The Bible tells us that children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior — their impact can be swift and far-reaching. But effective arrows need preparation. They require thoughtful crafting to ensure that they are straight and sharp. I’m excited by the little arrows God is raising up here in our church in L’viv, and I’d like to tell you about how we are using Scripture to prepare these young people to have an impact for Christ.
There are days when I feel too exhausted to go on. Sometimes I think, “I have so many other ministries…maybe I’m stretching myself too thin with this kids’ class?” Then my phone rings. A child’s voice greets me from the other end of the line in the respectful Ukrainian “vy” form which makes me feel old. “Good day, Uncle Joshua! Do you have time for me to come over and recite my memory project?” And just like that, I’m back in the game.
Since we launched the Bible First Kids class last year, these young people have memorized hundreds of passages. Some are quoting long chapters like Romans 8, Proverbs 31, and Hebrews 11. And while the kids have fun tracking their progress and earning rewards, I know that the Scripture they are hiding in their hearts today will transform their futures.
We still meet on Sundays to work on memory projects, sword drills, and to study the Bible First lessons. I’ve also started taking them out one Sunday a month to a nearby mall for a special class. Each of them is given a Bible verse printed on a slip of paper which they can review during the short walk across the street to the mall. Once we get there, we pull some tables together and sit down for ice cream. Then, we go around the table and each child has a chance to explain the meaning of the their verse to the others in the group. Even the youngest are able to pull out key words and answer my questions when prompted. It’s a great way to get them thinking about these passages. We all learn best when we teach!
Please keep praying for these kids. They are tomorrow’s fathers and mothers, teachers, pastors, and government leaders. I am so grateful to have this chance to sharpen these precious arrows before they go out!
CMO 2018
Only a couple of weeks remain until CMO 2018 commences on July 12. God is blessing our preparations, and we are anticipating an exciting project this year! We will be joined by six men from the US in addition to our staff team. On June 12, I traveled to the Carpathians with Nathan and Tolik to make arrangements for film showings. God blessed, and we got our first three showings on the calendar!
During CMO, we always send out more frequent updates, and if you’d like to receive those, be sure that you are subscribed to our email list on the ETO site.
Good and Evil
We are AL. MOST. THERE. After countless hours of work by many different people, the revised, full-color, Ukrainian edition of Good and Evil is nearly ready! Right now, our designer in Kyiv is making the final preparations for print, and we hope to have presses rolling some time next week! Please pray that the work will be done well, and that there will be no defective books. (This was an issue last time.) Also pray that the books will be delivered in time for use during CMO. We are so grateful to all of you who have prayed for and supported this project. We are excited to see how God will use Good and Evil in Ukraine!
“Coming Soon!”
How You Can Pray
- Pray for the upcoming printing of Good and Evil.
- Praise the Lord for His blessings on CMO preparations!
- Pray for safe travel for the CMO team, for successful film showings, and that God would open doors for the Gospel this summer!
- Pray that many new students would enroll in Bible First during CMO.
- Pray for our family as we prepare to travel to the US only a few weeks after CMO ends.
- Pray for peace and liberty in Ukraine.
