January 2 - Winter Day Camp

This was the first year we tried a one day winter camp for our children. We had a really great time sharing the Christmas story using puppets, making Christmas cookies and Christmas cards for the children to take home to their families. We had a special lunch for our children and a special snowman lollipop for each child to take home along with their cookies and Christmas cards.

Sharing the Christmas Story using Puppets

Mixing up a Batch of Christmas Cookies

Ready to Bake

Beautiful Christmas Cards

Snowman Lollipops

2015 New Year Celebration

Two days before the New Year Odessa had one of the worst snow falls in years. The roads were piled with snow and we were concerned we wouldn't be able to get to our church. We had lots of people praying that the roads would be cleared. Praise God that on December 31 in the morning they cleared the roads. There was only one lane available but our team was able to meet the New Year with all the new believers in our church in Petrovka. Most of the families who attended said it was their first time to bring in the New Year without alcohol. We had over 50 people attend and a few of the husbands of the ladies in our young mom's group. We had a really nice dinner together, played games, sang songs and prayed together as a church family.  Since the Ukrainian "Santa Claus" referred to as "Grandfather Frost" brings gifts on the New Year, we had special gifts for the children.

Alonya, Oleg and four of their children

Vova and Valentina with daughter, Karina

Valik, Dema, Nastiya, Sasha

Oleg was Our Emcee for the Evening

New Believers

In the Gospels it speaks about the crowds being amazed about what Jesus was doing. I can say the same for our church in Petrovka. We continue to see men, women and children repent and all we can say is "we are amazed and are glorifying God for His marvelous working in the lives of the people in Petrovka." "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes."

Nadiya Repented December 21

David - Our Pastor's Son, Repented February 1

Aloysha Repented February 8

Sasha Repented February 8

Vladimir Repented February 8

Vova Repented February 8

Marina Repented April 5

Karina Repented May 3

Inna Repented May 3

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my dear friends! I thank God for your encouragement, prayers and financial partnership with me. It has been a difficult year in Ukraine and the crisis continues in the eastern part of the country. Many Ukrainians are fearful of the future of the country and many are going to churches for help and answers. Pray for all believers to be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Pray for peace for Ukraine and for peace to reign in the hearts of the people. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Merry Christmas from my home to your home!

We Need More Chairs!!!

We are having a good problem in our church - we don't have enough chairs!!! Could  you help to purchase a new chair for $25.00 for our church for Christmas and then pray that God will fill that chair with a person seeking Him? We are asking God to provide us with 25 new chairs. You can send your donation to TEAM, P.O. Box 969, Wheaton, Illinois 60187 and mark it, "A Chair for Petrovka."

Upcoming Events in the Life of our Church

Please pray for our New Year's celebration with all the new believers and their families who will be attending a special evening on December 31 at our church. This will be the first year that these young believers will celebrate the New Year without alcohol. Pray that they will not be tempted by their neighbors and friends who believe the only way to bring in the New Year is with alcohol.
Pray for our Christmas children's meeting that we will have on January 2 from 10:00-4:00. We plan to share the true meaning of Christmas by sharing the Christmas story, to bake cookies for them to decorate and take home and to make Christmas cards for their families.
Pray for our Ukrainian Christmas Eve celebration with our church family on January 6 and our Christmas Day celebration on January 7. After our Christmas service we will be going through our town and singing Christmas carols to our neighbors and friends.
Lord willing, the end of January, Misha will be ordained as the pastor of our church in Petrovka. Pray for this long-awaited day for our church family.

Misha

Amazing Times at our New Church in Petrovka - November 30

Another special day as a lady, Lena, came to know Christ. One of our sisters, Julie, who came to know the Lord last year, had been witnessing to her about how she came to know Christ in the church where she heard about the living God. Lena asked her where she could find this church and Julie invited her to come with her. Lena's mother lives in Kyrgyzstan and is a believer in Jesus Christ. She has been praying for 20 years for Lena to become a believer!!!

Lena's Repentance