January, 26, 2008

Greetings from Ufa!  Here is a brief prayer update to guide your intercession with and for our team here in Ufa, Russia:

 1.       Praise the Lord with us that Sveta, one of the street kids being ministered to by Grace Church, continues to come to Sunday worship…two Sundays ago, she brought 3 other street kids with her.  Pray for the eyes of her heart to be opened so that she can be born again and embrace Jesus as Lord!

 2.       Pray for Grace Church as the fellowship steps out in faith in starting an outreach to alcoholics, drug addicts, and street kids by renting a facility as a base for such ministry.  Pray for a young man named Anton from Grace Church who will head up this outreach.  Pray for Grace member Marina as she assists with this difficult ministry.  Pray for wisdom and discernment for all Grace members involved in this approach to bring hope to the hearts of those who will be touched.  Pray for Grace pastor Zhenya as he shepherds the church and endures occasional health struggles and financial difficulties.

 3.       Pray for Ufa Baptist Church and for its leaders Andrei and Sergei.  The church is growing in depth and numbers and has  a desire to plant another church.  With growth also come growing pains.  Pray for Andrei and Sergei to have practical wisdom from scripture to disciple and equip the new believers in the church to be disciple-makers themselves and deal with relationships as couples, parents, workers/employers, and citizens, so as to have a good reputation with those who are not yet believers and also with authority figures. 

 4.       Pray for an Armenian man named Tarel from Ufa whom Chris met on a flight to Ufa a week ago.  He is interested in conversational English practice and that could be the door for the Lord to reach his heart.

 5.       Pray for teammates Victor and Susan as we explore visa support options for them.  They are due to renew visas in early April.  We need wisdom and discernment from the Lord as to the best approach to take in order to ensure their continued presence with freedom to serve for the sake of the kingdom in Ufa. 

 6.       Pray for early preparations in Ufa related to a volunteer group of youth/college students coming to Ufa for a volunteer project in June.  Pray for favor with gov’t officials as we negotiate with them, for joint cooperation with local believers, and for the Holy Spirit to convict the hearts of those who are to be a part of this trip and for those locally who will participate in it for the sake of God’s kingdom in Ufa.

 7.       Pray for boldness in the Holy Spirit for the pastoral leadership of the Ufa churches.  Pray for them to be bold in proclaiming God’s word to believers and not-yet believers alike.  Pray for them to fear God more than they might fear men.  Pray for them to lovingly yet boldly shepherd their churches so that they are respected and trusted.  Pray for the members to lovingly follow their leadership and put their full trust in the Lord and His word rather than in the traditions, philosophies, and opinions of men. 

 8.       Pray for continued access to different groups of people for Victor and Susan.  God is doing a marvelous work in opening doors for them to build witnessing relationships and share the gospel through ESL, educational institutions, etc.  Pray for that to continue and for God’s continued blessing on them.

 9.       Pray for our families as we bear up under Satanic attacks in many different forms and approaches.  We want to keep standing and resisting, watching and praying, and being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

10.   Pray with us for the IMB-CEE Volunteer Summit April 21-22 at First Baptist Church Sherwood, Arkansas.  The church is in the Little Rock area.  The Arkansas Baptist Convention is co-hosting and promoting the Summit.  This will be the last Summit related to the Former Soviet Union emphasis and IMB special focus on CEE.  You can get Summit details by following the Summit links on our region’s  www.hope4cee.org website.  Perhaps you will participate in this Summit?

 Thanks again for your sacrificial giving to the Cooperation Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Int’l Missions through your local church.  Thanks for coming to serve as a volunteer.  Thanks for living out the mandate of Ephesians 6:10-18 as you join with us in confronting spiritual darkness and Satanic opposition.   God is at work in Ufa and you are a part of His work as you join with us in serving, praying, and giving. 

 Remember to be checking our ministry website (www.hope4ufa.com) for periodic updates.  A new ministry dvd regarding ministry and life in Ufa and Bashkortostan is nearing completion and will hopefully be ready for distribution in coming weeks.  See our webpage for details on how to get a copy.  This tool with help you prepare as a volunteer and help you know how to pray and mobilize prayer and volunteer/personnel support for our team. 

 Blessings,

Chris Carr

Ufa, Russia