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

Belonging

Dear Friends,

we rejoice to tell you that as on Monday (January 14th), we received the documents finalizing Deanna's adoption. This is the main step in the process we've been going through as this makes her legally one of us. Of course there are more things to be done (change the her last name on her documents to Eshelman, get her a passport, etc.). She is an active child, speaks no English, fits in well with our family, and will turn seven on January 28th.

Oh, and she is learning to bake cookies.

January 7 is Christmas in Russia, and we fixed a big dinner for the folks at Open Heart Homeless Shelter. They now have 74 residents. We couldn't have done it without the help of our entire team. Aaron, Beth and Elf and our kids spend hours peeling carrots and potatoes and stewing the beef and boiling eggs and buying food and so on. Even with all the preparation the actual serving seemed like feeding the 5000. We told the Christmas story, and many of them had never heard it before. This center is such a miracle from God.

We've been having a Royal Ranger group meet in out home for several months now. Two different churches have adults who have been helping us lead it. We have five boys who belong to the group so far. Anyway, it was about time to do something outside the house. So on Saturday we took them to the woods. For several hours we went tramping through the snow, climbing hills, tending a fire, cooking sausages and having a generally great time.

The temperature was about -10 degrees F (-24 degrees C). We had to keep drinks next to the fire or they would freeze in short order.

Olga, our translator/secretary, has announced that she is getting married to a nice young Christian man. He works as the administrator of her church. However, along with this change, she has decided not to work for us any more. We know she will continue to work for the Lord, especially with Royal Rangers, which she has become very involved with. Olga, may the Lord bless your marriage and your future!

Announcing a prayer request. Aaron and Beth have joined with a couple (the husband is Russian and the wife is Chinese) to start an Alpha Course. They are gathering a small team and will have a planning meeting on Saturday to seek the Lord's direction in this regards. Please pray that the Lord send them the right people and that His hand be upon their efforts.

Lord willing, we will be coming to the States in June for a year of home service. We plan to start by attending Missionary Renewal (that's the new name for summer School of Missions) and then travel and speak. If you would like us to come to your church, just let us know.

With Love from the Russian Far East,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Holidays, Hearings and Warm Hearts

Dear Friends,

The preliminary hearing for Deanna's adoption went well. It was very business-like, neither hot nor cold. The final hearing was then scheduled for Dec. 27th. By the way, one of the things they required for the adoption is for Tonya to have her own source of income, so she's gotten a teaching position at the Baptists Seminary teaching English for three hours a week.

The final hearing for Deanna's adoption also went well. On January 10th the adoption certificate will be issued, making the adoption both legal and final. So we praise the Lord for how things have gone. Of course there will be more documents we'll be working on after that (getting the birth certificate amended, getting her Russian passport, getting a visa to the U.S., etc.).

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas to all of you. Actually Christmas in Russia isn't until January 7th (offices and schools will be closed). But our family celebrated Christmas on December 25th, even though Russian schools and banks are open on that day. We had a Christmas tree with presents under it (and with Tim's train running around it on the floor).

And what did we do with the presents?

Later that day we went to visit the kids at Orphanage #31. We did a Christmas presentation.

And on January 1st we went and just played a game of "Real Life" with them.

Since we are presently a foster family, the city of Khabarovsk gave us tickets to the circus for a special presentation to foster families a week ago Saturday. It was a great performance. Russia has declared 2008 to be the Year of the Family. We see this as a very positive development. While we know that government cannot create healthy families, it is good to see an interest among Russian leaders to do what they can.

On the morning of New Year's eve, Cecil, Timothy, Aaron and Beth went to the Chinese market in Khabarovsk and handed out New Testaments. We thought they could use some good reading materials for the holiday break.

Also on the list of events was Vera's birthday party (December 31). In Russia they set off fireworks in honor of her birthday (and maybe because of New Year's). Anyway, since it is 2008 she must be 8 years old. Here's a photo of some of the friends who came to her party:

If you've found our email updates interesting or entertaining, you may want to read from the blogs of our Khabarovsk co-workers. Aaron and Beth's can be found at http://aaronandbeth03.blogspot.com/ to read about how a young married couple is starting Royal Ranger ministries. Elf's can be found at http://elsbethpotter.blogspot.com/ to see what life for a single young American lady in a Russian dormitory is like.

If you ever come to Khabarovsk in the winter, we'll take you out to see the ice sculptures.

With warm hearts,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Conference over, Christmas to come

Dear Friends,

thank you for your prayers. Aaron and Beth have been issued visas to return to Russia, but the new visa law has placed new limitations on them. Their visas are multi-entry and good for six months, but of those six months they may only spend three of them in Russia. Therefore they will need to be outside of Russia for three of the next six months. We do not yet have plans in place for them for the time they cannot be in Russia. Please pray for us to have wisdom about what to do.

Our documents for Deanna's adoption have been received and a hearing has been set for December 21. They only require one more document: proof that Tonya has income. Although Cecil's income is well above the requirement for adoption, they want Tonya to show income as well. Please pray that Tonya can find a job in the next several days.

The pastor's conference went well. Attendance was 90 people, which is about twenty more than last year. Two of our speakers were Americans and both experienced divine assistance in receiving their Russian visas. We had several wonderful Russian speakers as well. Here is a photo of Kerby speaking to the group.

In addition to teaching and preaching we had time of fellowship, good food and worship. Here is a photo of a special game time. We introduced the pastors to some games that can be used to minister.

Those who attended seemed to be refreshed, built up and encouraged to return to their ministries. A great big thank you to all of our supporters. It was by your financial assistance that we were able to do this conference.

We've put up a Christmas tree. Christmas is a minor holiday in Russia (Elf has a final scheduled on Christmas day). Most Russians refer to Christmas trees as "New Year trees." But our tree is a "Christmas tree."

2008 is an election year for the president of Russia as well as in the States. A good link about the leading candidate in the Russian presidential elections is http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2007/gb20071211_494032.htm He has a reputation for being family oriented. Please pray for the Russian political process that God would give leaders who will strive for times of peace where we can worship the Lord in freedom and godliness.

Your Family in Russia,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera and Deanna

Trips and Trains

Dear Friends,

we had a wonderful time in Novi Orgal. Beth, Aaron and Elf have all learned to travel on Russian trains, and now can boast of having been on the Tran-Siberian railway. It was also Deanna's first trip on a train. Timothy and Vera helped show the newbies what to do.

A lady from church came along with us (shown standing between Elf and Beth). We were expecting to do outreach among some youth that we had met before, but none of them showed up. However, several other folks came to our meeting, and we felt quite successful. The entire team participated in speaking (with Tonya translating).

We also got to take a look at the new church building they are constructing for themselves. They've done a lot of work on the interior recently. Here's a photo of Cecil and Aaron in what will be their sanctuary.

They've also added a room on the back that will be a utility/furnace room. Over a year ago a church in the States gave an offering to help with the construction of this building. The Church in Novi Orgal has stretched those funds and have something to show for it. For more on this story look at our blog at http://eshelman.blogspot.com/2006_04_01_archive.html and http://eshelman.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html

Please pray for this church to grow, and for them to be able to hook up to electrical power soon.

Our team had a great Thanksgiving Day feast, with turkey and all the traditional dishes. We played games, put a puzzle together, told stories, and just had a wonderful family-like time together. No pictures though, we were just too relaxed.

We've about had our fill of sending out mail. Last month we were busy sending out invitations to the pastor's conference,

right now we are stuffing envelopes with our latest newsletter. You should be getting it in the mail in about two-three weeks. Please pray for the pastor's conference. It starts on Tuesday (in two days) and there are endless details to keep track of. Right now we have 92 people registered to be there (if you include Cecil and Tonya).

We have a couple of major prayer requests. Aaron and Beth are in Mongolia right now attempting to get new visas to Russia. There was a new law passed that is creating a great deal of confusion. In the past an American could get a visa in five days (or faster for an extra fee). On Friday I received the following email from them:

Cecil,

We took our documents to the Russian Consulate on November 29th.

On December 10th at 12:20 p.m. we will have an answer to whether or not the Russian Consulate in Ulan-Bator will issue us religious worker visas.

If the answer is yes, we will be issued visas that day.

But if the answer is no.....

We asked the man who took our documents why this information was still posted at the consulate: $200 per person for visas issued within 5 days. He replied, "Things change." (We gave him $400).

The man who took our documents had many questions for us. He first asked us, "Where is Novi Orgal?"

He especially seemed concerned that in working with Royal Rangers we are not working with the Russian Orthodox church.

Oh, we must do something about our return flights from Irkutsk to Khabarovsk on December 11th...

Please pray.

Aaron & Beth

We ask you to please pray that the Russian consulate will issue them their visas, and that they have no problem rescheduling their flight. This is a difficult situation, being in a strange country and not knowing what is going to happen.

Here is a photo of them on the train during our trip to Novi Orgal.

Also, tomorrow we submit an application (with all supporting documents) to a court for Deanna's adoption. Please pray that everything will be found to be in order and that no new problems arise.

Because of Him,

Cecil, Tonya, Timothy, Vera & Deanna