One Lands. One Departs.

Tucker and Brent back together, after their first ever break.

I enjoy seeing my kids return.  Still learning to love the arrows being sent 🙂

Brent has been working in Canada this summer with his oldest brother Broderic.  It was a joy to hug him again today and feel a piece of our family fit back into place.

His voice has deepened, he’s more confident, and gained a few pounds from Nana’s cooking.

The trips to Kiev take about 1hr each way without traffic.  They provide a nice time of reflection and prayer (when I’m not dodging horses, wagons, grandmothers).

While in Kiev I was able to meet a friend for lunch unexpectedly.  He has served as YWAM’s Eastern European leader and serves in leadership with Loren Cunningham (it’s founder) directly.  I cherish conversations that are meaty, and get to the root of our motivations and mission.  I also really love talking with fellow pioneers, folks used to the tension that come from working around those focused on the local in-gathered church and the gospel movements that birth them.

Bronwyn, or eldest daughter is leaving for YWAM Nuremburg, Germany for DTS in 10 days!  A course called, “Marriage of the Arts” – she’ll be gone for 6 months and includes a 2 month outreach in another country.

Here’s a link to the school if you are interested – http://ywamnuremberg.com/    We are excited to see how God uses this gifted girl in the coming years.   I’ve asked her to write up a little background on what God is doing in her life, the decision to attend this school, and keep our home church/partners in the loop.  She won’t be fundraising for the school part, thankfully we can provide this for her, but the outreach will be a test of her faith and will appreciate any help from our friends and family later this year.

My baby girl – managed to scare off all male interests to date. Not been easy.

Broderic is about to start at Augustine College in a couple of weeks over in Ottawa, Canada.  The college is taught by a small group of PhD’s with a passion for defending the Gospel (Apologetics) in humanistic / agnostic settings.  This school is quite costly (mostly for living) and he’s been working several jobs trying to save up – proud of you young man! http://www.augustinecollege.org/

8yrs going, this trampoline continues to draw dozens of new faces each summer. 3 tarp replacements, +50 springs, Sam’s Club record for sure.

If you would, please pray with us about this fall and a particular meeting coming up with our partners and friends from Belarus at the end of September.

He has connected with us, providentially I believe, with some really neat existing and emerging leaders of the body of Christ in Belarus.  God is stirring something quite significant in my heart, it won’t go away, and it is going to stretch our faith beyond the starting of this Cafe and ministry.

We are planning to gather with one agenda, to meet with Jesus and hear His voice.  We know He is working, opening the hearts of this next generation, and is doing much of this outside of traditional church structures.   Focused, targeted ministries, from ice cream stands to coffee shops, businesses, skateboard ministries, and everything in between – more mobilization coming, especially in the FSU.

What does a move of the Holy Spirit look like?  What role does He want us to play?  How can the bride of Christ in the FSU (Former Soviet Union) grow in number, in beauty and in mission?  What steps can we start taking this fall?

We all have similar desires to use music and creative arts to provide environments for the Gospel to awaken hearts.  These guys and gals are incredibly talented and willing.   Our family feels a kindred connection, we are supposed to move ahead together somehow – they are also pioneers, and taking risks already, willing to take more for Jesus.

Our friends there already traveled to 7 cities to host worship nights this past spring, and would have continued but did not have enough money for gas – they are individually living on $200-400 per month in a major city along with the rest of the people of Minsk suffering from a collapsed economy.   God sees their willing hearts, and He also sees the harvest – we must lift up our eyes together and get into this field more actively.

We need your prayer, we need God so sharpen our ears, soften our hearts and most of all we need his power.   He will provide all the many needs for what is next, but without His power it won’t produce life:

“The history of missions is the history of answered prayer. From Pentecost to the Haystack meeting in New England and from the days when Robert Morrison landed in China to the martyrdom of John and Betty Stam, prayer has been the source of power and the secret of spiritual triumph.”
Samuel Zwemer

We are signing off for a week and we rest up for a crazy September ahead!  Love and blessings from Ukraine.

Bruce & Deb