November 2000 Nuusbrief

Sal u saam met ons in die gebed tree vir ons komende seminaar wat beplan is om Nov/Des hierdie jaar in die suidelike deel van Rusland plaas te vind. Dié gebied is gevaarlik en word vir die grootste deel deur die Islam gedomineer. Vervolging van Christene vind nog gereeld plaas. Onlangs is ‘n Christen pastoor onthoof. Daarna het ‘n Christen bakkery se bestuurder met voertuig en al verdwyn. ‘n Losprys is gevra, maar daar is verder niks verneem nie.

Daar is vandag ‘n groot behoefte in Rusland vir individuele Christelike dissipelskap opleidingstoepassings met die oog op langtermyn evangelisasie. Entoesiastiese belangstelling in die Door of Hope dissipelskap program het tot hierdie seminaar gelei wat, DV, op Vrydag, 4 November sal begin en op Maandag, 4 Desember sal eindig. ‘n Groep van 5 persone onder die leierskap van Ewald Joubert – Direkteur van Door of Hope – sal die seminaar aanbied. Ons is uiters dankbaar teenoor die Here dat Ds. Pieter Kriel van Vryheid met sy uitgebreide kennis en ondervinding van kerkplanting op sendinggebied – veral selstrukturering – ook gaan help. Sy betrokkenheid is ‘n groot plus. Die ander lede van die groep bestaan uit Elizabeth Prinsloo, Stefan van der Merwe en sy vrou Hensie.

i) Bid asseblief dat die Here in al die behoeftes rondom die reis sal voorsien.

ii) Bid asseblief dat die duplisering van die Door of Hope Radio program op kassette betyds voltooi sal wees – dit wag tans in lyn in Moskou om gedupliseer te word en is vir voltooiing in November geoormerk.

iii) Bid asseblief vir die veiligheid van Ewald en sy groep, asook dat die Here hulle geestelik en materieel vir die groot taak sal voorberei.

iv) Bid asseblief vir die veiligheid van al die afgevaardigdes na die seminaar.

Ons sal u op hoogte hou van gebeure sodra dit beskikbaar is. Stel u vriende van die gebedsbehoeftes in kennis asook die gebedshorlosie. Dit is selfverduidelikend en u hoef slegs die tyd aan te dui wanneer u vir ons wil bid. By ontvangs daarvan sal ons aan u ‘n spesifieke gebedsonderwerp stuur waarvoor u moet bid. Ons wens is dat u ook geseën sal word deur hierdie waardevolle geleentheid om God op hierdie manier deur gebed te dien.

Ons loof God vir almal van u, omdat u ons in staat stel om ‘n goeie werk vir die Here en Sy Koninkryk te kon doen.

Rusland 2000!

Dit is gepas om die eerste jaar van die Millenium met ‘n uitreiking af te sluit. Die Here het ons nie alleen geseën met die geleentheid vir ‘n vergaderplek nie, maar ook vir die mense om daaraan deel te neem en dit te lei. Onlangs het die uitreikingsgroep, wat die opleiding in Rusland sal gee, twee dae by ‘n toevlugsoord op ‘n plaas naby Heidelberg deurgebring. Die tyd bymekaar was ryklik geseënd en dit het met ‘n seën geëindig toe die eienaars van die toevlugsoord slegs die helfte van die ooreengekome koste gevra het!

Hensie agter haar man Stefan, Elizabeth en Ds.Pieter met’n laaste kwinkslag

Door of Hope is waarlik bevoorreg om hierdie begaafde broers en susters te hê wat aan hierdie sensitiewe opleidingsuitreiking sal deelneem. Elizabeth – sal op Gebed in die Stiltetyd konsentreer – het ons almal verbaas deur ‘n Russiese liedjie te sing slegs nadat sy dit eenmaal by Hensie gehoor het! Die nederigheid van al die deelnemers het ‘n blywende gevoel van tevredenheid nagelaat.

Stefan, wat op dissipelskap sal konsentreer, is besig om sy studies as ‘n predikant aan die Universiteit van Pretoria te voltooi waarna hy en sy vrou Hensie voltyds as sendelinge sal dien.

Ons het nog ‘n bonus – Hensie is ‘n drama spesialis wat ‘n bediening het deur gebruik van die kunste te maak – hoofsaaklik mimiek – om die evangelie te verkondig. Sy sal ‘n groep oplei om daardie proses in Rusland voort te sit en sal bykomend ons almal met haar gawes gedurende die verloop van die seminaar bedien! Bid spesiaal vir haar vir hierdie baie moeilike taak.

Dit was ‘n tyd van baie lag en deelsaamheid met die opgewektheid van ds. Pieter ( dit was veiliger om hom net Pieter te noem!) wat meer as een keer onverhoeds deur die deurdringende humor van Elizabeth betrap is. Hy sal die verhoudings tussen die pastoor en die gemeente behandel. Hy het ook die uitleg vir die Gebedspad gegee. Ons weet dat sy inset gedurende die seminaar as ‘n geheel groot vrug sal dra.

Die onderwerp van die seminaar in Rusland sal op die verhouding met God in die stiltetyd konsentreer.

Anna Bogér

We report back on our last newsletter. We are most grateful to a brother who supplied a complete modern Hi-fi System to help those in Novo Vasugon. It also duals as a small public address system and is already in Russia. Another brother supported handsomely for the extension work with the cassette programmes.

He even gave a book of testimony in German so that our dear sister Anna could once again feel her german roots. We are most greatful to you dear brothers for your compassion and generosity.

There are many in Russia today with the same needs as sister Anna. We do exhort you to continue steadfastly in prayer for the needs of the Russian people – both materially (in their great poverty) and above all for the love of God to visit them in that voidless spiritual vacuum left by Satan’s agent, Stalin, who plunged them into that deep pit of despair.

Pray for the Church in Russia

That the Body of Christ must uplift the suffering Church world-wide. Pastor Evrenii speaks of the problems of materialism in the Russian Church, but this is a universal problem. Please pray for all missionaries in the field that they will have sensitivity to their calling and that they will be true ambassadors of Jesus Christ in a world torn apart by greed. Satan rages as never before because of the irrepressibility of the gospel in spite of a broken world. Nothing anywhere can withstand the power of the Good News.

How to spread the Gospel

We've received your letter how you can help in evangelism of our town with Christian radio programme "Discipleship Training over the Air". We thank God and you for that.

From our side we are glad to have the whole course of your radio programme and spread it where God will show.

During 17 years of following God and living directly in Russia God reveals in what Russia has a need. Russia doesn't trust foreigners, but at the same time doesn't admit her own prophets. Russia doesn't need any new theory of evangelistic teaching, She needs given over practical people giving God's voice out of Bible, but there is no such today. Today everyone has new strategy but not for long.

To be able in practice, by our life to preach the Gospel, God needs people who are completely given up to Him, who have died to themselves - for their own lives have been "crucified with Christ".

Who can say: "...it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." Gal.2:20.

Russia needs people upon whom God can pour Spirit and Power like the first-apostles. Without it none of new methods of evangelism will succeed. God admits only worship in Spirit. The most beautiful worship which comes from flesh is against God.

On the whole, Christian world in Russia now is in a flesh condition. First of all it is necessary to wake up church from such a sad condition.

If you still want to continue our personal contact you should know our present circumstances. Therefore I'll write about ourselves.

Since 1982 my wife Ludmila and myself were members of Ufa's church. I am 42 years old, my wife is 41. We have seven children: Natalia - 16,5 years old, Konstantin - 15, Vladimir - 13, Ludmila - 10, Eleonora - 8, Timophei - 6,5, Arsenty - 2,5. And God gave us a son by spirit, combined with our family. His name is Vadim - 20 years old.

The church does not like the personal testimony of Gal.2:20 and Rom.8 because of flesh condition. Our state is similar to Jews being in front of Red Sea. In front of us is also "Red Sea" of uncertainty. But we believe that behind these events is God. He will lead us through the midst of the "sea" onto dry land.

The Krugersdorp Morning Train to Springs

Every day on their way to work believers start praise and worship amongst commuters. When they get off others get on and continue where they stopped. It’s even becoming organised! This peoples group listen and joyfully take part - there isn’t a choice because they cannot escape until they disembark – its better to sing along! In this way a wagonload of song is often lifted up to a mighty God in praise - every morning!

This newsletter in English

'n Woord vir Gebed

Rusland 2000!

Anna Bogér

Pray for the Church in Russia

How to spread the Gospel

The Krugersdorp Morning Train to Springs