FAITH IN ACTION BIBLE SCHOOL
Vladivostok, Russia

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RUSSIA MINISTRY REPORT December 2000

With Tanya in her new wheelchair

PROBLEMS ON THE WAY

Leaving New Zealand on this trip was not without its drama. Ten minutes from home at 3.30 am the car burned out a wheel bearing. Some money from Japan still had not passed into my account, and when it did I discovered I had left my credit card behind and couldn't access it. By the time I arrived in Seoul for an overnight stop, I discovered my bags had not arrived.
Sometimes I worry instead of trusting God. He arranged for all my baggage to arrive in Khabarovsk at the same time, including a wheelchair that had been donated, and I didn't have to pay any excess baggage charge.


KHABAROVSK
My first 5 days were spent in Khabarovsk, taking video of the work of Joy McRae with street children and homeless men. Joy's work is expanding to train school dropouts and other handicapped young people who have fallen through the cracks in the Russian society.
The wheel chair I brought was for a 30 year-old girl born with the effects of Thalidomide. Tanya's Russian chair was not strong enough to stand the rigours of Russian village life. She received the reconditioned chair with joy, and I heard that after we left she was overcome with tears to think that people in NZ cared that much about her. Thanks to CMWTD in Auckland for making this possible.
I preached in "Svet Mira" (Light of the World) church on the Sunday. Pastor Andrei has been a friend ever since my first trip here in 1992, and his church has grown strong.

David Borland from New Zealand teaching at Faith in Action

TO VLADIVOSTOK
The overnight train brought me to Vladivostok, where David Borland (Pastor of Hamilton Elim Church where we attend) was still teaching in the Bible School. David was happy to see me, he seemed to have survived the snow and cold well enough, and was thriving in the classroom. The interpreters had managed to understand David's Scottish accent, at least in most cases. The students couldn't speak Scottish, but they loved him anyway!
The next day David flew back to NZ and I began to teach. That week it was a series from the Sermon on the mount about Kingdom Living. Much of my spare time was devoted to office work and preparing for the coming Graduation.

On the Saturday I was invited to speak at the Vladivostok Womens' Aglow meeting. About 25 ladies met at a Christian Cafe that started recently. Then on Sunday I preached in the "Church of the Living God" while Pastor Alexei was absent. He enrolled in a University course on Religion to give him some "official Russian" qualification, and has spent the last weeks studying and taking examinations. They even scheduled classes on Sunday!

Students at Faith in Action Bible School, December 2000


On Monday and Tuesday I taught the junior class about Healing, and on the Monday evening we invited the local believers to bring the sick for healing prayer. About 40 came and the students prayed and the sick were healed.
On Tuesday Rev Des Short, Principal of Faith Bible College in NZ arrived for a flying visit. He taught for two days in the classroom on "Song of Solomon" and then spoke at our 9th Graduation Service on Friday 15th. Seven students graduated (6 men and 1 woman), making a total of 89 to have passed through our school. Des was to have come to Khabarovsk with us but his airline bookings were not able to be changed, so he flew out on the Saturday.

Noel and Des Short with the students

GRADUATES' REUNION
Right after the Graduation Dima and I boarded the overnight train for Khabarovsk. A group of previous graduates were on the later evening train. We gathered o the Saturday afternoon at "Svet Mira" Church for our reunion. We had planned 3 open meetings for Des to teach at, plus 3 private meetings for our group. In Des's absence I became the "guest speaker" and gave a series of 3 messages from the book of Hebrews, and it seems that everyone was encouraged by the teaching.

Graduates at the Reunion


20 ex-students had come from the Vladivostok and Khabarovsk areas, and some had not seen each other for many years. Two couples who married after their graduation brought their children. Three other couples were only represented by one spouse. We had times of fellowship, eating together, I taught briefly, and then each one shared their experiences. These were powerful, and after each one we prayed for them. Everyone agreed that this had been an encouraging and worth-while reunion. When will the next one be?


SUPPORT FOR WORKERS
My one feeling of sadness this trip is that we were unable to give as much money as usual to the workers we support. Only a few of them are sponsored, and of course we passed on what was received. Other workers only received US$100 each for 3 months, which was the remaining available money divided between them. Please pray that the Lord will provide for them in some other way, and that next year we will receive enough gifts to support them. If you would like to sponsor a worker or pastor, please let me know.

See what they look like here.


BUILDING PLANS
Arrangements for rebuilding at the Bible School next year are still uncertain. Our hope is to have something prepared so that building can start in April or May after the snow has thawed out. Plans and construction information from an American group of engineers seems to have gone astray, and this has delayed our ability to make decisions, and to begin raising funds. We also want to call for volunteers to come and assist with this work, but we need scheduling information first.


Donations can be sent to:
Faith Ministries
P.O. Box 12357
Hamilton, N.Z.

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