Blessing in Ukraine

Heart-warming news from Bartek and Zhanna – –

Friends! We would like to share with you what God has done in our lives and ministry over the last months. At the beginning a bit about our family, Zhanna is already in 37 weeks of pregnancy, so the big changes are just around the corner. We will have a boy !!

  Two months ago, we moved to a new rented flat, in another part of Rivne. Ines grows like a yeast and is waiting for a little brother but I do not think she understands what it means to her. We are asking you, beloved, for prayers for a happy birth, health for Zhanna and wisdom for us in this new stage of life.

 This is the eighth year in which we try to serve in Rivne and Orzhiv. This year God let us continue to work with a youth group and organize a new congregation in Orzhiv. But the biggest blessing for us is our home group. In our group, most people are over 20 years old, we have several young marriages with small children. When we read the New Testament and most of the Acts of the Apostles, we can find there a lot of information about groups / house churches in which people in the first Church met. For me and our family, a homegroup is a place of friendship, understanding and mutual growth in God. Together, we can get to know God’s Word and pray for one another. The most valuable is that Ines, Danik and Olivia from an early age are surrounded by people who love Jesus with all their heart. Why are we writing about groups? Maybe you do not have such a group yet, Dear Friend, I would like to encourage you to find and be a part of it.

Two more events from recent months worth sharing. The first of them is a male expedition to Poland for a few days. 6 guys, one car is a place of many jokes, but also many interesting, inspiring conversations. Together with Pasha, Andrew, Tolik, Pasha and Misza, we visited Krakow, we were in Auschwitz, Pszczyna, Cieszyn and Zory. Each trip of this kind builds unity and understanding in an amazing way. I am grateful to God for this time with people with whom we serve together in Orzhiv.
The second event, very special, is the baptism of Faith. 7 young people publicly announced to the whole world that they belong to Jesus Christ, who became their personal Lord and Savior. For me, double joy, because one of the boys – Ivan is a boy from Orzhiv, an active participant in our youth group.

 Beloved, Summer, holidays, so also camps. This year, we will be participating in two camps. At the end of July there will be a camp for children and teenagers in Orzhiv. And here another blessing – this will be the first camp for 10 years in which we will not take active part. Why blessing – because at last our young leaders have taken everything in their hands and told us that we should take care of our baby’s birth! The second camp will be with the congregation in Kovel on the Świtaź lake, we will take with us 6 boys from Orzhiv and we will help the local congregation. We are asking you to pray for this Summer, that God will give us health and energy and, above all, his grace, that the Gospel may open the hearts of young people.                                                                                                                          Bartosz Szymczyk