Carillet Teaching Ministries Intl – Sept 7 2015 – Updates on the Center finances, travel and more

Hello prayer partners,

I found out why I am having trouble driving at night and reading lighted signs. My right eye has a cataract and it has probably been there for a few years. My left eye is not bad, yet. So, on the tenth I will get a new lens in the right eye. I went to buy the drops that go into the eye for two days, steroids, antibiotics and something else. It was over $500! I did not pick up the prescription but will check with the doctor on Tuesday to see if there are any samples. I have Medicare and a supplementary insurance policy, but nothing for drugs. LaVerne has the drug insurance but I did not think it was cost effective for me.

LaVerne gets her screws out on the 11th. What screws, you ask? Her ankle screws, from when she broke her ankle in Papua New Guinea and had it repaired in Australia. The screws come out to get a good quality CT scan to see if the Talar Dome [ankle bone on which the leg bones rest] is healthy or dead (due to lack of circulation). This is to see if she is a candidate for ankle fusion, which she wants to have after our TMI board meeting which is on December 11. (For the first time in the history of TMI, the meeting will not be in Snellville, GA, but in Melbourne, FL.)

I leave for Ukraine the 25th. I will preach in Kiev (Kyiv) the day after my arrival, visit some  of our former staff and friends in central and western Ukraine (Sergei Golovin driving, Rick Deighton accompanying, teach a New Testament Survey modular course at the Lviv (Lvov) Theological Seminary for those active in ministry, and preach in Kiev just before I depart October 12. Of course, as usual there will be other invitations to serve along the way.

In Lviv, I will stay with two of my former staff, Yevgeny and Katya Ustinovich. I will visit other former staff there, too — Sergei and Ksousha Korniyenko.

I booked a flight to Richmond, VA for the missionary convention (ICOM) October 27. I am still looking for someone who is on the shuttle line that I could room with, or someone who has room in their car if I stay in the same motel that is not on the shuttle route.

A source of support for the Crimean Center staff apparently ended in February. That was $3,000 a quarter. This represents almost 50% of the operation of the Center that is not covered by dorm income. We are now wondering how to make ends meet for a ministry that is one of the few that have remained in Crimea. If the former college building had a buyer, we might have a resource that would give more time to raising funds to keep the work going. Right now the market is so poor that no one is even looking at it. It could be taken back by the government at any time, too. Pray for the building to sell and that we would actually net something from it. Also, we sure could use a few large gifts right now.

We are appreciative of a large gift for travel and emergency expenses provided last year by Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, KY. Some of my staff received help to move to Western Ukraine, one staff got help to fight in court to stay in Crimea (she was successful after some months), and others received small sums to help with the changes from Ukrainian to Russian rules. The balance of funds have paid for my ministry trips this year. Praise the Lord for this provision. We will need travel funds for next year.

 

Georges and LaVerne