Eric & Beth Yodis
Facilitating Church Planting & Evangelism
WorldVenture - Ukraine

Pic: Baptist Church in Stakhanov gutted by well organized group of men

In our last letter, we warned of impending persecution in eastern Ukraine. Unfortunately we have news about that to share with you.

First, the bad news...
A large group of men in uniforms and trucks recently broke in to the church pictured above. There have been more instances as well and we will try to keep you informed.

Secondly, some good news...
Many people throughout Ukraine are coming to know Christ as Savior and churches are being planted. Here is a picture we just received from a couple guys in the Rivenska Province that are studying in the church planting program we are working with and planting a church in a very difficult community. They recently baptized several people who have come to faith in Christ and whose lives have radically changed. If you have been praying for the church planting trainees with whom we work, you have been praying for them and others. 

There is no religious persecution in Ukraine except for the regions that are controlled by Russia and its Russian proxies. Like me, you might see a pattern emerging. Click here to read Eric's journal: Russia's M.O.: Divide - Invade - Persecute

In addition to the bad news and good news listed above, we have reasons to pray and to praise:
·     We thank God for a great time of training with our church planters at the end of Spring and are asking God for His blessing, guidance and provision as a new set of students will begin studying in mid-September. Pray that as they rub shoulders with other more experienced students and trainers, this would be a time of great encouragement with character and skill building as well. 
·     We thank God for another good, albeit brief visit stateside to visit a couple partnering churches and also to celebrate WorldVenture's 75th anniversary. 
·     We continue to pray for our daughter and her husband as they prepare to redefine our relational roles in making us grandparents for the first time. Please pray with us for the healthy development of this new life and for Beth's travel in October to meet her. 
·     As Beth and I prepare to move to a suburb of Kiev that is closer to the ministry, we thank God for His provision and prompting. Please pray that God would supply all our needs as we incur greater expense for the next couple years because of this strategic move. 
·     The wife of one of our church planters, Lena, has been battling cancer for about a year and a half. She continues to have health issues. She and husband, Gregory, planted a church in eastern Ukraine and are presently doing the same in western Ukraine. They have also been instrumental in planting several other churches. Please pray for this couple, their family and their ministry that Christ would be glorified. Pray for His will in healing, for strength and that the spirit of joy, gratefulness and prayer would be seen in their lives through this difficult time. 
·     We are praying for the churches in the occupied regions of Ukraine that are being persecuted. Currently three churches that we know of are experiencing active persecution. Pray for their encouragement in the face of oppression. 
·     Pray for us during the month of August as we plan certain ministry trips, training and various meetings. Much of what we do in September and October needs to be prepared for this month, so we ask God to lead us and to go before us, so our lives would be honoring to His name.

We would be so grateful to have you join us in lifting these praise/prayer requests to the Lord. Thank you for your ministry in our lives through your offerings to the ministry and your prayers. Both are so very important. As always... thank you for praying.