UFI is BORN! PRAISE GOD!!! 2/2003
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Kyiv Calling
SPECIAL REPORT!!!
February 2003
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U.F.I. is Born!!! Praise God. Praise God. Praise God! He did it again! He blessed far above what we ever imagined. After the first week I wrote some of you an email which included the following:
Saturday January 24th, 2003 : How did our Ukraine Family Institute's very first week of classes go? It was an absolutely extraordinary experience. Astounding blessing. Absolutely totally so unbelievable that Ron and I were holding back tears MANY times ... and we were trying to be unemotionally objective! You would not believe what your prayers and dollars are doing...
Now, after week two, REJOICE! with us that
 BOTH weeks we knew God's clear, powerful blessing. Ron and I felt humbled and exhilarated for God had obviously prepared the hearts of these leaders to receive the riches of His Word in a special way. There seemed to be an extraordinary presence of God particularly the first week and almost the same the next, enabling Ron to teach boldly, compassionately, clearly, and the students to understand and awaken even more to the riches of God's Word. I don't make newsletter statements hastily or lightly. There's lots I could say but what really matters is what THEY are saying, so … hear now just a few of the students after this 1st of 12 modules to be taught by Ron over 3 years. (Besides not having all the written responses back yet, I dare not include all 70 anyway! The ones without names were verbal comments.)  The Word Counselled Counsellors! Listen To These Leaders/Students!
"How long I have been looking and praying for such an Institute! Praise the Lord!Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! that we now have Ukraine Family Institute."
Vasily Sribnyuk, Regional Youth Minister,
Gorodische, Ukraine
“It is very rare to have such a solid start to a new work!
Praise God!”
"This Institute WILL be a success! How many times I have felt defeated because I didn't know how to help people. I will share about UFI with many leaders in Russia.
"Vasily Okunev, Pastor , (26 hours one-way by train
to attend UFI), Krasnodar, Russia
“Kak skora? Kak skora?” (How soon? How soon?) said that same Russian pastor.
He and other students (from all over Ukraine) approached us with enthusiastic gratitude and intense desire to have this material taken back to their home cities.
"I will return home a different man than I was when I arrived."
Kostya Chebezov, Youth Ministry Leader. Supervisor of Small Group Leaders
"So much knowledge and information in one program! I will be able to
use this effectively in my ministry."
Vasily Kibit, Pastor Ivano-Frankovsk, Ukraine
 "I will advise and influence pastors in my area to enrol in this program. … I will help you find a place to hold an Odessa extension site of Ukraine Family Institute."Giorgiy Kadyan, Pastor (church of nearly 600),
Odessa, Ukraine
“I am not the same as when I came. Thank you Ron and Linda, for coming to Ukraine”
"This week a great interest in learning more about what the Bible has to say was born in me."
Vitaly Kapinos, Surgeon & Leader in International Charity Center, Kiev, Ukraine
“Can I bring my brother?” said one. “Can I bring my pastor? My whole church needs this” said others. “I know of many who should have been here. I wish they were here” and “So many churches need this!” still others commented.
Module 1 had become more to them than an introductory biblical counselling course.
“I am amazed at how sound, how biblical the teaching was. I am not tired. I am full of joy.
I wish I could stay even longer!”
(Each week is 30 hours of classes! plus 8 response papers before they leave and more between modules)
"This week for me meant the beginning of a new period of Christian life,
new perspectives and ideas for my ministry!"
Elena Shvets,Worship Leader,Kiev, Ukraine
"His Word is alive and real! This will change my life."
Viktoria Pavlenko, Leader of Women's Ministries, Poltava, Ukraine
"Much, much new and useful information. It's a great gift of God that we're here!"
Pavel Makarov, Preacher & Prayer Ministry Leader, Zhytomir, Ukraine
"This course has given me so much think about, especially about strategies for living a moral life
and the renewal of the church where I am the pastor."
Igor Grinenko, Pastor, Bible College Professor, Director of Bible League in Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
"This week I have discovered so many new things that will help me in my ministry!"
Sergey Morozov, Deacon, Preacher & Small Group Leader, Kiev, Ukraine
"This week was a new opportunity for me to discuss many of the questions I face, with people who share
the same concerns. I hope you will be able to widen biblical counselling across Ukraine!"
Anya Chernigovskaya, Seminary Student, Kiev, Ukraine (originally from Chernobyl)
"The Holy Spirit has shown me that I am present at something that is very, very important!"
Tatyana Duginova, Church Lay Leader,Kiev, Ukraine
“The students really liked the professor's teaching. I heard them talking about it ... They were so excited…”
Ukrainian lady custodian who patiently, pleasantly taught me some Ukrainian equivalents to the Russian greetings I offered in the dormitory hallways. (Translator Leanna was present to help me with the above comments as the lady spoke, not knowing she was standing in the presence of Prepadavatyel Ron.)
On and on it went with only one exception in 70 and perhaps that soul too will soon fully see and rejoice!
Fine Form! Teamwork! Singing Hearts! In response to UFI's requests for student feedback to aid us in offering our best to God and the students also made such comments as “deep yet clear explanations” taught at a “perfect pace so that everyone could understand”, “excellent interaction”
 with them in and out of class, “excellent administration, extremely impressive professional translation” (written and verbal) “excellent teamwork”, real love shown in communication and through prayer before and during the weeks and detailed preparation. I myself (Linda) caught UFI's operation manager Artyom tidying up after class yet looking like he was about ready to burst with joy. His explanation was simply “ I love this! This is great! This is so exciting!!!” His sacrifices, prayers, management work, and long hours of translating the syllabi are paying off! Leanna too was in fine form and enjoying this fruit of her gazillion hours of translation. When we asked again for weaknesses so that we can improve, another student shouted “Keep on the same way!” to which more agreed. To our total surprise another stood up and volunteered “It is good that Linda is here! Even her presence is very helpful …. the way she looks at Ron ….” (Ooohh. Fishbowl or what!?! I shared a bit first week for which many expressed thanks, and the students insisted on an impromptu testimony the second as well) Both weeks by midweek everyone wanted to sing! We had thought there was a piano there but were mistaken, and the students backed off a cappella (vocal, no instruments) singing, perhaps unwilling to risk rousing the already overly vocal roosters and vast number of night-howling stray dogs. Each class has now discovered their musicians so will be ready for when they return for module 2 March 31st. Anyway, dear faithful friends, some half a globe away, I think I hear you shouting or singing “Praise God!” Rejoice in The Lord and be glad!!! Certainly the flurry of emails received last Sunday before week two showed you were alive and praying! They were a delightful encouragement and surely music for Our Father's heart!
Bold Love & Contagious Blessing! Long After We're Gone? What does love for God and one another look like for a teacher (Ron) with knowledge, ability, 25 years experience, present opportunity, and one (Linda) witnessing and personally experiencing life-changing help by such truth as the teacher shares? Well it certainly includes teaching! It is not easy nor without risk to take coram deo (before the face of God / heart before God) truth to everyone. Not everyone is eager to hear hard but powerfully freeing truth that lasts long after the “the professor” (as they often call Ron over here) is gone. This is what it's all about; glory to God and increasing love for and dependence upon Him alone, not us. There were 70 students these past 2 weeks. Many of them shared personally with us (through our faithful diligent 2 translators and 2 english speaking Teaching Associates) such new deep heart insights, and in others it was simply obvious. Pictures would show reserved strangers warming up to each other, Russians and Ukrainians hugging, members of various denominations once tense with each other now laughing, dining, and praying together, students in moments of wrestling with the scriptures and ugly truths of sinful hearts then rejoicing at new levels of understanding and freedom.
“I came to learn how to help others, but you have helped me.” Later “We must first see like this before we can help others.”
A pastor from another Ukrainian city came to Ron early in week one. “My church needs this. Can I start teaching it right away? Can I translate it into Ukrainian?” (Wow! but UFI will handle translation)
With joy and intensity a lady said “Do you realize what you got us into? We would have to turn their (the older pastors') thinking upside down!” (The following week God gave Ron the older pastors!!!)
Almost as if we were at a political rally, he stood up and urged the other students of the definite need to be bold in going forward with sharing this material, yet “ We must not appear as revolutionaries. Be careful. Show it with your life first….”
“How can I get tapes? CDs? …Can I duplicate the syllabus? “ many students asked.
Quietly the Russian Pastor stated that the cost of the train ride would prevent others he wants to hear this material from making the trip to Kyiv. How much was the train? “$60 U.S.” he said. I controlled my reaction. This was a sincere, intelligent, wonderful man who would not manipulate anyone. He also never once complained about the 26 hour train ride one way. He is hard working, “successful”, does not have a phone, and gets internet use once every two weeks. Now he was well into questioning and suggesting other options, as he felt the pressure of his government continuing to increase restrictions on allowing religious leaders into their country.
A student from first week sent a friend for the second. She hopped a train from Poltava to Kiev, crossed the city to catch another train to Vorzel, then set out by foot to the retreat center (a total commute of some 9-10 hours) and walked in...ready to study. She never considered that there might be an application and enrolment process. We let her stay anyway. Good problems for UFI to solve.
Too many blessings to continue to quote for you. Are you rejoicing yet?
Student Lives. Incredibly Awesome Living Letters ~ A special joy to all of us and strong contributor to the remarkable unity that developed was Ron's pleasant persevering pressure for two testimonies (relatively “voluntarily”) before or at the need of most classes. That those contributed to class unity seemed ironic to me, for it is astounding the variety of people and experiences. The students remarked several times on their great value. Every one, from young person to old, was so interesting that I feel badly just picking one to share with you. However here it is, mostly as recorded by UFI president Mike, for he too was impressed with the living, transforming power of God's Word.
One older student, in sharing his testimony this morning, began to relate how as a younger man he would, on occasion, see and read Soviet propaganda that ridiculed some particular passage from the Bible. It always struck him that the Scripture quoted in those propaganda pieces actually seemed to make the most sense to him. Then, as a middle-aged man, one day the opportunity presented itself to hold and read a Bible for awhile. He was extremely curious, but had no idea where to even begin reading. He just let the book fall open and began to read. The Bible opened to the book of Numbers. (How could the book of Numbers ever begin to reveal God's love and identity to someone who had virtually no knowledge of Him?) In God's great providence, this man had a background in medicine. The passage he began reading detailed God's instruction to Israel on how to deal with certain illnesses and diseases. The man read intently and understood these medical treatments, recognizing them as having great value in treating sick people. He immediately found himself believing that if there was a God who was concerned for the health of people, and who had prescribed treatments that would heal them, then the rest of the Bible surely must also be accurate. With the collapse of the Soviet Union years later, his wife began attending a church. He remembered the passage in Numbers from all those years before. So he went to church with her. Today he pastors a church in Brovary, a small town just east of Kiev. Isn't that incredibly awesome?
Lost to Laughter ~ The first week of students were younger than the second. They only took a day to warm up to Ron, his teaching, each other, open up, loosen up in class participation, and eventually have enough riotous fun in the dorms with some of our UFI team that the few who wanted to sleep could not due to outbursts of laughter. The second group was older but those leaders also eventually relaxed in trust of us and into serious openness and moments of hilarity. UFI's Artyom and Leanna are excellent translators and very professional in delivery but, alas, we finally (totally unintentionally) got both, particularly Leanna. She was laughing so hard she couldn't speak. Intense work, infectious fun, contagious blessing. PRAISE GOD!
“How Can One Sheep help Another Sheep? By staying very close to The Shepherd. Let's follow Him together.” This I quoted from a card my husband gave me many years ago, which obviously I valued enough to keep and bring over the big water to Ukraine! It is another way of explaining our heart- before-God vertical relationship, and our heart-before-man horizontal ones. Counselling can be really messy, ugly, difficult, draining, even deadly. Yet with the power of this humble perspective, the beauty of Christ and celebrations of the angels with even small God glorifying victories for counsellees is a joy for all involved. Ron and I are very pleased that there seemed to be a lot of renewing and even humbling and rebuilding of the students that took place during each week. They have glimpsed the justice of God and tasted His amazing Grace. They are eager to use the scriptures now in such a thorough, compassionate way to teach and counsel others.
Sacrificially Treasuring Truth ~ We are pleased with the choice of a Sanatorium in the woods for our first classes and there will be a similar dormitory set-up away from center city yet in Kyiv next module. We were all comfortable and well served. Yet we included that situation as well in our requests for feedback from the students. They gave zero time to complain about food or shared dorm rooms (max was 6/rm.) or hot water running out for those not up with the roosters. The students either expressed gratitude or supported the student comment about none of that being important compared to kingdom gems and concerns. (12 modules = 3 years, with projects, papers and reports sent to the UFI office between modules. YES Ron, the 2 teaching Assistants Valya and Sergey, operations manager and translator Artyom, translator and all `round essential Flo (fair lady of the office, who is really our brilliant multilingual Leanna) will all be VERY BUSY! Besides constant follow up on the students, more curriculum (last 6 modules) needs to be completed by Ron before teaching time for each roles around. Add to that counselling training sessions and work with our home church here and seminars for other ministries, plus resuming russian lessons, fund raising, and … it's tiring just thinking about it all! But, we love it. Mike is full time busy in the US providing for his own family, studying, AND continuing to raise money for UFI. (We, Ron and Linda, raise money only for us and our son Adam to get here to live and work.)
Kyiv Theological Seminary Class & More ~ Again Ron will be teaching at KTS. Marriage and Family. February 17th - 28th. We have also been invited to various other places to teach as husband or wife or together. The language studies and unfinished pile of work together with my chronic low energy health status (nothing new) has me reluctant to charge into those though I would prefer doing those things. We shall see.
Ontario Classes ~ We are in the process of setting up probably two for the Spring: basic and advanced. My web builder is acting up but I will try to keep things current and readable by mid February (at the usual http://www.wellspringoflife.com ) I would love to post more pictures.
Family News ~ Next regular Kyiv Calling however please pray for our 3 children as each is entering into major change in their lives.
Photos ~ Eventually perhaps many on this website (Busy and my website builder is misbehaving.)
 “Love The Lord your God with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with
all your strength.
The second is this:
`Love your neighbour as yourself.'
There is no commandment
greater than these.”
Jesus: Mark 12: 30,31
Serving Christ from Kyiv: Ron, Linda, Noel Adam
from Ottawa: Angela & Dawna
 Dr. Ron Harris: rharris@iGlide.net ~ Founder of Wellspring of Life Biblical Counselling Service: wellspringoflife.com Academic Dean Ukraine Family Institute:ufi_kiev@yahoo.com , rlharris@iptelecom.net.ua
World Team Canada : NEW ADDRESS! 7575 Danbro Crescent, Mississauga, ON L5N 6P9.
(905) 821-6300; (800) 610-9788, www.world-team.org ~
International Faith Initiatives Inc. (USA) www.internationalfaith.org ~ Rev. Linville: mike@internationalfaith.org
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We send out email newsletters which differ in format from this web page and from the 8.5" X 11" snail mail format.
For information, problems / changes / deletions regarding these newsletters, please tell me, Linda: rlharris@i.kiev.ua
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