Update 2 – Jim Liljegren – Russia/Europe

Our team made it to Pskov after driving through a 5-hour blinding snowstorm…such a contrast to LA. It is full on winter here. Also very cold…we had a 3-hour meeting with the area bishop and church planter, Alexander Hubeev today. Now we are set for our summer team. Many exciting things are happening at the mother church. Several people have repented over the past 2 weeks including the pastor’s 15 year old son. We love when pastor’s children come to the lord! Slava bogu!(praise the lord) tonight Dustin spoke to the youth and did a great job. He is a gifted communicator! Tomorrow we will meet with the courtyard director who loves our summer work making his job easier. He is the envy of his peers and has given the church planter permission to do what he wants to in terms of ministry outreach. This is not always the case in Russia or Moldova. The major problem is there is no room or building to rent in which the area where the new church can meet. This is usually the case all over Russia…”don’t let Baptists rent any facility and maybe they will go away!”

The only other thing is to buy a house and fix it up. But, there are no houses for sale now in that area of the town. Pray that God’s house will come on the market and funds can be raised to buy and remodel it. Otherwise, the small church plant meets in Alexander’s apartment. Eph 3:20.

On Thursday, we go back to St. Petersburg and take the night train to Petrozavodsk.

Go! Go! Go!…go and make disciples!

Love to all,

Jim and the team

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By now they should be on, or boarding, the night train to Petrozavodsk. Please pray for a safe journey and at least a little sleep along the way. Petrozavodsk is the capital of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some 27 kilometers. Attached a map with the location of Karelia and a picture of one of the older churches in the area.

Please pray for the Summer Team planning process and for the divine appointments the team will make this weekend and in the summer that some may come to repentance and salvation.

A recent quote I read from Corrie ten Boom, “Is prayer your spare tire or your steering wheel?”  I hope we all answer “steering wheel”.

IHS,

Peter