Time flies so fast, and everything around us changes, but our Lord always stays immutable. In the whirlwind of events, we sometimes get lost and trip, but if we are God’s children, He will certainly, help us up and direct us on the right track. He rules over all the circumstances in this world and will surely lead us into His Kingdom. Please read through our updates as the Lord leads us and blesses us!
Let Jesus be always before our eyes, and be our Guide in faith…
Hebrews 12:2
Mission Conference 2023
From October 29 to November 5, 2023, the 28th mission conference on the theme “Admonishing Everyone” took place in the Rivne Bible Mission Church Community of the Good Shepherd, in which employees and missionaries of the Christian Mission Hope to People took part. The slogan of the conference was the biblical text: “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28)
30th Anniversary of the Mission Hope to People
A very bright and joyful event took place during the mission conference – we celebrated the anniversary of the mission Hope to People. And it is not just the day of the mission’s founding, but an anniversary! 30 years, by earthly standards, it’s a lot, and we all had something to recall. Together we prayed, sang, and praised God for His faithfulness and grace shown to us during all these years.
Evangelism with Paintings in Educational Institutions
On October 16-17, 2023, employees of the Department of Christian Ethics, Ruslana Kovalchuk, and Arkadiy Slyoza preached the gospel to students, and teachers of Zhytomyr region, using the exhibition of reproductions of paintings by famous artists “The Life of Jesus Christ in Works of Art.” They visited the villages of Markushi, Obukhivka, Velyka Pyatihirka, Raihorodok, and the town of Berdychiv.
On November 20, the evangelism with the exhibition of paintings began in the Sarnensky district of the Rivne region. The first ones to see the exhibition were students and teachers of Sarnensky Lyceum # 5 and Gymnasium # 3. If the Lord allows, they are planning to visit 28 educational institutions in the district.
Reflections on the Ministry in Turkey
Turkey is a very beautiful country and the people there are very friendly, but they are not as quick to respond to the call to repentance as we would like. Therefore, in this culture, it is very important not only to share the gospel but also to show that gospel. Our brother and minister in this country tell from his own experience…
Armenia
In October of this year, brother William van der Kolff, a member of the Board of the Christian Mission Hope to People, visited our ministers in Armenia. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and encouragement. Brothers and sisters had a good opportunity to worship the Lord together in different places in Armenia. There were several meetings in small groups of the church, as well as participation in the worship services of various church communities, where brother William preached and taught.
Our employees are actively involved in the ministry to displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh, many of whom were left not only without housing but also without any means of livelihood. Christians opened the doors of their homes and churches to these people. However, the need is very great, so please pray for this ministry and everything necessary to carry on with it.
A Trip to the Military
Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine continues, and along with it, the trips of our brothers with help and Good News to Ukrainian military personnel, mainly in the Donetsk region, also continue. Every trip is preceded by thorough preparation: a collection of necessary things (mobile stoves, burners, trench candles, camouflage nets, warm clothes), food, and medicines. But on the last trip, our brothers also helped repair two cars that one of the Ukrainian brothers bought in the USA and sent from abroad for the Armed Forces.
Сamps for the children of refugees
Young brothers from the church Community of the Good Shepherd in Rivne held a camp for the children of refugees from the Donetsk region, who temporarily live in a sanatorium near the city of Kamianske, where there is a church of our Association House of Agape…
Christmas Evangelism
The season of fall is ending, and therefore it is time to prepare for Christmas. For the second year in a row, we celebrate this holiday in conditions of war. Sadness, fatigue, stress, and depression took over the hearts of many Ukrainians. However, on Christmas days, we want to remind them of Eternal Hope and bring at least a little bit of joy into their life.
This year, we’re planning to celebrate Christmas in Zalissya, where displaced people, who have lost their homes and have nowhere to return to, live, for orphans who are evangelized and served by our employees, and to congratulate the children of fallen servicemen and their families, with whom we maintain relationship. We also want to hold a day camp on a Christmas topic for children from the Donetsk region, who live in a sanatorium near the city of Kamianske. Christmas meetings are also planned on the property of the mission Hope to People and the church Community of the Good Shepherd in Rivne. Our brothers and sisters are preparing evangelistic programs for Kurdish-Yazidi children, Assyrians, Armenians, Uyghur, Turkish and Uzbek families.
We ask you to prayerfully and financially support our ministry and its goals. Together, we will be able to raise the necessary funds and, together with Christmas gifts, show people God’s love, light, and warmth, which they need so much.
Recharging the Heart
The traditional New Year’s conference Recharging the Heart will be held this year from December 31, 2023, to January 2, 2024, in the town of Zdolbuniv. The topic of this year’s conference is “Dependence that Gives Freedom.” At the conference, Christian youth get together to reflect on the Word, worship, and pray as they celebrate New Year’s Eve. It is also a time of fun, surprises, and making friends. This is the time when you can reflect on how your year went and what you want to do and achieve in the future!
Pray that the Lord will gather the participants and give wisdom to the speakers at the conference. Pray for God’s protection during this event.
SKY Camp
From January 15 to 20 in the picturesque town of Zhdeniyevo, Carpathian region the SKYCamp 2024 youth camp is planned. The theme of this year’s camp is “Voice.” Today, we hear many different voices, tips, and advice from TV screens and social networks around us. What voice do we tend to listen to? Whose advice do we accept? And is there really an authoritative voice in the world that you can trust and follow? Camp participants will study and reflect on it.
And they will have time for skiing and snowboarding, sauna and pool, thoughtful conversations with friends, joint worship and prayer, fun games and entertainment. Please pray for the preparation and arrangement of the camp. Pray that the Lord will speak to the hearts of the participants in this camp and help them hear the Voice that will guide them through life.
Text: Tanya Arterchuk, Ira Solyanik, Nadia Dolya
Translator:Tolik Kitaykin
