Two weeks today I will be in London!! So I decided it was high time I let you know what’s happening now, what’s been happening, and what I expect to happen in the next few months.

THANKS AND SORRY
Firstly thank you to so many people who have been praying for me. Last September I decided to take a “year off” (see this article and this article).
Thank you for praying for me. This has been a most rewarding time so far.
But I do say sorry to the many people who I had planned to visit and didn’t. And I also say sorry to those who would love to have heard about God’s work in Ukraine but didn’t. I would like to have shared but that will have to wait til next time.

NEXT STEP

Plans

Plans can be dangerous. Plans can be good too. God declares that He knows the plans he has for us – to give us a future and a hope. I have a lot of things already planned out for the next few months. But recently I have been challenged to wake up every day and say, “Jesus, like a shepherd, lead me.” But if I am locked into my plans made in my humanity, then I may miss out on the better plans God has for me – made in divinity. I am wanting to learn more and more each day to live the divine life instead of the human life. It means that life is about God and not about me. It means that my mind will and emotions must come under God’s guidance. It means that I do not live out of my own strength.

FEELINGS

Martin Luther said, “Feelings come and feelings go, feelings are deceiving. I place my faith on the Word of God, nought else is worth believing.”
Right now I sit in my room trying to write this long overdue update. My throat hurts, my head is spinning, the house is a mess, Ruth and Jon are entertaining three guests, someone brought me coffee, someone else brought me cake, I’m thinking about another friend in another situation etc etc. Needless to say today my feelings are topsy turvy. I usually consider myself to be emotionally stable. But sometimes it’s good to be reminded that if I stand in my own strength I can only be as strong as man. If I allow myself to be so weak that I can only stand in God’s strength, then my standing is sure and my strength unlimited.

It has been far too long since I have written – let me share with you some of the highlights of the last few weeks.

ROMA
Roma is a cousin of one of the Alyoshas in our church. He lives in Kyiv but loves to spend his holidays here in Rzhyshchiv. He came on camp with us and just last week started talking to Sergei about his desire to repent and follow Jesus. On Sunday morning, he came to Daniel and said, “I’m ready to repent”. Praise God!! And now please pray for Roma, for his growth in God and for his future – he may live in Kyiv or come to Rzhyshchiv to study.

CAMP 120
Wow!! What an amazing time 83 of us had on an island in the middle of the Dnipr River. We lived together in community and had some awesome times with challenge from God’s word and sharing of testimonies. We cooked and ate together (sometimes nice food) and we played a lot of volleyball and swam a lot. God’s presence was obvious at camp – thanks to everyone who prayed.

It shouldn't have to be this difficult
How often do you say the above statement to yourself about something? Lately I have been saying it about my water situation. My pump has been a problem for a while now and for the last two weeks has just stopped working. So I have no water. Then it started raining – and I have water! But not coming out the taps, coming through the ceiling. I have discovered two leaks, one in the bathroom and one in the guest room, which need repairing. Actually Katya was sleeping in the guestroom when one of the leaks was discovered! And I am wanting to say “it shouldn’t be this difficult”. I am believing that God is trying to teach me to be content in all situations. A lesson I was more willing to learn when all was smooth sailing.