work continues on renovating the ministry center. The windows and walls are in, next will be the ceiling. Later the floor, the doors and such. The workmen tell me they'll be done by the end of August. We're really looking forward to being able to use this facility for ministry.
One of the ongoing prayers that we have is for the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers into the harvest field of Eastern Russia. Whether the Lord raises them up in Russia or sends them from other lands, our greatest need is for those who will come and spend time among the people here. So we are delighted that another family will joining us in Khabarovsk. This is the Hinson family.
I've asked them to introduce themselves to you, and here is what they wrote:
Priviet from Minnesota! We are Steve and Amanda Hinson, soon to be joining the Eshelman family in Khabarovsk. We have three kids: Aurora (7), Riles (5), and Iva (1). All of us have been looking forward to this adventure for more than two years. Our call to Russia goes back to 1991, when we were only kids. Through the years, God has given us many confirmations and equipped us along the way as we found ourselves working among Russian immigrants in MN. Since marrying in 2001, we have been serving together in youth and music ministries and more recently children's ministry. Our family took a faith journey in 2006 to Moscow and St. Petersburg, where God sealed the call on all of our hearts, including our children's. We hope to bring our experience and skills as youth and children's pastors alongside our gifts in music and drama to reach Khabarovsk with Christ's love! We cannot wait to see what He has in store for all of us there!
We're looking forward to seeing them soon, as they already have tickets to arrive on August 22nd. Please pray that they experience no problems, and that God enables them to wrap up all the many details that need to be taken care of before their departure.
We mailed out our latest newsletter. http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/Newsletter%202010%20July.pdf
In early July our kids went on a service trip with a church youth group. They traveled by train to another city and worked with the elderly for ten days. Tim was assigned to a man who had memory problems, and repeatedly asked, "did you know that I worked in a mine for 15 years?" and would launch into a story about the mines. However, Tim did find some of the stories he told about blowing things up with dynamite rather entertaining. Vera had the experience of explaining the way of salvation in Jesus to an elderly person who decided not to pray. Vera was upset about it and said, "She was old and about to die, and still she didn't want to follow God." All three of our kids want to go again next year.
Here we are in front of the railway station getting ready for the kids to head off on the service trip.
On a very different note, two weeks ago the Bishop of the Pentecostal Union in Dagestan was assassinated two weeks ago. Dagestan is in Russia next to Chechnya, on the opposite side of Russia from us. It is very politically unstable. Please pray for the peace of Dagestan and for that family of the murdered Bishop.
If you'd like to write to us, our mailing address is:
Central Post Office
Box 2/36
Khabarovsk, 680000
Russia
Or just send us an email.
We've started a family vacation, and will be hiding out in a village in Siberia near where Tonya was born. No better way to get away from it all. But we'll check our email occasionally, and we'll be back in Khabarovsk in mid August.
Staying in Touch,
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna Eshelman
