Dentists from Grove, Oklahoma in Ukraine
Stan and Audrey Crawford, dentists from Grove, Oklahoma, met me in Kiev on April 2nd. Together, we traveled north to Chernihov where meetings were arranged at an orphanage to plan a future dental ministry trip. The director, warm and friendly, allowed Stan and Audrey to examine the 40 children's teeth. She cried when Audrey told her they were there for one reason, to be a blessing to the children.
Later that same afternoon, we visited a dental clinic downtown. A positive connection was made as the director offered us the use of the clinic for charity work with orphans. They were genuinely surprised and thankful when we left with them some dental instruments and medicines the Crawfords had brought with them.
The next evening, Wednesday, we all attended services at the Word of Faith Church and Pastor Antonina asked me to preach as well. I was pleasantly surprised, the church has grown tremendously in the last year or so. Shane Bowman and I visited the church
13 months ago and there were about 40-50 members.
In this mid-week service, there were well over a hundred believers. After I preached, Pastor Antonina gave an invitation and one older gentleman responded to the invitation to receive Christ. They told us he had been coming to services for some time, but had never repented until then.
While we were in Chernihov, one of the churches we partner with asked me to teach in their Bible School one evening. It was a small room, crowded with about 20 students eager to learn. I taught on the subject, "How to be led by the Holy Spirit." After teaching for 2 hours, jet lag caught up with me and I turned it over to Pastor Anatoliy, our national director of Family Aid International.
Anatoliy and I met in March of 1999 and became fast friends. It soon became obvious the Lord had brought us togther and we began making plans to minister together. Over the course of time, as we shared with each other our vision for ministry, the concept of Family Aid International was born. Anatoliy was instrumental in getting FAI registered with the Ukrainian government as a humanitarian charity fund last year.
Before leaving Chernihov, FAI distributed several hundred dollars for the purchase of basic neccessities for the children in the orphanages. Soap, shampoo and toothpaste were among the items purchased and distributed to the children.
Saying goodbye is always hard. On Friday, we went to over to a place called "The Guest House" to say goodbye to Stan and Audrey as they were to return to the USA that afternoon. In this picture, Anatoliy is telling Stan and Audrey how much he appreciates what they are doing for his nation. Olga Holpina, our staff interpreter, is doing the translating.
"Two is better than one.." Ecc.4:9. Our concept of ministry is to partner with other ministries and churches. When we work together, our labor is multiplied and enhanced by the others gift's and talents.
Saturday morning, April 6th, I conducted another business seminar in Kiev with about 200 business men and woman attending. Ministering from John 15:16, a strong prophetic word came forth in regard to each of us having an "appointment with God" to accomplish our destiny in the Kingdom of God.
Judy and I are leading a team to Ukraine May 26th, we'll be ministering in several orphanages in the city of Chernihov. Other team members are Alex Horton, Susan and Joel Illgen, all of Grove, Oklahoma and David and Ellie Sanford of Baltimore, Maryland. The Sanfords participated with us in last summer's outreach to this same city.
We had taken several extra costumes, extra makeup, and other props and we were able to leave these with the Ukrainian clowns. In addition, the Sanfords conducted a teaching seminar on some basic clowning techniques and makeup application.