From Russia with Love!

  By: Gregory Greve

 It has been close to a year since I was last in Russia which, for me, has been much too long a time to be away from this vast, wonderful country which has become so much a part of my life and heart.  As many of you know, I had some difficulties with the Immigration department in one of the Russian republics here last summer and was told not to come back to Russia without a "religious" visa for the next time I was in Russia.  I didn't know how difficult and time consuming getting that particular religious visa was going to be, but by our Father's grace, after much time, prayer and expense, I am now in Russia for the 19th time since I first began to travel here for our Foreign Mission over 11 years ago.

I began my trip in the Tula region and hit the road running, holding a service together with Pastor Vitaly Prasolov in Bogoroditzk with Russians of German/Lutheran heritage.  It's truly encouraging to see the Lord continuing to work in this city and among these people.  I also spoke at the regular Sunday service for the Ingrian Lutheran Church and later visited the old age home and then met and spoke to a new bunch of boys in the local detention centre.  The boys listened very attentively to me for over half an hour, which, I suspect, is about the maximum a person can hold their attention.  It's really precious when you see how the boys listen so intently.  These boys live in difficult circumstances to say the least.. Lord only knows for sure what effect His word will have in their hearts and lives.

From the Tula/Moscow region I flew to Ekaterinburg in the Ural mountains of Siberia Asia where I am sitting now in a wifi cafe with, for the first time since I left home, a bit of time to spend writing this trip update to you and answering other of my mail.  I have been here in this city for 6 days visiting many people and holding services.  This evening Brother Misha Ustjuzhanin and I will leave here and travel by train to the Chuvashian and Mari El Republics in the lower Urals.  I hope to meet and connect with many brothers, sisters, friends, and with many of the university students whom I've become acquainted with over the last couple of years in those areas.  I will also, by God's grace, speak to many new university classes/students while I am there.  As it is for us at home, bringing the gospel to government run facilities is always a sensitive matter, so please pray the Lord helps me to do this with wisdom and sensitivity.

Holding services for the German Lutheran Russians in Bogoroditzk

Me and sister Anna with gifts given to us by one of the ladies from the German Lutheran group. 

Anna translates for me when I serve in the Tula and Moscow regions

Visiting sister Valentina in a convalescent centre.  Valentina is perpetually optimistic despite the fact that she can not move or see.  When I came into her room, I put my arms around her and whispered into her ear 

"Valentina, do you know me?" It was so precious to see her smile widely and say my name with such tenderness.  She is one of my favourite people.

Pastor Vitaly Praslov holds Communion Service for the Lutheran Church in Schekino

Ilya, Svetlana and Anna - Young members of the Schekino Lutheran Church

Ministering at the Boy's Detention Centre in Pervomaisky - I began to come to this detention Centre about 9 years ago and have spoken to many, many groups of boys since.

Holding services in Garagka, a village near Ekaterinburg - Babyuska and Marat

Babyshka, Nadia and Misha

Holding services in Belayarka village with Marina and her family. Marina found grace to repent last summer when she attended one of our village services.  This winter she and her children were baptized when Brian Niemitalo and Misha Krupinov visited them.  In the photo: Alexi & Marina with their five children and friend Vova -

Zhenya, Daria, Natasha - Marina's daughters who were baptized last winter

Zhenya with one of the twins boys in their family - Vova in the background

14 year old Daria (Dasha) with her pet gerbil

Katya has enthusiastically been attending our services since I met her last summer here in Ekaterinburg. 

Daniel and Misha, long time friends and brothers in Christ who help me with the village ministry. 

Brother and sister, Kostya and Nona Rib (back right) arranged a visit for us to this orphanage in Ekaterinburg.

This was my first visit here and it went really well. Pray the Lord will open this place to us for many future visits and, by His grace, to a more intensive spiritual ministry. 

One of the many pictures I have taken of our dear and beautiful brother Sasha Melencheko over the years. Sasha died two weeks ago in a car accident.

Holding a "9 day" memorial service with family and friends for Sasha in their village.  I spoke at this service and also read aloud a letter Dennis Hilman wrote.  Sasha was a long time member of our Lutheran church in Ekaterinburg

Sasha's father, Vasily (dark suit - hand to face) and mother, Ludmila (red coat) can be seen in the centre of the photo.

Kitcharao: The Power of Prayer

 (From The Philippines:  By Tamasen Tervo)

“If there’s anything you want prayers for, please ask one of us. We would be happy to pray for you.” Pastor Colin closed his sermon, and the music began to play. At first, everyone sat where they were. Then Pastor Bert gave the people of Kitcharao an encouraging wave, and they surged forward, in confirmation to Colin’s call. So many wanting prayer. Probably more than fifty percent of the chairs emptied. It was time for the ALCA team to follow through on Pastor Colin’s promise.

As Scott watched them coming forward, he prayed, “God, You’re going to have to send the first one to me. Because I can’t do it myself.” Almost immediately, a woman approached him asking for prayer.

When he was done, it was the same again: “I’m sorry, God, but You need to do it one more time.” Right in that moment, a young boy in a yellow shirt at the back of the crowd squeezed towards Scott. With the reassurance of answered prayer, Scott reached out and continued to pray for people.

Every single person was prayed for, and many of them opened their hearts. Mothers came with their children. The hurting and the worried came. Any care was recast upon God, and asked of God to place His hand in every one of the situations. And yet, “I feel like so many of them were praying for me at the time (Fratt Aho).”

The power of God was in that place. God’s power was in that gymnasium!

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. – James 5:13-17

Igbet: Let the Little Children Come to the Father

by: Tamasen Tervo

“Mayan buntag!” Eli woke up, looking so startled, the children filled the air with laughter. They crowded on the benches along the tables, watching Leona with rapt attention as she told the story of Samuel. She had employed Frat as Eli and little Joshua as Samuel to act. Joshua quickly caught on and played his part beautifully, while Frat continued to make the children giggle. Leona walked among the children, telling them what she wanted them to learn from the story.

The church we were in was made of wooden slats to let the breeze curl through, and it had a beautiful red tin roof, made with donations from the US. The church sits right on the beach. We were in Igbet, at the children’s church that Pastor Bernie and his wife Daisy have started. Daisy teaches the children every Saturday, evidence of that on the walls – an alphabet and Bible verses – and in the children’s quick responses to Leona’s questions. The children also get regularly fed there.

“Remember,” Leona said to the children in closing that afternoon, “God knows your name, and He knows you better than you know yourself.

”But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 19:14

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Cagayan de Oro: Miracle in the City             By: Tamasen Tervo

Her eyes shone, and she smiled, nodding to the music. Frat and Randy were playing for her as she sat on the marble porch on a piece of cardboard, where she had been combing her hair and filing her nails. The porch of the hotel was her home for the night.

Then Dennis was asking her if she wanted to be prayed for. Though the woman’s English was limited, she assented. Dennis laid his hands on her, along with Randy and Gary, and prayed. She was so grateful and appreciative.

Then when we had to leave, I knelt down tying my woven leather bracelet around her brown wrist.

“Pagpalain kayo ng Diyos,” I said. May God bless you. Her face lit up with joy for the small gift, and she thanked me with two besos on one cheek, and one on the other.

God has done great things in Cagayan de Oro! The first night, there was a welcome at the Overcomer’s Christian Fellowship church. We climbed a steep set of stairs through the warm night, a chorus of bugs and waving coconut trees escorting us. The ALCA (Apostolic Lutheran Church of America) team, which was us, of course, was asked to render a song, along with sharing different thoughts. The youth performed a wonderful drama of the disciples healing a leper in Jesus name, and Jesus reminding them to have joy, not because they have such powers, but because their names are written in heaven.

The next day, we had the pastor’s convention in the hotel conference room, where I got to meet several of the youth and help Leona with the children. What a blessing it is to be here!

West African Trilogy - Liberia

As I mentioned at the Ghana part of this trilogy, our mission roots go back a long way in Liberia, but for 17 long years in the 90's and 2000's this country was a disaster of bloody civil war. In one refugee camp in Ghana alone at one time there were over 4 million Liberian refugees. Now they have returned or are returning but Liberia is not an easy country to get on your feet in. It's infrastructure is still badly in disarray. Roads are often only potholes - even formerly paved ones - and electrical networks are pretty much non-existent.

We were supposed to travel about 12 hours, for instance, from the capital city of Monrovia to Zwedru, the county seat of Grand Gedeh County. Our first car broke down after only two hours of bone-jarring holes. Here we sat under this mango tree in a small village beside the road for a total of six hours hoping for a way to go on. Finally another car came from Monrovia to take us farther. That one lasted about half of the journey - almost until the midway town of Ganta until one of the tire rims split in two and we limped into town on motorbikes at 1:00 a.m. in the morning and found a temporary place to sleep. Early the next morning we were up, hoping for our car to be fixed. It didn't get fixed so we hired a third car and made it all the way in "only" 34 hours!!

Under the mango tree Leona did not sit. She soon went out to a little thatched roof shade across the road and in no time a whole flock of children had gathered around her and her paper craft attractions.

Many hours she spent with that happy group as I bided my time under the mango tree. She also taught them many Bible stories using her paper crafts. I am sure that God allowed our "little stopover" so that these children could be reached with the love of Christ.

Maybe the most interesting angle to this story is that just behind where Leona was teaching was a rather new Muslim mosque, in the shadow of which she taught about Jesus.

The seminars were delayed for one day. They were opened in the Zwedru ALC church one morning by a blind man, Brother Jackson. Here he is speaking and reading his text in Braille from the book of Matthew - from the only part of the Bible that he owns, chapters 16-28. Otherwise the Braille Bible is so voluminous and he has never been able to get more of it. But Jackson's words clearly indicated that he had no problem with his spiritual sight. He, in fact, has just opened a Christian school for the blind in Zwedru under the most meager conditions. It is located in an old county seat building from the 60´s that was completely gutted by the war. No windows, no inside doors, no toilets or kitchen. Students and teachers sleep on sparse mats on the floors of the bare concrete rooms. During storms rain pours through the big gaps in the metal roof. But Jackson and his friends are determined since this would be the only blind school in Liberia outside Monrovia!
 

Teaching at the seminar in the Zwedru church. This is the old thatched roof/mud wall building that is soon to be replaced. It serves as the home church of the ALCL.

Again we closed the seminar with "Lasting Change". Here in small groups some men are listening to the confession of a brother and some women are involved in prayer with the absolution and forgiveness of sins.

The pastors and church leaders seminar in Liberia is over once again.These people represent eight different churches in four counties. The president of the ALCL Pastor Othello Tyne is the short man to my immediate right and the general secretary D. Christan Bowah is to my left. After this the people prepared for a big revival meeting at the church that evening involving many more of the local congregation members.
 

On Sunday morning was a very special service in which I spoke on the theme, "We are more than conquerers!" This particularly in light of the painful breakaway of the church's lead pastor in Zwedru less than six months ago which threatened to decimate the church. But God has provided strength and hope and all of the other ALC churches in Liberia rallied round and the church was saved.

Above the children's choir is being led by young Shadrack (in red) having charge of that part of the musical worship. Shadrack is a terrifically talented young 13-year-old with only one eye who decided to attend almost every seminar session and take careful notes. Talk about hope for the future.

As a part of that Sunday service Evangelist D. Christian Bowah was ordained and installed as lead pastor of the Zwedru Church. Ever since I first arrived in Zwedru four years ago Christian has proved himself to be a faithful and tireless servant of the living God. It was he who was one of the key leaders of the church through the turbulent and painful departure of the other pastor, travelling uncounted miles over formidable roads alone on his motorbike to visit the other congregations and keep the Apostolic Lutheran Church here together, with God's help.

On that well-worn bike Leona and I travelled to and from the church and into town every day.

One of the most hopeful and jubiulant parts of the morning came after the service when we all went outside for the official groung-breaking ceremony for a new church just next door.

To break the ground I was given somthing like a cross between a spear and a spade. It worked. "Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it", I proclaimed as I jammed the spade into the hard ground repeatedly. And I prayed God's blessing on the new physical church and the spiritual church of living stones which is even more crucial.

The very next day the congregation went to work - literally - and started raising the scaffolding upon which to put a roof to cover the new church area.

It looked meager at first but I have always learned not to doubt African resolve and experience in getting something like this done.

Look what happened by Day Two. Even the trusses are in place!

Days Three and Four - the roof goes on.

The new church building is being built right beside the old one.  The contrast is very great!  When the roof is in place the congregation will begin a mammoth project to produce over 4000 hand made sun dried bricks to get the walls into place.
　
***And one picture you will just have to imagine - Our jubllant reception by about 40 prisoners in the yard of the National Palace of Corrections on Monday. We were not allowed to take our cameras in there, or to use the meeting room which was being refurbished, but the joy and hunger for the Word of God demonstrated by those men standing out there in the hot sun is now a picture in my heart that I will not be able to forget. Most of them remembered me from earlier visits but they cried out with earnest pleas that they would not be forgotten again in the interim since the pastor who deserted our church also deserted them last fall. I spoke on "whosoever will save his life will lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."
 

Can't send this out without my favorite picture. "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings," said Jesus. I have always been enamored of mother hens and little chicks. Thanks to Leona,to whom I want to give credit for all of the pictures in this trilogy, I got my favorite picture!! Leona is a great photographer as is witnessed by all of the pictures I am sending out from West Africa!

And please allow me to add this precious one. Can a mother hen love?

A night view from the hospitable abode of Christian, his wife Patience and children Ezekial, Blessing and Christina Joy. He has done it all himself with his own hands - a small comfortable three room mud-plastered structure where we stayed while in Zwedru. Using a generator we could make use of both the computer and our welcome fans and it even has a separate little room here in the house for bucket bathing. And how many stars was that hotel? Wow! Just wish you could have been there to look up at night. There were jillions of them!

And one more evening scene from the Atlantic Ocean beach in Monrovia, Liberia.  "Over and over, like a mighty sea, comes the love of Jesus rolling over me!"

Now Leona and I are on our way to the Philippines.  We had to take different flights but hope to meet up in a couple days.  I am writing these last remarks from the airport in Hong Kong.  I reached here through Adis Ababa and Bangkok.  And so the saga continues.  It is so nice to have all of you along in thought and prayer.  We will be in the Philippines for the month of May, God willing.

In God's love and peace!!

Dennis 

West African Trilogy - Togo

Togo is a very small and narrow country to the east of Ghana, just 50 km wide in most places and 600 km from north to south. By our standards it is a fairlly primitive country with a rather poor infrastructure, but our hosts always make sure we are comfortable and well taken care of. None of us will ever forget my near-death food poisoning experience there a couple years ago. Our chief purpose in going to Togo is to hold pastors and church workers training seminars. These seminars have now been wisely shifted to a central town which is on a main paved road and has a comfortable hotel and nice restaurant.

Serious demeanors as the Word of God is taught in a palm-thatched church building in Notse. About 30 men and women, pastors and church workers, participated - representing churches in many outlying areas. During the seminars Leona also provided valuable assistance - especially when we spent a whole day reviewing the many "clay pots" throughout Bible history around the theme "We have this treasure in earthen vessels".

My lessons are translated into the local dialect by Pastor Victor Abalovi. Here I am introducing the last theme of the seminar, Lasting Change. Once the point is understood that the example of Jesus and other scriptural instruction encourage us to always confess and be open about our difficulties, problems, sins, doubts, guilt and fears, I have the participants write theirs down in a notebook, assuring them that no one else will read what they write.

Then the participants are divided into groups of five and each member is encouraged in turn to openly confess to the other members of the group one thing on their list which they wish to bring to the light. With each confession there is a laying on of hands, a prayer and a pronunciation of absolution in the name of Jesus and the power of His blood.
 

After the confession and absolution participants are encouraged to rip out the page(s) in their notebook and hold them up in the air - and at that time saying out loud that they want to turn everything that they had written down over to the Lord, "Casting all of your cares upon Him for He careth for you!"

Whereupon the papers are crunched up and thrown into a burning basin, "to be remembered no more!" I assured them emphatically that this is no ritual but only a concrete way of showing that when our troubles, trials and sins are turned over to Jesus He truly lifts them from us. At this point the people gathered round and sang a beautiful song of deliverance and freedom in Jesus from all sorts of captivity.

After the last session people gathered in the church singing and praising God. Then for the very first time in my foreign mission experience a congregation leader stepped forward and announced that they had been so blessed by the teaching that they all wanted to take up a collection for US!! Here they are giving their alms for us! It was a very moving and humbling experience!!

On Sunday we were back in the captital city of Lome at the Great Commission Church. This is a shot from outside the church where Leona is teaching a lesson and her translator vividly translating. Although you can only see their hands and the rapt face of that one central boy clearly I think you get the picture.

The whole Sunday School with Pastor Nestor Devigan, President of the ALC of Togo, in their midst. They are showing off the paper whales they made with Leona as a part of her teaching on Jonah. You can catch a glimpse of Karen Goddard from New Hampshire in the background who is serving on a Mercy Ship in the Lome harbour and who we were able to spend some time with.

Pastor Victor and his beloved fiancée Ahoefa. As in much of Africa many young couples are hindered from getting married by a dowry that is usually far beyond the means of the young man in question. The dowry is not only decided by the bride's immediate family but by her extended family as well. Many want a piece of the pie. In olden times a cow or some sheep or goats would suffice but now with money involved everyone is interested. Pray for Victor that he will be able to make it over this very high hurdle and be able to wed his Ahoefa. Trying to bypass this tradition would automatically make both families enemies for life.

So our trip to Togo went very well. Pastors Nestor and Victor are wonderful men to work with - so easy and uncomplicated. Once more they made sure we felt most welcome in that country. But the most lasting memory from Togo this time was the collection they took for us on that last day in Notse. A true blessing!!

At the end of the seminar, many of the participants expressed their thankfulness to us in writing. Here is one of the responses: The will of God you taught I never see this in my life before, I'm very glad and I thank the Lord for your life. Now my life has changed and I'm glad. The Lord restored my joy through His Word.

In God's Peace and Love,

Dennis

West African Trilogy - Ghana

For the whole month of April Leona and I have been working and travelling in West Africa. We started in Ghana, then spent a week in Togo and now are completing our stay in Liberia.. One interesting thing about West Africa is that every other country along the coast is English speaking and every other one French speaking.. Of the three we have visited Togo is French speaking. Otherwise their cultures are quite similar. Rev. Andrew Mickelson led the first Apostolic Lutheran mission trip to this area of Africa, namely to Nigeria, already 40 years ago.At that time such an undertaking was highly controversial but the "call had come from Macedonia" so he came. On one of those trips he also visited Liberia with Pastor Gust Kandoll. In recent years we have not been able to keep in touch with our contacts in Nigeria - assumedly because of war conditions in the area - but with a visit by Andy Kandoll to the mission field of his father in 2008 our contacts with the church in Liberia were revived and have remained very active since then. (It should also be mentioned that his sister Joyce and her husband Dan Karnes were in the Peace Corps in Liberia many years ago and that is why Gust visited here) . Pastor Bob Maki opened the mission to Ghana together with Pastor Frank Famiyeh of that country a number of years ago and on that basis we build our mission efforts in that country further.

 

With funds supplied by The Master's Mission a church was built for the Lakeside ALC congregation in the mid 2000's. It is a spacious church that has an active congregation which often hosts combined services with the othter Apostolic Lutheran Churches in Accra. Here are some of the members at the sevice we held on Good Friday.

A very important meeting we had this time was with the reconstituted Board of the ALC Ghana. A serious and efficient body of servants. The advisor to this Board is Mr. Ben Eghan, who just happens to be the Secretary of State for the current national government - third from right. At the end of the table the current president and chairman of the Board, Pastor Emmanuel Baisie.

The Sunday School of another of our churches in Accra, the Gbawe ALC with two of their teachers.

As a prelude to the Easter Sunday celebration service at the Gbawe Church the younger youth provided a song and dance act praising God.

The Gbawe church up on a mountain where the congregation has a lovely view of the valley and full air-conditioning. Note the organ (drums) in the front row. This church was completely built by resources provided by local residents. On this Easter morning it was something like being on the mount of transfiguration.

Lovely lasses. Leona with the Sunday School teachers at that church.

Member of the congregation, seriously handicapped Sarah, the mother of three children, who struggles to survive in a society that is largely unable to help the handicapped. She is hoping to get some support money so she can finish training as a seamstress. She could use this trade to better support her family.

On Easter Monday we decided to really take it easy. I invited about 50 of the youth from two churches out to the Botanical Gardens Park where we had a great time. You know how I love young people. During the afternoon we also took plenty of time around God's Word and there were many questions. There was also a lot of drumming and singing of spiritual songs.

A more formal pose of some of the kids at the park. Grandpa gets the only chair of course.

As you can imagine the Easter Sunday weekend rather dominated our time in Ghana as well as the very important meetings with had with the ALCG Board and Pastor Frank Famiyeh. Things are healing in Ghana and the church is moving ahead. How crucial that we can come regularly to encourage them.

In God's love and peace,

Dennis