Thank God for my blessings.

So many times I hear a story on the news about something that happens to a child.  I hug my kids closer to me and thank God that they are safe.  I am doing that again but in a much closer way.  This time the story was much closer to home.  I received word yesterday that one of my cousin's sons was killed in an accident.  For those of you that know my family, this is the "Chicago cousins".  We don't see each other often, but we have grown up together and care about each other a lot.  Beth Ann is just a few weeks younger than I, so we have always enjoyed spending time together when our families visited.  Beth Ann's 12 year old son was at their business yesterday afternoon and there was an accident.  Nathan was killed.  Please pray for the Bias and Mate families.  I look at my children and wonder how I could ever be without one of them.  So, go hug your kids and thank God that he has allowed you to hold onto them.

Iowa to Ukraine and back

Peirce has been back safely since early, early on Monday morning.  I am so sorry that I haven't gotten anything up yet, but it has just been a strange week with a lot of different things going on.  Peirce had a good time, learned a lot, and is just now getting over his jetlag. (this has been a busy week for him too)

We received this email from Mark Huffman who is the missionary that the team has gone to the last three years.  I thought that maybe you would enjoy reading his email.  It is a little lengthy but it was exciting to hear what the Lord has done.

As I start to write about the flood of things God did here in Odessa last week during our 3rd annual Iowa/Odessa Ministry, with the youth group from Clear Lake Evangelical Free Church, I am reminded of what my friend Bob Kinzel might say, “It’s like trying to drink out of a fire hydrant.” I think we had three fire hydrants! We had an amazing week with amazing opportunities and an amazing team. Best of all, our amazing God was served and on display all week and He came out shining!  
 
Our team: 
+11 teenagers from Clear Lake EFC. (We miss you guys! Andrew, Blair, Chipper, Dalton, Eric, Janice, Jenny, Jordon, Michael, Peirce, Zach.)
+4 adults from Clear Lake EFC. (We miss you too! Randy, Jeff, Lindsey, Michelle.) 
+3 interns. (Danny, Kostya, Zhenya)
+3 boys. (Chris, Ben, Nate. 2 teenagers and 1 almost teenager.)
+3 ministry partners, IM staff. (Arkadiy, Anneke, and Artem)
+2 others - Kim and me. (Mark) 
26 People (Not to mention many translators, several bus drivers, and 2 cooks.)
 
Our Challenge: Share Christ’s love and the Gospel in three different venues.  
  Venue #1: Basketball Class with 4th, 5th and 6th graders at Public School #72.
  Venue #2: Craft Class with 4th, 5th and 6th graders at Public School #72.
  Venue #3: English Club at the Christian Humanitarian Economic Open University of Odessa.  
   
Our Plan: Divide and conquer. We split our team of 26 into 3 teams, one for each venue.  
 
What Happened? We actually went into a public school and taught their afternoon Phy. Ed. classes for an entire week! Teaching basketball and crafts isn’t a big deal. But, in EVERY class, we took time to clearly and carefully share the Gospel, with full approval of the Phy. Ed. teachers! No one counted, but I expect by the end of the week there were well over 350 kids that came. Every one of them heard the Gospel – many of them for the first time!
 
What else? The third part of our team traveled across town every day and “taught English” at the Christian University where most students are non-Christians. We had an English Club every day which included games, silly songs, small group Bible studies, small group conversation time, Scripture songs, testimonies and the Gospel. Many students came, believers and unbelievers, but they all had a blast and they all heard the Truth.  
 
It does not end there. Who was sharing the Gospel at the public school? American teenagers (including Chris and Ben)! I remember waaaaay back when I was in 4th, 5th and 6th grade, if a high school student would acknowledge I existed I was amazed. Here we had a group of high school students lovingly helping these kids learn to play basketball and lovingly “rescuing” the young girls from Phy. Ed. class J to do crafts. When they took a break and shared the Gospel, we had their attention, 100%! The American teenagers were real celebrities for a week (yes, autographs were signed for free), and they used that platform to share Christ’s love and the Gospel with these kids. The school teachers were totally amazed that American teenagers would care for “their” kids like this.
 
Who was sharing the Gospel at the University? American teenagers! I saw so much growth in these Americans as they lead and shared each day. They were courageous, creative and Christ-like as they loved and shared with the students that came. On Monday some of the Americans had to be encouraged to lead, but by Friday they would jump in before I had a chance to ask them to! I was also shocked by my university students. Several who previously struggled to talk to me about basic things, slowly began to speak better and better with their American peers. By the end of the week many of them had grown from being timid and shy about speaking English to being very conversational! The love of Christ, coming through these American teenagers, gave several students courage to do what they have been trained to do – speak English.  
 
Our continued service at Public School #72 has further established our relationship with the school. We have been praying about starting an evangelistic soccer league in our neighborhood. On Thursday (the fourth day of our work there), Arkadiy and Danny (our intern and soccer expert) met with the Director of the school to ask if we can start an Upward soccer league in their school and she said yes without batting an eye! So, we handed out invitations for an Upward (evangelistic) soccer league with kids in this school.  
 
The story continues. On Saturday we had our annual Iowa to Odessa Ministry picnic. We always invite everyone to come, hoping to build a better relationship with them and hoping to get them closer to coming to church. Last year, I think about 20 or 30 people came to the picnic. This past Saturday there must have been over 200 people there! Kids from the school brought their parents and siblings. University students came with friends. We had a great afternoon, playing card games, teaching American football, playing Frisbee and volleyball, and trying to cook 300 hot dogs over a fire that wouldn’t burn . . . which ended with a tour of the Odessa catacomb museum. Sunday about 8 or 9 of them came to our church worship service. I expect for all of them it was their first time in a Protestant church!  
 
Our little church here in Odessa served well! (Thankfully most of the people in our church are translators.) They were always in the middle of things, translating, encouraging and building relationships with all of the new people. We learned a lot and will be even better prepared next year.  
 
It was an impressive week with a lot of events and a lot of people, but God is not impressed by numbers, He wants our affection and our hearts. What “impressed” God?  
-15 Americans spending their “spring break” working hard, serving Him in a difficult place, instead of the many things typical Americans worship, I mean do, for spring break.
-A church and many people willing to give sacrificially and send part of their youth group, especially during a financial crisis. That is literally expensive worship!
-A team of 26 people (Americans, Ukrainians, 1 South African and 1 Romanian) that united together during some tremendously pressured times, to love Him and love others, making Christ so attractive that hundreds of people would come to find out more.  
-A little new church in the former Soviet Union willing to take many risks and go places where we “should not go” and do things that we “cannot do.” “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” - Philippians 4:13
 
That was a BIG sip from the fire hydrants, but I hope you got a taste of what is happening here!  
 
Please pray for:
+Four young teenage girls who said they would come back for our worship service this Sunday. Please pray they will come!  
+Upward evangelistic soccer league with kids in public school #72 is scheduled to start April 25. Please pray for all of the preparations and planning and for kids with hearts open to the Gospel to register.  
+The “Iowa Team” as they re-enter “real life” again. This can be very difficult after such a spiritual high.
+The “Odessa Team” as we recover from a flurry of activity and follow-up with MANY new contacts. PLEASE pray that we will be good stewards of the opportunities God is giving us here!  
+Evangelistic English Camps – We need more Americans! (Let me know if you want more details.) 
 
We know many of you were praying for this ministry. We are so thankful to have partners like you!!!
“. . . The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” - James 5:16. We felt and saw this power last week. Thank you so much!  
 
For 50 pictures of the Iowa to Odessa Ministry 2009, go to:  
http://picasaweb.google.ru/Huffman.Odessa/IowaOdessaMinistry2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCP_Ooq-F_tmRkwE# 
 
With Love,
Mark
 
P.S. The end of the Iowa/Odessa Ministry 2009 brought an end of an “era” of sorts to part of our ministry. Artem Kurdov has been with International Messengers for 2.5 years and a part of our team for most of that time. God is moving Artem to something different. Artem doesn’t know just what that is, but he has resigned from International Messengers and is moving back to his home town, Armiansk, Ukraine. Please pray for Artem as he goes through this transition.  
 
P.S.S. Let me tell you about one more interesting thing that happened. Friday night we had an “American game night.” We invited people to come and play American games (UNO, Boogle, Taboo, Phase 10 . . .). We were expecting about 45 total people, but there must have been almost 200 waiting for us when we arrived! I didn’t know how we would handle this, but everyone jumped in and started playing and it went well. Kids came “from nowhere” to meet the Americans that had served in the school so well. There was even a television crew there to film the event! A few of us were interviewed, but I never heard who actually made it on TV.  


   

Safely in the Ukraine

We received an email on Saturday that the missions team had arrived safely.  I think it was probably our considerate youth pastor that had my son and the other boy that was not feeling well also email before the others did.  They are able to use the missionary's computer, but they do not have a whole lot of time.  I have not felt apprehensive about the trip until Peirce got sick, and then I have to admit, I was a little more fearful until God showed us that He was taking care of Peirce by taking his temp away.  It is now 5:30 in the evening there, so I am hoping that they will have an opportunity to send an email to someone letting us know how the day went.  They have felt satan's fight, and I am thankful that they recognize it for what it is.  

One of the missionary's to the Ukraine explained some of the mentality of the people toward God.  Ukraine has a very corrupt government.  For those of you who do not know, Ukraine used to be part of the USSR.  The KGB is still very much alive in the area under a different name.  The people have seen this government all of their lives.  They have to bribe their way to get grades in school, important papers signed, etc....  They have a rough time understanding how God can be a righteous authority.  They so rarely see one.  Sometimes people around us struggle with God as their Father when their father was not good, but at the same time, they could see fathers around them who were kind and loving.  Many people in the Ukraine have never had an example of an authority who is righteous and just.

This information helped me understand a little more how to pray for the team as they are there.  Since Peirce is turning 15 this week, I have been praying for a heart for those around him.  It is so hard at that age and any age to grasp selflessness.  I pray that Peirce can see these people through God's eyes.

Ukraine bound

I just put my oldest child on a van full of 11 teenagers and 4 sponsors going to Odessa, Ukraine.  I really have felt fine about the trip.  I know that Peirce knew that this is what God wanted him to do, so I have not had any anxiety about the trip.  Our youth pastor has been over to Eastern Europe 15 times on these trips, so I felt very sure that between God and Pastor Randy, Peirce was in good hands. ( I don't mean for that to sound like I am taking God's position lightly.  I would not send Peirce with someone I did not trust even though God was watching over him.)  This has been a faith growing time for me as well as for my child who hates change.  Those of you who know Peirce well know that he likes a well ordered world.  He likes to know what is coming and when.  This is one of those times as a parent when you look at your child and are proud and amazed.  It is so neat to see the "adult" changes taking place.

Please pray for this group.  They have a long flight today and a long week ahead of them.  They will be doing a basketball camp, craft time, and an English camp as well as being able to go into the public school there to share Christ.  God has truly opened doors here that have not been opened in this area before.

Yesterday, Peirce stayed home from school because he was very sick -102.6 temp.  We were worried that we might have to keep him home.  My prayer was that God would make it very clear whether or not he should stay or go.  I didn't mind sending him not feeling well if I knew that he would feel well in a day or two.  I got home from the team meeting last night that Peirce could not attend to find him feeling and looking so much better than he had when I had left him with almost a 103 temp.  God is so good.  We all had prayed for him at the meeting.  Peirce had all of his support and was looking forward to this trip, so I am so thankful that he was feeling well enough.  I sent enough drugs (nyquil, advil cold and sinus....)  with him to hopefully keep him feeling ok.

In the picture, Peirce is the second from the right in the back row.  He will also be turning 15 next Friday (the 20th).  For those of you that remember, last year we moved on his birthday.

The hills are alive....

With the Sound of Music.  Clear Lake High School is doing one of my favorite musicals this weekend.  I have been so impressed with the acting and singing that a smaller school can offer.  It clearly has shown the dedication of the choir director for good music.  He is a Christian man who truly works with the kids.  I have been so excited to see Peirce get involved in choir and now the play.  He doesn't have a speaking part, but it has been a good experience even though it involved many late nights.  Peirce is one of the contestants at the end of the play. He also was involved in moving some of the set.  We went last night, and we will go again tomorrow afternoon. (makes for a very busy day)  There are a lot of solos in this play, and each person who sang was very, very, very good.  I was blown away by the ability of some of these kids.  I am very thankful that we have this capability of doing a performance of this quality as well as having a Christian teacher.  I know that many schools do not have this, and that is one reason why we felt that we could put the boys in here. There is a very strong Christian influence, as well as a strong influence on good character.  Peirce is in the photo on the far right of the picture on the middle picture.

Busy kid week

I wanted to update a few things so that you can know what is going on at our house.  I've had a cold this week.  It has been one of those that takes you twice as long to get anything done, so I have not blogged.  Peirce is going to be the play "The Sound of Music" this Fri pm, Sat pm, and Sun.  (afternoon).  He has had practices every night this week until very late.  

We had parent-teacher conferences at the high school today. What a joy to hear the teachers say how kind Peirce is and how well he is doing in school.  (Makes a former homeschooling mom glad that I didn't ruin his education.)

One week from tomorrow we put Peirce on a plane to go to the Ukraine on a missions trip.  He will turn 15 while he is there.  Wow!  Due to play practices and missions trips meetings, I haven't had a whole lot of time to really think about the fact that my child will be a long way away for a week.  I am excited because I have seen God's hand on this child.  He's starting to really sense the Holy Spirit in his life, and that is so exciting to see.  

I'll keep you all updated on his trip.  I'll also post play pictures some time this weekend.