Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
We thank the Lord for His mercy given to us in Christ because He chose us to salvation and glory in Christ!
We thank the Lord for the fact that He keeps us in our earthly life, showing our mercy goodness every day, so that we know Him, rejoice in Him, and worship and serve Him alone!
One joyful event happened in our family: our youngest daughter married a brother from another community, Denis. Denis’s parents are missionaries. They have worked previously in India, Nepal, and other countries to establish a network of Christian orphanages there. Now Denis’s parents are in Russia and are going to move from our city to one of the poorest regions in our country to start missionary service in some neighboring small and impoverished villages.
In the midst of this joy, we also found ourselves in the midst of a difficult situation. Our church works to reach many in the community with the gospel through counseling and mercy ministry services. Those most in need materially it seems are often most neglected spiritually! We understand the material need is evident, and we help where we can, but the spiritual need is often ignored. We try to change this fact. Two months ago, one of our charity homes (a shelter for the homeless, ex-drug addicts, alcoholics, and criminals) was checked by the authorities. The control commission consisted of various types of authorities from the city. We were found to be at fault for many very specific rules regarding the type of outreach we do, and we were sentenced to a fine in the amount of more than $2,000.
The founders of the mercy ministry we partake in that runs the charity houses have already paid these fines, for which we are very grateful to them. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ from other Christian communities. The overwhelming majority of violations were very silly and pointless. It seems from a speculative perspective that we were targeted unfairly either as a church or a charity. During the midst of this trial, we were reminded of the fact that God knows our needs before we ask and that he provides for the work to which he has called us
Please remember us in prayer regarding this community outreach. As well address the city’s concerns and order for changes to the structure, pray with us for wisdom about what to address first. Pray for the 17 individuals who reside in this ministry, as well as for their salvation. Pray for the city officials we will interact in the coming days. It is evident they do not know Christ. We long to see this city reached with the gospel!
Again and again, from our hearts, we sincerely thank you for your letters, help, prayers and concerns about us and our ministry. God bless and bless you!
With gratitude and love in Christ, brother Vladimir.
