John White - Developing Church Leadership in the Russian Speaking World
DCU, Prospect Ilicha 106-A, Donetsk 83059, UKRAINE               December 2003
011-38062-345-5342 | jwhite@alumni.princeton.edu | http://www.marucheck.net/jw

Looking for the Big Picture

I've noticed that it's easy to lose track of the big picture when I'm busy focusing on all the little ones that beckon for my attention. As my life in Ukraine has shifted away from studying Russian to working more and more at Donetsk Christian University (DCU), I have lots of little pictures to keep track of: teaching, public relations, leading a prayer group, Bible study, and sometimes preaching. I'm thankful for this chance at the end of the year to step back and look at what God is doing through each thing. Even though I may not know how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together, I know that God is at work, drawing a more beautiful picture than I can imagine.

Since I've been so negligent in putting new pictures up on my website, I've decided to finally try to make up for it. So, here are a few pictures with prayer requests, and you can find about 30 more on the website listed above.

Please pray for my DCU prayer group: Sveta and Olya in front, Andrei, Oksana, Andrei, Artyom, Valentin, Sasha, and Victor, left to right (and Costya, not pictured). Pray that God would grow their minds and hearts for Him.

Please pray for our Bible study and new church, "Living Water." Pray for the many seekers at the Bible study I lead, like Sasha on the far left (next to Yura and Luda)

No prayer requests here, just having fun making a call from our "phone booth" in the DCU Teachers' Office!

Please pray the community life and staff of DCU. Here I am at a costume party (I obviously did not win anything) with Lawrence Gingery, the Cossack, and Olya Zaitseva (who became a Christian 10 years ago in Izhevsk, Russia when I was on a missions trip there, and now has joined our staff at DCU!). Pray that we would have fun and grow together as a family in Christ.

Please note my change in address above, and thanks especially to everyone who has written, called, or sent a package. Thank you so much for your love and prayers!

One More Prayerful Request:

As the year comes to a close, Donetsk Christian University continues to struggle financially. Would you prayerfully consider giving a donation to help us continue to train young pastors and missionaries in the former Soviet Union?

You can give by writing a check to CBI. Simply indicate that you'd like your gift to go to the DCU Special Project (#6433-903). Thank you!

Merry Christmas from Ukraine!

John

Back to John's