There I was at two in the morning laying on the bathroom floor waiting to get into the bath tub if the shells hit. Yes, this really happened to both of us. Serving in a place that is at war probably isn’t the smartest thing to do but when God says go you go. Continue reading
Bible
Teaching the Bible
I taught many Bible Studies in different homes while in Jericho. However the biggest one was at the Jesus House on Saturday morning at ten o’clock. We would have ladies that showed up at eight in the morning for the study at ten. We kept the door locked until we had everything set up for the study. We had to set chairs up so they would have a place to sit. Continue reading
Sharing a church building
Last time I told you about working with the Bible Society in Amman, Jordan. While there the church we worked with also had a second congregation that met in the building on Sunday afternoon. I love the idea of sharing a building with different congregations. This congregation was from Somalia. They were refugees. Of course they had a different language than the congregation that met in the morning. They also needed the Bible in their language.
The team we were with had purchased Bibles from the Bible Society in the Somali language. We went to the service and put the Bibles on a table and anyone who came to the service could have a Bible if they wanted one. Of course any that were left over we gave to the pastor. Continue reading
Working with different organizations
One of the joys of being a missionary is being able to work with other organizations that also preach the gospel. One of the organizations we have had the privilege of working with is the Jordanian Bible Society. When we were in Jordan they were very helpful. The head of the society in Amman at that time was Jamal Hashweh. He has since left the society and works with a mission that works with refugees.
Jamal was very informative about what the Bible Society in Jordan does. Jordan is an Islamic country but anyone who comes to the Bible Society and asks for information on Christianity they can give it to them including a Bible. They told us many stories about people making inquiries and then coming to Jesus. Continue reading
Ministering in Guatemala
I have been on many mission trips through the years. I thought I had seen it all. I had never been south of the United States. I don’t know what I expected but I was surprised.
We took a team to Guatemala to work with a local church. They needed people to help paint rooms and to hold healing services. The team God put together was amazing. We had Sonny, who is an evangelist and has a healing ministry. At least he did for that trip. We had young people who could minister to the children and who also had energy. We had many people who are equipped with the gift of helps and filled in where needed. We even had a young lady who took Spanish in college and could interpret for us so we were not dependent on some one else. Continue reading
Jacob’s Well
As one visits Israel and The West Bank you can seem to relive Bible stories. In John chapter four we read about Jacob’s well. Jesus was resting near the town of Sychar when a woman comes to the well and Jesus asks her for a drink. There is quite a discussion between her and Jesus and she ends up believing He is the Messiah and runs to the town to tell everyone about Jesus. Continue reading
Pro Life ministry 1
When we lived in Ukraine there was a ministry we worked closely with other than the Widow’s House. It was called Angelina and is now called Hope. It was one of the two ministries that was pro life. This ministry had a unique approach.
First of all I must tell you that children raised in an orphanage never learn life skills. They go to school and learn reading a writing and stuff like that but they are never taught how to make a bed or cook a meal or do the dishes. Absolutely nothing practical to live outside the orphanage. At age eighteen they have to leave the orphanage. They are not prepared to live at all. So a lot of the girls turn to prostitution mostly for food and a roof over their head. Continue reading
Difference in schools
As I drive in my home town I look at the schools. It seems like we are trying to make our schools more beautiful. As you drive by the newer schools they are so inviting. It is not like that in Russia. When we were there we visited many schools and they all, and I do mean all, look alike. I wondered how the children learned because they looked so dingy. When we went to Ukraine I discovered all the schools there looked just like the schools in Russia. Continue reading
Summer camp Ukraine style
When we lived overseas we wore many different hats and did many different things. When we lived in the village we decided to have a summer camp for the children of the village. Now in the former Soviet Union camps are a very big thing. It isn’t camp as we think of camp here in the states. It is more like a day camp. It is a place where the children come, have fun and learn about Jesus’ saving power. We were friends with a group from One Mission Society who were ministering in Kiev. We contacted them and asked them if they would come and hold a camp for the kids in our village. Continue reading
Crazy things like cars
When we lived in Chervonoarmeysk, Ukraine we simply had to have a car. It was a town of about five thousand people and had a couple of small grocery stores and one restaurant with a limited menu. The biggest town was about an hour away. We had worked with a church in Zhytomer and the pastor of the church helped us find a car. The church also helped us keep it legal so we had all the right stickers. Continue reading
Tales from the Mission Field 