We invite you to recieve our quarterly prayer letter and our e-mail updates. Send me your e-mail and physical mailing address. Thank you for your continued prayers!
Please note that these archived e-mails are from earliest to most current, and sometimes it takes me a little while to update this archive.
--Alexandra
Date: May 29 2000 00:43:46 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: Welcome to the Bush Bulletin!
Dear Mission Partners,
We are SO excited that we're registered to attend SPLICE from July 10-28! SPLICE is a cross-cultural training course hosted by Mission Training International (http://www.mti.org).
Please pray for God's timing for this. Right now we are balancing being ready to -go- and being patient with God's timing. To be able to attend SPLICE we need to have 80% of our monthly support raised, and at this point we have just over 50%. We rejoice that all of our one-time support requirements have been abundantly met! All further donations are applied to our monthly needs.
Also, we have just six weeks to get rid of the bulk of our household goods (need anything? *grin*), set aside what we will need during language school, prepare for storage our sentimental things, and tie up other loose ends. It is stimulating being at the point where everything is coming together. Please pray we will be able to get all of this done quickly.
Right now we trips planned to Waco and San Antonio in June. We would love to see y'all along the way! Please e-mail or call us if you are in those areas and would be available to get together.
We recently sent out our spring prayer letter. If you did not recieve a prayer letter from us and would like to, please e-mail us your current mailing address. You can also view it on the web at https://www.angelfire.com/ma/meandtheboys/spring2000.html.
We appreciate having you as part of our mission support team. Your faithful prayers, your encouraging words, and your support are the means God is using to get us to Kiev. Thank you.
Blessings,
John and Alexandra
Date: Jul 05 2000 13:34:08 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: Update!
July 5, 2000
Dear friends and family,
This past month has been full of preparations to leave Midland for the training we'll need before going to Kiev. Sorting, packing, organizing, cleaning. . .
John drove a small truck to Florida with the sentimental things we will be storing while overseas. Then Alexandra and the boys met up with him in New Orleans to spend some time with Alexandra's grandparents and other relatives.
This past Sunday, July 2nd, was the last with our church family. What a blessing it was to be sent off by our church, New Life PCA, on the next stage our our preparations for Kiev. Yet it was a happy/sad time saying goodbye to the people who have been such a part of our lives for the past year.
We will be at Mission Training International's SPLICE program (MTI.org) for the remainder of July. I feel like in the past few months God has allowed me to have glimpses of some of the challenges we'll be facing related to cross-cultural adaption and cross-cultural relationship building. So with that, we are even more eager to learn from the experienced missionaries teaching at SPLICE. Please pray that we will absorb what we need to know, and that we will be able to apply it as we prepare for Kiev.
Thank you, everyone, for your help during this move, for your prayers, and for your encouragement during this time. Please continue to pray that as we travel we will have opportunities to bless and minister to others.
Blessings,
John and Alexandra Bush
Highlights from the past month:
* On June 11, we were June 11, we worshiped with Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA). What a joyous occasion it was! This was the Sunday they were recognized as an independent church, transitioning from being a church plant.
* July 2nd we stayed with the Hardwicke family. They are part of a new church forming in Lubbock. It is exciting to see how God's hand has brought together several families from different parts of the country to Lubbock! Please pray as they wait for the pastor God has for them.
* We were very blessed by Pastor Randy and Elaine Shapiro of Congregation Beth Simcha in San Antonio. We had a wonderful time of refreshment while visiting them.
* We celebrated Independence Day in Manitou Springs, where we first met nine years ago this month! We visited Doc Noebel, Jeff Myers, and everyone at Summit Ministries, (www.Summit.org) and watched the fireworks with the students who are attending the current session.
Date: Jul 31 2000 22:49:44 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: Cross Cultural Training
July 31, 2000
Dear friends,
We just wrapped up three weeks of cross cultural training in Florissant, Colorado. We learned about sharing the Gospel and building relationships in different cultures; strategies for language learning; what to expect in the overseas mission field; and other aspects of transitioning into a new culture.
It's hard to compress three weeks of learning into a short e-mail! One of the most helpful things for us was hearing the real experiences of the missionaries who were leading the training. (For more info check out http://www.mti.org)
Although we had several instructors, the primary ones were Tom and Jeanie Eckblad, who spent 11 years (and 11 revolutions!) in Bolivia. They stressed how important it is to maintain our spiritual vitality, both now and on the field. The time spent studying the Bible and worshipping with the other missionary families, as well as our fellowship alone with God really refocused our attention on Him.
Much of the course focused on the challenges and problems missionaries face on the field. Both of us felt how profoundly dependent we are upon God for success in what He has called us to do. We really appreciated how the training always came back to the underlying purpose of missions--to bring glory to God.
We are now visiting Alexandra's parents in Illinois. We will likely be here through August 6th. You can reach us through e-mail or at XXX-XXX-XXXX. We will also be visiting John's parents in Sarasota before going to language school. Our number there is XXX-XXX-XXXX. Please pray that these times with our family will be times of making memories and "spurring one another on toward love and good deeds" before we go overseas.
We are preparing to send out a prayer letter, and would appreciate your help with a little housekeeping. If you have not recieved our prayer letter in the past and would like to, please e-mail us your snail mail address. Or, if you have recently moved, we would like to have your new address. Thanks!
Thank you for your love and prayers,
John and Alexandra
calvinpartisan@yahoo.com
meandmyboys@hotmail.com
New pictures of the kids!
https://www.angelfire.com/ma/meandtheboys/pictures.html
Date: Aug 21 2000 21:15:06 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: Language School, Here We Come!
August 21, 2000
Dear friends,
We are just about to load the boys into the van for our drive to Columbia, South Carolina for language school.
Would you please pray that the details related to Russian language school would come together?
I -was- going to ask that you pray for a place for us to live for the next four months. However, today we recieved a phone call from someone who wants to rent us a three-bedroom place just a ten minute walk from campus! It is already furnished and within our budget--two big pluses for us. So please rejoice with us! God has provided for this need abundantly!
Thank you for your prayers and your encouragement!
Blessings,
Alexandra
for the Bush family
Date: Aug 26 2000 19:53:49 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: August 26, 2000
August 26, 2000
Dear friends,
We rejoice at the home God has provided for us in Columbia! On Monday, we received a call in Florida to see if we had found a place to rent yet. When we arrived in Columbia late Tuesday night, Dave from the Russian Language Ministries office met us and brought us to our new home. We were able to move in right then! And, it is completely furnished--down to silverware in the drawers and a washer and dryer in the back room. We rejoice at how God has provided!
Our new address, which should be current through December 15, is:
John and Alexandra Bush
No Longer Current
Columbia, SC 29203
XXX-XXX-XXXX
Last night (Friday) we met with Dal Stanton, our Kiev Team leader. He is in the States for a series of church planting workshops. We had a good visit with him, and I'm looking forward to serving under him. He's excited about our arrival as well, as the strategic focus group of the team is 18-29 year olds, and a large percentage of the work is with young men.
We're a large step closer to Kiev. Monday we begin our Russian language training. There is an intermediate course here that's right about where I am linguistically, and Alexandra will be working through the beginning course.
Thank you for praying for us. Here are our most pressing prayer concerns:
* For our success at language learning.
* For the right child care arrangements for the boys.
* For the remainder of our monthly support pledges.
Blessings,
John and Alexandra
Date: Oct 03 2000 23:24:49 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: Learning Russian!
October 3, 2000
"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel." Ephesians 6:16
Studying, eating, breathing, waking, walking, sleeping Russian. . .
You haven't heard from us much in the month since language school began because our days and nights have been consumed with Russian! John and I are so thankful to have this time of intensive language training before going to Kiev, Ukraine.
The instructors here at Russian Language Ministries (http://www.russianlanguage.org) are dedicated to teaching missionaries how to truly communicate with and understand the people of the Russian-speaking world. Even though John has a strong foundation from when he was a military linguist, he says that after just a month here, he is able to converse better than he ever was at DLI.
Each day we spend an hour devoted to vocabulary building, two hours in grammar studies, and two hours in conversation. Wednesdays are our "fun" days, with a time of praise and prayer in Russian, along with intensive lectures in history, geography, literature and other aspects of Russian culture. Our evenings after the boys are tucked in bed are spent doing homework and practicing together.
The course has been very challenging for me. I feel like I am having alternating days of excitement that remind me I really am learning, and days of desperation which make me run to God for strength. I have again been reminded how faithful He is! And as our intructors have pointed out, learning the language and studying the culture is our first labor of love for the Russian people.
Along with our studies, we have been going to a slew of doctor appointments. We all need complete physicals and extra immunizations before going to Kiev. I've spent several hours in the dentist chair, and Reagan needed minor surgery. We rejoice that he came through that with just a day of crankiness!
The Lord willing, we are planning to leave for Kiev in late January. We will need 100% of monthly support to leave then. Please pray for us to have opportunities to share with people and churches about what God is doing in Ukraine.
Thank you so much for being part of our support network--in the past month we've recieved e-mails, letters, and pictures that have been a great encouragement to us. And we have felt your prayers tremendously--thank you for your commitment to us during this time of preparation.
With love,
Alexandra
for the Bush family
Mission Address:
c/o Mission to the World
P.O. Box 29765
Atlanta, GA 30359
(account #10579)
Date: Oct 22 2000 00:17:51 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: We Survived Midterms!
October 21, 2000
Dear friends and family,
John and I are rejoicing that midterms week is over! But our celebration is not so much that the stress of testing is over, as much as it is for the encouragement midterms were.
This week, John reminded me that less than two months ago we started our training at Russian Language Ministries. At that point I had a smattering of unrelated vocabulary, a few slang phrases, and could sing bits of children's songs. For our oral exam on Friday, I had to talk for 15 minutes about myself--all in Russian. And I did! I thank you for your prayers and for God' enabling me to learn.
Also, we've covered the basics of Russian grammar during the first half of our course. Russian is a case language and I've learned how to put words into each of the six cases, as well as basic verb conjugation. After the written exam, though, I once again realized just how much I still need to learn!
In the beginning of the course, I was really feeling on top of things. I was understanding the lessons and really grasping the grammar. A couple of weeks ago, however, I started to feel like I was sinking. I couldn't remember any vocabulary and my head was swimming during classes. The review and preparation for the midterms has been a huge encouragement to me! While not feeling like I completely comprehend it all, I am once again understanding and pressing on.
As most of you know, John was trained as a Russian linguist for the Army at the Defense Language Institute. Yet while he did have the foundations of the language taught there, the vocabulary was very specific to the military and the focus was not on him being able to have a conversation. In his job they joked, "If the Russians can hear you, you are doing something wrong."
So when he began classes here two months ago, he had very little Christian vocabulary or conversation experience. For his oral exam this week, John had to be able to share the Gospel. As he prepared for it, he kept telling me how to say certain phrases in Russian like "justification by faith" and "sovereignty of God."
Part of our lessons each week include memorizing Scripture in Russian. A recent one was, (roughly tranliterated) "Bez menya, nye mozhyetye dyelet neechivo." That verse is from John 15:5, "Without Me, you can do nothing." What an encouragement--all that we've learned in the past two months we know is because of God. With Him, we CAN learn Russian!
Thank you for the sacrifices you are making so that we can attend Russian school. We really see now just how vital this preparation is to effectively serve the people of Kiev.
Blessings,
Alexandra
for the Bush family
Prayer Requests:
* Continued grace in language learning.
* That we would be receptive to the other training and molding that God is
doing in our lives right now.
* For Dal Stanton and the other members of the team already in Kiev.
Date: Nov 09 2000 23:13:03 EST
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: November 9, 2000 Update
Dear Friends,
One of my current assignments for Russian class is to explain how I came to believe in Jesus. What an assignment to re-energize my Russian studying!
It has been a struggle, though. How can I possibly explain all that God has done in my life--from when I was a child and first asked Jesus into my heart, through my growing up years, and how I've now found Him so faithful day by day?
My vocabulary and grammar are still so limited. Johnny (our four year old) has a larger English vocabulary than I have in Russian!
Putting my spiritual journey into simple words and phrases has given me an opportunity to refocus on God. It has helped me see the very basics of my faith and the changes God has made at the core of me.
Thank you for being so encouraging to us during this period of language study. Daily I am seeing how vital this will be when we are living among the people of Kiev.
Blessings,
Alexandra
for the Bush Family
calvinpartisan@yahoo.com
PRAISES!
* Each of the boys needed to get some health concerns checked out before
leaving the States. Praise the Lord, each of them are minor and don't
need any further medical attention!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
* That John and I will get the most of our last five weeks of language
school.
* Our baby is due in early December, but we are already within the window of the baby being able to come "any time."
Date: Nov 18 2000 22:32:41 EST
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: Address, Please!
November 18, 2000
Dear Friends,
We really want to mail you a Christmas card this year. First we need to make sure the address we have for you is current. Would you please e-mail us at calvinpartisan@yahoo.com with your current mailing address? This means a lot to us!
This is especially important if you have never received a prayer letter from us, or if you did not recieve one in August. And it saves us time and postage through preventing letters being returned by the post office. Thank you!
Blessings,
Alexandra
P.S. I had some pretty serious contractions yesterday (which ended up being just pre-labor, though it felt like the real thing for a while. . .) We appreciate your prayers for our family and our new baby during this time of waiting.
Date: Nov 26 2000 17:49:04 EST
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: Guess who's here?!?
Please share our joy in welcoming our son,
Calvin Peter Bush
Born 4:00 am
Saturday, November 25, 2000
7 lbs, 8 oz; 20 inches
Thank you for your prayers for us and our new baby. We rejoice that both Alexandra and baby are healthy and recovering well from the birth. (Please pray for John who is battling strep throat.)
Johnny, Tennyson, and Reagan have been thrilled with their new baby brother. When Reagan first saw Calvin, he grinned and kept exclaiming, ?Baby! Baby! Baby? Johnny?s first words were, ?I can?t believe how tiny he is! Look at those tiny feet! I?m extremely excited about our new baby!? And Tennyson just kept smiling and kissing the baby.
With love,
John and Alexandra Bush
Johnny, Tennyson, Reagan and Calvin
Date: Dec 02 2000 15:28:51 EST
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: America the Mission Field
December 2, 2000
America the Mission Field
As I write this, the outcome of our recent presidential elections is still in doubt. But this doubt doesn?t concern me nearly so much as those of many of my fellow students at the Bible college where I attend Russian classes. Many of them seem to have almost an apocalyptic view of an Al Gore victory, as if his first Exective Order will be to light Christians as human lamps for his inaugural dinner in Neroesque fashion, or to have them gored by wild beasts in our modern football coliseums.
The immediate cure for this anxiety is to reflect on the sovereignty of God. I am convinced that neither hand counts, nor Chicago-style political machinations, nor $600 dollar-an-hour lawyers will divert us from the will of God. Indeed, Romans 13 says directly:
?For the is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.?
But this angst is only a symptom of a deeper problem. As one Christian thinker defines it, we the Church are looking at America as a battlefield rather than a mission field.
Rather than being messengers of Grace and reconciliation, too often our leaders, as well as those in the pews, are approaching the unbelieving world as ?the enemy? in a war for the ?soul of our culture.? Cultures don?t have souls, people do. And we alienate them when we approach them as an opposing army of morality, rather than loving ambassadors for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Not only is this ineffective tactically, it is contrary to the whole message of the Gospel.
By changing people?s lifestyles and politics, we give them an outer form of righteousness at best. We make better behaved pagans. Only through repentance and sanctification can a person?s being truly be changed.
Yet how much more often have I over the years had in-depth conversations with unbelievers over their politics, rather than the condition of their souls. I was an activist?s activist, to the point of writing a monthly column entitled ?Dispatches From the Culture Wars? for a Christian magazine, and taking off college semesters to work campaigns.
There is nothing inherently wrong in Christian participation in politics. It was the messianic view of political power implicit in my thinking, and in the thinking of so many on the Evangelical Right these days, that is out of balance. It?s something I have, in time, had to repent of.
The Reformation and the Great Awakening massively improved the cultures which gave them birth. But this wasn?t due to political agitation; it was the fruit of changed hearts resulting in changed lives.
We are called to be active citizens. I love my country, and I want to see the naked ungodliness that mars her washed clean. But HR 1217-2 will never do it. The government isn't called to be salt and light, the Church is. Cultural renewal in this country will never take place except it follow spiritual revival and reformation in the Church. And that will come only by the Holy Spirit, working through the members of the Body.
In other words, through us. Christ calls us to make disciples, not Republicans. My mission field is to be the Ukraine. Yours is America. But no matter where we are, our calling is to spread the Good News, and to confront sinners with their need for a Savior, not a change of party registration.
?Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself
through Jesus Christ, and given us the ministry of reconciliation, that
is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing
their trespasses to them, and has commited to us the word of
reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ.?
-2nd Corinthians 5:19,20
In Christ,
John Bush
calvinpartisan@yahoo.com
Date: Dec 18 2000 15:33:14 EST
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: Christmas Greeting!
December 18, 2000
Dear Friends,
We are so excited to tell you that we have completed the Russian program at RLM. Of course, as one of our instructors reminded us, learning the Russian language is a life-long process. Thank you for partnering with us, and giving us this opportunity to focus on the language this past semester.
At this point, we have completed both language school and cross-cultural training, and have raised all of our one-time funding. All we need before leaving for Kiev is to raise the remainder of our monthly support. We have seen in the past how God has provided, and trust that He will bring in the support in a timely manner.
We are packing and preparing to leave Columbia, and will be spending Christmas with John's parents in Florida. You can reach us:
c/o John and Diane Bush
Keeping Confidential Online
Sarasota, FL XXXXX
XXX-XXX-XXXX
May your Christmas be filled with joy, as we celebrate the incarnation of Christ!
John and Alexandra Bush
Johnny, Tennyson, Reagan and Calvin
Date: Feb 08 2001 19:59:36 EST
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: February 8, 2001
February 8, 2001
Dear friends,
This weekend I went to the Women's Retreat at the church we attend when we are in Sarasota, FL. (Covenant Life Presbyterian-PCA) Mrs. Robbie Leach taught from Nehemiah. God really used this weekend to do some spiritual "spring cleaning" in my life.
You know how things in life go in cycles? Hormones, marriage ups and downs, spiritual growth, energy and exhaustion? There is a series of parenting books, "Your ___ Year Old" by Louise Bates Ames and Frances Ilg that talk about a equilibrium/disequilibrium cycles in child development. This really rings true with me because that so accurately describes how things are in my life.
Lately, I've been in a cycle of spiritual disequilibrium. I KNOW beyond knowing that God changes lives and works in our lives. I've lived it. But for awhile, that's where it's been--past tense. I have held onto faith--held on to what God has DONE in my life, more than what He is doing in my life. Not that He wasn't working in my life, because He has been! But more, I have been unwilling to submit to the work God has been doing.
I've had so much fear in my life since the whole process of preparing to go to Ukraine started. Fear that people will find out the sin in my life. Fear of being rejected as a person. Fear that we will be kept from going to Kiev.
And I've held onto unforgiveness and allowed it to turn into bitterness. I didn't realize how much I wanted to hold onto my sin. This weekend my prayer began as, "God, I'm unwilling to forgive. I'm unwilling to let go of my bitterness. And I'm scared. But I'm willing for you to change my unwilling heart." And that was the first step.
My whole life I've been the "good girl." My Mom recorded in my baby book that the first sentence I said as a toddler was, "I'm a good girl!" My teenage struggles/rebellion were more internal than external. I've been a Christian since I was very young, and taught the "right" things to do.
And I KNOW that all the "right" things do not remove the sin in my life. I know that I need Jesus--He gave me His righteousness and took on my sins. Yet, I still have lived at times as if it is -my- goodness that earned God's favor. Even though I KNOW it doesn't. Habits are hard to break.
Since we began the missionary process, God has allowed me to see my sin more, and how truly ugly it is. Even my "good girl" behavior is full of sin and like filthy rags.
And yet, God's grace is so abounding. Last spring, John and I went through Sonship, a study on God's grace and Galatians. At the time, I thought I understood what was being taught. Now I see God has been orchestrating my life to let me have "hands on learning" for these lession. My heart holds more sin than I imagined. God loves me. God's love for me does not depend on what I do or don't do to "earn" it. (I've known that, but still lived sometimes as if it does depend on me.) God has forgiven me, through Christ's sacrifice. And He really does love me!
I don't need to hold on to my sins. I can release the Fear Anger Bitterness--the sins I've been holding onto in my heart. I feel so much lighter! The tension is released, though I still have the wrinkles in my forehead from holding it there. I've forgiven and released the offenses. And when the bitterness starts to creep back, immediately the Holy Spirit reminds me that God has forgiven me and taken that bitterness away!
I am rejoicing at how light my heart feels, how bright life looks, and how great God is!
Thank you for your prayers--I know that they are a large part of what God is doing to prepare us for Kiev. We hold you very dear to us.
Blessings,
Alexandra
for the Bush bunch
PRAISES:
* We will be joining the Kiev team in September! This is a little later
than we originally hoped, but works best for the Kiev City Team. We
already see how God's hand is in this.
* Our minivan faithfully got us to Florida from South Carolina, and with
240K miles died in the driveway a few weeks later. God has provided a
newer minivan for us, and the owners sold it to us at a reduced price!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
* That we, as a family, will be receptive to the growth God wants to do
in our lives.
* Housing--for either an opening at the missionary village in Tampa, or a
place in Sarasota with reasonable rent.
* The church-planting teams in Ukraine.
Date: Apr 01 2001 20:55:20 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: April 1, 2001
Dear Friends,
We're "home" for now--we just moved into D&D Missionary Homes in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Check them out at http://www.DDMissionaryHomes.org) The boys think it is great being right across from the playground, and Alexandra is thankful that we are next to the laundry facilities. We were welcomed by missionaries from all over the world--China, Micronesia, Jamaica, England, Vietnam--who helped us unpack and feel at home right away. We will be here until we head for Kyiv in September. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. You are so appreciated.
Our new address is:
John and Alexandra Bush
c/o D&D Missionary Homes
4020 58th Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL 33714
727-522-2809
Our e-mail address remains:
calvinpartisan@yahoo.com
Praises:
-- We rejoice that we have a home. And we are very grateful for Dad and
Mom Bush for their hospitality in Sarasota.
-- It's a girl! Alexandra's sister, Bahne, had a 7 lb little girl, Thayer
Leigh-Benen on March 6th. Mother and baby are doing wonderfully!
Prayer Requests:
-- Our health: John recently had a two-day migraine, Alexandra has been
battling a cold, and the kids have taken turns being sick.
-- A church home while we are in St. Petersburg. We were very blessed to
be part of the Covenant Life Presbyterian Church the past several months
in Sarasota.
-- Kyiv City Team
With blessings,
John and Alexandra Bush
Johnny, Tennyson, Reagan, and Calvin
Date: May 09 2001 23:30:01 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: May 14 -- Day of Prayer for Kiev
Thank you, dear friends, for continuing to support us in prayer.
Dal Stanton, leader of the Kiev City Team, has asked us and our prayer supporters to join together in a day of prayer and fasting this Monday, May 14.
Please join us in asking the Lord to:
* Grant us repentance and energize us with a renewed sense of dependence upon Christ's grace and the Holy Spirit in our planning, work and relationships.
* Guide and bless the plans recently adopted to complete the training, to examine and ordain the Ukrainian men that God has been raising up as elders and deacons for the Presbyterian Church of the Holy Trinity here in Kiev, and for her organization as a self-governing church, March, 2002.
* Strengthen and protect these future elders/deacons and their families in light of what appears to be intensified and specific attacks of the enemy against these emerging leaders and their families.
* Grant us wisdom in creating new and dynamic methods of identifying and training Ukrainian men to be church planters and wisdom in the creation, training, and deployment of Ukrainian church planting teams.
* Show us the most effective ways we can serve Christ as missionaries, using our gifts and resources wisely and strategically to build Christ's Church in Ukraine.
* Strengthen in grace and protect other MTW Ukraine Teams and work in Belgorod, Odessa, Kherson, Kharkov, Izmail, and Nikolyev.
* Strengthen in grace and protect these members of the MTW Kiev Team:
o Michelle Bargeron (Women's discipleship - IMPACT transitioning to career service)
o Ivan & Lucya Bespalov (Misha) (Organizing pastor - Church of the Holy Trinity, Kiev)
o Dawn Brady (Team Admin - IMPACT transitioning to career service)
o John & Alexandra Bush (Johnny, Tennyson, Reagan, and Calvin) (Young men's discipleship - Stateside raising support for 2-Year IMPACT)
o Jill Devere (presently in Russian language school; Women's discipleship, evangelism, Teaching English - career service)
o Eric & Lauren Huber (Tim, Dani, Nate) (Seminary Dean of Students, Church development/Officer training - career service)
o Laura McClain (Teenage ministry - Stateside raising support - 2-Year IMPACT)
o Dal & Beth Stanton (Jonathon [US Navy], Jocelyn, James [both at Black Forest Academy, Germany], Josiah, and Johanna) (Team leader, church planting training development - career service)
o Linda Stegall (Women's discipleship, teaching English - Stateside raising support - 2-Year IMPACT)
o Scott Taylor (Training development, Kharkov church developer, Young adult ministry - IMPACT transitioning to career service)
o Debbie Wilcox (Teenage/University ministry, women's discipleship - 2-Year IMPACT)
With love in Christ,
John and Alexandra
Date: Jul 12 2001 22:25:30 EDT
From: "The Bush Bulletin"
Subject: Last Listbot Message
Dear Supporters,
You may have received an e-mail from Listbot informing you that they are discontinuing their list management services. They have served us well, but we are now looking into other ways to keep in touch with you via e-mail.
In the next week we will be sending out an e-mail just to to check if we have your current e- address.
Thank you for your continued prayers for us and the Kiev team. We have four opportunities in the next two weeks to share with groups what Mission to the World is doing in Ukraine. We continue to hear of the need for more "workers in the field." Please pray that God will use these times to spark a desire to GO in those who are listening.
In grace,
Alexandra
for the Bush family
Subject: September 2001, Concerns and Praises
Dear Friends and Family,
Concerned about recent world events, several of you have contacted us about how this affects our preparations for Ukraine. Dawn Brady, from the Kyiv City Team, recently sent us an e-mail with the reactions in Kyiv:
?Frankly, I have been totally overwhelmed at the response of our Ukrainian friends. The news broke here around 5 pm Tuesday evening. My roommate, Debbie, and I received calls from our Ukrainian friends and even acquaintances all evening until midnight. They all called to express their sympathy and horror at the attack. They were anxious and concerned to check with us and see if any of our family members and friends had been affected. All day Wednesday people were still calling. The lady who helps clean our apartment came Wednesday morning and started sobbing after she heard that our families were fine. She had been worried for us all night because she couldn't find our phone number to call us. . .?
?Officially, Ukraine had a day of mourning [Thursday, September 13] for the United States. All television and radio stations stopped for a few minutes of silence at 1 pm. No "festive" music was played during the day - only somber music. . .?
?I have seen no evidence of anti-American sentiment here. Most people cannot believe that mighty America could have been attacked like this. We have all felt very encouraged by our Ukrainian brothers and sisters.?
We wanted to reassure you that we are still on track to leave for Kyiv. At this point, we are only waiting on the remainder of our support before buying our plane tickets. We are excited to say we are only $570 a month away from leaving! If you have been praying about being part of this outreach to Ukraine financially, this would be the time to register your support with Mission to the World.. You can e-mail us for a pledge card or e-mail your pledge to our MTW finance contact directly at twood@mtw.org .
Thank you for all the support and encouragement you have given us along the way. It?s exciting to be so very close to leaving, and we appreciate you helping us to get there.
In His hands,
John and Alexandra Bush
Calvinpartisan@yahoo.com
November 2002
Subject: Exciting news!
Dear friends and faithful supporters,
Six days and a wake up. . . Then we leave for Kyiv!
We'll be flying Lufthansa from Chicago to Kyiv via Frankfurt. We arrive on Tuesday, November 27th. One of our team members in-country is working with a broker to set up our apartment, and we're making our final cold-weather clothing purchases up here in Chicago.
When we first began our missionary preparations, we had no idea of the spiritual growth God had planned for us. The journey to this point has been one that has drawn us closer to God and made us realize how dependent we are on God's grace.
Please keep us in your prayers. Please pray especially for our travels and for our integration into the Kyiv team.
In God's Grace,
John and Alexandra Bush
Johnny, Tennyson (who will be 4 y/o the day we leave!),
Reagan and Calvin
Subject: January 2002 Merry Christmas from Kyiv!
Merry Christmas from Kyiv!
Christmas is celebrated in Ukraine on January 7th, as per the Julian calendar. If you factor that in, our Christmas greetings aren?t too long overdue!
We flew out of Chicago on November 26th. Tennyson thought that it was HIS special plane ride because it was his fourth birthday! We arrived in Kyiv the next day and were greeted warmly by our team memebers. We are so thankful for them--they had a flat already set up for us and the first week we spent getting the grand tour of Kyiv.
And we love our city! We have quickly claimed Kyiv as "ours." We love walking around the city centre, taking the metro, getting to know the people. Our flat is on the 18th floor and we have great views on three sides. Thank you for your prayers that we adjust quickly to the cold, after living so long in the Sunshine State. Our flat is very warm, and we've had so much fun in the cold and snow.
When new missionaries arrive, their first priority is in-country language learning. We've been blessed with a wonderful Russian instructor who has 40+ years of teaching the language to foreigners--including teaching in Cuba and Japan. Larissa is a believer and has been such an encouragement, especially to Alexandra.
One of the prayers we had as a family was that we would quickly make Ukrainian friends. Our first Sunday at Holy Trinity Church we met Andrei and Irena, and their young son Elisha. Andrei speaks great English, while Irena's is a little less fluent. But she and Alexandra can communicate great mixing English and Russian together! We have been able to spend time together as families (just today we went sledding with them) and they have been helping us understand Ukrainian culture and language.
God has opened up some opportunities for friendships outside of the believing community as well. I met two young men near our place one day while out running errands. Roma is a member of the Orthodox Church and Tymur is Byzantine Rite. They're anxious to improve their English, and so our arrangement is they speak in English, and I respond in Russian. They are both very patriotic Ukrainians, and spent an afternoon taking me to some really great places in the city and talking with me about Ukrainian history. We plan to get together again soon. Please pray that opportunities to minister Christ will naturally flow from these developing friendships.
And now for some housekeeping. . .
E-MAIL: If you are planning on changing e-mail addresses, want to
recieve this at a different e-mail, or wish to start receiving these
electronic updates, please contact us at
calvinpartisan@yahoo.com. If you are receiving this and don't wish
to be, we apologize. Just contact us and we'll remove your e-mail
address. Our e-mail addresses will continue to be:
John - calvinpartisan@yahoo.com
Alexandra - meandmyboys@hotmail.com
SNAIL MAIL: It helps us be good stewards of the gifts you give us when you let us know when your mailing address changes. If you wish begin to recieve or no longer recieve our quarterly prayer letters, please contact us.
CONTACTING US: Our new address is
Ukraine
Kyiv 03150
John Bush
Vul. Gorkovo 103-A, kb. 86
But please note there are several options in mailing letters/packages.
1. Please do NOT use FedEx or UPS. Our understanding is that it will result in sizeable customs fees on our end, as well as high charges on your end.
2. You can use the U.S. Post Office. The post offices on this end tend to open packages, but they usually don't remove anything. (Though we did hear a story of someone who recieved a Christmas tin full of candy wrappers!) It is quite costly to mail from the post office and takes about 2 weeks to arrive, we've heard.
3. For small packages, you can e-mail us to see if someone from the States is about to visit Kyiv, and then have them hand-carry it. This is the most reliable method, but the timing isn't predictable.
4. Also, there is an Ukrainian company that ships things from the US and takes care of making sure everything clears customs. It is reliable, though it takes quite awhile. According to my information, you address the package to us and over it tape an envelope with Ameripol's address and enclose $10 plus $.55 a pound. Please contact this company first, though, to verify shipping costs and procedures.
Ameripol
5835 East 13 Mile Road
Warren, MI 48092
810-978-9140
313-365-6780
5. For support gifts, please make checks payable to Mission to the
World, and notate John Bush #10570.
Mail them to:
Mission to the World
P.O. Box 116284
Atlanta, GA 30368-6284
We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of our support team. Many of you have been praying for us for years, and here we are! In Ukraine! We praise God for his faithfulness to us, and His sovereignty.
We are looking forward to sharing with you what God is doing both in our lives, and here in Ukraine.
With love,
John and Alexandra Bush
Johnny, Tennyson, Reagan and Calvin
Subject: February 7th, Kyiv Ukraine
February 7th, 2002
We've mentioned to you Andrei and Irena--the Christian couple here that have been such a gift from God to us, and we want to share a great praise with you. As in the US, the tech sector here has been rocky lately and Andrei is a computer guru. Even with his computer skills and excellent command of the English language, he's had trouble finding a job. Although he has been able to do some contract work, we rejoice that God has provided a full-time job for him within the last week as a sales manager at a computer store.
Irena has been coming once a week or so to help me practice reading the Bible in Russian. We are reading from John--still in chapter one. Ira has such a lilting voice and the Bible sounds beautiful when she reads it. When I read aloud in Russian I feel like I'm speaking klingon, like Star Trek! Last week, Ira shared with me about a friend of hers, Misha. He has been involved in the occult, yet had expressed curiousity about Jesus. We have been praying for Misha. Last Sunday he attended the worship service at Church of the Holy Trinity, and gave his life to Christ. He and John are getting together soon to "pogovorit" (talk a bit about) his new birth.
We've begun a small webpage about our family in Kyiv that we invite you to visit. On it is our most recent family picture from Christmas and a picture of Andrei, Irena, and their son Alysha.
https://www.angelfire.com/on4/bushfamily
Thank you for your continued encouragement and support while we are in Kyiv.
Love,
John and Alexandra Bush
and the boys
Prayer Requests:
* Pastor Ivan and the Church of the Holy Trinity
* Andrei and Irena and other believers as they share the Gospel
with their friends
* As always, our language learning.
* Wisdom in finding a "dyetski sad" (kindergarten) for Johnny.
* Our spiritual growth, that we may minister out of the abundance
of what God is doing in our hearts
* Dal, the leader of the Kyiv City Team
Praises:
* Alexandra has made great strides in Russian!
* The children have been adjusting phenomenonally well!
* God has given us a circle of Ukrainian friends who are so gentle
with us, and helping us transition into the culture.
Subject: Here in Kyiv. . .
4 March 2002
Hi y?all! Just a quick update on our current praises, plans and prayer requests. At the risk of sounding ?irrationally exuberant,? to borrow a phrase from Greenspan, I have to say that things here are wonderful! We continue to make friends and to settle into a good rhythm of life and ministry.
While we were support raising, I was always forced to be vague about the actual hands-on work we would be doing in Kyiv. This was due in part to the dynamic nature of the MTW work here. Also our arrival coincided with the ending stages of planting the church the team has been working with. It has been exciting to watch the Church of the Holy Trinity transition to all-Ukrainian leadership. The church now has six hundred people worshiping on Sundays and is finishing the training of Biblically-grounded Ukrainian elders. As we set out to plant a new church, it is encouraging to see Church of the Holy Trinity thriving.
When we arrived in Kyiv, we were able to focus on language learning and adjusting to the country for a time as we waited to see what the next step would be for the Kyiv City Team (KCT). I?m happy to report that we have just received our marching orders and they are very exciting! Dal Stanton and the team leadership have been in the process of revamping our entire ministry philosophy from ?1 Team, 1 Church? to a paradigm of multiple church ?Birth Teams? operating simultaneously under the umbrella of the KCT. This will efficiently streamline the practical and paperwork side of the team, while allowing the team to plant churches in multiple regions of the city.
Alexandra and I have been assigned to Birth Team 1, which is laying the groundwork for our next church plant. Our ?coach,? Heero Hacquebord, will be returning from the States in June. At that time he?ll team up with a Ukrainian church planter and we?ll get down to the ?plow? phase of evangelism to bring people into the new church plant.
Our language study has been going great--Alexandra has especially felt encouraged lately in how much she is able to understand and read out on the street. The children have transitioned well, and we praise God for that and thank you for your prayers. God is also bringing a ton of people into our lives, and we?re learning from them while seeking to serve their needs. One focus of mine right now is demographic research on Kyiv. Before starting the new church plant we?re looking to find a spot in the city that?s growing and that lacks an evangelical church witness. Please pray that we will be sensitive to the Lord?s leading as we research and pray for which region of the city to focus on. I?ll be teaming up with a Ukrainian man for this project, both because he can hopefully navigate the Ukrainian bureaucracy me and in order to train him for future church planting work.
Tonight I?m going out for coffee with a businessman I met at the ?American Movie Night,? sponsored by a university English language club. His name is Sergei, and he?s an interesting young man that I would just love to see added to the Kingdom. Please pray for my witness to him. Also, please continue to pray for our language learning, and for the Kyiv Team as we transition into this new phase of ministry.
Soli Deo Gloria,
John
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
John and Alexandra Bush
Johnny, Tennyson, Reagan, and Calvin
E-mail:
calvinpartisan@yahoo.com
meandmyboys@hotmail.com
https://www.angelfire.com/on4/bushfamily
Please note MTW's new address for support gifts. On the memo line of the check, please notate John Bush #10579.
Mission to the World
P.O. Box 116284
Atlanta, GA 30368-6284
Subject: April 2002 Update
From John:
It is so exciting to see God building His Church here in Ukraine. This past week, I spent several days in Belgorod observing a "proto-presbytery" meeting, made up of the pastors and elders of the churches planted by the PCA in Ukraine. It was encouraging to see how well they already function as a group, helping to guide the Presbyterian Church here in Ukraine as it grows. Additionally, Dal Stanton, our team leader, presented his plan for an aggressive increase in church planter training and new church starts. It was very warmly received.
This past Sunday at our church in Kyiv, the Presbyterian Church of the Holy Trinity, the members elected their elders. It was exciting several weeks ago to listen as the men who are the potential elders and deacons shared their stories of how God has worked in their lives. It's inspiring to me as a new missionary to see the progress that has already been made here in Ukraine.
What is significant about the election of elders is that next week the church will be recognized as a self-governing ?particular? church. The MTW missionaries will move into an advisory role. Please continue to pray for Presbyterian Church of the Holy Trinity and the Ukrainian leaders. And please rejoice with us at the big step!
From Alexandra:
Before we moved to Kyiv, I tried to keep my expectations at a minimum. I tried not to envision what life would be like here--I really didn't know what to expect. Yet, I did imagine that I would get to bring the children to the park and meet other mothers. Talking about how sweet someone else's children are is a pretty safe ice breaker in any language!
I few months ago (when it was still cold so our trips to the park weren't frequent) I met Renatta. She has 5 children, from 7 months to 16 years old. We hit it off right away. She's patient with my slow speech and we have quite a bit in common. This week, though, she started asking me about our church, what it teaches, and what I believe. I believe God has brought Renatta and I into each other's lives. Please pray for our friendship to develop and for me to share clearly what the Bible teaches. Specifically, help me understnad what she is saying. The words make sense, but my listening skills are slow so the phrases don't always fit together in a sensical way.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support of us in Kyiv.
Soli Deo Gloria,
John and Alexandra
Subject: May 4th, 2002 Kyiv Update
Dear friends and family,
Some of you will be receiving this letter directly from the MTW office, but we wanted to share with all of you this recent letter from Dr. Paul Kooistra, the head of our mission organization.
Also, here are some prayer concerns:
* Our Church Planter?s Evaluation Practicum will be held May 15 &
16. Our team will be working with emerging Ukrainian church
leaders, and identifying potential pastors for upcoming church
plants.
* Donald Barnett, our team administrator and quite possibly the
funniest man I ever met, has sadly been forced to return to the
States due to health concerns. Please pray for his speedy
recovery.
With love,
John and Alexandra
************* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
May 2002
Dear Friends,
What might all these men have in common besides their nationality? A member of the Russian Mafia, a worker in the city transportation system, the head of a communist youth organization, a major in the Soviet army, a Jew, and a recovered alcoholic? The most important thing they have in common is their profession of Christ and the fruit of that profession in their lives and the lives of their families. These are lives that have been transformed by the Holy Spirit and have issued in service to God.
These men are also the newly elected elders, deacons, and pastor of the Presbyterian Church of the Holy Trinity in Kiev, Ukraine. On Sunday, April 28, 2002 these men were ordained and installed, and their church was officially born, or "particularized." From now on they will be responsible for the spiritual care and oversight of their members.
What is the third thing that they have in common? They are the fruit of the stewardship and the prayers of God's people. People like you! You who have stewarded your resources so that missionaries might go. You who have prayed that men and women would come to Christ and the kingdom would grow around the world. The kingdom is growing in Kiev, Ukraine.
Join us in giving thanks to God for His mighty work and His blessing. We give glory to Him alone.
Paul Kooistra
Subject: June 14, 2002 from Kyiv, Ukraine
We want to thank you again for being part of this work in Ukraine. In our last e-mail to you, we asked for prayers for Donald Barnett and for the Church Planter Training Practicum, and we want to share some answers to your prayers.
First, we have recently heard from Donald Barnett. Please continue to pray for his health concerns. At this point we don't know if or when he will be able to return to Kyiv.
But we REJOICE that Bob and Linda Dolan will be arriving next week in Kyiv to help fill the gap that Donald left. We are thankful for their willingness to serve and their adventurous spirit--coming to Kyiv on such a short notice. Please pray for their cultural adjustment to Kyiv and that God will use this time in Ukraine both in their lives and in the lives of the people here in Ukraine.
Thank you so much for your prayers about the Church Planter Training Practicum in May. The response of everyone participating, both evaluators and potential church planters, was positive. Lucya Bespalov, the wife of Pastor Ivan from Presbyterian Church of the Holy Trinity, said that this sort of learning/evaluation model was completely new to her and most of the Ukrainian participants. Alexandra especially asked for prayer for the wives who were participating, and Lucya said it was very good for them to be involved. Participants came from all over Ukraine and even a few from Moscow. The US and Ukrainian evaluators provided suggestions and feedback for further training/plans for each of the participants. This was a great step in the "big picture" of the church in Ukraine multiplying itself.
Other praises we want to share:
Our teammates Linda Stegall and David Shaine have finished their language training. David has moved to Kherson (and we miss him, but know he is much needed there.) Linda has quickly moved from language learning to facilitating an Evangelism Explosion team.
Also, Heero Hacquebord, the "coach" for Birth Team 1, will also be returning to Kyiv from the States. We are excited to have him back with us.
Some new prayer requests we want you to lift before our Lord:
* John has been making contact with a lot of young men in Kyiv. He often gets comments like, "You're not Orthodox? You must be Catholic. . ." Among the younger generation especially, there is curiousity about just what is Protestant Christianity. John is working on a "What is Evangelical Christianity?" eight-week course/Bible study. It will be an overview of WHAT we believe as Christians, with the intention of addressing the questions of those who have an atheist \or cultural Orthodox background. We desire and pray to see this segue into Bible studies. Please pray that God will be preparing the hearts of those who will be attending, and that John would be able to communicate the basics of the faith in a way that is understood. John will be leading this inquirer's class in Russian, but will also have a Russian believer with him to help translate when necessary.
* We would like to ask you to pray this month especially for the children and for us as parents. The kids have adjusted well, for the most part. And we've adjusted well. Yet the "normal" parenting struggles seem to be much bigger for our family right now. Please pray that we will get into a better daily routine with the children, that we will show them God's love through our love for them, that our discipline would be consistent, and that we would remember and treat these young boys as our primary disciples. Also, please pray for our schooling of them--both as Johnny begins attending Ukrainian kindergarten and as we homeschool them. Thank you so much.
And a business item. . . We recently sent out our Spring prayer letter. (Thanks, Maggie, for your work and and patience with the tech problems!) When you move, please send us a change of address. Also, we have some supporters who receive e-mails but don't recieve our snail mail. If you don't get a prayer letter in the next few weeks, and wish to be on our mailing list, please e-mail us your mailing address.
Again, we want to tell you how much your prayers mean to us. Daily we see God working here in Ukraine and in our lives. You are a vital part of that. We wish each of you could come to Ukraine and see what life is like here and see what God is doing.
With love,
John and Alexandra
Johnny, Tennyson, Reagan, and Calvin
Enter New Text Here
Subject: Update from Kyiv - July 31, 2002
Dear friends,
The past few days we?ve had several e-mails making sure we are okay, after the air show disaster in Lviv. We were not there and are fine, but please pray for those impacted by this tragedy.
We rejoice to share that the new church plant has a pastor! Recently we hosted Artyom and Anya Bederev from Donestk, a large mining city in the south-east of Ukraine. They took part in our Church Planter Evaluation Practicum in May, and were extremely well-regarded by the evaluators. Our team invited them up for the weekend and offered Artyom the position of organizing pastor for our new church plant, which he readily accepted. As most of you know, in our church planting approach the team is centered around a Ukrainian pastor who is supported by the members of Birth Team 1. I?m looking forward to working with Artyom. In all of our dealings so far he?s exhibited the very qualities I?ve hoped for in a church planter. We had a great weekend with Artyom and Anya, meeting, eating, praying, planning, laughing. . . . The team isn?t completed yet, please pray for the remaining members who will be part of Birth Team 1.
Right now Birth Team 1 consists of Heero (our ?Coach?), Linda, Artyom and Anya, Dima (a young Ukrainian who is beginning seminary and whom Artyom will be mentoring), Laura (coming in August) and us. Please pray that our team will have unity as we worship and work together. Thank you for your part in this new church.
Soli Deo Gloria,
John
Subject: From Kyiv, September 9th
Dear Friends and Family,
We want to tell you about some of the people God has brought into our lives here in Kyiv.
First is Alexey. John met him about three months ago at an English Movie Club for people who want to practice their English speaking skills. Alexei has an intellectual bent, and has been studying English, German and philosophy. Like many of the Ukrainians we've met, he enjoys taking classes and so he was interested in coming to the "Introduction to Evangelical Christianity" course John is leading. He has only missed one session, and he and John have met for coffee several times to discuss various things. Recently he borrowed a copy of Pink's "Attributes of God" in English and a book by R.C. Sproul in Russian. Please pray for Alexei as he struggles with the veracity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please also pray for us, that we may live out God's love towards him as well as answer his serious questions in a way that demonstrates Christianity to be a reasonable faith.
Another person in our life is Katerina Antonova. We've mentioned "Babushka" Katerina previously. She is our helper with the boys. She really has become like a grandmother to them and a part of our family. Katerina is a believer and attends Church of the Holy Trinity. She sings songs to the boys all the time, from Ukrainian folk tunes to the Doxology. Katerina's life has had many difficulties, but recently she's been struggling because her mother is in the hospital. Katerina is the only one to care for her, and must go in three times a day to feed her and care for her other needs. The hospital and medicine is costly. The Church of the Holy Trinity has been able to provide some benevolence for her, but still she is showing signs of caregiver fatigue. Pastor Ivan went with Katerina to visit her mother a few weeks ago, and her mother made an understanding profession of faith. Please pray for Katerina during this time. And please pray that we will have wisdom in how to best minister to her needs as she is serving her mother.
Some praises we'd like to share with you:
* Alexandra's mother, Maureen Kuehne, was able to visit in August.
Alexandra was really renewed spending time with her and we all
had a
wonderful time.
* Also Ben Long, a good friend we knew when we were in Midland,
Texas,
came to visit for a week. It was great showing him the sights of
Kyiv
and renewing that relationship. And we thank his family and the Dettweiler's for sending
us
wonderful homeschooling materials from Veritas Press!
* All of the members of Birth Team 1 are now living in Kyiv! We
welcome Laura McClain from Florida and Artyom and Anya from
Donestk.
Except for us, all are now living in Kharkivska, the region of Kyiv
where we are focusing our efforts. Our family will be moving in
November, when our lease is up.
* We rejoice that coach of BT1 has entered the covenant of
marriage this past Saturday. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Heero
and Anya Hacquebord!
Prayer Requests:
* Please pray for us as we build relationships and minister to the
Ukrainians God brings into our lives. Please especially pray for
Alexei and Katerina.
* Please pray for the Kyiv City Team, that we may bring glory to
God's
name as we work together in Kyiv.
* Please pray for us, especially the boys, as we officially begin our
home school year. Today was the first day. It was peaceful, and
I'm so happy that the boys are excited and asking for more school!
Reminder:
Mission to the World will be hosting the first PCA Global Missions
Conference November 8-10, 2002 in Atlanta, Georgia. We would
love to hear of representatives from every church attending.
(E-mail us and let us know if you will be there!) We know you will
be inspired, "so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of
those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father." For more information, please visit the
Mission to the World website.
With love,
Alexandra
for the Bush family
October 6, 2002 - Autumn in Kyiv
Dear friends,
It seems like overnight summer has gone and autumn has arrived here in Kyiv. As I left my language class one day last week, I left the courtyard and found the leaves all gold and brown, the air was cool and heavy with exhuast, and the cobblestone street was shiny with drizzle. We've had some brisk days and cold nights--and rumor has it the city heat system will be turned on October 15th.
On Tuesday we had a "Mexican Fiesta*" dinner for those who have been attending John's "Intro to Evangelical Christianity" course, to wrap up the nine weeks. While this class was intended for "pre" believers, many of our regular attendees were new Christians. Praise God that they now have a deeper grounding in their faith! Please pray as we gear-up for another 9-week cycle with a new group of seekers. Also, remember us in prayer as we seek to establish a more traditional small group for the graduates of our last course.
(Alexandra notes she really misses Tex-Mex food, and she'll use any excuse to make fajitas with salsa, guacamole and the works! Tortillas are unavailable here, but "armyanskiy lavash" flatbread is a pretty good substitute.)
Each Friday, Birth Team 1 gathers in our flat for a time of prayer, focusing on the new church plant. We invite you to join with us especially on Fridays in praying for the birth of this new church.
Key requests include:
* Evangelism in the Kharkivskiy region
* Continued unity for our Ukrainian/American team
* Formation of the core group for the new church
* October 10-11, BT1 meeting/planning session
* God's glory to be proclaimed throughout Kyiv and
Ukraine
Soli Deo Gloria,
John
