Subject:    july Dear Mark, I am always thankful to God for prayers, for support and love God gives to our hearts, for ministry and happiness to be in His family and realize the unity in Spirit. I hope you do well , there is peace and love in your family and your soul. Recently the opening of a Bible Studying center had taken place. There were new people and we made our first greeting there and then we had Lord's Supper. The youth camp in the beginning of August is very close now. The editing of the book for the campers is almost finished, we giving it for print this week. The subjects that we are going to speak about in the camp are following: 1. Music, God and you. Ministry and your attitude to it. 2. The ability to listen and make decisions. Communication. 3. Willpower and ability to say No. 4. Time to wait and time to love. 5. Solving conflicts and way out of depression. I wrote the part "Time to wait and time to love", it is about keeping from sexual relationships before marriage. The seminar for workers in the camp will be held July 25, Friday. We invited 70% of Christian youth to the camp of 30% of unbelievers. There will also be 2 groups of the deaf and we are praying that the director of the orphanage allow us to have some teenagers from the orphanage. Besides, we invited several young people from far-away villages we had our missionary camps in. (Ulika - nanay village and Pobeda, there is a church that was made up after the camp). We plan to have missionary camps there again, in the middle of August. My renovation is still going on. I have a great need in getting furniture. Especially I want to buy furniture for the kids from the orphanage room. I wrote that I plan to have a room in my apartment for this purpose. Every Sunday, and when there is an opportunity, I take several children to my place to show God's love to them. If they are allowed, they spend a night at my place. I have finished repairing in this room, but I do not have furniture for it. So, I continue the repairing in the other rooms and I not there is no way for me to buy the furniture. But I know God has an opportunity and time for this, I just have to wait and pray. I ask you to support me in the prayer. Right now I am especially busy with the programs for the camps, and I do repairing in my free time. All my stuff in still in bags and suitcases, because there are no wardrobes for them, and the repairing is not completed. It is not easy for me. Please, pray about me, may God give me strength and wisdom to do everything wisely and in time, to do His will and be in fellowship with Him. Say hello to your church and friends. If you have some time, please write how your life is going. Remember, your prayers help us every day. Thank you and praise God for your friendship and love in Christ.   May the Lord bless and keep you may his face shine upon you and be gracious and give you peace, Sincerely, Svitlana.

Mark Thanks for the message. I will pray for you as you begin this ministry. We went to a university student ministry conference for several years in Glorieta and always took students to the church in Santa Fe. May God use you and your prayers to bring His heart and transformation to that city and the state. We are just beginning as missionaries in Krakow, Poland. We too are praying for what has happened or not happened here and what God would have us to do to see students and the city brought into personal relationship with Him. We know that God knows all things and will show us the things are important. May God bless you in every way, Curt __________________________________

Subject:    camps Dear Mark, I hope that your Summer time was good and you are in great mood now. My summer was filled with various camps and orphanage visits. Also I visited camps where children from orphanages were resting. In three of the orphanages we built swings and it was a good chance to say about Christ and continue to do it in future. As you know, besides all these I've been making a remodel in my apartment and I advanced in it quite a lot, but there's still much work ahead. Also I need to buy more furniture, please pray about this. The main thing I want to ask you is following: about tomorrow we leave Khabarovsk to make two missionary camps in remote villages. We plan to be there till the end of August and we plan to include about 200 non-Christian children and teenagers in it. And I want to ask you to pray much about our team, about it's safety as on the way (we're going to get there by a small ship) and when being there. Also pray about the weather and for children who will come, that they could know more about God from bible lessons and accept Christ in their hearts to become believers. We wish that God will lead this camp. We're going to live in tents and children will come to our territory daily from the village. So, your prayer will include many things and God knows them all, and He can help us to do all in his sake. I will be able to check for your mail to me at the end of August, but it would be good to know how you're doing.   May the Lord bless and keep you may his face shine upon you and be gracious and give you peace, Sincerely, Svitlana.

Subject:    pray for russia http://www.biblesforrussia.org/ great site and please pray for russia..notice they're not just asking for bibles they are helping the poor and the children... __________________________________

Dear Prayer Partners,   Thank you for your prayers on our behalf this week.  We had some technical difficulties with the internet connections, so I did not get to respond to our emails.  We will try to do that soon. Another reason is that we were occupied completing our visa requirements and getting our van.   So in answer to many prayers, we now have a 2 year visa to stay in Poland.  Because we were granted the visa, we were able to register the van so yesterday I went to Warsaw and picked it up!   I never knew growing up and giving to Speed the Light all those years that I would some day receive that blessing.  We have never owned  a brand new vehicle.  This is a 2003 VW Sharan van that carries 7 people.  It is big by Poland standards, but you can ride with us when you come to visit.    It is 24 Km round trip to get the kids to schools and we had been spending 2 hours each morning and afternoon to get the kids to school and get back home.  So almost 8 hours a day between us. So today when I was home in 1 hour, we were so thankful for the blessing of a van and no traffic jams.   Please continue to keep Beth and Daniel in your prayers regarding school and all of us regarding health and learning Polish.   God bless you.  God is good, all the time, Curt

Subject: Request for Dedicated Prayer Effort Friends,   By the time many of you get this I will be on my way to Poland. I am well aware that not all will read this email --- that's okay, some will. I have decided that my last earnest plea for your prayers for the advancement of Christ's kingdom during my trip through the different places in Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia would best be stated by what someone else has already recently written that I am including below.   I am reminded that Francis Schaeffer said; "In the end, the final apologetic argument for Christianity is the way you live your life." Boy, with all the people I know who know so much, but are being used so little, I can't help but think that perhaps that's at least part of the reason why, including in my own life. But God does not leave us alone in that state or the world in its state. He continues to do His life-changing work in and through simple people, foolish people, foolish enough to take Him at His word.   Written below is an email written by one of the simple and humble missionaries of International Messengers that I have been honored and blessed by God Himself to even been allowed that I might serve with. They wrote this to "their people" because at the very least, they knew I needed it. They were right of course. But I'm sending it to you, because I'm foolish enough to take God at His word too and believe we are all called to serve. We need your prayers! Serve now with us by praying for us! "Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me" (Romans 15:30). "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14).         We must at all times, in all ways, with all people, point them to Christ! Ed www.praybold.org P.S. "The principle exercise which the children of God have is to pray. For in this way they give true proof of their faith."                                                                                                                                        (John Calvin) Subject: Request for Dedicated Prayer Effort Dear Brothers and Sisters,   Welcome to September!  Here in Radom, it is, of course, a new day.  It's also a new month, it feels like a new season has arrived with the coolness of fall, the changing leaves, and their tumbling to the ground.  It's also the beginning of a new school year in all of Poland.   And in the spirit of newness, I'd like to ask you all to begin a new intensified prayer campaign with me for at least the next 60 days, and hopefully beyond!     As many of you know, Ed Kleiman will be traveling to Eastern Europe in just a couple of weeks.  He'll begin by teaching at International Messengers' fall staff conference along with Terry Baxter.  Following that, his itinerary then takes him to various I.M. ministry locations throughout Eastern Europe.  He ends his trip with a week of teaching and encouragement here in Radom.  I was moved by God today to share this with you, and ask you to join us in prayer for this work.   This morning, in my quiet time, it wasn't just a new day, month, season, etc., etc.   I also started a new book in my O.T. readings - Judges.  One of the things about the first chapter of Judges that has long stood out in my mind is the repetition, almost verbatim, of Joshua 15.15-19 and Judges 1.11-15.   It is the story of Acsah's request to her father, Caleb, for additional land containing springs of water.  This morning, the Holy Spirit simply wouldn't let me leave that passage.   So I lingered, pondered, and meditated, asking God to teach me, and of course, once again, He does not fail.   I want to share with you what God showed me, and ask you to pray accordingly for Ed's entire trip, and with particular intensity for his time in Radom and God's work here.   First of all, as I thought of Acsah's perspective, I saw the incredible freedom with which she came to Caleb.  In these verses, we see that Caleb has already given her land in the Negev.  What stands out about this?   Well, one thing I noticed is that she was given land at all!  Quite a counterculture act on Caleb's part!  Another point was the location - the Negev.  Being the midwestern farmer's daughter, I'd say that's not exactly prime farm ground, now, is it?   It's a dry, arid portion of Israel that includes desert and canyon regions, and where the annual rainfall is only 2-4 inches!   Even though Acsah had already received a generous gift from her father, she returns to him freely to ask for more.  How much is that like our Heavenly Father?  Each of us has been granted the most generous gift of all - our salvation.  And yet God wants us, and even commands us, to return to him, asking for more!  We can go back to God, day after day, minute after minute, second after second, seeking more and more of Him!  Just as Caleb said, "What can I do for you?", so does our God!  Every time we come to him, he is there, waiting and asking, "What can I do for you?".   Next, it appears to me that Acsah went to Caleb expectantly.   There is no indication of hesitation on her part, no insecurity, no doubt.  She has approached him humbly and respectfully, she has his listening ear, and so she proceeds.  She speaks openly, plainly, and boldly to her father.  When we approach our Father humbly and respectfully, we know he listens.  We, too, should therefore open our hearts to Him and speak openly, plainly, and boldly, presenting our requests and petitions.    As Spurgeon says, "It is not good to beat around the bush in prayer, but to come directly to the point...  Why not be distinct and say what we mean as well as mean what we say?"   With this same thought of distinctness in mind, she doesn't just present some willy-nilly request, but provides adequate order and argument.  She reminds him of the land he has graciously given her in the past, and asks him for more of the same.  But not just any land.  Her request now is for land that will enhance what she has already received, land containing life-giving water, land that will enable the original gift to bear fruit!  Likewise, we can remind God of the grace he has already given, and then ask for more!  We have already received Jesus, but we, too can ask for more of Jesus, the life-giving water, the Living Water, so that we may bear fruit!  But we don't have to stop there - we can ask that others drink deeply of this Life-giving Water, so that they may become fruit, then grow to be reproduce fruit to God's glory!   Last, Caleb didn't fail to give Acsah what she asked for, but he gave more than she anticipated - he gave her not just one spring, but gave her two, both the upper and lower springs!  I ask you, how much like God is that?   We ask, and he does more than we ask or imagine!  Why should we doubt when we have a God who responds in such a way?   How can we not pray expectantly, when we know we are praying within his will, and when it is within his will, he will grant our request?  As Martin Luther said, "Lord, I will have my will of Thee at this time."  He was able to speak so boldly because his quote is not complete until it is followed by this sentence, "I will have my will, for I know that my will is Thy will."    When our will in prayer matches God's will, there is nothing to hold back the floodgates of heaven!  We know God will give us what we ask for when our desires match his!   Dear friends, all this is to ask you to join in prayer for Ed's time in Eastern Europe.   Please wrestle with God and prevail in prayer with us for the next 60 days especially. Please come before God humbly and respectfully, and Remind him of how he opened your heart to accept the gift of salvation he has graciously and mercifully offered each one of you, and ask him to open the hearts of all people in Radom and Eastern Europe so that they, too, will accept the gift.  Remind him of how he continues to open your heart and mind to his instruction and teaching, and ask that he do the same for all here in Radom and Eastern Europe who will be hearing God speak through Ed.  Remind him that it is only because of his continual flow of living water to us through the Holy Spirit that we are able to bear fruit for his glory, and ask him to open the floodgates of Living Water so the people of Radom and Eastern Europe can also bear fruit to his glory.   Pray that the people here will drink deeply of the Living Water!  Pray for an abundance of Living Water through the Holy Spirit to be poured out on Ed as he teaches, filling him to overflowing and splashing out onto others!  Please pray that we here in Radom will absolutely be drenched by this Living Water! Remind God that he provided Acsah and with a father who cared for her, took care of her, and provided for her, and now provides each one of us with a Father who cares for, takes care of and provides for each one of us.  Then ask God for special care, protection and provision for Ed as he spends nearly 45 days on the road, sacrificing home and comfort to be God's mouthpiece and servant in Eastern Europe.  Thank you for joining this prayer effort!  Folks, I can tell you, it is exciting to be here in Radom!  God has great plans for this city, and I can feel the earth trembling beneath my feet in anticipation of what He is going to do!  The tremors before the great moving of God have begun!  Great strides have been made to bring the believers in this city together to glorify God - and it all begins with the prayers of the saints.   That's you, that's me, that's anyone you can get involved in this effort!  Please feel free to share this request as you see fit, throughout your community of friends, your churches, wherever.  I am convinced we can never have too many people who are willing to pray boldly and confidently for what is already known to be God's will!   If you would like a complete itinerary of Ed's trip to be able to pray specifically for each location where he will be teaching, just ask.  I'll get it out to you right away.   Honored to be in His service, Hope   P.S.  For any of you ladies who've been through the study "Falling in Love with Jesus", send up a mighty shout of praise and thanks, as today I have been especially "kissed by the King", many times over!   "All of heaven lies within the grasp of the asking individual. All the promises of God are rich and inexhaustible, and their fulfillment is to be had by prayer."   C. H. Spurgeon

Subject:    Summer ended Dear Mark, Summer 2003 has just passed and I hope you had much good time during summer. I pray about you and I believe that God blessed you and He will continue to bless you during this fall. Thanks for the prayers about me, our camps and our ministry. They helped us everyday. I hope that you received all my letters I sent you during the summer. I wrote you that during summer we conducted some camps based on sport and Christian programs in orphanages and also in camps where orphans spend their summertime. Also we had youth Christian camp in the beginning of august made for youth from some cities of Far East. We included 70% of Christian youth there and the rest 30% were non-Christians. Also there was a group of deaf people in the camp. The program of the camp appeared to be good and all the aims we planed to shoot before were achieved. Some young people received Christ and Christian youth spent good time strengthening in faith and relationship. At the end of august we tripped to the remote villages of Far East by three rivers. This trip was rather special as God changed our plans by the way. And here is how it happened. We have been there before making camps and I have wrote you that the only way to get there is using different river ways as all they are located in Taiga. So, we arrived in Nanai village – Ulika, we're coming there for the fourth year already. There are a few people living in this village, but all of them are aboriginal inhabitants of that area. They have their customs and traditions which are connected with shamanism and still their existence is closely connected with hunting and fishing. However, their children changed during these years and the entire attitude to Christians had changed in this village. So, we already conducted a few days in this village and were ready to swim further. The last night we saw the ship which was going to take us further being towed by another smaller ship back to Khabarovsk as its engine has jammed. It was dark already, so we prayed and returned to tents to sleep. The next two days it became known that the break is serious and this only way of getting there and out of there could be repaired only by the 18th of September. So, all our team and the entire village stayed fully separated of where we came from. We remained on the same place having no ability to go neither forth to the next camp nor back home. And that's why we made more studies in that village also making sport events for children there. God blessed us and sent us all available products and strength for our team daily. That was a good test for us. We saw God's blessings daily, but we still remained in uncertainty knowing and especially feeling that our friends have been praying for us, and I suppose your prayer also was lifted to God that time. Besides all that, we had MANY mosquitoes as the river shoaled and the last day it was a rain when we started to fold our tents. And when our hope was almost over, we saw a barge which delivered lumber to Khabarovsk. We asked a captain to take us home. He gave his permission, put all our stuff on limber, and covered it with a coverlet of a trampoline. He covered a roof with a tent put on lying mast and we sat there. Slowly, but we swam home for eight hours singing Christian songs and thanked God that he made our way back by His way! I was at home at 12 in midnight. On the 31st of august we opened a Sunday school season in Topolevo orphanage. Children were very happy to continue Bible study again. They have told us of how their summer has passed and we prayed together and sang songs. Today, on the 1st of September, I continue to make my remodel and there is much work to do as the major part of the summer I was busy with camps. Unfortunately, during remodeling I won't be available to invite orphans to my home, so I will hurry to finish it. All my staff from old apartment is still in boxes as I have neither cases nor shelves yet. To finish all, I need finances, and I would ask you to pray about this, so I could use my apartment for ministry as fast as it is possible. Also pray for a Sunday school in orphanage, that the doors would be kept opened and many children could receive salvation. Also pray about my radio programs that come out weekly on Tuesdays, about youth clubs which is also an instrument that helps more young people to be saved. Send greetings to church.   May the Lord bless and keep you may his face shine upon you and be gracious and give you peace, Sincerely, Svitlana.

Howdy from Krakow!   Hope all is well there.  Curt just returned from a Youth Retreat about an hour away today and again was encouraged by the zeal and vitality of the leaders and hunger of the youth.   We are hosting a Campus Leader's Retreat next weekend for vision casting, relationship building and prayer.  Would you pray for this time that God will give us His desires and strategy for seeing it happen.   Lastly, continue to pray for our kids' adjustment to Polish and school.  Beth has had the hardest time, but had a better week. We are praying for a breakthrough for her relationally and language wise.   Thanks for your support of us.  May God bless you in every way,   God is good, all the time, Curt

Mark   Thanks for the message and the reminder.  I realized that I have not gotten back to you about our "ministry" here in Kraków, Poland.  We are now in language studies (1-2 years).  We have been here since mid June of 2003.  Our goal is to develop campus ministry in this country.  Right now within the Pentecostal church especially, this is a new type of ministry.  We are working with the Assemblies of God church in the USA.  Here the Pentecostal Church is quite young in many ways and we see that as a bonus without a lot of red tape beauracuracy etc.  But it is also vulnerable to problems.  Most of the pastors have been doing so for less than 15 years.  Doctrine and philosophy of ministry are not too developed.   We were 14 years at the University of Wyoming where we worked reaching and equipping students who are now serving God in various ways and places -some even using their degrees to minister in ways and places where I could not go.    We believe the students who come to know Christ in a personal relationship and then go where He calls them can make a huge impact on this country and the church.  We believe that the revival that is slowly emerging here will be ignited as students surrender their lives to God no matter the cost.  The harvest is genuinely ripe here in spite of the Catholic influence.  There are many who believe, but many more who are religious and do not see God as active and relevant for today's dynamic life.  They have been in constant change since communism fell.   My wife and I have been married just over 10 years and have a daughter Beth -8 and son Daniel -5.   Hope this helps get you a bit acquainted.  Our web page is being developed by a student.  So our schedule is subject to theirs.   God bless you this year, Curt

Subject:    Bless you... Dear Mark,   Please forgive my bad English. I try to remember  English, but in this moment I don't have any dictionary near my PC, so I will use some online dictionary on WWW.   I'm glad to read your letter. I serve the Lord in the Chatolis Charismatic Movement, which is very similar with your ministry. We do belive in Holly Spirit, and we use His charismas in our ministry. We have few small communities, praying groups. We had some evangelisation rallies, but that was only a begining.   I searced your web site, and links and I found out on BULGARIA MISSONS that you have some Romanian brothers like Raul Costea from Drăgănesti, Florina Cazan, Dănut Opris from Alba Iulia, so on... I understand that you are from the Baptist Church...   We also understand Romanian language...   In Budapest, Hungary (near Romania) we have an organization named EZAZANAP for organizing yearly a big rally with all churches. You can see, the web site on: http://ezazanap.hu/index.php   You are right, we are all one in Jesus Christ. Praise Lord! We keep in touch, Laszlo, Pitic.   ps. I was wrong: not Minnesota... it is Ann Arbor, Michigan, ...

Subject:    [Missions Insider] Homeless Church Finds a Home in Bulgaria 1. BULGARIA: HOMELESS CHURCH FINDS A HOME       Special Thanksgiving Feature 2. VIETNAMESE MISSIONARY ARRESTED 3. RAJASTHAN CONVENTION DRAWS 35,000 4. RADIO REACHES INDIA'S MILLIONS 5. PHOTO OF THE WEEK: CHURCH GROWTH IN BULGARIA ---------------------------------------------- Visit our website at http://www.christianaid.org ---------------------------------------------- John Lindner, Editor ---------------------------------------------- Note: Missions Insider refrains from mentioning names that could make the subjects targets of anti-Christian activity. Names are sometimes mentioned of ministries conducting work commended by authorities or located in areas of greater religious freedom. ---------------------------------------------- 1. BULGARIA: HOMELESS CHURCH FINDS A HOME A Thanksgiving Feature Story by John Lindner For years the Good News Christian Church in Burgas, Bulgaria, had sought for a place of their own to meet. The Lord answered their patient prayers in a startling way. Zhivko Tonchev's grandfather had been a devoted evangelical pastor during the Communist days. Later, when freedom came in 1990, Zhivko himself began handing out tracts and conducting evangelistic meetings. By the time the quick wind of religious freedom ended a few years later, a group of 500 believers had formed Good News Christian Church under his leadership. Through the years the congregation has felt like nomads wandering in the desert without a home. Unable to find land or a building to buy, the new church began renting a public auditorium, though sometimes they had to cancel services because of secular events. Later the church attempted to purchase what seemed to be a suitable site, but when the church approached the city fathers, the only answer given was, "There is no land zoned for an evangelical church." Next they decided to build in a business complex being constructed by one of the church's deacons, but the needed funds never materialized. They tried to obtain a three-year rental contract on a small concert hall, but that fell through. For several years they had been renting separate office facilities and small-group meeting rooms from the city at a very reasonable rate. Suddenly, the city reclaimed them. They began to think they might never find a church home, though many maintained hope. Through these years of trial Pastor Tonchev kept urging his congregation to pray and even handed out prayer goals. These included obtaining a church building and getting evangelical representation on the municipal council, as well as praying for the whole country and its leaders. At the same time there was another church in the city that was struggling to survive. Its founding pastor had lived in the U.S. during the heyday of Communism, but returned in the mid-1990s, bought an old discotheque, converted it into a church seating 450, and established a thriving congregation. With his family in the U.S., however, three years ago the pastor, then 66, found it difficult to provide full-time leadership. So he decided to retire and asked other men to take his place. They tried, but the congregation faltered. During the last three years the number of active members shrank to less than 100, making it difficult to maintain the building. So the founding pastor decided to turn the building over to some other church. After consulting several, he chose GNCC "because he was given very positive reports about our ministry by some people he trusted," Pastor Tonchev said. So now GNCC has a building of its own and the once-faltering congregation has full-time leadership and additional enthusiastic members to reinforce its ranks. Pastor Tonchev plans to remodel the three-story building to add an additional 50 seats. The united congregation will operate temporarily under the name "Oasis." Both congregations have much to be thankful for. Not only that, Pastor Tonchev recently ran for and was elected to the Burgas City Council-the first Bulgarian evangelical pastor to be elected to that public authority-despite the fact that he had very few funds available to present his candidacy to the community. It showed that the community, as well as the church, had confidence in his leadership. "Our first two prayer goals were answered so swiftly that our congregation is in a state of euphoria," he said. Up until now evangelicals had been considered by some as a bothersome "sect." These recent events put not only GNCC but the entire evangelical movement into the mainstream in the eyes of many in the community. Pastor Tonchev now requests prayer that he may continue to lead the church well while he seeks to be a voice of righteousness on the municipal council. To learn more about the ministry of Good News Christian Church, write to insider@christianaid.org and put MI-447 344-GNC on the subject line. See today's Photo of the Week. ---------------------------------------------- 2. VIETNAMESE MISSIONARY ARRESTED Ma Van Bay, a missionary to the Hmong tribe, was arrested recently and is being held in a jail in southern Vietnam, according to a report received by Christian Aid. Bay is originally from Ha Giang Province next to the China border. The police there searched his house and found money from the offering of the church that meets in his house. They then accused him of using religion to take money from the people and said he was abusing religious freedom. They gave him a three to 12-year prison term. The exact date of his arrest was not specified. However, someone helped him escape and he fled to Binh Phuoc Province in southern Vietnam. There he was again caught and imprisoned. A contact for the Vietnamese churches said if he is returned to the police in the North, he will be severely beaten; if he remains in the South, he will simply be imprisoned. In either case, believers around the world are asked to pray that he regain his freedom. The Vietnam constitution stipulates freedom of religion. Ma Van Bay came to the Lord in 1990 by listening to FEBC radio. He took gospel training in Hanoi and returned to his community, where his ministry spurred the growth of the local church. This caught the attention of local authorities, who began to persecute Bay and the other believers. Bay was persecuted several times and once given a 3 to 12-year prison sentence. In 1997, out of fear of torture or arrest, he left his family and fled to the South. Later he was reunited with his family and was instrumental in translating Biblical materials from Vietnamese into the Hmong language. Those materials have been greatly appreciated by Hmong believers. Vietnamese Christian workers are continually badgered to compromise their faith by godless Communist community leaders. Pray for Bay and all Christian workers in Vietnam. There are now approximately 400 pastors imprisoned for their faith in Vietnam. Christian Aid sends help to families of Christian workers who have been imprisoned. For more information write insider@christianaid.org and put MI-447 740-VHM on the subject line. A photo of Mr. Bay is posted on our website at http://www.christianaid.org/insider/insider-4-47.asp. ---------------------------------------------- 3. RAJASTHAN CONVENTION DRAWS 35,000 Between 35,000 and 40,000 people attended the district convention of a church-planting ministry in Rajasthan state of India recently, according to reports received by Christian Aid. It was the 23rd convention in that church, planted by a Rajasthan-based ministry that actually began in 1963. The ministry has over 800 missionaries and gospel workers and has planted more than 1200 churches. "The meetings began with praise, adoration and thanksgiving. Senior leaders held their hands together along with the gathered saints declaring the unity of the hearts and minds for God to move in these meetings," the leader told Christian Aid. And God honored their prayer. The leader said, "The move of the Holy Spirit was clearly seen in the morning sessions, and an expectant crowd and a heavenly presence were characteristic of the evening meetings." The men gained "a new enthusiasm and vigor to take the gospel to the towns and villages of North India." The convention saw the graduation ceremonies of 34 students from the group's Bible college, and 103 new believers answered the call to be baptized. For more information on this effective church-planting ministry or how to support it, write insider@christianaid.org and put MI-447 646-NMM on the subject line. ---------------------------------------------- 4. RADIO REACHES INDIA'S MILLIONS India is a secular nation with 1.1 billion people. More than 60% of them are illiterate, so radio is a main mode of media communication. A typical small village in India has at least two or three makeshift teashops, and every teashop has a radio playing constantly at high volume! One ministry told Christian Aid recently it was given a precious opportunity to broadcast its gospel radio program, "Hope in Despair," every Friday from 7:45 to 8 p.m. for only $75 per broadcast. As the first message was broadcast, the producers cried to the Lord that it might become "the power of God unto salvation" to the 7 million people within reach of that station. They later received this letter from someone listening to the first broadcast: "Dear Pastor, I was about to commit suicide. I have suffered such severe family problems that I gave up on life. Hope died within me. But when you said over the radio, 'Do not commit suicide, there is still hope for you,' I threw away the poison I was going to mix in milk and drink. If I hadn't listened to your radio program, by now I would have become a dead body. I want to attend your seekers' conference." Please pray that this ministry will find the funds to continue its effective radio outreach. Persons who would like to sponsor a radio broadcast may write insider@christianaid.org and put MI-447 620-HOM on the subject line. ---------------------------------------------- 5. PHOTO OF THE WEEK: CHURCH GROWTH IN BULGARIA http://www.christianaid.org/pow/pow-4-47.asp In the early days of freedom, Zhivko and Nellie Tonchev began fervently proclaiming Christ and soon gathered a congregation of 500 believers. But the congregation never had a building of its own-until now. Now they stand in front of a building given to them and their congregation. See today's exciting lead story. ---------------------------------------------- Mission Statement: Missions Insider is a free weekly email report from Christian Aid Mission, your link to the world of indigenous missions. We seek to establish a witness for our Lord in every tribe and nation (Matthew 24:14) by supporting highly effective native missionary ministries based in poorer countries overseas, or where believers are persecuted. Christian Aid has contact with more than 6000 indigenous ministries that have a total of 300,000 missionaries on the field or ready to go when support is available. ---------------------------------------------- Permission to Republish The content of Missions Insider is Copyright 2003. You have permission to share this newsletter with any evangelical Christian whom you think would be interested in reading it. Permission is granted to reproduce articles in whole or in part on websites, e-mail networks or print media as long as the stories are faithfully replicated and credit is given to Missions Insider at www.christianaid.org. ------------------------------ Contact Us ---- Check us out on the web at: www.christianaid.org. Christian Aid can be reached by writing Christian Aid at P.O. Box 9037, Charlottesville, VA 22906. In Canada, visit www.christianaid.ca

Subject:    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Dear friends, Peace to you, to your family and friends, peace and also Merry Christmas!                                                                                                                                     Let the upcoming holidays go wonderfully and also the New Year.  God Bless you everyday and all you do, along with your wishes.  May God's peace fill your heart and your home.             Thank you for the prayer support in the course of the year.  Your prayers helped us everyday, which means that you entered into our work where you are at.  Great happiness is placed in the Christian family and it is together that we labor for the glory of our God in spreading the good news of the Gospel.             I think you might have forgotten about me (just kidding).  This year was very stressful.  So many things needed to be done in order to continue serving and living in Russia.  Unfortunately the questions of registration here complicate matters.  I ask you again and again to pray about this so that these questions will be decided for us this upcoming year.             In December, from the 4th to the 7th, a Christian film called Climb was shown in the central movie theatre of the city of Khabarovsk for all who wanted to watch.  The movie theatre was full.  Many people couldn't get in so they went to the next viewing in order to get a seat.  After the movie the Gospel of John was given away to all who wanted it.  Some people made a decision for Christ.  The children from the orphanages occupied the first few rows.  I went to all the orphanages and boarding schools and gave away more than 600 tickets.  All of the invited children plus their directors came. You can see more pictures on imageevent.com/lanamay             In November an American embassy opened a one-year multi-visa for me. If there be God's will, I plan to be to America in March and April. Please pray for that God will bless my planning and the visit itself. In December and January we have plans to conduct Christmas holiday programs in the orphanages and to include brothers and sisters from our youth club. I am always interested to know more about how your life and ministry goes on. If this is possible, please write me on my e-mail address.             Please pray for me and for us.  Svyatoslav and his family send their hellos to you and yours.             With Love and prayers, Svitlana.   May the Lord bless and keep you may his face shine upon you and be gracious and give you peace, Sincerely, Svitlana.

Subject: Svitlana Svitlana has a web site:  www.russiaforchrist.org   Our church (www.urbancrest.org) sends her money every month in cooperation with several other churches.  Svitlana trains young people to go into orphanages every week and teach the children Bible stories.  Many have come to Christ and the Lord is having a great effect on the kid's lives.    We work directly with her to do summer festivals.  She has all kinds of sports equipment like trampolines, giant volleyballs, bows and arrows and a lot of other stuff.  Last summer we had over 200 trust Christ in a city in Siberia in only 3 1/2 days.   We are doing one this summer....leaving Aug 23 if you want to go.  The price includes a month of follow up for the city by Russian nationals after we leave.   I will send some photos of Svitlana's work with the orphans.  Last summer we built some playground equipment for 3 orphanages.   To give Svitlana support:   Make checks to:   Faith Promise Fund (Svitlana) 801 Drake Road Lebanon, OH 45036