Sunday, June 6, 2010

Ukraine News - June 2010 from Ternopil

JUNE 2010 - News from Ukraine!!!!

Teaching English in Ternopil – training missionaries and many more in English

WOW – can you believe it! We have already been here in Ukraine for two full weeks! This also means that we have only 2 weeks remaining. The outreach has been amazing thus far...we have been able to serve over 80 locals through teaching English each evening! Some classes have been crazy, challenging and certainly a learning experience – having 44 students that can speak little to no English when we were expecting 25 was a little shocking! We have spent a lot of time in prep work, writing lessons, cleaning up, setting up! The staff here have been such a blessing - cooking, serving and helping us in every way. We have received a few lessons in Ukrainian....still are pretty limited! Ha ha ha - funny going to the grocery store and coming home with what we think is butter...and it is lard...or cream...or who knows what!

The teaching has been a 24/7 thing, as we are living with 7 of our students here at the YWAM base!! This has opened the door to many wonderful opportunities to laugh, learn and grow together. I am in awe at God’s strategy for us to be training and teaching missionaries in English. This base here does their outreaches to India, which is why having English is so important for them. So...in an indirect way we are a part of equipping outreach to India through teaching English! Praise God!

Over the next two weeks we have plan to join in the outreaches to local orphanages – there are over 125,000 orphans in the nation of Ukraine. We are all looking forward to this opportunity to serve and love in Jesus’ name!

We have been also blessed to enjoy nice walks in many of the beautiful parks and the neighbourhood surrounding us here. The work has been intense, and the joy and blessing has been abundant :)!

Opportunities in Community

The Lord has opened (and continues to) other doors while we have been serving and ministering here. We accepted an invitation to share at a Youth Home-group last week. There were about 15 young people from the ages of 12- 25 at the meeting. It was such a powerful time of sharing and prayer and ministry! They received us with open arms and hearts and each one of us teachers shared for a time, mostly encouraging them to shine Jesus’ light right where they are and to DREAM BIG in God’s plans!

We have an opporunity to teach/visit a TESOL class at the pedagogical University....it is still in the works....so we will see about that...time is moving quickly! Would be an amazing opportunity indeed!

Worship/ Prayer / Intercession

Another area that the Lord has prepared for us to serve in has been in worship and prayer/intercession here on the base. In typical last minute style, I have lead worship for the weekly staff worship and intercession for the past two weeks. Last week Holy Spirit was moving in such a powerful way....and the time simply went away, but we were all ministered to in a great way!

We also felt strongly to open up an English Worship and Intercession time during the week in case our students wanted to participate in that time. This past week again, there was a great move of God in our midst....such a joy and delight in the mercy and goodness of God’s love in Christ Jesus!

Our team, Megan Murray from Washington State, Joanne Degruyl from New Brunswick, Doug Sadler from Winnipeg and myself have been seeking God for the good of this base, these people, this city and nation. One area that we really have sensed God prompt us in is prayer work....so long before our teaching prep and follow through takes place we have been seeking God together and releasing His praise, worship and word! We have already seen some very amazing and speedy answers to prayers that God laid on our hearts! He is good and He answers our prayers!

PRAYER SUPPORT

To all you prayers out there  - THANKS SO MUCH.....we would have drowned in the first few days..had it not been for the prayers of each of you and God's faithfulness! And even now - His grace is so clearly and continuously flowing to us...and your prayer and covering of love and faith has such a huge part in that!  

All I can say is...keep it coming! God is truly doing something special in our midst...it is such an honour to be partnering together in His Kingdom! As a team - the Lord has bonded us together...it will be tough to part after living and breathing so closely together for 3 months! (Requesting prayer for the transition back!!)

I return to Guelph on June 22....so am requesting prayer for what is to come for the summer....and all the rest of the details...my car is still waiting and ready to sell...you know - all the rest!
Guatemala Update

Many of you have likely been aware of the disasters that have been taking place in Guatemala...I wanted to pass this information on to you, if you are not aware. As you all know we work closely with Fe Viva Guatemala (Casa Esperanza Children’s Home, etc.) and I have been getting updates from them regarding the volcanic eruption, tropical storms, floods and mudslides, etc. There are over 200,000 people displaced from these natural disasters and many bridges have been washed out....our Bible College Students were in El Salvador on their yearly outreach and the bridge was washed out. I have not heard if they have been able to return to Guatemala yet.

If you can please keep these ones in prayer – Fe Viva, all the staff and children, and the people of Guatemala...let us see God’s goodness revealed through His people in this time of need.

For more info, or to get more involved please go to http://www.feviva.org/ .


Photos from TESOL Training....and New York Stop over  - more to come soon!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=442036&id=741610340&l=3504ac4148
 
 
 
For now....that is all I can say! Again - a HUGE thanks to all of you that are praying and that gave financially and are still giving financially towards this outreach and our missions work through Word of Life....We are walking in what He has for this season :) It is exciting!
 
Love you all so much and am praying for you and yours - Ephesians 1:17-23!
 
Allison

No comments:

Post a Comment