Reflections on Reflecting God's Image To Others

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.