Kremenchuk, Ukraine Newsletter

Doug Berry, Missionary    Volume No. 5 Issue No. 4    Date April 1, 2007

Thanks from Central Ukraine

I pray that all is well with you!  I hope that you do not get tired of me saying thank you for your love and support through all means that it comes our way.  You are the backbone of our work here in Ukraine.  It is because of your steadfast love, support and prayers that we are able to continue the Lord’s work in Kremenchuk, surrounding cities and villages.  So from all of us here, a great big THANK YOU!

New Births

In the last couple of months, there have been 6 baptisms in the Central Church of Christ and 2 in the Boy’s Prison work with Gregory.  About 6 weeks ago, the English teacher Natalie, whose wedding I went to in the village 3 years ago, brought a friend to us on Sunday morning.  She is in the 2^nd semester of her 3^rd year in the University and had just transferred to one of the Universities here in Kremenchuk.  Her name is also Natalie or Natasha.  She started to come to Church services on a regular basis and to several of our youth activities as well.  There is usually some literature on salvation at the Church building and at my home.  On some of the walls at the building is the plan of salvation, spelled out pretty well.  She read it all and the Bible we gave to her, too.  This last Sunday morning, she informed me that she wanted to be baptized and had brought clothes along to be able to do that!  I was very surprised (as it doesn’t usually happen like that here!) and asked her some questions to see if she knew what she was doing and if she knew what baptism was for.  She assured me she knew, even though she realizes she needs much study to be able to grow up in Christ.  She assured me that she realizes that this was a very important step in her life and that she was giving her life to Jesus Christ!  So after services, we baptized her into Christ!!!  Please be praying for her and our other new Christians that they may remain faithful and grow up strong in Christ!

Updates on My Family

     I start first with my youngest daughter, Janessa and her husband, BJ living in Grand Island, NE.  She is healing well from her miscarriage in December, both emotionally and physically.  God has been with us all through this difficult time. My grandson, Gavin, just turned 2 on March 9^th.  However Janessa and BJ have separated in their marriage to try to work out some struggles that they are having.  We are all confident that God will bring them through this to His Glory.  Please continue to pray for them.

     My oldest daughter Jenise and her husband Jon, living in San Angelo, TX gave birth to a baby boy on March 17^th.  The mother, baby and father are doing fine!  The boy’s name is Malachi Taylor Grottis and he was 8 lbs, 6 oz and 21 inches long when he was born.  He continues to be strong and healthy and mom and dad are getting a little sleep!  This last week, Jenise took Malachi to her University classes with her!  He will be a very smart young man!

     My next oldest, my son Ben, continues his mission work in Sendai Japan and they continue to do a good work for the Lord, there. 

     My oldest son is Butch, married to Erin with my two granddaughters, Hannah 4, and Ella 2. They live in Puyallup, WA.  Butch is a Chiropractor and Erin is a very capable and talented mother at home.

     Of course I have 2 sisters in Pierre, SD, one in Kerrville, TX and my brother lives in Alpine, CA, close to San Diego.

     I guess that brings it back to me.  In the Lord, I am doing great!  Of course we all have ups and downs, but those are for the purpose of strengthening us so that we can walk closer and eternally with the Father.  The last 3 months have been a bit of nagging health struggles for me.  I had a cold, then I got bronchitis, I had some blood pressure problems and then a lingering cough that just won’t seem to go away.  The cough was better, but now it is somewhat worse again.  On the 9^th of March, I somehow badly bruised my heal.  It is better, but that has been a very uncomfortable, nagging problem. Many of you know about these things and I am thankful for your prayers in regards to my family and about my health.

Sasha, Ksusha, Olya, Max and I at the Visually Handicapped Orphanage in Svetlovodsk where we have worked the last 1 ½ months

Workers Going and Coming

     On March 5^th, James Vaughan left to go to his AIM graduation in Lubbock, TX. From there on March 15^th he went to England. Also on the 15^th, his fiancé, Anya O. from Kremenchuk went to England and they were married on the 24^th!  Congratulations James and Anya Vaughan!  They returned to Kremenchuk on April 1^st.

     On March 20^th, Kelli Himebaugh left to go to the states to visit family and friends for about 6 weeks and will return to us on May 5^th.

February and March 2007

     Many of the things we regularly do, have continued steady through these 2 months.  In late February and early March, the schools all across Ukraine shut down for 2 weeks due a flu epidemic.  This is pretty common for this time of the year and to me, it isn’t nearly as serious as it sounds, but of course it does help to stop the spread of these flues!  When James left I no longer had someone to regularly share the teaching of different classes.  Kelli took over his classes at school #10 he was teaching.  But when Kelli left, I had all her classes and James’ to teach too!  However, this lasted just one week, because there was spring break the last week of March.  Since there was no classes during this time at schools, I took 3 days off (I hadn’t had a day off in almost 3 months!) and rested in Kiev.  It was a good time off and helped a lot!

Future Plans

     In the last Newsletter, I told you about a datcha that we may take on to repair and clean up and use.  After much prayer, we decided that we just don’t have the time or money to do this at this time.  Lord willing, it may still be there for us in the future if we change our minds!

     We are planning a month long VBS day camp in June this year in the Church building for 5^th-8^th grades from 8am to 4:30pm.  Then we would have evening classes for Teens, Univ. students and adults.  We want to have our 5^th annual Black Sea Bible Camp the first 2 weeks of July.  It does look like we will have some individuals that have worked with us for past summers that will come back and help with these 2 camps.

     We are incorporating our classes and activities with the Central Church of Christ more and more.  We have already done this on Sunday night worship services and Tuesday nights with our singing. Now we will make all that we are doing a more complete part of the local congregation.

     Down the Road:  1) We will not have an AIM team coming this year from TX or an MAP team coming from York, NE as we have had for the last 11 years! 2) Kelli Himebaugh will leave December of 2007.  3) James Vaughn will probably leave sometime the summer of 2008.  4) We MIGHT get an AIM team in May of 2008.

    We need more workers!  Please pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth workers into this Harvest field!

Things for You to Know

Ø      I am planning on continuing this work after my 5 years are up!  This is the best work that I have ever been involved with in my life and I want to continue here for a long time!

Ø      My website: www.ukrainemission.com is going through some changes and soon, you should be able to find it a lot easier to use it with frequent updated materials and pictures.

Ø      My email is: doug_berry2001@yahoo.com.

Ø      I have started a web log called a blog that is to assist you. I update it at least weekly, about the work here as well as containing encouraging articles and my bi-monthly journal. Please read and leave comments on it. It is:  www.kremenchuk.blogspot.com.

Dreams Come True!!!

On March 11 we began a Parent’s Bible Club!  This is a VERY beginner’s beginners English Bible Club, but we are very excited about these dreams come true!  It has always been apart of our goals to reach parents and now we have 5 parents, some Church members and other non-Christians attending this class.  We have had it 3 times and it is going extremely well!  Please pray for its continued success!

Prayer Requests

1. God’s blessings upon our classes in the schools.

2. God’s blessings upon our home/church based classes in our outreach.

3. To bring the lost we are studying with to Him.

4. To open many more doors of opportunity to find new and effective ways to reach the lost.

5. To show us how to better teach and train the saved in the way of the Bible and Christ.

6. To keep us strong and united in Christ.

7. To put a stronger burden on hearts for the lost.

8. To send us workers to come and join us in our work here in central Ukraine.

9. For the church in Komsomolsk and the starting of the church in Svetlovolsk.

10. Pray for Gregory, Sasha and Valeria – my Ukrainian co-workers, their families and our mutual work together.

11. For all our young Christians for faithfulness and steadfastness in the Lord.

12. That I would be the effective leader I need to be.

13. Please pray for my family.

14. The success of summer classes and camps.

15. The healthy working of all our workers together.