Dear friends, we hope you and your families had a wonderful time during Christmas! Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. We can't thank you enough for praying for Katya and her health as well as for us to be strong during her sickness. It has been a time of real
desperation, but God is faithful and He was always so near.We are happy that Katya is with us now here in Tallinn. The Lord has provided a temporary office job for her until she starts university here. Her headaches have not returned which is a very good sign of the two surgeries being successful. Praise God! We continue to pray for complete recovery and restoration of health.
COFFEE HOUSE
When we first came to Estonia people used to tell us jokes about things being done slowly here. We had to laugh, but now we see that to a great degree it is true. We have experienced it first hand with building a student coffee house for reaching young people. But at the same time, we know that our God is in control of everything and we have to trust Him and His ways in every situation. He often does things differently so that we trust Him in new ways and do not only go by past experiences with Him. He is the One Who knows and sets times and seasons.The Coffee House renovation is going slowly but surely.
Brethren from Mantorp church in Sweden bought and delivered table bases. A mission
organization here in Tallinn donated more dishes and a couch and an arm chair. The tiling of the kitchen and the small room floor was finished. A dear brother from a Methodist church who has a construction company arranged for one of one of his workers to come and put in the tiles. We provided the materials and he did the work for free. It was a joy working with this man. His name is Volodya. He had a sweet spirit and very good work ethics. He was very diligent with his work and didn't try to rush, though by the end of the second week he started getting phone calls from his boss to hurry up.
A YWAM team here in Tallinn are a big blessing to us in doing some of the construction work in the coffee house. Since Christmas they were able to put insulation material in the main room, cover the ceiling with coffee sacks (as part of design) and build a bar, put the light fixtures on the walls and work on other things. Currently we are working on finding the right equipment for the kitchen and putting it in the right places to pass the health inspection.Over Christmas time we had several visitors in our home. John turned 60 on Dec. 29. Who could imagine! Last Sunday a young man who was preaching in church said that when he first met John he had one wish to look as young as John did at his age. It was a wonderful compliment! God has blessed him!
Over the years he has never wanted a birthday party, but this year was special and he wanted
to be with dear friends. Some of our closest friends from Russia and Finland came to visit, people who we personally know for several years, who came to the Lord through StreetCry. Vera and her husband Marco came from Finland, Lana came all the way from Africa. We were able to bless him with a nice espresso maker since he likes coffee very much. We missed some of you, but I know you were with us in the spirit. A few days ago John mentioned that it was the best birthday of his entire life. Thank you for coming and being with us, and praying for him. It was a joyous and blessed time for all of us and especially for John. Thank you!!!The Lord has given us some friends here with a zeal for reaching the lost. Knowing that some of our evangelist friends from Russia were coming for the New Year, they invited us to lead street witnessing with their trainees on New Year's eve. We gathered together at church for a time of worship and prayer. Several of us shared message and testimonies about evangelism, and the importance of having God's heart for people. Some of the youth from church and also other churches joined us in going out that night.
Witnessing to people who have been drinking all night can be a challenge, but the head of YWAM here, whose name is Kuzaan was won to the Lord while drunk in a bar - so he has a heart and faith for drunks. The woman who witnessed to him later became his wife. They have a beautiful family and have been missionaries for a number of years.
The teams went out to the streets around 10 p.m. For some of the team members it was the first time going out to the streets and witnessing to Estonians about the Lord.The main square and streets in old town were filled with people. Fireworks were supposed to start at midnight; so people were just waiting or meeting up with friends.
One of the girls with my (Sara's) team was home for Christmas from MorningStar School of Ministry. They are taught to use their prophetic gifts in ministering to non-believers. She was asking the Lord to show us a specific person to come up to. We passed some people, then she mentioned that she felt an urge to talk to a young man on crutches, but while she was fighting her fears the guy was gone. When she told me about this, I felt we needed to go after him. He could not have gone far on crutches! He was right around the corner. We asked him about his life. He was an orphan and a drug addict for some time but has stopped using drugs since he got HIV. We shared with him about God's love and hope for him. He allowed us to pray for his leg and also against HIV. He said he felt unworthy to let Jesus into his heart. Partially he was right but he was missing the point of Jesus wanting to come into his dirty heart and cleansing it. He couldn't comprehend the fact that Jesus shed his blood for him to be cleansed and wants to live in his heart.
Another young man came up to us while we were out. His name was Elvis. Estonian Elvis! He didn't look like Elvis (second on the right), his mom is a music teacher and is fond of Elvis's music. We spent quite some time talking to this young man. At the end of our conversation we asked if we can pray for him. He admitted that he is looking for the 'right way ' in his life, he wanted to find it this coming year. I was amazed at his words and gladly agreed to pray, because THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE was waiting for him to ask!During this outreach we met some precious people who are really looking for answers. And we have the words of life, all we have to do is share them with the ones who need and want them.
Lana (who has spent one and 1/4 years in Mozambique as a StreetCry missionary) has a friend named Nastya who does not know Jesus yet. She also came to Tallinn during holidays and spent a couple of nights with us. She has visited Lana in Mozambique and helped the ministry there for two weeks. She has a heart to help people in need yet she is in need of salvation herself. We spoke to her about giving her life to the Lord and prayed for her when she went back. She later told Lana that she was very touched that we prayed for her. She also came to our Christmas feed-in in Russia. I invited her to participate in worship with us. She pulled herself back and said that she is not worthy to worship Him. It seemed that she had such a revelation of her sinfulness but lack of revelation of God's love and acceptance. Please join Lana and us in prayer for Nastya's salvation and revelation of God's love for her.
FEED-INS
ESTONIA
We held our third annual Christmas
feed-in in Tallinn, in collaboration with the Vineyard Church and a local Social Department of the city. For several years Tallinn Vineyard had been working together with the Social Department and giving Christmas packages to the neediest people of the city. This year we ministered to and primarily fed families with many children, single-parent families and families with financial difficulties. Overall, 102 people were invited with 59 children under 16.
We saw God’s hand all the way through our preparations for the feast. Vineyard Tallinn offered its rooms for the event, a restaurant managed by one brother from church let us cook the hot food there, another company offered tables for the feed-in. As usual, several Estonian and Italian businesses donated food and we were able to purchase the rest. With generous help of church members and sponsors, Christmas gift packages were distributed among children of all age groups Tallinn Food Bank offered 60 boxes of food for the families to take home after the feast. Brothers and sisters from Youth With a Mission organization helped us with cooking the meal.This event turned out to be different from our previous ones in Tallinn before, since over half of
those we fed were children, and on our hearts was a desire to serve and share the Gospel with both children and adults. Vineyard Tallinn youth took the responsibility of performing a skit, pastor Miguel Zayas shared the Gospel and his own testimony of how God provided for his family when it was in a desperate situation. We had three Estonian, English and Russian bands leading the musical part of the event.We are very thankful to God for this opportunity to serve the needy around us and to share the love of Jesus with them. We are praying that the sown seed will bring good and lasting fruit in its time. We are also very thankful for your help, donations and prayers for the event.
RUSSIA
It continues to be a privilege to host the Christmas Feed-ins in Russia for Rehabilitation centers. We have been doing them for 16 years and we never get tired of them. Thank you to those who have been praying and faithfully giving to make these feasts possible. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
The biggest highlight for me was having fellowship with a young man named Dema (see photo below, Dema is the young man smiling in the striped shirt) whom John and I met a few years ago while he was a drug addict. Before coming to our church several years ago he had received several of our invitations and tracts with testimonies, and then one day he decided to come and visit us. He was wearing a trench coat and had a metal pipe under it. He was homeless and an ex-convict, and used the pipe to beat people up and rob them for drug money. While the worship was going on he was on his knees; after it was over he stood up and he was a different person. He was changed and freed from drugs
simply by being in the presence of God. After the service he stood up and went towards the door, but John rushed to stop him and talked with him. He didn't have a place to go and that night we took him into our students' dorm. Since then a lot of things happened in Dema's life and he made some bad decisions. But he is now back with the Lord and it was so good to see him again. It is a blessing to be able to feel and experience a taste of God's wonderful love for people. What a joy it was to see him back, his face was shining with the light and love of God. We pray that he holds on tight to the Lord and faithfully follows Him.During the evening we had a powerful time of prayer and worship. It's so exciting to worship together with people who have been saved literally from the grave. There is such an atmosphere of God's love and compassion, and joy. As we prayed we declared new levels of victories for the guys in rehab, closer relationship with the Lord, new territories for the Lord, new souls to be saved and delivered from addictions. We feel 2012 will be a year of deliverance and salvation for many in Russia.
A couple came up front during worship and asked for prayer since they were going to a new city to start a new work there. They are former drug addicts and who have a heart to preach the Gospel and establish God's Kingdom in new places. We prayed a prayer of blessing and God's leading and protection over them in that new city.As usual there was an abundance of food! Everyone received a hearty and delicious meal and fellowshiped together. It was also good to see and talk with some of old friends, former Bible school students, who are serving God in different ministries and churches. God continues to raise up leaders and faithful followers of Jesus Christ in Russia.
Over the past months we have come across several people whom the Lord opened doors for us to share His love and salvation message with. We continue to receive phone calls from addicts expressing a desire to be free from addiction. Some people got our phone number
from a police inspector who dealt with one of the boys that went through a rehabilitation program, others have gotten it from their friends. It seems that the information spreads by word of the mouth....no advertising necessary.A very special young man is Grisha. He has given our phone number to several people whom he met due to his addiction to drugs. He referred them to us and we helped them to go to a rehab center in Finland run by Vera's husband Marco.
Vera writes:A beautiful present for our one year wedding anniversary was the arrival of 2 new addicts sent from Estonia.
Both Sasha (pic. left) and Grisha (pic.right) are doing good, showing a seriousness toward the Lord and rehab. On the Sunday following his arrival Sasha recommitted his life to Jesus during our worship service. Grisha is still in the process of making a decision – please pray that he would open his heart to the Gospel and come to the saving knowledge of Christ.
LANA
Reflections from Mozambique:I am very thankful to the Lord that He brought me here and for the time spent here. I am very happy to be in Mozambique and to be used by the Lord in this wonderful country with wonderful people.
I am very thankful that the Lord has brought me to the Iris Mission school. It was a great miracle of Him bringing me here. He continues to do wonders in my heart. Every day we wake up with sunrise because we don't want to sleep. God is teaching us to love people and to serve them from your heart. He is teaching me to abide in His presence and to be sensitive to His Holy Spirit. At the same time the Holy Spirit is showing me my real nature and who I really am. I continue to be amazed at His mercy and goodness as He shows me things that are inside of me that need to be healed, changed or to be free from, so that I could reflect Him more.
Almost every day is full of testimonies of what God is doing here. People are being saved (even Muslims), being healed, delivered or just see how much God loves and blesses them. Across the road from us there is an ocean but unfortunately there is no time to swim and enjoy the hot African sun. Every day we eat rice and beans; for a couple of weeks we had problems with water supply, so we bathed in the ocean. But it is nothing...
A few weeks ago a family who lived in a province of Zambezi in Mozambique suffered persecution. Their main ministry was to raise up pastors in Mozambique teaching them in Bible school. One day bandits broke into their house threatening their children with machetes and guns, and took everything from the house and told them to leave the province. Praise God nobody was killed! The children though are still recovering from shock. They left the next day and are now in Pemba. A day later the same bandits came into their house again and beat up a local pastor and some guards that were looking after the house. It took quite some time to overcome the experience, especially for children it was very difficult.
This family is thinking about going back so that they can continue to minister to the pastors. They feel that the plan of the enemy was to scare them and if they leave then the enemy will win. Please pray for this wonderful family and their children so they can fulfill the will of God without fear and that the Lord would restore everything that the enemy stole. May the Gospel of His Kingdom be established with more power and grace.
For me: I want more and more of the Lord.
Thank you,
With love,
Lana
PRAYER REQUESTS FOR OUR MINISTRY
- For closer relationship with the Lord in the year 2012
- For greater release of the Holy Spirit over our ministry and us personally
- For physical and spiritual protection, divine health and strength for all of us
- For our hearts to be broken for the lost of Estonia
- Ability to see things with spiritual eyes
- Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, increased ability to follow Him and be obedient to Him
- For divine appointments
- Unity, love and wisdom for those in our ministry
- For the work in Estonia – more souls saved, addicts delivered and placed in rehab centers
- For the coffee house to be completed before April and obtaining govt licenses
- For people to be drawn to the Lord through the work of the Holy Spirit
- For Lana Moroz. She is seeking the Lord for her future. She is interested in going back to Africa but also has India in her heart for a long time. For leading of the Holy Spirit, wisdom in decision making
- For an abundant financial supply for the year 2012 for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.
Thank you again for all your prayers and support! We love and appreciate you and thank God for you!
John and Sara Russell
for StreetCry & KrossRoad Ministries
