June Monthly Update 2007

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.

Today I was told, “It doesn’t need to be difficult at all”. Having a conversation with Natasha in Kyiv she shared with me that living the Christian life really is simple. Her secret; allow life’s problems and difficulties to crush you. Then when you are totally broken, God can begin to work in and through you. And about the problems you cause yourself, your sin. Stop focusing on it. Stop trying to get rid of it yourself. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. The more you feast on Him, the less and less attractive sin will be to you. It doesn’t have to be that difficult. Please pray this month that I will turn my eyes toward Jesus and feast upon Him.

Rural Ukraine Foreign Language Services
The registration process I believe is almost complete. I am just a few steps away from being able to operate a business here in Ukraine. This brings a small amount of paper work and other admin tasks. But it also will open the door to many opportunities. Please pray that I keep to the vision of using English teaching to reach as many as possible with the Good News about Jesus.
The lessons are going really well. They are really diverse. I have one student who wants to master the use of the pluperfect tense (yes I had to look that one up). And I have some students who tentatively answer the question “How are you today?” I had a great incident last week when Luda decided to be adventurous answering that question and replied, “I am beautiful thank you.” No one blinked an eye until I translated her answer. Then her husband Yura continued to tease her for the rest of the lesson. Yura has perfected saying “thanks for comin’” when I leave their place each Thursday.

Back to the Beach
We have had a hot start to the summer with a week or more of temperatures above 30. The beach has been packed each afternoon. I have taken quite a few dips myself, to cool off and also to clean up as I have no running water at present. Showers are a thing of the past.

I have started up volleyball on the beach again. Please pray that the friendships formed on the beach will be more than just about sport, sun, fun and sand. Pray that Jesus will be ever so alive in me. And pray that I will speak of Jesus love for me in English or Ukrainian. I have been asked by the Rzhyshchiv sports director to help him organise a beach volleyball tournament.

I was also back on the beach in Kyiv last Saturday playing in a beach rugby tournament. This is one year since my broken collarbone and I was really happy with my shoulder. It was great to play again. I feel like I have made a level of friendship with this team that I don’t want to lose – yet Kyiv is not where I live and it is not feasible for me to spend every weekend with them. Pray that the few times I have with the team will become more meaningful.

Rzhyschiv People and Happenings
Cheryl leaves us this month for a 3 month break in Canada with her family and friends there. This means that Kolya is also leaving me because he will house sit for Cheryl. Please pray for the believers in this town. Some are growing deeply in their love for God. Others are coasting along, and sadly some seem to grow or remain cold or to struggle. Please pray that our focus will be on Jesus – on the One Who loved us and gave Himself for us. May we learn to individually and collectively worship Him for Who He is. Please continue to thank God and pray for Zhenya, Jesse and Marie who were all baptised last week.

Summer Camp - Love and Go
Camp is currently one of the foremost things on my mind. The theme is Love and Go. I am acutely aware of the need for this camp to be driven by God. His love will compel us to go to the ends of the earth. I was talking with a friend today who said, “I want to waste my life for Christ”. What an awesome attitude. In the world’s eyes wasted, in God’s eyes precious. There are a lot of pragmatic details for me to accomplish before July 9 rolls around. After spending a lot of man hours scraping old paint off my boat I finally paid a professional to paint it and it looks really good. I’ll get it in the water this week and hope to get the motor running reliably. Please pray for camp. I’m expecting between 70 and 100 people.

What Ya Readin'
I finished “Soul Survivor” by Philip Yancey. I thoroughly enjoyed the provoking thoughts this book brought to me from a number of figures in history. I believe I was most challenged by his writings about Paul Brandt and Mahatma Ghandi. 4/5
“Couplehood” by Paul Reiser and “Sein Language” by Jerry Seinfield gave comic relief last month. 2.5/5

I’m currently reading “Through Painted Deserts” by Don Miller after reading and re-reading his book Blue Like Jazz. The next book on my list is Pollution and the Death of Man by Schaeffer.
I want to make more time for reading.

Prayer and Praise

• Contentment with or without water
• Cheryl
• Summer Camp 120
• English lessons
• Daily feasting upon Jesus

Thanks

• Nata for one of the most encouraging, challenging and enlightening conversations I can ever remember having.

Love Jono
Keep Looking Up

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