| Dear Praying Friends and Family, I hope this letter finds you all well in the Lord and awaiting His soon return. The months of November and December kept us very busy with meetings and conferences in Idaho, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and Alabama. Most of these meetings were to update supporting churches but we were also given the privilege to visit a new church which voted to take us on for support. The holidays gave us the rare blessing of being with our families in Ohio and Tennessee. We cherish these moments knowing that we probably will not get another chance to enjoy them again for several years…if the Lord doesn’t return by then. We want to thank you for your prayers for our safety and your support and extra love offerings for the kids through Christmas. |
| Update From Ukraine: One of the most difficult things to do in the ministry is to transfer the burden and vision for the lost to your coverts so that they actually do something. Words, emotions, and intentions are cheap. It takes preaching the word of God, prayer, and setting an example for them to get it. In the past, I’ve had intermittent periods of encouragement and discouragement in this area. It has been such a comfort and joy to my soul to talk to the brethren in Ukraine and know that they really “got it!” In the past months, Brother Alexei and the rest of the church have taken the Gospel to about ten different towns and villages by way of literature and door-to-door personal work. They also have set up a literature table in the center of town by the train station and have been giving away literature and 2022 Scripture Calendars containing the plan of salvation. |
| Amazement: The Christian life in general, and the ministry of missions in particular, are like journeys of the supernatural sort. We’ve seen the Lord do things that defy any and all explanations other than that there is a God in Heaven and He is very interested in the world hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ever since becoming a Christian I’ve seen the Lord answer prayers for healing, provision, protection, and to turn the hearts of the saved and lost alike, etc… From time to time, the Lord does something that leaves you in a state of awe and amazement. Something that you’ve never seen before. The Lord did just that in the months of November and December. Our list of objectives during this furlough looked like this: 1) Visit our supporting churches and update them on the work; 2) visit new churches to replace lost support; 3) Renew our strength and health for the next term in Ukraine; 4) raise funds for a vehicle; 5) if possible, raise funds to finish our building project for the church in Razdelnaya; 6) raise funds for starting a new church in the city of Odessa. The first three items were “musts”, while the others were “wishes” that wouldn’t have any bearing on the timing of our return to the field. The past two months have been a jaw-dropping experience watching the Lord work through His people and provide the funds for a vehicle and for the church building project! I’ve never seen anything like this before! The Lord has been very good to us and has encouraged us knowing that He is providing for the work ahead. |
| Prayer Requests: There are several upcoming events that need prayer. First, my son, Benjamin is getting married on January 15. Please pray that all goes well. Second, my brother in Peru, Nathan, whom I mentioned in previous letters has grown over the past year since receiving Christ and is planning on getting baptized in January. Thirdly, we need to take care of some paperwork in Ukraine and need to give an acceptable power-of-attorney to my assistant there. Fourthly, a water line burst in our house in Ukraine and flooded the kitchen. Please pray that we can deal with the mold issues before we return. Lastly, please pray for our upcoming meetings in the Texas area, that the Lord would just use us for His glory. Most of them will be new churches that we hope will accept us into their missions programs and help us in the work ahead in Ukraine. |
| Covid and Russia: We are constantly receiving questions of concern about the effects of the Covid pandemic and the threat of Russia on our family and ministry. There should be no problem whatsoever with us returning to the field when the Lord gives us the green light. Ukraine only requires a negative test result and period of quarantine upon arrival for those with residency status, which we have. As for the threat from Russia… First of all, things have not changed much in this area since 2014 when we returned to Ukraine for our last term. The only difference between now and then is that the news media in the US is picking it up again and the increased troop buildup on the border. I think it is way too early to panic. Even if Russia does cross the border I seriously doubt that it will affect our region. We are constantly monitoring the situation and asking people in Ukraine for input. We will not flippantly put ourselves in harm’s way. But I refuse to allow the news media or the opinions of those who believe the media to determine God’s will for us. Thirty years ago such people told me that the door to Ukraine would only be open for two years! My early years in the 1990’s in Ukraine gave me great exposure to the methods and effects of Socialist propaganda. I know it when I see it. In the meantime, we still have much work to do here in the USA and we plan to stay the course looking forward to the trumpet or our next exciting term in Ukraine! |
| We are still working on scheduling meetings. Please contact me if you would like to schedule a specific date. My number is 513-376-1011. Thank you for all that you do for the Lord, giving us the privilege to serve Him in Ukraine. Until our next prayer letter or our meeting in the air! That Ukraine May Know Him, Christopher Rue Phil. 3:10 |