March 3, 2016
STREETCRY NEWSLETTER, MARCH, 2016
Greetings from John and Sara and the Living Room Fellowship team in Tallinn, Estonia! This month we would like to share with you a few testimonies of what has transpired lately.
NEW BROTHER ARLO'S TESTIMONY
It has been exciting to see Arlo's growth in the Lord since he gave his heart to the Lord during the Christmas feed-in (see StreetCry Newsletter, February, 2016). He is coming to morning prayer and studying God's Word regularly. God is speaking to Arlo in his personal time with Him, and he has been joining us in going out witnessing and praying for the sick on the streets.
ARLO
My name is Arlo Orlovski. I am 22 years old, I live in Tallinn and study at Tallinn University to be a music teacher. I gave my life to Christ this last Christmas of 2015, but I have experienced God’s presence many years before that. I remember myself praying to God when I was 10 years old that my house would not burn down. Our neighbors’ house caught on fire, and there was a big possibility for the fire to spread to our house also. Thanks to God everything and everybody were all right. I felt sincere joy and remember thanking God for answering my prayer.
STREETCRY NEWSLETTER, MARCH, 2016
Greetings from John and Sara and the Living Room Fellowship team in Tallinn, Estonia! This month we would like to share with you a few testimonies of what has transpired lately.
NEW BROTHER ARLO'S TESTIMONY
It has been exciting to see Arlo's growth in the Lord since he gave his heart to the Lord during the Christmas feed-in (see StreetCry Newsletter, February, 2016). He is coming to morning prayer and studying God's Word regularly. God is speaking to Arlo in his personal time with Him, and he has been joining us in going out witnessing and praying for the sick on the streets.
ARLO
My name is Arlo Orlovski. I am 22 years old, I live in Tallinn and study at Tallinn University to be a music teacher. I gave my life to Christ this last Christmas of 2015, but I have experienced God’s presence many years before that. I remember myself praying to God when I was 10 years old that my house would not burn down. Our neighbors’ house caught on fire, and there was a big possibility for the fire to spread to our house also. Thanks to God everything and everybody were all right. I felt sincere joy and remember thanking God for answering my prayer.
I come from an atheist family, and though I had some Christian friends I still stayed far from God. But the fear of God did not leave me.
I remember when I was in the last year of high school I went to Christian camp where the topic of God was raised again. After one of the meetings I was confused and in tears. The feeling I had, was amazing but in a few days it left.
After finishing high school in another town, I started to play music and found many new friends: half of them were Christians and the other half were not. I felt like I was stuck between two worlds. I started to party, drink and sometimes smoke. I met a musician with whom I later played together in a band. He became a very good friend, and a person whose influence led me to drift away even further from God. I was a person who was kind to others but very insecure and sad on the inside.
I moved to Tallinn and began my studies in Tallinn University. I did not like Tallinn but I forced myself to come here because I really felt that this is what I had to do. I spent my first night on the street with my friend because my dormitory application was turned down. The next thing I had to do was to find a job, and I did. It was very tiring and because of that I stepped into a path of self-destruction even more. On the outside I would put a smile on my face and make everyone believe I am happy but on the inside I felt burnt out.
It continued like that till 2014 when I fell on the floor from an overdose of smoking marijuana. I remember I was standing in the room, then fell on my knees and my face feeling like I fell 4 stories down to hell. I could hardly hear or see. Later, sharing about this experience with my friend who got saved just half year before, he told me about Jesus Christ. I did not give my life to Christ that day but my life took a turn from there. I stopped destroying my life, stopped cursing, and felt the fear of the Lord coming back again. But soon after that I fell into the old lifestyle again: drinking almost every day which lead to many relationship problems.
My life was falling apart. When fall of 2015 came there was only one good thing left in my life, job promotion: from serving tables to being a barista. Not long after that I went to a barista meeting and there I met Triin who invited me to The Living Room cafe where she is working.
When I came to The Living Room for the first time I also found out that they also have a church that meets at the cafe on Sundays. Soon after I also came to church. I was in tears feeling that there is something that truly touches my heart. I could not comprehend it with my mind. I met with all the other guys from the fellowship and very soon they invited me to play guitar in the Christmas band. I felt like a black sheep with them but I knew I was in the right place.
On the first night of the Christmas feast for students I gave my life to Jesus. I declared that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Right now I feel that God is doing something in my life. He is changing me and this is the best feeling!
When I accepted Jesus everything went the opposite way. I began to see life differently, my view of life has expanded. I feel more free than I have ever felt before. I don’t have the need for alcohol and other things that controlled my life before. I started to dislike them. It is not only because I am a Christian now, but it is truly who I want to be. I have never felt more happy, cared for and secure in my life. Thank God that I am learning to be more sincere and loving towards my family and experience joy even about little things that are around me. As I learn to listen to God’s voice I also am learning to listen to people around me. God is just so good and there are no boundaries to His goodness. It is a limitless and incomparable experience.
WORSHIP NIGHT
As many of you know, every first Saturday of the month we hold citywide worship nights. We invite Christians from other churches and ministries to worship the Lord together and intercede for the country of Estonia, for Israel, for the lost, and other things that are on God's heart. It is a very exciting and unifying time as we focus on the Lord, and seek His presence, His ways and His glory!
WORSHIP NIGHT
As many of you know, every first Saturday of the month we hold citywide worship nights. We invite Christians from other churches and ministries to worship the Lord together and intercede for the country of Estonia, for Israel, for the lost, and other things that are on God's heart. It is a very exciting and unifying time as we focus on the Lord, and seek His presence, His ways and His glory!
This month the worship night was filled with God's presence. His people came ready and hungry to worship. We had a group of from Love Story Church in Finland visiting us. It was powerful time of intercession for Estonia and Finland. We believe that God is preparing His bride for amazing things to come through worship and prayer.
(Worship)
After the service we took some time to share what we sensed God was revealing to us during worship.
(Worship)
After the service we took some time to share what we sensed God was revealing to us during worship.
Acts 2:17 says, “ And it shall be in the last days, God says, “ That I will pour out My Spirit on all people. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” It is always exciting to hear what the Lord is showing the congregation.
One of our young believers, Eva, often sees pictures and visions while worshiping. We try to pastor these gifts and encourage those that have true prophetic seer gifts to receive what the Lord is showing them. This time she saw a big well surrounded by people who were stretching their hands towards the well and waiting for the water to spring up. As they waited the water started to come out of the well. The fountain of water covered the people; washing them. The people were getting cleansed and filled with joy of the Lord.
One of our young believers, Eva, often sees pictures and visions while worshiping. We try to pastor these gifts and encourage those that have true prophetic seer gifts to receive what the Lord is showing them. This time she saw a big well surrounded by people who were stretching their hands towards the well and waiting for the water to spring up. As they waited the water started to come out of the well. The fountain of water covered the people; washing them. The people were getting cleansed and filled with joy of the Lord.
We believe this is what the Lord is doing when we are hungry and thirsty, and waiting for His presence in worship. He washes over us with His Spirit and does not leave us empty.
(Intercessory prayer)
Here is what the Love Story Church team wrote about their trip:
NIKO KAUPPI, PASTOR OF LOVE STORY CHURCH
We made a trip to Tallinn with our team on February 6-7. The purpose of the trip was to visit The The Living Room Fellowship and student cafe, to attend Worship Night and Sunday service. There were about 13 of us but only Päivi and I have been to the “LR” before. People from our team were very excited to see the place and meet the people that we had told them so much about.
As before, the welcoming was warm and friendly, and our team felt like they had come to their second “home”. The worship night was something special, worship was so anointed and the presence of the Holy Spirit was really unique. This was a powerful, uniting experience for our team! (Intercessory prayer)
Here is what the Love Story Church team wrote about their trip:
NIKO KAUPPI, PASTOR OF LOVE STORY CHURCH
We made a trip to Tallinn with our team on February 6-7. The purpose of the trip was to visit The The Living Room Fellowship and student cafe, to attend Worship Night and Sunday service. There were about 13 of us but only Päivi and I have been to the “LR” before. People from our team were very excited to see the place and meet the people that we had told them so much about.
One thing that we will remember is the most accurate prophecy that was released for the congregation and our team on Sunday. We were all greatly encouraged! We have invited the Living Room team to Helsinki, Finland, and we are praying for this to happen soon! God has opened our hearts for Estonia, and we hope to have close work and relationship with The Living Room in the future. We love you, guys, be brave and be blessed!
(Katya and Nancy are praying for pastor Niko and his wife, and sharing prophetic words)
WITNESSING
One of the Finish brothers gave us a prophetic word that we are entering into a new season in street evangelism. He shared that people's hearts have been softened by the Lord, and they will be more hungry to hear about Jesus. We received this encouraging word into our hearts as we went out to the streets and we experienced exactly that: the harvest is ready and the workers need to go out and reap it. It is a great feeling when you get to share Jesus with the hungry people. It is amazing how God revives us as we do it.
We met an atheist who at first was not interested in talking with us, but by the end of our conversation he said that he will definitely try talking to God, and he also let us pray for the healing of his neck.
We also met a girl from Malta. When we asked her if she knows Jesus she said, yes, she believes in Him. She is from Malta (where the apostle Paul was shipwrecked) where going to church and knowing something about the Bible is very common. But when we asked her is she could call Jesus her best friend she was not so sure. We got to pray for her to know Jesus personally and walk in His will every day.
PRAYER REQUESTS
We met an atheist who at first was not interested in talking with us, but by the end of our conversation he said that he will definitely try talking to God, and he also let us pray for the healing of his neck.
We also met a girl from Malta. When we asked her if she knows Jesus she said, yes, she believes in Him. She is from Malta (where the apostle Paul was shipwrecked) where going to church and knowing something about the Bible is very common. But when we asked her is she could call Jesus her best friend she was not so sure. We got to pray for her to know Jesus personally and walk in His will every day.
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Increase of obedience which brings more of God's presence among us
- Growing in our character and gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Growth for new believers, increase of their hunger for the Lord and His Word
- Harvest of souls for God's Kingdom in this new season
- More laborers for the harvest
- For divine appointments with spiritually hungry people at the cafe and on the streets
- Unity and God's love among us
- Peace, wisdom and leading of the Holy Spirit for those in leadership position
- More volunteers for the work at the cafe
- For God's strategy regarding growth and direction for the cafe in Tallinn
- For blessing, protection, provision and fruitfulness for our missionaries Lana and Natasha in India
- For fruitfulness, joy and blessing on John and Sara while in the US
Thank you so much for your love, prayers and financial support. May God be with you in every area of your life.
John and Sara Russell
for StreetCry Ministries and The Living Room Fellowship and Cafe
StreetCry is a non-profit organization that operates solely on the generous contributions of people like you! If you are not already a supporter, please pray about becoming a regular supporter, or making a one-time gift. Your donations help to change lives!
Tax deductible donations can be sent to:
StreetCry Ministries
PO Box 162
Franklin Springs, GA 30639-0162, USA
Please make checks payable to: StreetCry
John and Sara Russell
for StreetCry Ministries and The Living Room Fellowship and Cafe
StreetCry is a non-profit organization that operates solely on the generous contributions of people like you! If you are not already a supporter, please pray about becoming a regular supporter, or making a one-time gift. Your donations help to change lives!
Tax deductible donations can be sent to:
StreetCry Ministries
PO Box 162
Franklin Springs, GA 30639-0162, USA
Please make checks payable to: StreetCry
You can view more photos of worship night using the link below:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109763764736656092466/6Veebruar16WorshipNight?authkey=Gv1sRgCJuSoq3-0p6CYw#6249341858106858690
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