Today I leave for another apostolic trip into Russia. I will be out of Canada for a total of 18 days when you include the three days of travel - 2 days to get there and 1 travel day on the return trip (really 2 but with 10 hours time difference it only takes one). So, 15 days of ministry. A little longer than I like but the plans look good and I will simply need to be careful with pacing myself.
This past Sunday while ministering in a church for the first time I had an opportunity to speak with a pastor and his wife who have recently moved here from Almaty, Kazakhstan. They lived there for 2 years as UN refugees having fled their native country where they had been pastoring a local church until the persecution became too great to remain. The church I was ministering in has sponsored them to come to Canada and begin to work towards becoming Canadian citizens.
Today I am in Canada on my way to two churches to preach and minister. Tomorrow I will be on my way to Russia to minister for the next several weeks and then several days after that have been set aside to recover strength and adjust to a 12 hour time difference. The trip over is always great - filled with expectations, excitement about what is to come, and an opportunity to read several good- sized books as it takes about 30 hours to get to where I am going.
A few hours ago I begin my next overseas apostolic ministry trip.
I fly from my home city to Toronto, Toronto to Warsaw, Poland thento
Lviv, Ukraine arriving at 2:00p on Thursday. Then a 6 hour train ride to
City of Uzhgorod where I will be ministering for the Friday, Saturday
and Sunday. Then back to Lviv for seven days - five days of our School
for Apostles and Prophets (in-training) and two days in a local church.
Then another set of flights into Russia where I will minister in two
cities for a total of 7 days before heading home on the 28th of the
month.
This trip is considerably longer than my regular ones
because it was not orginally planned to go into Russia after my two
weeks in Ukraine. However, since our trip in January-February, 2011 to
Russia we have had so many new and wonderful offers to minister that we
felt it expedient to add the extra week to an already existing plan so
as to touch more people with the message of the true Gospel. God has
really blessed our “last minute” planning or organizing of this third
week of ministry and been very gracious to us.
This Friday the 21st I will, once again, be on my way overseas on my first apostolic trip for 2011. This trip takes me to Russia where I will be ministering for two weeks in a number of different locations.
This trip I will be in a number of churches and ministries
where we have not ministered before. These include a number of local
churches as well as a major training school for future pastors and
leaders. The first week we are in the City of Moscow where we have
ministered a number of times during previous trips. However, we will be
ministering to a new group for us. We hope, in some spare time, to touch
bases with those we have worked with before and simply continue to
build our relationship with them.
In about a week I fly to Kazakhstan to begin two weeks
of ministry as the leader of an apostolic team working with church and
business leaders from a number of cities and towns all over this
wonderful country. As I sit here in an airport in Edmonton it is several
months before you will be reading this - I am waiting for a flight home
to Regina. This is hour four at the airport waiting.
So, I am sitting in an airport at the start of
September writing about a trip, this trip, that is still two months
away. Between the writing of this blog in September and the leaving of
the flight taking me to Kazakhstan I will also have been to Russia and
returned. So, I am in an airport writing a blog just 12 days from
entering another series of airports on my way to Russia - knowing that a
few weeks after the Rusian trip I will be doing it again. It has become
a way of life. Not one anyone would ever really manage to adjust to -
and at my age it is certainly not easy to get use to either. However, it
is apparently what the Lord wants me to be doing.
This coming week (Monday) I fly to Russia on another apostolic trip to that nation.
I was there less than a year ago and am looking forward to once again
being in that great (and really large) nation. My first stop is to the
Caucasus which is a mountain range in western Russia. Last year I worked
in this area for two apostolic young men who have a Network of churches
and the Holy Spirit did some fantastic work. One prophetic word over a
man has totally come to pass as he is now leading a substantial church
in a northern city doing everything that the prophetic word spoke about.
When the word was given he was in the south pastoring a small church
meeting in his home.
This trip will see me ministering to leaders and leadership teams
in the following cities in that area… Yesentuky, Kislovodsk,
Piatigorsk, Mineralny Vody Been to this city before), Inozemtsevo, and
Tikhoretsk. Good series of meetings planned. Remember that if we can
impact the leaders we impact the people. These meeting - two topics…
team leadership and prophetic evangelism.
The middle of May (May 18 to June 2) I returned to Eastern Europe - specifically to the nation of Ukraine. Bob
MacDonald from the city of Saskatoon came with me on this trip and
we ministered in two places. Of course, some of my team of
young apostles and prophets joined us for hands-on practice and
training in each location.
In the first city we taught the Walk
In the Supernatural Seminar. Three of us taught during these three days - Bob,
Miroslav (my administrator for Eastern Europe and an apostle by calling)
and myself.
Then we travelled to our second location by overnight
train and during the second week we taught the first ever (for
us anyways) School of Apostles and Prophets.
This was a new venture for Ralph Howe Ministries and much planning and
preparation went into it by all involved. We had about 50
students from 5 nations and with five days of teachings (3 major
sessions a day) it allowed these young men and women to move forward
in major ways in their understanding of their gifts and callings as
apostles and prophets in training. A second week is planned for early or
mid-winter. This school will eventually have three levels with two
weeks of concentrated and focused study for each level.
Of course, we ministered in several local
churches on the two Sundays we were in Ukraine (4 services) as well we meet with many pastors and leaders separate from the main teaching
meetings. And, we also met with leaders
from other nations to plan future trips to their areas.
God has opened some major doors for us in Eastern Europe.
There is, of course, some opposition to our message and the prophetic
ministry that always accompanies apostles and prophets. However, what
God has begun He will bring to completion and His will is always done on
Earth as it is in Heaven. We simply trust Him to continue to open doors
in spite of the plans of man.
If you care to donate to this trip and the School for
Apostles and prophets you can do so on the main web site - on the left
is a PayPal system of donating to “missions”. If you would like to
become a regular financial giver to this ministry to help with on going
costs click on “Partners” on the top menu bar and then “Financial” and
there you will find a non-mission PayPal account for your donation.
I arrive home from the apostolic roundtable on Wednesday
night and leave again on Friday - this time for the nation of
Belarus. This is my first visit to this nation and it will be
interesting to see what it is God will be doing during my visit there. I
have wanted to visit this nation for over a decade and now the Lord has
given to me the desire of my heart. I will be there by Saturday
afternoon late and begin ministering Saturday night. I will return on
the 12th of April arriving home mid-morning on the 13th. Inbetween -
many, many meetings and opportunities to share God’s Word prophetically
both in teachings to the assembled saints as well as in prophetic words
over churches, leaders, and people.
We will have a few of our team members meet us in
Minsk and help us to minister for the first week when we will be
ministering to youth. Then several others will join with us for the
second week when we will be ministering to leaders. In the first week
there will be two people teaching - Miroslav and myself. In the second
week there will be three teaching - Miroslav, Elena and myself. I am
training Miroslav as an apostle and starting this year - this trip - he
will begin to teach much more often as well as prophesy regularly and
thus do a lot less interpreting. This way his giftings will grow more
quickly and his calling will be released sooner. This is always the goal
of an apostle when he is fathering someone … to release his sons to
accomplish great things for God. And, there is enough work being offered
to us that we should shortly be forming two teams to cover all the
places inviting us to come and minister. Miroslav would be the trusted
leader of the second team.
We have been developing the Russian side of our web presence
over the past few months - quietly working on adding material,
resources, free downloads. Last week, with the help of a computer person
from Kirovograd, we now have several ways for people in Russian
speaking nations (as well as nations speaking other languages) to donate
money on line in their own currencies. These donations, - when and as
they begin - although small due to the economy and unemployment, will
allow those receiving ministry and training to actually give what they
can towards what we do. We believe this move is of God and will not only
help those receiving the ministry but also financially help the
ministry as well.
I like the song by Willie Nelson “On the Road Again” as
it is my informal theme song. Tomorrow I am on the road again as I
leave for Ukraine where I will be spending 2 weeks working with three
different churches watching God do amazing things. I will come back to
that comment. First, if you are praying and the Holy Spirit should lead
you to pray for Ralph Howe Ministries here is where I will be and what I
will be doing…
This Friday the 29th of January and Saturday the 30th - travel
Early flight from Regina to Calgary
Mid-day flight from Calgary to Frankfurt, Germany
Mid-morning Saturaday flight from Frankfurt to Kiev
Five hour car ride from Kiev to Kirovograd and settling in to my first
living quarters
January 31 - Sunday services in Kirovograd city This
will involve teaching on prophetic prayer in the morning service and
ministering prophetically (4 hour service) and then after a brief break -
a meeting with 60 leaders to discuss what I am sensing prophetically
for the local church and the city/nation
February 1 to 3 - The Gifts of God Conference in Kirovograd
city - daytime attendance 150 - night time attendance 250. This
is a terrific seminar taking those involved from the concept of
salvation with repentance and godly sorrow, renouncing things keeping
them in bondage and finding freedom, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the
Motivation Gifts of Romans 12, the Charismatic Gifts of 1 Corinthians
12 and the Five-Fold Ascension Gifts of Ephesians 4 as well as a day on
“everyone can prophesy”. Every session will include prophetic ministry.
Today I head to the airport
and fly to Calgary, Frankfurt, Germany and then into Almaty-Alta in
Kazakhstan to begin a littlemore than two weeks of ministry returning
on December 1st.
It
is not going to be an easy trip as the rules and regulations in
Kazakhstan are quite severe and certainly limit what we can do and
where we can do it. In fact, I received an email yesterday from one of
the team members which commented that
“My friend from Denmark who does mission work in Kazakhstan said that
for them it’s safer to gather pastors and leaders for training events
in Turkey or Ukraine and thus not be caught and still be able to do
some local underground ministry.” So, we are heading into a troubled situation and could certainly benefit from your prayers.
I meet up with one of my team members in Calgary
and we will fly the rest of the way together. This will give us a good
number of hours to catch up on what has been happening in our lives and
ministries … Meanwhile our other two team members are meeting up in Simferopol (Crimea)
and then coming into Kazakhstan from there. We will all be there by
Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. which is excellent as our first opportunity
to minister is at 10:00 that morning.
On my main web site (www.ralphhoweministries.com) you will find an
excellent article on Kazakhstan and the new captial city they are
building. A city “of the future” centered on the worship of the sun god
complete with temple, pyramids. and everything right out of a good
science fiction novel. One world
religion and the antichrist have a headquarters here in this new city
of Astana. Well worth a read- great pictures. Simply click on
“apostolic travel” and spend a few minutes reading and digesting.
Tomorrow I board a plane here in my city - fly to Calgary, Alberta where I will have lunch. Then at supper time I will board another plane and fly to Munich, Germany. There I will have breakfast which will really be supper. Then quickly on another flight to Moscow, Russia where I will have supper which is really breakfast. My internal clock will be a bit confused by the jet lag and the 9 hours dofference in time. It is even worse coming home but that is another story.
When going overseas to minister a person has to be really flexible. This morning I found out that our living accomodations in Moscow are no longer available and so we are looking for another place to stay. That’s okay - someone is working on it and I don’t arrive until Wednesday evening their time. Things will work out somehow. Meanwhile there is much to occupy myself with here - packing for 20 days (always pack for an extra 2 days in case flights don’t connect, or the weather changes and grounds you), locating materials to teach while there, banking… the list is up to 15 items (I wrote the list while traveling yesterday to minister in two places … driving allows for thinking and planning time).
Meanwhile - we have added another staff member to Ralph Howe Ministries - someone to help us with translating manuals and teaching materials. It has been a long search to find someone who is trustworthy, will do a good job, is willing and able to fit into the way we work, and someone who is not only a good translator but who my administrator can work with as he will be managing the work load and delegating what needs to be done. So, our budget continues to increase -as does my faith to believe for the needed monthly income.
13 years ago I prayed and ask the Lord to open the doors of the nation of Belarus to my ministry. It is not an easy nation for non-Russian speaking people to enter - especially if you are born again and are going to preach the gospel and minister salvation. This summer I ministered to two young people - a young man and a young woman. Both seriously committed and talented believers - leaders already. As they were leaving the camp a little earlier than most others I spoke with them to find out that they were brother and sister, they were from Belarus and that their father was a pastor. I briefly mentioned my prayer about ministering in their nation. The invitation to do so came in by email on Thursday of last week. I answered it and, of course, agreed to go. Dates are being negotiated. We have orgainized dates that I am available to minister overseas right through to January, 2012 and already we are booking into the end of 2010 before the year has even begun.
We
have worked for many hours over Four days (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday) as time allowed and after three trips from the camp into the
city of Feodosia we finally have the internet connected by way of
Bluetooth and a new Ukrainian cell phone that has the right internal
guts to be used as a modem to allow me to connect to the internet and
emails no matter where I am … so we are now able to post current blogs
regarding this trip to Ukraine as well as send answered emails
(answered on the flights over) and receive email. Many thanks to
Miroslav for service above and beyond the call of duty and several late
nights…
The Blog…
Well, it is official. My body does not know what time it is and I’m not sure I do either.
Up at 6:00 a.m. and to the airport in my home city by 9:30 a.m. Coffee with some family members – actually I had a Diet Coke – and then I went through security screening and boarded the plane – with another bottle of Diet Coke.
Plane was late leaving as a bag had been checked and loaded and then the person who checked the bag was a ‘no show’. So, they had to unpack the majority of the baggage to find that person’s bag and remove it. Made us feel safer but also a little concerned as this meant we left to fly to Toronto 30 minutes late. The pilot did partially make up for lost time (regained 10 or so minutes) by going faster than normal. Helps with the connecting flights to be there on time or else you miss it and then you miss all the other connecting flights as well - finally not arriving when you need to.
Read and wrote a teaching to share at one of the sessions here in the city of Boyorka and again at the next city we minister in – Krasnoarmeysk. Then reviewed and began to write the next teaching I needed to have finished before arriving in this great nation of Ukraine. Arrived in Toronto and caught up with the rest of the team (a tad later than planned) by the gate we were to board through to fly to Frankfurt, Germany. Had a coffee and got on the plane.
Uneventful flight – read and studied, talked and prayer. We had an empty seat between us as team members and that helped give us some personal space and room to set up a temporary office. Arrived in Frankfurt at 7:00 a.m. and did some seat rearrangements so that the team could also sit together on the next flight to Kiev.
We found a McCafe and had a MacDonald’s coffee. The coffee was good but strong (European-style coffee) after being up “all night” which was really midnight our time when we arrived.We boarded and flew another 3.5 hours to arrive at Kiev. By now it was 4:00 a.m. body time. However, after an hour and a half driving in traffic (Kiev has 5 million people and a lot of cars) we arrived at where we are to stay and had several meetings to discuss the week ahead of us.We finally dismissed ourselves at 10:00 p.m. local time to go to bed as we had now been up almost 48 hours.The first day of actual ministry started really early – at least according to my body clock.
Left home Thursday just after noon. Arrived Boyorka just after 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening. I’m being ribbed because on the trans-oceanic part of the flight I fell asleep for an hour. A whole hour. Wow! I travelled from Regina, Saskatchewan to Minneapolis, MN., and met up with my team there – Bob and Irene MacDonald from Saskatoon. Then a quick salad for supper (and gluten- free chocolate brownie) and off to board our second flight – 8 hours – Minneapolis to Amsterdam. A long walk covering a great distance in the airport (good to stretch after sitting -and sleeping - for so long. Then 2.5 hours from there to Kiev – capital of Ukraine.
Apostolic Ministry - Russia #1
In about a week I fly to Kazakhstan to begin two weeks
of ministry as the leader of an apostolic team working with church and
business leaders from a number of cities and towns all over this
wonderful country. As I sit here in an airport in Edmonton it is several
months before you will be reading this - I am waiting for a flight home
to Regina. This is hour four at the airport waiting.
This coming week (Monday) I fly to Russia on another apostolic trip to that nation.
I was there less than a year ago and am looking forward to once again
being in that great (and really large) nation. My first stop is to the
Caucasus which is a mountain range in western Russia. Last year I worked
in this area for two apostolic young men who have a Network of churches
and the Holy Spirit did some fantastic work. One prophetic word over a
man has totally come to pass as he is now leading a substantial church
in a northern city doing everything that the prophetic word spoke about.
When the word was given he was in the south pastoring a small church
meeting in his home.
The middle of May (May 18 to June 2) I returned to Eastern Europe - specifically to the nation of Ukraine. Bob
MacDonald from the city of Saskatoon came with me on this trip and
we ministered in two places. Of course, some of my team of
young apostles and prophets joined us for hands-on practice and
training in each location.
I arrive home from the apostolic roundtable on Wednesday
night and leave again on Friday - this time for the nation of
Belarus. This is my first visit to this nation and it will be
interesting to see what it is God will be doing during my visit there. I
have wanted to visit this nation for over a decade and now the Lord has
given to me the desire of my heart. I will be there by Saturday
afternoon late and begin ministering Saturday night. I will return on
the 12th of April arriving home mid-morning on the 13th. Inbetween -
many, many meetings and opportunities to share God’s Word prophetically
both in teachings to the assembled saints as well as in prophetic words
over churches, leaders, and people.
another bottle of Diet Coke.
Left home Thursday just after noon. Arrived Boyorka just after 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening. I’m being ribbed because on the trans-oceanic part of the flight I fell asleep for an hour. A whole hour. Wow! I travelled from Regina, Saskatchewan to Minneapolis, MN., and met up with my team there – Bob and Irene MacDonald from Saskatoon. Then a quick salad for supper (and gluten- free chocolate brownie) and off to board our second flight – 8 hours – Minneapolis to Amsterdam. A long walk covering a great distance in the airport (good to stretch after sitting -and sleeping - for so long. Then 2.5 hours from there to Kiev – capital of Ukraine.