October 12, 2012

What a busy week and weekend! We hosted a student retreat (paintball!) west of Kiev in a small town called Bucha. 13 students from our 14th Technicum, most of which were brand new faces, at least to me. I’ve made a quick video of the weekend if you have 5 minutes. The main purpose of the weekend was evangelistic – please pray for these students! We are meeting tonight at the Cafe for any of them that want to take the ‘next step’ with God, I have no idea if any will come, but I believe God is working on many of their hearts and I’m praying for at least one!

Clear as mud.

Speaking of students, last night Shane and Jemimah were pleased to find that over 60 students attended only the second weekly ‘youth group’ at the other school in town. This was the one that we were praying to get into, and met with one of the directors a few weeks ago. The larger auditorium has now been granted, the room that I’ve personally been praying and envisioning there for a few years being packed with students hungry for purpose and direction in their life.

Whenever there are numbers and potentially lives changed for Christ, there’s bound to be some controversy and opposition both in seen and unseen world. Please pray for wisdom, patience, endurance, favor, and the Spirit of God to super-cede the humble human efforts. We need God to move in these schools beyond numbers, with lives changed, sin forgiven and walking in the power of God.

“…and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Paul’s prayer to the Ephesian church, on my heart.   God doesn’t want people to simply give mental ascent to a series of truths.  He wants a knowledge of His love that surpasses human intellect.  To experience the love of God personally is to be forever changed

I think it's funny Nike promoting both Tebow and Football where neither would be recognized.

Ok, I promised myself I wouldn’t start preaching and end up with a novel here. God is definitely stirring a hunger for an AWAKENING in this generation. I’ve been listening again to older sermons, reading things that inspire radical change for Christ in our day.

That will be for another day however, here’s a few quick updates in bullet format!

• We are picking up the $ for the tables/chairs and kitchen equipment today at the bank!!  Thank you all that have given, pictures coming soon as we plan to purchase things in the next two weeks.
• Kids are all doing well at school.  Noah started kindergarten this week and is liking it so far but sad he hasn’t been able to play outside yet (weather).
• Deb has her 2nd Wives Meeting scheduled this weekend, please pray that some unbelievers will choose to come out – we really want to connect more with the community outside of the church.
• Russian is going really well again, 4hrs of lessons yesterday in Kiev with Bron and Rodge.  Deb unfortunately couldn’t come, we really would love a solution that would include her and us not having to drive to Kiev often.  Pressing into the language though and feel God’s pleasure in it.   The drive to share God’s truth with people is a motivating factor this time, whereas before I personally was pretty consumed with Texas work all the time, problems, projects etc..
• Work in Texas is going really well again.  While we’re not blowing the doors off financially speaking, we’re back on our feet after a really rough summer, and the team assembled is really a blessing from God.
• Little Abbey is our family sweetie pie, what a joy.

Stay strong, remembering your strength is in the Lord!

Bruce & Deb Crowe
Missionaries | Rzhyshchiv, Ukraine