How is your summer going? The Lord keeps blessing our summer days with a lot of events, impressions and acquaintances. How merciful the Lord is, and how much He blesses us with many opportunities for the ministry! We’d like to share some of them…

“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” Psalm 86:5;

How Must We Pray So God Will Answer?
Oftentimes, we find ourselves puzzled over this question, without even considering what prayer actually is all about. In fact, prayer has tremendous power, and by way of prayer, God fulfills His great works for both, who prays and for whom people pray. Prayer gives us an access to the heart of God Himself, and it is the channel, through which the devastated soul is filled with God’s presence. In early June, the Association of Biblical Missionary Churches of Ukraine held a prayer seminar in Zalisya. There were representatives of five churches: Ivano-Frankivsk, Sarny, Rivne, Zdolbunov and Kiev. This time, we focused our attention on what prayer is, and how sincere we are, when we’re talking to our God. Igor Plyva prepared a wonderful seminar for us, and everyone had another opportunity to take stock of their heart.

What Is the Future of the Ukrainian School?
This issue was addressed at an expanded meeting of the editorial board of the Christian Spiritual and Educational magazine “Word to the Teacher,” which was held in Rivne on June 21, 2018. For more than a decade, the IPO Hope to People has been publishing this pedagogical journal with the aim of promoting education and culture in Ukraine on the basis of Christian principles. In addition to the members of the editorial board, at the meeting were: co-founders, scientists, representatives of the city education department and the regional institute of postgraduate pedagogical education, university professors, teachers of Christian ethics, representatives of churches of various Christian denominations, employees of the IPO Hope to People.

 

 

Christian Values Are Needed More Than Ever in Ukrainian Education
An employee IPO “Hope for People,” Ruslana Kovalchuk had an opportunity to attend a training course at the Summer School of Academic Integrity in the Education System, which was held from June 26 through 29, 2018, at the National University “Ostroh Academy.” The primary purpose of the school was to communicate the Christian principles of academic integrity to pedagogical workers of institutions who teach at secondary and post-secondary facilities. Our goal was to have as many conversations as possible with teachers of Christian ethics and other educators, to make new acquaintances, to develop cooperation with the university, as well as to propagate Christian influence in education system. In the midst of the event, our employee Arkady Slyoza made a brief presentation of the magazine “Word to the Teacher” to the participants of the summer school. Please pray that the principles of Christian morality are strengthened and spread in the system of Ukrainian education, since this system is deeply affected by corruption and bribery among teachers, as well as by plagiarism and irresponsible attitude towards learning by students.

How to Find the Harmony of the Soul?
In early July, at the campground of Zalisya, there was held a joint project of the Second Slavic Baptist Church of Sacramento, Connect International, and International Public Organization Hope to People. This Christian outreach camp was titled “Harmony of the Soul or Love the Lord with All Your Heart,” and was intended for wives and children who lost their husbands and fathers fighting at the east of Ukraine during 2014-2018. There were 60 mothers and 85 children who came to the camp, and were welcomed by 40 team members. This year, we decided to put special emphasis on the Bible classes and lessons for the children, so that their mothers would be totally free to sit under the preaching of God’s Word, and have more time to rest and fellowship.

God’s Grace in Warsaw
On Sunday, July 8, Alexander Ilyin was ordained as a pastor in the Russian-speaking church God’s Grace in Warsaw. There were pastors from Rivne and Sacramento who took part in this worship service. Praise God for the ministry in this city! May God bless this church to proclaim God’s grace to all people! These days, brothers and sisters got together and jointly conducted street evangelism with the use of reproductions of masterpieces of world painting on the theme “The Life of Jesus Christ.”

 

 

Scorching Summer in Italy
In Italy, in the first week of July, a blessed by the Lord evangelistic camp for children from countries of the former Soviet Union who live here as immigrants took place. As we were preparing to this camp, we had so many troubles and predicaments, but… the camp still took place, although less children could come in the camp than we expected to be. There is one common problem – it’s all about money, it’s too expensive to travel for families with many children, or there are families where only one mother works, or both parents have lost their jobs. Basically, in the camp, there were children from the Bible club, which is being held by a Ukrainian minister in the city of Caserta, Yaroslav Dovgy. Soon after the camp in this young church, an exciting event took place – a young married couple entered in a covenant with the Lord through water baptism. Thank God for everything and thanks a lot for your prayers and support!

Teach All Nations…
Kurds-Yazidis of Armenia is one of the few nations that worship the stone idol of Satan. They are shepherds, and they live high up in the mountains far from civilization and work really hard to get their bread. But there was a light in the valley of the shadow of death! God used our ministers living in Armenia to bring the Good News to the children. They organized two outreach camps on the shores of Lake Sevan, where there were 100 children in each camp. Throughout the year, our ministers conduct a weekly children’s biblical club in the Yazidi village and visit over 30 mountain villages with children’s programs. Thank God children and youth are open to the gospel. Despite the spiritual struggle, people repent and come to faith in Jesus Christ. For many Yazidi children taking a shower and eating three meals a day is a great blessing. Unfortunately, their families are unable to provide coverage for the child’s trip to the camp. This ministry really needs your prayers and material support.

This newsletter was composed by Tetiana Arterchuk, Anatoliy Kytaykin