November, 2008
A New Step of Faith…
We will be forever grateful to the Hardie Ranch for allowing our church to be on their ranch rent-free since 2000. That in part is what made it possible for us to grow to the size we are. The time has come however, that the Hardie family now needs to sell the ranch. They have given us the two acres the church sits on. To continue our outdoor activities and for future School buildings we have planned; the Elders have prayerfully decided to purchase from the ranch the additional 43 acres around the church. The reason for such a large amount of land is that in Montana, you buy the designated track of land verses acreage, unless you want to go through the grilling process of a sub division review. We feel securing this land will allow for continued future growth and the country activities that make our church unique. Please pray with us concerning this next step of faith. The cost is approximately $244,000 dollars.
Anadyr, Siberia…
In 1994 after having lived and worked in Vladivostock, Gloria and I had a dream to come back someday to visit other areas of Siberia that we could not reach from Vlad with the Gospel of Christ. Part of that dream was addressed last week as I have just returned from a ten-day trip to Nome, Alaska and Anadyr, Chutkotka in Siberia. The purpose of this trip was to see if there was a need in this region…the most Northeastern edge of Siberia. I truly thought I was jumping off into ends of the earth, the most forgotten and God-forsaken ice bound frozen piece of real-estate left on earth. What I found there however was the pulsating heartbeat of Christ flowing through the native Chutkchi people. I am so pleased to report that the church of Christ is alive and well and thriving in Chutkotka!
Chutkotka is a region larger than the size of Texas, with a population of around 52,000 people scattered in about thirty towns and villages. Pastor Sergei of Anadyr already has either a church or a home meeting in twenty of these thirty towns. The week I was with him in Anadyr, they had services every night with around fifty or so in attendance. Later I was told they had been having special services for three weeks straight…every night! The believers in the church were real, warm, loving, and full of the joy of the Lord. Singing and fellowship would last way into the night. Most of these however do not have a pastor to lead them. Pastor Sergei often makes dangerous trips to these outposts via snowmobile traveling 200 plus miles one way-breaking trail through artic conditions with outdated machines. He is in need of a new snow cat to be able to travel with team members to encourage the churches in his care. Having lived in Montana now for 13 years I thought November in Siberia would be a cakewalk. I was amazed at how cold and windy it was! Pastor Sergei just smiled and said to come back in January!
One young Chutkchi brother and fellow dog musher is praying for me to come back with my dog-sled team to reach the unreached towns for Christ with him. I am asking the Lord for guidance because there is another region called Kamchatka next on my list to visit.
Kamchatka has around 500,000 people living there. A resident missionary there said this region has only two churches in its main city both with only about fifty believers each. The other appealing aspect of Kamchatka is their annual sled-dog race which if I participated in would allow me to traverse 600 miles through about 30 towns. I feel this would be a means of getting contacts and walking through doors of opportunity for future ministry into these unreached areas. I have the same emotions Paul must have had when he said there is an open door of ministry before me, and there are many adversaries. The adversaries for me would be the climate, distance, transportation of dogs, language (it is still a very rough Russian I speak) and of course finances…but God!
Another exciting part of this trip was finding out about the ministry of KICY in Nome, a Christian radio station that broadcasts into all of Alaska and into parts of Chutkotka Siberia. I was told that they would air my sermons into Siberia if I can get them translated…Lord give me the Russian language I pray.
