Update #2 from Ukraine

Hi folks, it’s been another couple days since my last update.  We’ve been so busy (and internet access limited) and I haven’t had the chance to update as frequently as I planned.  I’ve got a lot for this one though so here we go…

Tuesday

• We arrived in Kryvyi Rih at about 6:30am after a long train ride from Kyiv (we left at 8:55pm the previous night).  Our team was all spread out over three cabins which were shared with other Ukrainians travelling which made things interesting!  However we were so tired that we slept nearly all the way (a much different experience from the train ride the night before).
• Once we arrived at our apartments we decided to just take it easy that day because of all the walking and travelling we had done.  It gave us a chance to get rested up for the next few days.  We did get a chance to meet with Pastor Gregory (the pastor of the church we are holding the conference at) and he shared how excited he was about us coming.  It was clear from meeting with us that we were going to be stretched by this conference (as you’ll soon find out as you read further)
• We also met with a girl named Tanya in the afternoon who is the pastor overseeing the church’s outreach to the villages in the surrounding area.  She was a ball of energy and the passion she has for reaching the lost is CONTAGIOUS!  (That’s the way it should be!!).  She outlined to us how they were going to take us on Friday night and Saturday night to the Villages to participate in the evangelistic services.  She mentioned that they’ve already been advertising about us coming and they know that it will be quite an event to have guys who came all the way from Canada to these small villages in the countryside.  A GREAT opportunity to present the gospel and tell them about Jesus.  We will be split into two teams and going to two villages each night.  Each team will have someone share a testimony and someone preach an evangelistic message.  After meeting with Tanya, we agreed as a team that this is probably going to end up being a highlight of our trip.
• That night we spent some time together praying and talking about the upcoming conference and village ministry.  I have to say one thing here.  I truly believe that the major strength of this ministry trip has been the amount of prayer and preparation that has gone into it.  Even during the this trip all four of us have been getting together to pray every day.  Not only that but we have a team of 11-12 people back home praying for us while we’re on this trip.

Wednesday

• Today after breakfast we took the musuka (bus) to the children’s hospital to see the work that the last team did on the entrance to the hospital and then we went upstairs to one of the labs to see the work that Geoff Degroot has done while here in Ukraine the last three weeks.  The nurses and staff were SO APPRECIATIVE of everything our church has done over the years and had HUGE smiles for everyone.  They went over some of the other needs the hospital has and I’m sure we’ll be bringing back some things that we can do in the coming year.
  I was IMPRESSED with the work the previous missions team did on the entrance here at the hospital and commend everyone who participated on that.  It was clear that it has remained as a testament of God’s love to the staff and all the people who walk through the doors of the hospital.  Great work WPA!
• Following the hospital visit we made our way to the Boy’s Rehab where Geoff was also working.  He did a variety of jobs around the building and once again as we met with the director we could see that the work WPA has contributed to this place over the years is much APPRECIATED and HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE.  We were also so impressed with how well things are being taken care of and how they continue to work through the many challenges they still have.  We were able to leave some money with the director to purchase an electric heater for the girls washroom.  They’ve started taking in girls to take care of them as well and there is no hot water in the girls washrooms.  An immediate need we were able to help with thanks to the contributions by you WPA!
• After the two visits we made our way back to the “lunchroom” for some lunch and then got ready for the Pastor and Missionaries conference that began that afternoon at the church.  The really NEAT thing about this is how the team got stretched during this time.  Although we knew that I (Pastor Darren) was going to be speaking in the evening service, what we didn’t know is that Pastor Gregory wanted to have us open up each worship time with prayer and a call to worship.  Walt did an excellent job for the first service, and then Jason did a great job for the evening service.  The worship was AMAZING.  We were at the church from 4-6pm where we listened to the first speakers at the conference.  Then there was another service beginning at 6:30pm that was open to the entire church.
• Just a word about the people attending the conference.  The church we are ministering at is a multiplying church.  They have a strong heart for reaching the lost and they FOCUS on doing that through planting churches throughout Kryvyi Rih and the rest of Eastern Ukraine.  In Kryvyi Rih alone, they have planted over 30 churches and in the rest of the country there are over 40 more churches that have been planted.  The cool thing?  Most of the pastors and missionaries who have planted these churches are ordinary people who have recieved the call of God and willingly gone and served him in planting churches.  Some of them continue to work as tentmakers while pastoring and planting these churches.  Nearly all of them have no formal Bible College training but they HAVE all been discipled and mentored by the main church.  Seeing this room filled with these people passionate for the work of God and the advancement of the kingdom and willing to serve him wherever he leads was such a thrill!  It was also humbling to know that we were participating in this conference with them.
• That night I spoke a message that I believed God gave me to deliver.  I encouraged all the people there to never give up as Paul exhorted in 2 Corinthians 4:1-18.  I was BLOWN AWAY by the response at the altar that night.  So many people acknowledging the struggle in their lives that brings them to the brink of giving up and yet willing to allow the Holy Spirit to renew in their hearts a willingness to continue on and NOT GIVE UP!!  Let me say this.  The hunger these pastors and missionaries have for the Lord and the Holy Spirit puts us Canadians to shame.

Thursday

• This morning we started the day as we had the previous day with breakfast and prayer.  After our conversation with Pastor Gregory the previous day there was some concern because of the tight schedule planned for the men’s conference and how things weren’t going to go exactly as we thought they would.  Since we already had done the conference in L’viv we knew that our existing presentations would be go way overtime with the schedule here in Kryvyi Rih.  This meant we had to modify and rework some of the things we planned.  Yesterday afternoon (before the conference and services) each of us spent time reworking some of our presentations.  Yet there was still some apprehension about how things would go.  So this morning we prayed, and we simply yielded everything to the work of the Holy Spirit.  We trusted that God would orchestrate things the way they needed to go and surrendered to him, determining that we would simply be obedient to share what he had given us.
• After prayer we got ready to go to the church as the conference began at 12pm.  From that moment on all I can say is I was BLOWN AWAY by how things went EVEN BEYOND ANYTHING I COULD HAVE EXPECTED.  There were over 150 men at this conference including pastors and missionaries.  150 men ready to receive from God and ready to grow.
  As for us, not only did each of us keep within the time constraints but NONE OF US struggled with the delivery of the messages God gave us to share.  There was also time to pray for the men present in between the sessions and take questions that they had for us.  Let me tell you, I was proud of our team that day.  I was simply amazed at how God was using a guy from Union Gas,  a Electrician, a Graphic Designer and myself – four ordinary men, who simply make themselves available to God, to not only minister to other men but also Pastors and Missionaries.  It was clear that what happened at this conference was BEYOND anything we could have done ourselves.  It was clear that PRAYER made a difference and resulted in an incredible impact on the men at this conference.  Words cannot describe the impact of seeing nearly all these men stand at the end of our time with them, declaring their willingness to live as men of integrity in all of their lives.  POWERFUL!
• But that was just the beginning.  After a brief hour break (the conference from 12-5 and then the evening service began at around 6:00pm), we joined the church for their evening service where once again I had the opportunity to speak.  I’m about to cry as I write this because honestly I can’t begin to describe what this service was like.  Words truly can’t express it.  Church, I’ve had some incredible moments in God’s presence in my life, but this ranks right up there as one of the most powerful.  Oh and by the way, Bruce opened the service with prayer and a call to worship.  Talk about being stretched.  This is something that Bruce was uncomfortable with when first asked but he was willing and said yes.  His obedience was rewarded and God used him to open the service in a powerful way.  So AWESOME!
  As we entered into praise and worship it was clear that this was going to be a special service.  The presence of God was so THICK!  There was a time of testimonies and one by one people came up and shared about recent miracles in their lives or in someone’s life in a church they pastored.  Following the testimony time there was just this incredible outpouring of thanksgiving and praise for all that God had done.
• Prior to the service (the entire day actually), I was struggling with what I was going to preach at the service.  I had a message prepared that talked about the life of Joseph and the dreams God gives us.  But for some reason I just didn’t feel comfortable that this was actually what I was to speak.  Right up to the service I still wasn’t settled and continued to quietly pray that if I wasn’t to share this message that God would show me what to speak.  As the service progressed it became clear that instead I was to share on the importance of remaining in Christ and the words that Jesus shared in John 15.  And so I did. And I’m glad I did. What transpired at the end of the message was INCREDIBLE and moving.  As I invited people to the altar to wait on God, the altar was filled with people HUNGRY for his presence.  Then something amazing happened.  As I was praying I just sensed a whisper of the Spirit that I was to stop talking.  A holy hush came over the whole place and you couldn’t hear a pin drop it was so quiet.  For the entire time we all just stood around the altar with our arms raised, soaking in the thick, palpable, presence and glory of God.  He was moving through people, speaking to their hearts, encouraging us, lifting us up, and making himself known in the same way he whispered to Elijah.  Oh how I wish all of you could have been there with us folks!  Then we entered again into a time of praise in response to this incredible experience.  Again words cannot begin to describe the feelings I had looking over all these people at the front lifting up their hands and worshipping God.
• As a team, we had some time to reflect on the events of the day after the service.  We are all in agreement that it is NOTHING LIKE WHAT WE EXPECTED.  And we also agreed that it was only because of prayer that it was possible.  We were deeply humbled and honoured to have been given the privilege to be a part of this.  I know we’ll have so much to share when we get home.  I also want to express a BIG THANKS to our prayer team who are praying for us back home.  We are CONVINCED that your prayers are contributing to all that is happening.

And so ends another update.  Again, it is hard to describe what is happening.  I wish I could include pictures and videos with these updates but the speed of the internet here prevents me from doing quick uploads so it’ll wait till we get home.  Please continue to pray for us over the next two days as we anticipate great things happening with the opportunities we have to minister in villages around this area.  Again, we can’t wait to see what God does as we yield to His plan and His direction.  Just think, God may work through us to help lead someone into an eternal relationship with him!  Will you pray for us?  Will you pray for the people coming to these outreaches.  Will you pray that there will be many salvations at these meetings?  We are believing for it.  Believe with us!