Our church is focusing on one area of Lviv, Ukraine that we call the Ocean region. (The name comes from an old store in the area called "Ocean") We have been working there for the last few years and decided to put on a small festival to celebrate the Reformation. We started the week by presenting many famous paintings and the history about the paintings and what they mean. Many of the paintings have Jesus in them or are biblical in nature so we used the paintings to make people think and to ask questions about things like sin, the nature of man, and God. It was a great opportunity to get to know some people in this area where we are ministering and to share the gospel with them through these famous paintings. We did this evangelism using the paintings for a few nights during the week then on Sunday we had a concert and celebration. It was June 4th in Ukraine which is a big holiday known here as the "green holiday". However, it is actually the celebration of the Trinity and the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles and believers obediently waiting in Jerusalem. We had many games, activities and relay races for the kids. We also set up the paintings again for evangelism. Then we had a concert, told some historical facts about the Reformation and what it means. Then I gave my testimony. I talked about the true reformation that we need and that it is a reformation of the heart. I shared with them that man by himself cannot do this. We need God's help, and only through the working of the Holy Spirit can our hearts and minds be reformed and changed.
It was a very fitting theme for this holiday of the Trinity and the day of Pentecost. Then our pastor Oleg also shared a short message about the reforming or transforming work of the Holy Spirit. We then invited everyone to come every Sunday for the next 5 weeks to different seminars about the Protestant Reformation, it's history, and it's influence on Ukraine.Please pray that God would bless our work in the "Ocean region" and that many people would hear about Jesus and come to repentance and a personal relationship with Him. Pray that Ukraine would truly be reformed from the inside out, starting with the hearts and minds of it's people. Pray that the Holy Spirit would work through us and that God would use us in amazing ways as His instruments to reach these people.
We also are in the process of fixing up our apartment and are in need of help both physically and financially so please pray that that process would go smoothly and that God would provide for all our needs. If you are able to help us in anyway it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for anyone reading this and to family, friends, and church members who continue to support us and lift us up in prayer. I encourage you all to get involved with missions in some way whether it is local or international. God Bless!
