June Prayer Bulletin from Straight Ahead Ministries
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Prayer Bulletin August 2008
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Unrest in the World
This Summer
Seminars
Latest at Koinonia
Tell Others
Some Things to Pray About
War, Unrest, Political Conflict..... 
These are realities that certainly touch our lives in many ways.  I am thankful for the reminder from a brother who wrote to Diognetus in the second century that our home and our allegiance is not of this evil present age.
 
 Letter to Diognetus
(believed to have come down to us from the second century)
 
Christians are not differentiated from other people by country, language or customs; you see, they do not live in cities of their own, or speak some strange dialect, or have some peculiar lifestyle.
 
They live in both Greek and foreign cities, wherever chance has put them.  They follow local customs in clothing, food and the other aspects of life.  But at the same time, they demonstrate to us the wonderful and certainly unusual form of their own citizenship.
 
They live in their own native lands, but as aliens; as citizens, they share all things with others; but like aliens suffer all things.  Every foreign country is to them as their native country, and every native land as a foreign country.
 
They are treated outrageously and behave respectfully to others.  When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when punished, they rejoice as if being given new life.  They are attacked by Jews as aliens, and are persecuted by Greeks; yet those who hate them cannot give any reason for their hostility.
 
To put it simply-the soul is to the body as Christians are to the world.  The soul is spread through all parts of the body and Christians through all the cities of the world.  The soul is in the body but not of the body; Christians are in the world but not of the world.*

 
*Tim Dowley, ed., Eerdmans' Handbook to the History of Christianity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977), p.69.

Lora and Frank's Time in the USA
We no longer have a residence in the States but have been blessed again by the generosity of friends in New Jersey who have opened their home to us while we wait to enter Russia again under the new visa restrictions.  We are so thankful for the Lord's provision through these dear people.   
 
We have been able to visit all of our children and grandchildren.  We just returned from a visit with our youngest daughter and her family where we got to see her daughter Cora Leigh for the first time.  And we found out that our daughter is expecting another baby in 7 months.....so our family is still growing. 
 
We received our visas to return to Russia September 1st, but unless we can get a green card we will have to leave after 90 days and not be allowed to return for another 90 days (something to pray about).
 
Unfortunately because of various church schedules that are busy and the high cost of travel we have been unable to coordinate personal visits to many of those we normally see while we are in the USA.  Hopefully we will be able to talk to many on the phone before we return.

In the meantime we have been trying to use our time wisely.  Lora has been helping a friend at a local church with ESL (English as a second language) classes. Lora is enjoying her time as she learns new special skills to teach English. The students are all Mexican that speak very little English.
 
Both of us have participated in a weekly outreach that another local church is directing to Russian students that come to the New Jersey shore to work for the summer. It was neat to be among young Russians and to see that the local church was reaching out to them with the gospel.
 
Several nights a week I have been volunteering at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. The mission serves the many homeless that are in Atlantic City.  My assignment is to help the chaplains serve. I have been involved in everything including interviewing new residents, overseeing work crews, counseling, dispensing medications, receiving donated food, and preaching. I am learning a lot. It is both a humbling and rewarding experience.  I am truly thankful for this opportunity.
 
We are anxious to get back to Volgograd and covet your prayers as we look forward to see Lord use us as we implement that which he has entrusted to us.
Katya Has Been Busy 
 

Katya has scheduled several seminars this summer that have been very well attended.  Katya is doing a good job of using our conference hall and bookstore in a coordinated fashion.  Alpha Christmas event 2The extra traffic from the seminars gives our store more

exposure and both the seminars in the conference room and the literature available in the bookstore serve the needs of the churches and the local community.  Here is a photo of Katya in the conference hall with a book display she arranged for one of the seminars.
 
 
Alpha Christmas event 2
 
 
 
 
The Koinonia Church 
Because of the timing requirements of the new Russian visa laws Frank and Lora had to leave Volgograd at the end of May which was a month before the students returned to their homelands for summer break.  This meant that the fellowship would be on its own.  They did just fine.  Here are some photos showing one of the sisters in a graduation gown.  Those that graduated took turns wearing the gown for their photos.  Alpha Christmas event 2             
 
All the prayer groups and worship services continued through the month of June.  During the rest of the summer there have been only 6 of our fellowship still in Volgograd.  But they have been faithfully meeting and studying God's word together.
 
We miss them all very much and are looking forward to hearing how they have served God in their homelands this summer. 
 
 
 
  Alpha Christmas event 2         
               
This is a photo of Elder Joshua baptizing a new brother who is a student from China. This new brother had completed a class on baptism with Frank but because the Volga River was to high in May we had to delay the sacrament.  The fellowship agreed that it would be best for him to be baptized in June when the water was suitable and that Elder Joshua would baptize him.  There was a great turn out to witness this blessing. 
Spread the Word about Straight Ahead Ministries
 
It would be a great help if you took just a minute to click the forward email link Forward email and send an encouraging note to some friends that they might join our team.  Your message to them is personal and unless they contact us on their own we will have no record.  So give us a hand in getting the word out.....Thanks
                                                                                                                   
 
Check Out Previous Prayer Bulletins
Some Things to Pray About
 
Please pray
 
That our Russian "green card" documentation is approved promptly so that Frank and Lora can continue ministry without undue expense and interruption
 
That the Center will be a blessing to many
 
That the Koinonia fellowship will continue to grow spiritually and reach more students and their families with the gospel
 
That we have good relations with our neighbors at the center
 

For protection from government interference

 

For the financial success of the bookstore

 
For a Chinese Pastor to minister to the Chinese student population

 
That we will be able to pay off the loan for the center to remove the interest expense
 
That God will be glorified in all of our lives as we truly seek to serve him
 
 
Thank you so much for you prayer support....
 

God Bless you richly,

 
Katya, Lora and Frank