The Benge Bulletin Blog

Christmas Reflections

2011-12-24T07:49:00.000-08:00

Dear partners and friends,

We are very happy to be here in Kiev, but it is not without its occasional melancholy moments. This will be our first Christmas without at least one of our children with us. That realization (typically accompanied by a nostalgic Christmas tune on our stereo) brings a momentary surge of sadness along with moist eyes and a very palpable sense of an unwelcome swelling in the throat.

If you are sentimental like we are, it only takes a familiar note in a song to trigger a cascade of memories of Christmases past—and the emotions that their elusiveness triggers. Some fun, others funny—but all of them frozen in time and far away. Why is it that so many Christmas songs define Christmas as being “home for the holidays”, decorating Christmas trees, sitting in front of an “open fire” (very few people in Kiev even have a fireplace), and being with family and close friends as we watch our children eagerly tearing open gift-wrapped boxes?

Surely not all of our past Christmases were as fond as our sanitized and idealized recollections would have us to believe. Forgotten in our sacred Hall of Christmas memories are the ghosts of Christmas meal disasters, innumerable hours spent on “easy to assemble” toys, the tragic absence of batteries; snowless Christmases, bickering children, and untimely bouts of the flu bug. (How about some of those experiences in the next Christmas hit song?)

Ironically, our biggest problem with our memories—are our memories! We focus on a few family traditions and forget that the best is yet to come. Nothing wrong with remembering the past—as long as we keep our eyes on the future. And that is where things really become exciting. If you know Jesus Christ, you can take your best Christmas experience ever, multiply it by infinity, and you still can’t touch what is coming. All because our God keeps all His promises. That is what makes this Christmas so special for us.

We are finding that keeping busy and having others over who are away from family really helps. On Friday night (December 23), we had 4 Kyiv Seminary students over for a meal. One is from Kazakhstan and is a bit homesick for her family (In fact, she lives with us and is like a daughter to us) Her boyfriend has no surviving family members. They both are missions majors and in fact may very well end up in Kazakhstan serving the Lord together one day (at least that is something they are praying about). The other two are a married couple from Far East Russia. They are almost 6,000 miles from home—and it has been three years since they have been there!

Our common separation from family and loved ones coupled with our common commitment to the Gospel in the Russian-speaking world made for a sweet evening of fellowship. Who knows? Maybe this will become a tradition.

So wherever you are, just know that the message of Christmas deserves more than a wish for a repeat performance of some idealized past memory. It is worthy of something bigger than waiting in line for hours to have a chance to buy a pair of special edition Air Jordan basketball sneakers. It is in the category of an off-the-charts ecstasy that can hardly be contained. We are not quite there yet. But we are fighting for it. “Even so come quickly Lord Jesus.”

Because he left His home in heaven to make us a home with Him,

Jerry and Kellie Benge

2011-09-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Teaching Ministry in Full Gear

2011-09-13T12:06:00.001-07:00

Dear partners in ministry,

With language school behind us, ministry is now in full swing. Last week (September 5-10), I flew with friend and ministry colleague Artyom Kluchnikov to Kemorovo, Siberia to teach in a biblical counseling training module co-sponsored by International Faith Initiatives and Overseas Instruction in Biblical Counseling. This was my fourth opportunity to work with these two organizations which are partnering together to advance the cause of biblical counseling in the Russian-speaking world. I had the opportunity to teach on several topics and thoroughly enjoyed the 35 enthusiastic students and their passion for the personal ministry of God’s Word. Artyom and I departed on Saturday, encouraged that biblical counseling is making significant progress in this part of Russia.

Shortly after returning to Kiev, I began teaching a course on Pastoral Ministry in a two week module with 4 hour per day classes (similar to American J-term classes). While the format is a bit tiring, the opportunity has been exciting thus far. I have a small class of 7 students which allows for more discussion and greater opportunities to really get to know the men. It is a privilege to share with them the truths that God has taught me over the years through many godly mentors in my life. My passion (and prayer) is that God will use this class to help these men grasp the great privilege and awesome responsibility they have to shepherd God’s flock. Please pray that God will give me strength, wisdom, and sensitivity to the cultural nuances so that these men will grow to love Christ more deeply, embrace His Gospel more fervently, and care for His sheep in a way that produces a healthy sheep whose lives make the Gospel attractive to the lost.

Thank you your support of the Gospel to the Russian-speaking world,

Jerry Benge

Brief Update and Requests

2011-09-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and partners in the Gospel,

Latest Update (9-7-2011)
Just heard from Volodia that Zechariah is at home now. When they took him to the intensive care unit with their newer equipment, they redid all the tests and found that he was fine. The only problem is that he was on medicine that he did not need for 10 days. Volodia and Oksana are praising the Lord, and we are too. Thank all of you for your concern and prayers. The doctors said he would probably recover much sooner at home.

Update:
When Jerry got to the airport Monday afternoon to leave for Siberia, he called Volodia one last time to check up on Zechariah. They moved him to an intensive care unit in the hospital and decided to redo the tests they had done before. The tests on his kidneys came back normal, so that is very good news. The other part of the hospital where Zechariah was has old equipment, and so the tests were not accurate. He is still in serious condition, but the good news is that his kidneys are not failing. Please continue to pray for Volodia, Oksana and Zechariah to have strength and God's grace throughout this ordeal. They know that many people around the world are praying for them. Thank you for your faithfulness and love - Kellie

Original Post:
I am sending out this brief update on our friends in Ternopil, Volodia and Oksana, and their son, Zechariah. Volodia informed me that Zechariah has taken a turn for the worse. Apparently his kidneys are starting to fail. I have no additional information because Volodia could only speak briefly. So please continue to keep the family in your prayers: Zechariah for healing if God wills. His parents for strength and hope in God's wisdom, love, and sovereignty. Oksana has not left his side since this ordeal began over two weeks ago--and she is exhausted beyond measure. Pray especially that God would be glorified and that the Gospel will advance through all this. They have already told me of situations where they have been able to speak about their faith in Christ.

Pray also for me as I leave today to participate in a biblical counseling training module in Kemerovo, Siberia. Please pray for safety as we fly tonight and strength as begin teaching tomorrow morning with little rest.

For the Gospel in the Russian-speaking world,

Jerry Benge

An Important Request

2011-08-31T02:00:00.001-07:00

Dear friends and partners in the Gospel,

I recently received word about a dear pastor friend of mine who serves in Ternopil. His name is Volodymyr Kostyshyn (and his wife is Oksana). He is a faithful and humble servant of Christ who has been laboring in Ternopil for the past 10 years. I have known him for a few years because one of my supporting churches (Lakes Baptist in Walled Lake, MI) also supports his ministry and has underwritten a major part of the cost of a new building which is being dedicated in October. My point in writing, however, is to ask for prayer for their 6 year old son, Zechariah. He is profoundly handicapped, most likely with a severe form of cerebral palsy. Since birth, he has required 24 hour care as he cannot move or help himself in any way apart from minimal movement of his hands and turning his neck. He has to be fed with a bottle and requires routine diaper changes. Through all of this, his parents have reflected the love and compassion of Christ. They call Zechariah "God's special gift to us." God has used this "gift" and his parent's obedient trust in God's sovereignty, wisdom, and love to impact their church and community. The church now has a strong vision for "invalids" and God is opening doors to other families in the community facing the same situation, but who have little or no hope. Volodia tells me that when he interacts with these families, they usually believe God has punished them for some past sin. Volodia has used this opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel--and people have been amazed and open about a new way of looking at this problem--and at life in general.

But now Volodia and Oksana are facing a crisis. Zechariah has been in the hospital with a dangerously high fever for the past two weeks. Given all of Zechariah's medical history, the odds (humanly speaking) have been against him. Thankfully, however, his temperature has come down somewhat for which they are thankful. But his white blood count is still quite high. Please pray that God might be pleased to heal him. Pray for wisdom for the doctors as they treat him. And pray for His parents that God would give comfort and hope through remembering God's promises and presence. Finally, pray that God will use this situation to impact their church and community in a way that advances the Gospel.

Thank you for your prayers,

Jerry Benge

Trial and Error: Lessons from Russian Bloopers

2011-05-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

Learning a foreign language in the class room is very important, but speaking the language is where you really learn to do it! Trial and error. That is what language acquisition is all about. It’s hard to appreciate the challenge of communicating to people in a different culture and who speak a different language until you have tried it—and failed a few times. As difficult and embarrassing as that can be, it actually has some important lessons:

1) Failure provides some comic moments for our teachers (and for us a few months later). Like the time my classmate was trying to say that he stopped by the store and bought water (vada) but actually said that he stopped by the store and bought hell (vadoo). Or the time another student was trying to say: I am paying (plachoo) but actually said I am crying (plachoo). Same word, different accent. Altogether different meaning. Maybe he was upset about higher inflation and just wanted to get across both ideas at once (When I pay, I cry)! My biggest blooper occurred before language school when I was visiting with a family in Russia. One of the children was showing me a family photo album with Christmas pictures. Of course in Russian folklore, Santa Claus is known as Father Frost. And he does not ride on a sleigh with reindeer, but is often seen with his granddaughter (Vnutchka). When I remarked about the picture of Father Frost and his Vnutchka, I made the mistake of adding one vowel and called her Vonutchka, which unfortunately means skunk, or a lady with a serious odor problem. Fortunately for me, the family was amused. I was glad this happened in March and not December.

2) Failure puts you in the role of being dependent on the kindness and patience of others and thus encourages humility. I have been corrected more than once with a smile and return of money when I misunderstood what the vendor was charging me at the local fruit market. Coming from a culture that values self-reliance makes this humble dependence on others all the more important. Humility is an essential trait for those conveying the Good News of Christ’s merit for undeserving sinners.

3) Finally, while failure can be amusing or humbling, in the end it reminds us of the responsibility to convey truth carefully and accurately. Bloopers in class or mistakes at the local market are one thing, but being an Ambassador for our Savior demands a dedication to represent Him well with our language skills. The medium may not be the message, but it surely is important!

Speaking for our King,

Jerry and Kellie

It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Easter (The Challenge of Nominal Christianity)

2011-04-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

We received this beautiful picture in the mail last week. Those beautifully decorated Ukrainian eggs surround a very simple yet profound message in ornate Slavic script: "Christ Has Risen!" If you didn't know better, you might think it was a Gospel pamphlet or an invitation to attend an Easter concert. But this picture was not sent from our church, or even one of the local Orthodox Churches here in Kiev. It is a circular advertisement from a Ukrainian version of a Mini-Mart or a 7-11, unashamedly reminding us of the most important truth in Christianity! Need I mention that the day, "Sunday" (Vaskrisyenye) literally means Resurrection Day?!

Think of the irony of being in a post-Soviet country where there seems to be more freedom to use explicit Christian words in public discourse than in my own home country. No debates here about the dumbing down of politically incorrect words into offenseless (and insipid) expressions. So why are we here in Ukraine instead of back in our increasingly secularized homeland? It might help to open up our little circular. Inside it has several tempting pictures of various foods and beverages (on sale of course) that are guaranteed to make your family Easter celebration an unforgettable (if not praiseworthy) experience.

Nothing wrong with a nice family meal. But a closer look at this and other religious celebrations reveals at best a form of godliness that has little if any connection to the reason why Christ lived, died and arose. In a country with the highest incidence of AIDS in Europe, "Christ has risen" may seem like a feel-good slogan, but hardly a personal reality.

The challenge, as always, lies with those of us who have the Gospel. God always mediates His Gospel through His people. But before we can be compelling messengers of the Good News, we must first be experiencing its transformative power.

Which brings me back to why we are are here. We are here to help pastors make Jesus their treasure and the feeding and training of His flock their passion. We are here to help Ukrainian churches to more deeply understand the message of the Gospel and to live out their union with the Crucified and Risen Christ who transforms selfish people into self-giving servants (Romans 6; Mark 10:45).

Our language preparation is coming to an end next month--but our ministry here is just getting started. And it is possible because we serve a Savior who is not only risen, but is finishing the work He began at Calvary through His Church (Phil. 1:6).

He is risen, indeed!

Jerry and Kellie

P.S. I (Jerry) have been out of commission for a couple of weeks with a nasty respiratory virus. Praise the Lord I am on the mend and getting caught up with responsibilities such as this blog! We will be sending out a Benge Bulletin soon with pictures and updates of recent events. Also, please keep Luda in your prayers. We had a good visit with her in March, but have not recently been able to contact her. And one final note. This is one of the few times when Easter here falls on the same Sunday as it does in the West. So we will be enjoying this one with you (if not a few hours ahead of you!)

Update and Prayer Request for Kellie

2011-03-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

In our last blog, I (Jerry) related an unusual encounter that Kellie had with a Ukrainian woman that has gradually transformed into a friendship. In this blog, Kellie shares in her own words how this relationship began, how it is blossoming, and how you can pray!

I am kind of awed at what God is doing here in Kiev as I watch this relationship with Luda develop. After seeing her almost every day for 3 months and finally making eye contact, we were separated for the summer. When I started language school again this past September, I started seeing her again. I began to say hello in Russian and after about 2 weeks, she responded. We continued greeting each other until my break from language school for about 5 weeks over the Christmas holidays. My first day back to school in January, I was shocked to find her waiting for me with a big smile and a warm hello. She was like a different person. I didn’t even know her name, so we introduced ourselves in Russian(!) Since then, whenever I see her (usually about 2 times a week) we stop and talk. She likes to try out new English words with me, and I like to practice my Russian with her. I am beginning to understand her which is exciting. Jerry even got to meet her one day! She is about my age; we talk together easily. I just keep wondering what God is going to do in this relationship. She works every day, so we only talk when she is on the way to work in the mornings. This coming Tuesday, March 8, is a very important holiday in this part of the world – International Women’s Day, so she has Monday and Tuesday off of work. I have invited her over to our apartment for tea on Monday at 2:00 (which will be 7:00AM for most of you in the US). She seemed very excited with the invitation and readily accepted it. Please pray for me to trust that God has prepared me for this time especially with the language. She knows that I am studying it, and has been patient and helpful as we have talked in the mornings. I just want to get to know her and show her kindness. We will have tea, a couple kinds of dessert, fruit and candy. I trust that God will use this time to draw us closer and begin developing a relationship that will culminate in having a new Ukrainian sister in Christ. I will appreciate your prayers for God’s love to be evident and for my focus to be on Luda and not feeling self-conscious myself. I’ll let you know how it goes. It gives me great confidence to move forward knowing you are partnering in prayer. Thank you.

Your partners in the Gospel to Ukraine,

Kellie (and Jerry) Benge

Reflections on Reflecting God's Image To Others

2011-02-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

We are missionaries. We would like to think we are missional. We have been in Kiev, Ukraine for 18 months learning Russian and preparing for our ministry of working with present and future pastors in Ukraine in order to see churches planted, strengthened, and mobilized to take the Gospel to parts of the former USSR. But what we are finding out is that it is less about our mission and more about the faithfulness of our Savior who is always on mission.

Our invisible God created the visible world to display His glory and then placed Adam and Eve in the Garden to visibly reflect His glorious character as they managed His Creation. But when they rebelled against Him and forfeited their mission, God made a promise which He ultimately fulfilled in His Son who came to seek and to save the lost. And when He came, He fulfilled every prophecy from God and every requirement that was necessary for man to be reconciled to God (Matthew 5:18).

And so here we are--extending Christ's mission to the Russian-speaking world. But as we learn the language, prepare for classes next Fall, and plan our strategies, we are continually reminded that God's mission starts with us. It's not just His mission through us, but in us. If God's promise was to restore that which sin had marred, that restoration must be evident in the messengers. If we are to be heralds of a Paradise Restored, our lives must take on the look of a movie trailer--providing tantalizing glimpses that evoke a desire to see the rest of the movie.

Jesus did that when He was on earth. And the thing that is most striking was that He didn't just do it through His miracles, but in some of the most mundane moments of life: like taking time for children and eating with people on the lower end of the social spectrum. Not exactly prime stuff for missional efficiency. Just ordinary "love God and your neighbor stuff." The kind of stuff that will one day permeate God's Kingdom.

Which brings me to a story that Kellie recently (and excitedly) shared with me. About a year ago, she noticed while walking to language school each day a Ukrainian women walking from the opposite direction. Several days a week, their paths crossed. Wanting to somehow show some kindness, Kellie began by simply trying to make eye contact (something not generally practiced in the former Soviet Union where the KGB had created an atmosphere of mutual distrust). At first, her efforts seemed to be intentionally ignored. But after about a month, this woman began to acknowledge Kellie by looking back at her. Emboldened by the progress, Kellie added a smile and began to greet in Russian with the words, "Zdrastvuytye." There was still no reciprocation from the woman.

These unscheduled rendezvous went on for several more weeks. Summer passed with no contact. Then in the Fall, they began again as Kellie returned to language school. Again more attempted greetings with no apparent response. Then came Christmas and a break from school. But after Christmas, the unexpected happened. On Kellie's first day back to school, she noticed this time that the woman was not only looking at her, but had been looking for her. There she was...waiting for Kellie! She ran up to Kellie and asked where she had been. Shocked by a voice she had never heard before, Kellie listened and then introduced herself to a woman named Luda. Now, every morning they meet and talk to each other. I know this to be true because I walked one day with Kellie and was also introduced to this woman who obviously feels an inexplicable kinship with my wife. We do not know what God's plans and purposes are for Luda. But we pray that God would allow Kellie to build on the kind deeds of a word and a smile, an opportunity to share with her the Good News of a God who loves and saves people like her. So pray for Luda. And pray for us that we will stay on mission with God's transformative work in us so He can work through us.

Jerry and Kellie

PS Stay tuned as we plan to be blogging twice each month with similar anecdotes and thoughts.

Summer Prayer Update

2010-07-01T01:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

It's hard to believe that it is already the first of July!! We want to share some things with you in order to praise the Lord together, and also to take before Him in prayer. Psalm 105:1-3 says:"Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord." Please take a moment to praise the Lord with us for all that he has done in the last few months:

1) Given us faithful supporters who encourage us by their care and encouragement. Without you, we could not be here! Because you pray and give, you are a vital part of this ministry. We have seen many specific answers to requests that we asked you to pray for (especially concerning acquisition of the language and finding a local Ukrainian church with whom to partner in ministry).

2) Unbelievably our first year of language school has been completed. Both of our teachers expressed satisfaction in our progress. Our ability to understand when people speak to us also has noticeably improved. We do the best when we are together, because what one misses, the other catches (it's a team effort!!). We rejoice in God's grace and the power He has given us to persevere.

3) Our long-anticipated visit with our whole family was just completed. We had 10 days together with harmony and great joy. We were able to do a lot, and everyone was glad to see just what it is like for us here. It was also very refreshing both emotionally and spiritually. We should have pictures on facebook soon (at least Karissa and Michelle will!!)

Psalm 105:4 says "Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him." We will need God's strength, wisdom and love in the next 3 weeks as we go to Sumy to work at a camp.

Karissa is already there, working with sports, crafts, and helping for swim time. Please pray for her to show God's love to the kids, and to have good relationships with other staff members.

We leave tomorrow on the train for a six-hour ride. There will be 2 ten-day sessions with about 100 kids for each. Jerry will preach some the second week (July 8-17) to the older kids. We will be doing anything that needs to be done to help (maintenance work, cleaning, mowing grass, painting in new areas of construction). We should have meal times and evenings to interact with the kids. Please pray that we will put Jesus on display in the way we work, play, serve and worship. We also hope to really be able to use our Russian with both Ukrainian staff and campers. Please pray especially for boldness for me (Kellie) and that my love for them overshadows my fear of failure.

We will return July 18 for a couple of weeks with Karissa before she leaves for school. Please pray for wisdom for her as she makes plans for the future (she wants to go into nursing, and will begin taking the prerequisites she can at Boyce College this semester.) She also needs a car, which is a big request for this summer so she can have it this fall if that is God's will for her.

We will need to study diligently when we return from camp and for the month of August. Please pray for discipline and perseverance to keep moving ahead with Russian.

Again, we thank the Lord for you and for the ministry He has given us all. We are so glad that you are partners with us. God has blessed, and we are confident that he will continue to work out the plans He has for us. We will not be able to communicate from camp, so after the 18th, we will be back to get messages and hear from you. We keep you in our prayers, as well.

With gratefulness and joy,

Kellie and Jerry

Wars, Rumors of Wars....and No More War!

2010-05-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

It sort of caught us by surprise when we arrived at church yesterday and saw that everyone else was dressed for a picnic rather than the usual Sunday attire. Besides feeling conspicuously overdressed, Kellie and I were both wondering how we had missed the casual dress memo. Then it suddenly dawned on us: “Of course, it's Victory Day!” For those of you who are not WW II veterans or who didn’t get an A in Western Civilization, “Victory Day” is the celebration of the defeat of Nazi Germany on May 9, 1945. Americans typically use Memorial Day to remember those who gave their lives for their country—not only in WW II, but in all of America’s wars.
In the former USSR, however, Victory Day stands alone--and for good reason. While America sent many of her sons to spill their blood on foreign soil in defense of freedom, many more in the former USSR--combatants and non-combatants alike--perished on their their own soil during the so-called Great Patriotic War.

No country suffered more casualties than the people of Ukraine. Their recent geopolitical history sandwiched them between two of the world's most ruthless dictators, Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler. Under Joseph Stalin's forced starvation (1932-34), between 7-10 million Ukrainians died for their refusal to work on the communist-controlled collective farms. Just a decade later, Nazi forces obliterated thousands of Ukrainian villages and murdered more than a million of Ukraine's Jews. And these figures don't even include the hosts of combatants who lost their lives in defense of their homeland! If you are interested in a brief but insightful summary of Ukraine's tragedy during these years, click on the link at the end of this blog for the radio report from NPR radio. It is worth the six minutes of time to listen to it.

What is amazing to me is how all this can be so easily forgotten. For many, this nightmarish tragedy has become little more than an occasion for a picnic. But what is perhaps most amazing is that all this can happen again. The same desires that drove dictators to such inhumane actions still lurk in every human heart (See James 4:1-2). They may not always culminate in mass genocide--but their effects are nonetheless devastating for individuals, families, communities, and nations. In the context of James' remarks, they can even invade and cause devastation among God's people.

The only hope (and answer) for all this is the Gospel of Peace. It alone has the power to transform hearts and reconcile people to God and each other. But until the Prince of Peace comes and brings to final fulfillment all of God's promises to redeem His people and restore His Creation, we (God's people) must live and proclaim that peace. Pray for us as we prepare to work with churches here in Ukraine to live out God's Gospel peace and be a trailer for God's coming blockbuster production--To End All Wars!

Until the Final Victory Day,

Jerry and Kellie Benge

PS Don't forget to listen to the radio report from NPR at the link below:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126630828

My Shortest Blog....Ever!

2010-03-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

This is my shortest blog ever! Well, actually it is not a blog. I just need to let you know that I am changing my e-mail address from jwbenge@aol.com to jwbenge@gmail.com. This will be effective as of this Friday, March 12. Please make the change in your address book.

Blessings,

Jerry Benge

Pyromaniacs Blog Entry About Ukraine

2010-02-19T21:33:00.000-08:00

The following blog entry by John MacArthur was brought to my attention because it mentions Russia and Ukraine in regards to the negative impact of bad theology being imported from the Western church:

http://bit.ly/bGEM6s

I posted the following response to it:

I serve as a missionary in the Russian-speaking world. I agree with Dr. MacArthur's analysis as far as it goes. There are indeed unhealthy influences here from the West. But the problems are not only from without--but from within. Man-centered theology permeates the church here too with its strong Anabaptist roots. And the top-down style of leadership inherited from the Soviet era does not always lead to an appeal to Scripture as the final authority when matters of faith and life are in question. But my biggest concern is how these two weaknesses converge to weaken the message of the Gospel of Grace. While justification by faith is taught as necessary for salvation, it is not expounded in terms of its relationship to everyday life and as the basis and motivation for the pursuit of holiness. Without that, the church can never grow as it ought. The best antidote to confusing or even dangerous theology is leaders and congregations who are Gospel-driven and Cross-centered. The next generation will not be easily distracted by hype or lured away by the empty promises of a pragmatized Christianity when they are being amazed and transformed by the Gospel as a way of life. Please keep the church in this part of the world in your prayers. Pray that leaders (and missionaries) would guard the Gospel in our lives as well as our lips.

Ukraine Election News Videos

2010-02-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

Below are several links to videos from the Reuters News Service regarding the elections that are taking place in Ukraine today:

Ukraine decides

Ukraine presidential showdown

Cash-strapped Ukraine goes to polls

New videos will be posted as they are available on the New Feeds page of our website:

http://www.sendbenge.com/news_feeds_24.html

Please Pray for Ukraine This Sunday

2010-02-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, February 7, there will be a presidential runoff here in Ukraine. What ought to be a normal part of the electoral process threatens, however, to further divide a country that is polarized over its identity and its place in Europe. People who live in central and western Ukraine tend to favor Yulia Tymoshenko (who is currently the Prime Minister and who advocates a closer relationship to the West). People who live in eastern Ukraine (where there is also a high percentage of ethnic Russians) strongly support the current front-runner (and an advocate of closer ties to Russia), Viktor Yanukovych. Tensions are mounting between the two candidates and their supporters. Even though the election does not begin for several hours, there are already many rumors and pre-emptive accusations by both candidates of widespread efforts at vote tampering and fraud. Consequently both candidates are poised to call their supporters into the streets of Kyiv for mass demonstrations in the event that they lose the election. The US embassy has warned American citizens to stay away from the downtown area on Sunday to avoid any possibility of violence.

Of course there is much history behind all this: Russia's domination of Ukraine during the Soviet era (which included the genocidal starvation of millions of Ukrainians in 1932-1934); Ukraine's independence in 1991; and the recent Orange Revolution in 2004 which heralded a major step away from its Soviet past and toward a brighter democratic future. Unfortunately, that never happened. What has happened over the past 5 years has been political infighting which has left the country mired in corruption (Ukraine has been rated one of the most politically corrupt countries in the world according to Transparency International), an increasingly lower standard of living, and a very disillusioned populace.

So what do believers do in times like these? We pray. We pray to the God who rules over the nations and who positions their leaders (I Timothy 2:1-3). And as we pray, we pray for the advancement of the Gospel. So what does that mean here in Ukraine? Well, it doesn't necessarily mean that you should pray for the election of a particular candidate in the runoff here. Each has personal and political baggage. Neither seems to have risen above self-interest and the "politics as usual" of the past. What it means is that we go before the King and ask Him to act in a way that promotes the Gospel in Ukraine. He knows better than any of us what that involves. Usually (as Paul points out in I Tim. 2:2) that involves a governance that brings about peace and stability which is generally advantageous for evangelism. But Paul's own imprisonment (largely due to unjust politicians!) illustrates well that God knows best what will further His Gospel (Phil. 1:12).

So pray for Ukraine. Pray for the election that it will be conducted fairly and peacefully. Pray for the people--that regardless of the outcome, they will be more predisposed to the Gospel. And pray especially for the Church here in Ukraine. Pray that whatever happens, God will fill and empower His church in a way that puts Jesus Christ on display. I personally long to see good leadership here in Ukraine (and back home in the USA for that matter!) But what we need even more are Christians who have a passion to reflect the Light of Jesus in dark places (Matthew 5:16). Pray for a single-minded devotion to Christ that longs for His Kingdom to come and desires to be an accurate foretaste of that kingdom now. Pray as Jesus taught us: "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done...."

May it start with us,

Jerry

PS For more information on what is happening in Ukraine, check out the link below to the Kyiv Post:

http://www.kyivpost.com/

Knowing The Right Questions Helps You to Seek The Right Answers

2009-12-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday (Friday, December 18) marked a milestone of sorts for us. It was the end of our first semester of Russian language school. Slava Bogu! (Praise the Lord!) Kellie and I along with several other students were able to present our testimonies in Russian and actually be understood by the Russian teachers and language helpers who have labored with us so faithfully--and patiently! While we still have quite a ways to go, we can now engage in conversations with our Russian-speaking friends, neighbors, and people on the street or in the marketplace. Maybe in a future blog, we will give you some examples of our attempts at conversations. Some of them may remind you of Abbot and Costello's "Who's on first?" skit.

One of the methods that Russian teachers use to help their students to acquire the language involves learning several interrogatives (where? what? when? who? how? what sort of? etc) which help the students to learn, recognize, and hopefully use the appropriate grammatical structure when forming phrases and sentences. You must know which grammatical structure corresponds to which question. Failure to do so hinders clarity and possibly credibility in your communication. As I have thought about that, it occurred to me that the same is true with God's communication with us.

In revealing His life-giving Word to us, He couches His revelation in very specific questions. The three big questions utilize the words what, how, and why. Problems arise when either we fail to ask the right questions or fail to do so at the right time. For example, Israel during the time of the major and minor prophets was pretty good at asking "what" questions when it came to worship. They maintained the sacrifical system with regularity and precision, yet they ignored the "how" of worship and so earned God's severe rebuke: "Your lips are near but your hearts are far" (Isaiah 29:12); "Take away the noise of your (worship) songs" (Amos 5:23). Upon closer examination, you begin to see that they missed the "how" of worship because they failed to grasp the "why" of the character of God. Only a few, like Isaiah, saw the "why" of worship (Isaiah 6:1-4).

We are no different today. Many American believers (and Ukrainians too) are pretty attuned to what the Bible teaches. There is much information (that answers "what" sorts of questions) being dispensed. But few give sufficient attention to how God wants our lives to be lived outside of the building where we meet weekly to learn yet more information. Even when some preachers and authors try to address how kinds of issues (which is important), they fail to connect their how teaching with God's why. And so we end up with a pragmatic, self-help approach to life that misses the glory of God and the glory of a Gospel that transforms sinners like you and me (I Timothy 1:15).

That is our passion for coming to Ukraine. To train present and future church leaders in the Russian-speaking world to promote not only the what of the Christian life, but the pursuit of the what in a way that is concerned with how and why. So as you pray for us, pray that we will learn to ask and answer with the right grammatical constructions. Moreover, pray that we will live and teach in ways that God uses to challenge leaders and churches to ask the right questions at the right time. In Ukraine, the Gospel is no longer the novelty that it was after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. There is much spiritual complacency. What is needed are churches with leaders who are raising the right questions, questions that point not only to an answer, but to a Person--the One whose birthday we celebrate this week.

One final note. We praise the Lord that our daughter is with us here in Kiev to help us celebrate our first Christmas far from our former home in America!

Have a truly Merry Christmas!

Jerry, Kellie, and Karissa Benge

PS You can check out some recent pictures in our photo album!

Report from Kellie on our Trip to Sumy

2009-11-04T03:41:00.000-08:00

Recently we took a 5-hour trip to Sumy which is about 200 miles northeast of Kiev near the Russian border. When we arrived on Friday evening, we were taken to our host's home, a wonderful young Ukrainian family. Sasha and Ira and their two boys opened their hearts and homes to us for the weekend. It was encouraging to see how our Russian speaking has improved since we first arrived here as we were able to converse and fellowship with them. On Saturday, we visited several ministries including a Christian camp and an ESL club for children. On Sunday, we attended AM worship at one of the main Baptist churches and then visited two village churches where Jerry preached. In a village of 6,000, one of the churches had only 8 people attending. The region is one of the poorest in Ukraine, and life is very hard for the people. But what broke our hearts was seeing the spiritual poverty and apathy. In nearly every village, there is a huge, beautiful orthodox church—even though the villagers live in relative poverty. And often villagers are discouraged from attending evangelical churches by local religious leaders. We were especially burdened when we observed people worshipping, kissing and praying to religious icons that cannot save them. There is much work to be done here. Barely 2% of the population in Ukraine is evangelical—yet it is considered the Bible Belt of the former Soviet Union! As we met with the team of five missionaries in Sumy, we were impressed by their perseverance and faith in God's plan for them. We rode home on the train on Monday morning, and thanked the Lord for the opportunity to see more of the world through His eyes.

Below are three videos from a recent Ukrainian Thanksgiving celebration known as Zhatva (see blog below). For pictures and video of the Sumy trip as well as other presentations, check out our photo album.

Musings from Jerry on Thanksgiving

2009-11-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

Recently we celebrated Thanksgiving at our church. Before you assume that we are totally confused, let me add that this was not an American Thanksgiving (which is coming up later this month), but rather it was the Ukrainian version. It's called Zhatva. It was quite different. There were no family get togethers. No turkey. Not even a Lion's game on TV (thankfully). In fact, Zhatva is celebrated only by believers at their respective local churches. It is a time of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks to God for His abundant mercy. It's a time to reflect on the God who not only provides us with fruits and vegetables, but who is at work in the lives of His people, resulting in the fruit of His Spirit.

At our church, there was a sermon on discipleship and bearing fruit. There were songs of praise and thanksgiving (including recitations from the children and special music from several musicians). After the service there was a simple pot luck dinner with some favorite Ukrainian dishes featuring produce from their dachas (gardens). There was not an overwhelming amount of food. Just enough for a tasty but modest meal. The focus was less on the quantity of food and more on thankfulness to God and delighting in the fellowship of His people. While I like a good American Thanksgiving meal as well as anyone, I came away thinking less about the food and more about the feast of fellowship that we enjoyed (and needed!) Though we are inostrazhi (foreigners) and clearly stick out in public wherever we go, at this gathering we were treated as brother and sister. It was refreshing. Turkeys and football may be fun, but a real Thanksgiving they do not make.

For photos of Zhatva, our recent trip to Sumy, and other experiences here in Ukraine, be sure to check out the photo albums on our blog.

Ukraine in the News

2009-10-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ukraine fears for its future as Moscow muscles in on Crimea

As Ukraine prepares for its first presidential election since the Orange Revolution, there are signs that its giant neighbour to the east will not tolerate a pro-western outcome. Luke Harding reports from Yalta.

Please click on the link below to read the full report:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/11/russia-ukraine-control-election

Please continue to pray for political stability in Ukraine.

Six Week Check Up!

2009-10-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

In many ways, it is hard to believe we have been here for six weeks. The time has gone by quickly as there have been many new things we have had to learn (ie. bus schedules, words to say what you would like to buy and then words for the price you need to pay, familiar items at the grocery store that have very different names, how to get to language school everyday, what church to go to, how to say if you want the bus to stop so you can get off, what to do when you miss your stop and go all the way to the end of the line!!, how to transport things in big bags because you don't have a car anymore to take you places). But in many ways it seems as if we have been gone a long time (you start to feel isolated in public because everyone else is speaking a different language that you can't understand, and they don't easily understand you, church services are in Russian and language study can become very consuming). But in saying all of that, we are not discouraged or unhappy at all. We count it a great privilege to be here training to bring the good news to those who we can see are without hope and without the Lord. That is what keeps us moving ahead along with God's amazing and abundant grace. We know that your prayers on our behalf have been answered, and we hope that strengthens your faith and joy in seeing God at work in a very specific way. Below are some praises and prayer requests.

Praises from Ukraine:

1. Our things that were shipped over at the end of July arrived with only minimal damage. It is so good to have our own belongings to use!
2. Our apartment is perfect for us--very comfortable and located very conveniently. We have great neighbors who are Ukrainian believers, and their 20-something son speaks perfect English.
3. We both have different teachers for Russian, and our teachers are perfect for each of us. Jerry's class is just a little ahead, and he loves the challenge of his teacher who has been the most recent convert to Christianity and who reminds her students of their great opportunity to serve the Lord with this language. Kellie's teacher is patient, compassionate, and gives their class loads of writing to do which helps cement the grammar in her head.
4. We are attending a church just down the road from our home (about a 10-minute walk). It is a church that is reaching out to professionals in many creative ways. We have been challenged by the great needs around us. They are friendly people (about 50) and many are new believers.
5. We thank the Lord for our SEND team here in Kiev. They have been very welcoming, with many having us over for meals and extending warm hospitality. There is a passion here to do all we can in the time we have to reach as many Russian-speaking people as possible.

Prayer Requests:

1. Making sure we are in the best church for us. Please pray that we can get together with the pastor and his wife soon so we can understand the direction and passion of the church. We want to fit in and be of help if we can.
2. So far, we have really poured ourselves into learning this language. We have a long way to go, and even after two years, we will still have a long way to go to learn it to communicate effectively. But it has been encouraging to begin to take baby steps in our speaking and understanding. We are making progress! Please pray for continued diligence and concentration especially in class. Both of us have language helpers whom we meet with an extra 3 hours each week. We want those to be very effective hours especially in speaking more.
3. To continue to understand and live in a way that demonstrates our total dependence on God (loving Him and learning more about Him and loving others in concrete ways).

Please feel free to reply to this and give us requests that we can pray for for you. We are so grateful for the team God has give us of faithful prayer warriors. We are challenged by and appreciate your love for God and us.

Because of Christ Alone,

Kellie (and Jerry)

Random Observations on Life in Ukraine and Learning Russian

2009-09-15T23:33:00.000-07:00

Kellie and I are in the middle of our third week of Language School. Rather than share one big idea on this blog,we thought we would just share a variety of brief thoughts and observations from our most recent experiences over the past view days. Hopefully they will give you a “feel” for things in Ukraine.

On life here:
• People here are generally more reserved than in the States. They do not smile as much nor do they speak as much on the different modes of public transportation we have used. The typical outgoing American persona (casual communication with strangers, smiling in public etc) is viewed as being “forward.”
• There is an odd mix of wealth and poverty. Nearly everyone has a cell phone. People (especially younger women) are extremely fashion conscious. There are nice malls and restaurants. Yet you see disturbing examples of poverty as well. Buildings that are decrepit. Older women (“pensioners”) in kiosks trying to sell a few vegetables to augment their meager income. We even saw one scouring through a dumpster collecting “food.”
• You see relatively few overweight people here.
• Every day as we walk (or ride the bus) to language school, we are reminded how much people here need the Lord.

On the language:
• Even though we are learning Russian (which is used in all the Bible Colleges and Seminaries here), Ukrainian is commonly heard and seen in our daily experience. In fact, many speak a street language which is a hybrid of both. This can make things confusing when it comes to shopping (figuring out labels and product content) , trying to sing at church, or just figuring out signs.
• The Russian language is dauntingly complex. There are many rules to learn and seemingly as many exceptions. A friend mentioned to us that she was glad she had grown up with Russian because it is so difficult to acquire otherwise. She added that English was much easier to learn than her own native tongue!
• We have excellent language instructors. They are skilled, dedicated….and patient!!
• At this point for us, hearing Russian is like listening to a radio broadcast where the transmission has a lot of static. You hear words and phrases here and there…but much of it cannot yet be understood.
• Though language acquisition is challenging, every verb we conjugate and every noun or adjective declension that we memorize is another plank in the bridge of communication that will enable us to train Ukrainian leaders to plant churches and make disciples.

Jerry and Kellie

P.S. Be sure to check out our latest pictures featuring a Sunday AM wedding at the church we are attending. More thoughts on that later.

First Week Of Language Studies

2009-09-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

It was back to school for Kellie and me this past week. It has been a few years since we have sat in a classroom setting day after day. And it has been a bit intense for both of us. First our teachers speak almost exclusively in Russian, requiring much concentration on the part of the students who barely know any Russian. Secondly, while Kellie and I had already learned to recognize and read the Russian (Cyrillic) script, learning it in cursive has been like learning a whole new alphabet. It is frankly very confusing (and frustrating) at times. So why bother learning Russian? Why not just rely on interpreters?

I have asked myself that question several times this week. And while I can think of several practical answers to that question, let me share two simple thoughts that have spurred us on--even when we have felt like our brains are on overload.

1. God devised language. It was His idea. He thinks. He communicates. And when He communicates, He acts. He spoke--and the world came into being. He spoke words of life to Adam and Eve. And if they had listened to His words, they would not have eaten the forbidden fruit and experienced sin and death. After they sinned, he spoke a promise to them (Gen. 3:15). And the rest of His Word is the fulfillment of those words, culminating in the coming of THE Word. That Word actually became flesh. He lived among us. He died for us...and rose gain. All in fulfillment of His Word. And it is the message about that Good News (or Gospel) which transforms sinners like us and puts us on the stage of human history to proclaim that Word until every last letter has been fulfilled and we can resonate back to Him words of praise and adoration forever more.

2. When mankind was united together against God in Genesis 11, God devised multiple languages as the means of dividing mankind and setting the stage for the unifying power of the Gospel--something that was foreshadowed at Pentecost (when Jews from all over the Mediterranean basin heard the Gospel in their own tongue) and will be fully displayed in eternity around God's throne. Learning another language gives us the privilege of being part of God's redemptive work.

We may not enjoy every moment of language school. We may feel frustrated and inept when we open our mouths in the market place to try and practice what we are learning. But we live for the day that Jesus' name is praised in Russian and all other languages in the world. Until that day....

Working on our Russian...one word at a time,

Jerry and Kellie

Back to School in Ukraine

2009-09-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a huge holiday in Ukraine. The first day back to school. And do they ever celebrate the day with flourish! With students all dressed up, flowers for the teachers, along with music and celebrating--this is quite a day. Enjoy these pictures of the local school from our 4th floor apartment.

In case you missed it, there is also a slide show of our first week in Ukraine over in the right sidebar of this blog. You can click on any of the images to bring up a larger version of the slideshow.

And now...a word from Kellie!

2009-08-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I am sitting in our apartment in Kiev only 9 days after leaving Detroit. . .and I am rejoicing in God's gracious kindness to us. The transition has been very smooth and enjoyable. Our apartment is very nice and extremely clean! We have windows (a screen on only 1, but I guess flies don't come up to the 4th floor very often!) and wonderful cross-ventilation. So it has been pretty cool here even when it gets in the upper 80's during the day. I have a very small front-loading washing machine (very common here) and have already done several loads of laundry that I have to put out on our enclosed balcony on a drying rack to dry. I love all the fresh air, and we have not missed air conditioning (at least I haven't). We have gone to the outdoor market about every other day and bought all kinds of beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables. We also were able to do some stock-up shopping with Rick and Marilyn Perhai last weekend at a place like Sam's Club. It is a little frustrating not to be able to talk with people, but tomorrow language school starts, and I want to really pour myself into it. The people are very nice and patient especially when we buy something and are not sure about how much to pay them. We went to a wonderful small church plant this morning that is just a ten-minute walk from our home. It looks like a place that we will want to continue to be a part of. They are very loving, joyful people, and we had a great time of fellowship. We were also impressed with the depth of the preaching and the evident commitment to glorifying Christ by savoring Him. Thank you for your notes and phone calls. We will try to get back to everyone, but it may take a little while. We can tell that you are praying much for us. Thank you so much. Jerry will add some pictures to give you a little more idea of the culture around us. We love you and are thankful for you.

With joy and anticipation,

Kellie

Online...Finally!

2009-08-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

After several failed attempts, we are finally up and running on the Internet. This first blog will be a bit brief, as it is going on 2:00 AM here in Kiev on Sunday morning--but I really wanted to get this blog going. We have had a good week just getting set up in our new apartment, shopping at the neighborhood market (more on that later), getting familiar with our surrounding community, meeting fellow team members (Steve and Nancy Wooden, Andy and Holly Rist, and Dave and Sharon Benzel) and even our Ukrainian neighbors. It has been a busy but refreshing week. Tomorrow (in just a few hours) we are off to church at a new church plant (called Faith, Hope, and Love Church) and then lunch with another SEND couple from my hometown of Indianapolis (Mark and Charlene Canada). We hope to get several more pictures online by tomorrow to give you a feel of life here in Kiev. In the meantime, we are gearing up for language school which starts on Monday. Thank you again for your notes and prayers. Even though we have had some difficulties getting online, all in all we have had a very blessed first week. Most of all, we are thankful for the Gospel! No matter what our circumstances are, our standing with God is firm because of Christ's righteousness in our behalf.

Exulting in His grace,

Jerry and Kellie

Latest Edition of the Benge Bulletin Now Available

2009-08-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

The August/September 2009 Edition of the Benge Bulletin is now available. You can view/download it by clicking on the image below.

If you would like to receive the Benge Bulleting automatically via e-mail please register by clicking here.

Welcome to our new Blog

2009-08-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

We have moved our blog to an easier to use blogging service! You can now easily add comments to our blog entries as well as search for text in any blog entry and/or comment. You don't have to sign up to enter a comment, but please include your name when adding a comment to a blog entry so we know who you are.

Coming Home

2008-09-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

I have had limited access to the internet the last couple of days so I have not been able to update my blog. We wrapped up our teaching today and another good week. I am encouraged with what I see going on here in Krasnoyarsk and believe that God is at work in this region. There is definitely a future for biblical counseling in this area and there are several faithful people that I believe God is raising up to carry this on. I want to thank you for your prayers for strength and wisdom, God has been very gracious to the whole team here led by Dr. Wayne Vanderweir. I will be posting some additional pictures and updates on this blog when I return to Detroit. We leave in just a few hours for a 26 hour trip from Kranoyarsk to Moscow to Amsterdam and finally Detroit where I will arrive at 5:50 PM on Saturday.

Thankful for God's grace and the prayers of His people,

Jerry

Into High Gear at Krasnoyarsk

2008-09-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

After a few adjustments and some much needed rest, we got into high gear at the Krasnoyarsk module today (Tuesday). It is being sponsored by Grace Church of Krasnoyarsk, a church of several hundred and the “mother church” of the region. For those of you who like geography, Krasnoyarsk is a relatively large city (nearly 900,000 according to the 1995 census) located in southern Siberia in the Krasnoyarsk region (which stretches from the Arctic circle in the north to Mongolia in the south). As I mentioned briefly in the previous blog, it is a beautiful area. Just south of the city is a mountain range that reminds me of the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. We spent some time in the mountains yesterday just relaxing and enjoy God’s “natural revelation”. We hiked about 5 km (uphill!!) to some spectacular rock formations or pillars as the locals call them. We also (on Sunday evening) drove to some stunning overlooks of a large river that flows through the area. With a couple of days off, coupled with strenuous exercise, I have finally rediscovered sleep. Thank you for your prayers as we are all feeling better and stronger. Slava Bogu.

We completed our first day with the Krasnoyarsk students, many of whom are locals involved in churches and various Christian ministries—and others who traveled hundreds of miles to attend. A bright group with lots of questions. Their hunger and insights (gained from the first module conducted back in March which Wayne taught alone) is a confirmation that God is at work here. There is a definite sense that the teaching going on is a good investment in the future here. Again I thank God for His kindness and mercy in allowing me to be a part of what God is doing.

Concerning the above-mentioned adjustments, the house where we all were originally staying was a bit cramped. A family of five suddenly invaded by four guests was a bit of a stretch for a small apartment with one bathroom. In order to spread out things, I agreed to move in with a family of three: Vadim, Ira, and their 14 year old son, Artyom. They know almost no English. Since I have a limited Russian vocabulary, I am getting stretched. But we are having a good time. Ira is a world class cook. Everything is really good. Her pancakes are legendary—especially when you pour sweetened condensed milk on top of them. At first, I thought they had killed the fatted calf for me. Now I realize that they are going to make me into a fatted calf if I keep this up. They are really spoiling me. They won’t even let me make my bed!! Vadim is a handy man who has done a nice job remodeling their tiny condominium. It looks a little more like an American home than most because it is so beautifully finished—and immaculately clean. Vadim loves to talk—so between my limited Russian and his pantomime, we are having some interesting conversations. Artyom (their son) is a bright young man with a good sense of humor. He loved the Trunk Monkey commercials on my computer. He desires one day to be a lawyer. They all seem to love the Lord and are quick to deflect praise to Him. Living standards in this part of the world are quite different from the USA. The typical home (i.e. condo or apartment) is around 500 sq. feet. But being here reminds me that we can learn to adapt and be content with less than the “wide open spaces” to which we Americans have become all too accustomed. It is good preparation for Ukraine. All in all, it has been a good day. Thank you again for your prayers. I feel that our time here has been well spent.

Finding strength through Christ and the prayers of my brothers and sisters,

Jerry

Brief Update

2008-09-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

Today was a day off and a chance to get some rest and relaxation. We (Wayne and Sue, Artyom our translator, and Rashid, our host) did did some hiking in the nearby mountains which are absolutely beautiful. We also met a hiker named Aysa with whom we had a chance to talk and invite her to Grace church. She seemed very interested. Tomorrow we begin our next session with the pastors from far eastern Russia. We are anticipating a turnout of at least 60. Please keep us in your prayers.

Journey to Siberia

2008-09-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

I am writing this blog while sitting in an airport café in Novosibersk, Siberia. There has been no lack of excitement the last 24 hours. First, we wrapped up a great week with the pastors and Christian workers at Moscow Theological Seminary. They expressed their appreciation with kind words, hugs, and gifts. They really seem committed to taking this and running with it. One of them, Sergei, who is full-time with the Russian Baptist Union, informed us that he has been asked by the seminary to begin teaching what he is learning in the Biblical Counseling Training to area pastors on an ongoing basis! Others shared how it is impacting them personally and shaping the way they intend to do ministry in their churches and ministries. It is very apparent that God is at work in all of this. He has put this hunger and passion in their hearts. We are filled with joy for what he is doing and that he allowed us to be a part of this. But this was only the beginning

We left for the airport at 5:00 pm to catch a 9:00 pm flight to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. The streets and highways around Moscow were like parking lot. What might normally take 45 minutes (if there was no traffic) took over three hours. We had been told that we had to make it to the gate by 8:40 pm or we would miss our flight. At 7:50 pm, we were still sitting in traffic inside the city limits of Moscow with little prospect of emerging from an endless line of traffic. We were praying diligently because the next flight would not leave until 1:40 am and there would have been a significant charge for re-booking. Suddenly things began to open. And then the excitement began. Our taxi driver suddenly morphed into Jeff Gordon, swerving in and out of traffic at speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour. We narrowly missed hitting or sideswiping several vehicles. And our driver even got into a road rage encounter with another driver. When we arrived at the airport, everything was a blur. Do you remember the old Hertz commercials with OJ Simpson running through the airport? We did. Somehow we made it on to the plane. We praise God once again for amazing answer to prayer—including the fact that we are still alive! After taking off, we had a five hour flight to Krasnoyarsk (four time zones east of Moscow). Just as were about to land, we were re-directed to Novosibersk (500 miles west) where we waited nearly five hours until the weather cleared. We finally arrived in Krasnoyarsk around 4:00 pm (Krasnoyarsk time) on Saturday or nearly 13 hours after our flight had left Moscow. We are exactly 12 hours ahead of Detroit.

Needless to say we are very tired and our internal clocks are messed up. But inwardly we are being refreshed by Rashid and Svetlana and their three wonderful daughters, Dasha (17), Natasha (15), and Masha (11). They are feeding us well and we are enjoying their fellowship.

Tomorrow we will attend Grace Church where we will be teaching beginning on Tuesday. We are expecting anywhere from 55 to 70 to attend. Since Internet access is more limited here, this may be my last blog for a few days. Pray for our bodies to adapt and recharge so we will be refreshed and ready to teach on Tuesday. Pray also for our students and us, that God will prepare all of our hearts for the ministry of His life-changing Word.

Jerry

Day 4

2008-09-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day today in Moscow. Blue skies. Temperature in the upper 70's. And another full day of classes. More on key elements of ministering to people. Dealing with Idols of the heart. Case studies. And a biblical view of self image. A lively class with good interaction. It has been a real joy to participate in the training along with Wayne. It stirs my heart to be here and see how God is raising up people who are motivated to serve Christ effectively through the daily ministry of the Word in a variety of church and para-church contexts. I love the privilege of partnering with precious brothers and sisters with a common goal. I enjoy practicing Russian in my conversations as I am able to. So I thank God for letting me come here and using this trip as a further confirmation for our eventual move to Ukraine to serve in the Russian-speaking world.

It is hard to believe that tomorrow is our last day in Moscow. Tomorrow night, we fly from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk, Siberia--a trip of over 2,000 miles east of Moscow across 4 time zones. We leave at 9:00 PM tomorrow night and arrive in Krasnoyarsk at 6:30 AM, Saturday. I am not sure what Sunday will look like. We may preach, but won't be sure until we get there. On Monday, we take a breather and do a little rock climbing. Then back to teaching on Tuesday through Friday with pastors and leaders from the eastern side of Russia. And then we return to Detroit a week from this Saturday.

Thank you for your continued prayers. As you do, please pray for strength and the ability to deal withe the jet lag. Especially on Saturday morning.

God's promise for today: Psalm 62:5: Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

With appreciation for your prayers and interest in what God is doing in this part of His vineyard,

Jerry

Training Pictures

2008-09-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

Click the picture below for more photos...

Jerry

Day 3

2008-09-03T01:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a relatively uneventful day. No lost luggage. No late night excursions to the airport. Just teaching and inter-acting with the students. Our group has grown to somewhere close to 50. They are a very sharp group and they ask excellent questions. They really have a passion for ministry--some in hard places. Some of them have begun to not only utilize their training in personal ministry, but are already training other Russians. One did some regional training in Far East Russia. So we rejoice in their commitment to being good stewards of the truth they are learning by passing it on to faithful men and women.

Speaking of commitment, I was overwhelmed with two of the students who took me to the airport to help me replace my lost registration card. Their incredible determination and perseverance really moved me. They really owned the cause. One of them said to me: "I know how much you want to devote yourself to focusing on teaching us. So we are here to help you so all of us will be able to benefit tomorrow." That and some times of intense praying really drew us together. A fresh reminder of the passion God has given us for His work in the Russian-speaking world.

The weather is warming up. Moving into the seventies--so it's really nice. Once again I thank you for all your prayers. Today I began teaching on Idols of the Heart which I will finish in the morning. Wayne is working through the key elements of counseling. God's power in answer to your prayers is very evident to us. Please continue to pray for all of us as Wayne and I continue teaching, Artyom interprets (he has the hardest job!) and Sue Vanderweir continues her incredible behind the scenes work to make everything go smooth.

Thankful for Christ's body around the world,

Jerry

Day 2

2008-09-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

Day Two
Thank you for your prayers. It is closing in on midnight here so I need to get to bed. But I wanted to let everyone know that my luggage arrived today and I received my registration just an hour ago. Quite an ordeal. But suffice for now to say that the heart of the king is in the hand of THE LORD (Prov. 21:1). I also was overwhelmed by the help of two Russian friends who were determined to help me get this taken care of tonight. More on all that later.

This is a wonderful group of pastors and wives and others involved in various full-time ministries. Several of course serve in or near Moscow. Some came hundreds of miles for the training. There is a real passion to shepherd people and to equip others to do so. They are convinced of biblical counseling. The leader of Moscow Theological Seminary gave a ringing endorsement this morning and is thrilled for what is being taught this week. What a privilege to be here.

And best of all, Alexander Timofeev and his assistant Sergei came all the way from Kirovo-Chepetsk (where our Detroit Coalition has been involved for several years) for the training. So I am enjoying some special time of fellowship with them.

It has been a long day. But a good one. God's promises have been invaluable and His nearness looms large. Aslan is on the move. Thank you again for your prayers. Continue to pray for strength, clarity in teaching, and sensitivity to the needs of all the folks attending.

Slava Bogu (Praise the Lord),

Jerry

Greetings from Russia

2008-09-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

This first blog from Russia will be brief. We arrived today in Moscow via Amsterdam. This trip so far has provided a good opportunity to learn the importance of trusting in God's sovereignty. First, I had to wait a long time to de-plane and get through customs. Almost two hours. And when I went to get my baggage, I found out it had not arrived. So then another hour with the baggage claim people--and there I somehow misplaced my departure documents. Not to worry as I only need them to get out of the country. Perhaps God wants me to have a ministry in Russia after all--in prison. It is not a big deal actually except that I will have to spend some extra time reapplying, which means a three hour round trip to the customs area at Sheremetyeva Airport and less time to finish my preparation and get some much needed rest.

Kellie reminded me before I left that God uses tough times to prepare us for what lies ahead. That has proven useful to me to keep my focus on God's faithful working in my (our) lives. So do pray that God will not only help me grow in trusting him more and more, but will also give me the capacity to teach beyond my own strength and energy in a way that gives Him the glory. I find comfort in Paul's words: "...But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God..." (2 Cor. 1:9b).

Good to spend some time today with Wayne Vanderweir (and his wife Sue) with whom I will be teaching this week. I also have appreciated meeting some of the people here at Moscow Theological Seminary where we will begin teaching in a few hours. The facilities here, by the way, are very modern and clean.

Weather today a little chilly at 48 degrees. Since I have no clothes other than the polo shirt and pants I am wearing, I look forward to getting my suitcase!! Thank you for your prayers.

Laboring for Christ, resting in His promises on this Labor Day,

Jerry

Testimonies

2008-08-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Testimonies of Russian Pastors attending Biblical Counseling Training