Author: Pastor Willie Crew

Region: Commonwealth of Independent States

We have just about concluded our meetings here in Moscow. Hennie planned for this to be a small strategic meeting. There were people from four Former Soviet Union countries that together represented 14 countries in the region. It was refreshing to see the relationship between the team members. Much of our time was spent encouraging the team, planning strategy for the region and laying the ground-work for a gathering of 450 people next year in a Live School Retreat that will be called "The Rise". This gathering will be attended by selected pastors, LS facilitators and students from across the region. But more about that as it is developed by Hennie and the team. Later today we depart on an overnight train to the south of Russia.

May I ask you to pray for one of the brothers that attended our meeting this week. His name is Dmitry - he is a former drug addict of around 16 years. Today he is part of a team working among drug addicts and alcoholics and has a thrilling testimony of how the Lord saved his soul and delivered him drugs. He recently found out that he is HIV positive. He also was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and TB. To complicate matters his wife is pregnant with their first child. Dmitry has asked us to pray for his healing and protection for both the mother and baby that is soon to be born. Please stand in agreement with us for their perfect healing.

Also pray for some of the countries in this region that are experiencing great persecution and even closure of churches. Listening to some of the stories and feeling the weight that some of the brothers and sisters carry while serving the Lord in these difficult circumstances is humbling to say the least. And yet they are dynamic in reaching unreached areas and people in their world often risking their own lives. Lets use our freedom to further the purposes of the Kingdom!!!

We thank the Lord that Chip has retuned home from West Africa where the Lord opened doors for him to mobilize 52 churches and lay the foundation to start 16 Live Schools. Keep praying for Paul who is still traveling in East Africa and also for Leon currently traveling in South Africa.

Do pray for Lydia as she is giving oversight to the South African admin process while Marietjie is on a well deserved vacation.