April 21, 2008

Greetings from Ufa!  Here is a brief update to guide your prayers on behalf of the Lord’s kingdom-building work in Ufa, Russia:

 1.       Please pray for Victor and Susan Bauer who serve in Ufa.  They are currently in Kiev waiting for short-term visas to get back into Russia.  Specifically pray that we be able to secure longer-term visas for them so that they can remain in Russia for at least a year.  There are currently several variables playing into this situation that are still as yet unclear.   We are hopeful that a new visa option will arise for them in the coming weeks, pray that it will happen!

 2.       Please pray for preparations currently being made for a strategic discipleship/house-church planting training to take place in Ufa May 19-23.   We have sensed a dramatic upturn in spiritual oppression and outright demonic attacks in relation to this key training, attacks manifesting themselves in the form of health problems, divisive distractions, traditionalism, legalism, etc.  One of the expected training participants from another country was beaten along with many other believers last week during a similar training and is now under order by authorities to not leave his country pending a hearing, thus preventing him from coming to Ufa next month.  Pray with us that this dear brother would have continued boldness to speak and train and have a Holy Spirit-led fearlessness.

 Pray for me especially as I negotiate multiple details of the training logistics.  Pray that the right people come to the training, that they be open-minded and ready to embrace change and the paradigm shift that will be presented.    Pray for key leaders, movers, and shakers from Russian evangelicals to participate and pass on what they receive in the training.

 3.       Pray for Ufa Baptist Church.  It is Ufa’s newest church and has experienced some pretty spectacular things in its first year of existence.  Six new believers will soon be baptized.   Pray for leaders Andrei and Sergei as they endure criticism from the more traditional believers and churches in our area.    Pray for the church as its members lead a bible study group in the Sipailovo region of Ufa.  Pray for them to stay fixed on Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our faith. Pray for them to continue growing in zeal for personal evangelism, church planting, and reaching out to the down and out in Ufa.  Pray for our team to find ways to help, train, and empower this church. 

 4.       Pray for the 20+ Russian Baptist churches in Bashkortostan.  Satan is alive and well working his divisive plans, trying to pit believer against believer on the basis of theological systems (Calvinism vs Arminianism) and an unhealthy nationalism and legalism that is absolutely sapping the evangelistic zeal of the churches and distracting/diverting the churches’ leadership.  

 5.       Pray for Eileen, Nathan, Timmy, and Heather as they enter the home-stretch for homeschooling.  I have been so proud of them as they memorize scripture (better than dad), are studying Greek words, learning of ancient cultures, studying math, learning of the wonder of God’s creation through science, etc.     It is a sobering thought that Nathan will be going off to college in only seven years.   Our time is flying by with our kids and we want to cherish each moment we have while they are physically with us.    We remember the years when we were so lonely without kids in our life together, and now we can’t imagine our lives without the five we have.  What a blessing and sobering responsibility to be parents! 

 6.       Pray for local Ufa believers who recently received some simple yet powerful discipleship training from Bob Dutton who was with us for ten days recently.   As a result of the training, some believers are now for the first time actively sharing their faith through their own personal testimonies and are discovering the joy of telling the good news.  Pray for Bob as he does similar training through the end of this month in Odessa, Ukraine.   

 Thank you for praying with us for God’s kingdom to come in Ufa and Bashkortostan as it is in heaven.  Without your intercession and the empowering responses of God, there are many days in which we would just throw up our hands and collapse in discouragement.  Your prayers are a breath of fresh air and a burst of spiritual energy for us. 

 Because of the gracious vision of our fellow believers at  www.crfmedia.com , our team has a new ministry advocacy DVD that we can send to you as a tool to assist you in praying, financially supporting, and personally participating in the Lord’s work by coming as a short- or long-term co-worker with our team in volunteer work or as an employee of the Int’l Mission Board.   Please let us know your mailing address and we will have one sent to you.

 For those of you who are Southern Baptist, we deeply thank you for your financial support of the Lord’s work as you give of your tithes and offerings through your local church.  Because of the unified system of giving through the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Int’l Missions, we are able to continue living out an incarnational witness, distribute Bibles and gospel literature to sow the gospel, provide discipleship and church planting training assistance, minister to street kids /orphans/addicts, and start new Bible studies and new churches.  Thanks for the honor of serving with you!

Blessings,

Chris Carr

Ufa, Russia