Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Hi Warm greeting from a WARM Plavni... I just feel I had to say that for all my friends in the Southern parts of the world! To be honest with you I wouldn't mind having some cool weather for a change! As we are practically living on the lake, the climate is very humid, but I'm not complaining... I know I am where the Lord wants me to be! So I wouldn't change this for the world! We have gone rough some patches in Plavni these last days... But I trust it is all in preparation for something great that the Lord is planning for the area. Serioga went for his tractor license he alsoneeded a clean bill of health from the doctor. It is incredible the amount of read tape that is needed here, for even the simplest of things. The doctor said he had to go for an MRI scan of his head because he had had some sort of a stroke when he was younger. They found some veins that were very weak, and all grouped together. Big problem! However, the doctor said a vein can rupture any minute, or never... In the end he got his license... Without a bribe!!! Practically impossible considering the circumstances! He also decided he wants to study further... Maybe teacher or translator. So, as of Sept I will be on my own! This will not be a huge problem for me as I can hold a very basic conversation in Russian. Preaching is another matter - on Sundays that will be more difficult. That doesn't mean you can stop praying for me learning the language. The Lord has really been faithful in helping me with the Russian language! As far as the ministry in Plavni is concerned, things will start to pick-up now that most of the agricultural work has been completed. We will start our English classes again and the people will hopefully be home for 'home visits'! Our computer in Plavni the one which we have been using to convert music CDs to MP3 for the radio station has finally crashed! Please Pray with us for a good laptop that will be able to handle all the work- the music files and database. We have also been stuck without transport a number of times, so I am thinking of getting an old car here. Please Pray that I will be able to get God's car, and that I wouldn't just be buying a hole for my pocket. Also Pray for the finances for that. Serioga also needs lots of prayer! Thank you for your faithfulness in praying and finantially supporting the ministry here. The Attachment is of Lillian, one of the kids in the church. May the Lord bless you and keep you safe in His hands! With love from the Ukraine Al This is the bit that was promised last time of my mothers impressions of the Ukraine, Plavni and the work here. Hi Albert asked me to add a little to the news letter and give my impression of Plavni. To do that is not very easy, I think I can write a book on Plavni as seen by a Afrikaanse Boertjie from SA. Plavni is very, very beautiful. There are no big concrete fences around the houses, all the fences are made of wood. That, and the beautiful trees that line the streets gives Plavni a special feel - like a picture from an old storybook. Albert told me that there is no running water, but I did not really worry about it as I had running water in my house. "Ja-nou-well-fine"..........??????? He has built an outside shower which is WONDERFUL but we still don't have running water to do the dishes and and and all the rest. As far as the work here is concerned, I went with him to the Old Aged Home. I find it very difficult to tell you about the circumstances in the home, We went there two weeks ago and I still want to cry if I think about the old ones in that home. I miss SA and my friends and the Church a lot as I cannot talk to the people. Ag and let me be honest.....Ek verlang. Nou ja, vir al die Afrikaanse engelsmanne in SA. Be Good. May the Lord bless you big time Jeanette
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Wednesday, July 07, 2004

Hi, Yes I know its been quiet on this side for some time... Please forgive me! These last couple of weeks have been somewhat upside down. We had some troubles between my translator and our Pastor... I was scared that it could cause problems for God’s work here in Plavni, but as always, God is in control and all worked out in the end. Thank you for your prayers! My mother has come, at the end of last month to join with us, and she will be with us for a while. In Plavni, there are two other groups of Christians, one a family group that has no affiliation, the other a Pentecostal Church - without a Pastor. For sometime I have been praying for unity in the "body" of Christ here in Plavni. Each time I pray that prayer, I think to myself, "You hypocrite, you pray for unity, but are not doing anything about it!" The Pentecostals hold meetings on Monday evenings, and then each Tuesday I remember that we missed the meeting! Yesterday, we got word that the Pentecostals will be having an outreach in the center of town, and we were invited! We went, and what a blessing! The meeting was held at the house of that family that doesn't belong to any church, and it was lead by the Pentecostals, from Ismaiel, (big town nearby). So, in effect, the whole of the "body" of Christ in Plavni was represented there. After the meeting we were invited to eat somewhere! Ho Boy! I'm still full, and think I will be full for the next few days! As the Lord wanted it, at the meal I sat next to the Ps from Ismaiel. This turned out to be a great time of fellowship and relationship building! Isn't God just awesome? Here I was thinking I must make this thing called "unity" happen, but in the end God had His own agenda, and that is what succeeded! If I had forced the issue, I would have most probably messed the whole thing up! It was the same with Abraham. God promised him a son, and he made his own plan and Ismaile was born, but the Lord had Isaac in mind. What is on the Lords heart for you? Are you trying to force His hand? The only reason I can ask this question is because I know what it is like to get a glimpse of what the Lord has planned for me, and then to want to make it happen. Believe me, forcing Gods hand will inevitably turn out not to be a blessing but something you will regret. So, PLEASE PRAY with me for unity in the "church" in Plavni. Pray that we will be able to get together and not try to change each other, but accept, and work with one another! I suppose its like Jesus prayed in Jn17... As we become one like Jesus and the Father is one, so the people will see that we belong to Him, and that will be a testimony that speaks louder than any sermon! Please pray for Serioge! Like I said in my previous letters, I see him as more than just a translator. But, he is still very young and has a long way to go. Now I realize how much gray hair I gave my Pastor, Derek, who discipled me! Please pray that Serioge might grow to be the "man of God" that Jesus saved him to be! I was thinking we haven't worked much in the last couple of weeks. We can't visit the people -because they are all working in the fields - at the moment. Then I realized that the Lord has been using us in a different way... I have already had an opportunity to work on someone’s computer, and as you know, the topic that will naturally come up if you are a missionary from South Africa in the Ukraine, fixing somebody’s computer is... THE LORD! So, Thank the Lord that He opens doors where we weren't even thinking of asking for open doors. Please pray that we will have more and more opportunities to get into peoples homes (and hearts)! Please continue to pray for the Radio station! We are still in the process of securing the license. At the moment we are converting all our music to MP3 and putting it on a DataBase... We've just started and already have 1023 songs on it! Well, enough from me! Thank you for all your prayers! I know the only reason I survive day by day is by the Lords GRACE, and by all the people that "nag" Him to keep me going. May the Lord bless you and keep you safe in His hands! With love from the Ukraine Al the Pote (of the Lord)