Time Square Blessing

Well we got to go to New York!! It was such a blessing for my wife and me. It reminds me of the scripture that talks about our Dad giving good gifts. You know the one about if you ask for bread what dad would give a stone. I don't think Our Father in Heaven could have given me a better gift. We where 2 blocks away from Time Square, right across the street from Madison Square garden. It was awesome!

We actually had no plans to go to New York. You see there was a 50th anniversary conference for Teen Challenge and the tickets have been sold out for 3 months. Well 4 days before the conference was about to start we found ourselves in a directors meeting in Southern California. We where asked if we where going, and when we said no people started picking up phones and calling around. With in ten minutes we found out two people had canceled and there where plane tickets and a place to stay for free.

So who's the guy in the picture? Well that is Nicky Cruz. If you don't know who Nicky Cruz is don't feel bad. He was a leader of a gang 50 years ago before he was ambushed by Jesus. The thing that really influenced Nicky was the fact that someone could love him so much. That and when he felt the Holy Spirit he was convicted and asked Christ to come into his life. Now he is an Evangelist and an awesome speaker. His story is so inspiring that they are doing a new movie about his life called Run baby Run. It is also a book.

There is so much more I want to write about Teen Challenge, Nick Cruz, The fact that I was in New York and didn't plan it, and all the wonderfull things God had shown me through His grace. It was just a blessing to be there. I think that raps up my feelings about the whole thing. I also don't want to write six pages, so I will wrap it up with being thankfull to a Father that has saved me, redeemed me, given me a vision and is now training me.

So Cal

Well we have made it to Southern California and we are both really glad to be spending time with some old friends. We have been busy receiving training from Teen Challenge Southern California and having meetings with Rock Harbor church. Are goal while we are here is to raise support for our ministry in Kiev and get training. So far the training part is going great but the raising support part has been a little slow. I really want prayer in this area because I want to be a man of faith who knows that God is going to come through and if He doesn't He has a good reason. If you can find the time to pray for Elya and I in this area we would love that.

Also God has shown us His love by the way people have opened their arms while we are here. Almost all of our needs have been taken care of and we are constantly being blessed with free meals and wonderful fellowship. Also the family that we have found in Teen Challenge is simply unheard of. I would have never thought that a bunch of drug addicts could show the love of Christ so effectively. 1 cor 27 "God chooses the foolish things in the world to shame the wise." We never sit down with out being offered something to drink and people are constantly going out of there way to meet our needs. They even bought us a Ukrainian Flag while we are staying so we would fell like home.

If you need to contact me while I am in the states my Cell Phone is 714 472 8760.

Thanks Guys

Redemption Story

About Two Sundays ago we had an opportunity to meet Natasha. Natasha is 23 years old and living in a city one hour outside of Kiev. She was a heroin addict for about 4 years and is now pregnant with her second child. She lives by herself, works in a factory and is raising a boy that is 6 years old.
When I arrived at her house I was taken aback by the roughness of her hands. They where the hands of a woman that is accustomed to manual labor. As we sat behind a cup of black tea her story started to unravel. With a tale of a mom dead, growing up with out a father and a list of men who wanted to use her, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loneliness. She continued to talk about how she got involved with heroin and how she ended up getting sexually involved with a drug dealer.
When she was one month pregnant, she decided to sit in at a local church service, and while there my friend Serga was ministering. As the worship music was playing Serga got a word from God, “Natasha was pregnant and wanted to get an abortion.” At that time Natasha had not told a single person, and when Serga approached her with this information, she was shocked. He told her that she couldn’t have an abortion because she would have a boy and she would love him.
Time passed and Natasha has stopped using heroin and unfortunately can’t stop using marijuana. She has however seen that God loves her, because Christians like Serga have not forgotten about her. This has given her the strength to seek help. She has kept in contact and has said that if we can find her help she would let us use her home for a rehab center for free.
Serga called me about three weeks ago to meet her, and see if her home is something that we might be able to use in the future. To tell you the truth, I thought “rent free building, alright.” When I showed up at the door I saw a woman who was one year younger than me and I couldn’t help but think, “This could be me!” For our entire stay with Natasha, God was showing me how I am really no different except for the fact that I have spent more time in His grace than she has. And if it wasn’t for a father that found me some years ago I could be where she is. Before we stepped into our car to start our journey back she gave me a hug and I was a bit uncomfortable when she didn’t let go. When she took a step back the tears in her eyes stole my strength. I drove home quite and broken.
In one month she will be going to a woman’s rehab center in the south of Ukraine. The center is geared towards women who have come out of prison, but after the director had heard Natasha’s story he couldn’t refuse. She was so grateful that she has this opportunity that she wants us to use her home as a rehab center for drug addicts her in Kiev. There is no doubt in my heart that her story is a miracle.

Changed Lives

About Two Sundays ago we had an opportunity to meet Natasha. Natasha is 23 years old and living in a city one hour outside of Kiev. She was a heroin addict for about 4 years and is now pregnant with her second child. She lives by herself, works in a factory and is raising a boy that is 6 years old.
When I arrived at her house I was taken aback by the roughness of her hands. They where the hands of a woman that is accustomed to manual labor. As we sat behind a cup of black tea her story started to unravel. With a tale of a mom dead, growing up with out a father and a list of men who wanted to use her, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of loneliness. She continued to talk about how she got involved with heroin and how she ended up getting sexually involved with a drug dealer.
When she was one month pregnant, she decided to sit in at a local church service, and while there my friend Serga was ministering. As the worship music was playing Serga got a word from God, “Natasha was pregnant and wanted to get an abortion.” At that time Natasha had not told a single person, and when Serga approached her with this information, she was shocked. He told her that she couldn’t have an abortion because she would have a boy and she would love him.
Time passed and Natasha has stopped using heroin and unfortunately can’t stop using marijuana. She has however seen that God loves her, because Christians like Serga have not forgotten about her. This has given her the strength to seek help. She has kept in contact and has said that if we can find her help she would let us use her home for a rehab center for free.
Serga called me about three weeks ago to meet her, and see if her home is something that we might be able to use in the future. To tell you the truth, I thought “rent free building, alright.” When I showed up at the door I saw a woman who was one year younger than me and I couldn't’t help but think, “This could be me!” For our entire stay with Natasha, God was showing me how I am really no different except for the fact that I have spent more time in His grace than she has. And if it was not for a father that found me some years ago I could be where she is. Before we stepped into our car to start our journey back she gave me a hug and I was a bit uncomfortable when she didn’t let go. When she took a step back the tears in her eyes stole my strength. I drove home quite and broken.
In one month she will be going to a woman’s rehab center in the south of Ukraine. The center is geared towards women who have come out of prison, but after the director had heard Natasha’s story he couldn’t refuse. She was so grateful that she has this opportunity that she wants us to use her home as a rehab center for drug addicts her in Kiev. There is no doubt in my heart that her story is a miracle.

A Change in Winds

Sometimes you can be sailing along, with out a care in the world, and out of no where storm clouds start to roll in. The air seems to thicken, and as the wind fills the sails, the ropes in your hands pull a little harder. You get scared, then make some changes, and start to head in a new direction, a little faster, scarier, and more exhilarating.
About three months ago Elya and I had a change of winds. For two years we where on one course, working with street kids at a day center, when out of the blue I received an invitation. It was an invitation to see Teen Challenge Romania. Like a storm cloud on a distant horizon I had no idea what I was in for.
When I arrived at their men’s rehab center I saw drug addicts freed from chains of addiction, talking about Jesus’ good news and praising God. I saw people who once had no family calling one another brother. I saw something I wanted to be a part of for the rest of my life.
So with a new wind, we where called to set a new course. There was no messing around the direction we would have to head now was faster and a lot scarier than our previous direction. The church we where at, did not feel called to work with this ministry. Also my wife and I did not think we where equipped to do this sort of work.
With in a short time God sent us other Teen Challenge leaders to help direct us. God also blessed us with workers and two buildings we can use for rehab. There is also a church that wants to support us spiritually, and with a coffee house. We are amazed how much God is answering prayers and moving with in the beginnings of this ministry. I have heard it said that everything under the sun belongs to our Father, I know now that this includes the wind!

The Polish are Coming

About two months ago, I had the opportunity to take part in rehabilitation work in Poland. Apart from the three rehab centers, three re-entry centers and the thirty coffee houses, the testimonies of each individual with in their program spoke volumes. We had a chance to get to know one of the men very well while we where there. His name is Romak and he was an ex police officer. He was an alcoholic for a number of years, with a reputation of being extremely aggressive on the Job. His work and relationships started to unravel and He was introduced to Teen Challenge in Poland. The Director told us that when he first met Romak he had no hope for him and didn’t think he would finish the program. He finished the one year program and 6 month re-entry and now is a full time driver for Teen Challenge Poland, married to the Cook at the Men’s Rehab center and has two sons.

This story is just one of many that we heard in Poland. Stories like this one and others, that I have heard working here in Kiev, are changing my heart. They are inspiring me to continue working to see men and woman free from addiction, and life on the streets. I am determined to see more transformation take place with in the drug community here in Kiev. We can do that not by curing addiction but by offering something better. “There is something more captivating than the devil that lives in the needle or the bottle, and that is Jesus Christ,” David Wilkerson.

Swim in His Grace

float feeling weightless

forget your yesterdays today

feel the grass and wet earth between your toes let it go, let it go.

your far off never lands

where your the lead role.

Let Him hold you,

for you long to be held.

Let Him love you, for he loves you so well.

Open your wings ready to fly,

Pray for wind with your eyes to the sky!!