October 2011
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.”The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
Lamentations 3:22-24
Dear Family and Friends,
We are excited to be able to share with you some of the things the Lord has been doing these past months through your prayers, support and love for the Polish people we are ministering too! He continues to be faithful in providing for the work that He began!
This year’s VBS (vacation Bible school) was just so blessed in so many ways. We felt that it was one of the best the Lord has given us till this date. It was not so much about the number of children and teens attending, but it was more about the atmosphere of the Lord working in a special way through each part of the program daily.
Our second Pastor, Tomek Kulanica and his wife Gosia organized the program and helpers for the whole VBS this year, and it was great to see that most of the VBS’s helpers were many who were once themselves children or youth in the previous VBS’s, and have since grown and come to Jesus. There was around 400 children and just under 100 adults that registered during the week.
VBS brings more than one harvest!!
When the VBS began this year a man in a neighboring village began to harvest his field. A neighbor came up to him and told him that it was a risk to begin harvesting, since it had been raining for weeks, and the forecast for the week ahead was still rain. He replied. “I know that I can begin harvesting already, because I heard that the church in town is holding their VBS, and I know that they pray every year for good weather, and it never rains. I know I can harvest this week!”
And yes, the Lord stopped the rain for the whole week of VBS, and, at 6:00 PM as the VBS was finishing on the last day, it started to rain again. It rained also the week following the VBS. God is wonderful, and particularly that His power is being spoken of in the villages.
The youth group, has more than doubled since the VBS outreach, and the Dance Ministry had 18 more girls join. The responses for interest in joining Kid’s Club (now called ‘Mini VBS’) for the year ahead have also been great. Mini VBS is an outreach ministry where more kids are coming each week (as well as some of their parents). They are having lots of fun as well as systematic teaching about the Lord and how He calls us to live our lives.
Dance Ministry
Katie Herweynen has enjoyed leading the Dance ministry over these last few years, and since she was preparing to leave Poland she had been training Sarah (her sister) to lead. They have just enjoyed the privilege of sharing the Word of God with all of the girls after each dance lesson through simple Bible Studies. Almost all of the girls have joined the youth group, and have attended church for the first time recently. The Dance Ministry will continue while Katie and Sarah are away for the next 6 months, with Agata and Madzia, from the Mission, leading the dance and Bible Studies.
We are also excited that 3 adults, 2 of whom have been coming to church for many years, have expressed interest in being Baptized! This is such an encouragement to know that the seeds that have been getting planted…and being watered…are finally ready to grow and produce fruit! Please pray for these three and for those who decide to follow Christ, as there are many outside/worldly/sometimes family influences that can pull them the other way.
Staff News
Ken and Giselle
We praise the Lord for the wonderful opportunity we have to be able to visit our dear children and family in Australia. We praise the Lord for His provisioning making it possible for us to go. We hope to be in Australia until April 4, 2012. During this time we plan on spending time with our dear children, immediate family and dear friends. The main purpose of the trip is to see our daughter Katie settled in to her new home country, as she has chosen Australia to be her home for now. Thank you for praying with us as we see her settled into her new life and future, and for us as we say goodbye to her as well as our children again when we return to Poland in April. On the way to Australia, the Lord made it possible for us to stop off in Thailand for a week with the purpose of visiting a Karen refugee camp and a mission hospital eye clinic. Praise the Lord for His goodness, and for your loving encouragement and support for us as a family as we go through these changes in our family at this time. We appreciate you all!
Pawel and Judy
We are so thankful to have been able to spend this past summer in the U.S. being able to visit with so many of our family and friends! A highlight for Judy was being able to see two of her brothers who live on the west coast, who she had not seen in some 15 years! It was such a blessing for us as a family to be able to spend that time together with ‘all’ of her siblings and parents! We were blessed once again to have been provided the use of a car so that we could travel and visit with many of those who have supported us through the years…as well as family and friends who remain dear to us.
Jakub just turned four and started preschool this fall! He only has this year (before he starts Class 0/ Kindergarten) to start verbalizing more of the Polish language (though he does understand it pretty well). Please continue to pray for our son Joshua (now in Class 4) who continues to grow and develop…but at his own pace. We need wisdom in knowing how to best raise him into the boy/teen/man the Lord has called him to be. Rachel will be 13 on her next birthday and she is quite the young lady! It has been neat to be able to see her blossom and to put her heart into everything she does (well…most everything! 🙂 She just started the Dance Class (mentioned above) which will be wonderful for her both physically as well as spiritually.
Robert and Aneta
Thank you for your love and prayers for our family! We are thankful for the Lord’s love and grace that He gives for our family as well as the mission. Please pray for Robert, for wisdom, as he now serves as the manager of the mission. May the Lord direct him in the decisions he has to make on a daily basis. Please pray for Julia and Eliza for their school studies…that they would be able to remain focused both at school…as well as with their homework. We thank the Lord for Daniel and Jonatan (they are now 3 ½ years old). They are a joy and delight to our family (and always keep us busy! 🙂
Marian and Małgosia
- We are thankful for a good operation for Marian. However, he is still in pain. Please pray for Marian’s back. He has had two surgeries. He does not want another surgery.
- For wisdom and perseverance with our children in school.
- Wisdom for Agata for her driving exams (they are difficult)
- Health for Malgosia. She often has pain with her liver.
Lidka
It is a joy to be able to serve here at Elim. I am so thankful for the blessings the Lord has given to me. Please pray for my son Arek that the Lord would touch his life in a special way…and that Arek would give his life to the Lord. Please pray also for my son Krystian and his wife Gosia and daughter Julia who minister/serve in a Polish city a few hours north of us. Please pray that the Lord would continue to bless this ministry and to give Krystian wisdom in what the Lord has called him to do.
Tomek and Gosia
We praise God for His grace and mercy, for His strength and passion he gives us every day. We praise Him for His daily support. He keeps us and our children healthy, and gives our children so much energy every day – we even want to praise Him for that. We praise God for His faithfulness and help to Tomek every time he prepares his Sunday’s teachings. Please pray for our kids’ safety, especially Natan as he attends school. Please pray for Tomek, for strength, wisdom, energy in everything he is doing. Please pray for Gosia’s studies as she would like to start taking College classes after an 8 year break.
Gracjan
We are thankful to have a young man by the name of Gracjan serving with us this year! He has been such a blessing in his daily service here to the Lord/mission. He (and Kasia Kulanica) both have been learning to play the drums to help fill a need left by Katie when she moved.
Praise/Prayer:
- Praise God for a fruitful VBS and that He would continue planting and watering seeds in these children’s life’s through the weekly Mini VBS’s (as well as Youth Group and Sunday school).
- Pray for the Dance Ministry (which is mainly non Christian) that the Lord would show Himself to them in a special way.
- Pray for the Herweynen’s as they visit with their family and friends in Australia.
- Praise for this farmer who was not connected with VBS (in our minds anyway), and for giving us a glimpse of what the He is doing in our area!
We would like to express to you our continued thankfulness and gratitude to God for each of one of you who, in so many different ways, are a blessing to the work the Lord is doing here in Poland! You/we are the body of Christ…and it is only through Him that we can do anything! Thank you so much for your love and hearts for this mission outreach and more importantly for our Lord! May each of you know how much you are appreciated and loved!
From All the Staff
Elim Christian Mission, Poland
