Faith in Action header

FIA Home

Latest in English

Latest in Japanese

English Newsletters

Japanese Newsletters

Russia Stories



Noel Morris
The Vision...
The School...
The Fruit...
To Contribute
Dove graphic
"Training young Christians of today to be God's Leaders of tomorrow in Russia."
 
Noel Morris's Report 
from Japan and Russia
3 October - 3 November 2009
JESUS IS ALIVE IN JAPAN!
Good Samaritan Church

On the Wednesday I went down to Okayama to a small church I started and pastored 20 years ago. Then I baptised a 7 year old boy in the sea, and now I found that he had become the pastor of the church! What a blessing for me. Although it was a small mid-week meeting, one lady received an eye healing, and another man prayed for the crows to keep away from his grape vines and had his prayer answered the next day - NO crows.

Nisiyama

Over the 10th - 12th week-end I attended the FGBMFI 20th Annual Conference and Family Camp. Most of the leaders are men I had worked closely with in the past, and it was a really laid-back time for me. I brought greetings from FGBMFI in NZ and from Bill Subritzky who was the speaker at their first Convention 20 years ago. I was privileged to speak 3 times, including giving a powerpoint presentation of their early history.
I arrived in Japan on a Saturday night, and as Pastor Aoki drove me home I kept on saying: “Look,  I remember that. Wow” (easier to say in Japanese: Natsukashii!!) It took more than a few days to stop using that word.

On the Sunday I spoke in “Good Samaritan Church”, which we consider our home church in Japan. Great to see so many old friends in the congregation.

In the evening I jumped on the Bullet Train to Nagoya where I shared with the Nagoya International Christian Fellowship, an English-speaking group of Philippinos and Africans with a heart for missions.

Okayama

I was able to meet with many personal friends, and supporters of the Russian ministry. Many of these I met in restaurants or coffee shops.

FGBMFI camp

After this camp I made my way, stopping and visiting friends, to Niigata on the Japan Sea coast for the flight to Vladivostok.


JESUS IS ALIVE IN RUSSIA!
Students

At present there is only a small class, 5 men and 2 women. However for two weeks they soaked up my teaching on Blood Covenants, Anger, Guidance, and Motivational Gifts. I found the teaching time refreshing, and even the 10 minute walk to the school benefited my waistline!

Students

In the middle week-end I took the overnight train to Khabarovsk to visit a friend involved in  ministry to children. We attended a Baptist church, but I was not able to visit other pastors I know there.

Back in the Bible School, they have started refurbishing the building, room by room. The office looks very nice and clean, as did the teacher’s room where Karl & Lorraine stayed. Our large classroom had new double-glazed windows fitted, and while we were there the floor was ripped up and a new one was being constructed. There are many more rooms to do, but Larisa has a vision to do them one at a time as the money comes to hand.


A serious on-going problem is the break-up of the marriage of Alexei and Sveta, the Pastors of “Living God Church”. Alexei was stood-down last year, while Sveta continued pastoring the church. However there has not been any successful reconciliation, and a divorce means that Sveta will also no longer be able to continue in ministry.

I have known both Alexei and Sveta for about 16 years, and love them both. Although I was able to talk and pray with them separately, I was unable to encourage any restoration.

This whole situation is causing considerable stress in the church, as yet unresolved. How this will affect the Bible School which is technically part of the church, is something that is cause for concern and much prayer. This incidentally accounts for the low number of students in the school.


Thank you to all who prayed for me, gave to my travel expenses and the Bible School, and especially to those who provided me with accommodation, both in Japan and Russia.

I was joined in Russia by Karl & Lorraine Dunseath from NZ, and later by John Cathcart, daughter Bethany and son Joseph from USA. They taught some classes at the Bible School to give me an occasional break.

Karl, Lorraine, NoelBethany, Joseph & John Cathcart


Noel and Dennis

Classroom repairs

Luda in the snow

On the Saturday after I finished teaching, there was a sudden blizzard which dumped 10 cm of snow on Vladivostok. Although it stopped by the next day, when I went to fly out on the Sunday, the airport was in chaos and my flight back to Japan finally left 5 hours late. What a picturesque going-away present I had!
PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE SITUATIONS AND PEOPLE MENTIONED ABOVE !
Faith Ministries, P O Box 12357, Hamilton, New Zealand, Tel +64-7-853-8285
© 2009 Faith Ministries
Back to the top