2009-2010 Mission Report In preparation for our annual missions drive from member churches, the 2009-2010 Mission Report is now available. Download (PDF ~ 290KB) Report from Rostov Church Late last year, Derik and Leigh Anne Vett from Dallas spent time supporting and encouraging the church in Rostov-On-Don, Russia. It was the first time this church ever had visitors from America! The Vetts filed this report. Report from Church in Vladivostok, Russia In December Gregg Marutzky, Evangelist of the Omaha Church of Christ and Charlie Sawyer, Elder in the Kansas City Church of Christ visited the church in Vladivostok, Russia. They prepared this report. Families on the Edge -- Family Devotionals Week #1 -- New Year Edition Week #2 -- Sacrifice Week #3 -- Hospitality Week #4 -- Kharkiv Week #5 -- Valentine's Day Edition Week #6 -- Loving Your Enemies Week #7 -- God's Family Week #8 -- God's Love in L'viv Week #9 -- Men's and Women's Day Week #10 -- Zaporizhia Week #11 -- The Cherry Pit Week #12 -- Donetsk Week #13 -- Easter Edition Week #14 -- Dnepropetrovsk Week #15 -- Prayer and Pancakes Week #16 -- Kiev Week #17 -- Victory Day Week #18 -- Building Up the Kingdom Week #19 -- Moldova and the Mission Eurasian Missions is pleased to present this series of family devotionals to strengthen the bond between the United States churches who support the churches in Eurasia. As Shawn Wooten explains, "My prayer is that these devotionals will connect our groups of churches at a level we have never experienced." Twitter Updates from Kiev Church of Christ The Kiev Church of Christ is now providing updates on its events and happenings via Twitter. 2008-2009 Mission Report In preparation for our annual missions drive from member churches, the 2008-2009 Mission Report is now available. Download (PDF ~ 360KB) 2007-2008 Mission Report The 2007-2008 Mission Report features three churches that have received financial support from Eurasian Missions. Download (PDF ~ 1.4MB) Veliky NovorodThis slideshow highlights the church in Veliky Novorod, Russia. Download (PDF ~ 1MB) 2006-2007 Mission Report Please take a moment to view our 2006-2007 Mission Report. Download (PDF ~ 3.6MB) Testimony from Yerevan, ArmeniaThis story is written by Kolya Tikunov of Yerevan, Armenia. He is a brother known for his service to the church, his convictions and his ability to teach others. In addition, he is the lead engineer of the Armentel telecommunications company. 
Kolya and Odessa Tikunov with their daughter
I was born and grew up in Armenia in the town of Tsahkatzor. It was God’s will that after school in 1995 I entered a university far away from my parents – The Academy of Communication in Odessa, Ukraine. While I was studying at the first course in April 1996 (I was 17) a friend of mine was invited to a Christian meeting. I still remember that meeting. It was Easter. There was a special service and me and my friends went there. It was a meeting to remember! The atmosphere was very positive and good for talking, meeting new people and making friends. The disciples showed their hospitality, they tried to treat the guests to good food and serve them. There were Bible talks the next day and I started studying the Bible about what it is to be a disciple with one of the brothers. It was a shock for me to realize that I was not a Christian and that in order to become a Christian I needed to become a disciple of Jesus, repent and be baptized. God blessed our studies and I was baptized in a week. The day of my baptism was an ordinary Monday, but for me it was the greatest event of my life. In a year in the same church in Odessa my future girlfriend and wife Natalia was baptized. God made a miracle in our life giving us the special relationship and helping to build it. We were just friends for several years, lead a student group together, shared our faith, prayed and dreamed of converting students. God was leading us when we were dating steady helping us build a clean relationship and strengthening us spiritually. There was a time when we had to part for 10 months for me to return to my homeland Armenia and find a job in a town where there was a church after finishing the academy. Through all this time we continued building our relationship from a distance owing to disciples, letters and Internet. I am grateful for all the advice from brothers and sisters which helped us a lot! Our wedding was in my homeland Armenia, in Yerevan in company of disciples and friends. It’s so great that all of the happiest and the hardest moments we can share with our family, our church. Three years later we had a daughter. When she was only above two years old for the first time we heard her praying with us speaking to God. We rejoice when at quiet time we can sing to the Lord together and we’re dreaming of the day she decides to become a disciple and gets baptized. We love you all, Recent Baptisms in Tbilisi, GeorgiaGela and Vakhtang were baptized in February. Their christening was the result of power of GOD and faith of disciples. 
Gela Being Baptized
Baptism of GelaMoreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger by the things he did, becoming like the house of Jeroboam—and also because he destroyed it. (I Samuel 16:7) Gela’s sister returned to the church several years ago. She prayed for her whole family and asked God to rescue her three brothers and her mother as well. All her brothers knew about the church, two elders were much closer to the church but they haven’t yet been baptized. Gela is the youngest child in the family and had some doubts about the church. However, when Gela moved to the capital, he started visiting the services more frequently. Our relation took start with the chess game that continued to deep study on the Bible. His relatives were trying to make him against the church and discipleship. One of his relatives is the servant of the Orthodox Church. However the Word of God had more power. Once he understood the necessity of confessing and baptizing. Nowadays he is firm in sharing his faith with his relatives and other people. His brothers did not attend his baptizing and he was sad for the talks with them after the baptism. But nowadays we can see how God changes the hearts and calls upon his love. Gela is a student. He is working at the same time and is supporting his family in a very hard time for their family and is showing his Christianity. Amen. Baptism of VakhtangFor the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13) I invited Vakhtang early in the morning when going to the beauty saloon. He was hurrying to the service at Orthodox Church. Before that, his life did not speak much about Christianity or speak even nothing about it. But something had changed and he started visiting churches. He used to promise to come for a long time. Time passed. Once we met each other suddenly and had opportunity to talk honestly. He started to come at the bible talks. It was evident that he changed and started more seeking for God than carry out ritual services. He said that he stared reading the Bible that gave him understanding a lot. We communicated a lot that made him change even more, but the biggest change happened in him when he started looking for the understanding of God and Christianity in the bible. He confessed that he was serving idols and was never seeking for God and never knew Him. Vakho is a student. He and his family are refugees from Abkhazia, the conflict zone. They lost everything they had. Nowadays he lives with his father and dreams about making her Christian that she could fins the God. They live in poverty. He is studying at the theatre institute and dreams to continue study and make films in order to show others the Christ and the truth. Please pray for their growth and spiritual success. Giorgi Khukhunashvili, Tbilisi, Georgia, 2007 Conversions in St. Petersburgs
Nigerian Brother Abraham Kuti
A letter from the disciples in St. Petersburg: Dear brothers and sisters, we’d like to share good news with you. A year and a half ago we received an e-mail to our church website from our Nigerian brother Abraham Kuti. It turned out that he and another brother, Kingsley, had come to Russia another year ago and were studying at Archangelsk State University’s preparatory faculty. Unfortunately, there is no Church of Christ in Archangelsk yet. It was hard for the brothers to be far from church. We started praying and thinking about how we could help the brother to be closer to church. Eventually there was a possibility to transfer to the Novgorod State University and continue studies there. Novgorod (city) is 3 hours away from St. Petersburg. That gave a possibility to see the church more often. Now Kuti has been living and studying in Novgorod for more than a year. God has blessed him greatly. Kuti shared his faith in God and Jesus with his hostel friends. So now there are 12 students in Novgorod who regularly meet for Bible talks. Some of them have already been to Church services in St. Petersburg. We, the disciples of St. Petersburg, understood the brother’s need for help in converting and discipling his friends. We also understood our role in converting nearby territories. The first church service in Novgorod will take place on the 18th of February, 2007. That became possible owing to active participation and support from disciples of St. Petersburg and other cities. We are very grateful to God for how He works in converting people. Please pray for the successful conversion of another city for God – Novgorod. Good News from Omsk, Russia
Children of Omsk, Russia thanking the children of the Oklahoma Church of Christ.
The following note is from Sergei Lamekin of the church in Omsk, Russia. At the beginning of the last (2006) year. We received a big package with letters from disciples of Oklahoma Church of Christ. They were written at the special service where disciples had a special contribution for Russian Missions. There were also letters of kids from children's ministry. All disciples wrote how glad they are to sacrifice for God and wrote that they wish their money cold help us to keep on spreading the word of God in Sibiria. The letters and sacrifices touched all our hearts. More than that we never met each other. And since that our friendship and correspondence began. In August we were inspired by one letter from James Shults, he wrote that the kind from Oklahoma children's ministry kept their money and they send it for our children's ministry. We have got an opportunity to buy a big and nice boom-box for our kids and now they have much more fun at their Sunday school. The kind were happy to send back letters and pictures to their new friends. Not only our kids were encourage, but their parents too, because we understand that such kind of children's generosity is a fruit of their parent's faith. We thank God for our new friends, for unity and love in God's Kingdom. Mission Report Please take a moment to view our 2005-2006 Mission Report. This Missions Report will be distributed to the members of churches that support our efforts. Additional copies were distributed throughout North America (including Canada) to encourage the saints. Download (PDF ~ 2MB) Good News from Krasnoyarsk
Members of the mission team being honored in preparation of the church planting in Krasnoyarsk.
First of all, thanks to everyone who prayed for the beginning of church in Krasnoyarsk. The team, under the direction of Maxim and Tanya Sotnichenko, came from six different countries to live and to preach the Word of the God in Krasnoyarsk. The first assembly of disciples of Christ in Krasnoyarsk took place on July 3, 2005. To help us launch this ministry, fifty brothers and sisters from Novosibirsk and Omsk came to Krasnoyarsk to invite people and share about our God. At our first assembly, God blessed us with sixty visitors! We were also excited to have fourteen visitors come to the First Principles classes we were offering. On July 21st, we baptized Genya Koretskaya, a 21-year-old student at Pedagogical University! And then on July 24th, we baptized Nadya Novok. Nadya, at nineteen years old, is a radical inhabitant of Krasnoyarsk. She inspires all the disciples with her joyful and giving spirit. Please pray for these new Christians in the young Krasnoyarsk Church! Here are some great stories from the outreach of disciples in Krasnoyarsk: Through Confrontation, Rum Agrees to Study the Bible"But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest… Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized." Acts 18: 6-8 One day, when two brothers sat waiting in a cafe a man selling cigarettes approached them and made a persuasive plea for them to buy some. In response, they began to talk to him about the gospel. Suddenly, he began to abuse them, calling them liars and accusing them of deceiving people. The brothers asked him to let them explain more, but he refused and finally left. All the other customers sitting in the café heard the whole conversation. After all this occurred, a man called Rum moved to the little table next to them that was open, introduced himself and asked them to tell him more. He agreed to study the Bible. Please pray for Rum’s baptism into Christ. 
One of the first baptisms in the Krasnoyarsk Church.
God’s Love Extends Across Every Border"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each of us." Acts 17: 26-27 Another time, the disciples were out inviting everyone to the first assembly. Ready for a lunch break, they came into a local café. The only table that was big enough for all of them already had one man sitting there. One-by-one, the disciples sat at the table with him. They invited him to the assembly and in process found out that he was from Khabarovsk. He went on to share that he used to attend an assembly of disciples in his city. As Misha and Stepan talked with him, they found out that he had never been baptized. It turned out he was in Krasnoyarsk on a business trip and was preparing to return to Khabarovsk. All the disciples were impressed with how no one can run away from God. In fact, God can find you anywhere on the entire globe! This man promised that he will return to the assembly of the Khabarovsk Church. He was impressed to meet disciples from so many kilometers away from his native city. God Honors Sacrificial Hearts"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Hebrews 13:15-16 When Maxim and Tanya Sotnichenko moved to Krasnoyarsk, they decided not to take a television set, so that they would not be distracted from more important things. In their first day in Krasnoyarsk, they shopped for some things they needed. Once they bought everything they needed, someone invited them to participate in a drawing for prizes. On the very next day, they heard that they had won a TV set. When Maxim's mother, who is not a disciple, heard what had happened, she commented: "It Is a sign that God cares for you." We thank God that He cares and supports us always. The Baptisms of Nina and Galina
Nina and Galina with Slava Matsuik (the leader of the church in Vinnista)
New church in central Ukrainian city of Vinnitsa was planted in April 2005. Since then, God chose and blessed with forgiveness of sins nine people. We are very grateful for them and repeatedly give thanks to our God. There was one story that touched our hearts. We want to share it with you. Our sister from Keiv church named Alyona Giyatyuk, who is a Vinnitsa native, had prayed and dreamed about her family conversion since she became a disciple. That is why, right after the church planting in her native town, Alyona convinced her mother, Nina to come to the service. God made a miracle! The woman, who had never read the Bible before and was skeptical about the church, accepted the message and got down to intensive Bible study. As a result, she was baptized in August 2005. As a true disciple she began sharing her faith with others. Following the New Year's holidays her friends Galina and her daughter Viktoria came to one of the services and began studying the Bible. In a week they both were baptized in one bathtub. Those days the weather in Ukraine was extremely cold with temperature being as low as minus 30 centigrade (minus 22 fahrenheit). 
New sisters Nina and Galina treaded this walking path through a snow-covered field to ensure the disciples could study the bible with Galina's brother.
Nina and Galina live in a village of Khrenovka 100 km away from Vinnista. It takes from 60 to 90 minutes by bus plus another 40-50 minutes of walking through woods and fields in order to get to the village. Each trip to the church and back costs 20 Hryvnas (About $4. An average retirement payment in Ukraine is 300 Hryvnas ($60). These two great women are so inspired by God that they are ready to pay for every village dweller to come to the service. Galina's daughter Viktoria, a single mom with two kids on her hands, lives in a town of Kmelnitsky, which is two hours away from Vinnitsa by train. Each trip to church costs her 30 Hryvnas ($5) with Viktoria making around 600 Hryvnas ($100) a month. Both women are very committed to God and come to all Sunday services! February 19, Galina's brother Vasiliy, who lives in a nearby village, was also baptized. It was snowing heavily on the day Vasiliy was supposed to have his cost counted. To make sure that the brothers who studied the Bible with Vasiliy would make it on time, Nina and Galina woke up early in the morning that day and treaded the path through the snow-covered field. Nina's and Galina's baptisms caused some resentment with the local village community who are primarily orthodox Christians. But this only encouraged them to preach with greater zeal to the local priest and fellow villagers. God is great! And he is looking for true followers who will serve him in the spirit of truth. Letters From Caucasus Area Churches
Participants at the 2005 Caucasus Area Conference of Churches
These three letters come from the leaders of three churches in the Caucasus region located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in Asia Minor. Leaders of these churches wish to express their gratitude for the support they have received from Eurasian Missions donors: Dear brothers and sisters! Zaparozhits, Ukraine Church PlantingThe following is a note from Shaun Wooten: Hello Brothers, 2005 SupportTHANK YOU to the members of our supporting churches for the donations that have been made to Eurasian Missions. Your generosity allows us to provide spiritual and financial support 31 churches in Eurasia. 
Alexey Donskoy (left) baptized his father (center) in Rostov-na-Donu.
Eurasian Missions (also known as Eurasian Missions Society) is organized as a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit. We have an active Board of Directors (see About Us) who provide fiscal oversight to the organziation. Donations provided to Eurasian Missions are used to provide material and/or spiritial support to Eurasian Churches. The vast majority of this support is through international wires. In 2004, direct support to Eurasian churches (and missionaries) accounted for 98 % of actual expenditures of Eurasian Missions.
Financial assistance is also required to provide spiritual guidance, training and support to the Eurasian churches for the purpose of maturing them in Christ. Their greatest challenges at this hour appear to stem from the young age of the disciples both physically and spiritually. Their needs are acute in the areas of marriage/family growth and also deeper Biblical teaching. An Ecclesiastical group of interested Disciples has been called upon to provide an organized teaching program to address these issues. We are very hopeful that you are encouraged by our efforts to help spread the message of Jesus Christ throughout Eurasia. In 2005, we hope your generous donations will total $1,150,000. If Eurasian Missions receives these donations as planned, we expect to provide direct support to Eurasian churches in amount of around $1,100,000 for the 2005 calendar year. Financial assistance required to provide spiritual guidance, training and support and administrative expenses will be covered from the balance of these funds as well as from monies left over from 2004 missions support. Thank you once again for your generous support. | ||||||||||||||||||
Mission Report Please take a moment to view our 2004-2005 Mission Report. It highlights a few supported churches as well as provides information about the Eurasian Missions organization. This Missions Report was distributed to the members of 22 churches that support our efforts. Additional copies were distributed throughout North America (including Canada) to encourage the saints. Download (PDF ~ 1.2MB) |
