Most of us are busy filling our lives up with gadgets, connecting to social networks and generally overwhelmed with the lack of free time and space. I rarely run into someone, regardless of age or gender, that wishes they could be busier.

Instead, our collective cry is not for more things to do, but for the things we do to have more meaning. We’d rather be productive than busy. Unfortunately and too often, being busy is all we get these days.

Jesus wasn’t interested in people joining his social club or giving people something extra to do. Neither is He interested in casual acquaintance.  He came to win over our hearts, and win them fully.  He was fully God in human form, on a rescue mission for our souls.  His purpose was to demonstrate God the Father to us, then to suffer a death only we deserved, so that we could be forgiven.  That’s a passionate God, one that deserves more than a social ‘like’ in our network!

What does He want in return?  He wants us to love Him, not just ‘like’ Him.  To follow exclusively, not just be an insertion into the noisy fray of our lives.  Surrendering to God is the first step, and for too many, too difficult.

“Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow.” Luke 9:23

Then Jesus tells us one of the purposes of such a life altering surrender:

“And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt 4:19

The moment we surrender our lives to our great God, and live a life of simple faith in Him, life takes on meaning.  One filled with purpose and satisfaction that is beyond this life.  Maybe your life anthem is like the U2 song, “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” but I’d suggest you haven’t looked in the right place.

Consider the words of C.S. Lewis:

“He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other.”

No social network or social club.  No church or systematic theology.  No perfect job or better best friend.  Jesus Christ, the son of God, He is the meaning of Life, and He desires to give us all His satisfying, abounding life.  That’s the heart of the Father, but do we have too much pride?  Are we too busy?

We’re all busy, but are we all productive?  We’re surrounded by people, but are we still lonely?  If you are searching still for real purpose in this life, consider living for the next one.  Consider the words of Jim Elliot,

“God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life, that I may burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like You, Lord Jesus.”

Thinking of our family and friends!

Bruce & Deb
Rzhyschiv, Ukraine

If you have a few minutes, I recommend watching this. We’ve enjoyed the ministry of Ray Comfort since his Hell’s Best Kept Secret days. He’s taken an awful public beating over the years with his stance on Creationism, and now Human Rights. This is a refreshing angle and format to help us all re-think the value of human life, and our own moral framework… I think it would be a tremendous tool if translated into Russian or other languages where Hitler actually did most of his damage.

We are all doing great. Noah is fully back to normal, Deb is getting a cute little belly and the weather has been wonderfully brisk and fall-ish. The cafe continues to progress, though I’ve been too busy to make it down to help for a couple of weeks. We’re going to be needing materials for kitchen and tables/chairs in the next month, but still have everything we need for today, God is good.

Thank you for stopping in and any prayers sent this way. We appreciate our friends and was great to see everyone at Crossroads this past Sunday!

Bruce & Deb
Rzhyschiv, Ukraine

Ukrainian Rap = klass.

We had a fun night last night hosting a Rap Concert for the area students. In spite of very little advertising and last minute planning, around 80 students came out to fill the old soviet theater. The 3 rappers were from Kiev, and did a great job engaging with the students. Check out the video clip!

The one rapper introduced himself and added, “American Poetry, this is rap!” I smiled and thought of my brief stint as a Run-DMC fan, that’s old school boyEEE! This was our September outreach, we’re planning one per month through the entire school year. A ton of new faces and lives we hope to impact with the love of God this year.

This youth culture loves rap.  It’s still relatively new, it’s about expressing conviction, it’s about young people with a voice.  In a culture that has seriously lost it’s way with alcoholism and corruption, a passionate declaration to live for God seems to be refreshing to the students.  They cheer when the guys give their testimony.  I came home last night and told Deb, “Somebody forgot to tell all these kids that they aren’t Christians.”  Sure there is sin, the heart does not want to surrender naturally, but God is hope, and hope is a powerful influence here.  Not sure what is next, maybe 80’s Hair Bands?  Not sure if Deb would like me to grow my mullet out again, but it might be fun.

The Shurr gang meet the Crowe's in Ukraine - Fun!

Earlier this week we had Jamie and Melanie Shurr drive from Croatia with their 5 kids. Jamie was my youth pastor from Canada, we hadn’t seen each other for many years, it was serious time warp! It was a quick trip but we managed to pack in hours of discussion and mutual encouragement. So thankful for reconnecting, our kids had a blast too. Thanks guys for driving all that way!!

We’re now back into full swing work, both Deb and I have full plates for the next few weeks. Here’s a bullet list of things we’re doing and could use some prayer for:

– Deb is sharing this weekend at the Ladies monthly meeting.
– Deb’s health isn’t the greatest, some minor health issues could use some prayer.
– Noah is doing very well, but still has a bump that we’d love to see go away in the next 3-4 days or might need to go back to doctors for fluid extraction.
– Going to visit the Kiev private clinic soon to determine whether we’ll have the baby there or not.
– Cypress work is going well, very busy, finishing up Brooklyn Tabernacle’s new website.
– Wed night bible study still going weekly, 13th week and still in John chapter 5! Need more time to study!
– Leadership meetings are continuing, really desiring to see Ukrainians in our church filled with new passion for reaching the lost, and prayer.
– Cafe received $750 last week from two givers, thank you!! That keeps our guys working another couple of weeks and then we’ll need to buy kitchen equipment. Pray we get the gas hooked up before it gets cold!

Thanks for stopping in:)
Bruce & Deb

Brent & Clark wear construction masks around Noah to keep from sharing the flu!

I had to think for a minute whether it was 2011 or 2012.  I’ve been thinking about some plans next year.  It’s amazing to think that in only a few short months we’ll be starting another year.  For the first time in a long time, I’m actually excited about the future, even though I know it will be filled with all sorts of new challenges.   Soon, I will be sharing some news that God has been shaping in my heart, as well as some others here in our area.  It’s in the area of strategic discipleship with a vision toward church planting efforts.  It’s taken several years to work through my own convictions, as well as various methodologies, and I believe it’s starting to come together and will shape our families involvement more long term in this part of the world.   So stay tuned!

Noah is doing really well.  It’s been so great to be home.  We’ve kept everyone abreast on facebook, but for those of you that don’t use it, we’re back home and he’s recovering well.  He had trouble sleeping the first few nights, but is now back on schedule and playing with his brothers almost like normal.   Today he fell off the piano stool, fortunately banging only the front of his head.  How do you get a 4yr old to ‘not’ act like a 4yr old?  We’re trying to teach him to be careful, he’s hearing a lot of ‘NO NOAH” from everyone.  Today he attempted to go on the trampoline with his brothers.

Life is almost returning to normal.  We have some old friends coming to visit this week, Jamie and Melanie Shurr with their 5 kids.  We haven’t seen them for maybe 6-8 yrs?  Jamie was my youth pastor when I was 15-17yrs old, he wasn’t that much older.  It will be great to hang out and catch up!  They are driving from Croatia, and will be here for 4 days.

Deb is now 11 weeks, and sporting a ‘slight’ bulge though nothing really cool yet.  The kids are following along with the app (formerly was a book last pregnancy) “what to expect when you are expecting”.. we remember reading that so closely the first few kids, it’s fun following the progress again… especially knowing THIS IS IT!!

We’ve handed out most of the 400 packages put together for new and returning students in our town.  We are hosting our first fall outreach, a Rap concert, this coming Sunday night.  Please pray that it goes well, and that progress is made in the lives of many who have already made steps toward Christ as they reconnect with believers.

Part of our double glass front doors, triple paned, heavy and expensive.

The Cafe is moving along, slowly.  Our front doors arrived though, and we hope to get them installed soon.  Right now we’re finally painting the ceiling, then the stucco interior walls, then the tile which will wrap up most of our materials purchased to date.

The next goal on the cafe is to get the gas project finished, so we can get the place warm for winter.  At this point we’ll not be opening until after Jan 1, but hoping to use it in Oct/Nov/Dec a few times for some different events and maybe, if the kitchen is installed, trial run some things to the public.

Enjoying some good fellowship among leaders (missionaries and foreigners) here as we work toward some better organization and planning this coming year.  There’s no replacement for time and ‘miles under the hood’ when it comes to genuine friendship.  It takes time to build meaningful, trusted friendship, sometimes I wish it weren’t so!   Once you get there with a friend, you realize how precious they are, what a gift to journey through life and it’s many challenges with these things called friends:)  We still go through seasons of ‘missing’ our Texas & Canadian family, but are thankful for the richness of friendships in our lives now in RZ as well.

I pray that you are encouraged in Christ today.  He loves you, and has your best interest in mind.  Go to Him today and cast your cares before Him, because He cares for you! Thanks for checking in, I’m trying to put together a printed newsletter soon for the Fall, if you’d like to get one in the mail (and don’t attend a church that gets them already in bulk), please let us know!

Sincerely,

Bruce & Deb Crowe
Rzhyschiv, Ukraine