Normally when we talk about our ministry, we talk about our English classes and maybe about the youth group at our church.  But last night Jon had an opportunity to witness to an entire group of people with one simple idea.

Jon and Sergey (our translator) went last night to a meeting for Alex's school.  Parents of all of the children from the school were in attendance and the topic of the meeting was morality.  There was an Orthodox priest, a doctor of STD's, a police officer who deals with drug cases, and a psychologist there who all gave speeches on various topics regarding morality and raising children.  When doctor of STD's got up to speak and Jon was very disturbed by her message to all of the parents.  Her main goal was to make sure that parents knew that the most important thing they could teach their children when it came to sex was about using condoms when they have sex.  She went on and on about how important the use of prophylactics is and that majority of the students will have sex around 14 years of age.  The room was silent as she spoke until Jon broke the silence asking the question, "Says who?!?!"  She looked very surprised and asked what he meant.  He said, "Who says that our children must have sex before 14 and who says this is the only solution?  She stammered and stuttered for a moment before responding, "I did."  He went on to tell her that she was wrong, and that the single most important thing we can teach our children about sex is abstinence.  He said that children need to be taught that they are worth something and that just because they are 14 or 15 (the age the doctor stated most kids start having sex) doesn't mean that they have to give themselves away.

Now Jon and I are not naive.  We know that there is a large percentage of kids who, regardless of their upbringing and what they have been taught about sex, will indeed have sex before they get married.  The problem that we have is with the way that it is approached here and the idea that we should just treat sex at 14 as a inevitable event without fighting for the purity of our children.  It is tantamount to saying, well a great majority of kids are going to try drugs, so let's make sure they have safest drug doing environment to do so.  The heartbreaking truth is that abstinence is not even an option here.  Most have just resigned themselves to the ideas that are pushed by the promiscuity propaganda.  In a country with the highest percentage of AIDS per capita in Europe, the message of hope and purity is something revolutionary that needs to be heard, fought for, and defended.

Needless to say, I was VERY proud of Jon for speaking up and telling people that there is indeed another, much better way.  Would you please pray with us that the parents who heard this message would let it change them and how they and subsequently their children view sex? 

The Back Break'n Boogie

On the first Saturday of each month the men and women of our church plant in Rokovka get together to work on building/renovating our very own church building.  It's quite exciting as we are getting closer and closer to being able to hold services there.  This particular Saturday, I was putting in a drywall ceiling.  Anyone who has done this knows it's not the most pleasant of jobs.  But I like working on the building and it really makes you feel a part of something larger than yourself.  But this Saturday was cut short. 

Ok so this has nothing to do with the article, I just thought it was a nice

I was up on a 10 foot ladder and getting down to get more screws when the ladder twisted and I lost my balance and free fell to the concrete below right on my tail bone/pelvis.  It was quite the writhing pain, and there was some concern that I had broken something.  As "luck"  would have it, there happened to be a Professor of Chiropractic staying at the seminary in town and he was able to look me over and check me for serious injury.  We've been joking that he forgot to check me for brain damage, though I think he would consider it a pre-existing condition.  After visiting the hospital for X-rays it appears the I either bruised the bone or stress fractured the bone, but the x-ray was too poor of quality to tell.  I went for a second, better x-ray and was very thankful to find out that there is in fact nothing broken.

The result is a couple weeks of bed rest.  Those of you familiar with my personality, know this is torture.  I was whining about being bored about 3 hours into it.  At any rate, Jenny, with her gift of nurturing, has set into action to take great care of me.  I keep imagining this is how I will feel when I'm old.  So what have I taken away from this experience?  Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  So I'm doing just that, it is unfortunate that I took getting too close for comfort with a piece of concrete to do this, but it is good to slow down and reflect on my relationship with Him. 

To: Missionaries in Ukraine (i.e. YOU!)...

God has really blessed our ministry here.  So far our English Clubs have continued to grow, the local medical college gives us opportunities to work with the students, and our movie night outreach projects are growing in popularity.  

It's the individual stories, where we can see God working in the individuals that really get us excited.  This week Jenny came home from English Club very excited.  One of her students was very interested in what it meant to be a Christian, what we believed, and other questions that showed a desire for God.  It's these soft hearts for the things of God that fill us with great joy.  But you too can rejoice with us.  As we said when we met with each one of you; your partnership and prayers for the people of Ukraine mean that it is not God working only through Jenny and I, but God working through you all also.  What a privilege it is to be apart of God's grace and drawing people to Himself. 

As you visit with our Heavenly Father this week, thank Him for His grace in Ukraine and rejoice in His choice to commission us all to be His ambassadors of His love and glorious name.  

Prayer Requests

• Please pray for all of us as we continue to learn Russian/Ukrainian.
• Please pray for wisdom to the things of God for the people running Campaignpros
• Please pray for effective out reach during the Easter Season

For daily prayer requests please visit our website at:  www.five4one.org.