Rovna Report from Former Soviet Post Office EXHILARATING Birthday week! With our Kyiv Students presently into their 2nd year of 3 we turned our necessary restraint to “Now!” and began our first extension site. 39 of the expected 49 students showed up in Rovna, Ukraine for day one of module 1 (of 12). These students are eager and committed leaders of churches, largely from the Rovna region. Ukrainians are diligent and tough. That not all were able to make it meant finances, health, or other life challenges were just too extreme to surmount at this time in their lives. It is our practice at UFI to pray for the students long before that first class ever meets. Once again God blessed. Healthy inquisitiveness and valid scepticism dissolved into open

excitement and the beginnings of a sense of “family”. (Our 2nd year Kyiv Students almost have to be pried apart now!) The building where our classes were held was a church over 70 years ago, then a Soviet post office, and later with the fall of communism the government granted the people's request and gave it back in 1991 for use as a church. After much prayer and repair it now serves as the administrative centre for the regional churches, as well as housing a Bible College. Our Sumi people and UFI Praise God for these latest mutual blessings.

Our New Students Said … “it changes OUR hearts first!”… “We don't hear this in churches”

~ “ I liked it very much. We can't over-estimate the fact that it is biblical - explained clearly, given some commentary, enriched by parables, stories and illustrations. I praise God that the Bible was honoured. My heart was changed with respect to the Bible. I am excited about the home assignments, follow up, the rich content, the excellent material... I brought my computer to make notes, but due to the syllabus, it was not needed. I want to use much of this material in my sermons.”

~ “I think we push people to jump out of airplanes, and I am glad to hear this careful, clear, and respectful approach here.”

~ “ In the past I had to preach on passages upon which I received no good teaching. Here I heard passages explained and applied in ways that are deep and new! These are things we don't hear in churches! I think that everybody should come to maturity and counsel one another…should not only be the work of pastors."

~. “I had many questions, and I received answers to many of them in the first few days. Thank you, Ron and team!”

~ ”My opinion is that our society is very sick. After this week of teaching I can say that I am surprised. I received no milk - it was all meat - very rich - and all from the Bible. This is very important teaching for me, helping me to maintain a right relationship with God.”

~ “When I came here God relieved my tensions during the first day. I heard clear good ideas. I could understand the Bible's teaching. I was surprised how it was explained! I felt myself to be a counsellee here - that everything was taught to help me!”

Servant Leaders: UFI Team observation ~ So far we have found that all of our UFI students express the above belief sooner or later. The typical response after our teaching is, “I wanted to come to learn how to help others, and to my surprise I learned more about myself!” It is not as unanimous in non-UFI classes where Ron teaches quite condensed versions of basics but the percentage of personal self-examination, application, and change by the counsellor-in-training is still high. Praise God! Leaders gently broken by God to become best, strongest, servant leaders.

Many more written student comments are on their way to the office from student homes, but we know they reflect more changed thinking and changed lives starting even in Module 1(of 12 over 3 years) Rejoice!

Living UFI's Purpose Statement ~

“Reproducing teaching teams to help pastors and church leaders

throughout Ukraine and beyond to counsel biblically.”

In reality, frequently we hear that it is much more than that, with rich theology being taught and discipleship happening, however this is our focus and here's the latest on duplication.

Ron was very proud of the Ukraine Family Institute teaching team. No longer is it solely grey haired Ron teaching! though of course he still does the majority of it. Artyom and Valya, were recognized by the students for their precision and conscientiousness in translation. (We're getting too used to it?) Sergei (senior Teaching Associate), Victor and Maria (also TAs), met the stretching teaching opportunity with faithfulness, excellence, and a heart for God. Tanya, our other gifted teacher on our team, remained in Kyiv to address physical matters. Her prayers for us and the students were answered during our intense week long UFI-in-Rovna birthday party! Again, rejoice!

Keeping Quality ~ Translation of Ron, or to Ron by our best translators/interpreters is always taking place as Teaching Associates gradually take on more teaching responsibilities and students comment and ask questions. This is Valya, operation manager Artyom's assistant/previously TA, whispering all to Ron during class

Crossing A May 1st Communist March ~ For 2004 the march seemed very big. Ron and I were late for our regular Saturday morning prayer meeting with Music Mission Kiev. (Though we are not MMK, they have loved us and graciously invited us to many things, partly due to the common ground of being trained musicians, Christians of the same denomination, and a 16 year friendship with Diane and Roger McMurrin, the founders/president of MMK. None of us ever dreamed that after ministering together in Florida then years apart, we would be together again ministering in another language on the other side of the globe!) Anyway, Ron and I were rushing on foot down a central Kyiv street and needed to get to the other side. Problem; as far as we could see in either direction the people were marching with red flags bearing pro-communism messages and pictures of Vladimir Lenin. We could backtrack and go under the street, but there was a small gap in the march, so with typical Ukrainian pedestrian aggressiveness we just calmly cut across and continued on to the prayer meeting at Matt and Tricia McMurrin's flat. (McMurrins are father/son conductors of adult/youth choir and orchestras they formed here) Along with the warmth and laughter exchanged in this precious weekly gathering we also share tensions and sombre concerns. Today included both rejoicing in political progress in Ukraine and sorrow and prayer for those sharing the beliefs of today's marchers. Matt expressed it well, saying they are like the grumbling Israelites, selectively recalling better availability of food and medicine and forgetting the hardship and horrors of Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, communism. It is a country still very much in transition. Please pray! (View of Lenin is from PCA/MTW office window, not our UFI ministry office.)

“Babe” and Babushki Bubbling over UFI? ~ Dressed in respectable church attire, specifically including a skirt as part of my personal preference for worship and effort to respect Ukrainian tradition, I waited patiently, smiling genuinely as a string of “grandmothers” (babushki) filed out of the McMurrin flat building onto the street sidewalk right behind Kyiv's main Opera Hall. Part way through this exit I noticed several were giving me second looks. Some seemed to seek confirmation as to my identity while others seemed openly approving. Approving of what? I thought. This feels weird. Then I heard one tell the others, as she was grinning and beaming, “This is Ron's wife!” We exchanged brief pleasantries, clear but minimal due to my struggle with the Russian language. Still I thought it a bit odd. However on the way up the stairs, then at the top, again in with the church luncheon, and afterwards as the Young Adult meeting began, and then even the next day at the opera hall where Roger was presenting a full orchestra, choir, and dance production of Bach's “The Passion According to St Matthew”, …I kept hearing this same message over and over! This was the message. One of our latest university aged students who just completed the first UFI module 1 week in Sumi has been bursting with enthusiasm about all she learned and her change of heart. The babuski heard her at church. OK, so Ira's not a “babe”, but she is pretty, dear, bright, and gifted. She was joyfully tearful in exclaiming “I am not the same person I was!” Such is the power of God's Word humbly yet boldly, meticulously and sensitively taught. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Please pray, as our Ukrainians struggle with no work and no money, or too much work and still very little money, often poor health, and other concerns threatening to roadblock deeper learning of God's truth. No, not everyone wants to learn and lead, but many do and cannot. We are so grateful for the 3 classes in 3 cities now in progress and the 4th to begin soon in Russia, Lord willing, but too many could not attend simply due to the many stressors of a nation still very much struggling to develop their new democracy. My grandmother prayed for me for years and then at 19 years old I finally became a Christian. These babushki (new Christians) pray AND evangelize “without ceasing”! Praise God!

Tough Teaching Challenge! ~ When all was over the UFI team concluded “This was a strange group. Yet it was good that we taught. ”Word of God” College trains pastors and leaders in rich theology. UFI was asked to teach a two week course to provide a foundational course in Biblical Counselling to 12 students. Ron and Sergei taught, with Artyom and Valya interpreting. They taught fifteen hours from Module 1 the first week, and another fifteen hours from Module 2 the second week - presenting material from these foundational courses to equip future leaders in Ukraine (and one from Kyurgistan). The first week was difficult. The second week the students relaxed a bit, warmed up, and interacted more with our teaching team, and seemed to show more responsive hearts, not just intellectual reception and analysis. Resistance is understandable given the deluge of religion that has hit this country since communism fell, and given that the penetrating Word is like a scalpel. Apparently students stayed after morning teaching sessions, talking with great intensity. Easier to report is that one very bright young man said “This (two week condensed UFI course) was a revelation.” He said it had immediately improved his marriage. (The delight in his wife is obvious.) Pray as these bright students revisit the material to complete their exam. May God use the final exam as a powerful tool to resolve questions and struggles with the truth of the Wonderful Counselor. Discernment of practical theology is essential for good counselling.

FAR above and Beyond our Expectations ~ Last month's specific prayer requests were answered regarding 2 Canadian supporters, Paul and Jake, who visited for a week in April, and UFI president Mike's need NOW for new blood to join with him in encouraging and even working at fundraising for UFI. We asked “that God give us all a wonderful time of sharing ministry blessings and challenges, enjoy warm fellowship with western and Ukrainian Christians, and catch some of Kyiv's history, culture, and maybe Spring sunshine too!” He did precisely that and more, then it rained for 2 days starting a few hours after they left. A SEPARATE REPORT! just might be large enough to hold their joy! Both gave permission to share some things they said and wrote so perhaps Ron or I will do it that way. In a word now though, Paul said

“I cannot imagine a more excellent experience.”

He was beaming from jet-lagged start to exhausted finish.

As for Jake? Well the phone's been ringing off the hook here since and so has Mike's in Indiana! As if that were not joy and encouragement enough … see next item.

Jake Returns to Kyiv! ~ but with his wife and yet another friend. He was sooooooo excited about last month's visit that he's coming back the 2nd last week in May. Yes work marches on and there's an overlap with our daughter but that's understood by all.

Daughter Angela's FIRST Time To Kyiv! ~ Angela persevered in getting stolen Canadian papers replaced, and simultaneously played her “dual citizenship” status (born in Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania) to apply for an American Passport as the Canadian was not promised in time. Now she has everything, including her Ukrainian visa! Thank you all who were praying us through that! All smiles 15th - 29th! (She flies out of Montreal May 14th.)

SUMI Success! Another 39 students and another exhilarating “birthday week”! After a brief break (including a gift of a 4 hour cruise on the Dneipr River with MMK staff, their American visitors, orphans and various others) there's a ton of regular work to do, plus preparations for module 1 in Krasnodar Russia June 6th. So, Sumi photos, news, and more later (this month?) THANK YOU ALL and may God grant you wisdom, strength, and peace to keep you shining in the darkness for Him!

“… so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55: 11

Serving Christ … from Kyiv Ukraine: Ron, Linda

from Ontario & Quebec,Canada: Angela Marie, Dawna Laurie, & Noel Adam

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 , Note : Ron.Harris@worldteam.org

World Team Canada : 2004: 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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For information, problems / changes / deletions regarding these newsletters, please tell me, Linda: rlharris@i.kiev.ua

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