LVIV NEWSLETTER - Edmund & Agnes JUNE 2021

 Dear praying friends.

There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 1 Samuel 2:2

In March due to Ruslan’s illness with Coronavirus urged us to make a few visits on our “own steam”. Without our translator, this proved a real challenge. First stop was Passagna orphanage where we delivered some food and other necessary needs they required plus a number of Gospel tracts. 

Next up was the Homeless Shelter where we delivered some boxes of clothes, fresh fruit, beverages and food. We also left for these dear people our assembly Gospel calendar and other suitable tracts and literature. Our main exercise was to keep the contact, not having been there for many months due to Covid restrictions. 

On our return to Lviv at the end of February we hastily, with the help of Lubchic from the assembly, designed and printed a 2021 calendar. During March we had the joy of distributing these in the area around the “Gospel Hall” and to the hundreds of apartments around where we live, praying for God’s rich blessing on His own good Word. It was encouraging when some neighbors asked for extra                calendars for their families and relatives.

In March and April we enjoyed several visits to the Gypsy camp in the forest near Sosnivska. About 15  families live in their “homemade” plastic covered, one room houses with no sanitary or washing facilities. We remain determined to preach to them “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified”. We all believe that the Word of God is “quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword”. 

After Ruslan and I have delivered our message in the Gospel we distribute clothes, blankets and shoes, also a large food bag for each family. It is also a great opportunity to share Gospel literature and              laminated scripture texts for the children.

At the beginning of May, on Easter weekend, our landlady J, called round for the rent and utility        payments. After we finished our business we spoke to her about the real meaning of Easter. Of course our Ukrainian was “very broken” but she seemed to understand much of what we said, she would nod her head and say “tak” (yes) and “zahidnee” (I agree). I then opened my Ukrainian bible and asked her to read 1 Cor 15: 3,4. Please pray for J, for her awakening to her need of salvation, and that she might be saved. On leaving she commented how beautiful the bible was, so on her next visit for rent we presented her with a new Ukrainian bible.

Some of the LVIV saints visit the Gospel meeting in IVANO Every Tuesday to encourage and support our brother Dan Perez there.

Dan and Dima are very faithful to the Gospel and have a great gift of getting folk to come in to hear the “life changing message”.

We have been so encouraged since the beginning of May when “lockdown” restrictions were lifted and Lviv came out of the “red zone”. Infections and death declined significantly and the vaccination programme was in its third month and progressing “slowly but surely”. This meant that many of the orphanages invited us back to share the Gospel, sing and learn the scriptures with the children and staff. This was so uplifting after a year when the Gospel and lovely name of Jesus was not heard in these homes, of course we had to wear masks throughout the meeting and were unable to embrace the children, however deeply thankful to God for the renewed opportunity to preach again.

The once “fortnightly children meeting has now become weekly since the pandemic started. The children gather in a brother’s garden every Saturday at 1pm with an average of 20 kids plus 3 older ladies attending weekly and repeating the verse by heart, they have learned the same as the children, and they also receive their chocolate bar. Please pray for these ladies that they will “call upon the Name of the Lord and be saved”.

As we look back over the last 11 years we give God thanks for His faithfulness, guidance and sustaining grace every day and every step of the journey. We also wish to acknowledge the prayers and practical fellowship of all the Lord’s dear people from so many parts of the world.

Warm Christian love

Edmund &Agnes

Jesus said unto him, Thomas because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. John 20:29

Edmund Johnston update on Ukraine news. Dated March 14th 2021.

 The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed so shall it come to pass:  Isaiah 14:24

Dear Friends

As we reflect on a year that has passed and consider the enormous impact the pandemic has had on all our lives and the big changes for every department of living we must give God thanks for His Unfailing Love and Faithfulness to us His children.  It is good to try and understand the unfolding purposes of Eternal God and be assured that these events have not taken God by surprise, and to rest securely and safely in the “everlasting arms”.

As we look back to 4 months of “lockdown” and the cancellation of 4 flights in our attempt to return to Lviv, we bless God for His sustaining hand upon us and His purpose in having us in N Ireland for that period.  I had the joy to have many Zoom meetings, ministry and Gospel. I also had the privilege of marrying a young couple and also to officiate at the funeral of a dear brother from our home assembly.  I also was kept busy speaking again via Zoom in Canada and Slovakia.

Agnes and I were delighted after taking a bus from Belfast to Dublin airport then flew to Krakow, Poland, then the next day another coach to Lviv, arriving late on Saturday night 27th February extremely thankful to be home.  We had to produce our negative P.C.R. certificate to enter Poland and Ukraine and gave a sigh of relief when both border guards accepted them and gave us “the nod to GO!”.

In our absence we were encouraged that the assembly meetings continued and Ruslan visited Ivano, preaching the Gospel and also visited a few orphanages and helped at the Gypsy camps with food and clothes.

In the first week back, we visited Yasopoich orphanage and spoke to the kids and the staff.  Also we visited a very poor family at Strii in the small apartment which had been purchased for them a number of years ago by Christians from NI and Canada.  Each Tuesday we go to Ivano 2 hours south to help in the Gospel outreach with our brother Dan Perez and Dima.  These meetings are well attended and we would ask you to pray earnestly for the souls of those who frequently come to the meeting that they will be saved.

Sadly, Lviv and Ukraine have not been exempt from suffering from this terrible virus with nearly 28,000 deaths and hundreds of new cases everyday and the hospital nearly at full capacity.  Many we know have contracted the virus but thank God have recovered.  Our fellow elder in the assembly Misha was in hospital on oxygen last December for 2 weeks.  Also, our Ukrainian language teacher and her daughter were very sick at the end of 2020.  Just recently on the 4thMarch, Ruslan and Tanya and their family all tested positive.  Ruslan and Tanya have pneumonia, persistent cough and high temperature and are taking antibiotics and other drugs.  Please remember them in prayer that God might give them a full recovery in His time. Their daughter Tania and family have now recovered and Tania is back to work.

February 1 2021

Believe it or not, the work of God goes on in Ukraine.

Because of the lockdown of travel to and from Ukraine, visitors and commended workers have not had total opportunity to visit some areas of Ukraine. There are two assembly works in different cities, one in Lutsk and one in Lviv. Our main interest has been in Lviv as well as the city of Ivano Frankivsk. There is no operating assembly in Ivano yet, but there is an ongoing work with brother Dan Perez from the USA.

Dan is a single man who is very busy, working with a young Ukrainian brother, Dema. Dan and Dema have brought a good group of young children to meetings, most from non-Christian homes in apartments. They pick up the children on most Saturday and take them in one or two vans, for a fun time in the park or hills. They give them a meal and a word in the Gospel. Then they pick them all up again on Sunday and bring them to the rented room Dan has, and have Sunday School. After Sunday School they take them home again, after a light meal.

Dan just wrote to me the following.

"As we shared over the phone that God has been showing his kindness and helping us each and every day and has been helping us with Children’s Meeting‘s as well as the adult gospel meetings. The children are still listening to the gospel and they seem to like the time that we spent together, this is a big blessing! With the gospel meetings there are new people that show good interest and we hope and pray that the word of God is working in their hearts!

The schools opened up last week and we visited one school plus we had a used clothes distribution last week as well. Both went very well and I’m hoping to make more appointments to visit more schools although some schools are still not allowing outside people to come in because of the virus, we’ll see how this continues."

Dan does take a van load of adults and children to the assembly in Lviv, occasionally,  about 2 1/2 hours away, to share in the worship and the Sunday school. He is very excited about a group of teen-age boys who have been attending meetings for the last month or so and are very interested to know the Bible.

The brother and sister, Edmund and Agnes Johnston,  commended  to Lviv, have not been able to get back to Lviv from Ireland for over 3 months, and would value prayer for this matter.

The other assembly in Lutsk has a good website for those interested in  this work. www.nta.lusk.ua.

We are thankful to have some news to pass on. Once the World opens up again, I'm sure there will be visitors to Ukraine and more reports of the work.

Malcolm Stanley

Host of this blog.