Great start, great people.

Hi Friends,
So sorry for the delayed start on the blog. The Good news is that now we have wifi, the bad news is that we have a lot to catch up on.

The journey here was faultless. The flight to Lviv was quick and almost painless (apart from the 4:10am start). Sunday was a day full of making many, many wonderful friends. It was a huge privelege to meet so many young people in church, great young people. This church has an amazing future ahead of it. Having spent time with Pastors Vicrtor and Ivan when they were in the Uk last week, it was slightly odd (but good fun) to bring the church greetings from their own pastor whilst meeting them for the first time. 

Pastor Polikarp held the fort brilliantly with a supurb preach Sunday, a helpful, encouraing and practical message from James about how we come into a greater understanding of God through our tough and hard experiences in life (if we respond to these in faith). 

This region is very beautiful, and reminds me somewhat of the Snowdon area, with forests, hills, castles and many historic buildings, and a religious heritage which means there are many outwardly  beautiful churches on every street.

 
 The question remains however if this is symbolic of a dead religion which is a monument to the past or whether there is a real and vital relationship in the hearts of people. The truth i suspect is that many thousands of people in this region, treat God as something of a good luck charm, a picture to place in the front of your bus driver. A romantic view of a distant fairytale God like this (who only lives in a Gold plated tower church which resembles something from Disneyland)

does people no good. How can such a God help us, what does he know of our struggles and what does he care for our situation ?

In this context then you can imagine what an amazing Joy it was for us to meet people like Volodymyr and his wife Erha who have an amazing ministry to Young people. Many of these young people have come to know Jesus Christ in a relational and living way. They have come to see the reality of the one who came into our mess and sufferring to give us certain hope and a future. You only need to meet some of our amazing translators (Dana, Elijah and Jayne ) and see their smile to know what a difference Joy in Jesus Christ looks like...

Jonathan gave his story Sunday, and then I preached about the love, forgiveness, victory and certainty we find in Christ.

Today we have been working hard, lifting all the plasterboard materials into the second floor (through the fire exit door on that floor, which has no staircase (fire exit) yet). We were thaknkful for no accidents and that even the cat who surveyed from below ended up unharmed. We started the day studying Ephesians together and the awesome comsic (mind bending) truth that God has a glorious and eternal life purpose for each of us in Jesus Christ. We've been so grateful to God for his obvious provision and help today - and we are happy to report 2 rooms are nearly finished with Plasterboard already. 

 

Tomorrow we have a day trying to encourage the church here - and the many offsprings of what God is at work doing here, (amongst pastors, church planters, youth workers, orphangages, youth transition houses and many more avenues). We value your prayers so much and assure you God is anwering in amazing ways.

 Not only have we already accomplished much more than we expected, but have been blown away with the joy, love, closeness and dependence on God that we have enjoyed. We are delighted by absolutely everything we discover here. it strikes us that where true relationship with Christ is found, so is joy, laughter, hope, smiles, true friendship and a lot of love. God is good. He is at work in places we're yet to discover, and therefore we have great expectancy not only for our time here but our future relationship and what God will do with our partnership togerther.

The way this team, project and co-operation has come together is nothing short of remarkable, but this is just the beginning, we can expect our awe of what God is doing and does to grow. Thank you for being with us - now we have internet we will update more and more photos and news. 
Appreciated 
Blogski

We're set... get ready... pray !

Over centuries many have sung the words... " All I have needed your hand has provided" . This is because whatever the season, whatever the decade, century or country we live in ... God is utterly, consistently, undeviatingly, persistently faithful. Not only this, but he knows what we need before we utter it, and knows the big issues of our lives even though we are yet to begin to understand them ourselves. 

4 months ago started praying in earnest. (for 4 things) 

1) for a team to go out on our Autumn trip

2) For enough funds to complete the upper floor of "Grace transition house" (Kremenets, North West Ukraine) so that 8 girls could move in when we leave. 

3) For the possibility to encourage Pastors and Church planters doing good things in that Region of the world.

4) If there were other needs around, things that we could do, that God would show us. 

1) THE TEAM

The team are an amazing bunch of uniquely talented and compassionate people. On a trip like this you need people who "get it", that we are not going for ourselves but to serve others and encourage in whatever way we can. Thank God for the team of 8 who will be flying out. Pray for Alun L, Alun J, Ken, Zach, Jon, Mo, Dennis, and Paul. Pray that they will grow in their faith and be a great team of encouragement to others in whatever situations and roles they find themselves in. Also thank God for the army of folks who have helped us prepare. In the photo below you see Tina (also known as "Mrs Ken" in some parts of the world) packing some cases of goodies and gifts. 

I wish we'd had a wide angled sense so you could see how crammed the floor was. It was an amazing evening when we realised we had many more things to take than we could fit in twice as many cases than we started with. God is good ! We'll be revisiting this issue soon to explain how we get it all to the right place in the future. 

2) THE MATERIALS, GIFTS and building

To finish the upper floor we set a realistic budget of £7000. I say "realistic", because we knew that's how much we needed...but when the bank account was nearly empty after our last trip, we had absolutely no idea where any of that was coming from. It was a good time to pray in dependance on God. Here we are 4 months later and we not only have all that "phase 1"  money needed for materials, but God has rewarded our faith beyond what we could've imagined.  

• We have some wonderful gifts for our new friends who will be living in the house we hope to complete. Our Cases are full, but the bigger story is the kindness and fullness of generosity of the Uk church and all our friends in the UK. 
• We have more than enough to start planning next year and the Next Phase of our work to encourage those in Eurasia who are doing great things, and are all ready planning it (stay tuned during our trip to see what that looks like (photos included)) 
• Because of your generosity we have been able to send on some materials that some brilliant guys from the church are now fitting to the outside in readiness for the winter. This is a massive bonus for us, and means we can concentrate on the bits we are more used to doing (the inside). 
• Because God hears prayer, we also now have a brilliant welder on board. How cool is that for specific answered prayer ?... and now we will have a rock steady staircase. 

3) PASTORS CONFERENCES

During our trip we hope to encourage several groups of gospel workers as we share from the bible about "how to minister under pressure (2 Cor 1-6)", "How to grow as a pastor as the church grows", and "How to hand things on to the next generation". Please pray these times will be massively helpful and useful to our friends and church family in all that they are doing in exciting times of growth for the church.

4) "Getting about" (up to some good) !

WE will be visiting a number of different locations on our trip. Some of them where people are going through unimaginably tough situations, (stuff we hardly knew about 4 months ago). Thank you for those who have given towards these needs (warm coats and other things for the coming bitterness of winter for starters). You have helped us so much, especially to be an encouragement to others. Pray that God will keep us safe and productive as we travel long distances. Pray that we give people more than "stuff" and that they will come to know lasting joy, peace and certainty in Jesus Christ. 

Pray that we will complete the work, that all will go according to plan (God's plan) . 

Pray that preaching, teaching and training will be easily understood (through translation and a message of love from God just at the right time).

Pray that when it is all done - we give him the credit, honour and glory he is completely worthy of. It just wouldn't have happened if God wasn't awesomely faithful !

Yours "big time, blown away by God" 
Blogski

WOW ! Just WOW !

WHEN we take a small step of faith, we often learn that GOD has way more in store for us. His care is infinite in its knowledge, and meticulous in provision. (Matt 10:29-30)
Many of you who have taken the Journey with us through building transition House Odessa, Black Sea camp work, (and some of the other things that we do to help specific people and situations which unfortunately can't publish here) know that I am like a stuck record just before each trip.
Every time the pattern is the same..

• God shows us a need. 
• We feel too small and insignificant to do much about said situation. 
• God provides. 
• The situation grows to help more and more people. 
• God provides even more. 

With many people come many needs, and so God keeps providing. When we committed to help our friends in the North of Ukraine to complete a small home for some precious young people, we thought we had overextended ourselves (because of the other commitments we had)...but GOD, in his typical (and overflowing with love) way, had gone before us. At the beginning of this project in the North we set a financial target that would realistically set up the home for use, and make a huge difference to young lives in Kremenets / encourage the church to go forward in their amazing work as they impact the whole region with compassion, love and redemption. I have to be honest. This target to us seemed way-off in the distance - especially considering all that we had already committed to. I am so pleased to share that  in God's goodness, and though your generosity, this initial target has been met before I have even got to the building for the first time with the team. Thank you so much ! This means that all the materials we need to do our work in a few weeks time can be purchased, and things can go forward as fast as possible to help others as quick as possible... and things are moving fast. The work in the North is growing apace. We are having the best of SKYPE conversations with our precious friends VIKTOR and IVAN who are telling me the same story that I am telling you. God is going before this in amazing ways - The work is expanding (miraculously) and more young people will soon be homed, loved and we pray come to know eternal not temporary security and peace.   Is this the end of the story ? - No it is the end of the beginning of the story. Stick with us on here for the updates on the trip and see how our small steps of faith are walking into bigger plans and purposes. I promise you there are some brilliant "Wow's" to come. With this initial target met we can now concentrate on the wider issues of the work in the North (as it grows - and our much bigger plans for 2020), other areas our teams are visiting over  next few weeks and the crisis regions that we have contact with.  I know some of you were hoping to give financially  for this trip, please still do so if you possibly can,  this money will now be directed to these crisis situations and help us plan the huge development options in the North - Maybe that was God's plan all along !
Yours, feeling exceptionally humbled and grateful,
The equp4good heart is beating pretty fast.
Thank you precious TEAM.
BLOGSKI

Matthew 10:29-30
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Universal Needs

Hi friends, 
I'm enjoying one of those long waits in Girona Airport. On arrival I did wonder where everyone was. Could they be glued to the football scores ? (it was time for "sports report"), Were they tuned into the demise of the England cricket team amidst yet another top order collapse on TMS? ...No maybe these are just the perculiar habbits of a half-tanned brit at Saturday teatime!.
aahh... found you all - shouldve known... BURGER KING !

Why does the world (and their pets in carry cases) gravitate towards such classy establishments we ask ourselves? Well the answer is that they provide for all our universal basic needs don't they?
1) Free Wi-fi
2) Chips and other healthy deep fried food
3)  Charging points
4) Water - if you are prepared to ask 4 times and be stared at as if an alien.

is there anything else everyone needs... actually yes!!!
The bible reminds us that there is one need that is even more universal... 
GOD - the maker of all people, the true ruler of all nations says in Isaiah 43:11

" I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no saviour besides Me."

The truth is that everywhere we travel in the world there is but one maker of all people, every individual. There is one only who gives breath, provides rain, food and sun, who even gives the rare earth resources that make our iphones work and our chargers charge. In every airport you visit there will be people travelling through, encjoying all that God provides but without a thought for him. There will also be those however who know that their life is hungry. Hungry for something more than just another trip to deep fried city, hungry for the relationship which makes sense of all life. Sometimes as a group we visit locations where everyone is hungry for food far more basic than B K and this is such tragic and devastating thing to see, but even  more catastrophic is the knowdedge that many are flying into eternity without any comprehension of how far they are from the living God and how empty their life is without him. The bible reminds us that whilst we have breath today is still the day of "salvation" - Whatever our issues in life our maker is ready for our call. We don't need wifi, we don't even need Euros or knowledge of how to work machines in different languages, you and I can come to him the maker and ruler of all things "gratuit" ! We just need a heart that cries out to God and says "God if you are there, please make yourself known to me!". From experience let me tell you that God is way more gracious, kind and forgiving than you could ever imagine. Why not call on him now if you never have... go on dare you... you might be surprised at the response you will receive and how he reveals himself to be everything you and I are looking for and everything our hearts are hungry for.

This is the universal need of man... to Know GOD! To enjoy God, To be right with God and know him as your friend and not just the one you feel guilty before. He is the one we are made for. All this is possible and inexaustable in Jesus Christ. This universal need is why we exist as people and why we exist as a team. Wherever our next flight takes us or life plants us ... our one goal is to share the great news of Jesus Christ ... the universal saviour.

" Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

If you have never thought about this, then maybe you should... maybe you have a greater need than even free wifi. If you like us have found your universal hope, certainty, reason for living and incomprehensible Joy in coming to know him then maybe you could pray for us as a team. Our desire is to share this universal truth whatever place God takes us to. Pray that people around the world, people passing through, people hungry (physically and spiritually) will come to know the one who fills us with good things as we come to him. 

Well there goes the tannoy - another flight boards, another crowd of people cross the globe. As I go to board another flight .... I can't help but want to cry to God for those who leave Burger King with full tummies but empty souls, charged up on the phone but dreading the day (if subliminally) when they stand before God and realise... they have absoultely nothing!

 

Out of the comfort zone for good reason.

In times of pressure, change and vulnerability, it becomes more apparent than ever that we are creatures who gravitate towards comfort. This is particularly so in the UK; where there is a rise in "gated communities" that shut us off  from "the great unwashed" and unwanted, even our neighbours, and where a bombardment of TV programs teach us to perfectly "restore", build or transform our homes into a self serving paradise in which we find our isolated pride, joy and happiness.  As always however the bible is countercultural. 
God is community. God is love, and he is outward bound to rescue even those who have rejected him. The big story of the bible centres on one who left the comfort, joy and paradise of heaven to go to the lowest, most depraved and deprived. This is only the beginning of the story however as the greatest beam of joy, light and eternal goodness shines brightest when we see that Jesus Christ (the true man), goes to a place far worse than we ever have, in order that he might take on himself our worst, greatest indignity, and misery. In doing so, he restores human existence to a level of value, approval and hope beyond our greatest dreams and understanding. The true crux of the issue however hinges on whether I am ready to see myself as one of "the worst", "an oustider", a person undeserving of God's grace because of my past and repellent instinct towards God. Without going out of my comfort zone to see who I  truly am before the perfection of Jesus Christ, I cannot receive the perfection, forgiveness, solution and hope of Jesus Christ. 
In our greatest moment of discomfort we receive the greatest undeserved gift of God ("new life"). God specialises in taking us out of our comfort zone for good reason and glorious purpose. 

9 team members fly out over the next 2 months to places we have never visited before... to situations, a language, crisis and struggle we have never experienced before first hand. 
Our trips have three parts to them...
1) To help build a home for some young people who have known and experienced first hand the worst side of humanity. Our desire is simply to show them what Christ has shown us - love!
2) To help and encourage a new church network who are going way outside their comfort zone to show the love of Christ in their region. We hope to encourage in a number of ways including "Pastors Conferences" where we will discuss "ministry under pressure" (2 COR 1-6) and how God uses this for his good purposes.
3) To travel on to other areas where Christians are paying the high cost of trying to live like Jesus Christ. This is not a comfort zone - but a place like Judges 21:25, where everyone does what is right in their own eyes. You will not find this place on a holiday brochure, yet it is a place where many are coming to find their great joy, peace, eternal  security and certain future in Christ. 

Are we outside our comfort zone? in many ways YES ... but here we have repeatedly discovered that God has gone before us in his good purposes. We are still relying on him for money... specifically for building materials, for help transporting clothes and gifts etc. but he will have a good way of doing those things.
Maybe you would like to help?  Please get in touch, don't underestimate what God can do when you and I step outside the comfort zone. To misquote a man 50 years ago.. "A small step for you and me can actually sometimes lead to a giant step for humankind (or at least someone else)". Don't hesitate today to speak to your neighbour, leave your TV, give away what God has given you or trust in God's provision rather then trusting your own... he has it sorted! 

We will update regularly during this busy season of travel, so please keep us on your radar and in your prayers.
Love,
Blogski

A time to plant and a time to build.

There are many seasons in life. Yesterday I spoke with a lovely guy who would dearly love to come with us on our team trips, but as a tear rolled down his cheek he explained that his body had decided that this was sadly no longer an option, and he wanted to support us in another way.  I wander what many of us will feel like when this is the season of life we enter into... and our life choices are severely restricted. Will our assessment be that we did all we could with the abilities, energies, and opportunities that God gives us whilst we were "able"? I guess none of us will say in that season, that we wished we had spent more time in front of the TV or on Facebook.

Pastor Viktor Pugach has become an amazing friend of mine.

He works in NorthWest Ukraine. I love and respect him for many reasons, but especially because he is the epitome of Eph 5:16 "making the most of every opportunity". Viktor, his lovely wife and the church network provide food and clothing for thousands in their region to help them get through the winter. In a masterstroke of love and compassion Viktor and his amazing little army "took in" seven 16 year old boys who had no home (after their time in "official care" came to an end), then another 7 and then 8 girls. The home, family atmosphere, love, food and training they have provided for our young friends is brilliant, but the house they are trying to build for these precious young people is unfinished.

This is where we come in... we have had a time to rest... but now is a time to build, to invest in a future generation, a time to serve and a time for healing as we encourage our young friends in their future paths and walk of faith.

September 28th to October 12th We have a small team ready to go - some for a week, many for a fortnight. Our plan is to complete the second floor of transition house so that Vika, Olya, Dianna, Tania,  Marichka, Sonia, Sasha, and Liliia have a lovely place to live and grow together in their friendship and faith. We have a team... but we need more people power to make the most of this opportunity. We have a small window of time wherein we can work on the property and get the place ready for folks to move back in. We are looking for 4 kinds of people...
1) WILLING TEAM MEMBERS - If you are up for serving in any way but have no skills - we need you to come with us and  to help us make the most of this opportunity. If you can hold a box of screws, plug in a battery charger and make a cup of tea you are ideal.
2) FRIENDSHIP CARE in the name of Jesus Christ / MENTORS  - If you want to help us as we invest in young friends lives, we'd love to hear from you as we provide small gift packages and encouragement for them. We are encouraging women to join us on this trip to meet the girls and encourage them. The present team is a mix of male and female.
3) ENCOURAGERS OF THE CHURCH - If you want to encourage the network of church plants that are emerging in this unreached area of Northern Ukraine, we would love to hear from you. Pastors network conferences, helping rural churches, training younger men are all on the agenda... maybe you have skills and passion in this area.
4) GOD's JIGSAW PEOPLE who are in the right place at the right time because they responded to his prompt to "fit in". There are specific needs we have ... A good welder (to put up the staircase), a good plasterer (for upstairs walls), a person who can teach basic cooking skills to the girls etc ... all highly valuable at this critical juncture in this amazingly fruitful gospel project.

If in your consideration you wonder whether it is worth your time, sacrifice and money to come with us be assured that it is. This story is one of fruitfulness, lives changed, churches born, regions impacted, thousands won over by the love and compassion of Jesus Christ through his people. It is our great privilege to be a very small part of this fabulous story and we'd love you to be part of it to. Don't hesitate ... get in touch !

So excited to be a small piece in God's massive jigsaw of church growth.

We are excited to announce 

(drumroll please)  …..”DdrrrrRRRRRRRR”

Our new partnership in Kremenets  is all systems go !!!

Kremenets is a wonderful and historical city in the Northwest Ternopil region of Ukraine.

Why have we chosen this location as the base for our next project in October ? …It could’ve been for its amazing history, its beautiful architecture, or its stunningly gorgeous hills… but it wasn’t … it was for these 6 far more significant reasons.

1)   This is a region in need of the gospel: Ternopil region has many, many, people who are yet to hear about the love of Jesus Christ. Whilst other regions have seen a dramatic and wonderful work of God planting churches, this region has only just started with that task. It has started… but only just!

2)   Young people in need of unconditional love:  Many young people when they leave state care and orphanages have but one option… to find their own way on city streets. For many young people it is at this moment that anything good they have learned, is “dumped” for the immediate need of self-preservation, or self-gratification. This world offers many things to live for but none of them deliver satisfaction or are ultimately good masters of our lives. Many stories end in tragedy, this world is a master of disappointment, sorrow and abuse. 

3)   

There is great physical and spiritual need amongst all ages of people in this region. Whilst politicians talk about the rise and fall of the economy they return home each day in a nice car, to good food, financial stability and security yet at the same time there are thousands for whom basic clothing and food is a daily challenge. This is not a political statement just a basic observational reality. We want to give the message of hope to many as we point to the giver of certain and eternal hope.

4)   The church in this region is shining brightly as it steps out in faith to show the love of Christ to many at a critical and strategic time.  A basic clothing and essential goods church ministry has blessed over 3000 children already this year alone. Many young people are seeking refuge in Churches rather than on the streets, many come to find not only a reason to live but the reason for life itself… Jesus Christ - the founder and giver of new life and new beginnings. The church is growing in amazing ways.

5)   The church in this region has started to provide shelter for young people and those needing friendship and refuge in a broken and fallen world. Our October construction trip centres around such a place of refuge which is expanding due to need, and is likely to be a prototype for others. The 1^stfloor is complete and in use. Those boys who were the occupants are now young men whose lives are dramatically turned around. `Sadly however, the second floor isn’t usuable– as the church doesn’t yet have all the resources it needs to accomplish the task they believe is from the heart of God. They would love it to be the home of some teenage girls. They prayed that God would provide… can you guess what happens next ?

6)   We have been praying as a team very specifically that God would point us to a place where we can serve the church in a strategic and helpful way, now that our major project is complete. We have small gifts (we are like the little boy with fish and loaves) but we have an open heart to what God wants to do with us. We have some basic skills of labour/ construction, spiritual encouragement and a desire to see the church of Christ - live like Christ and honour him across the world. In his sovereign goodness he has found both parties “a perfect fit” in each other. We are a jigsaw made in heaven. On first conversation both sides of the Anglo-Ukrainian partnership were astounded at how God has gone ahead of us in every detail. 

On September the 28^th2019 a team will visit Kremenets and the region to do what we can to encourage this great work. We need 5 things … will you pray with us please?

1)   We need a team. At the moment we have a small committed team ready and eager to go. To complete the task we need more (our next blog will give more practical details on the work and people needed for this trip), please get behind this asap - it'll make the world of difference to the effectiveness of it and impact so many. 

2)   We need Pastors and Churches to partner with us. This region has many different kinds of baby churches which we would love to encourage in partnership. My prayer is that we will see these churches grow to maturity as we encourage training and do life on life together. Would you like to adopt a church plant (pray with us for them, get to know their challenges and be part of the exciting story that is unfolding). This is an opportunity to loan your pastor, church leader  or gifted servant to an area of the worldwide church who can benefit so much from their gift at such a critical time for church growth in the region. Whatever their strength (teaching, encouragement, evangelism, mercy ministry, counselling, music, young people, leadership training, church planting… etc etc all these gifts would be beneficial to us at this stage.) 

3)   We need some relational workers and servants… those who will come with us and be a friend, to those who need the ministry of encouragement and compassion. At this time we are looking for men who are able to work on a building project and encourage, and some women who will befriend the young women who come to live in the building once we have completed it. You may think your gift is limited but if you have a heart to help… it could be profoundly useful. If you can show a young person some basic life skills also .. you have hit the jackpot. (Peeling vegetables, cooking, washing, cleaning – all massively strategic at a pivotal time for young people living and caring for themselves for the first time.) If you have a TEFL qualification or have a passion to teach English as a foreign language on a short term trip we would especially love to hear from you. 

4)   We need people who will pray for this trip and the growing partnership that the church will grow in this region. Anything we have done of use up until now has been because we prayed, and God answered BIGTIME! We believe he is more ready to give than we are to ask – so we are expecting big things of Him and asking Him to be gracious with us as we play catchup with what he is doing.

5)   We need generous givers (as we know many of you are) .We have some money for some materials to get us started but to finish floor 2 of “grace shelter” we need more – this is a very achievable project. We also need a huge amount of clothes and provisions so that many will be blessed by the church this winter in their need. Jumpers, hats, thermals, socks – you know the kind of stuff… and maybe a small gift of finance to help us get it there would be the bonus ball ! If you are up for anything however small – we’d love to hear from you and will put a system together … (maybe a facebook group??)

If you would like to come with us there are really very few boundaries to doing so. Flights are as little as £120 at the moment return, we can organise that and any insurance for you. You could come for just 1 or 2 weeks as you are able and is appropriate for your responsibilities. The only other qualification is that you are up for serving as part of the team and are able to point us in the direction of someone who could vouch for your suitability in that (Ideally a church leader… we will help with this) 

Up for it ? Reply either at the bottom, on facebook or on email and be in no doubt that we will get back to you. I've typed this immediately after getting off Skype with our friends in kremenets... we are so excited that although we had never met, God has made us an answer to each others' prayers. We're so excited at what God might do and how the church may grow in this region... we hope you are too !!!

Yours excited and expectant ! BLOGSKI