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Dear Fellow Servants and Co-laborers, We have purchased plane tickets! But not to Belarus. A week from Monday, Anita and I will embark on an exploratory mission to Ukraine and Latvia. Please pray that God will allow us to be sensitive to His leading and direction. We will fly to Kiev, then take a 5 hour train ride to Zhmerinka. This is the place I have mentioned before, where Mark Rose has become acquainted with the Pastor and church. The church has a national (Ukrainian) Pastor and a Bible Institute for training pastors and missionaries, with a current enrollment of 15 or so. We have never been there so we have no pretense or expectations. After spending a week there, we will train back to Kiev and then fly to Riga, Latvia. We will be met there by Peter and Mandi Skudra. You may recall my mentioning of Peter and Mandi previously. I have known Mandi and her family for years at KCBT – literally watching her grow up. Mandi met and married Peter – a Russian professional hockey player and Latvian national (Peter is from Riga). Since they have met and married, Peter has come to know the Lord as his personal savior. They will be in Riga to show us around the city. The unique and sad fact about Latvia is there are no known evangelicals in the entire country! If you know of any or have contact with anyone there – please let us know. This country truly exemplifies the verse in Matthew -”The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” (Mt 9:37-38) It is hard to imagine this little country of almost three million people with no one telling them the blessed Gospel! We plan to be in Riga for a week before returning to Kiev and then returning the US on the 28th. Our objective is not to try to ‘create’ or ‘manufacture’ a ministry opportunity. We still hope to return to Belarus. But there is an undefinable circumstance between being patient to wait on the Lord and moving forward with initiative. We will wait on the guidance and clear direction the Lord gives us, but we will explore the obvious circumstances He puts in our way (e.g., Ukraine and Latvia). Pray for us! About Belarus – the last hold up for us getting our visas was our finding a place to rent. About the time we found a place to rent, World Support began having some issues concerning it’s registration. So now we are waiting on this to play itself out. Hopefully, by the time we return in late March, we will be all clear for obtaining a visa to Belarus and be able to return sometime in April. Nothing happens quickly in other places of the world – especially Belarus. At times, the course of our recent life seems frustrating and discouraging. There are so many things we want to understand but don’t. I cling to this verse: “Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?” (Prov 20:24) We are so driven by our flesh to need to know – to need to understand every circumstance so we can work out the details in our puny minds. It is so hard to let go of that and allow God to work and do things in His timing and show us His way. In family news, everyone is doing fine. Lydia and Annabelle are continuing with their home school on the computer every day. Josh and Sophia are getting into a rhythm of work and college. They have mid-terms next week. Anita has been busy with her Russian studies (she never lets up – she is so amazing!) and has finally completed a 138 page women’s Bible study she has been working on for three years. She has asked me to edit and proof it for her before we get it to a printable copy. Truly a virtuous woman. I was able to get back to work as a pipefitter for the past few weeks. I went to work on a power station about an hour from home. It is always good to get back into the work force to witness, preach, hand out tracts, and talk to other workers. And the extra money will help pay for our trip next week. We praise God for all of you who faithfully pray for us. We are all spiritually connected for God’s use and purpose. Lord willing we will all stand in His presence someday a shout praises to Him along side of the many Russian speaking people God has allowed us to reach together! Pressing toward the mark, The Nebel Family |
Posted by: David
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2007 Newsletters
