Alyona’s Update

Here is an October Newsletter from Alyona, our missionary in Turkey, I received it a few days ago and would like to share it with you. It exciting to know what the Lord is doing in Turkey and how He uses Alyona for His glory. I hope you’ll enjoy this news as well as I did! Natasha

"Dear friends, Greetings to you from Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the third largest city in the world. As many of you know, for the past year I have been praying and thinking about serving in Turkey. Last December I heard of a wonderful opportunity to serve in Istanbul in a Christian school. I started to pray about this opportunity and corresponded with the school Headmaster. Meanwhile the Lord gave me a job in Moscow that led me to Turkey for a short time in June and I had a chance to see the school and meet the teachers and students before moving here. For the past few months God has been faithful in leading me here through doubt, unbelief and temptations. The hardest thing was to face the questions from both believers and unbelievers who kept asking: do they pay there well? Do they provide the airline tickets and the insurance? Do you know where you will stay? But just like a couple of years ago, when I left my career to go to a Bible college, I was confident of God's will for me. I packed my 30 kg of weight permitted by Aeroflot and flew in. The school I am teaching at is a Christian school founded 2 years ago by the Istanbul Protestant church and a British enthusiast who has been living in Istanbul for over 30 years. Registered as Turkish "School of Tomorrow" in England, the school is called The English Club here for it is not officially recognized in Turkey. Certain laws prohibit Christian or any "different" curriculum to be used for teaching to Turkish children . School education is a very important element of control for the Turkish government . Since education reforms in 1995 when mandatory school education was changed from 5 years to 9 it had become an organization with uniform, strict discipline and a special emphasis on patriotism which often includes a message of how evil and wrong Christianity is. The English Club is a unique educational institution. Along with good education in English based on ACE curriculum it provides a safe environment for the children of Christian parents and Christian workers here. Although Turkey is not as strictly Islamic country as, for example, Iran once you step out of your home you are bombarded with Islamic ideology. The Club is a place where kids are nurtured and taught the truth about God and Bible, good attitudes and manners. Our Turkish students ( there are also children of the Christian workers from Korea and Romania ) have to start Turkish school at the age of 7 , therefore, after 2 years of pre-school at the Club, they attend both schools doing twice as much work as their Muslim classmates but by God's grace they manage to be the best students in their Turkish schools. There are 6 teachers at the Club and just like our students we come from different countries: US,England,and, surprisingly, Peru and Russia! To keep the cost of the English club affordable ( students only have to pay a small fee to help with the rent) all of the teachers are volunteers and usually come to serve for one year. Our constant prayer is for more stability and also for another English Club on the European side of the city since some children have to travel 1,5 hours to get to the Club. Having lived here for 1,5 months I begin to realize the importance of Christian education here. Every day I talk to different people: Christians, Muslims, atheists. Also, I talk to my Turkish flatmate who has been going to church for 2 years yet can't trust the Lord with all her heart, and I understand that their doubt and antagonism to Christianity has a deep root that goes back to their childhood where everything they heard about God was that He is there to punish you for the wrong doings and does not care for you once you are outside of the mosque. The children at the English Club have Christian parents but they still live in Turkey, watch Turkish TV and visit their Muslim relatives. They need to be fed spiritually and prayed for more than any other children. They are the future of the Turkish church and the hope of all the foreign workers here who, like our pastor from Spain, have been struggling through visa process for 24 years praying for the Turkish Christian leaders to rise and witness to their nation about the living and loving God who died for them.
Please pray for:
*safety of the Club ( after the murders last year an alarm system has been installed but we know that Lord is our shield)
*my Turkish friends Osman and Arzu who I can call open minded atheists, Arzu even came to church twice
*healing of my little student Connie who broke her key bones yesterday and will not come to school for a few weeks
*my language studies : time and finances *financial provision for my rent
*spiritual and physical health

Thank you for reading my newsletter and for your prayer support. Please pray.. we need it here. If you would like to support the school or the teachers please contact Beryl Simsek beryl11148@gmail.com or Rosa Orriols romaorma@hotmail.com In Christ Alyona "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers" 1Pete 3:12"

Mira’s page

Dear friends and family I would like to introduce a new addition to our blog – it is Mira’s page. As some of you already know from our previous posts that Mira is a Jews for Jesus staff servant and she is writing monthly reports and updates on her ministry in Moscow. If you are interested and want to know about this ministry, please follow this link, which you will also find in the sidebar of this page.
We will try to keep Mira’s page as up to date as possible. I hope you’ll enjoy reading and keep Mira’s and Jews for Jesus ministry in your prayers.
May the Lord bless you as you read. Natasha

Fall is here

We are having a beautiful fall here in Moscow.

SFM update

Spiritual Freedom update: SFM ministry here in Moscow enrolls inmates into a Bible correspondence courses (see link) in the month of October SFM received 431 new student enrollments. 1019 students continued their studies. 1450 courses were mailed out in the month of October and 1249 courses were graded. 580 personal letters of encouragement were sent to the students. Every letter received from the prisons is personally responded to. This ministry for over 15 years has reached out to 100,000‘s of prisoners. The last year has been a pretty bumpy road for the ministry but God continue to show His faithfulness to SFM. Please pray for the future work of SFM that all needs will be met, and for more and more new requests to enroll in the Bible correspondence courses. And also pray for the staff and for Alexey the director for wisdom to lead SFM.

God's word will be preached to the ends of the earth

Geno, whom many of you know, is the leader of a fellowship in the prison in the Arkhangelsk region in far north Russia. We recently sent Geno an MP3 player and Pastor Chucks MP3 teaching on the New Testament translated in Russian. Geno asked if we would pray to see if the teachings could be aired on the prison radio station inside the prison that reaches about 800 inmates. Well, less than 2 weeks later Pastor Chuck's Bible teaching were being aired 3 times a week. It caused quite a stir with the Moslem and the Hare Krishna’s wanting equal time. Geno said that several guys were trying to sabotage the speakers in the prison yard. Please pray for the teaching to be aired 3 times if not more a week. It is a real miracle that the teaching are being played. Also the fellowship received a new brother in Christ, Mikale (in the middle) Sergey on the right shared with Mikale who is from the same city Sergey is from. (Picture: Geno is on the left)

The celebration of new birth

In 1977 over 200,000 Russian Jews immigrated to Israel. In 1988 to 1993 over 600,000 Russian Jewish immigrated to Israel. But many more Russian Jews remained in Russia. Here in Moscow, Jews for Jesus have had seen many of them to come to know Jesus Christ..

During one recent street outreach many Jews received Jesus Christ as their Messiah. Recently Jews for Jesus held a celebration for those who made decisions to follow Christ. Many more attended that had not made a decision. It was an evening filled with songs and teachings from the Bible. Please pray for the work of Jews for Jesus here in Moscow. God is doing a good work among the Russian Jews' community here in Moscow. Please pray for Max, Mira and Ilya - all are on the JFJ staff.

Refat’s Story

Refat is from a big family, and He and his brother and sister moved to Moscow from Uzbekistan about 5 years ago. Refat and His sister started visiting the church about that time. I have over the years seen the hand of the Lord on Refat’s and his family. It is not an easy thing to move to one of the most expensive cities in the world. But God has been faithful in their lives. Refat recently gave testimony of God's faithfulness before the church. I thought you enjoy reading Refat’s story.

A two week long conversation with God

Looking back I figured that it was a conversation of a capricious son with the Father. In this conversation the Father doesn't let His son to do foolish things for his own good.

Two weeks ago – I have an attractive offer to change the job. The salary is to be tripled comparing to current. One thing, I feel uneasy about it. Notice, acceptance of the offer will put me in a discreditable situation in the future. I accept the offer anyways. Right after I accept the offer – my heart starts to convict me. I begin to pray, diligently telling God how I need the money, listing all the good works I can do with them. I tell Him that I need to pay for my tuition, and that this salary is most welcome.
Beginning of last week – my heart continues to convict me. I continue to pray, simultaneously looking for at least one layout at which I would "land on my feet". Sincerely, I was looking for an excuse. Monday, last week – 6 rubles in my pocket, approximately 30 cents. I have places where I can borrow some, I just don't want to. I walk home from the office, around 3 miles. Another week to go to advance payment. I trust God, I know He has not forgotten me. No excuse found yet.
Monday night – phone rings at 2 a.m. My brother calls and asks if I would like to make some money. I agree without even understanding what's going on (very surprising). One American lady had food poisoning and is urgently placed to an infection hospital. Translation for doctors required. Money for taxi is found very quickly, landlady hasn't been taking the rent money for over a week now, so borrow some until morning. This very day nobody is at the hotel who could translate, everyone is busy. Well this is another story. Overnight I get paid amount of money equal to monthly salary. Wednesday – I am invited to the hotel to be introduced to two Americans. They were told how I came to the hospital at the middle of the night, and that I had two different socks on because I was tired when I was dressing up. One of them is the president of a foundation. He gives me an amount of money equal to half of my monthly salary.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday – I'm like a baby rejoicing that God is blessing me, I continue to pray and look for an excuse. No excuse yet.
Sunday – I have a great desire to visit Zelenograd Baptist Church. I visit this church quite seldom. This time we are discussing how we try to make excuses of our disobedience, excuses for things we want to do, not God. Many examples from the Bible of bad consequences after excusing the disobedience. Such as Adam and Eve, Saul and David, Jonah, apostle Peter. Second part of the service tells how God shuts the doors when we want to do something that contradicts His will and that at these times we better listen to what God has to say. At this moment I run though the latest events and understand. God, for my own good, doesn't want me to changes the job. He replies to my prayers very plain and clear, - "Son, here is the money, if you need more for tuition I will give you more, just don't go there, no need to be making excuses, trust Me."
On the way home – I feel that my heart is not convicting me anymore. I think of how I talk to the bosses. What will I say when I refuse the offer and what I will say to the boss, who was actually looking for my replacement. And as a closing, two passages from the Scriptures. (1Jn.3:20) "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things."And (Je.29:11) "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD,thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

(story written by Refat)

SFM Russia update

These doors are remaining open here in Russia. "Spiritual Freedom" has been an arm here in Moscow reaching out to 100,000's of prisoners over the last 15 years. Over the last year the ministry has experienced some great challenges. Recently it was decided that the staff would take their vacation time in the hopes that funds would come in to support the ministry. During that time the office was closed down the requests from new students and the finished cources ready to be graded by existing students began to stack up over the last 2 1/2 months. This only confirmed that God has his hand on this ministry. Over the last year God has shown Himself faithful in the work of SFM. It appears that we will be able to pay off aboout two months of bills and have the budget for 3 months paid for. God answered, as He does many times, at the last hour. We give thanks to our great and mighty God for all the great things He has done. We now have a few months to breath as the staff returns and is working hard to get caught back up. Please continue to pray for SFM, a great friend to those behind bars here in Russia

Story of the Bible courses

1 Peter 1:6-9: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith - the salvation of your souls."

The amazing story of these Bible study courses is that they were saved from a burning house. The Bible student wrote "Spiritual Freedom" to give testimony that her house had burnt, but that she rejoiced that her SFM Bible correspondence courses were saved from the fire. (You can listen to the full testimony about these saved from the fire courses, just click on the SFM video on the right side). What a great perspective this student has in regards to the important things in life.

Alyona is on her way to Istambul

Alyona(standing center) is on her way to Istanbul, Turkey where she will be teaching English in a Christian School. This is a great opportunity for Alyona to bring the Good New to a thirsty land. Please pray for her as she is going into a country that is not so friendly towards the Christian faith. Pray that God will send her divine appointments, and that she will be an encouragement to the believers there. To keep updated on Alyona click on her blog in our links.

Andre and Rita become man and wife

Congratulations to Andre and Rita who recently became man and wife. Rita has been a part of our fellowship over the last 7 years. They are a sweet couple. They sing together and Andre is a great teacher of the Word.

2008 Missionary Conference in Millstatt, Austria.

Taylor family in Moscow

the TAYLORS are back!!!!!!

THE Taylor family is BACK!!! The Girls - Shannon and Britney and their brother JT are doing concerts outside of Moscow and in the Russian cities Tombov and Kuluga. Please, pray for the many young people, they attract to their concerts, would surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. Also pictured is their mother Maureen. Ron will be joining his family in a couple of weeks to support the outreaches. It is always good to have the Taylors stop in on our Sunday service.

Eggar goes to Ghana

Wycliffe Bible translators

This is my friend Eggar Petrov from St. Petersburg Russia. I have know Eggar for about 9 years. Eggar on his way to Ghana, Africa stopped by and stayed a few days with me in Moscow. Eggar is part of a 7 member team from Russia that will be doing outreach and a vacation Bible school in Ghana. I think it is very exciting to see missionaries from here going out across the world. Eggar and his team will be visiting a Russian family who were sent from Moscow by Wycliffe Bible translators to create a written language and then translate the New Testament into a Ghanaian tribal dialect. I was amazed to know the Wycliffe bible translators were here in Russia. Then I learned about William Cameron Thompson the founder of Wycliffe Bible translating society. After serving for 50 years on the mission field Cameron decided that he was not quite ready to retire. So at ripe young age of 71 Cameron and his wife decided that Russia needed Bibles translated as well. Cameron asked himself, “What about the Iron Curtain countries? Shouldn’t all languages there have God’s Word?” Cam and Elaine arrived in Moscow on October 3, 1968, on their first visit. They both felt strongly that any further invitations to the Soviet Union and, hopefully, permission to do Bible translation would depend first of all on God and, second, on extending a hand of friendship to all they met.
As Cam said in a letter to a friend in the Soviet Academy of Science in 1969 after the first trip, “I am determined to do everything we can to draw our people more closely together in bonds of friendship—the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. In this way we’ll be performing a real service to our country and to the lovers of peace everywhere.”
The Door Cracks Open
By their eleventh trip in 1979, the Townsends had traveled more than 10,000 miles and given away hundreds of scripture portions. They openly shared about linguistic research and Bible translation taking place in Latin America. They had written two books, The USSR As We Saw It and They Found a Common Language.
Cameron and Elaine had also been invited into hundreds of homes where their hosts showered them with gifts and courtesies. They were graciously given the privilege of importing a car and travel trailer and were allowed to travel unaccompanied for months at a time. The Townsends enjoyed wonderful fellowship in packed churches, especially in Moscow.
Cameron never shied away from presenting his hope to university academics and others that one day the 160 languages of the Soviet Republics and Eastern European countries would have God’s Word available to them. Through friendships they had made in the Soviet Academy of Science, four translations of First John were eventually completed by a Russian linguist. What an amazing testimony of God’s hand on Russia.

Worship songs

Hello everyone! Please, listen to some of newly uploaded songs on our site CCSokolWorship.
Also some of you may know Zalina Fedotov - talented song writer and dear sister in the Lord, who was leading worship at CC Sokol some years ago. She is currently serving at Koinonia Fellowship in Rochester, NY and is a part of Koinonia worship team. Zalina gave me permission to upload her songs and you can listen to them over at http://www.esnips.com/web/ZalinaSongs
As you read posts on this site, you can scroll down, turn on the player and listen to a worship song. Enjoy! Blessings! Natasha

Our God is an Awesome God!!

Saturday as I was studying for our Sunday service, a hard rain had ended and I got ready to see the rainbow to appear out my window and sure enough it appeared, a rather large section of the arch full of color. My camera recently broke and so I pulled out my mighty 4 pixel Kodak digital that I bought in 1998 before moving to Russia. The battery case is held by some good old scotch tape, and it has seen better days. As I started to take pictures of the rainbow, the batteries kept dying. So I found 2 used batteries and kept shooting. Well the clouds moved in again and an electrical storm started. I was thinking “God it would be great to get a photo of the lighting” Considering the condition of my mighty Kodak, that was a real prayer of faith. Well I took five shots trying to anticipate the sequence of the electrical storm which is really saying I was just wasting my time. So I went back to my studying. I then noticed that the clouds had a beautiful color and so I snapped one last shot. To my amazement at that very moment the lighting struck and my mighty 4 pixel digital Kodak, which has a very slow delay between the click and the image registering on the memory card, caught this shot. Knowing the odds of the speed of my camera catching a lighting strike, God showed me that even in the little things He loves to bless His children.

You have served Russia well!

Hello everyone, today Rick and Rebecca Emenaker returned back to California after serving here in Moscow 7 years. Rick was the director of Mission Aviation Fellowship here in Russia.

Rick has been a good friend over the years and I will miss him. I will surely miss the wonderful thanksgiving dinner (with a real turkey) that they have hosted. The Emenaker family lived in South America before coming to Moscow and have been on the mission field since 1992. They will be returning to their home in southern California for the next year. Their home church is Calvary Chapel East Anaheim. Their three children Hannah, Nathaniel and Rachel are already moved back to the US. Please pray for God’s will for the Emenaker family. We will miss them, they have been friends to Russia.