Tomorrow we will start a week of camping on an island located between Khabarovsk and China. It is the same island we camped on last year, but the China/Russia border has moved and we will be even closer to China this time. This camp is organized by the church here and Tonya and Cecil will be counseling a group of boys (all energy). Timothy will be with a different group of boys. Vera will be camping too, but since she is too young to join a group she'll be staying in a tent with a young lady who will be watching her. The camp goes for one week. Please pray for our energy, and for every child at the camp to draw near to God.
There is a young lady named Zenia whom Tonya has been discipling. She has been coming to our home one evening a week this year. After meeting with Tonya for a while she decided to put her faith in Jesus, and later was baptized. She was doing very well until her brother died and she started drinking again. While we were in Novokuznetsk for two weeks she dropped out of church. Her home is a small house in the southern side of Khabarovsk, about an hour's drive from our home. One week we drove there, praying we would catch her at home (they don't have a phone). We found her awake and sober, she admitted that she had been drinking with her sisters constantly for the last two weeks, but now they were out of money. She came home with us. Two of the guys from a Christian rehab center happened to come to our home to help Cecil with a repair project that day, and we got them talking with Zenia. She visited their local center and talked with some folks there. She was willing to go through the program (it is like a Teen Challenge). When we went to get her things from her home her sisters tried to talk her out of it, but she remained committed (thankfully her mother was at work at that moment). On Thursday she got on a train (with one of the workers) and headed to a center in a different town that had an opening. We ask that you would pray for Zenia.and the center where she is (called "House of Life"). She has taken a big step, but the hard work is still ahead.
On the Sunday before we went to Zenia's home we were talking on the phone to a church that supports us. Well, we talked with the pastor while the congregation listened. It was 2:15 a.m. for us, but during the regular worship time for them. We mentioned Zenia's situation to them and they prayed. Afterward everything went so smoothly, I'm still amazed. Not every time that you pray for your missionaries do you see such an obvious answer, but know that your prayers for your missionaries are indeed answered.
Speaking if prayer requests, we've had several different sources ask about possible short-term missions teams coming to the Russian Far East. We are starting to explore some options, so please pray that the Lord would guide us in what kind of teams should come and how to host them so as to most effectively build the Kingdom of God here.
In addition to prayer requests, we also praise the Lord. He has been so good to us, and it is an honor to serve him.
Tim and Vera by a village well.
Blessings,
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy & Vera
