August 28-30, Church of Christ the Savior, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Wednesday: Good Wednesday evening! My first flight today is 3:!5 p.m. out of Kansas City. I will route through Minneapolis, then Amsterdam, then Moscow, and finally fly to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Arrival is scheduled for Friday 5:00 a.m. So in total it’s around a 28-hour trip from our house to Krasnoyarsk. The time zone there is exactly 12 hours ahead of Kansas City time. You’ve probably never heard of Krasnoyarsk, and yet it’s a city of a little over a million. On the trans-Siberia highway and railway.My deepest trip into Siberia was last November when I went to Chita. Krasnoyarsk will be my next-deepest venture into Siberia. I will actually fly past Novosibirsk to get there. It’s located north of Mongolia, so it’s out there. It’s four time zones from Moscow. (when you’re that far north, you pass through time zones a bit faster)
The host church is Church of Christ the Savior. If you’re interested, here’s the church site: www.hve24.ru
I met the pastor when in Chita last November, and hence our connection. The church has a strong ministry to those caught in drug and alcohol abuse. Drug and alcohol abuse is a huge problem in Russia, it seems that so many medicate with those means, and then get trapped. So many of Russia’s prisoners are incarcerated, at least partially, due to substance abuse. I am looking forward to ministering with these wonderful leaders and saints.
The ministry schedule: Friday night; Saturday morning; Saturday night; Sunday morning. (and I think Sunday night, if I have enough voice) Monday return.
Thanks for your prayer help. I’ve been working hard and heavy on the book I’m writing, and making excellent progress, I’m nearing the shore on completing the first draft. Thanks for praying into that, too. We all just need Jesus so desperately for EVERYTHING, don’t we! So I bless you in prayer, too.
p.s. We just received our sample copies of the Chinese translation of SECRETS (produced in Taiwan). Please bless this translation with your prayers! You can see the cover at this link:
http://oasishouse.com/collections/translations/products/secrets-of-the-secret-place-chinese-translation
Friday 7:00 a.m.: Greetings from my hotel in Krasnoyarsk, where I have arrived safe and sound. This city has more new homes being built right now than anywhere in Russia, I’m told. There are cranes everywhere, so there’s much construction happening. The land is not as flat as Kansas City, there are some small hills that circle the landscape, providing interest. I’m so grateful to God to be here.
Friday 10:00 p.m.: I’m back in my room after our first night. It was a good opener, the Lord’s grace was with us. We had trouble with the sound system—they are renting a hall, and the sound people didn’t have the time to get everything right. I’m hoping they can work on it now, and have it in better order for tomorrow morning. But we got by OK, we just could not get the in-ear monitor system to work, so we used floor monitors instead. And it was workable. I don’t think it hindered the ministry at all. The group was very quiet, subdued, attentive tonight. There were several “firsts” for them that they were processing: first time together, first conference in Krasnoyarsk, first time to be with me, etc. I think tomorrow will likely be more relaxed and responsive.
The “mother church” for the movement of the Holy Spirit in this region, for this union of churches, is in Kansk, which is around 3 hours east of here. My host, Maxim, was installed as pastor of that work when the founding pastor moved to Moscow to start a work there. Four months ago, Maxim left that work in the hands of another, and moved his base to Krasnoyarsk, which is the central city for this region of Siberia. Since he is the bishop for the region, he feels this city rightfully needs to be the center of their activities, and he’s right. So he is pastoring a church here that is 4 months old. And is bishop to all the churches of this region, which is around 40-60 I believe. Many of the churches are represented at this conference. I would guess around 400-500 folks are gathered for this conference, it’s a strong turnout. It’s their first time to hold a conference in Krasnoyarsk, and so there was ample risk involved, but I think Maxim was comforted tonight with the turnout. Everyone is very eager to be here.
It’s bedtime, I need to get on a Siberian sleeping schedule, so will send this off for now, and hit the hay. Please pray for the 2 Saturday meetings tomorrow, 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. I’m planning on doing the Luke 11 and Luke 18 parables on prayer.
Saturday 9:00 a.m.: My driver is a young man who is farming the land here. He said that potatoes and carrots grow well here — anything that grows in the ground like that. But if you're going to grow tomatoes and the like, you have to use a greenhouse, because of the brief growing season here, at the 56th parallel. Apples can’t be grown here, but crab apples can.
They are saying attendance for this event is at 600. 35 of the 39 churches in the Union in this region are represented. I am attaching to this email a pic of one service.
Saturday 10 p.m.: This morning’s meeting was the conference highlight. Strong grace on the message, and powerful ministry following. The pastors formed a “fire tunnel,” and everyone in the room walked through and received prayer from the pastors. The saints here are quiet and reserved in their responses, but so eager to receive everything God has for them.
Then we had a delightful lunch at a restaurant with the pastors from the region.
Then the 4:00 p.m. service. I sensed the Lord’s grace on the message, but the people were struggling with weariness after an intense conference, which is totally understandable. My host, Pastor Maksim, is thrilled with the conference, as it’s their first of this kind in Krasnoyarsk — attendance was strong, and the movements of the Spirit were strong. Thanks be to God!
Next up: I am speaking in the 10:30 a.m. service tomorrow of a church here in Krasnoyarsk that is connected to Bethel in Redding, CA. They use the same facility that the conference has used. The church’s name is Christian Life Church. I’ve already enjoyed great fellowship with the pastors, and am looking forward to preaching on the cross in the morning. Then from there we go to a 3:00 p.m. service at Maksim’s church. I will do as much in that service as I’m physically capable of. Then we will have a little break, followed by the banya at 8 pm. That should get me ready for a good night’s sleep, in preparation for the long Monday trip home.
Sunday 7:00 p.m.: We’ve had a great day. This morning’s service was really alive, the kind of electric anticipation that I remember being in the Russian church back some 15 years ago, which some of the churches have lost. There is real life in the Spirit here. I spoke on the cross, and at the close around 30 people came forward to declare for the first time publicly their loyalty to the cross of Christ. (More than that came forward, but some of the folks were believers already.) Then we shared in Communion, followed by a time of receiving divine healing. Several came forward to give testimony to their healing, and many more were in a line to give testimony, but there was no time to hear everyone’s testimony of healing. The Lord is so good, gracious, and kind to His people! By the way, I posted a short video clip of the worship service on my public figure Facebook page, you’re welcome to check it out. Now I’m starting to pack, and getting ready to be picked up in 45 minutes for the banya. Yes!
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