Deb, Broderic and I have returned from a whirlwind tour to Texas and Louisiana.  We were encouraged and energized by the love and support we felt. 

Random highlights include:

– Speaking at LifePurpose high school conference (no translation!)
– Eating Shipley’s Donuts for breakfast.
– English speaking people everywhere we went!
– Chinese Food at PF Chang’s in New Orleans, thank you!
– The look on Deb’s face when she entered Hobby Lobby.
– Seeing our old friends the Matt & Paula, Hrabovski’s, Keith.
– Worship & Fellowship with our church family at Crossroads.
– Family Day at the farm, meeting new friends and catching up with old.
– Deb’s time with Tracy, Dana and Stephanie. 
(Thank you Tracy for the chauffeur service!)
– Healthy debate and sharpening with Bo.
– The little time I was able to spend at Cypress with my friends.

[broderic dreams he’s surrounded by 20 Jews]

[not a lot of time to catch up with my old friends]

[Hunter, Justin, Andrew, Coy and Jon, before food]

[Mayor Parker hands me a hand carved oil field worker to give to RZ Mayor]

[we tried our best to fatten broderic up]

[the little things we miss the most… freshly made donuts!]

[i’d say ‘old friend’ but Paula would get upset, so ‘special friend’]

Staff Meeting (we were listening Matt, truly!)

Worship Service Clip

For our Ukrainian friends, this is a store!

Look forward to a weekend to catch our breath.  We have several projects/items we’re dealing with here in Ukraine we need to jump back into, please pray for:

A) Building Projects- we are 75% finished one housing project, and need to get started on the next one which needs to be completed by March/April.  One of the college students working for us just lost his father last week, pray for wisdom to show their family care/love, they are not believers from what I know.

B) Charity Registration- Svetlana has been gathering documents and progressing this along, but it could be another 1-2 months before complete.  Pray for wisdom with developing our statutes, which essentially governs what we are legally obligated to do (or not do).  This charity will be what we use for operating in partnership with the City (like for special needs children outreach) and potentially other more public humanitarian/christian projects or events.

C) Mission Teams- we have a few churches requesting dates/projects next summer to get involved with.  Pray for direction as leaders discuss and co-ordinate the best use of time and resources. 

D) Family- Deb and I returned with a desire to get back into Russian language study, which means we need to better schedule our days/weeks.  Pray for us, that we would be able to trim back those things we have become too extended or busy with, and prioritize the right things.   Also prayer would be appreciated for our kids schooling, we have some new ideas and curriculum to order, it would be wonderful to stick to something for a season.. I think that is called a routine..:)

We love you all, and encourage you to email us your prayer requests/updates as well, stay close!

Bruce & Deb

Last minute packing and we’re off to Texas.  Quite a bit more preparation and planning when you leave 5 kids behind.  Tonight we had our last supper together for a week, here’s a picture from our messy kitchen.

This past Sunday we joined the Pentecostal church for a Ukrainian thanksgiving service.  They have their own ‘harvest’ and ‘thankful’ version, no turkey 🙁  Here’s a clip of some of the children reciting part of a song, I would say “singing” but as you can hear, that would be a bit of an exaggeration.  Sweet to hear young kids trying their best.

This Friday I’ll be sharing at a private Christian school conference.  Then will begin a hectic weekend filled with Crossroads Community Church visiting, a special ‘old fashioned family day’, and then we fly out Sunday to New Orleans.  We’ll be visiting our long lost pals Matt and Paula Mason for a night, then back to Texas Monday night.  Tuesday will be a full Cypress day, lots of catching up to do and hopefully productive decision making.  Then, Wednesday we head back to Ukraine.  

Please pray for our children and the Gollan family that will be watching them.  Safety, and patience all ’round!  We are truly thankful to have close friends here that we completely trust and can burden with our quiver.  Also pray that our trip would be refreshing for Deb, she deserves this break and I hope can fully enjoy it.  Pray that we could also encourage others with our love for Christ.

Sincerely,

Bruce & Deb

Today in Kiev I was approached in the parking lot by a mother and her newborn baby.  It’s not uncommon in Ukraine, especially in larger cities, to be approached by begging veterans, mentally and physically handicapped for money.  The mother looked pretty rough, probably an alcoholic or drug addict.  How do I really know?  All I could see was this tiny baby wrapped in blankets, sleeping peacefully as though their entire world was safe and secure.  It’s a difficult situation without the language barrier, but when they are pleading for money, holding the baby out for you to take it, and your response is ‘I’m sorry, I understand little’, it doesn’t satisfy.  I managed to talk to her a bit actually, she had a surgery during labor which has prevented her from producing enough (or any) milk for the baby.  Again, who knows what is true, and what is not.  We talked about the Lord, how He loves that little baby and she must take care of it before God.   Though she was using this precious gift as an instrument of manipulation, I had compassion and had to give her some help.  She lit up and appreciated the few dollars that would probably allow her to go home for the day.Last month a group of us from church were able to contribute towards a bed for a young man who has been bed ridden for several years.  He damaged his spinal column while diving in a shallow river.  Once you encounter physical problems of this nature, the ‘system’ here discards you, you are sent to a cold, permanent hospital where you waste away your remaining years.  This guy has only been outdoors twice in the past 3 yrs (or something to this effect).  He can move his head and his arm slightly and stares all day at the wall and his cell phone.A snapshot of the type of humanitarian and social needs in our new culture.  It’s hard to know how to help sometimes.  Money can’t fix everything, but it sure helps:).  God give us wisdom among such needy people.

We are visiting our home church in Longview, Texas in a couple of weeks!  October 30-Nov 4, Deb, Broderic and I are leaving the crew behind in RZ and taking a whirlwind tour visiting friends.  I’ll be visiting with our guys at Cypress and taking a quick day trip down to visit Matt & Paula Mason in New Orleans.  The timing for this we feel is perfect, we are highly anticipating some great fellowship (and food … cough).  This will be my second time back since moving here, and Deb/Broderic’s first trip back in 1 1/2 yrs.. can you believe it?

We are meeting every week with our home group, been studying apologetics.  Every other week we are hosting a ‘husbands’ meeting that coincides with the ‘wives’ meeting down at the Gollans.  Next week we are planning to join the Pentecostal church for a ‘fall/thanksgiving’ type service.  Our church has also started the monthly (lead by Cheryl and Sveta) ‘special needs’ monthly gathering for the town.  Also working on some missionary housing, helped to purchase some land and been busy with paperwork and organizing the workers.. we have unofficially started a construction business:)  We have 4 full time ukrainians and a few vendors as part of our team… been employed for a few months now.  Housing is a real need in this town, and opportunity perhaps.  Most of my russian vocabulary derives from construction materials and procedures:).

The city has been trying to organize a series of ‘business leaders’ meetings.  This is a huge first step towards the business community finding a ‘voice’ and partnering with the city.  For decades the local government has been seen as a deterent and evil, and under communism we know it was.  There is still a lot of corruption in Ukrainian politics, overtly so.  I could give you some examples that would help you to understand the magnitude, but I’d better not.  I was invited to attend these meetings, and the first one was quite an experience as they shouted and engaged in debates over the price of milk, taxes, and then tried to vote in a leader (through yelling).  I feel very privileged to be a part of this evolving community, finding it’s democratic legs so to speak.

Thanks for checking in, and hopefully we’ll get to see you soon!

Bruce & Deb

These bikes are common around town.  They remind me of old WWII movies, but we see them in color.

Deb’s parents flew back to NYC on Monday.  They seemed to enjoy themselves, even though they awoke each morning to a herd of grandchildren.  It was a great help to have extra hands in the kitchen, especially when preparing for guests or home group.

Deb and I have been talking this week about how different our lives were back in Texas.  We had a routine that came with certain expectations for work, dinner, weekends.  It was a nice time:)  If anyone is considering a similar move to a foreign country with a family, you’d best have an incredible wife and strong marriage.  The continuous change of plans causes you to feel like you are spinning in circles without any forward progress.  Frustration leads to apathy, and that is a dangerous quality for any of us, but especially if you have purposely, and voluntarily inserted yourself in a more difficult environment.  I’m happy to say though, that God has been faithful to keep our love for one-another strong, and encourage our minds with some good study material.  For years we both coasted along in our content spiritual state, that has radically changed.  Deb is daily gobbling up podcasts and challenging theological topics, while I’m reading, yes, reading some great books that have awaken an appetite for truth I didn’t know I could have.  I’m discontented with seaming contradictions, and tired of an apologetic-less philosophy toward evangelism.  The world needs answers, either we have them, or we don’t.  If we have them, we share them.  I’m engaging unbelieving friends and it’s been very rewarding.  If we understand what we believe, it really helps us communicate it well.  If we are sincerely convinced, our passion level is conveyed through our conversations and adds to the impact.  I want to be an informed, passionate, and humble communicator of the gospel!

The theme this month in our home group and in my life has been 1 Pet 3:15

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

If anything I said resignates with you, check out this ministry www.str.org.  Go to the radio broadcasts under the Resources section, and listen to some.  Though many of the topics may fly right over your head initially, I think you’ll find using your brain again in your Christian thinking incredibly satisfying.  The world is asking very direct questions, and they are increasing in volume.  We can stick our collective heads in the sand or ‘stand firm in the faith’ as prepared responders.

Here is my ‘toothless wonder’ Tucker.  He is a special kid, strong willed but a quiet communicator.  He lost both of his front teeth within 2 days, both times asking me to pull them… eek.

And a tractor up the road from us parked in a field.   I feel like I’m back in Canada with all the farming going on.  Funny thing is, I used to drive these tractors (newer, and bigger!) when I was Broderic’s age, but here you’d need a full degree and special documents to get inside that old Soviet rust bucket..

Leave some comments, tell us how you are doing!

bruce & deb