You Missed it? No. The extra May 2004 Kyiv Calling intentions got buried under other priorities, so was never written. Either that or my fingers were too frozen `til a few days ago. What a cold May! But here's some Kyiv “Sonshine” for June! (catching as well the highlights of what I would have shared 2 weeks ago) Happy reading, and don't forget that NONE of this would be possible without prayer and financial support from mostly quite average, often struggling people, though in our eyes they seem above average in vision and faith. Thank you!
Enjoy the “fruit” He has given!
Some Kyiv Culture from Lavra Bell Tower.
We live in a little flat across this Dneiper River.
Krasnodar Crazy? Taunts Nerves and Boosts Prayer! This Saturday, June 5th, Ron and a trimmed down team go to Russia to teach a unique Module 1. It's a “check us out” module. Why crazy? We appreciate the enthusiasm and persevering organization by one of our 3 Russian 2 nd year UFI students in setting this first meeting up, but the process definitely has had its challenges. Even today I was uncertain as to whether or not our second attempt to get a visa for Ron would be successful. It was! Praise God! (We'll try harder for mine next time.) Russia is not Ukraine. We have been reminded of that more and more in preparation for this trip. The fact that the team is trimmed down is indicative of another challenge we faced but we all prayed and Ron sought my counsel and so now feel peace about this one-time altered “team teaching” approach. It respects the Russians' intense desire that only Ron teach. Do pray though that by Thursday they will trust him and the material (and God!) enough to be open to a gentle introduction to “team teaching” starting with a morsel of instruction to be given by our male senior Ukrainian Teaching Associate Sergei Kaplin. Pray for Sergei too; bright, young, delightful energy out of Ukraine's pain. It is a joy to behold our 3 Russian students and the rest of our Ukrainian Kyiv Class laughing and hugging  when once their peoples were enemies. Millions of Ukrainians lost their lives to the Russians (and Germans). Recently Russians have stepped up support of the Orthodox church and denied evangelical missionaries re-entry even after years of service there. Nor is western influence liked much. Also Ron, Sergei, Victor, and senior translator/operations manager Artyom, are facing well educated pastors and church leaders with high expectations of our Institute. UFI is planted in Ukraine's Kyiv, Sumi, and Rovna. Is Krasnodar God's will too?
PLEEEASE PRAY!!! Our UFI office agrees that if we blow it this time
through the material or cultural or political insensitivity in presentation,
“We will be a `bad name' throughout the evangelical churches in Russia”
and probably not get another opportunity for a long time if ever.
Sumi Success Not Forgotten ~ Ahh, back to the launch of our 2nd expansion site that started 5 weeks ago. Module 1 (of 12 over 3 years) ran April 26th - 30th. As mentioned last newsletter, 39 students are enrolled in that. How did it go? Well, though behind the scenes the “weird, sometimes scary stressors” really do keep increasing for Ron and me and the team (and UFI president Mike back in Indianna), on the “field” here in Ukraine we are all once again sheepishly surprised and deeply grateful at God's immense blessing! Also surprising was that one of our students is the wife of an Orthodox Priest! There's vitality and harmony in the marriage and ministry now, but who knows how long his authorities will stay silent?
Enough of me. Let the students speak!
Excerpts from excerpts sent to us
in English or translated later:
“Thanks to this ministry God wants to bless Ukraine richly. It's very new for us….”
“…Biblical counseling reveals the root. And this is the only way to get out of the problem. It turns the whole belief system upside-down.
 The old principle was: Stop sinning and become holy and everything will be OK!...”
“…I consider the teaching about biblical counseling in UFI unique. It has everything which is necessary to get and grasp the knowledge: high quality of teaching, interaction team-students, dynamics of the narration, plenty of illustrations and examples, foundation in Bible, step by step work with the person. As for me personally
I got a lot of answers to (a lot of) questions…”
UFI Teaching Associates
Tanya and Maria
“…Everything is important!
- Ephesians box, H-E-A-R-T questions, repentance hexagramm etc. I want to remember all of them… I'm very thankful to the amazing team (do not consider these words as flattery)"
“…(UFI study) is one of the
biggest blessings that God planned in my life.”
“…every student probably saw himself in these illustrations”
“…like thunder-clap, there was an explosion in my heart. I have got a lot of useful information, firstly to myself. I'm confident that this knowledge will help me in my work.”
“I saw how much I have to change in myself for God's sake, and I clearly see the direction where to go in order to come closer to God. … all the materials will be very useful in my ministries…”
UFI Student Playing Guitar For Handful of Street Kids
“It's obvious that this teaching is peculiar. For me personally it opened the new facets of understanding
about God… I thank God for directing pain in my life and consider it as the grace…”
“The uniqueness of the course is that it is built on the Scripture...”
Again, much more was said and almost all spoke of new insight into their own
FEARS & TEARS! Module 6 Turned Students Inside Out?
ALL Of Us Awed By God's Pursuing Love:
Amazing Friday; astounding week! Because again we STILL see God as too small? Our best efforts still fail to appreciate His love and omnipotence and so we are still surprised by the intricacies and power of His blessings. Module 6 of our Kyiv Class (year 2 of 3) was on “Fear”. Ron taught every day but also included a role play starting in day one that continued throughout the week and about which the students received group assignments. As with previous modules, the students supposed the role play to be a compilation of real life counselling situations and so the actual counsellee was presumed to be fictitious. However, so great was
Year 2 UFI Students. Module 6 (Kyiv Class) Becoming Inseparable?
the “acting” this time that some of the students became suspicious that this was indeed a real counselling case, not an act! Direct questions to that effect were deflected humorously by secretly premeditated answers, until the final day. On Friday it was the decision of the “counsellee” actor/actress involved to maintain his/her distance from the complex , intense, challenging, at times even “mocked-by-the-students” role play, or come forth in open vulnerability to share the REAL and painful journey of his/her specific “fear”. That fear began at least 5 years ago and intensified until normal life functioning was difficult, family was affected, all avenues of human escape had been exhausted (some surprisingly creative attempts), and there was no way out offering victory but through God. The choice was made to secretly (and hopefully openly later) share this real life up-close-and-personal “case” as an example for the UFI students partly because God had clearly, through amazing circumstances, shown His love in backing His precious child into a corner in order to help and free him/her and then He promptly achieved that victory in a powerful way that we believed would encourage our counsellors in training. Victory came by God through Ron's private counselling of this previously panicked dear brother/sister in Christ. We did not apply pressure for this “actor/actress” to share openly with the class by Friday but Ron and I prayed and discussed that option through the week with the person involved. After much soul searching dealing with brand new fears (to confess weakness and risk looking like a fool) He/she finally decided to “go for it”; to do one more huge “cliff jump” in what he/she perceived to be obedience to Christ regardless of some possible negative responses from the class. Well, what can I say? What can I write? Standing before God renders one silent and unable to look directly at Him or even stand. Standing before His work is very humbling and beautiful as well. The Friday “confession” was exceptionally clear, powerful, and victory obvious. The students sat awestruck as this REAL PERSON, (their cool, level-headed, “unflappable”, loved, and highly respected friend) shocked most and revealed the reality of deep debilitating surprising fears in the most unexpected of people, and the love and power of God's Word and Spirit to free His own from bondage. Our friend's servant-honesty tied together the teaching of the week so clearly and powerfully. It stirred tears, hugs, proclamations of gratitude and love, and passionate prayers of thanks from both male and female students. In one short week the students had moved from serious blindness of their own hearts and others around them, to greatly increased sight and sensitivity to the human heart (including their own) regardless of culture, and the enormous pursuing love of God. On Monday most believed and expressed “we have no fear” and some said “This is a stupid case. What real person, particularly a Ukrainian living in Ukraine, would have such deep twisted fear and go to such lengths to flee and hide it?” (Probably some were dealing with some of the cultural survival habits given decades of deceit and violence against them.) By Friday they were broken, and seeing, and praising God for His love and pursuing power to continually free and strengthen His own beyond anything the world has to offer. Again … amazing; astounding. The text to be given out this module would have been “When People Are Big And God Is Small, by Ed Welch (one of Ron's Westminster Seminary colleagues)…., but it is not translated yet, so the students got much of that material in Ron's UFI module 6 syllabus, but then were given a different older book (in Russian) with further assignments to strengthen their personal walk with God and so be better equipped as Biblical Counsellors. Many learned much about “Fear” this week, but as one of the UFI staff member summarized, it was also a week of powerful relationship building, both horizontally and vertically. Praise God who continues to surprise all the staff and students at UFI beyond our imaginations!
Sweet Sorrow “Pahkah” ~ (Paka) My “Goodbye” to our oldest daughter (24) seemed manageable `til Angela actually left the passport inspection counter (US passport having won the race). I was so surprised that suddenly I couldn't see very well. I guess I miss my children more than I sometimes realize. Angela is not one to cry either but emailed later that she too was surprise by her own tears. We had an absolutely marvellous two weeks with her here taking in Ukrainian sights and ministries. She is so full of life and love for Christ and others.
Angela with 3 of 17 orphans
The photo was taken at a fine Christian orphanage in Kirovagradt, a 5 hour bus trip outside of Kiev. (There are thousands of orphans in Ukraine.)
Da Svidanya Dear Canucks! and one new American friend too! ~ (a slightly more formal “Goodbye” than Paka, though bearing much “Christian family” warmth.) Jake was back with his wife Lorraine, and his new friend Steve. Their 2 weeks overlapped Angela's but with prayer and planning, cell phones, UFI Operations Manager Artyom and various UFI students helping out, all worked wonderfully! Seems everyone got to see, hear, and do their specific ministry and tourist interests and lots of fine fellowship was had all around! The warmth of Spring finally broke through the last 2 days as well! Unusual “Brrrr” `til then. (1st May snow in Moscow in 100 years)
Overcoming Obstacles ~ Please pray for our son Adam (18) as he works, searches for funds, and prepares for college for ministry. Please pray that Ukraine Family Institute staff and students continue to persevere through minor to major frustrations and temptations living here in this land of corruption, poverty, excellence, opportunity, and blessing.
Thank you for helping it all happen!
“But if from there you seek The Lord your God, you will find Him
if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Deuteronomy 4:29
Serving Christ … from Kyiv Ukraine: Ron, Linda
from Canada: Angela Marie, Dawna Laurie, & Noel Adam
Dr. Ron Harris: rharris@iGlide.net ~ Founder of Wellspring of Life Biblical Counselling Service Inc.: wellspringoflife.com Academic Dean Ukraine Family Institute:ufi_kiev@yahoo.com , 2004: Ron.Harris@worldteam.org
World Team Canada : 7575 Danbro Crescent, Mississauga, ON L5N 6P9,
(905) 821-6300; (800) 610-9788, www.world-team.org ~
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For information, problems / changes / deletions regarding these newsletters, please tell me, Linda: rlharris@i.kiev.ua
Apologies for misalignments / spacing. New software would be nice. This one too often glitches.
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