I spent most of the day on Thursday with Dmitry Zaborski, Pastor of Cornerstone Church. We purchased some airline tickets for a conference we will both be attending and afterwards went to his apartment where Lena, his wife had prepared a wonderful lunch for us. Afterwards some friends came over and we had tea and candies while enjoying fellowship. In the late afternoon we went to the drug rehab center together. Dmitry taught on the subject of being a Biblical Christian. It was an encouraging pleasure to be able to understand quite a bit of the message.
While spending time together we talked about dreams for the future. Dmitry and I discussed beginning another rehab work in Dzerzhinsk, the city where Karen and I church planted 13 years ago. Dmitry asked if we would be willing to go there once a month to preach as part of a rotating ministry team. He also talked about his hopes to start another work in the town of Kostovo, about 30 miles in the opposite direction. Again he asked if we would be willing to be part of the ministry team and help with a new church plant during the coming year. We are so excited to be able to say, "Yes!" because we will now have a vehicle which makes this possible.
We are also praying for $15,000.00 with which we would purchase a small village style home in the country. This home would be used as a rehab center and developed into a permanent facility for working with addicts. $15,000.00 would get us a three or four room log home with no running water or indoor plumbing on a nearly 1/2 acre lot. This would be adequate for beginning a rehab center and it would be upgraded as funds allow.
Funds are not the primary issue of ministry in Russia, faith is. Dmitry is a young man of tremendous faith. He dreams, plans, takes action and the funding always follows. We have seen many Russian leaders crippled by the belief that they need lots of money before they can begin to do anything. Dmitry believes and acts upon his belief that God will provide the necessary funds if you do what He asks you to do.
We both believe that we should ask God to allow us to plant churches in every city in this region. Part of doing this will be opening regional rehab centers which evangelize drug addicts and their families. The drug sub-culture in Russia is responsive to the preaching of the gospel. Once addicts are set free from their addictions many of them become radical evangelists, reaching out to their friends and family.
While spending time together we talked about dreams for the future. Dmitry and I discussed beginning another rehab work in Dzerzhinsk, the city where Karen and I church planted 13 years ago. Dmitry asked if we would be willing to go there once a month to preach as part of a rotating ministry team. He also talked about his hopes to start another work in the town of Kostovo, about 30 miles in the opposite direction. Again he asked if we would be willing to be part of the ministry team and help with a new church plant during the coming year. We are so excited to be able to say, "Yes!" because we will now have a vehicle which makes this possible.
We are also praying for $15,000.00 with which we would purchase a small village style home in the country. This home would be used as a rehab center and developed into a permanent facility for working with addicts. $15,000.00 would get us a three or four room log home with no running water or indoor plumbing on a nearly 1/2 acre lot. This would be adequate for beginning a rehab center and it would be upgraded as funds allow.
Funds are not the primary issue of ministry in Russia, faith is. Dmitry is a young man of tremendous faith. He dreams, plans, takes action and the funding always follows. We have seen many Russian leaders crippled by the belief that they need lots of money before they can begin to do anything. Dmitry believes and acts upon his belief that God will provide the necessary funds if you do what He asks you to do.
We both believe that we should ask God to allow us to plant churches in every city in this region. Part of doing this will be opening regional rehab centers which evangelize drug addicts and their families. The drug sub-culture in Russia is responsive to the preaching of the gospel. Once addicts are set free from their addictions many of them become radical evangelists, reaching out to their friends and family.
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