CIS Prayer: May Update

[CarlaSun@aol.com]

Dear Prayer Partners,

There has been so much happening over the last few weeks.  We praise God for 
all that He has been doing. 

The Youth Congress in Kyiv was a great success.  We were blessed to have 
around 130 young people from all over the CIS Field.  It seems that every 
year our area of ministry increases.  Therefore, we had young people at the 
youth conference from Ukraine, Russia, Kazakstan, Creative Access Area # 2 
and Armenia.  Praise the Lord!  We were also blessed to have our regional 
youth coordinator, Sabina Welk from Germany, with us. 

Since the Youth Congress we have had a Medical Team on the Field.  The 
medical team traveled to St. Petersburg, Moscow, Volgograd and 2 members to 
Central Asia.  What a wonderful week of ministering to people through 
healthcare.  We saw several hundred patients throughout the week.  There were 
significant moments -- such as when one of our church members in Kollach was 
diagnosed as a diabetic.  She had been given an appointment in 3 months to go 
and get her blood sugar checked.  She may have died before she was ever 
diagnosed.  Now, she's already receiving treatment.  Praise the Lord.  We 
also had the sisters in St. Petersburg.  They lived in the same building as 
the church.  One sister was near 90, the other in her 70's.  The one in her 
90's takes care of her younger sister.  They hadn't been out of their 
apartments all winter.  They came down to the medical clinic and received 
medicines -- and a Bible.  God used the medical team to speak to people in a 
special way.  So many people left saying they'd never been treated so kindly. 
 They'd never had medical people be so gentle with them.  It was such a 
testimony to the kind of people we are when we are in Christ.

On the heels of the medical team we had a Pastoral Care and Counseling class 
held out at the Youth Center, just south of Moscow.  Thirty-two students 
enrolled in this intensive course.  It was a blessed week of learning, 
sharing and worshiping together.  We are grateful to Dr. Bill Bell and his 
wife Deborah for the wonderful class that we had.  

Now, we begin the summer months.  They will be full of many camps, work and 
witness teams and other activities.  Please be in prayer for these 
activities.  We ask special prayer right now for Linda Russell who is going 
to be leading 2 Work and Witness teams going to Viazma in the next 3 weeks.  
She is heading up these teams and it's a big job for her.  Also, please be in 
prayer for Clarence Rose as he leads the Work and Witness teams in Ukraine.

We have many members of our team who will be traveling in the coming days.  
Please pray for the Skinner family as they drive from Ukraine to the Regional 
Office in Switzerland.  We also ask for safe travels for the students 
returning to Seminary in Kansas City to continue their studies.  They will be 
in Kansas City until the 25th of June.  Please pray for them and their 
families.

Youth in Mission teams will be arriving on the Field around the 11th of June. 
 Please pray for them to have significant ministry opportunities on the Field 
this summer.

We are grateful to Olivet Nazarene University and the group of students led 
by Bill Bray who are currently in Ulyanovsk.  They have had a significant 
week of ministry, helping our new congregation in that city.  They have been 
patient as they have survived being bumped off their flight -- and losing all 
their luggage for 3 days.  

We are also grateful to the SNU Chorale which was in Moscow for 2 days this 
week and will be singing at our church in St. Petersburg on Sunday morning.  
The Lord has blessed us all through their ministry here on the Field.

And a closing note from Chuck...

We were sent to Russia ten years ago with great faith and anticipation.  
However, no one really knew what to expect.  After all, it was the Former 
Soviet Union.  Now, ten years later, we are seeing the fruit of our labor.  I 
am talking about all of us now.  You were part of the many people that made 
it possible to send missionaries over here.  Your local churches and 
districts were faithful.  I would like to stand up on the highest church roof 
and shout as loud as I can that all the effort has been worth it.  It has not 
always been easy, but, it has been worth it.  God continues to use us all to 
make a difference.  But that should not surprise us because faithfulness has 
always made a difference.  God has always changed the world with faithful 
people like you and me.

Thank you so much for all that you have allowed God to use you to do in this 
amazing part of the world.  Your faithful prayers are making a difference in 
the lives of many people, not to mention a few missionary families.  May the 
strong hand of the Lord be with you all.  "To Him who is able to do 
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is 
at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus 
throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  AMEN"

Chuck and Carla Sunberg