Helping Andrey With the Light of Hope Youth-Group

While I was in America Andrey started a youth-group at the center for the teenagers that come to the center. I was very encouraged to hear about that, and I immediately wanted to get involved. However because of discipline problems with the kids, there was a short break. Three weeks ago he started the group again and I made sure I was there.

Andrey is doing a great job with these kids! He has been taking them through the book of Mark, but since three weeks ago was the week of Easter, he did a lesson from Luke 24 about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. We started with a fun game were the kids in two teams had a cake and had to eat their cake fast than the other team without the use of their hands. This was a lot of fun. Then he broke the scripture into several small sections and assigned each section to one of the kids to read then to retell the verses in their own words. Then after going through the verse their task was to do a collage that explained their different verses so that they could tell the story from beginning to end.

I was extremely impressed! The kids don’t even realize as they are having a good time that they are learning the IBS method and growing in the word. I know that this group is going to really affect the lives of these kids and that some will be won to the Lord. Among all the other things we do at the center, none of them really mean much if we do not teach the gospel and the Word. If we just feed these kids a warm meal, play games with them, and love them, they will not leave this place changed, and in the end they will be in the same place they were before. I believe that we need to use all good material things we do to allow these kids to trust and open up to us so that we can help them spiritually, in the end that is all that matters. During this confusing time as teenagers it is crucial that we build these relationships and use the Word to affect their hearts.

The next week for one reason or another only three girls showed up. So they made a salad, we ate and went through the scriptures as Andrey said “like adults”. I was again impresses as I saw the way Andrey tactfully lead them through the Word and as I saw the girls receive, understand, and even expound on the Word themselves. I am really encouraged by this youth-group, this is what I came to Russia to do. I will continue to help Andrey in any way I can, and one day hope to take a more active role.

Last week Andrey took the kids to his mother’s apartment to help her clean up and did the Bible study there. Andrey’s mom has multiple scleroses and is no longer able to walk. This is really good for the kids to learn how to serve and help others, to learn how good it feels to help someone else, and for Andrey to share his life with these kids. Please keep these teenagers and this group in prayer, that they would be saved in Jesus and that Andrey would continue to have the wisdom on how to lead the group. Also please keep Andrey and his mom in prayer, as her condition continues to get worse she will need more help, praise the Lord she is a believer, but this will become harder and harder on Andrey and his sister. I thank those of you who support ICM (Russia) and Light of Hope financially and in prayer. Your support is doing the work of the Lord here in Russia.

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Welcoming American Missionaries to the Light of Hope Center

Last week I was blessed to be able to welcome some of my American brothers and sisters here to the Light of Hope Center. The group consisted of five women, three of which were high schoolers, and two men. They are part of a ministry that has been heavily supporting the Light of Hope Center, as well as many orphanages and centers similar to ours in the Vologda Region.

It was fun to see as a mission group come to the Center to work with the kids, not expecting to encounter another American. At first I was a little shy, I am not sure why, (oops that rhymed) to speak English with them. But after I quickly got over that, I was glad to get to know the team, ask them questions and help them minister here in our city. They did a marvelous job sharing the love of Christ with the kids with a number of interesting crafts and activities, along with some very good testimonies. I was blessed to watch as they shared their hearts with the kids. I .enjoyed watching the kids as they warmed up team and got excited to be involved in the different games and activities. It can be hard to get these kids to open their hearts, which is why I think it is good for missionaries to come, to love them and reach into their hearts with the love of Jesus. We can use all the help we can get to reach these kids

I just want to thank the team that came from Philadelphia to share the gospel with our kids. We were blessed to have them here and encouraged to see the kids hear the gospel. I encourage those who read about and support me, and ICM Russia, to please keep these kids in prayer, and the team. Pray that we would have the wisdom and power to continue sharing Jesus with these kids. Also pray for missionaries as they go to strange countries, sharing their lives, finances, and love with those that need Jesus.

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Teaching English

One way I can best help the team here in Russia is simply by knowing English. We work a lot with missionaries from English speaking countries and of course the language barrier always is a problem. Before I left for America I was teaching English, not only to the team, but to a group of people on Saturdays. But now on the visa that I am on I am not allowed to work and I have to wait till I get my temporary residency to be able to make money teaching. Because of this I was not able to teach the whole group, but I decided to teach just the ICM team for free. We have been meeting in the mornings twice a week at the Light of Hope Center. So far it has been a joy teaching this group. They all are eager and willing to learn, especially my newest student Sveta, not to be confused with my fiancé, there are enough Sveta’s in Russia to populate a small country. She is a little behind the other students, but makes up for it with excitement, eagerness to learn and fearless determination. I am confident that in a year or so the team will be able to speak English, at least well enough to hold a simple conversation. I might eventually start an English movie night club to help give them practice.

I would not say that I English is the reason I am here in Russia, but I do plan on using it to glorify God. When I can I would like to start working and use the money I make to live so that I can use my support only for ministry, to maybe try to start English outreaches, and help integrate ICM Russia with the English speaking world.

Teaching the Word

This past year living in Russia, the three months in America, and on the way back to Russia I have been praying and thinking about how I can help here in Russia the best and what exactly has the Lord called me here to do. There is so much that could be done, and of course almost everything I would like to do now requires that I speak better Russian. My desires in being in Russia are to build up the Church with the teaching of the Word, to teach Inductive Bible Study seminars, and to help orphans and at risk kids.

I am now spending time at the Light of Hope center building relationships with kids, and helping in whatever way I can. I would like to someday be able to help more financially, but right now I have to be satisfied with what I am doing at the moment. I have already taught one seminar and we are planning another seminar in April. But I am still not sure in what way exactly I will teach the word, am I to be a pastor, a traveling preacher, or what? I don’t know what the Lord has in store for me as far as teaching the Word is concerned. I am still praying and asking for the leading of the Lord. I have decided that I will not be in a hurry, spending this time to build myself in the Word, learn Russian, and wait for the Lord to show what He has planned. Shortly after deciding this I was blessed with three opportunities to teach the Word.

Before Igor left for America to raise support he started a missionary group that meets every Wednesday. I was blessed to be invited to come and share the Word with this group in Igor’s absence, and to have a fiancé that is willing and able to translate for me. I am not able to commit to the group regularly because I am trying to juggle that and the youth group that Andrey has started at the Center. But I cannot describe the blessing I receive in teaching the Word. I am seeking God to find out if I should commit to this group more or spend more time with Andrey and the kids.


The second opportunity was to teach the home group that Abner leads every Thursday at Olga’s apartment. Abner was going to have to cancel the group, but I was blessed and surprised when he asked if I could teach and have Sveta translate. I was blessed as I led the group through 2 Peter 2. It is getting easier to teach through an interpreter, and Sveta does a great job, often saying things better than I do. The message was interesting and seemed to be more for me than the group. I do not know what goes on in other people’s hearts, and how it works with other teachers, but I know that the Spirit was really working during a Bible Study if I feel like I was ministered to more than those I was ministering to. Sveta and I were talking about this as she drove me home, marveling at how the Spirit can speak so individually to different people in different stages of life and different situations through the same verse.

The third opportunity was to cover for Abner on Saturday in the Light of Hope Church. Abner had to lead a Jesus film outreach and was not going to be able to do both. I taught from Mark 5:35-43. Abner came back at the end of the service in time to catch the end of the teaching. I cannot say how excited I was when he said that they were going to ask me to teach more often. I feel this is the first step to me being able to do something here in Russia. I think the first step to revival is the fanning of the flame in the hearts of believers, starting with those ministering. This is what the Lord is doing in my heart, and I hope that the Lord will use me in somewhat to fan that flame.

Please keep in prayer what the Lord has in store for us in Russia, and for ICM. As I walk the streets of Cherepovets I can easily get overwhelmed when I see all that could be done and the help that is needed. There is so much to do here it has to be from the Lord, in the Lord’s leading, in His timing, and only in His power! Please keep us all ministering over here in prayer as the Lord lays it on your heart. This week I am going to lead the home group through the book of Jude, I am excited! Please pray that we would be changed by the teaching of the word, and that we would be set on fire.