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 Mission Report for Nov. 1, 2015 - Jan. 31, 2016

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 3:2

We began our studies of Matthew and from John the Baptist message, he prepared the hearts of people for the Messiah through the message of repentance. Repentance is important to help us prepare for the Kingdom of God. It is also a good jumping board to start the New Year with the gospel.        

I. Review of Nov-Jan.

In November we had a conference in Kyiv with Kyiv UBF. Our English club members did a video for the conference. Vitaly the brother who went to the East to help plant a church, came and joined our conference. He shared his report of the work of God there. We were very much encouraged so we prayed on our knees to God to have mercy on Ukraine and to stop this war. Through these tragedies in the East people are open to the Gospel. We pray for many churches to be planted in the East of Ukraine. We are thankful that we were able to help in 2015 in relief work there. Now our funds are depleted and the need is growing. We pray for God’s provision.

In November we canceled our Thanksgiving dinner because John became ill with inflamed and irritated colon. He had abdominal pain for three days and missed work for a week. Finally, when he couldn’t endure the pain anymore we brought him to the Emergency room. He was in intensive care for one night and then a regular ward the next day. I informed our daughters in the US about their father and they asked for prayers in Chicago. Our church members in Kyiv also prayed. The Christian rehab center where Misha (the orphan boy we are helping) lives also prayed for us. Like a miracle, two days later on Sunday he felt better and was discharged and went to Sunday Worship Service. We thank God for healing him. Though we have no insurance, God covered us. Thank you for all your prayers for us.

In December for one week we had a girl Rada who lived with our sisters in common life. She is 11 yo, an orphan from the East. Last summer her orphanage was bombed by terrorists from the East. Thank God all the children survived. In Kyiv she participated in the Christmas performance of "Old shoemaker" and needed a place to stay. We were happy to take care of here and pray for her and her future. May God provide a family for her!

We had our Christmas Service on December 13. Our faithful sister Lena could not join us because she moved to Slovakia due to her job. She joined a local church there. By God’s grace several students from the university we are pioneering attended. One sister received a key verse from our White Elephant gift exchange and made it her new 2016 key verse. We had a joyful celebration. Because we had our Christmas service earlier on the 13th, we were able to join other churches’ Christmas Service. We joined a new church plant in Alexandria, Ukraine on the 20thand on the 27th we joined Holy Trinity because one of our members goes to this church. We also celebrated a Candle Light Christmas eve service in another church called ICA where another member of our church attends. We want to network with other churches in the Kyiv area to pray and co-work for the ministry of university students and the city of Kyiv.

Natalka left after our Christmas service to visit the US attending UBF chapters in New York, New Jersey, Chicago and the Well conference in Michigan. She even participated in the Christmas Worship Service in New York playing in the drama. When she left her position in the airlines they gave her several flight tickets to use for 2015 – 2016. God provided for her to travel and visit UBF ministries. She also has a possibility to go to Korea to attend the World Mission report this year. Her Bible student Yana has been coming to several of our meetings and growing spiritually. She is a refugee from Lugansk, so she just moved to Kyiv recently and she is searching for God. We pray that she may meet Jesus and grow as a woman of God. Also we are praying for her to be our music servant because we have none.

January we had the CIS director’s meeting and wedding in Kyiv between a brother from Athens UBF and a sister from Astana UBF. We were thankful for Misn. David Baik from New York UBF who came and stayed with us and visited our church center. Misn. Abraham K. Lee of Koln, David Kim of Indianapolis and Joshua Lee of Toronto came and visited our church center and prayed for us as well. We are forever grateful for their love and prayer support. My brother Ron Quilaton is now attending Indianapolis UBF. He left our church 25 years ago but recently decided to come back. Every time I saw him for our family reunions in Chicago I always mentioned God’s great work in the Philippines which he pioneered in the early 80’s during his medical studies. I told him God used him so much and now there are 4 chapters from the church he planted. He thanked God and told me, “I began my Christian life in UBF and I want to end in UBF.” He is one of our faithful supporters.

We also began our English club and Movie night in the middle of January. This semester we decided to do more events and increased our Movie night to twice a month and have English Club every week. Students are eager to come and participate. Anya has been faithfully studying the Bible one to one with me and attending our SWS. We pray for her to grow spiritual in a deeper relationship with Jesus.

II.  Prayer topics

 There is not only war in the country but the corruption in the government is also rampant. The difficult economic situation is a burden for the Ukrainian people. Political instability, falling currency, daily increase in prices bring despair to the nation. This month hryvnia, the currency reached a new minimum. The government is ineffective and blind. It seems like no one sees and no one hears. May God reveal Himself in this situation and may everyone see that He is the one that hears and cares about the people who is calling out in His name. His Kingdom is near. May we repent and proclaim this good news.

1. We pray for the war in the East of Ukraine to end in this year and have peace in Ukraine.

2. We thank God that we finished Acts, Nehemiah and Galatians in 2015.

3.  Please pray for our Matthew studies in 2016.

4.  Pray for our church to establish a house church in this year.

5. Music servants.

6. Spiritual growth of new Bible students.

7.  Pray for the John and Maria’s Peace’s health so that they can be effective Gospel workers in 2016.

8. Pray for Cynthian Bateman open heart surgery in Canada on Feb. 2. Her husband Paul Bateman is one of our messengers on Sunday. He is a teacher who prays with John in the international school.