march 2010 - kazakhstan - shelli update - haiti update

Kazakhstan: New Hands for Vladimir

XXXXHanny Feurer, a retired Swiss Professor at Quebec University in Canada, traveled in the summer of 2005 with the Sheasbys and myself to Almaty, Kazakh- stan.  While teaching at Agape Bible College, Hanny noticed that Vladimir, one of the older students, had no hands.  She inquired about his situation, and was so impressed by his testimony (see below), that she decided

to go back home and raise the funds necessary to provide Vladimir with new hands, so that he could take up painting, again.  While traveling on the train in Germany, Hanny happened to meet a teacher at a German School of Arts, who was so moved by Hanny’s plea that she shared the story with her students, and they helped contribute toward the cause. 

XXXXXThe end result is that Vladimir has been equipped with the state-of-the-arts hands which are virtually as nimble as normal ones.  With them he does daily tasks, writes, and uses his computer.  Above all — he has picked up his brushes and paints again, which has made him and the Christian Drug Rehab Center he is directing, financially self-supportive (God has given him a lovely new wife).

Thanks to Hanny, Margaret with her students in München, and the rest of you who contributed, Vladimir now has a new life, and is continuing to serve the Lord! XThank you for your generosity!

Background Information (Dec. 2005 Issue of The Bridge Report):

     Vladimir Mochalov was born in 1957 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  Being gifted with a rare talent in drawing and painting, he was sent to the University of Moscow where he studied for three years and graduated with a degree in Art. 
He pursued a career in the arts and became a well-known painter in his region, enabling him to provide well for his wife and three children.
XXXXXAs with so many men in the former Soviet Union, Vladimir became an alcoholic.  In 1997, while drunk, he fell asleep in the snow and almost died.  He was found and brought to the nearest hospital. The doctors saw that the extreme cold had caused gangrene, spreading from his fingers up through his arms.  To save his life, his right hand and most of his fingers on his left hand had to be amputated. 
XXXXXNow handicapped, Vladimir realized that he had lost the very tools that had provided purpose in life and income for himself and his family: the sensitive, artistic hands that had created images on the canvas!  He encountered some very difficult years during which he lost his wife, his home, and ended up in the streets where he slipped ever deeper into the oblivion of alcoholism.

XXXXXIn 2002, Vladimir had a personal encounter with God whereby he came to faith in Jesus Christ.  He met Nikolai, the Director of Agape’s Drug Rehab Center, and there he found a place of refuge, love and support. He met Nikolai, the Director of Agape’s Drug Rehab Center, and there he found a place of refuge, love and support.XXBy God’s power and help from his newfound brothers and sisters in Christ, Vladimir quit drinking and began rebuilding his life.  X

XXXXXHe felt the Lord call him to start a Drug Rehabilitation Center for men in another part of the country, in order that he could give to others what he had received. Vladimir is now expressing God’s love by helping others who are enslaved to drugs and alcohol.  He needed to be grounded in the Word of God, so he enrolled in Agape Bible College, where Hanny and I met him.   
XXXXXA number of men who attend his Center have come to faith and have experienced healing and restoration.  Poor in worldly goods, but rich in faith, Vladimir is not looking for financial support from the West, but believes that with artificial hands, he would be able to support his family and his Rehab Center. 

Shelli Sellars - Going for Gold!

XXXXXThanks to all of you who have responded positively to  Shelli Sellar’s journal in last month’s issue of The Bridge Report.  She relates being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and her journey of faith and hope toward healing.  Please continue to pray for her and her family!!  Here is an update from Shelli in her own words: XXXXXFirst of all, as I’m sure you’ve correctly assumed, I HAVE AN ONCOLOGIST!!! , believe it or not, he is a former medical colleague of my dad! Isn’t it amazing how God works?!?! God in His wisdom knew I needed the “Daddy Connection.”

I am thankful for the extra care his friendship with my dad might bring. He’s certainly not going to give up quickly or cast me away!!!! He said, “going for the gold” with me! I like that mindset!!!

XXXXXPraise God, I’m LIVING as if it’s a done deal!!!!! Jesus came to give LIFE and LIFE more abundantly; He died so that my sins could be forgiven and my earthly body healed (look it up and see for yourself)… so that’s exactly how I’m going to approach this thing!! Amen!! It’s a done deal; I AM GOING TO LIVE!!!!!... Yeah, of course, I have down times, and get worried and scared, but, my overall mindset is one of a WINNER, a CONQUEROR, an OVERCOMER!!!! I REALLY can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!... even beat Stage 4 Colon Cancer! Nothing is impossible for Him!! I’m standing on that!!

     Thank you for standing with me during the next couple weeks, as I endure a couple more tests and then begin an intense round of chemotherapy. Depending on the results of the tests, I will probably be starting off with a weekly, two-month treatment. The goal is to shrink the lung tumor enough to improve chances for an easy lung resection in May or June, and, of course, to “zap” any renegade cancer cells looking for another organ to attack. Of course, my prayer is that God will just supernaturally heal me, and I won’t need all this treatment, but, until He does, I’m going to walk it through with His dignity, holding His hand and trusting Him every step of the way. I’m going to rest in His arms, knowing that He never allows more than we can handle, and that He somehow manages to work all things together for the good of His kids! Cancer is NOT a good thing, but… God is a good God, and He knows all about redemption. Can’t wait to see how He’s going to redeem this!!!

Haiti – From Mourning to Praise!

XXXXXby Jerry - an American who has been working in Haiti for many years

February 16, 2010: About three days ago, the Haitian President announced that there would be three days of holiday from work for the purpose of fasting and prayer.  This is absolutely historic.  If you have ever been in Haiti as a visitor or missionary, could you ever have imagined such a pronouncement? Could you imagine such an announcement from the U.S. President?!

     This morning, I saw a young Haitian-American woman, the leader of a work team, crying because the Americans could not understand the incredible importance of this day, and wanted to go about business as usual.  Remember, only about six years ago, a former Haitian president called on the nation to rededicate Haiti to Satan.

     This was not "a minute of silence for the deceased" or something as equally insignificant.  Whatever the President might have originally intended, this was a real commitment for the Haitian people. As I sit here this evening, I can hear the preaching coming from a nearby church. Services have been going on all day.  Following are my personal observations:

     Today, my co-worker and I had planned an inspection trip up to the Artibonite Valley.  As we left the guest house about 7:30am, we were met by throngs of well dressed people headed to various churches. The sounds of Christian music and worship filled the air everywhere.  The next observation was that there was NO traffic. Port-au-Prince streets are always clogged and overflowing with bumper to bumper traffic, and packed with pedestrians walking.  This morning, there were only a few vehicles on the roads with very few people walking, many of them dressed for church, so we had clear sailing through town.  The only traffic blocks we saw were in front of church buildings which were packed and overflowing with people into the yards and the nearby streets.

     As we drove through the city, we noticed that EVERYTHING was closed! We could not even find one business or gas station open!   The intercity buses were not running, and the huge outdoor market near the wharf where tens of thousands normally gather, was EMPTY!

     Where were all the people?  They were in churches and makeshift meeting sites. Church services were conducted inside church buildings, beside church ruins, in homeless camps, in the open under trees and bushes.  Everywhere, the nation was gathered to worship and pray.  I did not see any Voodoo, Islamic, or Buddhist services. This scene was repeated in every town and hamlet that we passed during the day.

     Tonight, a Pastor who is sharing the room with me, asked this question:  "Can people still say that Haiti is a voodoo country?"  What has been happening and is continuing to happen in Haiti, did not take place because of the earthquake.  It has been happening because the Haitian people know how to pray!  This is a tremendous outpouring of God's power as the result of prayer.  Twenty years ago, I started praying for the Gospel to change the Haitian culture.  I think that I am seeing God do that work.

     The only sadness that I feel today is for our nation.  While a people that has long been under Satan's domination, is turning to God with total commitment, our nation founded on Godly values, has rejected God and rapidly trying to forget that his name even exists.  Let us pray for revival!         

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXJerry