The Bauer Hour Newsletter  May 2007 
07 Dec 2007

  MS Word file for printing

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Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season;

 reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction.    II Timothy 4:2
Sue’s News

Dateline Ufa, Bashkortostan

We are really here in Ufa; a journey that began four years ago.  We feel at home.  The city and its people are intriguing.  We arrived in time to be here for a special anniversary for Bashkortostan—the 450th anniversary of the voluntary cooperation between Russia and Bashkortostan, a semi-independent republic of Russia.

We have been slowly working at furnishing our apartment.  It is a process that will take some time.  We started out with a wobbly kitchen table, an air mattress with a hole in it for a bed and one coat storage cabinet.  It is just like getting married all over again and starting out.  God is taking us back to the basics and we are being reminded that life is not about the things of life, but about the One of life.

 

Vic’s Voice

We are still learning so much each day.  We are learning a new a different city way of life, much different than Moscow.  There is no subway (called The Metro, but there is a Metro Cash and Carry supermarket). The concentration of people and apartments are staggering. Going shopping is a real adventure.  Outdoor shopping on the street is a remarkable experience.

We are involved in ESL classes at our apartment twice on Saturdays and there is one that we may help with at another apartment on Monday nights. We are really excited about this opportunity. I was given the honor of leading and sharing Scripture with the people of a home church on two Sundays. I had an interpreter (which I still need).  A mission team will soon arrive for a week of sports evangelism. We are still learning the key elements of the Bible in its simplicity.  There is so much to do and so many opportunities to learn about the lives of the people of Ufa. 

 

THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED

News Flash – We live in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood!  We have a trolley that goes right by our apartment and makes the same zing-zing bell sound!

When Ivan the Great (father of the Terrible) married a princess from the city of Constantinople, the Russian royal family adopted the double-headed eagle as their crest—the same crest used by Constantinople under Roman rule. 

Winter black ice has been replaced by unknown pot holes of spring mud.  Vic found some walking to the market. He wanted to make a big splash over here!

 Susan’s determination to adopt a cat succeeded. We now have a cat. Trooper Starfish was found lying on the wet ground by our apartment almost starved and the possessor of literally a thousand flees, 

We are hearing Russian words that we have no idea since they were not part of our vocabulary study, so we still have a lot more to learn

“Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 10:32
 

Prayer Requests For God’s People

Please pray for:

The pastor’s of Russia and their families.  Many are bivocational and must juggle work, family and pastoring.

Those attending the English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Pray that they will learn the most important language of all—the language of the Lord.

The missionaries across Russia who have just completed 40 days of prayer and fasting for Russia.

The short term mission teams soon to begin arriving in Ufa.

For the people here in Bashkorstan to be blessed by the short-term mission teams.

 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

~ Matthew 9:38
 

Prayer Requests For Us

Please pray for us:

Help us to be godly examples for the ESL students.

Continued prayer for us to let the ministry we have been called to be of God and not of us.

For us to wisely use our time and to be good stewards of the time God is giving us here.

For us as we once again begin formal language study to learn this language.  

To be physically healthy.  We both continue to struggle with illness.

“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified…”

~ 2 Thessalonians 3:1
 

Our Prayers For You

We thank God for each and every one of you.  Your encouragement, your prayers and your blessings on our lives are treasures to us. As you pray for us, we will be praying for you.  Please share your prayer requests with us.  We want to be in fellowship with you.   

“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…”

  ~ Colossians 1:3