking a better path.  Yet the godless generation has little respect for the rule of law.  His friends thought it was hilarious he was caught on camera and could now face years in prison.  Nice friends.  Yet, opportunities like this don’t present themselves very often either – and we have many spectators in this small town as you could imagine.

Kids have returned to school – mostly clicking their heels.  It’s been a joy to hear our kids speak excitingly of being ‘home’.   Temperatures have been hovering around zero and dipping below at night – but not too bad.   We have the fireplace going most days.  Claire is taking steps in between things.  Brent is playing bass in his room most nights as we’ve confiscated all gadgets – teaching what it means to quit something ‘cold turkey’.. love the metaphors.

Please pray for:

• Pasha, myself, and this police situation.
• Logistics and the myriad of lists in preparation for the Team arriving.
• This week in Minsk – stamina and grace!  Bron and Sveta are coming and we’ve booked them some studio time to record a song – I’m jealous 🙂
• Youth – we are excited to meet again with the core of young people from Club 180, but many are home because schools have closed with this Swine flu scare.

Book Review:

If you have a heart for expanding the Kingdom of God, locally or abroad, you need to read this book!  It’s framed for me several years of wrestling with my own personal calling to ‘pioneer’ something new for the Kingdom, yet often feeling incubated within the western traditional church structure.   I’ve never liked the term ‘para-church’, and yet found myself feeling compelled to seemingly start one.

This author heads up a CRM (http://www.crmleaders.org) and a diverse network of essentially “Lighthouse Cafe’s’ around the world, creating movements that impact communities and cultures.  He challenges the term ‘para’ by refreshingly affirming the apostolic, pioneering efforts throughout history AS THE CHURCH in it’s most effective evangelistic mode (Sodality).  For years I believed, because I was told, that para – church orgs were nice, but only a result of the local church (Modality) not ‘doing it’s job’.   I don’t believe that anymore, and neither do many of the leaders/pastors that are wrestling through how to truly impact a community and culture for Christ.   Anyway, it’s the most refreshing PRO-CHURCH book I’ve read in a long time – one that embraces both expressions of pioneering and settling.  Get it, read it.  Be inspired to take risks and use your giftings in and out of gathered communities.   I’ve had a nice exchange with the Author recently, he lived for a short time in Ukraine and knows some friends of ours 3hrs south – small world.

Thanks for checking in,

Bruce & Deb