EHC December 2018 Newsletter

December 2018

Christmas is almost here once again and it would be wonderful if we could give each child in an Every Home for Christ school a gift for Christmas!

Whatever gift you can give will be put into a special Christmas fund and every child, whether they have a sponsor or not, will be given a present of new clothes so that no child misses out. The gift we are able to give may be the only Christmas gift these children will receive this Christmas.

Please see the enclosed Reply Slip if you wouldGod Look What like to send a gift.

is Doing!

December 2018

Gifts for the EHC workers and evangelists

Christmas is not only a time to show love to the children but also to the Every Home for Christ workers who faithfully distribute gospel literature door-to-door.

Let us be generous to these workers and bring them delight as they receive a gift from the Every Home for Christ supporters this year.

Please see the enclosed Reply Slip if you would like to make a gift.

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g n i v i g s k n a Th FOR

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From the Preside n t

God is using you to shine His light into the darkness...

When you attend the Christmas service at your local church this year, you may experience a tradition that is common to some churches. At the end of the service, the lights dim, everyone grows silent, and the sanctuary is filled with a thick darkness. It can be an unsettling experience.

Then, from a single candle, a flame is passed from person to person, until every individual is holding a lit candle of their own.

Slowly the flickering light grows and the darkness is driven away, replaced by a warm, shining glow.

The effect is beautiful.

This is how the Gospel spreads.

Since the Fall, our world has been filled with darkness: corruption, war, fear and loss. But 2,000 years ago, a light shined in the darkness, and Jesus was born! Since that day, the Gospel has passed like a flame from person to person as Jesus’ love is shared with the world. And wherever people encounter the Good News of His love, lives are forever transformed – just like a once-darkened worship centre filled with blazing candlelight.

This issue of Every Home brings you stories of Jesus’ light going into the darkness of our world.

In a nation torn apart by political violence the Church steps up to care for those caught in the crossfire.

When families are driven from their homes by invading forces, believers meet them to share God’s miraculous love. And when my dear friend

went to be with the Lord, we thanked the Lord for the incredible spiritual legacy he left behind.

But these aren’t just stories of other people in other nations.

These are your stories. As a friend of Every Home for Christ, you’re one of God’s multitude holding a burning candle against the darkness of this world as you pray and help EHC financially. You are passing the flame along to others who also need to bask in the warmth of God’s love.

As you enjoy the holidays with loved ones this year, let this be a reminder to you: God is using you to shine His light into the darkness, and the world is changing for millions of people as a result.

For the harvest,

Dick Eastman International President

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” – Matthew 4:16 (NIV)

UKRAINE I n eastern U k raine , R ussian and U k rainian troops have been loc k ed in a standoff for almost five years .

M eanwhile , C hristians wor k behind the scenes to contend for the future of their nation .

NO MAN'S LAND B y J oshua S k aggs

UKRAINE NO MAN'S LAND B

lockades choked the streets of downtown Kiev, and Anatoliy Kushnir donned a new leather jacket. He also wore a small trinket, a gold pin he had recently found at a thrift store - the same one worn by Ukrainian secret service members. It was a simple disguise, helped along by a stern expression and a confident stride.

“That was my game,” Anatoliy says.

“Playing a spook.”

He walked past the blockades, carrying heavy boxes and looking straight ahead. Nobody stopped him.

It was winter 2014, and tens of thousands of people camped out in Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the main city square in Kiev. They were protesting the president’s decision to back out of an agreement with the European Union in favour of closer ties with Russia.

Anatoliy cut through crowds of protesters, brushing past people who refused to leave during the harsh winter months. When he arrived at the prayer booth, he opened his boxes and started handing out pieces of gospel literature as if he were delivering reinforcements. They were titled “Pray for Ukraine.”

For three months, Anatoliy returned to the Maidan to pray with people and drop off more boxes of gospel literature.

As Every Home for Christ’s Ministry Director in Ukraine, Anatoily had access to resources that could encourage and comfort people through this hard season.

During the Maidan Revolution, thousands of people gathered on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (literally “Independence Square”).

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Brothers, by Christopher Titzer, https://bit.ly/2QfCU7g, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://bit.ly/RT9dL0

Even though it was dangerous to enter the Maidan, he felt it was his personal responsibility to bear a Christian witness.

But on February 18, 2014, violence broke out. Civil unrest turned into a full-scale revolution, and downtown Kiev became a commotion of gunfire and explosions. The city fell into chaos.

“It was almost like time stopped,” Anatoily remembers. “Your life is kind of hanging, and your feet are not planted on the ground. You don’t know what will happen to you, to your family, to your life. It’s very hard to think of how you can minister to people, when you’re wondering if you’ll live and if you’ll have a country - if you’ll have a home.”

The stakes were real. If the revolution failed, Anatoliy’s city - and his entire nation might soon be occupied by Russia. At home with his wife and newborn son, he could

hear explosions from his balcony.

“I was thinking, Do we run to the mountains in the west of Ukraine? We packed the car, but - what do we do?”

For three fearful days he stayed close to home, watching the news with his wife.

On the third day, they finally heard a good report:The revolution had ended. Parliament wanted to remove Ukraine’s president, who then fled to Russia for asylum.

It was a new start of a new season for Ukraine, but not the start of peace. The future of the nation still hung in the balance, suspended between East and West. In the coming days, Russia would invade eastern Ukraine, the Ukranian military would fight back, and a small, overlooked minority would take a stand for the future of the nation - Christians in search of a spiritual revolution.

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UKRAINE NO MAN'S LAND

Anatoliy Kushnir Ukraine EHC Director discusses the occupation of Slavyansk and other cities in eastern Ukraine.

Evangelicals have long been stigmatised and distrusted in Ukraine.

“We were always despised, called names,” Anatoliy recalls of his childhood.

“Of course it feels terrible, especially for a child. Instead of having friends, you have enemies.”

When Anatoliy was young, kids would throw rocks at him on his way to school. He was also brought to the school steps and publicly shamed. His response hinted at the man he would become.

“I started walking through the village with a family Bible, raising my Bible in my hand, like, ‘You don’t like me going to church? Take this!’ I was in middle school”.

Anatoliy is part of an entire generation of Christians who suffered under Communism.

Throughout the Soviet era, parents routinely lost their jobs when they converted to Christianity. Students’ grades were often docked for their religious beliefs.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the evangelical church began to meet and evangelise openly. Even so, propoganda continued to poison the cultural waters; many Ukrainians falsely believed that evangelicals sacrificed children in their religious ceremonies. By 2014, less than two percent of the population identified as evangelical.

But this minority would soon influence the entire nation.

When the Maidan Revolution ended, an evangelical Christian was appointed interim president.

Oleksander Turchynov sought God’s direction to set the nation on a steady course.

Within the first few days of his presidency, Russia breached eastern Ukraine and annexed Crimea, Ukraine’s peninsula on the Black Sea. “Imagine this situation,” former president Turchynov told Every Home in an exclusive interview.

Australia: PO Box 168 Penshurst NSW 2222 Telephone: (02) 9570 8211 Facsimile: (02) 9570 4738 ABN: 88001276240 www.everyhome.org.au E-mail: ehc@everyhome.org.au New Zealand: PO Box 31-260 Milford North Shore City 0741 NZBN: 9429043322862 Telephone: Free call 0800 900 200 Facsimile: 0061 2 9570 4738 www.everyhomeforchrist.org.nz

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Photo: In his church, Peter Dudnik displays artillery and other war artifacts discovered on church property after separatists left Slavyansk.

“We did not have an army back then. We did not have effective power structures. We did not have money in our accounts... So tell me, was it possible to stand against this without God’s help?”

While Turchynov sought God’s guidance in the nation’s capital, pro-Russian separatists occupied the eastern city of Slavyansk. Tanks rolled down the main street. Masked militants took control of the armoury.

Local pastor Peter Dudnik watched as his city became a war zone.

“The city was turning into a ghost town. There were road blocks being put up, trenches being dug...

Every day there was gunfire exchanged in the city.

Insurgents were shooting at the Ukrainian side, and Ukrainians were shooting back.”

Then one hundred militants took over Peter’s church. Situated at one of the entrances to the city, his church was an ideal base of operations. Insurgents posted snipers on the roof and stored assault rifles and grenade launchers in the lobby.

Robbed of his city and his church building, Peter moved his family to a safe place outside the city. Then he returned to help other families.

He started to evacuate people from their homes, often packing 20 people into his eight seater passenger van, speeding down tiny roads in an attempt to avoid crossfire.

Soon, Peter was helping hundreds of people leave the city. He formed a team of capable people who could be trusted to join in the rescue efforts.

They established two covert pickup locations at a grocery store parking lot and local pool, making three trips each day with five church vans. Outside the city, Peter’s wife would field requests for extraction and forward the information to Peter.

Christians from around the country began calling to offer their homes as safe houses.

At a refugee camp Peter had established outside the city, he gathered refugees who had no other place to go. There, his team provided food and shelter in the days following the people’s rescue. Everyone at the camp was required to attend three daily prayer services.

“It was kind of an anti-shock therapy, just to pray and care for people when they would come to their senses,” he says. “We would gather and praise the Lord and sing and just cry out to God.”

Peter Dudnik’s rescue efforts were the most extensive in Slavyansk.

Because he was unaffiliated with the Ukrainian government or military, he was able to fly under the radar.

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By the time the Russian insurgents fled Slavyansk on July 5, 2014, Peter and his team had evacuated roughly 12,000 people.

This had a lasting effect on the well - being of the city, and it also helped people become open to the Gospel.

“People’s understanding of the Church changed dramatically,” Peter says.

During the conflicts in Slavyansk, people saw evangelicals caring not only for their own needs but also for those of the entire city. While various factions fought for control and dominance, Christians risked their own safety to show love. Peter explains the heart behind his choices.

“In a time of calamity, the question is not only, how do you survive and sustain yourself, but how do you exhibit God’s glory? This question is not only about our past, but all of our future.”

Ukraine's future continues to hang in the balance.

At the time of this article's release, Russian troops still occupy eastern Ukraine, locked in a ceasefire with Ukrainian troops. In between their artificial borders is a gap, a "no man's land," where a handful of Ukrainians live out their days trapped between two forces, uncertain whether their future lies east or west.

This tension is felt through the nation.

To the east is Russia and Ukraine's Soviet past, a past that most people wish to avoid.

But to the west lies another threat, one that Christians are prepared to address - Western secularism. Turchynov, in his current role as Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, is wary of aligning with a European majority that has lost its Christian roots.

"When we are thinking of European integration, we want to integrate with the Europe of Luther, Calvin and the reformers of history. But this Europe is disappearing."

Ukrainian Christians see the West slipping away from its Christian heritage, but they

are determined not to follow suit. Rather than taking a passive stance and slowly ceding their advances, they are actively working to expand the Gospel's reach.

In recent years, the Ukrainian Church has commissioned missionaries to Russia, Europe and nations scattered around the world. The Church has also begun hosting large events targeted at positively shaping Ukrainian culture.

In the fall of 2017, at the same location where the Maidan Revolution took place just three years earlier, the Ukrainian Church united to host its first annual Thanksgiving event. On streets still marked by bullet holes, more than 250,000 people gathered to hear the Good News.

"The turnout was like a revolution," Anatoliy says. "It was - 'overwhelming' would be an understatement".

This event was followed up one year later with another momentous event. In the Dnieper River that flows through downtown Kiev, 500 people were baptised. They wore white to signify their new lives to Christ.

Their songs resounded through the city streets.

Events like these are not just a nice spectacle. They serve to make the Church visible to the public. Throughout Ukraine, Anatoliy works by any means necessary large events, home-to-home evangelism, social media campaigns - to make Jesus known. In the east, Peter works with refugees, orphans and his own church family toward the same goal.

"I feel like this was preparation," Peter says, speaking of all that has happened in the past several years. "A bigger revival is coming."

Photo: EHC Director Anatoliy Kushnir (left) and Every Home writer Joshua Skaggs (right) sit down with Ukranian Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksander Truchynov (centre).

DECEMBER 2018 Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from the Psalms.

For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.

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PRAY FOR DICK AND DEE EASTMAN. Dick is the International President of Every Home for Christ with a large responsibility for EHC ministries across the world.

Psalm 61 (Luke 24) PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY Sons, daughters and grandchildren, plus others to come to Christ.

Get a piece of paper and write down their names. Get their photos and pray every day for their salvation;eternity without Christ is a long time!

Psalm 62 (John 1:1 - 18)

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PRAY FOR ERIC AND LORRAINE LEACH AND FAMILY Eric is the Executive Director for Every Home for Christ Australia and New Zealand and UK Board member. Pray that all the family as pictured below will come to know, love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ all the days of their life enjoying good health, success and keeping safe under the protection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 63 (John 1:19 to 4:54)

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MONTENEGRO Pop. 620,500 Map. 73 Please pray for M. as he goes to the north of the country where many are opposed to the message of the Gospel. Pray for a successful outreach and for protection of M. as he shares gospel literature. Pray that many people will be open to hearing the Good News.

Psalm 67 (John 18:1 to 20:31) LIBERIA Pop. 4,700,000 Map. 42 EHC workers experience so much rejection sharing the Gospel home - to home. Please pray for team members who are in need of grace, courage and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Also pray for hearts to soften and respond to the gospel message. Psalm 68 (John 21) GUYANA Pop. 700,900 Map. 213 Most mission organisations working in Guyana have only reached the coastal areas (about 30 per cent of the land mass). Pray that the ministry of Every Home for Christ will,with God's help,reach the remote communities of the inland jungle with the Gospel.

Psalm 69 (Acts 1-2) CREATIVE ACCESS Part of Every Home for Christ's strategic plan for this country included creating 13 prayer groups. Now three of them are praying day and night. Praise God! Pray that God will will raise up more faithful believers as intercessors.

Psalm 70 (Acts 3:1 to 8:3) URUGUAY Pop. 3,500,000 Map. 224 Please pray that God will raise up more churches to partner with Every Home for Christ in the work of reaching every home. Pray that God will give believers a great love for people and a willingness to share the Gospel.

Psalm 71 (Acts 8:4 to 11:18) UNITED KINGDOM Pop. 66,000,000 Map. 92 Pray that those who once walked with God and were part of a church family but are now prodigals will come home to the Father.

Also pray for churches that have planned fun days and social events to reach out to family and friends who need to know God's love again.

Psalm 72 (Acts 11:19 to 12:25) KENYA Pop. 49,700,000 Map. 27 Please pray for EHC leaders as they travel to many areas to train believers in evangelism and discipleship. Pray that God's Spirit will be upon them as they minister in different churches and Christ Groups.

Pray for great favour and grace. Psalm 73 (Acts 13-14)

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CAMEROON Pop. 24,100,000 Map. 24 Pray for protection for EHC workers sharing the Gospel in war zones. Many pastors have abandoned these areas because of the danger. Pray that God will set his hedge of protection around all those labouring to share the Good News with great risk to their lives.

Psalm 64 (John 5-6) CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray for an EHC worker who will be travelling to a city in the eastern part of this country. Pray for grace and favour as he shares about the vision for the Oikos Initiative. Also pray that God will raise up many more workers for His harvest. Psalm 65 (John 7:1 to 11:53)

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MEXICO Pop. 129,200,000 Map. 178 Please pray for the future of this country. The current administration is not favourable to the Gospel.

Pray that EHC workers will trust that God has everything under His care and that they will continue spreading the Gospel wherever there is opportunity. Psalm 66 (John 11:54 to 17:26)

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ROMANIA Pop. 19,600,000 Map. 78 During a recent outreach, a religious leader and 10 of his followers verbally assaulted EHC team members then took the Bibles and literature they were sharing and threw them into a fire. Despite this, the team rallied and finished the outreach with other literature. Psalm 74 (James 1:1 to 3:12)

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PRAY FOR JACOB DAMKANI - ISRAEL

Keep praying for Jacob Damkani who is now out of a coma and is in rehabilitation. Psalm 75 (James 3:13 to 5:20)

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GUINEA Pop. 12,700,000 Map. 45 Pray for churches in Nzerekore. There is a real lack of labourers at the moment. Ask the Lord of the harvest to raise up many more workers to reach every home in the city and surrounding forest regions.

Psalm 76 (Acts 15) MYANMAR Pop. 53,400,000 Map. 135 Please pray for EHC missionaries who leave homes and families at a time to spread the Good News. Pray that God will provide their needs as well as their families while they are away. Psalm 77 (Galatians 1-2)

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MOLDOVA Pop. 3,600,000 Map.102 Please pray for an upcoming outreach in the villages of Falesti, Doltu, Bocani, Pietrosu and Histresti.

Pray for courage and protection for our workers and that many souls will accept Christ. Psalm 78:1-36 (Galatians 3-4) REP. OF THE CONGO Pop. 81,300,000 Map. 20 Pray that God will give courage to the EHC workers who go home-to-home every month sharing gospel literature. Often they are verbally persecuted and insulted. Pray for divine appointments with people ready to respond to the love of Jesus. Psalm 78:37-72 (Galatians 5-6) BENIN Pop. 11,200,000 Map. 37 Please pray for the people of Zounkon. They are in need of a revelation of Christ. They are deeply rooted in idolatry and are very hostile to people who share the Gospel with them. Pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare many hearts. Psalm 79 (Acts 16)

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SOUTH AFRICA Pop. 46,700,000 Map. 1 Please pray for EHC National Director Antoine Boshoff as he will be leading 50 pastors in evangelism and discipleship training. Pray for grace and for the right words to speak to these 50 pastors.

Psalm 80 (Philemon 1) SERBIA Pop. 7,000,000 Map. 71 Praise God for the ability of Every Home Serbia to print and distribute gospel literature in any part of the country. Serbian evangelicals are a small fellowship, but they trust in a powerful God, and His Holy Spirit is at work across the country. Psalm 81 (Philemon 2)

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CREATIVE ACCESS There is a great need for unity among the churches in this country. Friction is evident between megachurches and smaller churches. Please pray for rifts to be repaired so believers can work together to share the Good News and bring glory to God in the process.

Psalm 82 (Philemon 3)

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NIGERIA Pop. 190,100,000 Map. 35 An EHC coordinator from Badagry has been very sick. Please pray that the Lord will touch his body so he may continue the work to which he has been called, the work of advancing the Gospel.

Psalm 83 (Philemon 4)

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CHRISTMAS DAY Thank God that He sent His only Son to die for our sins that we and all who accept Him, including our children and other loved ones, will have the assurance of eternal life. Pray for your family and friends who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 84 (Acts 17:1-10)

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SPAIN Pop. 46,600,000 Map. 60 Every Home Spain is preparing to launch the Oikos Initiative - reaching every home in Spain in the next 20 years. Pilot projects have begun in partnership with different denominations. Pray for God's blessing and direction.

Psalm 85 (1 Thessalonians 1-3)

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COTE D'IVOIRE Pop. 24,300,000 Map. 41 Please pray for the Djimini ethnic group.

EHC workers shared the Gospel with every home in one of their villages recently. Pray that the seeds that were planted will begin to take root in this village.

Psalm 86 (1 Thessalonians 4-5)

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KOSOVO Pop. 1,800,000 Map. 72 Pray for hearts to be open to the Gospel in Kosovo.

EHC workers encounter spiritual warfare and rejection when doing home-to-home outreach. Many doors are slammed in their faces. Psalm 87 (2 Thessalonians 1-3)

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ARMENIA Pop. 2,900,000 Map. 104 Please pray that a sports camp in Armenia will be an effective outreach. Pray that the biblical values passed on to these young people will have eternal impact. Also pray for salvation for any who may not know Christ. Psalm 88 (Acts 17:11 to 18:11)

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NIGER Pop. 21,500,000 Map. 36 Praise God for the growth of a church in a region that is incredibly hostile to the Gospel. The church has added 20 new members this month. Pray for these new believers as they begin their walk with Christ. Psalm 89 (1 Corinthians 1- 4)

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CREATIVE ACCESS The government has started investigating EHC workers in this nation and making them come before a board to explain themselves. This could greatly impact the work of going to every home. Pray for favour during the process. Psalm 90 (1 Corinthians 5 - 7)

PRAY FOR ISRAEL ROMANS 11:28