Vlad

Well, we are back in Vladavostok (you sond like a local if you call it, "Vlad"). This morning we left Kavalerovo around 8:30am and traveled for about 9 hours. We arrived about 30 minutes before the conference here was about to start! Praise God, we were able to get here on time and teach with some energy!

We will be doing our last round of teacings over the next several days. It's so clear to Carl and I that teaching through Romans was God's design for this trip. Each one of the churches we are visiting has it's own unique challenges. The gospel of grace we find in Romans seems to answer a lot of questions for people and encourage them in their walk. This morning we got news that because of the conference in Kavalerovo, at least four people who were not going to church decided to come back to church becacuse they heard how much "Jesus loved them"! PLEASE pray for us in these last days of our teachings! This is not the venue to go into it, but let's just say there has been some influence of some potentially dangerous doctirnes in this church. I tryly believe that these last few teachings may go a long way in correcting some things. Please pray!
One of the other churches here in Vlad meets in a coffee shop. The Lord is doing a cool thing with the youth through this coffee shop church! My heart breaks for the youth here! Anyway, we are dong an outreach tomorrow night there. I'll be doing some songs and probably giving my testimony.

Me and Anya (daughter of one of the translators)

Yesturday I was talking with one of the pasotrs. He was telling me that in Russia, it is not easy to be a "born again", evangelical Christian. He informed me that the culture is not only agianst it, but hostile towards it! The Ortodox church and the government are still linked together. They have anit-evangelical commercials on tv. They warn people about the horrible "cult" of evangelical Christianity and protesantism. I have heard of people being fired from their jobs because someone found out they are a Chrisitan. As a result, there is a total lack of trust towards Christians. The good news is, that as believes live for Jesus, they demonstrate the truth about Jesus! Please pray for our brothers and sisters here, they face so many chalanges that we don't even have to think about in the USA. 

Well.... I'm writing this after a long week and a long day. So, please forgive me if I sound like I'm rambling. Carl and I are both excited about this last conference. We are both pretty tired, but the Lord is doing a good work. AND... we are both excited to come home soon to see YOU GUYS!!!