CIS Prayer: Prayer needed!

[CarlaSun@aol.com]

Dear Prayer Partners,

Thank you so much for all your prayers.   We have felt your prayers in such a mighty and precious way in the last days.   Thank you!!!

The weather is warming and some days it creeps above freezing.   It feels like spring in the air as some of the snow starts to slowly melt.   Spring can be extremely muddy but we look forward to those muddy days as we know they are bringing us the new life of spring and summer.

In Moscow we have had extremely busy days.   Those who have been around here would probably say, "What else is new?"   We just seem to continue on a frenzied, but excited pace.   The Work and Witness team from Oskaloosa, Iowa arrived to work on the new Field Office.   They have had great lessons in Russian bureaucracy this week but have hung in there with great patience.   They have become great friends of the security guards responsible for the new building.   We were concerned that the security guards may not want so many Americans around.   Instead, they greet us daily with their smiles and even punch the code in the door and hold it open for us when we arrive with our arms laden full of supplies and goodies.   What a blessing.   The architect arrived one day this week to inspect the work.   She was so amazed at the quality of work that this team had completed that the next day she called to let us know that we could begin working in the other two sections of our property, even if the paperwork was not totally completed!   Praise the Lord!   What a witness.

Miraculously, our neighbor upstairs was paying to shut off the water so that he could install his radiators on Friday.   His construction crew let us know, we ran out and bought radiators, and installed ours on the very same day -- without having to pay the shut-off cost.   God is good!   

Both the Russian North and Ukrainian districts have held their assemblies.   What times of rejoicing as our Pastors and delegates traveled the many miles to come and share their testimonies of God's goodness and answers to prayer this past year.   Pastor Tanya at Moscow First Church shared her prayer request from last year, that children would begin attending Sunday School.   It's been difficult here in the city.   She was pleased to announce that 12 children have been attending the Sunday School.   Her new request was for the opening of a church in the city of Noro Fominsk by the next assembly.   This is the town of the young man with multiple-sclerosis.   Please pray that this will happen before the next assembly.

This coming week Russia South and Kazakhstan will have their assemblies.   Please be in prayer for these as well.

We thank you for your prayers for our "World Religions" class which was held at the Youth Center this past week.   It was a great time of learning and building of community.   Pastor Joe Knight from Grand Rapids, Michigan did an outstanding job of not just presenting the material, but helping the students learn how to share their Christian faith with those of other religions.   Please continue to pray for Joe as he travels all night tonight to Kazkhstan to teach the same class this week to our students in Central Asia.   We will have at least 25 students from Central Asia attending the class.

Successful Pig Conference!!!   Our Pig Conference was a great success.   People came from Yefimovsky and Chalter, Russia, Gyumri and Vandozor, Armenia, Vinitsa and Kyiv, Ukraine and Akkol, Kazakhstan...as well as special guests from Irkutsk.   We praise the Lord for His hand in organizing this meeting and for Terry Steinhart from Iowa State University who put the materials together.   We believe God is going to help us develop communities through the opportunity of pig farming.   Please pray that our people will take home their new knowledge and be able to put it into practice!

We praise the Lord that Clarence and Sue Rose are back on the Field.   They arrived back in Ukraine where they will be leading this years' Work and Witness teams in that country.   Sue has been sick since arriving so please keep her in your prayers.

Personal Request:   In the midst of all our running around this week, the inevitable happened.   We had a car accident.   The driving here in Moscow has become crazier and crazier as cars speed into oncoming traffic to get around the long lines of vehicles.   You may be first in line at the stop light when it turns red but at least three or four cars will somehow get in front of you before the light turns green again.   The crazy driving continues even on snowy and icy roads.   On Friday evening I was turning left into a street when a speeding driver thought he could pass me before I made my turn.   He was wrong, and drove right into our car, hitting the door behind the driver.   Praise the Lord that no one was injured but the car will have to be repaired.   (What else is new -- it's NOT our year for cars!!!)   The other problem is that in Russia rules are not as clear about driving and who is at fault as in other countries.   I've been warned that I can be blamed for this accident.   On March 19 at 4:30PM have to appear at the local police station to receive documents and possible information on a court date.   Please pray for me on this date because I have my fears regarding the Russian judicial system.   If I understand correctly, the absolute worst that can happen is that we have to pay for the other car and our car, should they decide against me.   Even if they decide I was in the right, we doubt the other man will ever pay.   He was in a little old Russian car loaded full of cases of alcohol.   He quickly called his buddies to come and get all the booze out of the car!   It was unloaded well before the police arrived (which was 1.5 hrs. later).   I do thank the Lord that the policeman was very kind and seemed very honest.   He helped me fill out all my forms.   

God has given me a peace in my heart about this today but I wanted to share it with you all.   Thank you for your prayers and please, remember me on March 19!

Thanks and God bless you all.

Carla Sunber for the CIS gang