John White - Developing Church Leadership in the Russian Speaking World
c/o Eric Yodis, Postal Box 3644, Donetsk 83076, UKRAINE February 2003
011-38062-345-5342 | jwhite@alumni.princeton.edu | http://www.marucheck.net/jw/
Now that I've become a teacher at Donetsk Christian University (DCU),
I'm realizing how much I have to learn. It's always that way, isn't
it? I've now completed my first course (on the book of Romans) at
DCU, and am in the midst of preparing for course #2 (Introduction to
Missions). And, I hope that I might be able to use a little bit of
what I learned to make this course better than the first.
What have I learned? Well, I've learned that I could be a lot better teacher if I could teach without a translator. The "lag time" between me and the students is a big temptation for them to start talking with one another, lose concentration, etc. Unfortunately, I don't think I can suddenly become fluent in Russian, but I wouldn't mind you praying in that direction!
More practically speaking, I've learned that getting the students to participate by giving reports and interacting on report topics is quite beneficial. In my course on Romans, we had many lively discussions on topics such as the death penalty, serving in the army, fundamental vs. secondary doctrines, and knowing God's will. I now see the need to come up with some lively topics for my course on missions, too!
I've also learned that I need to be more proactive in making sure that the students are learning the material. So, I will try to give the students more smaller tests instead of one big final at the end. I also need to get more involved with the students during my lectures, despite that being difficult to do through a translator. Please pray that God will give me grace to impact the students, so that they would love the world and want to reach it like God does.
Yes, it's wintertime again in Ukraine, and we've had some unusually bad ice this year. So far, my "fall count" is three, each time on my knees. Perhaps God is trying to give me a hint. It surely does keep one humble. And it's not just me, either. My co-worker David Hoehner fell and broke his ankle (fortunately, he is quite quick on his crutches when he wants to be!). And, one of the Russian teachers told me today that she was proud that she only fell once on the way to work!
In many ways the slipperiness of the streets and sidewalks is a reminder of how I must always walk by faith. On my own I keep falling-making mistakes in speaking Russian, in teaching, and even in walking. But the Lord is able to make me stand. I'd appreciate your prayers for me to not be discouraged no matter how many times I fall. Pray that I will look to Christ to help me to walk forward, even if it appears that He wants me to cross the water to join Him. Even as I gain ability to speak Russian, to teach, and to minister, please pray that I don't stop depending on my Lord and Savior. I am praying the same for you, too.
Your co-worker in Christ,
John