Happy New Year to you all! Our hope is that you all have the most joyous, most fruitful year of your lives in 2011!
The Christmas fee
d-ins in Estonia and Russia went well, with several coming to Jesus (see picture on the left) and a bunch more inquiring about rehabilitation. The Christmas event in Harku women's prison also went well. All together, about 650 people were ministered to and at least 6 came to Jesus. There were testimonies and the salvation message from the stage and we passed out written copies of the Christmas story in tract form.Special thanks to the pastors and helpers from Toompea 3 Church for the use of the building, equipment and staff for the event. To Victor and Anna Avdiakovy, Sven-Inge and Elim Church of Mantorp, for sending funding for gifts for the women in our prison ministry and gifts to many children we minister to including the ones from two orphanages! The chocolate was a big hit at all 3 events! You truly made the Christmas special for them and us!
Also to Ruthe Brookshire, the MacAnanny Foundation, Colleen Sherman, Jason and Kathy Roberson, New London Bridge Church, Marko Priks who all gave special donations for the feed-ins. They would not have occurred without your help. Also to the Bios band, Toompea 3 worship band, Ülo Lepik, Roma and Ira, Sergey and Zhenya, Katya, Tanya, Dasha, Olga and Natasha for the huge help they were! And thanks also to all who have generously helped the ministry this past year! We appreciate you and thank God for you!
It was our second annual Christmas feed-in in Estonia and fifteenth in Russia. Fifteen years ago, the Lord put it on our hearts to bring together the rehab centers from the St Petersburg area, to worship Him, marvel at His goodness over the past year and proclaim a harvest for the coming year. Over this 15 year period we have seen the vision for rehab centers grow and consequently the number of centers grows as well. Every year, we see more and more dedicated, praying, witnessing, on fire, Christian brethren being raised up to continue reaping the harvest. We know that running a rehab center and caring for ex drug addicts and alcoholics is a difficult, demanding and often thankless job, fraught with setbacks, lack of finances and much time spent on the knees! We have seen centers close down because of a lack of vision or lack of faith to continue. But we are excited by the Biblical faith and determination of many to continue with the vision that God has given them. We won't be rewarded by starting the race before us, but by finishing the race. And anything we can do to help each other finish, is something I believe the Lord is interested in promoting!
ESTONIA
The Feed-in was held in the same facility as last year, Toompea 3 Pentecostal church. Local church members again helped us with cooking, preparation of the food, setting up of the room, equipment, ushers, and greeters and so on. All a big blessing!At the feed-in to help minister were pastors; former drugs addicts from the local Christian community and representatives of most of the drug rehab centers in Estonia. This year a lot of people responded with the desire to be involved in helping with the event. Drug rehab centers helped with providing ushers and greeters and food. We had a group of brethren from Russia as well as our daughter Katya that came and ministered with us.
We also invited poor, needy, lonely, and hopeless people from the streets and drug addicts from the
five local methadone centers so we could share the joy of Christmas in the warm family atmosphere which most of them could not experience otherwise. Altogether more than 250 people were present. It was a beautiful time of worship and fellowship, bringing unity to the different ministries in the area; a time of giving hope to the needy who heard testimonies of lives transformed by the power of God. Three of them made a decision for Christ right there! Others received prayer and more than 20 inquired about rehabilitation.
Some brethren and an anonymous donor from Sweden donated gifts and knitted socks for the children. We were able to send some of the gifts to the children of the women that are presently doing their sentence in prison, also to an orphanage and to some poor families in Russia. This year a lot of people who came to the feed-in brought their kids with them (see picture above). Amazingly there were enough presents left to give to every child that came to the feed-in. Praise the Lord!Besides that, our ministry team had a chance to conduct a concert in Harku women’s prison (see
the photo below). This year the atmosphere was very different as the girls got more involved in worship. By the end there was such a strong presence of God as almost every woman got involved. There was such a release of joy that the place could have exploded in spontaneous praise if there were no guards. They were literally roaring for more worship - it was amazing. The guards who are usually very strict, let the worship team do one more song, after they had already said the event was over. We were able to give Christmas gifts to all the guards, which included a new book by Pastor Ago Lilleorg about the true meaning of Christmas. We shared several testimonies and the Christmas message with the girls assuring them in the love of God. We were able to give the girls nice presents as the Lord provided money for gifts and free chocolate from Sweden (which they were all craving for).The day of the concert in prison our sister Olga Ryazhskikh went to meet some friends in Tallinn. As they were walking, they saw a car that was stuck in the snow and stopped to help. Afterwards the driver offered them a ride. They accepted and on the way the woman driving started asking Olga about her life. Olga briefly shared her testimony and how the Lord has saved her from a life of drugs and criminal activity. She also mentioned that she is here in Tallinn to help with the feed-in and the concert for the girls in prison. The lady’s heart was touched since she herself had a husband who is now in prison. At the end of their ride she gave Olga money to buy fruit for the girls in prison. It was an amazing divine appointment as we had just used up all the funds designated for the prison, and had bought fruit, but wished we had more. God sees it all and supplies! Olga came with two shopping bags of kiwis to add to the tangerines and other food we were taking to prison. The girls in prison responded quite positively when we shared this testimony of God's love for them.
We had the blessing of having our daughter Katya with us during Christmas and New Year! She helped us with the feed-in and concert at the prison. Some of the girls in prison know her from her previous visits. Katya was able to talk with them and encourage them to pursue the Lord.On the way back to the States her flight from Chicago was delayed and she wrote us an e-mail:
“I’m in Chicago airport right now. Surprisingly I am not tired at all. I’ve been here for about 6 hours now. While boarding the plane in Sweden I met this girl, her name is Kiarra. She was super sweet and we started talking about what we were doing and where we were going to school. She was visiting her grandparents that live in Sweden for two months. We talked about everything from cultural stuff to parents, to school, to mission trips. She was Mormon, so I told her about Jesus. We had a great time together on the 9 hour flight. We landed in Chicago, went through the whole airport together, so I wasn't alone for the most part. We did get separated in customs, and security checking. Her flight was in 8 hours and I didn't get a seat on mine. So I had to wait for 6 hours for another flight. It went by really fast. This older black sister from a nondenominational church in Indy got a food coupon from the airline as her flight was canceled as well, and she had to spend it all at one place, so she went and got us food. It was so nice of her, and then later I got a coupon too. I had to use it all as well, so I went and got drinks from Starbucks for the whole row of people that were sitting next to me. They were thankful, and then everybody just started talking and getting to know each other, and the 6 hours passed really quickly. All of us were tired and completely exhausted but we had great conversations. I especially liked talking to Kiarra about Jesus. I love spending my Christmas like that! Serving people and loving them.”
RUSSIA
The Christmas Feed-in in St. Petersburg was held on January 7 (Russian Christmas is celebrated on January 7 and the holiday season goes all the way to January 14).
Compared to how things flow smoothly in Estonia, it was hard work and faith and determination by our Russian Christian brethren to make the feed-in a reality this year. Two families in our ministry in Russia really worked hard to make it happen. Basically, although the feed-in was the result of many people believing God and working together, it was ultimately the result of their personal faith. It was Sergey and Zhenya Abezin and Roman and Irina Kurshonkov (photo of all four of them and Sara above). There is such a strong vision for the harvest released at the feed-ins in Russia and a lot of intercession goes up to heaven for lost souls to be won during the coming year.This year there were 8 Christian rehab centers represented. There were a lot of new people in
the centers who were at the feed-in for the first time. Many were amazed at how many former addicts are now serving God. Their vision was hugely increased by seeing God work outside of their own environment. Several of the centers helped with transport and making food, as well as setting up and decorating the rooms. It was very encouraging to see everyone’s involvement and participation, the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The men and women from rehabs were such a blessing in helping to prepare for the feast! Several local churches also helped with equipment, greeting and serving food. It was the most participation we have ever had in Russia as far as other churches and ministries being involved.
The leaders of the rehab centers came forward and led the time of prayer. This year worship was led by Bios band who are our friends from a small town near St. Pete. It is so hard to adequately describe the atmosphere in the hall where more than 250 people are gathered who know only too well that if not for Jesus they would definitely be in the cemetery today but instead they are alive. Such a joy to worship the Lord with the ones who were forgiven much and now love Him much! Several people from different rehab centers shared powerful testimonies! We also had a powerful time of intercession for the harvest of souls in the year 2011.Irina invited a group of homeless people from the street (picture on the right), arranging with
the local police for them to ride on the subway for free to this event. The policemen were surprised, asking if it is true that people who want to feed the poor still exist. The homeless came, but some at first felt out of place being among redeemed and saved, even though all had similar backgrounds. How sad to the heart of God it must be that people would be among former drug addicts and prostitutes, but because of a strong spirit of rejection, they still feel out of place, although showered with love and acceptance! After the time of worship we were able to introduce them to the leaders of rehab centers. One of them spent time talking and sharing the Gospel with them. As a result two of them gave their hearts to the Lord.What these events do, among other things, is help people see that they are not just part of a rehab center, but also part of a big family of God and also gives added faith to them to keep on going further with God and to be used to help others get free from the clutches of the enemy. So, my personal feeling is that the feed-in is something God birthed, and important to Him. I felt that the Lord spoke to my heart saying that, "lives were saved because of the feed-in."
Sveta Moroz is continuing to minister to the kids in Mozambique. Christmas was quite a busy time for her and missionaries there as they had to prepare presents for all of the kids at the base. Please read news about Sveta in our next newsletter. Prayers for her health, well being, protection and wisdom are always greatly appreciated.More next newsletter! It is so exciting to serve the living God, the maker of heaven and earth, who was and is and is to come!
PRAYER POINTS:
• For physical and spiritual protection for our ministry, divine health and strength for all of us during the cold season
• Unity, love and wisdom for those in our ministry
• For Vera Saba’s paperwork (she has applied for residency in Finland)
• For the work in Estonia – more souls saved, drug addicts delivered and placed in the rehab centers, and for establishing a greater, stronger presence there
• For prison outreach in Estonia, for more salvations, deliverance from drug and other addictions, freedom from peer pressure and fear of men, for physical and emotional healing, renewing of the minds of the inmates who just got born again, for their spiritual growth and developing steadfast personal relationship with Jesus
• Some of the born again women in prison are having parole hearings soon. Please pray that they will be able to handle the outcomes with grace and trust in God. One sister is petitioning the President regarding her case. Please pray for His will to be done with this.
• For a breakthrough with an abundant supply of finances for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. We need more regular support. Every single person, church and ministry that gives to us helps our ministry to preach the Gospel. Every single donation is needed and received with much gratitude.
• For Sveta Moroz and her work among orphans in Mozambique. That she would have wisdom in her decision making and that she would walk in physical, emotional and spiritual victory.
Thank you again for all of your help! We love and appreciate you and thank God for you!
John and Sara Russell
for StreetCry Ministries
