+ 1 - 0 | § ¶December Newsletter 2008
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We can gratefully report that we have received around $2,000 for Christmas gifts for Orphans already! We are so excited about this because we were able to send a check today to the Bethany House in Romania—for orphans there to have a Christmas Celebration, check totaling $600. We met the leaders of this Orphanage while in Switzerland in October.
THE EXCITING NEWS, if you didn’t already know, Tanya and I are flying back to Ukraine on December 25th-January 6th, 2009. The prices of tickets dropped and we jumped at the opportunity to fly there, bring toys, gifts, and cash for the Christmas projects. Also, we really wanted to preach to the kids and share our hearts and Jesus’ love for them through our presence & presents.
The Trip, New Year, and the Election.
The Trip: This 13 day trip to Ukraine needs a good prayer covering. We have tons of things to do there, including preaching, 3-4 Christmas Projects, meeting with English Club friends, Kiev-church and missionary reunions, and of course family celebrations. We also want to do a few dentist appointments, so pray for safety in the doctor visits, as they are cheaper, but sometimes scare me:) Also, if you haven’t given to the kids projects, please do THIS MONTH...the more cash, the more kids we can reach! THANKS for GIVING!
The New Year: The year 2009 is the year that we hope and pray to move back to the mission field full-time. However, we have a long way to go. Our hearts are set on purchasing some land, probably in Poland and Ukraine—and to set up a mission’s base to reach out and start to build family-style orphanages to reach the street kids and young people who are lost. As Pastor Mel from Cornerstone Foursquare told me, we need to reach out to the youth because half the world’s population is under 25-years-old. So, we are excited about the future to reach those who others have forgotten about or abandoned. If you know a church or home group we can speak at...let us know. Email for my phone number, if you would like.
The Election 2008: What a WAKE UP CALL! If you didn’t know, we just took a huge leap forward in becoming a post-Christian nation. Look for increased persecution of Christians and Christian ideals. Gay-marriage and the abortion-on-demand legislation will not take long to be enacted. The freedom of pastors to speak against sin and other religious-ideas may come to an end like it has in Canada and Austria. My friends, 3,000 pastors quit ministry every MONTH in the USA, EVERY MONTH! Now is the time-join us in this mission!
Current prayers!
Open minds and open hearts to the Gospel as we go to preach and reach out kids this Christmas. A deeper understanding of God’s word and will in our lives as we wish to Grow in the Grace of the Lord. Prayers for supporters that they INCREASE in their lives, businesses, jobs, families, health, and walk with the Lord! Prayers for the poor, hurting, and addicted. And that they find Jesus and get the help they need...and that we, Christians, answer the call to help them. Prayers for open doors and Churches to hear us and support us.OUR BUDGET for Missions:
Moving Expenses Received: $4,000.00
Moving Expenses Goal: $20,000
Monthly Income received: $450.00
Monthly Income Goal: $5,000.00
Land & Building Fund Rec.: $4,000.00
Land & Building Fund Goal: no limit.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶October Newsletter 2008
You've got to read this!!!!!!!
October to October…
What can happen in a year? God can shake up my world, show me how to trust Him more, and give a vision beyond what I imagined! And in the NEXT YEAR, Tanya and I want to be back on the Mission field, this time, mostly living in Poland! As you will read in my update to the right, we are expanding our vision to set up orphanages, mission training centers, and mission conferences, not only in Ukraine, but Europe. We want to host and encourage all of our supporting churches to join us on the mission field for short-term mission trips, reaching out to the poor, lost, and hungry, as well as, doing construction projects. It is time to rise up and take back land for the Kingdom. If you were supporting before and stopped, START AGAIN, we want to be back on the Field by OCTOBER 2009! Contact us if you want more information on what you can do...
The Plan is coming together nicely…
You have been waiting patiently...now you will know. Tom Stamman, the founder of Impact Ministries International, has been highly focused on missions since 2004, when I was ordained as his first Full-time Missionary to Ukraine. He has helped me raise funds through his ministry and hasn’t asked much in return, often doing all the financial side of things for free. NOW, he has taken me under his wing as the MISSION side of his ministry as grown all around the world, in over 26 nations.
As of this month, his ministry has appointed Tanya and I to be IMI’s Directors of European Missions!!! What does that mean? It means, our ministry has taken a turn, for the better, and our VISION is bigger! We will not only be focused on helping Ukraine, but Eastern Europe, and eventually Western Europe. We set up a “LAND FUND” for purchasing land, and building a Missionary Headquarter for IMI, for training missionaries and orphanage leaders, most likely in Poland. IMI will MATCH Dollar-for-Dollar that I raise for this Land and Building fund! We already have $1,500 to start the fund. So with the match, we have $3,000. Our goals are to train missionaries, network and bring other independent churches in Europe together under IMI to reach the lost and set up FEEDING CENTERS and FAMILY-Style Orphanages to help the kids in these countries. We will buy land in Ukraine and as many countries as we can to build up the Kingdom of God for the Glory of GOD!
As I am mentored and hit the “campaign trail” this fall...please be in prayer to join us in reaching out to the LOST in a place that is very much post-Christian. Our work is cut out for us, but IMI has started Orphanages all over the world and it’s time to take back Europe for Jesus! Amen.
Current prayers!
Ukraine, Poland and Europe..pray for all the people to see the TRUE JESUS and turn to HIM! The CHRISTMAS GIFT program this year, for donations, organization, and success. Keep Praying for AMERICA—and our elected officials that need Christ and wisdom to lead us in the right path, the Credit Sectors, and for all the upcoming elections. Pray for finances for land, buildings, and orphanages, etc. Thanks for prayers, Mark Dieter is back from Iraq, safe and sound!OUR BUDGET for Missions:
Moving Expenses Received: $3,000.00
Moving Expenses Goal: $20,000
Monthly Income received: $400.00
Monthly Income Goal: $5,000.00
Land & Building Fund Rec.: $3,000.00
Land & Building Fund Goal: no limit.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Prayers for India Christians and Tom' and his team!!!
Please pray for Tom Stamman and his team and their orphanages and work in India as they are under attack, and actually their churches are getting burned and people in India are getting killed...as far as I know the team is still safe at this point and they are returning September 2nd...but pray for them and the pastors/kids in India!!!
here are some letters...
Dear co-laborers, I am sending this letter from Pastor Mali onto you for prayer and help. Our Home of Mercy was broken into and everything was burned inside . The children ran and hid. Some that were close to their home were sent home. I don't yet know about the other children. We have pastors and other workers in hiding . More homes and churches have been destroyed. We know of one nun that was burned alive and her orphanage destroyed. It seems impossible for us to understand real persecution. May God help us to pray more fervently for India and for our own country who continues to slide down the tube, away from God and His teachings in the Bible. I stumble around in ignorance! Norm should be arriving in India right now. Keep your prayers going strong for him and his team of six. In the Arms of Jesus,Karen
Hi Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I know you are prayer warriors and God honor that ministry greatly.My request is to pray for Tom and his crew of four (Norm, Paul, Isaac and Amber)who are in India right now ministering and visiting our orphanages. The Ministry we partnership with in India Mercy Smiles has been attack by the Indus partisans few orphanages where burn and people were killed. Our orphanages are safe so far but we don’t know what can happened later. I attached a letter from Karen who is the founder of Mercy Smiles Ministries in India and the report for the pastor and director for the orphanages in India Please read and keep them in your prayers. Thank you very much for been obedient to his call. God Bless you,Teresa StammanImpact Ministries International
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶September Newsletter 2008
September—time to think about Christmas in Ukraine!
My friends, one of the most successful and fruitful things this ministry does in Ukraine is provide gifts, skits, games, and preaching of the Gospel to Orphans in Ukraine during December and January. We have enjoyed this part of reaching out to Ukraine as much as anything accomplished there.
This Christmas is no different, except we are in the USA as we raise funds for this project. In May, I spoke with Pastors and leaders at orphanages while there, and they are all prepared for continuing these programs.
Many of you have given in the past, just fill out the card to the right and write your donation “to help kids in Ukraine”. All those gifts will go directly to these 4-5 different programs at orphanages we have set up!
The future of Ukraine…
As you might have heard in the news, Russia invaded Georgia (pro-western ex-USSR country) in the month of August, during the Olympics.
Prime Minister Putin has shown his cards again and again, but Western Europe, for the most part, chooses to ignore them. He wants to control politics and the world through oil, and Georgia has a VERY strategic pipe line, that gives former USSR nations a little ability to gain wealth without “serving Russia”. Putin has said if Ukraine joins NATO, then he will fight and take over Ukraine! Those are some very serious words, as Ukraine’s government (and pipe lines) are the last remain defense if Georgia falls for Russia to control over 1/3rd of the oil for Western Europe. Germany already says it backs Russia because it doesn’t want to lose oil, even if Russia is a dictatorship that destroys the lives of many.
Foreigners and Missionaries are being kicked out of Russia and getting a VISA there is increasingly difficult. NOW IS THE TIME, to INCREASE, not decrease our efforts to HELP UKRIANE and former USSR nations with the Gospel and support. We want to go back and make a difference, especially if the DOORS are CLOSING! Pray and Give, the time is NOW...Help us HELP THE HURTING...
Current prayers!
Ukraine...pray for all the people to see the TRUE JESUS and turn to HIM!
The CHRISTMAS GIFT program this year, for donations, organization, and success.
Pray for the COUNTRY OF GEORGIA, for healing of the people, the end to Russian’s aggression, and for Ukraine and Georgia to get into NATO as soon as possible.
Keep Praying for AMERICA—and our elected officials that need Christ and wisdom to lead us in the right path, and for all the upcoming elections.
Pray for finances to get back to the mission field! Pray for the setting up of an “Impact Ministries International of Ukraine”, the process can be quite hard (and expensive) but it will aid in missionary work there! Pray for the preaching and reaching out to people in the US OF A!
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!!
The pictures below: My friend Jeremy Wallace, Director of Canby Bible School in Oregon, who I visited in August, a house that I and my brother/father have been remodeling, as I work in construction 4-5 days a week, and then, pictures of orphanages projects in 2007...which we want to raise more funds for this year and send it over, if possible, go ourselves and help complete them!
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶August Newsletter 2008
August...it’s vacation month in Ukraine!
If you didn’t know, most of Ukraine takes a whole month of vacation...during August. Can you imagine that? Of course, while working construction, this is one of the better months of the year to make money and take no vacation. My wife and I are surviving in this tough time of rising prices and constant work, but for a moment I dreamed of being in Ukraine again...with a whole month of vacation! I know we “glorify” work in America and we are certainly not afraid of it, but there needs to be time for family and relaxation, at least once in a while. This month I officiated Paul and Cara’s wedding, my cousin got married, and I preached every Sunday (expect the first Sunday of the month, which is always in Lancaster) at Blue River Valley Church. It has been a busy month, but I am thankful to be taking some time to think about UA...
Where are We Going...and When???
This August...I am heading out on “airline miles” to Portland, OR. My life-long best friend from ORU lives there (Jeremy Wallace) and my Ukrainian missionary friend Oleg (shown in the picture below, on the left side) is visiting Portland with orphans from the “Father’s House” that we do Christmas projects at. This will be a great weekend to plan the future and reunite with Ukrainians and people I believe in.
In October, Tanya and I have been invited to a Missionary Conference in Switzerland! Yes, that sounds like a great place to meet other missionaries and pray and seek God’s face for the future. Again, we have saved up Airline miles to enjoy this trip at a small expense, and the organization putting on the conference is supplying a hotel and food for us. Our desire is to come back with a renewed focus to know exactly how to proceed with our lives as missionaries.
Next, I have been getting some questions as to “when” we will be moving back to Ukraine. To tell you the truth, we still don’t know the exact time or date. However, we have been pressing hard to know from GOD which direction, organization, or way to raise funds to get back there. The past several months I have been preaching regularly at churches that need pastors...Blue River Valley Church, Lancaster Congregational, and Bethlehem E & R to name a few. It seems like Southwest Wisconsin has several churches that are in need of pulpit supply for one reason or another at this time (this could be a part of the reason God brought us back at this time).
If you didn’t know, some supporters have dropped, probably waiting until we go back, in order to start supporting again. We were hoping support would stay at the level as before, SAVE THAT MONEY, and INCREASE IT, so that we could move back. However, now we are working hard to find the CORRECT, GOD-LED way to get back without interruption in Support. My Ukrainian friends tell me living cost are up 40% this year there...so as you can imagine, we are praying hard and working hard...to let God teach us the time and way to return!!!
Current prayers!
Ukraine...pray for all the people to see the TRUE JESUS and turn to HIM!
The English Club Members that I speak to on my Russian website which is kind of like “MySpace”.
Pray for Victims of dictatorships who everyday have to fight to survive because of their ignorance!!!
Keep Praying for AMERICA—and our elected officials that need Christ and wisdom to lead us in the right path, and for all the upcoming elections.
Pray for money to pay for the Car and my wife’s teeth that are bad!
THANKS for your prayers, we are focusing on how and when to go back to Ukraine, but need so much help and funding, that we need your continued prayers...everyday!!!
Pray for the preaching and reaching out to people in Wisconsin!
Pray for travel in August…
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!!
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶July Newsletter 2008
Happy 4th of July—Independence Day!!!
HOTR (House on the Rock), that is where the famous, “Infinity Room” is located. We all build houses for different reasons. Some of us build because it is interesting, like Alex Jordon, who built the HOTR, and people from all over come to see it. Most of us build our houses to live in, create a family atmosphere and to help others. However, some houses are built for God’s use, as a testimony of His Goodness and a reminder to worship Him alone (like St. Andrews above).
The USA and much of the world is in what economists call a “housing crisis”. Basically, prices have dropped, often well below what people owe on their homes...so some simply walk away, others struggle to keep what looks like a “bad investment” and others...aren’t affected and can wait out the “housing crisis”….
The Thing about Life is…
We are not meant for EARTH to be our HOME!!! Of course, it is sad when I hear about the suffering people feel in any crisis...especially the recent victims of the floods, heat waves, earthquakes, and typhoons, but I am reminded again how fragile this earthly existence is. Oddly enough, no one can promise anyone; tomorrow!
So I’ve been thinking, what have I been doing lately to build my home (or place) in heaven? What has the American church been doing? What are the churches in Grant County, WI doing? I have to admit, I am not doing all I could be doing...I don’t always have God and His Kingdom’s business on my mind...I don’t always remember the #1 relationship I need to maintain through prayer, silence, study, and time.
When I glance around me, often I am saddened by the spiritual atmosphere here...as I am about Ukraine, Cameroon, and other places of spiritual importance to me. It seems there are so few Spiritual Generals, leaders, and even fundamentally-sound lay leadership putting in the time to build the Kingdom. It’s a sad state of affairs when the Church is often the last “institution” to react to CHANGE and CRISIS. Sometimes, we are decades behind in reaching out to the “felt needs” of the lost and hurting (even in our own congregations).
Recently a man asked me, “How would you “run” [or set up] a church then?” Well, I don’t have all the details hammered out, but it certainly would be different than 95% of the churches out there. Why? Because what we are doing now is (most often) decreasing in numbers, effectiveness, and relatablity to the lost. What must we do? How then shall we live???
Oh that we would take a look again at WHAT HOUSE/KINDGOM we are building! So often we have not sacrificed enough when kids in Pastor Charles’ village still drink dirty water, or when missionaries don’t have enough to live on, or we don’t speak up any more about Christ. So prices are on the RISE...so our STOCK in the KINDGOM of GOD should be on the rise all the more!
Current prayers!
Ukraine...pray for all the people to see the TRUE JESUS and turn to HIM! The English Club Members that I speak to on my Russian website which is kind of like “MySpace”. Pray for Victims of the recent FLOODS and HEAT WAVES! Do what you can to help, Amen!!! Pray for AMERICA—and our elected officials that need Christ and wisdom to lead us in the right path, and for all the upcoming elections. Keep praying for our military and Pastor Mark who is serving in Iraq. THANKS for your prayers, God has provided me with some “divine appointments” - pray that more will happen and that wisdom will be used in all circumstances! Pray for the preaching and reaching out to people in Wisconsin! Pray for the Weddings in July! Tara and Chad, July 19, 2008 and Cara and Paul, July 26, 2008THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!!!
