Dear Friends,
Please take a few moments to read
about Natasha. We have known her for 10 years and she has been working closely
with us for the last 4 years. She is in her first year of grad school, studying
languages, and is now proficient in 6 of them. She has a missionary call on her
life and has the opportunity to attend Iris school of missions in Mozambique
this summer.
Blessings,
John & Sara Russell
Here is her story:
I came to the Lord when I was seven years
old. Since I came from a non-Christian family, I had never heard about God or
Jesus previously. Several teachers in my elementary school were Christians who had
been sharing with me every day about Jesus and His love. During my first year
of school God has been constantly showing His love for me and revealing to me
that I was a sinner in need of forgiveness. Moreover, His love and mercy made
me realize that all the good I had in my life was not because of me or my
“goodness”, but because of Him and His tremendous love. By the end of my first
year at school I gave my heart to Jesus.
I have felt a call to missions on my life since I was a teenager. He
spoke to me through the passage in Matthew 16: 25 “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “
I believe that being a
Christian means losing ourselves inside of Jesus’ heart. And His heart is not
willing that anyone will die, but that each one comes to the knowledge of Him. Especially,
God has been putting on my heart third world countries and breaking my heart
for people who have nothing: rejected, abandoned, sick, poor, desperate ones. I
want to see them find their hope and future in Jesus, to witness God’s
miraculous power and to experience His unending love, mercy and grace. And I
want to dedicate my life to serve them using all my gifts wherever there is a
need.
Having an understanding that I am called to
ministry, I started my university studies in foreign languages with a purpose
to prepare myself for the mission field (in the picture on the left I am
translating at an evangelism camp for non-Christian children). Throughout my school and university years
I have been actively
involved in ministry being a Sunday school teacher, teaching
classes in women’s prison (in the picture on the right I am translating at
one of our outreaches in women’s ,
witnessing to drug-addicts in the streets, translating for missionaries and helping
as an administrative assistant (in the picture below I am talking to a
five-year-old boy Artur at our third annual Christmas feed-in).
prison) involved in ministry being a Sunday school teacher, teaching
classes in women’s prison (in the picture on the right I am translating at
one of our outreaches in women’s ,
witnessing to drug-addicts in the streets, translating for missionaries and helping
as an administrative assistant (in the picture below I am talking to a
five-year-old boy Artur at our third annual Christmas feed-in).
Now, after spending five years at university
studying languages God has opened a door for me to go to the Iris Harvest School
of Ministry in Mozambique. Besides spending time with Jesus in prayer and studying
God’s Word, we will be having classes on cross-cultural ministry, prophetic and
healing ministries and meeting different ministers and missionaries from all
over the world. Most important is that we will be able to put into practice
right away things that we have learned and received. Along with
One of my greatest inspirations is from Acts
3: 1-9:
“One day Peter and John were going up to the
temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame
from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was
put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter
and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him,
as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention,
expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not
have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s
feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he
went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as
the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and
they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”
My prayer and my dream is to spend all my
days for Jesus and to become His eyes, His feet, His hands for those who are
hungry and desperate; to be able to recognize and stop for the one and to give
him or her everything I have received from the Lord.
As well, I am very excited about this opportunity to learn from a very effective
ministry and people that have endured persecutions and even death threats for
the sake of Jesus and His beloved people; and at the same time have seen
multitudes coming to Christ, blind starting to see, deaf starting to hear, dead
raised up to life, captives set free and broken hearts mended.
I believe when God wants us to do something, He also provides us with
everything that we need and even more. While I was praying and seeking God’s
will for going to Iris School of Ministry I felt that He wanted me to do a step
of faith and to trust Him for everything: for my calling, my future and my
financial needs as well. Upon doing that step of faith I have started witnessing
God’s care for me and His provision. So far I have been able to pay my deposit
fee for Iris School. God has touched the hearts of several people and local
Estonian churches to support me financially and with prayer, and has opened
doors of some local churches for me to share about my trip. As well, I have
been able to get my vaccinations. I am still in need of total $6450.00 which
includes:
- school tuition and bush outreach: $3000
- round trip airfare: $2500
- living expenses in Mozambique: $750
- insurance: $200
Please pray for the nation of Mozambique, for the work of Iris
Ministries and for my mission trip. If God puts on your heart to support me
financially, it will be a huge blessing for me!
Thank you!
Natasha
Donations for Natasha:
checks made out to StreetCry w/
Natasha in the memo section and mailed to:
StreetCry
PO Box 162
Franklin Springs, GA 30639-0162
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