The Currier

From Currie Courier, v17.2

Murmansk 2009

This issue highlights the week Mark spent north of the Arctic Circle, in October.  Vladimir Iakovlev, who had joined us in planting New Hope Church  in 1995, invited Mark on behalf of the churches he worked with in the Murmansk region.  Vladimir and his wife Sveta have a wonderful ministry with Pastor Peter Makarchuk and an association of independent churches that operate a drug rehabilita-tion center. They invited Mark to return for a month next year. 

To the left, I've included photos in the photo album Step-by-Step in Murmansk Oblast.

 

Urbana 2009 and World Outreach Conference 2010

From December 27-31, 2009, NHI will exhibit at Urbana 09, the InterVarsity missions conference to be held St. Louis, Missouri.  Check these sites for more information:  www.urbana.org and www.urbana09.org.    Then from 01-03 February 2010, we will participate in the World Outreach Conference for missions at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, GA.  We want to connect with people with whom we can partner in Russia, India, the Czech Republic, and beyond. 

 

Churachandpur 2010

Our February conference in NE India with national associate, Angam Haokip, will not occur. Please continue to pray for Angam and for Don Lee who works directly with him in Bangalore. Angam sends missionary teachers and pastors from his seminary in Bangalore to penetrate Buddhist and Hindu frontiers in Assam, Manipur, and across the borders into Burma, Bhutan, and Nepal. 

 

New Hope Church, Moscow

This fall the elders have spent significant time with Mark praying and seeking God's direction and help to find a permanent resident pastoral leader.  The Young Adults remain a strong point in our fellowship, but too many people have become overwhelmed by life pressures in Moscow and have stepped back from previous involvement in the ministry.  The Holy Spirit is helping the church to answer God's wake-up call.

 

Where Are They Now?

Below, left: Mark and Marina Solovarova.  Below, right: Sergei Solovarov

In June, Mark visited Marina & Sergei Solovarov in Prague. In 1996, Marina & Sergei came to Moscow from Petrozavodsk in Karelia (where Roman & Oksana Gulik now live and where Mark had taught in the church). They found a home at New Hope Church where Mark led Sergei to Christ. We sent Marina to extensive training with Sherry Ifft's Children's Ministry International (CMI) while she directed our children's ministry. Sergei played guitar in the worship band. In 2000, they left Moscow for a business opportunity in Petersburg. Sergei started a construction contracting company and did very well. Marina served the Russian ministry of CMI while earning a degree in Counseling. They were able to purchase an apartment in Petersburg and save enough for a second apartment in Prague. Why move to Prague? Prague has a large community of Russians who have sought better opportunities in the Czech Republic, the most Western Slavic nation, culturally friendly and relatively unobtrusive in the affairs of its citizens and guests. During the visit, not only was Mark treated as an honored guest, but Sergei & Marina expressed much appreciation for all that the church had done for them during an important transitional time in their lives. We talked about Chris and Marina working together in the future –a very real possiblity.

   

The Currie Courier, 1 September 2009 (v.17.1)

Articles and photos from our most recent newsletter are posted adjacent on this blog.  You can download the complete 1 September 2009 edition of Mark and Chris's newsletter here:

Download FINAL NHI 090901 v.17.1 8x11  (7.9 mB)

Церковь Новая Надежда !

Youth (top-bottom, left-right):  Andre, grad. student elec. eng.;  Denis, grad. student military sci.;  Vitalik, accountant, and Natasha, at home with baby Masha;  

Katya working with German business clients; Marina, working for a tourist agency;  Vika, teaches high school English

LEFT: (left-right):   

Masha, Lena, 

Marina , and Ilya.  We met Lena in 1993.  She teaches English at RACU and tutors this group at church on Sundays.  Marina was miraculously healed 3 years ago and now serves the church who prayed for her.  Ilya, the first child born into the church, has been selected to compete for a spot on a national youth swim team.  Masha is a great dancer.

The teen brigade of our worship team 

(left-right):

  Dima, Mark, 

Katya, Marina, Misha  (not pictured -- 

Slava

).

Jan Reus, our assistant pastor, and his wife Natasha, our church secretary, also serve on the worship team.  Jan is teaching young Slava to play drums.  When Slava plays, Jan sings, trading off weeks.