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WMM
in The Ukraine! 'Seeing God's Work in Kiev' by Miriam Nadler |
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 Kiev, Ukraine
Ministry Report - April, 2004 |
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| Over a year had passed since our last visit to Kiev, Ukraine. Sam and I were both looking forward to seeing old friends and teaching at a conference for Messianic leaders sponsored by Beit El Gibbor (“House of the Mighty God”). This was one of the congregations planted as a result of Sam’s first visit to Kiev in 1990. |  |
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| A little background will show how God is at work in this part of the world with a long-standing and dramatic Jewish history. History of Ministry: An Open Door In the late 1980s the Soviet Union began to open their doors to ‘the West.’ Opportunities were great for the gospel, but regarding most missions organizations’ priorities, plans to reach Jewish people were way down the list, if on the list at all. Attitudes were encountered which said, “Forget the Jews, Christians aren’t interested in them.” But Sam was convinced that this was the time to go to Eastern Europe and reach Jewish people with the Good News. In 1990 he and Mikhail*, a Russian Jewish believer, planned to begin at Moscow, then on to Kiev, Ukraine, which then had a Jewish population of at least 200,000. One of their contacts, a Baptist pastor of a former underground church, invited them to speak at his Thursday night meeting. From Romans 1:16 Sam spoke about how our Lord would want them to share Messiah with their Jewish neighbors. Afterward the pastor got up and said, “We have never heard this before, but here it is, right in our Bibles. We must go to the Jews first.” He then challenged his people to invite their Jewish friends and neighbors to come, and he invited Sam back to speak that weekend. Seeing God’s hand opening this door, Sam and Mikhail changed their plans and stayed longer in Kiev. That Sunday morning they were overwhelmed to see over 200 unsaved Jewish people, along with about 400 Ukrainian believers! Of three speakers, Sam was scheduled to be last. Unfortunately, the first two Ukrainian pastors berated the Jewish people in attendance. In that tense, embarrassing atmosphere Sam’s turn came. From the pulpit Sam greeted them in Hebrew: “Am Yisrael Chai”, -- “the people of Israel live.” This got the attention of the Jewish visitors, and their faces glowed with the thrill of hearing Hebrew spoken in a Russian church! He then spoke about God’s love for the Jewish people that was demonstrated through Messiah Yeshua. “God has not forsaken you! For 70 years God has waited for this opportunity for you to hear the Good News of Messiah!” At the invitation that morning over 70 Jewish people came forward receive Yeshua, and that evening over 20 more came to faith. As a result of these outreaches, two Messianic congregations were planted in Kiev. Thus began a new movement of Jewish faith in this part of the world! |
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| Fast Forward -
2004 When we last ministered in Kiev November, 2002, the days were shorter and you could feel winter approaching in the cold damp weather. But this visit was different. Spring was in the air and the city was bursting with color. In fact, my appreciation for Kiev grew as we were able to see more of the area in the evening hours. What a vast city with so many who need to hear the Good News of Messiah. Another blessing was having Natalia translate for me during the women’s teaching sessions. Natalia and her family attend Hope of Israel Congregation in Charlotte, NC and she volunteers with WMM. |
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| Since it was her first visit back in 16 years, she spent time with her grandparents, then came back to Kiev to stay with her brother during the conference. | |||||
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Sam taught leaders who had come together for the training from all over the Ukraine, as well as from Moldavia and Slovakia. His seminar “Leadership in the Heart, the Home and the Congregation” helped men understand a key portion from 1 Timothy 3. Essentially, the reason that we don’t have more leaders in the congregation is because we must first have leaders in the home. | ||||
| These faithful men of God were quite taken by these simple, yet profound truths that Sam shared. Saturday at the Shabbat service, Sam spoke on God’s everlasting love, and several responded to the invitation. After an in depth training session on teaching, prayer and management, the men were thrilled that they were better equipped to “rightly divide the word of truth.” |
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| Sam was invited not only to return for an even larger leadership conference in 2005, but to also come to Slovakia to teach against the anti-Semitism that is raging in that country. Pray for the believers in Eastern Europe that God will continue to raise up a godly witness to the Jewish people. More on the Ukraine ministry next Month! Y Part 2 of WMM in Ukraine report |
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"Empty
Hands, Full Heart" Almost 16 years ago when I first immigrated to the US from Ukraine as a teenager, I came not only with empty hands (just ‘the shirt on my back’), but with a empty and rebellious heart. Shortly after moving here I came to saving faith in Yeshua. Now I was going back with a new life in the Lord, with a heart full of God’s love, and also, to give something back. Seeing my grandparents who live in the town of Rivne was a blessing, but as a Jewish believer, to be able to participate at the Ukrainian Messianic Conference as a Russian interpreter was an even greater blessing. What a contrast! Aware of the cultural differences of the US and Ukraine, as I translated Miriam’s teaching I realized what a blessing it is to not only translate ‘thought for thought’, but to understand how it was being received by the ladies. For example, as we studied “Being Content in God’s Sufficiency” (Phip. 4:4-8), because of the constant economical difficulties even the word “sufficiency” is hard for women there to understand. It’s actually easier to teach about lack and need rather than contentment and sufficiency. I have wondered at times, “Why do we need a Bible teacher coming from a different country to Ukraine to minister? Why not save the money and have local teachers teach?” From this trip I learned that there is a great value in having an experienced Bible teacher come, particularly from a different cultural background. It brings a deeper dimension to the Bible that can’t be presented as well in one’s own culture, just as the Jewish roots of a biblical passage enhance the understanding of Scripture. It was also amazing to see people tell Sam and Miriam that they came to know the Lord when Sam first visited in 1990, and through subsequent visits. And not only this, but to see them continuing evangelism and discipleship as leaders was thrilling! So I can see the importance of Sam continuing to come back and teach, and reach out with the Good News. I want to thank all who pray and support WMM, for the Lord is using this ministry to reach out to people in the Ukraine, to the Jew first, and to Gentiles. Pray also for the opportunities to return, and for the books and materials that are being printed in Russian. And as we say in Russian, “Paka!”, ‘See you later!’ Y |
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