Donbass and Donetsk trip

Below is a press release article about our trip to Donetsk and Donbass region, (with google translate in English. )

 Pray for these dear people we are delivering bread and humanitarian aid to in the photo. They live in a bombed out place they call "home", with it's constant danger every day and the perpetual need, fear, and trauma this has created. Pray for those who keep them going with basic supplies and show the love of Christ to them. It is bearing amazing fruit during the most devastating of times. Gen 50:20 "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

ГОСТІ З ВЕЛИКОБРИТАНІЇ ВІДВІДАЛИ ПРИФРОНТОВУ ДОНЕЧЧИНУ

 Анатолій Якобчук /  28.10.2019 /  0 /  46

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ПОШИРЕНЬ

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Представники священнослужителів українського братства ЄХБ  здійснили поїздку до прифронтової зони на Донеччині з 14 по 16 жовтня. Разом зі співробітниками відділу гуманітарних проектів Союзу ЄХБ Володимиром Іваницьким та Геннадієм Хижняком схід відвідали  служителі з Великобританії – Пол Хьюз, Алан Джонс та Денис Едманс.

Першого дня поїздки відбулася спільна зустріч служителів соціального служіння Донецької та Луганської областей. У зустрічі взяли участь Сергій Сизоненко, помічник голови Союзу ЄХБ, Олександр Кобзар та Геннадій Шульженко, старші пресвітери Донецького і Луганського ООЦ ЄХБ.

До цієї зустрічі долучилося близько вісімдесят служителів – це відповідальні за соціальні проекти на Донбасі та керівники малих груп. У ході зустрічі обговорювали шляхи подальшого розвитку соціальної роботи з метою надання додаткових ресурсів – дров, вугілля, картоплі, аби люди на сході могли перезимувати цю зиму.

Пастор Пол Хьюз провів семінар на тему Другого послання до церкви у Коринті. Після чого був час запитань і дискусії.

Representatives of clergy from the Ukrainian Brotherhood of the European Union made a trip to the frontline zone in Donetsk region from October 14 to October 16. Together with the staff of the Union's Humanitarian Projects Unit, Volodymyr Ivanytsky and Gennady Khizhnyak, the East was visited by officials from the United Kingdom - Paul Hughes, Alan Jones and Denis Edmans.

On the first day of the trip, a joint meeting of social service officials of Donetsk and Lugansk regions took place. The meeting was attended by Sergiy Sizonenko, Assistant to the Head of the Union of the European Union Bank, Alexander Kobzar and Gennady Shulzhenko, Senior Presbyters of the Donetsk and Lugansk Organization of the European Union Bank.

About eighty people joined this meeting - they are in charge of social projects in Donbass and small group leaders. During the meeting, they discussed ways to further develop social work with a view to providing additional resources - firewood, coal, potatoes, so that people in the east can hibernate this winter.

Pastor Paul Hughes conducted a seminar on the Second Epistle to the church in Corinth. After that there was a time of questions and discussion.

Home is where the heart is.

Hello friends, just wanted to say "thank you" for all your prayers and kind messages over the last few days. I rolled my head onto the pillow at about 2:30am this morning. How good is it to be back home ? Well going from blue sky (24 degrees) to rain at Gatwick (13 degrees) and midnight M25 road works and diversions may have normally got me a bit grumpy... but over the last few days we have spent many hours with many I. D. P's (internally displaced persons), and I have to admit that much of my heart remains there with my new friends. Delivering them basic aid and food, (when they have no water, electric or gas) has put a few things into perspective. Many people in our world are the forgotten bystanders of political wrangling, rhetoric and war, unattended victims of those who live in palaces and ivory towers. They are not even on the radar of the global media and news, never mind a focus of it. After all why would we think about them when there is a new photo of "Meghan" or "Jennifer has Instagram"? 

When I was asked to share the good news of Jesus Christ with people who lived with the daily challenge of finding water and food, it was both a hugely humbling experience (how would you do that ?) and yet it was one of the greatest privileges of my life. Standing next to a bombed out building people call "home", I was reminded that there is an enemy of this world - he comes to "steal and destroy" (John 10:10) , but Christ came to give us life and life to the full. Do we find life in stuff ? (phones, Netflix subscriptions, coffee machines, home decor)  or do we find it in relationship ? - our primary relationship with the God who made us to know him. The precious and lovely folks I met did not want to give up their homes even without water, windows,  or with bullet holes through their front door (even though the winter will soon be here). For them there are things that are too precious to give up. Yet we read that the Lord of the universe left the glory of heaven and came to a world that would reject him, make him an outcast and with nowhere of his own to call his home. Even more staggering... "for God so loved" this broken, sin trashed and tragic world HE GAVE his one and only Son... HE GAVE knowing that he would be rejected, HE GAVE WITH LOVE, the perfect unspoilt one to be our rescuer from our own self destruction, and allowed him to despised and rejected so we could have new life, life to the full...free from guilt, free from alienation and separation with the God who loves us and gave himself for us. In Christ we have a welcome home we could never earn or deserve. 

This is LOVE, this is life when we discover it. 

• The God we have rejected came to make his home amongst us and to share in our sufferings. (1 John 4:10), (Isaiah 53).

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain...  and bore our suffering,

• yet we considered him punished by God,
      stricken by him, and afflicted.
  5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
      he was crushed for our iniquities;
  the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
      and by his wounds we are healed.

It's so good to be home. If you have loved ones and friends (another human being alive in your village), if you live in safety, if you have water, food, gas, electric and maybe even a mode of transport ... you have so many reasons to be thankful today. If you drive on any road which has a pothole but it isn't a crater ... made by a bomb or incendiary ... you don't need to complain.  If your garden doesn't look like that of the National Trust ... but it doesn't have landmines or graves of relatives from the last onslaught...  it is not a big issue. If you know that Christ loves you and gave himself for you ... know that you are rich beyond understanding. Maybe it is time today for you and me to not be selfish with all God has given us. As we share him, let's share our homes and hearts  today with some of the many in our world who need to encounter God in his invitation, welcome and love. 

I'll do a full blog about these things when the time is right, as well as our plans for the future and a proper thanks to such an amazing team... but today I'm just going to stay thankful I'm home. 
Much love,
Blogski

Part 1 accomplished

Hi Friends,
So sorry that the program has been so concentrated and packed, that it has prohibited us from keeping you up to date. This morning we were up at 5am to encourage 4 of the team travelling back from Lviv. Just about now they should be taking off and reflecting on what an awesome God we have and what an amazing trip this was. There have been many meetings, many sermons plucked out from the file, some seriously strategic encounters and ministry training sessions with Pastors, leaders, many 1:1's to encourage great evangelists, youth workers, church planters and people who are sharing Christ in their day to day, workaday world.

 There have been many youth meetings, schools visited, orphanages visited. 

Above all there has been one Lord directing our steps and making it an exceptionally profitable time.

 This church network (Ternopil region) is at a crictical stage of expansion and growth. 

We are planning to return in the Spring and we would love an army of helpers to come with us. We are praying for this and  would love...
1) To ecnourage folks here who find a home at age 16-19. We hope that in Spring - God permitting (and funds permitting) we will rennovate the second downtown transition house for the boys, this would be a huge gospel opportunity here. This lads / men's minsitry has massive potential not just for this town and church but for the region - We need helpers- Come on lads, book your time off work for this - you won't regret it!

2) We would love to continue to encourage the girls, and show longer term faithfulness and friendship in a world that doesn't. The love and gratitude we have received as a team, is trully humbling and shows the genuine appreciation and spiritual encouragment / fruitfulness of our efforts. We need women and teenage girls to help us encourage, please come with us in the Easter holidays.

3) Zach (and his sidekick of a Dad (Jon)) along with Alun have been amazing at going into schools and orphanges - often travelling significant distances but returning energised late at night, knowing that the gospel and love they share had been greeted with open arms and open hearts. If you are considering whether this is worthwhile, be encouraged by Zach who  extended his stay and booked a different return flight (a week later) to do more of this amazing stuff.

 

 We praise God for Elijah and Sasha in this work, and would love to encourage further. They have asked us to do much more next time on learning how to speak English. This is very attractional and advantagious for gospel opportuniies here, why don't you join us, and mix speaking English, making friends and sharing Christ in practical ways ?... not hard and hugely rewarding.
4) We have built up a large friendship network of Pastors, Leaders, Church planters  and ministry leaders in a short space of time, If you are an Elder or Pastor in a church , I'd love to hear from you as we build a small team to train some of the modules in more detail that I have outlined this time (biblical theology - pointing to Christ from all the bible, systematic theology, pastoral theology, servant leadership) Please pray about helping in this furtile gospel opportunity as we seek to encourage and raise up many new leaders for this region.

Oh yes... and I nearly forgot we did a bit of DIY.

An awesome team achieved so much. We plasterboarded all 4 bedrooms, and the corridor, then filled, sanded, and plastered (sadly only 3) . We've completed 2 rooms, nearly a third and left the final one for the very capable lads here. Pray for Dima, Sasha and the boys as they pick up the batton on leaving.

Here's a short video of the work completed...

God is so, so good, and we are so grateful that in his Big worldwide family we have discovered some awesome people,  who show Christ to a world which so needs him. Give thanks for all that he is doing. 
I will update on some specific situations as we have time, but for now 3 of us move on to the next phase of our trip, please pray this will be as equally helpful and fruitful.
God bless,
Blogski.

New start, new life !

Hello friends, we are sorry that we have been too busy getting everything up to date on here, we will update some photos later of our leaders meeting (Friday) our work, our visit to Lviv and  Sunday morning meetings. There is one event however that outshines all these things... this morning in Church, I had the privelege of preaching about Jesus Christ, and Alun shared about his work as a prsion chaplain (and how people are coming to new life in Christ.)  It is our great joy to share that at the end of the service, 2 girls, (our young friends that we are here to help and ancourage), gave their lives to Christ and comitted their future to him. Pray for these precious young people in their new walk. Thank you friends for all your prayers,be assured that at every turn God is good and is answering in ways bigger than we understand. 

Hope your day is as full of encouragement, 
Love
Blogski

An explainable energy

Shawn Mendes, the Canadian singer and hertthrob for many a teenage girl once said...I love Milan, and I'm not just saying that. It's a city that gives me a great sense of euphoria. I can't explain why, but I feel a special energy there.
Although our team is maybe not quite as handsome as Shawn, we are maybe more gifted in explanations. In Kremenets these last 48hours, our feet have hardly touched the ground, and yet there has been a great sense of "energy" in the team, and actually yes we think we can explain it.
TUESDAY AM

• After our team briefing and time around the bible (considering the power of God at work in people  (Ephesians)) +  breakfast, we split up into a number of different activities. Those who worked on the building did an amazing Job of progressing many rooms in plasterboard. Others went to visit regional schools and shared their knowledge of British culture and the hope they have come to find in Jesus Christ (how it has changed their life for the better). Myself and Alun were privileged enough to be invited to meet the Pastors and leaders of a network of 20 churches in this region. This was one of the gretaest privileges of my life.For around 2.5 hours I was asked to speak about the nature of a growing church and how this works in practice for leaders and congregations. As we shared wisdom and experience together our time together was mutually encourageing, enriching and energizing. Conversation continued in detail over an amazing lunch for us all provided by the church.This region has many possibilities for seeing this church network grow. There is an amazing group of like minded church leaders here - who are passionate about sharing the good news of Christ to so many who need to hear it. I am so excited that God has brought us here at such a time as this, and look forward to progressing this relationship as we look to strengthen the hands of those who are doing an amazing work in a needy and unreached area. 

TUESDAY PM

•  We were taken to an area just off the main high street and central hub area of Kremenets and shown an amazing possibility. For a while the church here have cared for young people who need some help, whose paths in life are limited and dangerous for their wellbeing. When young people have no options for money or food they resort to drastic measures. This church in its overflowing love has built a transition house , but that is only the begining of the story. We are converting the upstairs for 8 young women (and many others we hope) who will come to live here.. The building we were taken to see has potential for housing many young lads in a similiar situation, The property is huge, on a hill overlooking the town. It sure needs some work... 

 but the potential is blindingly obvious. It has 2 floors plus an attic, a large (hilly plot of land) and a stunning area overlooking the town which would be ideal for youth "get togethers".

 It is an obvious property for such a project and ambition. At the moment there is a small financial shortfall to purchase this property outright, and we are praying hard to God for this, so that loads of young people might be helped in the future.

•  The remainder of Tuesday was equally packed. Some returned to construction work, and some to school and "orphanage ministry". In the evening however things took on a much higher level of energy. Myself Mo,Dennis and Alun, spent the evening with the girls. We shared stories, stupid UK jokes and experiences with them. We laughed, cried and explored together. We considered what it is like to be tired in this world, (not just because we don't have enough sleep), but because this world is so broken, cruel and sad that we get tired of this world itself. Isaiah 41 says...
• Do you not know?
      Have you not heard?
  The Lord is the everlasting God,
      the Creator of the ends of the earth.
  He will not grow tired or weary,
      and his understanding no one can fathom.
  ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
      and increases the power of the weak.
  ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
      and young men stumble and fall;
  ³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
      will renew their strength.
  They will soar on wings like eagles;
      they will run and not grow weary,
      they will walk and not be faint.
• Mo shared her amazing and heartwarming life story with the girls, and showed how it is possible for a young girl of 77 to be energised by God for living. We then shared some packages with the girls that were gifts from the UK church. Smiles, appreciation (and some photos we have been shown in secret) suggest that the girls thought this was very much like the best Christmas.  Thank you to those who made this possible, you know who you are and God does too.
• The lads (Alun, Jon, Zach, and Ken) went to be with the lads (those who have been helped by the church and working onsite with us all week... (usually on wobbly scaffolding, working like trojans on the outside of the building), 
  
• They had "a riot of a time", in fact I want to appologise to Sashas neighbours on behalf of my country  for all the raucous hilarity, songs, jokes and stories shared (much of it a high volume). TheUK team boys came back looking younger than they went out. As they shared their life stories and what God had done for them and the lads - they had been energised (even though they had worked onsite all day ). Thank you Elijah and Sasha for giving them an "awsome" day!

Wednesday has been more of the same. WORK WORK WORK, sharing in schools, and Paul and Dennis off to speak at Ternopil church and spend some time with church leaders. This too was an energising experience,The church like many in the region, is situated in an ideal place to reach many many young people with the good news and certain hope of a future in Jesus Christ. It was really cool to speak both with a group of emerging leaders and a young congregation who turn up to church on a Wednesday evening to hear the bible being explained in their language and for their generation.

I believe God is doing great and beautiful things here. I believe with all my heart we can trust him to do way more mindblowingly awesome things in the future. It is such a privelege to be part of this growing dynamic. God never gets tired, and the interesting thing is that those who follow his purposes and walk into his plans don't seem to either. It is possible to be mature and yet have a appetite for more, to be old in body and young in heart, to be tired of what has happened and yet gasping for more of the same, The power of God at work keeps people young. Like re-ergised kiddies, for now we go to bed, but only because we must, not because we want to. Our thoughts and dreams are for tomorrow, our prayers, for more of the same please LORD.
I'll post more  photos in the morning, when I can, but Mo says I have to go to bed now.
Much love 
Blogski