New year - Leap year - Election year

Dear Friends,

After sending out our last email update we noticed that we hadn't mentioned our Chinese New Year celebration. Beth has a burden for the Chinese population in Khabarovsk, and has been making contact with those who have a similar burden (including a Chinese believer who is able to translate from Russian). Chinese New Year is a big holiday for the Chinese, and Chinese university students here look for ways to celebrate. So Beth and her team organized a Chinese New Year outreach with games, testimonies and food (sure to bring in students). About five Americans, ten Russians and over twenty Chinese students showed up. They mixed together and had a great time.
Vera dressed up to help entertain the crowed.

Deanna got in the act too.

Elf told her testimony, which was fun since first it had to be translated into Russian, and then into Chinese!
The students loved the testimonies, and kept asking for more until all the Russian believers spoke.

Follow-up meetings will be held every Friday night. Please pray that the students would attend and come to know the Lord in a personal way.

Royal Rangers groups in our area continue to grow. There will be a leaders training held for three days with leap year day in the center. This is a very important event since all our leaders are new and have been asking for more instruction. Please pray that the teachers be empowered by the Holy Spirit to meet the needs of the leaders, and for the leaders to become inspired and equipped.

Here's Tim with one of his Royal Ranger buddies taking a walk on the River.

This year is a presidential election year in both the States and in Russia. Russia's election will be held March 2nd (this coming Sunday). The Russian election procedure is very different than what Americans are used to. Please pray for the process and the results.

Now for some big news. Aaron and Beth are expecting their first Child. Also, due to Russia's new visa law they will need to leave Russia for three months. They plan to continue their ministry in the Republic of Georgia (south of Russia, next to Turkey and Armenia and the Black Sea). We praise the Lord for the child they are having, and ask for prayers as they relocate to another country.

Also, please pray for Cecil as he goes to Mongolia to get a new visa for Russia. He will leave on March 5th for a three day ride on the train to Ulan Bator and will be in Mongolia for at least two weeks while the visa processes. So we're not sure when our next email update will go out. And don't forget to pray for Tonya and the kids while he is gone.

By His Spirit,
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Birthdays, Bridges and Blocks of ice

Dear Friends,

Deanna had her birthday on January 28th and turned seven years old. So we had a party. She asked for a star-shaped cake, so that's what Tonya baked.

She invited her friends and we played games.

We've gotten a bit involved with a local youth group. They were looking for new kinds of outreaches, so we taught them some ministry board games that we've successfully used in our orphanage ministry (games like "Real Life"). They loved it and have been bringing their friends in, and the group is growing.

Just think, ministry can be fun.

The Amur river freezes over in the winter, so we've been taking walks on it (but not walking over to China, just to one of the nearby islands). The surface of the river is broken up with pressure ridges and goes on for miles. One time we took our Royal Ranger group on a hike across the river. Don't worry, the ice beneath our feet is over a meter thick. Here is Tim sitting on one of the ice ridges that is jutting up. And yes, that is a large coal-fired plant in the background.

And here is the rest of the family out on the river.

Cecil has been busy editing video files from the Pastor's Conference we hosted in December. He's now making copies for all the pastors of the teaching from the conference. They are looking forward to getting them.

Tonya has been heading up our ongoing ministry at a local orphanage. They have just completed a course and will be starting a new curriculum. The Lord has really given us some open doors and we've been able to stay in touch with some of them who graduated last spring. Please pray for us as we start this new course.

There will be a training for Royal Ranger leaders starting on leap year day. Aaron and Beth have been helping get new outposts started and there is a growing need for training. Please pray for the training that weekend, that the leaders would be encouraged and equipped to help their youth.

The Royal Ranger outpost that meets in our home had a cookout with a local church, as we hoped to let folks know more about what Royal Rangers is (it's like a Christian Boy Scouts) and to perhaps recruit some new members and leaders.

In March Cecil will go to Mongolia to get a new visa. The visa regime in Russia has really gotten much more difficult lately. He plans to take the train to Mongolia this time. Please pray that everything will go smoothly.

Some things really make you wonder. An entire 200-ton metal bridge was stolen from the outskirts of Khabarovsk one night. The police still haven't found out who did it, or how a bridge could be stolen so quickly.

Please pray for Cecil as he is working on another newsletter and needs some inspiration (or perspiration, or something like that) to get it written and mailed out.

Things never get too boring here.

Peace be with you,
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna