Remodeling the Center

For the last six months we have been remodeling the Light of Hope Children’s center. It had been a long time coming. The walls were starting to fall apart and the kitchen was not adequate. When we started the project we did not expect it to take so long, but it was hard to find reliable people to do the work, especially with our budget. We finally decided we will have to do it ourselves. I helped when I could, doing things like drywall, taping, wallpaper, and painting. Vanletine has done most of the work. He, with the help of Abner and me at times, did the ceiling, the plywood on the walls, the door trim, and so on. We have ordered and received our new kitchen cabinets, and soon Andrey will be putting them together and installing them.

Unfortunately we have not been able to receive kids during this time either. However we soon will be finished and be opening the doors to the kids in the area again. We used time to pray and reflect on how God wants us to move forward in our ministry at the center. And after much prayer and thought we have decided to restructure the entire ministry. We will no longer be focusing on the social-work aspect of the center as much. We have noticed that most of the kids no longer really need nor appreciate the material help we have been giving. When we started to realize and pray about this, Olga was given this verse

“Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul.” Psalm 142:4.

We realized that we had lost sight of what these kids and their families really need. More than material help, they need someone to care for their souls. Therefore, we will continue to help those families truly in need, while changing our focus to more spiritual needs. We will be trying to teach the kids skills for life as well as instilling in them a knowledge of Jesus, hoping and praying that this knowledge will grow into a personal relationship. Our hours will be different. We will be planning our time so that when the kids come we will be doing something, whether it be doing crafts, a bible lesson, teaching them how to cook, and so on. We are excited to see the fruit of our new direction. Thank you for your support and prayers. Please continue to join us in this much needed ministry. We need a lot of wisdom and guidance as we take on the spiritual battle for the souls of these kids and their parents.

New walls and ceiling :)

Here are some specific prayer requests:

• That we would have the wisdom to care for their souls


• That the kids would have open hearts


• That we would have the wisdom and discernment to help those in need


• That the Lord would bring us people who can volunteer and help with the kids


• That we would be able to also reach and minister to the kids’ parents


• That we would have the finances we need to run center, and the wisdom to know what to do with it

The new kitchen, I will add more pictures when they are up.

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More Knowledge About God

More knowledge about God. These are precious words to Alexey, Sveta, and me. The three of us just had the great pleasure of going to the city of Usinsk to do a seminar on the Inductive Bible Study Method. We left January 3rd and returned on the 12th. About thirty people showed up for the three day seminar. Among them was a young man, maybe in his twenties, with Cerebral Palsy. Everyone at this seminar was a blessing to get to know, but he blessed me the most. It was beautiful to see the joy in his face as we taught them how to study the Bible and discover the boundless treasures waiting for someone to dig them up. We did not get a chance to really get to talk, but I could tell, of all the people at the seminar, he was the most attentive and hungry of them all. During the seminar he diligently read and participated in every activity, though I did not see him write a single word. On the last day, as usual, we asked them to give us their feedback. I was a little surprised to see Maxim pick up a pen and touch it to paper. He managed, with great effort, to write these words.

Many people hunger for the word like Maxim and are not getting fed. Unfortunately pastors are not taught how to teach the word in Russia, and many parts of the world. Pastors get up, say some encouraging words, usually related to the Bible, and then step down, not giving anything of real substance for the believers in their church to grow. This isn’t entirely the fault of their own, they themselves do not know how to study and get deep into God’s word. The effect of this is that many people, though physically ok, are in some ways just as handicapped as Maxim. The worst part is they don’t even know it.

There is a lot of ripe fruit in Russia. People want hope, a reason to live, a new life, and the freedom to live it. This hope and new life can only be given through the freedom that comes with the knowledge of Christ. People are hungry for the word, and don’t know it. Our mission in ICM is to give people that freedom of knowledge, and heal the spiritually starving people of the world. This is the reason for the name Intensive Care Ministries.

The seminar was a great success! Sveta and I had a great time getting to spend more time with Alexey. And we really enjoyed taking part in leading the seminar. We were able to learn a lot from Alexey. Alexey says that I am able to teach the IBS method, but I just need to learn how to do it in Russia. I was able to explain the first task myself in Russian. It was hard, and the people were gracious, but we were able to understand each other. My Russian is getting a lot better, but there is still a lot of work to do before I will be able to teach and be completely fluent in Russian. At the end of the seminar everyone was blessed.

I thank the Lord that is looks like the Lord has blessed us with the possibility of traveling to do more seminars. I don’t know if we will be able to go every month, which would be ideal, but we will see how the Lord leads.

Here are some of the comments of the people who attended the seminar:

More knowledge about God. – Maxim.

We express our deep gratitude to Alex, Nathan and Svetlana for leading this seminar. The seminar was very user-friendly and helpful. We learned very much about studying the Bible. Thank you very much. May God guide and protect you! – Larissa Volkova, Hope Misheneva.

Dear friends, our brothers and sisters! Thank you so much that you bring people this knowledge. Thank you came to our snowy edge of the world. Thank you for simple and easy to understand explanation. This is the first seminar that I have been to where they taught me how to study the Scriptures and draw closer to God. I also want to gain strength and power through knowledge of the Lord and through the knowledge of His Word. Everything was very understandable and interesting. Be blessed! – V.N. Nitchenk

I learned many things. I really liked the life experiences. The process of observation, interpretation and application really allows you study the Scripture in a deeper way. – Alexander.

This is the second time I have been to your seminar and I can say that this is really informative. It really reveals the depth of God's word. Thank you very much. Thanks Nathan. We welcome you to visit again. Romman

This is a simple and understandable course on the study of the Bible and not very burdensome. Continue to not turn aside from the simplicity that is in Christ. Thank you. May God bless you. Anatoly.

I thank God for this opportunity that we have received. I have begun to pay more attention to details in the text which previously I had not paid much attention to. And because of this, I have begun to dig into the Word. Through these lessons the Lord has revealed more of Himself to me. Thank you very much. – Alexander Sadovaya.

Thank you for coming to Usinsk. Thank you for you doing seminars of this kind. This study method is very helpful to many people who have come to God. You guys explain the Bible very well. We liked it, and we listened with much care. Irina and Elena Shabelnikov.

Thank you for your service! What you are doing is very important for every believer who loves God's Word. Let the Lord bless you for your ministry and help you in your further work. Your work is not in vain! – Ivan.

Thanks so much for this seminar! I learned a lot from verses that it seemed I had known for a long time. I really like the practical involvement we had during the seminar. I really learned how to break down the word and pull out so much information from just one sentence. The Seminar was very helpful to me. Thank you! Come again! – Irina Melnikova.

Thanks so much for the understandable explanation of the method. At first it was difficult to grasp the material, but soon it became more and more interesting. This is a very useful seminar. May God bless your open hearts and give the spirit of wisdom to the knowledge of His Word and His glory! – Nataliya Andreychuk.

I thank the Lord that He brought you to us. For me this was a new step in the knowledge of God's Word, as well as the Lord himself. I have never thought so deep about the word like this before. The seminar is very understandable and easy to digest. I wish that the Lord will bless you in your ministry and your home. Hope to see you guys again soon. Be blessed! – Alex Camarin.

Thank you very much for this seminar. I really liked the whole thing, I learned many interesting things. I will definitely try to study the Word as you have taught us. Thank you. God bless you! – Ina Ctolyar

Thank you very much Alex, Nathan and Svetlana. This seminar was very interesting. It seems that in the three years I have been a believer, I have missed a lot. I thank God for this opportunity to be closer to the Lord. May God bless you in your ministry. Now I know how to effectively study the Bible. – Rustam Mansurov.

It is a blessing for us to be able to travel to these places and touch them with the word of God. Thank you for all that you do to make it possible to do this work of the Lord. Please continue to pray and support us at ICM Russia as the Lord leads.

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IBS Seminar in Ukraine

Alexey teaching IBS in a prison.

This October Alexey was blessed to go teach another seminar in the Priluki, Ukraine. Two churches came together to learn how to study God’s Word inductively; Calvary Chapel Priluki, pastored by Vlad Romanenko, and the Salvation Church, pastored by Vladimir Ishchenko. About 100 people came and listened to the Word. He also had the privilege to lead a seminar in a prison. During the trip there was a strong presence of the Lord. People were sincerely interested in learning the Word and were very inspired. Here's what some of them wrote it in their reviews.

All the services were great! Everything was clear and understandable. Thank you. God's blessings.
Sergey.

I liked the workshops. I really received a lot. I realized that I had read the Word many times and never noticed the simple plan of God. I received answers to questions that I had often asked God and received confirmation. God bless you.
Warsaw, Natalia.

I express great gratitude to God for these Seminars. They inspired me to further study the Bible and serve people.
Alex Malyshenko.

I really like the inductive method of studying Scripture. This Bible study method is captivating and makes you want to read more and more. Thank God for Intensive Care Ministries! I will pray for you.
Dima Balbuh.

I received a lot of useful information and I think this is a very important and necessary ministry. I only have one thing to say, that these lessons are designed for more mature Christians. It might be good try to keep in mind people who have only recently come to the Lord.
Natalia.

Thank you ICM for this seminar. I think that they are high level, but more importantly still in an accessible form. I have only started reading the Bible recently and liked that brother Alexey did not climb to deep into the jungle and interpretation was provided at an understandable level. I have been assured that the Bible is not just redundant, but an interesting book.
Elena Ponomar

It is our goal at ICM Russia to let everyone meet their Lord through His Word, and to become hungry for more and more of Him. We believe that it is through the simple ministry of the Word that people will be transformed in the renewing of their minds and be able to test and approve God's good, pleasing, and perfect will. As people fellowship with God through solid Bible study, they will grow closer and closer to Him, come to know Him more and more, and, as the Holy Spirit empowers the scriptures, they will come alive in the hearts of believers causing fountains of living water to come flowing out of them. Thank you for joining us in our ministry. Please continue to minister with us as we continue to train people how to use the precious and mighty spiritual weapon they have been given.

Alexey leading IBS in the church in Priluki.

IBS Seminar in Izhevsk

November we were able to send Alexey to the town of Izhevsk to teach the basic IBS course at the Eurasian Theological Seminary there, directed by Alexander. Alex was blessed to be able to lead a total of 35 students through the course. Many people were blessed to learn the IBS method and almost all said they would use the method in their daily lives and ministries. There were some students who previously had not been able to study the Bible or understand it for themselves. It is our mission, and blessing, to equip these people so that there would be no one who could not study or understand the Bible for themselves and then hopefully teach others the same. Here is what a few of the students wrote after the seminar:

This seminar was very timely and needed for me. The correct picture of the puzzle began to take shape in a more accurate, vivid, and understandable way. I was able to see God’s message and understand the meaning that God wanted to convey to us. The key now is to go home and practice it. This will be a real help in my future ministry. I will definitely us this at home, in home groups, and in church. The Word of God has become much clearer, more consistent, and closer to my heart! Thank you, for your necessary ministry! Let our God anoint you even more. God bless you!
Nicholas Tregubetsky.

I learned a lot from the seminar about how to study the Bible, but most importantly I learned how to teach Biblical truths to others. It was a huge blessing to learn this method. It gave me a fresh look on many things. I like that in class we were encouraged to dig in and do a complete study of the Scriptures, causing us to think and strive ourselves to learn from the Word.
Sergei Zaitsev.

Thank you! This was a great blessing! The Word of God was opened to the fullness. I love how the Bible explains itself and how it keeps you from going away from the Truth, to one side or the other.
Ivan Girbasov.

Thanks for your seminars! This is a very useful and necessary course, encouraging Christians to study the Scriptures, showing how to conduct this study in a home group and helping us to correctly teach the Word of God. I am definitely going to put what I have learned here into practice.
Sergei Hlusevich.

This course has helped me to read the Word of God in a different way and understand what it says. Before this workshop I had never tried to divide the text into parts. Now I see great need of this method of study and how it can be applied to my future ministry.
Alexander Shustov.

Thank you! Your seminars are really necessary for a lot of Christians; they will help many to better understand the Word of God. What I have learned here will help to lead home groups, prepare for a sermon, to apply the Word my life. I especially like learning about the different genres of the books of the Bible, previously I didn’t give that much value. I have become firmly convinced of the need to consistently study the Bible inductively.
Andrei Lebedev.

This workshop was a great blessing to me. I found it very interesting and informative. I believe that the methodology and knowledge gained during this course will give good results in the lives of many who are getting ready to serve. And most importantly - I found an effective way to study Scripture, and a great desire to know the Lord.
Andrew Gerovsky.

This seminar on "Fundamentals of Inductive Bible study" has given me everything necessary to prepare a high-quality sermon, the ability to see the relationship that books, chapters and verses have to each other, as well as the relationship between the Old and New Testament. It is great to see how the Bible explains itself as you research it. This is what I got, and I will use it always!
Yuri Reznichenko.

The seminar gave me a lot. Before today I did not know how to study the Bible and sometimes the Bible seemed boring and not interesting because of the fact that I did not always understand it. Now my approach to studying the Bible has changed. A desire to study the Word has appeared in my heart, and the fear of not understanding has left. I have a desire to teach people how to study the Word of God. Thank God that I attended this workshop.
Elena Kurakova.

I am glad that this teaching of a coherent study method of the Bible was brought to our seminary. This brought a foundation for a deeper and clearer understanding of God's word, which is just what I lacked. I could not get enough! I thank God and thank the people who participate in this ministry that helps us to look at the word of God in a different way. Thank you!
Cyril Zhuikov.

That thanks can be extended to all of you that pray and support us in our ministry at ICM Russia! Thank you for providing the possibility to give people this crucial knowledge. Imagine not being able to study the Bible and being bored because the Living Word is not living in your life. Many people in Russia and the world are in this position and it is our goal at Intensive Care Ministries to meet this intense need. Please continue to pray for us and as the Lord leads support us in our ministry.

ICM Moscow Leader's Conference

This last September we had our annual leader’s training in Moscow. We were excited to have Lewis, Adrian, and Stephen back again to take us through the John Maxwell’s, Million Leaders Mandate series. This is the third year that they have been taking us through this series and it is always a blessing to me. The world needs good Christian leaders, and Russia is no exception. This third book deals with the attitude of a leader and how he is supposed to respect others, as well as foster respect from others, emphasizing the servant leader mentality.

This year they Irish guys were able to come early and spend a few days in Severdvinsk. I was not able to go to but it sounds like it was a blessed time of mutual edification and exciting worship, neither the Russians nor the Irish will be the same. Then everyone gathered in Moscow. We had people come from all over Russia. We had people from Severdvinsk, Southern Russia, Vologda, Kirilov, and Cherepovets. It is great to be able to gather everyone together once a year and encourage each other in the fellowship of the Spirit. It is wonderful to see people from all over the world come together and share such a close bond. We truly are citizens of a different nation that transcends the borders on maps, not separated by visas and culture.

This year it was also a special treat to have an additional group of Irish come and join us for the tail end of the seminar and then continue with us to Cherepevets to minister to the Vologda region, all together there where something like 15 Irish men and women. The team was awesome. They brought with them a passion and excitement for Jesus that was so refreshing. They had a special time for the women there at the conference, which I did not attend but heard was pretty powerful. It was a huge blessing to have them at the conference and I look forward to seeing them all again.




Andria and Stevy fellowshiping with their Russian brother.



So many people to translate for, translators started translating translators.


When the Irish team came the room filled up quite a bit.



The crazy Irish sure get excited about Jesus! We loved it!
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