Being Indivisible

Mahatma Gandhi was once invited to speak at the House of Commons in England. He spoke for over 2 hours and brought an essentially hostile audience to a standing ovation before he was done. Following his speech, some reporters approached his secretary, Mahadev Desai, inquiring if indeed it was possible that Gandhi could mesmerize his audience for that long without using any notes whatsoever. They did not believe it.

Desai responded:"What Gandhi thinks, what he feels, what he says, and what he does are all the same. He does not need notes....You and I, we think one thing, feel another, say a third, and do a fourth, so we need notes and files to keep track."

Gandhi himself once was quoted as saying, "My life is an indivisible whole, and all my activities run into one another. My life is my message."

My question is this: why don't I live this way?

Here in Ukraine, there is a rich historical tapestry of foibled religiosity. One group cries: "Come as you are!" ...as they claim the only way to honor God is by wearing a suit and speaking in pleasantries. Another assures us that the "Devil" has no power over us, and at the same time decrying us to not wear ties because they point down to "him". "My God shall supply all your needs... now let us take up the offering!" And these are just the silly examples. While I realize that problems of this sort are not unique to this Eastern-bloc country; nevertheless as a newly acquainted student of foriegn culture, I am accutely aware of all the problems within my corner of the religious world.

So, I guess the flip-side is this: why do we continue to live that way instead?

What would happen if what I thought, felt, said, and did were all one and the same, if my life were an indivisible whole, and what would that look like? Im fairly capable of letting my words and actions match, but somehow that's a hollow victory if it's not what I truly think and feel. It would only make me a hypocrite of the worst sorts: those who simply "perform" so they may prove to observers their own goodness. But those spectacles are nothing close to who they really are. A man once said that who a man is, is determined by what he does when no one is looking. When you are alone, do your true colors reveal themselves for only you to see?

Perhaps the problem with us, is the problem the plagues our religion: we have lost our focus. We have allowed the peripherals to dominate the main spheres of our lives. Perhaps its time to go back to basics. "Love God'" "Love man." maybe if we would re-shift our focus to living these out and let those be our actions, and the words we say, let that permeate our thoughts and soak in our hearts... perhaps then the peripherals wouldn't matter. Maybe we make so many rules and arguments because we're afraid of what will happen if we actually lived this way. My hero, Jesus did this and started a movement that has lasted two-thousand years. His immediate followers turned the face of the world upside-down. Maybe, the truth is that we are comfortable and we are afraid of unsettling that comfortableness, petrified of what it will become. Maybe. Yet this is the message we preach. This is not the way we live.

What would happen if we as religious people, if I as a Christian lived my message?

Fall Newsletter

We wanted to share with you what has been going on since our last newsletter. After a couple of months in the states we returned to Kiev to make our final preparations for moving. By mid-May we were in Mukachevo (in the Trans-Carpathian region near the Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, and Slovakian borders) were we spent some time settling in, learning the city, and getting to know people. In August we started a Bible study (and I am currently teaching through the Gospel of Mark) and just a few weeks ago we had our first baptism.

God is good. We are really small right now but it gives us the opportunity for spending our energy on discipleship. And, as I said at the before we are planning a Thanksgiving outreach. We have invited 20 (I think) families from the area (most from our own neighborhood) to join us for dinner, where I will share a bit from the word; and every family leaves with a gift bag that has cookies and an evangelical book. We will invite them all to our Bible Study and to our upcoming Christmas Outreach as well.

Come January I will be starting an English Club (or 2 depending on the number of people interested). We already have several people interested but most are already Christians from other churches. So we will be instituting a rule that if you are saved and want to come you must bring an unsaved friend to the club. We will definitely be using the gospel in the English Club, and the same evangelical book I'm handing out at thanksgiving: as I have it in Russian and English so they can learn by having both copies.

Katya has started a baking ministry. Almost every day she is baking something tasty. She puts the treats in boxes with scriptures and gives them to people she meets. It is a great way to start a conversation about God. She has been teaching a few young mothers how to bake and in doing so has been sharing the WORD with them. She also has a group of mothers that she walks in the park with and shares her experience as a wife and mother while bringing God to these ladies.

On top of all that we are continually hosting teams of Students from New Life Church in Kiev that are coming for ministry to area gypsy villages. As well we are hosting other missionary, ministers, and friends all the time as our home has become a place for others from all over Ukraine to come and rest.

God is doing wonderful things and we can't wait to see what he does next!

We ask that you would please remember us, and remember to pray for us. Almost two months ago, I broke my foot and tore up ligaments and my Achilles tendon. Rehabilitation is slow. I have had every cold going around and sinus infections. Amanda has had tonsillitis, and Katya has had some health concerns as well. We know that this is Spiritual warfare, because the Devil does not want the gospel to be received. We ask that as much as possible you would double you effort to pray for us.

Be reminded of a few things:  for those of you that support financially, please send your checks to:
       Living Water Ukraine        12893 Harbor Blvd.  C440         Garden Grove, CA 9284

or for PayPal or Credit Cards click here 

If you don’t already support us financially but believe in the work we are doing perhaps you will consider a one-time donation as we come to the end of this tax year; or perhaps you would also consider becoming a regular monthly supporter. As always feel free to share with your friends about what we do and encourage them if they would like to donate as well.

Thank you to everyone who has given and is giving. The work we do would not be possible without your sacrifice.

One last thing: People have asked how to send us cards, letters, and packages. Most of the time the regular postal service will work just fine and it takes about 2 weeks. For large packages email us for the shipping company we use: 
Our address is:        35A Lermontova #30, Mukachevo, Zakarpatska Oblast, Ukraine 09600

October Update

This scripture has been on my mind a lot lately: "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have." - 2 Peter 1:2-12

October Prayer Update

Two weeks ago I slipped and fell on some wet tile from some dripping rugs that we had washed and were waiting to dry. Believe me, it was graceful. besides making a step stool fly across the bathroom and hitting my head on the washer, I pulled out my hip and landed the full weight of my body on my over extended foot. I wish I would have had a camera, then I could slow it  down and show you all how talented I really am.

 I thought I had a sprain, but there was too many crises (like the family with the JW grandparents from the last post) and too much to do. So with gritted teeth: I rubbed on menthol cream, took ibuprofen, and kept going. Each morning it was harder to put on a shoe, each day was it more excruciatingly painful, and each night it was harder to hobble into bed. It got so bad I couldn't walk anymore. I decided to stay off it for a few days, and have a doctor friend look at it. She said it looked bad, but had to wait for the swelling to go down. So, a few days later when the swelling eventually went down, what did we find? I HAD BEEN WALKING ON A BROKEN FOOT FOR NEARLY A WEEK! Now, I have to stay off it for several weeks. 

I could really use your prayer in the healing process, and for Katya as she has to take care of a lot more right now. The good news is that our Bible Studies are at our house, and since I need to lay down and keep my foot up, I spend a lot of time on the floor with my little Amanda.

September Prayer Update

PLEASE PRAY: a family we are ministering to is under a lot of attack. The mother is an ex-Jehovah's Witness. Her parents are trying to brainwash her children and replace their daughter (who died for lack of a transfusion) with their grand-daughter. The daughter is 11 years old and has already twice tried to run away to the grandparents with my wife running after her. The government has gotten involved as well as a child psychologist, as she is fully indoctrinated, telling her mom she is dead because she is not on the JW church. The grandfather has threatened to kill the mother if she doesn't sign over parental rights. The head of the daughter's school is a JW and allows the grandfather on campus. It's a mess. All the while her (common law) husband has started drinking whenever not at work. This woman has just come to God and just started studying scripture with us and within 2 weeks of her knowing us the same daughter had to go to a hospital and have a tumor removed. She came to Jesus and the devil is fighting it, she needs your prayer, they need your prayer, and we need your prayer. Much of our time is with this family (they have 3 kids) at the moment. If you would like more specifics, message us privately.

GRACE...

Tonight, we had our first Bible Study in Mukachevo. We had a couple ladies and their kids. Next week we will start the book of Mark, but today we talked about grace. I love talking about grace. For me it is the most inexhaustible of subjects. I see it everywhere in Scripture in Every action of Jesus in the gospels, I experience it daily in my life.

I tend to see things from just a slightly different perspective from normal. I look at Jesus' interaction with the demon-possessed man calling himself "Legion". The grace of Jesus coming to that region just for him. The grace of his healing. The grace of Jesus looking beyond the man's problems. The grace of Jesus leaving without him, and sending him out in his own land to tell his story. The grace given to one man, in one moment... This grace led to The disciples returning after late, preaching the gospel, and the Name of Jesus was already known. Because of one man. Because of one moment. Because of a single grace.

In the movie: "Les Miserables" Jean Val Jean holds up his yellow passport, to the priest and says" This is who I am. I am bad. I am a thief." This man was naked with chains, screaming: "What do you want with me?" "I am Legion. I am full of Demons. "This man identified himself by his demons, by his problems. Jesus saw beyond. Jesus saw the man. Jesus offered Grace. Who knew that the sound of grace, love and compassion was that of thousands of screaming, dying, drowning pigs!

August Prayer Update

The Lord has brought about 8 families int our sphere of influence here in Mukachevo. It was nothing we did, the Lord brought them all to us as we were about our daily lives. With many of these families it is going to be a long road that we walk with them as they are entrenched in the traditions of the families. We have one lady in particular who really would love to come and study the Bible but is fearful what her husband and in-laws (who live with them) will think. Another has been burned by their religious experiences, and still another is convinced that all spiritual beliefs are valid so long as intentions are pure. Theses are the types of people that God is bringing to us. They represent all areas of life and belief. We do not hesitate to share what we believe and we are quietly ministering to them and their families as we are showing them the truth. Our prayer is that as we are faithful the Holy Spirit would come and invade their hearts an bring them closer to saving grace. Katya definitely needs prayer as well. God has been using her probably more than he has been using me, and she needs grace and wisdom in her interactions with these families.

One more thing. Our plan was to start services on the second Sunday of September, right when summer is over. We didn't want to start on the 1st Sunday because that is September 1st, and is the 1st day of school in Ukraine, no matter what day of the week. Well plans change. One lady practically begged us to start earlier so she could begin studying through the bible. We have spent a lot of time talking about God and the Bible and I have given her several books, but she has a hunger. So yesterday she asked me, and this Sunday we will have our first Bible Study. Please pray for me as I prepare for that, and that God would move in this venture.

July Update

We have made it safely to Mukachevo, have unpacked, and started to settle in. In our short time here we have already seen God start to work. We are slowly meeting people and building relationships with them. We have been helping with a youth worship night. We have been involved in several outreaches to gypsy villages. We have been spending our time meeting with pastors in the city and the region and visiting local churches. And, we have been spending a lot of time praying. We have found that there is a lot of spiritual oppression in this region. People are lost and stuck under the authority of their traditions, and the devil has done a great job of sowing disunity throughout the church world here.

As always, we ask that you would join us in prayer as we are about the Lord's business.

Scripture Sunday

Happy Father's day! I've been thinking about my second year as a daddy, and my role as a father. I Just thought would share some verses with you that have been rolling around in my head for a week or so:

"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven, to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." - Luke 1:76-79 (NIV)

Man(ning) & Tenderness

So, I’ve been reading “The Wisdom of Tenderness” by Brennan Manning, and I thought I would share a few nuggets with y’all.

Every change in the quality of a person’s life must grow out of a change in his or her vision of reality. The Christian accepts the Word of Jesus Christ as the master vision of reality. Jesus’ person and teaching shapes our understanding of God, the world, other people, and ourselves. This shaping, exercises a decisive influence on the Christian’s lifestyle. {page15}

“Now this Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) These words are a pure echo of Jesus’ teaching: “If you make my words your home, you will indeed be my disciples, you will learn the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32) Why then, is there so much un-freedom in Christian circles today? The sad truth is that many Christians fear the responsibility of being free. It’s often easier to let others make the decisions or to rely exclusively on the letter of the law. Some men and women want to be slaves. {page2}

In contrast to the quotidian brutality of the institutional church, Jesus never even asked the adulterous women brought before him if she was sorry. (John 8:1-11) Feeling her abject shame – shame that had been brought on by the merciless interrogation of religious leaders – Jesus forgave her before she even asked for forgiveness. When pastors and preachers wanting to justify their own fury at New Agers, liberals, provocative clothing, gays, Hollywood, male earrings, and hard rock invoke the manifest anger of Jesus as he cleanse the Temple, they overlook the fact that Christ’s anger is the storm-front of his love. {page11}

These are pretty heavy words. I know I struggle with all of this. What are your thoughts? Do we prefer un-freedom because it is easier to manage in the day-to-day? Do we limit our vision of Jesus, and therefore reality, in the name of the status-quo? Do we have the depth of Christ's forgiving love, that would offer grace before the receiver even desires it? Should we???