Dear Friends,

Time! We live in a world where we never have enough of it. We tend to evaluate our days or weeks as being successful according to how much we accomplish with the time we have. If we use up all our time and don’t really get much done, then it is a bad day or week. How do you evaluate your time spent?

This last week it took some time just to pay a bill in Kiev. Normally, John figures our electric bill month to month by
reading the meter and multiplying by a certain amount. This month, however, we received a bill claiming we owed more than we paid. We figured there was nothing we could do but pay it so we went to the address on the bill to inquire where to go to do that.   While waiting in line for an hour and a half, we noticed a sign that said if you are questioning the bill you must bring a passport and three years of paid receipts. We had only brought the bill.  We also noticed people yelling at the employees, wanting to know why they owed more. As you can imagine, the ladies working the counter were not very happy being yelled at all day over money. When it was our turn at the counter the lady was grouchy and asked if we had our past receipts. We said, “No, we just want to know where to pay it.” Her tone changed instantly.

She said that was great and nicely gave us directions to the place to pay the bill. It took time we really didn’t want to take to do all this but we know God has a reason for everything in our lives. We hope we displayed Jesus Christ as we waited and as we talked with the lady working in this office. Is that ever a waste of time? It is always a lesson for us here in taking care of business, which John does a lot of for us and others on the team, or in doing every day activities, to bring glory to God.

When we ask our friend Daniel about his week, if he had opportunity to share about the Lord or what God is teaching him, it is always a wonderful week. He works as a janitor at a college dorm.  He is highly educated with a doctoral degree yet has not been able to have a job to use his education. But, he says, he has a roof over his head and all he needs to live. If he can share Jesus with someone what more would he want or need?  He is successful not because he has a high paying job or lots of things but because of his heart for the lost. His favorite saying is, “Redeem the time.”

The last day of May we had year-end party for our English students. One of the advanced students shared her testimony in English as a friend translated. Jane’s students did a skit of Jesus feeding the 5,000 using real bread to pass out to the audience. The young man from the group who played Jesus didn’t know much about Jesus but read the passage the whole week before so he would be familiar with it. His name is Sasha and he is not a  believer yet heard the gospel through the English club. John’s group read Scripture. After the program of singing and a gospel message given by Daniel, we talked and enjoyed the sweet table.

We traveled to Germany the first week of June for our conference with all of Eurasia Send. It was great to be able to connect with people who serve in Russia and Kazakhstan. This particular conference only happens every three to four years.

In July we decided to get away for our 40th wedding anniversary. We went to Thailand and enjoyed the time together. What was this time away? It was a relaxing, chance to read and sleep when we wanted with no schedule time away. We even went on an elephant ride through the jungle when we visited Janna Johns. She was a wonderful hostess.  We thank the Lord for the time away with Him and each other. It was a change of scenery and a chance to experience a different language and culture.

Our God is so good all the time and His plan for our days and lives is best.

To Him be the glory,
John and Jane