Christmas Prayer Requests

As Christmas 2018 approaches, all of us associated with the churches in Eurasia are so grateful to our brothers and sisters in our supporting US churches and to disciples around the world who pray, visit, support, sacrifice, call, write, and encourage and strengthen us in so many ways throughout the year.

As this year comes to a close we would like to ask you to keep some special people and situations in your prayers.

DENIS ARTIYUKIN, Vladivostok. Two years and almost two months ago, Denis' wife, Vika, (Denis and Vika pictured, below) suddenly fell into a coma. She has regained some level of consciousness and remains hospitalized. Please pray that her rehabilitation can progress to the point where Denis could care for her at home. Please visit Denis' page at www.caringbridge.com to read the history of Vika's illness and see regular updates about her progress. Please help us get her home!

SVETA KOTS, Moscow. Sveta became a Christian on the first day of baptisms when the church in Kiev, Ukraine was planted in 1992. For many years since, she and her husband, Sasha, have been valued teen and youth workers on staff in the Moscow church. Just a few days ago on December 16th, Sveta posted this on Facebook: On the first sunny day of December, we want to share with you some good news from our family. This morning our younger son Ilya was baptized at the teen retreat! "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Below, Sasha Kots gets ready to baptize Ilya.

Just a few months ago, Sveta was diagnosed with breast cancer. Please pray for the chemotherapy to be effective and for her complete healing. Below is a photo of the Kots family immediately after Ilya's baptism, with older brother Denis. Now all four are united in Christ!

LIZAT, Almaty, Kazakhstan. Lizat is a single sister who volunteers her time as a teen worker with the youth of this small church in Central Asia. She has also been diagnosed with cancer and needs our prayers for complete healing.

PEACE BETWEEN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA. This month, Ukraine passed a law prohibiting Russian men between the ages of 16 and 60 from entering Ukraine, except in special cases such as a family funeral. This is very unfortunate for the relationship between our churches. We have some dating couples, where the brother or the sister is in Russia and the other is in Ukraine. We have many families, where some live in Ukraine and some in Russia. This affects student retreats, teen retreats, singles retreats, small group leader training and staff and disciples conferences. Please pray for an end to the conflict between these two countries and for free and safe travel to be reinstated.

We in the Eurasian churches look forward with great faith to 2019 and wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year! Thank you so much for your love and support!