This is the final post in a series of three installments which provide an overview of our recent visit to Ukraine in both Lviv and Ivano Frankivsk. See the previous posts here and here.
FUTURE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
What the work in Ukraine needs is a couple who have God’s leading to full time service in this country. Presently, the door is wide open to the gospel and the distribution of the scriptures. There is no opposition to the preaching or teaching of the word.
Wisdom is needed in not preaching “religion” as most people are “religious” and never pass a church or shrine without crossing themselves. We find that if we preach Christ and Him crucified, they are willing to hear the rest of the story. At their Easter time, everyone is greeted with “Christ is risen”. It isn’t too hard to get into conversation and ask why He had to die in the first place.
The Ukrainian people have lived for centuries with hardship and sorrow. The present financial situation is nothing new to them, but it is hard to see and to hear of their problems such as loss of jobs, non-payment of salaries and pensions and an increase in theft and violence. Many people cannot afford their medications or the costs incurred if a hospital visit is needed.
Please pray for the people of Ukraine that the government will be able to survive the present problems and that things will begin to improve.
Thank you for your interest in this often forgotten part of the world.
Malcolm Stanley.
Portage la Prairie MB
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Summary of Ukraine Visit: Ivano Frankivsk (Part 2)
This is second in a series of three installments which provide an overview of our recent visit to Ukraine in both Lviv and Ivano Frankivsk. See the first post here.
WORK IN IVANO FRANKIVSK
Several years ago now, some brethren were invited to go to the city of Ivano Frankivsk. Several of us went and met in a meeting room and several were saved and baptized at that time. An Assembly was started and went on well for a while, but then the brother who had invited the men and also owned the building where the assembly met, had a falling out and basically didn’t want any more Assembly men to come and teach. To many of us this was a very sad decision but we did not feel we could continue to support him when he decided to join up with a denomination and have their preachers speak.
We knew there were many of the people who attended this “Assembly” who wanted us to speak to them, and so we decided to meet for the gospel and teaching elsewhere with whoever would come.
We are glad to say that almost all of those in the former Assembly came and still come to the meetings that we hold. We are also happy that there has been no pressure put on anyone not to come to our meetings. We do not meet on the former Assembly meeting night but meet 3 times a week. On our visit this year we saw a maximum of 30 people come out and a minimum of 20. They wanted 3 meetings a week and so we met on Tuesday, Thursday at 5pm and Sunday afternoon at 3pm.
Our interpreter and driver in Ivano is a young married man named Vadym. He speaks English and was saved while being our driver about 3 years ago. He was baptized last year, along with 4 from Lviv. He is a most useful young man because he knows everyone in Ivano, or so it seems. Meetings had been held for a while in the home of another brother and sister who eventually could not manage the group in their apartment. This meant that we had to look for a meeting room and a room to unpack boxes of humanitarian aid sent for distribution. A year ago we found a very suitable room with cupboards and shelving and room for 35 chairs for meetings. The biggest problem was the price of rooms in the centre of town. As most of the people have to come on public transportation, we needed a central location. The building was owned by a bank and they have a set price per sq meter. Vadym was able to get the price down to $400.00US per month, including light and gas. This year, they put it up to $460.00 per month. We decided that that was too much to continue with and so when we met the bank manager on the street, we told him that we were going to look for something else. The next day, he called Vadym and said he had talked to his boss and asked how $250.00US a month sounded? We said it sounded much better. There are people in Ivano paying $1,000.00+ US a month for half the area we have and so we feel very blessed.
We wanted to make sure that the people had some reason to continue coming to meeting once we and others were not there. Vadym is willing to have one or two meetings a week and I have agreed to give him an outline to share with the people. Misha has agreed to go up to Ivano on the bus twice a month or more if necessary and have a meeting. We are hoping that this will work to keep the people coming while we are away.
Boxes of clothing and other items are sent from Canada and the USA to both Flo Kancir and to Vadym who take them to either Flo’s apartment or the meeting room where the clothing is sorted into sizes for both children and adults.
Both Flo and Vadym take these items as well as food and laundry products, to orphanages and old people’s homes around the areas. Schools as well are visited and the children presented with the gospel. If it is a first call they will take New Testaments and Children’s Bibles. These items must be bought from the Ukrainian Bible society. The price seems to go up regularly as printing and paper costs rise.
- Malcolm
To be continued...
WORK IN IVANO FRANKIVSK
Several years ago now, some brethren were invited to go to the city of Ivano Frankivsk. Several of us went and met in a meeting room and several were saved and baptized at that time. An Assembly was started and went on well for a while, but then the brother who had invited the men and also owned the building where the assembly met, had a falling out and basically didn’t want any more Assembly men to come and teach. To many of us this was a very sad decision but we did not feel we could continue to support him when he decided to join up with a denomination and have their preachers speak.
We knew there were many of the people who attended this “Assembly” who wanted us to speak to them, and so we decided to meet for the gospel and teaching elsewhere with whoever would come.
We are glad to say that almost all of those in the former Assembly came and still come to the meetings that we hold. We are also happy that there has been no pressure put on anyone not to come to our meetings. We do not meet on the former Assembly meeting night but meet 3 times a week. On our visit this year we saw a maximum of 30 people come out and a minimum of 20. They wanted 3 meetings a week and so we met on Tuesday, Thursday at 5pm and Sunday afternoon at 3pm.
Our interpreter and driver in Ivano is a young married man named Vadym. He speaks English and was saved while being our driver about 3 years ago. He was baptized last year, along with 4 from Lviv. He is a most useful young man because he knows everyone in Ivano, or so it seems. Meetings had been held for a while in the home of another brother and sister who eventually could not manage the group in their apartment. This meant that we had to look for a meeting room and a room to unpack boxes of humanitarian aid sent for distribution. A year ago we found a very suitable room with cupboards and shelving and room for 35 chairs for meetings. The biggest problem was the price of rooms in the centre of town. As most of the people have to come on public transportation, we needed a central location. The building was owned by a bank and they have a set price per sq meter. Vadym was able to get the price down to $400.00US per month, including light and gas. This year, they put it up to $460.00 per month. We decided that that was too much to continue with and so when we met the bank manager on the street, we told him that we were going to look for something else. The next day, he called Vadym and said he had talked to his boss and asked how $250.00US a month sounded? We said it sounded much better. There are people in Ivano paying $1,000.00+ US a month for half the area we have and so we feel very blessed.
We wanted to make sure that the people had some reason to continue coming to meeting once we and others were not there. Vadym is willing to have one or two meetings a week and I have agreed to give him an outline to share with the people. Misha has agreed to go up to Ivano on the bus twice a month or more if necessary and have a meeting. We are hoping that this will work to keep the people coming while we are away.
Boxes of clothing and other items are sent from Canada and the USA to both Flo Kancir and to Vadym who take them to either Flo’s apartment or the meeting room where the clothing is sorted into sizes for both children and adults.
Both Flo and Vadym take these items as well as food and laundry products, to orphanages and old people’s homes around the areas. Schools as well are visited and the children presented with the gospel. If it is a first call they will take New Testaments and Children’s Bibles. These items must be bought from the Ukrainian Bible society. The price seems to go up regularly as printing and paper costs rise.
- Malcolm
To be continued...
Friday, May 8, 2009
Summary of Ukraine Visit: Lviv (Part 1)
This is first in a series of three installments which provide an overview of our recent visit to Ukraine in both Lviv and Ivano Frankivsk.
WORK IN LVIV
As you may know, there is only one Assembly operating in western Ukraine, at this time. This Assembly is in the city of Lusk. Timothy Sloan saw the Assembly formed in 2002. The assembly has about 20 in fellowship and is in the process of renovating the building they have bought. They are presently meeting in part of it.
The work in Lviv was started by Flo Kancir of Kapuskaping ON Canada and she now has a rented apartment in that city. Most of those from North America that come to Ukraine arrive in Lviv and usually spend time in visitation in the area under Flo’s guidance to schools and orphanages in the region. She speaks fluent Ukrainian and is a great asset to the work in Lviv.
Meetings are held twice a week in her apartment with as many as 20 or more attending. About half this number would be saved and baptized and break bread when the opportunity to go to Lusk is provided. Lusk is about 2 hours from Lviv.
The situation in Ukraine is the same as in many parts of the world I’m sure, where women get saved and seem to grow and come to meetings but the men get saved but stay bound to their work and do not grow in the things of God as they should, thus making it hard to find dedicated leadership when thinking about forming an Assembly.
There are 3 men in the meetings in Lviv who have been received into the fellowship in Lusk and we are trusting that the day will not be too far in the future when an Assembly meets in Lviv.
I want to mention one brother who has taken on the responsibility of teaching the Word of God when there is no visiting brother in Lviv. This is vital if the teaching is to continue once brethren leave and return to North America. His name is Misha or Michael; he has a good grasp of the Scriptures, having gone to a fundamental Bible School here in Ukraine. He is completely convinced about the Assembly and is a great soul winner.
He was laid off from his job some time ago and after a time of prayer had felt that God would have him trust the Lord and visit the Christians as well as speak in the meetings, leaving God to supply his need. He had not mentioned this exercise to us.
Two brethren felt that he should receive some financial support and so have commenced to do so for the present. He is a single man in his 40’s and supports and lives with his ailing Christian mother. There will be more about Misha later in this series.
- Malcolm
To be continued...
WORK IN LVIV
As you may know, there is only one Assembly operating in western Ukraine, at this time. This Assembly is in the city of Lusk. Timothy Sloan saw the Assembly formed in 2002. The assembly has about 20 in fellowship and is in the process of renovating the building they have bought. They are presently meeting in part of it.
The work in Lviv was started by Flo Kancir of Kapuskaping ON Canada and she now has a rented apartment in that city. Most of those from North America that come to Ukraine arrive in Lviv and usually spend time in visitation in the area under Flo’s guidance to schools and orphanages in the region. She speaks fluent Ukrainian and is a great asset to the work in Lviv.
Meetings are held twice a week in her apartment with as many as 20 or more attending. About half this number would be saved and baptized and break bread when the opportunity to go to Lusk is provided. Lusk is about 2 hours from Lviv.
The situation in Ukraine is the same as in many parts of the world I’m sure, where women get saved and seem to grow and come to meetings but the men get saved but stay bound to their work and do not grow in the things of God as they should, thus making it hard to find dedicated leadership when thinking about forming an Assembly.
There are 3 men in the meetings in Lviv who have been received into the fellowship in Lusk and we are trusting that the day will not be too far in the future when an Assembly meets in Lviv.
I want to mention one brother who has taken on the responsibility of teaching the Word of God when there is no visiting brother in Lviv. This is vital if the teaching is to continue once brethren leave and return to North America. His name is Misha or Michael; he has a good grasp of the Scriptures, having gone to a fundamental Bible School here in Ukraine. He is completely convinced about the Assembly and is a great soul winner.
He was laid off from his job some time ago and after a time of prayer had felt that God would have him trust the Lord and visit the Christians as well as speak in the meetings, leaving God to supply his need. He had not mentioned this exercise to us.
Two brethren felt that he should receive some financial support and so have commenced to do so for the present. He is a single man in his 40’s and supports and lives with his ailing Christian mother. There will be more about Misha later in this series.
- Malcolm
To be continued...
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