Final Work Before the Return

Dear Friends,

we're sprinting toward July 18th, when we head back to see the States for the first time in three years. Looking forward to seeing family and friends again. We plan to take some vacation time, then head to North Carolina to start itinerating churches and reporting of the work in Russia.

Right now the girls are at camp. Timothy went to camp last weekend in Komsomolsk, and I ended up driving the six hours (one way) with a Speed-the-Light van load of wonderful youth. We had a great time. Tonya got to translate for me the three times I preached last week-end. The young people were incredibly responsive and the Holy Spirit moved among them.

Earlier this month we took a trip to the Jewish Autonomous Region (just west of Khabarovsk). We toured the museum that tells it's very interesting history. On Sunday I preached in a church that had born-again Jewish members.

After the service they took us to a picnic and put a hat on my head.

We participated in the "March for Families" that took place about a month ago. We were one of four families in the city recognized for having adopted a child.

As a note to homeschooling, we watched the transit of Venus. Although there were a lot of clouds, we got a number of clear views of Venus against the sun during the passage. Here in Northern Asia we were able to watch it from beginning to end. A couple weeks before that we got to watch a solar eclipse. Here's a photo of us viewing the eclipse by projecting an image through binoculars onto a piece of paper (note: the light part is the sun, the dark spot is the moon).

The "Open Heart" homeless shelter that we work with has had a number of young single homeless moms start to live there. The shelter's work certainly is expanding. They are building more rooms for mothers and families.

Be sure to check out our latest newsletter -

Our latest newsletter has just been written and printing is beginning. If you see any mistakes, please let me know right away and I'll stop the press to correct it.

http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/Newsletter%202012%20June%20pdf.pdf

Here's an amazing article about Russia's history, present times, and Khabarovsk. It's written by a Catholic priest and what he found after communism in Russia.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2012/06/when-the-priests-returned-to-russia/

We haven't seen smoke ourselves, but they say say there's fire.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/fires/main/world/20120626-russia.html

Abortions are all-to-common here in Russia. So we know many who carry feelings of guilt about it. This article shows a beautiful piece of art that ministers to many women.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/heart-rending-young-slovakian-sculptor-captures-post-abortion-pain-mercy-an

The girls have a great time playing hid-and-seek this spring.

Blessings,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Diana

Things are warming up

Dear Friends,

last weekend the temperature finally rose above freezing for the first time this year. Yeah! And the temps have stayed warm, so now the snow is melting and making rivers in the streets.

Yesterday at Hope Center we had two different visits by police. The first was the local policeman who just came with some strange questions about whether we were involved with a certain Japanese cult, otherwise no problem. The second visit was with three women (two officers and a teacher); they were very hostile. It was during "game night" ministry and thankfully we had written permission from the parents of younger children. We don't try to get kids to come (we target orphan graduates), but some younger kids have been coming on their own. This delegation was investigating a family, and since their children attend our game nights, decided to investigate us as well. Tonya handled it, but it was very unpleasant and they made various accusations. So we don't know what is going on, but one of our volunteers said that with all the attention, we must be doing something right. Please pray that these visits from government officials would stop.

Today Tonya went to visit the family that is being investigated (she had visited once before to get a note from them). The mother is a widow and the children are ages 12, 7, and 5. She has a low-paying job, and often has to work during the game night times. She told Tonya that she really appreciates us letting her kids come, and they always come home happy from it. She also said the same officers that visited us came to her and told her that her parental rights would be terminated if she lets her children to continue attending the game nights without her. We hope she finds a way to come with her children.

By the way, if you think the threat to take away her children is simply an idle threat, you are wrong. Things like that happen here, and this family doesn't have finances or legal assistance to fight such a thing. Please read "The Orphan factory," which is written by a Russian, at http://orphancareresources.org/resource/orphanfactory

Five months ago I submitted documents to receive a permanent resident permit to live in Russia. This is my second try. Please pray that it will simply be approved without any last-minute demands. My temporary resident permit is only good for one more year, so getting a permanent resident permit is very important.

At the beginning of March, Deanna got a new "desk mate" at school named Dasha. Russian school desks are made for two students to sit side-by-side. Dasha and Deanna were good friends, and were glad to be assigned together. The end of that week was a holiday, with an extra day off from school. After the holiday Dasha's parents came to collect her personal things from the school. Dasha had gotten food poisoning and died. Deanna was shocked by the sudden death of her friend (as was the whole class), and is processing the finality of death. She now understands that any of us can be taken suddenly. Please pray for Dasha's family and for the class.

Our latest newsletter is posted on the internet. Take a look at http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/Newsletter%202012%20February.pdf

Tonya is asking for prayers for boldness. She's been facing various situations that require her to be strong. So please pray for her (and I) to be courageous.

We want to praise the Lord that we are seeing an increasing interest among believers here to start foster families and to minister to orphans. The Lord has given us a wonderful team of helpers, many of whom are developing ministries of their own. Your prayers are being answered. Thank you.

The Life Skills classes continue to go well.

Food is the favorite activity, but we also do other things every week. The latest activity we've added is knitting (can you believe they enjoy it?)!

A couple weeks ago a church invited our family to go on a picnic. It was a great time.

The food was delicious.

The icicle was, well, cold? (That's Vera trying out the plain-flavored icicle.)

By the way, we tallied up the votes, and photo number two is definitely the most popular ( see http://eshelman.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html )

There was an Orphan care conference in Cary, NC, called Pure Religion. For those who are interested, you listen to it at http://orphancareresources.org/resource/article/73798

We rejoice in the Lord for your interest in what God is doing in the Russian Far East.

In Christ,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Filled with Thanks!

Dear Friends,

winter has arrived, which means it's time for thanksgiving. We had had a
great thanksgiving, with lots of friends over for a feast. After the feast the
kids put on a play while I read the thanksgiving story from a children's history
book.

On Sunday evening we put on a Thanksgiving feast at Open Heart Homeless
Shelter. My area director and his wife, Rick and Dianna, were in Khabarovsk to
have Thanksgiving with us. So we asked Rick to speak before the meal (Tonya
translated). It was a powerful sermon. And then we served the homeless beef,
rice, gravy, pumpkin pie, cucumbers, hard boiled eggs, oranges, bread, tea, and
cookies. What a blast.

The week before Thanksgiving we hosted a Life Skills teacher training
seminar. This is a key part of what we feel God has directed us to do with
orphans in Russia. Three teachers came from the Ukraine (one Mexican, one
American, and one Ukrainian) to train us in how to teach life skills to youth
and orphans. The Russian orphanage system sends children to school, so they
learn book knowledge, but usually no one trains them about the basics of how to
live. So after graduation most of them fall into destructive life styles. This
Life Skills training is a Christian answer to this need. So the group that
attended are now equipped to minister in this area. Please pray for doors to be
open and opportunities to arise. Here is a after-training photo:
Talking about training, the Moscow Theological Institute has graduated 17
students in Khabarovsk. Each of them is receiving a government recognized
four-year degree.

Oh, yes, about those parasites. It seems that, after further testing, that
two of us who they thought had parasites in the gall bladder have some other
minor problem that can be fixed by drinking mineral water and resting on a hot
pad. I can handle that. So, only one of us needs to have any further
treatment. I guess we can call that progress of the strangest kind, but we are
thankful!

We're in the process of sending out our November newsletter. Have a sneak
preview at http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/Newsletter%202011%20November.pdf

Because of Christ,
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Baptism, Islands and News

Dear Friends,

finished our latest News Letter. I'm printing them and getting hard copies in snail mail, but you can have an electronic version now. Check it out on our web site at http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/NL%202011%20July.pdf

We just got back from AGWM's Eurasia retreat. It is once every three years. Workers from all over the Eurasia area attended. The teaching was very applicable, the worship wonderful, and the fellowship very refreshing.

At the retreat our older daughter, Vera, received baptism in water. She was baptized by Omar Beiler, our Regional Director, who has been like a pastor to our family for a long time.

While the conference was for professional training, we added a couple days onto the trip for family. Here we are standing in the middle of the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world.

Without even trying, we've managed to move closer to the Chinese border. Actually, the border moved closer to us. China and Russia (and the USSR before that) have had a long-standing border dispute over the islands in the Amur River. Russia has given some portions of the islands to China. Our home was only 21 miles from China before, now I'm not sure exactly how close we are.

Talking about Islands in the Amur River, the rest of the family are at a church camp this week. Tonya is serving as a cook while Tim, Vera and Deanna are participating in the kids program. I'm staying home to work on some needed projects.

Leah has returned to the States. We're very pleased and proud of the work she did here in Khabarovsk. We hope she comes back some time, but are praying the Lord's will for her future, wherever He may lead.

If you're not already planning to come to Russia, but feel a desire to serve the Lord here, just let us know! The opportunities are endless and the needs are great.

The Lord be with you,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera, and Deanna

Victory Day, and other victories.

Dear Friends,

the orphan seminar we organized went very well. There were several speakers, and all did an excellent job. We enjoyed the interaction as well as the quality of information that was presented. Thank you for your prayers. We hope to host an even larger seminar in the fall.

Earlier this month we asked for prayer that the materials for an anti-drug, anti-smoking program be released from customs. The materials were released, but it cost us much more than we expected. We rejoice that this resource is now available here, and will continue to pray for government officials in Russia.

This weekend we traveled to Novi Orgal. We've been there before to assist with the construction of a church building. This time we were able to hold services there. While the building still isn't finished (still needs a heating system, proper windows, etc.), we're glad to see the progress, and to use it as a place of Worship. This was the first time Leah has traveled on a Russian train, so she got to experience a 14 hour train ride and see a little part of the Trans-Siberian railway. That's her by the train with our kids.

The week before last, we had a visiting professor from Moscow over for dinner. We invited him to speak at Open Heart homeless shelter. He took up the offer, and he spoke to the residents before dinner. Here he is preaching in their summer cafeteria.

He also was given a tour of the center. Presently they are building a bathhouse and laundry facility. It will have some housing/storage on the second floor. Looks like they still need a roof put on it.

Can't forget to mention, Timothy turned 13 this month. He's a big boy now. He had some friends over for pizza, then we all went to the circus.

The 9th of May is one of the biggest holidays in Russia: Victory Day. Never heard of it? It is the date that Nazi Germany was defeated. For the Russians, the war was over. In this photo you can see some troops preparing to lay a wreath in front of this statue. Guess who the statue is of. Yes, if you said Lenin, you were right. Anyway, we joined in some of the celebrations for Victory Day.

The part of Victory Day my kids enjoyed the most was climbing on the military equipment. Here are Vera and Deanna climbing on an old Katusha rocket launcher.

Earlier we asked for prayer in regards to a lawsuit brought against a local church here in Khabarovsk. The church has appealed, and things are now working their way through the legal system. The pastor continues to shepherd his flock at this church, despite the difficulties.

We also have some information about the situation in Novokuznetsk with Tonya's home church.

Tonya's pastor writes:
At the beginning of this year, our church set a goal to pray for a spiritual breakthrough in different areas. At the time, little did we realize what was coming. One after another, we faced numerous attacks which resulted in four different court cases. We thank God for your faithfulness in prayer, and we'd like to ask if you would please pray that God would give us victory in all these situations according to Isaiah 54:17: no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.

1) We have a very good relationship with the city administration in Novokuznetsk. However, in Ossineke, the neighboring city where we have the Teen Challenge Center, there are some government officials who are still trying to close the program. We've had some victories in court, but the battle still continues. There are a few more court cases that will take place in the near future.
2) We're defending an orphan who attends our church and was robbed by a group of men in February of this year. We tried to seek help from the police, but they in turn accused the youth pastor from our church as if he were trying to steal from orphans. It's shocking to see that the police are covering up this crime and are trying to shift the attention away from the criminals and blame the church. We've learned that this type of corruption is prevalent throughout the country. Please pray for the investigation going on right now that God would expose all who are involved in this crime against orphans.

3) We're battling in court for the right to use the land around our church building. The land is owned by the government and by law is to be shared equally by the owners of the buildings. Our neighbor organized an illegal paid parking lot next to our building and is charging the congregation for parking. We're asking the court to close the paid parking lot which will allow us not only to have free parking, but also to bring in a crane to reconstruct the church's roof.

4) The former owner of our church building has illegally obtained documents stating that he is the owner of two rooms within our church building. Recently, he took the church to court saying that we have to reconstruct our sanctuary so that he has easier access to his rooms. In the hearing process, by mistake their lawyer submitted to the judge the false documents which can now be used against them. Please pray that the judge will revoke their falsified ownership papers, and that the church will gain ownership of the two rooms.

We thank you for your ongoing prayers for these things.

Kerby Rials, who served with AGWM in Russia, has created a great new resource for us. It is a book explaining the differences between Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches. The Title is "Three Great Churches." He has made an audio book from it (in Russian), that is available for free from his web site. If you know a Russian or plan to visit Russia, feel free to give away copies of the audio book.

http://web.me.com/kerbyrials1/The_Three_Great_Churches/RUSSIAN.html [If that doesn't work, go to www.rials.org, click on the "ORDER BOOK" link next to the picture of the book (lower left hand corner) and then at the next page, click on RUSSIAN at the top.]

You can also order the book itself (English or Russian). If you can't read Russian on the web site, click on the "English" link.

One more prayer request:

A group a pastors recently approached me about what they feel God has instructed them to do this summer. Between Komsomolsk-Na-Amure and Nikolyevesk-Na-Amure there are over eighty population points (most are very small, and some can only be reached by boat in summer). They feel led to do evangelism in every point. This region is called the Lower Amur; along the Amur River from Komsomolsk to where it flows into the Sea of Okhotsk (near the Sea of Japan). Here's a map. Most of the people that live here belong to minority groups, many of which are listed as unreached people groups. This whole outreach is a vision given to the local churches, I am honored to be invited to participate. We will start in June, and I hope to go with one of the teams.

We've previously mentioned the Hosanna plan for Russia. It now has it's own place on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/HosannaPlanRussia

In His Grip,

Cecil,Tonya, Timothy, Vera, and Deanna

Developments

Dear Friends,

many of those who pray for our ministry have expressed concern about the situation in Novokuznetsk (where Tonya was born, and where her parents live). There have been some developments I would like to let you know about. Thank you for praying for the Source of Life, Teen Challenge Siberia. In less than two months this ministry has had approximately 20 various inspections with the intent to close the program. It started with the fire safety inspection, followed by the sanitation department. After that came inspections from the FSB (formerly KGB), criminal police, economical fraud investigation, center of extremism, etc. All of these inspections were initiated by the local prosecutor’s office because they received complaints from a person who hates the Teen Challenge program.

However, none of these inspections, except for the sanitation department, found any reason to close the program. The most serious offense that the sanitation department found was that there were no written instructions on the wall by the washing machine on how to do laundry and in the kitchen on how to wash dishes. The inspection from the sanitation department took place on Feb. 7. On Feb. 15, they came up with a protocol and rushed it to court. On Feb. 18, the judge ruled to close the program for 90 days. The decision was made with such major legal mistakes that the law enforcement unit could not start the process of closure. They actually had to change the decision twice because of mistakes. Last week, on March 16, the law enforcement officers came to the Teen Challenge center with the written order to close the program. On that same day, the sanitation inspector came for the second time and documented that all the regulation "offenses" were corrected.

Consequently, the law enforcement officers could not close the program, and they put the decision on hold.

On March 26th, the Teen Challenge program won in court, cancelling the original ruling to close the program. The decision of this court case is crucial because it is legal proof that the prosecutor's office is abusing its authority and applying pressure illegally.

In regards to the seven young men came into the church and threatened to kill the youth pastor, the police have not officially found any of them. The situation of the orphan who had his bank book taken by this gang is still not resolved.

Despite these disruptions to this church, they continue to minister. The church hosted a "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames" drama three weeks ago, where 80 people repented. The Teen Challenge program has not stopped ministering to the drug addicts, and many are finding new life there. Thank you for your ongoing prayers.

The 8th of March is International Women's Day. Never heard of it? It is one of the bigger holidays in Russia. Tonya hosted a "Woman's Tea" at Hope Center and the ladies had a wonderful time. Timothy and Vera are home-schooled, and they invited their Russian language tutor and their German language tutor, both of whom attended.

They had several activities.

Leah, who has come to help us and is an American student in a nearby University, has been keeping a web log of her adventure. Take a glimpse of her adventure at http://leahclose.blogspot.com

Movie nights are Hope Center are catching on. We are now often having about twenty people in attendance, with new people every week. The Lord continues to provide us with new wholesome and spiritual films in Russian. Popcorn anyone?

Steve and Amanda, who are presently studying Russian in preparation for long term work in Russia, were music pastors and worship leaders in the States. They are doing some teaching for pastors and worship teams. It's been really helpful to the churches here in Khabarovsk, and pastors and worship leaders are excited about what they are learning. Here is Steve teaching while Tonya translates.

We have a special prayer request. We have been doing monthly birthday parties for the orphans in one of the local orphanages. A group from the local Baptist Church have been doing weekly Sunday School lessons in the same orphanage. Recently an Orthodox Priest put pressure on that orphanage, and the Baptists are no longer permitted to minister there. We are hoping to appeal to the Director to allow them to start the Sunday School again, but are not sure the best approach. Please pray for us to have wisdom, and favor with the director and staff.

We are in the process of mailing out our latest newsletter, we've also posted it on the web at- http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/news2011March%20.pdf

As a human interest story, when we returned to Russia from furlough this last time we brought a peanut butter maker with us (peanut butter is a rare commodity here). By trial and error we have discovered that if you roast the peanuts before putting them into the machine the peanut butter has a much better flavor. However, the last time I roasted the peanuts I forgot to set a timer, and the peanuts were, well, not quite ashes. I went ahead and put them into the machine and the resulting peanut butter has the pleasing aroma of campfire smoke. I have labeled my new batch as "fireside blend." Our peanut butter sandwiches have never tasted the same. Its actually not too bad if you have some hot chocolate with it, and you pretend to be camping.

Oh, yesterday was so WARM! It got up to about 40 degrees F. The snow is melting off and little streams are flowing down the streets. Muddy, but delightful. Maybe I'll really go camping.

May the joy of the Lord be your strength today!

In Christ,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Newsletter and More

Dear Friends,

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

Guidence in the Midst of Chaos

Dear Friends,

right now I'm on a jet flying over the Ukraine from Moscow, Russia, to Chisinau, Moldova. This is my second trip to Moldova, but this time I am travelling with my family.

I arrived back in Khabarovsk on January 7th in time for Christmas (in Russia Christmas is January 7th!). It was a wonderful reunion, and I brought presents from my trip to Moldova. We also opened some gifts that had been mailed to us.

Our hope was that my resident permit would be approved by this time, but it was not. Since visas to Russia (other than student visas and work visas) require you to be out of the country for 90 out of every 180 days, I've needed to leave Russia again. Once I receive my resident permit, that will no longer be a problem.

The annual training for the AGWM Russia team will be held in Egypt this year, February 28 to March 7th. So we've decided to stay in Moldova and go straight to the training before we go back to Khabarovsk. This will be more cost effective. We'll be involved in ministry in Moldova mostly in the same way I was doing ministry my previous trip, by preaching and doing a bit of handy-man help around the Home of Hope. Russian is commonly spoken in Moldova, and we're ready to help out however we can.

During the last few days I was able to work out some of the last details in the purchase of the property for the Far East Ministry Center. The legal details have been rather complicated, making sure everything is done right by both Russian and American law, and learning the Russian side of the law has been an education to me.

God has really amazed me with how sovereign his guidance is even when I have felt clueless and ignorant. We scoured real estate listings and looked at over thirty properties, but the one we settled on we found through a "chance" encounter with a pastor who has just "heard" about a property that was going to be listed. I have no control over the visa situation, but the Lord is able to use it. When I purchased tickets for my first trip to Moldova, I had a long lay-over scheduled in Moscow. Just before the trip I discovered that some legal documents would need to be taken care of in Moscow, and so during the lay-over I was able to take care of those. Actually, it took longer than expected and I would have missed my flight but the departure was delayed, and so I was O.K. Then after returning to Khabarovsk I found out that I needed to have the local church union make an official vote on the matter (since it is being put in their name). Their official business meeting just happened to be scheduled during my short stay in Khabarovsk, but I didn't know that when I arranged my schedule. The Lord really is Lord, even of all our human doings. Proverbs 3:5-6 is so true.

A few days ago we sent the kids - Tim, Vera and Deanna - to go buy themselves a treat at the store. The weather was kinda cool, about minus 10 degrees F, but not unusual for January in Khabarovsk. They ate their treat as they walked back from the store, so we asked them what they had gotten. When they replied that it was ice cream, I asked why they didn't wait until they were home to eat it. "Well," said Tim, "we were afraid it would melt." Tonya and I laughed so hard it hurt. It was a good break from the tension of packing.

We also took a family day and had a picnic and went skating and cross country skiing with some friends at an outdoor rink. And yes, Tim is taller than his mother (he's not standing on anything).

Yum, yum. There's nothing like a winter Russian bar-bee-que.

Another thing we did while I was home was print our latest newsletter. A friend is to drop in the mail for us, so if you get our snail mail newsletters, you should get yours soon. I've posted a copy of it in pdf format.

The girls want me to share this picture that Deanna took of Vera and one of their Christmas gifts: a guinea pig. They named him Teddy.

Today is January 16th. I don't have any internet connection right now, and I'm not sure exactly when I'll get one. I'll post this entry as soon as I'm able.

Peace to All of You,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

In Russia Alone

Dear Friends,

I am writing this email while sitting in our apartment in Russia. I arrived on the 14th and my luggage arrived on the 16th of September. The rest of the family is staying in North Carolina until Deanna is able to travel. I plan to return to North Carolina in four weeks to be with them again (I'm already looking forward to it). We hope to all be in Russia before the end of October.

Deanna continues to heal well, and is in great spirits. Thank you so much for your prayers.

One thing that we did during my last week in the States is write another newsletter. It is posted in pdf format at http://hqmail.agmd.org/~cecil.eshelman/NL2009September.pdf

Please pray for Tonya as she stays with Timothy, Vera and Deanna. She'll be leading home schooling (which we expected to start in Russia, but, well, it's time for school to start even if they're still in the States).

I'll try to stay in touch while I get our household set up and tend to some other tasks in Khabarovsk. One goal is to get everything ready to submit an application for a Russian resident permit (like an American "green card"). If I can get a resident permit, I won't need to keep applying for new Russian visas.

Blessings,
Cecil

Writing and Speaking

Dear Friends,

we're in the endgame of raising our support to be able to return to Russia, with about 93% of our budget raised. We're not done, however, so please continue to pray for us to receive the remainder or our required support quickly, so that we can return to Russia by the end of August. Also, we'll be travelling quite a bit in July, speaking in churches to broaden our support base. In July we'll be speaking in Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina (both in the Mountains and the Outer Banks). Please pray that we'll be able to minister to those we speak to, that our travels will be safe, and that we would remain refreshed rather than exhausted.

We've been trying to do a bit of writing in addition to speaking. An article about the Open Heart homeless shelter has been published in Faces of Eurasia. You can see it by clicking on http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/FacesofEurasia_June_09.pdf where we've posted it on our web site. Also, we're mailing out our latest newsletter. We've put a copy on our web site and the link is http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/NL2009June.pdf or you can go to our home page at http://eshelman.info and find them there along with copies of other articles and newsletters (if you have problems with the web site, let us know and we'll email you the materials). Please pray that these mailings would generate increased support for both us and the homeless shelter.

Deanna, Vera and Timothy have finished their school year well. We're very proud of them. They've also done a good job of putting up with their parents and going to all kinds of places and churches. Lately they've even been speaking in children's churches. Here they are at a scenic overlook.

We are hoping to Return to Russia by the end of August. Three main things need to happen before we are able to depart. First, we must raise sufficient financial support to meet our budget. Second, Cecil need to receive a Russian Visa. Third, we need to buy our tickets. We really can't buy the tickets until the first two things happen. Since flights into Khabarovsk are often booked several weeks in advance, everything will need to fall into place just right for us to be in Khabarovsk before September.

This year of itineration we've been staying in a "mission house" provided by Calvary Church in Greensboro, NC. They purchased the house (which is right next to the church) for missionaries to stay in when they are State-side. It has been a real blessing to us. So Tonya cooked a Russian meal for the staff, with a variety of Russian foods just like you might get in Russia. If you'd like the recipes, just let us know.
This month several of the young people we worked with in Russia will be leaving the orphanage system. We've been unable to stay in touch with them over the last year so we don't know if they have any plans for the future or any place to stay (we're quite certain most of them will be homeless). We're not sure how we could find them once we return to Russia. Please pray that the Lord would shelter them under the shadow of His wing.

Faith and Blessings to You All,
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Merry (second) Christmas

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas! Yes, today is Christmas in Russia. They celebrate Christmas on January 7th due to the Orthodox Calendar.

We already celebrated Christmas in Canada while visiting friends there. Tonya supervised making a traditional Russian food called palmeni. Steve Pike, left, was the best man at our wedding (Oh, so long ago).
We went for walks in the outside (with plenty of snow) and also sledding. Yeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!
Not only did Canada provide a white Christmas for us, but we were able to get a new entry for Deanna (who doesn't have U.S. citizenship yet); so she is now legal to stay in the States until June 25th. The line at the border was long, but the officials were friendly, so it was no problem. Praise the Lord.

The World Missions Summit was a blast. We arrived early to help set up, didn't have a moment of rest once the Summit started, and helped take down afterward. One of the highlights for us was the Eurasia Experience, where Cecil played the role of an Orthodox Priest and the kids played the role of beggars in the marketplace. We were to busy to even get photos, sorry. We also got to talk with a lot of folks who were interested in missions. There were almost 4,000 attendees, plus over 400 missionaries. Another WMS highlight was meal-with-a-missionary where we got to sit down and enjoy four meals with a tables-full of young folks who were interested in hearing about missions. They asked some great questions and graciously listed to our stories.
Please pray for the folks who were there that the Lord would guide them to take their place in His Kingdom.

Our girls were fascinated with the gingerbread city put up in the front lobby of our hotel.
Vera's birthday was New Year's Eve, and so we told her we had invited 4,000 students to come to her birthday party. She decided to celebrate with her friends this coming weekend.

Before we headed out of town we were able to mail out our latest newsletter. It is now posted on the web at http://101649.agwebservices2.org/SiteFiles/101649/Content/Newsletter/Newsletter%202008%20Fall.pdf If you have any problems finding, just let us know and we'll email it to you.

After speaking in a December service at Christian Life Center in Gibsonville, NC, we got a family photo by the tree.
We will be travelling and giving missions services until we return to Russia. Please pray that our schedule would be full and for the services to be spirit filled.

Merry (Second) Christmas,
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Steps and Missions

Dear Friends,

we finally got our last newsletter posted on the internet. We think it actually looks better in the hardcopy form than when seen in a web browser. But if you'd like to see it take a look at http://hqmail.agmd.org/~cecil.eshelman/nl2008summer/NL2008summer.html

First, a praise report. We were able to get a visa to Canada for Deanna for Christmas. When we first applied they told us to send more documents. So we got the documents together and took a quick trip up to Washington D.C. We were speaking in a church in Virginia on Sunday a week and a half ago, and the kids didn't have school on Monday (teacher's work day), so we all went together. It took three hours of waiting at the Canadian Consulate, but they did issue the visa. Since Deanna needs to leave the States every six months (she doesn't have U.S. citizenship yet) this will help keep everything legal. Praise the Lord we don't need to get her airline tickets all the way back to Russia for Christmas.

We also went for a walk around the capital and visited the Air and Space Museum. At the Air and Space museum, Timothy pondered becoming a missionary to Mars.
Every time Vera would see a U.S. flag, she would stop and say the Pledge of Allegiance. Do you have any idea how many U.S. flags there are in D.C.?

From time to time we hear from Jason, who is in Khabarovsk. He's studying Russian, ministering to students, and holding things together for us while we are gone. Things seem to be going well for him. Please pray for him that the Lord would send him good friends, empower his work and give him clear direction from day to day. Jason has started keeping a blog at http://redroses4russia.blogspot.com/

Our Calendar of speaking engagements is filling up nicely, especially for Sunday morning services. We have something scheduled every Sunday from now to the middle of February (even the Sunday after Thanksgiving and the one before Christmas). This is good since the more we get around the more likely we will raise our financial support to return to Russia next summer (our target date of return is August 2009). Please pray that the schedule keeps filling up, that the services are times where the Lord moves and ministers, and that God meets all our needs.

The World Missions Summit is coming up over New Years in Ohio, and we plan to be there. The WMS is a tri-annual gathering of students and missionaries (although anyone can come). This year they expect over 5,000 students and over 400 missionaries to meet in Cincinatti. The purpose is to expose young people to the call of God and the concept of foreign missions. There will be "Meals with a Missionary" where you get to eat with a missionary and discuss subjects. There will be displays, booths and special events. Cecil will by playing the part of an Orthodox priest during the Eurasia Experience (so he's been asked to grow a beard). If you're interested and want to learn more, check out their web site at http://theworldmissionssummit.ag.org/conf_info.cfm

On a personal note, Deanna is learning to ride a bike.
And Vera got to ride a pony. Although we expect to be home schooling when we return to Russia, the kids are attending public elementary school now. Things are going well. Deanna is learning English very quickly in 1st grade. Vera is in advanced Math classes in 2nd grade. Timothy is making the "A and B" honor roll in 4th grade.

Well, it looks like it's time to start writing another newsletter. Please pray for us to have inspiration to write an exciting (or at least interesting) letter.

In His Grace,
Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna Eshelman