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.
On the map above you will see the country of Ukraine and the City of L’viv
- all of our first two weeks is either in or around this city (within 6
hours of) … in the western part of Ukraine. Then look up and over to
the right a bit and you will see the nation of Russia and the City of Rostov.
Our week in Russia will be within a 6 hour drive of that city. Between
Ukraine and Russia on Monday the 21st we have four flights. Then on the
28th I will fly to Moscow, Moscow to Warsaw, Poland, Warsaw to London,
England, London to Edmonton and then home. Makes me tired thinking of
it.
Your prayers would be greatly appreciated - for
travel connections, travel safety (no bombs in airports like last trip),
and for the hundreds of people who will be impacted by our ministry in
the 4 cities we will be ministering in.
As this blog goes out to the many people who read them daily
I will be just leaving the airport in Warsaw, Poland (pictures to the
left) on my way to the City of L’viv in Ukraine. I will be there is
several hours. Then I have a 6 hour train ride to the City of Uzhgorod
where I will be ministering Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. Thanks
for praying if you have been doing so. Prayer works.
In the City of Uzhgorod I will be working with a church called Assembly of the New Testament
and we will be introducing prophetic ministry into the assembly and
equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12) by
teaching them to prophesy as the Scriptures do state that “you can all
prophesy.” (1 Corinthians 14:39) This is my first trip to this city in
western Ukraine and my first time in this local church. We would
appreciate your prayers - that this congregation and its leaders would
be seriously impacted and supernaturalized in their approach to the
ministry the Lord has given to them.
On a personal note - after two full days of
traveling - 4 flights (5 airports) and a long train ride - I will be
tired both physically and mentally. Physically because a plane and an
airport is never a comfortable place to rest or sleep; mentally because I
have been either in conversation with a team member, another passenger,
or reading several books for the past two days. Reading is a great way
to invest the time a person spends traveling. Many people on these
flights overseas simply watch movie after movie and pass the time that
way. However, I see it as a great opportunity to invest in my education
and so do as much reading as I can - usually four books a trip … two on
the way and two on the way back. Less if I am flying with team members
such as for part of this trip (Toronto to Uzhgorod).
Thanks for praying for Pastor Vladimir and the people of Assembly of the New Testament.
As well, please pray for the leaders of our team - myself, Bob,
Miroslav, and Elena. Many thanks. I will keep you up-to-date daily
regarding what is happening.
Tonight I am ministering in the City of Azhgorod. It is
my first ser
vice in this city and in this local assembly. That means I
usually give my testimony focusing on the supernatural side of being
healed and born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the
Spirit. This sets the tone and builds expectations that something good
is going to happen and that the Lord wants to touch and change lives -
their lives. Please be in prayer - asking the Lord to release His
convicting power and that people would be saved, healed, delivered and
baptized in the Holy Spirit during the service tonight.
My official topic for the evening is “tell the
people what is most impor
tant and most precious for me in ministry. This
is what I have been asked to address. That’s easy - my intimate and
personal relationship with Jesus out of which all ministry flows. So, I
am really looking forward to tonight and as I share I pray that the Lord
will be honored and glorified as only He is able to change lives - and
He certainly changed mine many years ago.
The City of Uzhgorod has 250,000 people and we will
be ministering to about 50 people tonight - some leaders and some
members of this local
church - The Assembly of the New Testament. The
numbers will grow, of course, as the weekend begins and people are free
of work obligations and so, by Sunday, it will be a serious party
atmosphere with some tremendous worship and the teaching of the Word -
as well as ministering prophetically over the pastor and his wife as
well as the church. We do this on our first visit to a new location.
Powerful weekend ahead.
As we begin our full-time ministry schedule today (up
to five teachings a day) we would really appreciate your continued
prayer supp
ort. Pray for the unity of the entire team now that we have
all gathered in one location from many nations and pray for the
anointing of the Holy Spirit to touch everyone on the team so that we
will flow as one body in our joint ministry tonight and in the coming
days. Thanks for standing with us in prayer and standing in faith for
this nation and our ministry in Ukraine.
It is Saturday and we have begun
the first in 16 full days of ministry. Last night we ministered at the
first service since we arrived and got a taste of what this church in
the city of Uzhgorod is like spiritually. Today (Saturday the 12th of
March) we have three services (3 hours each in length) and several
meal-meetings (Business lunches and suppers) a
s our team begins to feel
their way and work together. It is a time of adjusting to each other as
the team changes each trip depending on who can make the event - so it
is always exciting to see how the gift mix and the various personalities
are going to work together.
As the key leader for the whole team (we came into
this city under my ministries’ banner) I have to set the example and the
pace and help the others to work together. This is especially time
consuming when we add new team members because we call out five-fold
apostles and prophets from those in attendance and they instantly start
their training by working with us - often before we connect and actually
remember what their names are. So, for me personally, it can be really
challenging as I am accountable for anything and everything that might
go wrong - and things do.
Today’s topic - all day - is “Implementing prophetic ministry in the local church.”
These topics are determined ahead of time - and sometimes can change at
the last minute which is always fun. Months before arriving in a nation
we arrange with each ministry location a number of details - everything
including the name of the Church and the pastor, the size of the city
or town or village (we are not concerned about the size of the church),
the topics they would like us to address, the make-up of those listening
(one church or several churches, leaders or leaders and people…).
However, some times after we see the situation and judge the level of
maturi
ty we sometimes change the approach we were planning. Other times
the pastor changes the topic at the last minute - thank goodness for
laptops.
If you would pray today for us - for all our team
members, for safe travel for those coming to the School for Apostls and
Prophets that starts on Monday and for my leadership during the next
three weeks and 60+ teachings and meetings - for wisdom and strength.
Your prayer support is greatly appreciated. And would you pray for Derick - one of our team members from Russia who is in South Africa with a major prayer movement touching that nation…
I like what John Wesley wrote…”If I should die with more than ten pounds, may every man call me a liar and a thief,”
for he believed that this would have betrayed the Gospel that he
preached. This morning I wil be preaching the same Gospel to 200 people
in Assembly of the New Testament Church in Uzhgorod, Ukraine. Who would
have ever thought that I would be preaching the Gospel in foreign
nations more often than I do in my own nat
ion. I never dreamed it would
be possible. Yet, it is true in 2011. And, like John Wesley - one of my
heros - I pray that I may live my life in such a way as to honor the
Gospel in both life and death. May we always glorify the Lord in every
place, with every word, and at every opportunity.
We have a service (3 hours or more) and then a late
lunch with the pastor. Then some time to ourselves which means a team
meeting to summarize the last three days of ministry here. Then I really
do hope to have some time to go for a long walk and to read my Bible a
bit more than some days permit. It will hopefully be early to bed
because we need to be at the train station for 5:45a tomorrow morning
(Monday) as we start a 6 hour train ride to the City of Lvov, Ukraine
where we will spend the next 7 days before two of us head into Russia
for a third week of ministry and others head home.
Please pray - like John Wesley we don’t want to die
with a large bank account or even some money set aside with which to
bless the kids or grandchildren. I simply want to spend everything I
have and every drop of energy and life to t
ell others about Jesus and
the full supernatural gospel. However, trips like this one cost
thousands of dollars … there are, as you can imagine, expenses for
travel and lodging and food … but there is also the recognition that if
our team members are here ministering without a salary (no one earns
money for doing this ministry) they are not at home earning a living and
so must rely on the Lord’s goodness to continue to make ends meet.
Every day we see miracles as God supplies needs for our team members and
for the ministry … and we know it is all simply answers to prayer. So,
please pray that every need of every team member will be met - needs
that arise here and needs that they will need to meet when they arrive
back home without
any earnings from their work here. And, thank God for His bountiful provision.
This morning we road for 6 hours
on a local train taking us between the cities of Uzhgorod where we have
been ministering for three days to the city of Lvov (or Lviv) where we
will minister for the next saven days. Trains go almost everywhere here
in Ukraine and they are a really reliable and reasonable means of
transportation cost-wise.
The train system is improving and so you will see
trains on the tracks that are very modern and fast and have wonderful
facilities -
seats that recline, compartments with beds and a table for
overnight trips or business people who want privacy to have a meeting
while moving from place-to-place. But there are still a lot of the older
trains from Communist days. These trains are neither comfortable nor
clean, move much slower and the washrooms are a breeding ground for
sickness and disease. You don’t get to choose which one will move you
from place-to-place.
We are arriving in the City of Lvov at 12:30 noon
and will go to our next ministry location right away. A quick lunch,
some unpacking (we are actually staying here in one place until next
Monday morning), a walk to unwind as the train ride will be a time of
planning and discussion, research and organizing for the days ahead …
and then at 4:00 we head into a five day School for Apostles and
Prophets (in training). Exciting days ahead - powerful days - days of
terrific prophetic ministry - and tremendous fellowship as we renew
friendships and make new ones…
Today’s prayer requests: That the team would have an
easy time switching gears so as to teach leaders and future leaders -
so we need to bump into “leader mode” as we will not be teaching God’s
people but instead God’s current and future leaders. Secondly, that the
team will gel quickly as we gain numerous new team members here -
including our own sound guys, video camera crews, new interpreters, and
several junior helpers who are here to minister to the team members as
well as learn how to minister supernautrally. So, the team mix is
dra
stically changing today. We need to adjust quickly and so need your
prayers, please.
We are into our second day of ministering in the School of Apostles and Prophets
(in training). This is a school for those prophetically called into
either of these two five-fold ministries (Ephesians 4:11). We have about
40 in attendance and they range in age from late teens to early
sixties. We have both guys and gals, those already involved in ministry
and those who have not yet begun to minister publicly. A wide assortment
of experiences, knowledge, abilities and giftings - all learning more
about the ministry that they are called to. We are, of course,
multi-national as well.
This is our second week of training in the School of Apostles and Prophets.
We did week one last year also held in Ukraine. And, since that week
many who were unable to attend have watched the high quality videos that
we had produced of the week of teachings and ministry and thus come
prepared to move into a higher level of their gifts and calling by being
a part of this second full week of material and ministry. This winter
school (we are hoping to hold week three in the late fall of 2011) is
also being video taped so that those who were unable to attend for
timetable or financial reasons can still learn and grow even though they
miss the fellowship, the relational interaction and the hands-on
ministry offered during the School.
The basic day has a major morning session where
everyone is together to hear a teaching and to be equipped in hands-on
ministry skills. Then after lunch there are practical workshops; those
in full-time ministry will attend one and those who have yet to start
into their ministry attend the other (which I will be teaching). These
workshops will be on very practical and personal subjects with questions
and answers as well as dscussion. Then in the evening another joint
session with worship and teaching as well as prophetic ministry.
Your prayers for our students, our staff, the team
that has assembled to help (young guys I am mentoring in person, by
Skype, emails, and in person) as well as for my time one-on-one with
many of these young men (early morning, late nights and between
sessions) to whom I am a spiritual father. As always, your prayers are
greatly appreciated and do make a difference.
I am in the City of L’vov
which is a very beautiful and ancient city in western Ukraine. It has a
population of 1 million and is much like you would expect an ancient
city to look like – beautifully designed buildings from the past when
they decorated every corner and every window with wonderful art work.
The streets are very narrow and often cobblestone and the buildings are
seriously close together.
Last week when we first arrived in Ukraine I ate in a
restaurant in the heart of the city where there are many universities
and colleges. The restaurant – two complete levels – was full of
university students with laptops, iPads, and text books studying while
eating a meal or simply have a coffee or tea with other students. Today
we are taking our students from the School of Apostles and Prophets (in
training) into the city from the mission center where we are living and
running our School into the core of the downtown area for a trolley ride
/ tour where with earphones all of us will hear the tour guide in our
own language and have some of the history and architecture explained to
us. Just a break from the four long sessions we have a day … half the
afternoon touring this beautiful city.
Our students come from many nations of the former
Soviet Union and due to the policy of the U.S.S.R. they all speak
Russian. So, all the students can fellowship, talk over the joint meals,
get to know one another in the dorm rooms … it is great for team
building. Many of our team members (now numbering over 125) were not
able to come to the School due to work and university classes. However,
we are video taping all of the sessions and will package them up – ten
full videos are sold for under $20.00 due to the lack of adequate income
here in this part of the world. We are, of course, subsidizing the
taping (cost of equipment and staff), production (editing, etc.) and
duplication (we have the equipment and do it ourselves donating the raw
materials and the labor). We are simply doing all we can to facilitate
the spreading of our teaching and training material into all 15 former
Soviet Union nations. Thank you for being a part of all this through
your financial and prayer support.
Prayer requests for today: For the continued growth
of solid and godly relationships between the students and for Ralph and
Miroslav as they continue to discuss the details of the expansion of
this ministry into new countries and wisdom for scheduling and
organizing future trips as they respond to the many requests for
ministry.
It is Thursday and I have now been on the road with this current apostolic trip for 8 days.
We are into our forth day at a six day School of Apostles and Prophets
(in training) as we train, equip, teach and mentor about 50 students of
various ages in their callings as apostles and prophets.
Today I am also making contact with a tremendous man
of God from the Kiev area who ministers all over Ukraine and has seen
our DVDs of a previous school and would like to open his ministry to me
and help me to enter into many of the churches in Ukraine hungry for
true apostolic ministry and the prophetic. He will open many doors for
us in this nation where another man almost two years ago slammed shut
many doors we already had open to us …
This wonderful man of God has been in our sessions
today just listening and getting a feel for what I do and later today we
will talk and begin plans to connect with the many churches all over
this nation who trust him and would thus welcome my ministry as well.
God is good and what man intended for evil God has turned into good –
just as he did with Joseph in Genesis and just as Paul spoke in Romans
that “all things work together for good to those who love the purposes
of God” and I certainly do love God’s purpose to seek and save the lost.
You could be praying today for this meeting and for
these last three days of the School here in L’vov, Ukraine. Pray that
God’s will be done here as it already is in Heaven and that the sweet
fellowship we have been experiencing all week will continue. As well,
pray that the powerful teaching anointing would continue to grow and
accomplish all that the Lord brought us together to do. Your prayers are
greatly appreciated.
Pictured
- a young couple from Russia whom God blessed with numerous miracles to
allow them a week with us. They were called out as an apostle and a
prophet in January of this year on our last Apostolic visit to Eastern
Europe.
We are quickly coming to the end of the School for Apostles and Prophets
(in training). Today is day five and tomorrow we end at noon and have
the sad task of saying good-bye to a great bunch of students with whom
we will have spend five great days. Powerful and life-changing days.
Days that have changed all of us forever.
50 people hungry for God studying God’s Word,
worshiping, fellowshipping and praying together for a week is simply an
amazing thing to be a part of. We have had many, many hours of teaching
and the Lord has brought new light and fresh revelation to many familiar
passages of Scripture. The Holy Spirit has moved powerfully and
ministered prophetically, ministered healings, brought reconciliation
and forgiveness, and fresh boldness and courage to many of our younger
students. God is truly at work preparing His Church for some terrific
times ahead - dangerous but powerful times.
I have personally been amazed at what the Lord has
shown me personally about my ministry and what He is planning to do and
how He is working to open new doors for us to walk through. As well, it
has been amazing the level of revelation He has allowed me to walk in as
I prophesied over young people during the sessions as well as when I
walked with then before and after sessions and during the breaks. These
informal conversations were just as or even more anointed than the four
teaching sessions a day. I have been seriously blessed to be a part of
the School.
These Schools are very expensive to run and are
definitely a drain on our resources. However, it is worth every dollar
(Grivna) we invest. These twice a year one-week schools are still one of
our most powerful ways to influence the future of the Church in the
former Soviet Union. Thanks for praying and for standing in faith with
us for the finances needed. Thanks for giving sacrificially as well.
Today we would covet your prayers for the School,
the students and staff, the staff of the mission whose facilities we
have rented and who have served us well with the meals and facilities,
as well as for my team. We will continue to minister here in L’vov after
the School ends on Saturday afternoon. We will minister in a local
church until Sunday evening. Then the team splits up with some heading
home to their particular countries and I will be going with my
administrator into Russia for the last week of the three for this trip. You are a serious blessing to us - thanks for praying.
It is Saturday and our School is shutting down at noon today after
five great days of teaching and growing in our callings as apostles and
prophets. Not only did we have our own team members at the School but
we also had some visitors who came to see what we were doing and to
“feel out” Ralph Howe Ministries. This was fine and they fit in very
well with the student body and everything that was happening at the
school between and after sessions. We have a lot of fun and fellowship
when we meet like this.
We are, of course, somewhat tired as this is also
the end of our second full week of ministry here in Ukraine. The main
team stays on here in L’vov for Sunday at New Generation Church and
then one team member heads back to Canada while I and another team
member head into Russia to minister in two places for another seven days
before heading back to our own nations. So, with an afternoon and
evening without ministry today we will have an opportunity to think,
pray, and go for several long walks just to talk… and then rest a bit so
that we are ready for a new place tomorrow - a local church where we
have never ministered before.
Today’s prayer requests: For safe travel for all the
students and team members heading home today - by plane, by car, by
train, and by bus. For good weather and a safe trip with many
opportunities to share Jesus with prophetic input as they travel. For
the remaining team - that we will be refreshed in the presence of God
this afternoon and evening and ready to minister tomorrow… For next
week’s ministry in Russia. We really greatly appreciate your time in
prayer for us and these wonderful nations.
Often when ministering either the leader I am working for or the Holy Spirit will change topics or directions at the last minute.
When this happens I sit down quickly and jot down what I believe needs
to be said with regard to the changes. This means relying heavily on the
Holy Spirit at every turn - and there are many turns when it comes to
ministering trans-locally… many last minute changes and adjustments.
On this trip alone - in the last ten days we have
been in Ukraine - every day has seen major adjustments to topics,
schedules, locations, events … it reminds me of an old non-Bible
proverb: “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be broken.”
The Holy Spirit is faithful and He always allows things to turn out
well for those being ministered to even if it is a bit of a stretch for
my faith and my abilities. This simply means being more dependant upon
God and not relying on my own wisdom and understanding.
So, we plan and prepare and then trust God to do
what God does best. And, He is faithful and powerful and always blesses
His people. This is especially so when it comes to His leaders who have
sacrificed much for the Gospel and give and give every day for the
Kingdom. When we come together, as we have this past week, to learn and
grow in the things of the Lord He truly does meet us where we are and
bless us with His presence and with great wisdom and understanding. Paul
speaks in Ephesians, Chapter One about “the Spirit of wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ”
and that aspect of the Holy Spirit has certainly been very evident here
this week at our School for Apostles and Prophets (in training).
Thank you for praying and standing with us in faith
for this powerful week and the School. It is so important to surround
these events in prayer and we appreciate you standing with us on a daily
basis. God truly does answer prayer. Today (Sunday) we spend a day with
New Generation Church in L’vov (the same city where we have been
holding te School) and we have one service to minister at. We have been
asked to speak about the prophetic. We will, of course, minister
prophetically. Please be in prayer for this church and their pastor
Alexander Zhuk as well as our main team members who, after two weeks of
ministry, are beginning to show some wear-and-tear. Many thanks.
Today I fly from L’vov to Kiev - the capital of
Ukraine; then to Moscow - the capital of Russia; and then to Krasnodar,
Russia where I will be picked up and driven to the city of
Primorsko-Akhtarsk. In a villa outside the city I will be meeting with
ten men and women for the next five days (until Friday noon).
These men and women are leaders of a Network (called
a Union) in Russia that I have worked with once before and who have
asked me to join them for this time of prayer and seeking God’s face.
The purpose of the time together is to hear what God is saying about
their union of 107 churches and how it needs to change to minister to
the people of Russia and to grow and become more vibrant and alive with
the life of God. I am to be a prophetic voice and a consultant for them
during their time of hearing from God and redesigning their many
churches.
This will be, for me, a time of continuing to build relationships
with these men and women of God. A number of their churches have
already invited this ministry to work with them in the local church -
this as a result of a five day leaders school I ran for them in Moscow
in January of this year. During the coming months I will also be working
with them to redesign the courses taught in their Bible college where
they train the next generation of pastors. As well, I will be teaching
for several weeks in their school in Moscow in the late fall.
If you would be so kind as to pray for the remainder of the travel today as well as for the week of meetings I am about to enter. Greatly appreciated.
My second day near the city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia.
I am working with some great men and women of God - leaders - who are
wanting to bring change to the Network they lead (107 churches) so that
it is better able to represent Jesus in modern day Russia and begin an
aggressive church planting strategy. They are hungry to see more people
saved and the Church become everything God planned it to be. They are
ready for change.This is the first full day with them as we arrived
around supper time last night coming in from 12 days of ministering
God’s Word in Ukraine. We are here until Friday the 25th of March when
we drive to the City of Sochi, Russia to minister in a local church for
the weekend and then we will fly home. Our team is simple - myself and
my administrator Miroslav who is here as an apostle-in-training at our
expense. The Network we are working with are covering my expenses while
with them including air fare while in Russia. It is good to be able to
continue training young apostles so that they can grow and mature more
quickly.
There is definitely a shortage of spiritual fathers and mentors in the Church
here in Eastern Europe. But, there is no shortage of work for me to do
and a tremendous number of young men and women that I can relate to on a
daily basis. The need is great here and a lot of the young believers
really do want to be discipled and mentored. So, along with building
relationships and helping them as much as possible through emails and
Skype - we are redesigning our 30 courses used in Global Discipleship
Training Schools in Canada and will be posting them in English and
Russian on line as quickly as the rewrite and translation can be
accomplished.
In Canada where I live we have just as many young
people called to be apostles and prophets but few avail themselves of
opportunities to be discipled and mentored. That is really sad. However,
I admit that I am not short of work to do even if the majority of it is
overseas in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Today - please pray for the 12 men and women (that
includes my team in the total) who are meeting to seek God’s will for
their 107 churches. Your prayers are much appreciated.
I am in the city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Russia working
with leaders from a Network of 107 churches in the Russian Federation.
This is my second time working with this Network this year and I am
looking forward to two or three more trips in 2011 to be with these
people as they move their churches forward into their future in God.
They are hungry to see God move in a fresh and new way and are working
at changing whatever needs to be changed to allow them to do this.
My work this week with the Network leadership is to
pray and seek God’s face with them and be an apostolic advisor to them
during their discussions. They are looking for further input into the
nature of the Church should it become apostolic and prophetic as I truly
believe it should and must. So, a lot of listening, some advice will
need to be given as I am an objective observer because I am not part of
their Network. And, I am sure, a great deal of my work will be between
meetings and late into the nights as I listen to individual leaders,
their concerns and insights, and their hearts. This is a major task and
much needs to be accomplished during this week (2.5 days finished - 2.5
days left to go) so that they can begin to implement their new DNA as
quickly as possible.
I will also be working with this Network as they
redesign their training programs and Bible Academy where future pastors
are raised up. I will be teaching in this academy for two weeks in
November it appears. We could have a major influence here for the Lord
through our work with this Network.
Prayer needs today: For strength and refreshing (day
14 of 20); for guidance and direction in all discussions and meeting so
that we know the mind of Christ; for the building of personal
relationships during these remaining few days here in this city. As
always, your prayers are greatly appreciated.
We are in some really neat and yet intense meetings with
a group of leaders from a network of churches in Russia. We are seeking
the Lord together and working very carefully at planning out the steps
they need to take to become an apostolic-prophetic network and move into
what God is currently doing around the world. This includes the DNA of
the network, the way they train their future leaders, the way the local
churches see themselves and function in their various situations, and
the many practical questions needing to be answered while implementing
the changes and steering the ship.
It has been a good three days so far and with only
24 hours left to go we are feeling the urgency of finishing our
discussions and completing the action plan even if it will need further
work in the near future. These are brave men and women who are wanting
to accomplish what God is speaking to them and are willing to risk a lot
to do so - true disciples. It is an honor to be serving along side of them and working with them.
My commitment to this project goes well beyond these
5 days in Primorsko-Akhtarsk. I will be working with the president and
vice-president of the union (network) to develop the training for their
pastors as well as visiting churches within the network a number of
times during the next 9 months. This is a serious, on-going time and
financial commitment that Ralph Howe Ministries has made to this
wonderful group of churches.
Today’s prayer needs: For strength for me personally
and for Miroslav (my team member in this third week) as we are weary
and looking forward to going home. For wisdom and guidance from the Holy
Spirit for the twelve of us set apart in this “retreat.” For insights
as I begin writing more of my book on the apostoilic church during my
down time here at the planning sessions.
As always - your prayers and thoughts are greatly appreciated!
This is a picture of the seacoast
close to where I am currently working. I am not at the seacoast and not
living in such luxury. The place we are staying and working is a local
church and it is in the city of Sochi and not on the coast. It is just
another big city in Russia and the church building, although nice, is
nothing to write home about.
Let me tell you a little about this city… Sochi is
the southern capital of Russia. If you traveled in Russia a lot and
visited St.Petersburg, Moscow, Golden Ring and want to learn about
Russia something new, then go to Sochi! Sochi is the modern resort where
Russian elite is aspiring for many years. And today Sochi is one of the
attractive destinations for international business tourism. Sochi is
the host city for Winter Olympic Games in 2014. That was the decision
announced on the 4th of July in Guatemala. The vote went to the 2nd
round and Sochi eventually came through after Salzburg was eliminated in
the first round, followed by Pyeongchang in the second.
Set in a spectacular location, on the coast of the Black Sea and at
the foot of the Caucasus Mountains in southern Russia, Sochi is the
largest resort region of the Russian Federation. It stretches for 147 km
along the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar region and includes the
Krasnaya Polyana mountain resort area. Krasnaya Polyana mountains have
great snow conditions and are largely protected from the wind. These
unique conditions cannot be found anywhere else in Europe. Sochi
stretches along the Black Sea coast approximately on the same latitude
as Varna (Bulgary), Boston (USA), Toronto (Canada), Sapporo (Japan),
Shenyang (China) and the famous French Riviera.
300 sunny days a year make Sochi one of the warmest cities in the
Black Sea coast. Winter is hardly known here. That is why Sochi is
called the city of three seasons (Spring-Summer-Autumn). Sochi has a
unique northern subtropical climate. It is one of the very few places in
the world that offers you the opportunity to get a beautiful sun tan in
the morning and go skiing in the afternoon. You can swim in the sea
from April until October, and go skiing from October through May.
Sochi offers you exquisite Caucasian and Russian cuisine, hospitality
of native inhabitants, warm sea, palms and glaciers, alpine meadows and
mountain peaks, high mountainous lakes and waterfalls uniting with good
infrastructure and European service. Probably because of that the
President of Russian Federation has one of his official residences in
Sochi where he spends his holidays and organizes international summits.
It is Saturday and I am now on my second day in the City of Sochi.
Of course, I don’t really see cities. For example, I flew in to
Primorsko-Akhtarsk on Monday night in the dark, saw the airport, the
parking lot and three hours of roads as we drove to a house in the
country for the meetings I was attending. Then I drove 8 hours to the
city of Sochi and by the time we arrived it was dark. Here I have seen
the church building and the place that I am staying.
Once in a while the host pastor or leader asks if we
would like to have a brief tour of the city or place where we are
because of its historical significance. We usually say yes even though
it makes for one more event on the schedule. I personally enjoy seeing
some of the history that can date back, in Russia, to 600 A.D. But
normally, I see the airports and the place where I minister.
In spite of it beng Saturday I am in services all
day and evening. Here in this local church Sunday is Saturday. They
celebrate with their pastor on Saturdays so that he can be free Sundays
to visit his other churches in their union as he is the bishop. And,
then they have Sundays as a family day. By tomorrow I begin my journey
home and fly from Sochi to Moscow where I will spend the night and do
another service for a church I ministered in during my visit in January.
Your prayers for these last two days of ministry and the beginning of the travel days
would be greatly appreciated. Already I have had one change in
scheduled flights which meant rearranging these last two days to make
connections. The airline simply moved the time of my first flight and
thus I would have missed all my connections… so we fly on Sunday to
Moscow and do a service there where originally we would have flown on
Monday to Moscow and onwards. Blessed are the flexible. Thanks for your prayers - they are greatly appreciated.
It is Sunday
- one last service to preach and minister at - a new one added to the
schedule due to the switch in times of my flights by the airline. I
travel from Sochi to Moscow by plane Sunday morning and then fellowship
and minister the rest of the day in that city of 20+ million. Then, a
short night’s sleep, check-in early in the morning Monday at one of four
major Moscow airports, breakfast meeting with some leaders, board my
first flight towards home.
The route has changed … Sochi to Moscow, Moscow to
London, England, London to Edmonton, Edmonton home. It will be a long
two days and will involve living the same 9 hours twice as I will be
flying through nine time zones flying west and so the time zones do the
opposite to when flying to Eastern Europe. I keep gaining time and
setting my watch back. So, my body will not be coordinated with my brain
on Tuesday which is fondly known as jet lag day and practically known
as laundry day.
I want to thank everyone who has helped with this
three weeks of ministry but the list would be seriously too long. It
takes many people to facilitate a trip like this and I simply appreciate
everyone who helps and the flexibility of those I mentor who fore-go
meetings with me to allow me to do this. You are all wonderful folks and
greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone for praying….
If you are reading this
I may be on my way home and flying over some area of the world. I am
suppose to arrive home Monday in the late evening. However, that is if
everything works out right - flight connections, weather, mechanical
issues with the planes, security issues in the airport. I have seen all
of these things and other issues mean a missed flight. It only takes one
small thing to set off a chain reaction of missed flights and overnight
stays. I started my journey on Sunday flying from Sochi, Russia to
Moscow. Monday I fly from Moscow to London, London to Edmonton, and
Edmonton to Regina.
If I arrive home it will be to bed almost
immediately due to jet lag. It may be evening in my home city but it is
mid-morning body time. The difference is called jet lag. So, Monday is
fly day and Tuesday is jet lag day. And, my body will need to take time
to catch up and adjust to the current time where it is located. This
will mean I will sleep frequently during the day and find myself waking
up when I didn’t even know I had dosed off again. My brain and my body
will not be coordinated and so I will not be driving my care. Reading is
useless. And, if I speak to someone I will not always finish my
sentences because I will lose my train of thought. I will also not
remember what I did or what you say. It can be worse than the worst bad
hair day you ever experienced.
By Wednesday things will even out more and I will be
meeting with family members and touching base with my administrator to
see what happened while I was away. I keep informed as best I can and
with internet connections almost everywhere it is getting easier and
easier to stay in touch with all parts of the world and of this
ministry. However, there are always small details to be looked into and
things missed while ministering overseas.
If you have been praying for this apostolic trip and
the last 21 days - thank you. Prayer is a powerful and effective weapon
in our warfare and I want you to know your time and effort in prayer
have brought great results and wonderful change to many lives over the
past three weeks. Truly life-changing things are happening as we teach
and prophesy. So, thank you so very much.
My next trips are to the twice-a-year apostolic
roundtable meeting in Ohio / Indiana. I will be there in mid-April and
staying an extra day to work with a young man that I am mentoring there.
Then at the end of April I will be returning to Kazakhstan where I last
ministered in early winter 2010. I am already applying for the visa to
allow me to enter that country.
Again, your prayers for these important ministry trips would be greatly appreciated.
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I Am the Leader - Which Way Did They Go?
In the School of Apostles and Prophets
Thursday and the Beat Goes On
A Great Supernatural School
End of Week Two and…
The School has Ended And…
We Are On the Move Again
Spiritual Fathers
Our Third Wednesday of the Trip
First Day in Sochi
Travel Day and the End of This Apostolic Trip