CIS Prayer: Summer Update

[CarlaSun@aol.com]

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,

It has been a long and exciting summer on the CIS Field.   Although we have not sent out an update for quite some time I know that you have continued to pray and lift up the work here in the former Soviet Union.   Let me share with you some of the highlights from the summer, and then some prayer requests.

The summer started off with the all-CIS Field Youth Conference held just outside of Moscow.   Nearly 150 young people attended from five different countries. I can't begin to describe the incredible music and worship which we experienced.   These young people went home changed and excited about serving the Lord.

The summer months on the CIS Field are always filled with three major events -- summer camps, Bible College Classes and   Work and Witness teams.   We have had teams in Kazakhstan, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Viazma, and Ulyanovsk, in Russia.   We have also had teams in Gyumri & Akhuriyan in Armenia, as well as teams in Kyiv, Mariupole, Vinnitsa, Saki and Vapnyarka, Ukraine.   We wish we had the space to tell you stories from each and every one of these teams, because they each have had an incredible influence on the Field.   A real miracle occurred when a team from the Crossroads Church of the Nazarene in Arizona was able to hold a Vacation Bible School in Armenia, high atop Mount Aragats with a group of Kurdish children.   The Lord continues to open doors to people who may never have heard the name Jesus.   This summer also brought our very first Canadian Work and Witness team to the former Soviet Union.   The team from Prince Edward Island traveled to Viazma, Russia and had an incredible impact on the entire community.   

Just a couple of weeks ago at Kyiv First Church we were privileged to see a pictorial report of the camps which had been held during the summer.   Pastor Volodymyr Masyuk and his team did an excellent job.   It's wonderful to see the smiling faces of the children and young people who have been to these camps.   However, what is really exciting is seeing the young counselors and leaders for these camps.   These are young people who have grown up in the church.   They began attending when they were 4,5 and 6 years of age.   Today they are teenagers and leaders in the church.   What an encouragement to see what God is doing in their lives and what a future the church has there in Ukraine.

Just as we were leaving Ukraine a team of young people from the Eurasia Regional Youth Conference had arrived to begin two weeks of ministry in Vapnyarka.   This team consisted of young people from Ireland, Scotland, Germany and Russia who had attended the Regional Youth Conference in Bulgaria.   The church in Vapnyarka has really been growing and celebrated baptism early in the summer with over 20 baptized in one day.

The Russia South District held its first ever children's camp for children who are a part of our Kids' Club programs.   These are needy children who attend our Kids Clubs and receive help through NCM's Child Sponsorship program.   This program allowed a great group of children to go to their first-ever Nazarene camp.   A team of leaders, including Svetlana Khobnia and Nina Archakova from Volgograd worked together to minister to these children.

The Russia North District had a great teen camp.   Over half of the young people at the camp made decisions for Christ.   However, what also made the camp great was the team of people that led the camp.   Again, there is great leadership developing.   Pastor Tanya Cantarella organized the camp and Pastor Arsenij Yermakov from St. Petersburg was the special speaker.   EuNC students Olga Drujinina and Lyosha Chipovalov did their internship in Moscow this summer and worked with the teen camp as well as with the adult camp.   They have preached on numerous occasions and been a great support to the Moscow team.   

This has been a very busy summer for classes in Central Asia.   The students have been offered six weeks of intensive classes at two different locations in Central Asia.   If all goes according to plan we should have our first ordination in Central Asia in March of next year.   The students and professors have worked very hard.   We were blessed that Andrei and Svetlana Khobnia were able to spend two weeks in Central Asia teaching and this was the very first time that the students had professors teach in Russia, without translation.   The students were thrilled with this opportunity.   They are able to spend more time in talking and asking questions of the professors.   God is really helping us with the development of faculty on the Field.

The European part of the field also had intensive summer courses with students coming to Chekov, Russia.   The sense of community which has developed among the students who come to study is evident when they come together for classes, or for other Field events.   Not only do they spend hours studying together but it's fun watching them play table tennis and fuss-ball.   They love to laugh, fellowship and sing together.   

Linda Russell and her Field YIM team have just returned from Armenia where they held two weeks of Vacation Bible School in the city of Gyumri and the village of Akhuriyan.   Linda reported that the two weeks were absolutely fabulous.   The young people from Russia and Ukraine who worked on the team were great mentors for the young people in Armenia who are new to the church.   They had great attendance both weeks and were able to develop relationships with the school administrators where the VBSs were held.

The summer is coming to an end.   School starts on September first all across the CIS Field.   People will be returning home from their dachas and getting back into their routines.   We pray that this fall will continue to bring spiritual life to the people of the former Soviet Union.   There are so many people that need to know Him!

Prayer Requests:
1)   The Goodnews Church of the Nazarene in Volgograd is facing difficulties with their property.   The government has determined that churches can only meet in their own freestanding buildings, and this property is a storefront.   However, the authorities have offered us a piece of land in the area and we are exploring the alternatives.   Please pray for direction in this situation.
2)   The "Doctrine of Holiness" class which Chuck Sunberg will be teaching in Kazakhstan in September.   This is a very important course for the leadership on our field.
3)   Please pray for Andrei and Svetlana Khobnia, Davide and Tanya Cantarella, Sveta Kleschar, Volodymyr Masyuk and Vladimir Khursin who are working to complete their Master's work.   
4)   Please pray for Arsenij Yermakov who is beginning his Ph.D. studies at NTC in Manchester.
5)   Please pray for Max Krasov who will begin his Master's program through NNU's on-line studies in January 2005.
6)   Please pray for Bob Skinner and Chuck Sunberg as they'll be traveling in Ukraine in September.
7)   Please pray that we can get the heating system installed in the church in Akhuriyan before it gets too cold.
8)   As you can tell, there is a lot happening on the CIS Field.   The Lord continues to move and bless the work.   However, we need many, many work and witness teams for 2005.   This is a General Assembly summer and we know that restricts many teams from coming, however, we need you to pray that the Lord will send enough teams to the CIS for 2005.   Teams are needed in Kazakhstan; Russia - St. Petersburg, Ulyanovsk, Viazma, Volgograd, Chekov; Ukraine -- Kyiv, Mariupole, Vinnitsa, Vapnyarka, Saki, Krapivna, Khmelnitskiy, Berzhna Volya, Volin; Armenia -- Gyumri, Akhuriyan, and Yerevan.   

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support.   We are all blessed to serve Him in the CIS!

Chuck and Carla Sunberg -- for the incredible CIS team!