Dear Family & Friends of our LORD JESUS CHRIST!

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised!

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for me and our ministry here in Russia. I have just arrived back in Moscow after a four hour flight from Abakan, Khakassia, Siberia, after two five-day Bible camps for children and youth.

My first Bible Camp for children and youth was in the city of Ekaterinburg, July 2-6. Ekaterinburg is the third largest city in Russia according to some people (around 2 million??).  We met with about 20 children and 6 or 7 adults at a day camp at a retreat center right in the city. Pastor Alexei Trapeznikov and his wife Sveta did a great job of organizing everything.  Many of these children, like all the children we work with in Russia, come from broken homes and unchurched backgrounds.

In my class time with them each morning of 2 sessions of ¾ hour each, I had the opportunity of telling them about the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven that GOD has promised through CHRIST  to all who believe and trust in Him. Our theme verse for the first class was JESUS words in Matthew 4:17 – “From that time on JESUS began to preach: Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!”  During this class we listened to some of the LORD’S parables about the Kingdom of Heaven: the lost coin, the Prodigal Son, the King and the unjust servant, the wheat and the weeds, and  the King and the Wedding Banquet. All of these parables reveal important truths about our LORD’S Kingdom, which is here, and which will come in completeness at CHRIST’S return. The theme verse for our second class was Philippians 3:20: “But our citizenship is in Heaven and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, CHRIST JESUS our LORD.”  We also had the opportunity to teach the children some songs: “JESUS Loves Me”, “Heaven is a Wonderful Place”, “Read Your Bible Pray every Day”, and “He Brought Me to His Banqueting Table His Banner over Me is Love”.  I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the wonderful message of Heaven with these children, and for the most part they listened and seemed to understand the basic message.  Even little children seem to be able to grasp the simple truths of GOD’S Kingdom that so many of the intelligent and scholarly seem to miss.  As we shared with the children on the last day JESUS said: “The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

Each afternoon the children did a different activity including: a horse ride, 10 pin bowling, and an indoor aqua (water) park (claims to be one of the biggest in Europe).  This was the first time for these children to do any of these things, and they all seem to greatly enjoy the activities. 

Our camp this last week was held in the Tuim area (Abakan, Khakasia, Siberia) and had about 60-65 children and youth (about 20 more than last year) and about 5-10 adults.   Last year the camp was a day camp in the town of Tuim, but I encouraged them to consider having a Bible camp by a lake some place close, and so this year they had a tent camp by the Sunduks which included a lake and hills to climb. This was a new and growing experience for both the leaders and the children. Although the camp was extremely primitive by western standards, the LORD greatly blessed the week.  I had the opportunity of sharing the opening message from the book of Jonah each morning, and then teaching about 10 or so 10 and 11 year olds the daily lessons on the book.  The theme for the week, was that just like the Ninevites we all need to repent and trust in GOD’S mercy and forgiveness through CHRIST.  Every afternoon the campers went for a lengthy hike up one of the Sunduks (the name of the hills around there) and saw some of the cave paintings of ancient tribes.  I only made it the first day, and after four hours of hiking up the hill in the hot sun, I ended up with a little charlie-horse and didn’t attempt too much hiking the rest of the week.  This body of mine ain’t what it used to be, and it ain’t what it is going to be in GOD’S Kingdom, either.

I praise the LORD for each of these children and adults in these first two camps, and pray that the wonderful truths of His love and His Kingdom will bless them in their lives as they continue to grow in His grace and knowledge. 

Our last camp will be outside of Penza (700 km east and a little south of Moscow) on July 15-21. They are expecting about 70-80 youth and young adults (twice as many as last year).  I am planning on sharing a series a studies with them from Hebrews 11 on what faith in GOD is and what it means for our lives in our world today, and in the evenings sharing  a few messages on the reality of GOD’S kingdom of Heaven.

Please join me in praising GOD for the great blessings on our first two camps and for the working of His SPIRIT in our remaining camp.

Thank you again for your prayers!

“Now to Him who by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT at work within us is able to do far more abundantly, than all that we ask or think, to Him be glory in the Church and in CHRIST JESUS, to all generations, forever and ever, Amen!”  Ephesians 3:20,21

In the Love & Service of our LORD JESUS CHRIST,
Al