You should know that Russia announced air force training called Airdarts scheduled for May 21-26. They are going to be very massive and should take place 200 km from the border with Ukraine.
Keep in mind the following upcoming key dates:
May 18 – Crimean Tatar march downtown in Simferopol in the memory of the deportation that was carried out by Stalin 7 0years ago
May 18 – march in Moscow against Putin’s politics
May 25 – president election in Ukraine
June 6 – celebration of 70-year anniversary of the US troops landing in Normandia. Meeting of the president’s in France. Obama and Putin are going to be there. Possible talks over Ukraine
June 15 – possible 2nd round of the president election in Ukraine
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Pray for the remaining intervarsity (CCX) staff that will leave Ukraine tomorrow.
Pray for “S” who was told she could get back into Ukraine based on her temporary residency, but when she left to meet family for vacation in UK, at the Crimean border she was told she could NOT get back into Crimea without a Russian visa. Pray that she gets a visa or way back in. We very much need her at the Center, and that is where her heart is.
Pray for LaVerne as she continues shoulder therapy — last week they started the second phase, the phase that causes pain.
PTL, Andrei Taran has been accepted by Milligan.
Pray for Dr Greer to find sufficient funding for Andrei to enter the Masters in counseling program at Milligan College this August. If he succeeds, I will ask friends of Andrei to help with relocation and setup expenses. He is still painting our house in Florida.
Pray for Joel and my safety as we drive in France. This weekend we will be with my French relatives.
Pray for travel arrangements (have not made them yet) to get to Poland for the European Leadership Forum the last week of the month, and then on to Warsaw and elsewhere where I will be speaking to churches and at a camp.
Pray for God’s direction for my visit to Ukraine. I have an invitation for June to accompany Sergei Golovin on a week-long road trip to visit our staff and friends who have been displaced to Western Ukraine.
Either in Poland or Ukraine I will apply for a visa to visit Crimea. I so much want to see the staff that cannot meet me in Poland (two may), and to see our apartment and pack some things, and just to be ‘home’ … though it will no longer feel like home.
After Ukraine and Crimea, I plan to fly back to Florida.
Oh yes, praise the Lord, we received $8,814 toward the 10k! We still hope to surpass the goal and insure sufficient funds for our travels to and from Crimea/Ukraine and to help families that need to relocate and help individuals who need to pay for various applications for staying in Crimea.
Pray for peace in Ukraine. Pray for CIU’s ministry. With orphanage ministries limited (no camps this summer?!) and student ministries evacuation (CCX, IFES), our Center will be needed more than ever. Many students have left Crimea, but many remain. May God guide us on how to best use our resources to reach out to orphans and to evangelize and equip students.
We lost a few students and residents but are continuing with the ministry. Summer will be a time of fewer students in classes at the Center, just English and non-credit Bible and discipleship studies. Usually many of the staff are serving at camps and conferences, but all that is highly uncertain with most events cancelled. I am sure the ministry to orphans will increase on a weekly basis as Nastya provides leadership in that area of ministry. Shannon would use the summer to continue to build on her relationships with her students and Crimean Tatar contacts.
Blessings,
Thanks for your prayers,
In haste but with great appreciation,
Georges (and LaVerne)
