On November 7, Grace Avenue Bible Church hosted the 13th annual Missionary Reunion, which was attended by representatives from various churches of our Association: First and Second Slavic Baptist Church, Bryte Church, Living Stones Church, Mission Bible Church (Bay Area), Grace Family Church, and Cornerstone Church. There were also guests from Russia: American missionaries from Moscow and Ufa, and Word to Russia Mission in West Sacramento.
During the meeting, the church pastor, Vladimir Troshin showed his support for this ministry and blessed them. The local band from Grace Avenue Bible church led worship and praise to our God.
During his address, the Association’s president, Ivan Mileyev emphasized the importance of training every member of our church to have an evangelistic mindset, and to develop missions’ mindset in our churches. The twelve apostles were able to transform the world through the preaching of the Gospel. We must also kindle the people’s hearts so that they would be on fire for God and be active in evangelism.
The Missionary Ministry’s leader Igor Zhukov shared a video and some pictures of the missionaries who are supported by the Association. He said: “The desire to obey the will of God and be part of His Great Commission is what unites all of the heroes of the faith. God’s calling is addressed to all, but not everyone responds to the call, and not everyone goes.”
The testimony of the ministry of Yevgeniy and Irina Konstantinnik who minister in Papua New Guinea left a lasting impression on everyone. The experience of God’s commission was truly evident in their obedience to preach “to the remotest parts of the world”. They are ministering among the Papuans under the truly humblest of the conditions of life, and they cover a lot of ground on foot through the jungles, and even have to walk through the rivers. Under those circumstances, they have nothing but the reliance upon the Lord. They take care of a few adopted children who were abandoned, ages three to five years. In the Promised Land (that is the church name), some teenagers who used to be drug addicts were able to start the life anew. Those who repented thanks to the ministry of Yevgeniy and Irina also became missionaries in Indonesia. They are also active in the prison ministry. Yevgeniy Konstantinnik talked about all their blessings and challenges in the video address.
Igor Zhukov also introduced another ministry of Vitaliy Andriyets who is a missionary in Lugansk. He assembled a woodworking shop for boys who are growing up without their fathers (many of whom became orphans). Together, they study the Scriptures and have fellowship. This ministry is successful and is growing in a few cities in Ukraine.
One team led by Oksana Kopchuk took a big step of faith and went with her team to Ukraine during the pandemic in order to have a Heart to Heart Camp for widows and orphans of those who died in the ATO zone. Those who gave their lives to God are still in contact and are being nourished through Zoom.
There was a suggestion to have children’s missionary forums: familiarizing with the cultures and religions of various countries, talk about the persecuted Christians, suing the training materials of “Kids of Courage” (VBS Curriculum, “Voice of the Martyrs”).
David Westroom shared about the Kairos Ministry. It was impossible not to cry when listening how the Lord used a sick woman, Leonora in order to translate the Bible into the language of New Guineans.
There were also amazing testimonies of God’s miracles as they were shared by Oksana Salfetnikova (Missionary in Turkey), Vika Lyadova (from the New Life Rehab Center, Dima Kurudimov, who organized children’s summer camps in Sacramento, Olga Dobrovolskaya (Missionary in Mexico), and others.
The participants earnestly prayed about every missionary team and their needs.
These meetings are truly uplifting, they help to see the importance of obeying God’s will to be missionaries where God calls them to be.
Irina Karkhut
