Hello, I have not kept up with daily news about Ukraine and Crimea for the past few months, but from time to time check in on what’s happening. However, I do get emails or updates about some things from some people which are not in the news. One of our past participants in the “Man and the Christian Worldview” conferences frequently writes about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the role that the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchy) in that conflict. I appended links to two of his published articles. The second one is long but really worth reading.
Pray for my travel and ministry. I leave for Crimea June 24 [not 14 like I wrote in my last newsletter] and return July 14. Pray for our Summer English School which will take place during my visit. Besides administrative and building maintenance issues per usual during my visits, and besides providing myself as a ‘native English speaker’ for the summer school, I will hold a seminar for my staff on dealing with issues among our residents. Every year there are new issues for the staff to deal with — not surprising when there are 19-20 residents and most of them are now not freshmen and they have new troubles and temptations in their lives.
Pray for the staff as they seek to be the voice of Christ in ministering to these students.
Pray for the staff as they seek to give Christ a presence among the students seeking to improve their English this summer.
Pray for those on the staff who travel outside Crimea this summer to work with children’s camps – including for orphans and displaced children from the war in East Ukraine and for university students studying French.
I will bring back two more pieces of luggage from our apartment (stored at the Center). Bag by bag, suitcase by suitcase, we are getting our more treasured things to our new home. It will take a few years, but I doubt I will ever bring back but a few of my books.
Our next monthly newsletter will feature some of the May events at the Center and the summer school.
So little is being done to reach students in Crimea;
Crimea is no longer a receptive field — and has not been for some years now;
Crimea has become a resistant field in some ways since Russia took over and the Orthodox church expanded its powers;
but God is touching lives through our Center.
Crimea is no longer a receptive field — and has not been for some years now;
Crimea has become a resistant field in some ways since Russia took over and the Orthodox church expanded its powers;
but God is touching lives through our Center.
“It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”
Thanks for helping to keep some candles lit in Crimea.
Georges
PS: Let me know if these are not accessible to you. I can send you the PDF. gpc