Back From Camp #3!

Friends & family -

Lucy and I are back from 3 weeks of camps. conferences, adventures and more.....
It was a great time and despite some of the difficulties (see posts below) we were both glad we were able to attend. As expected the highlights of the time were the conversations we had with people. We all had lots of time to reflect on who God is, where our lives are going and how God does or does not influence us. One example was a conversation I (Dan) had with an old friend whom I had not seen in many years. He and a few other friends had started up a small Christian business only to see their friendships destroyed when they came under the stress of having to work and make tough decisions together. He was very open in sharing with me about the brokenness in himself and his friends. Because that was at the center of how they treated each other that ate away at both their friendships and their business.

Lucy had the opportunity to pray with a young women that had been married about a year. This woman had experienced a deep betrayal in friendship resulting in public disgrace at church and was at the same time struggling to feel loved by her husband. She felt unable to trust or forgive. By the end of their walking, talking, and praying she said she was feeling hopeful and excited for the first time in a long time.

Dan, Ilya, Slava and Edik -old friends.

The last week was spent at a Russian student conference. It had been several years since we had attended a national student conference such as this. There were some old friends and lots of new faces. It was really encouraging to see how God continues to remain faithful to this vital work after so many years. One huge need that stood out was for new national staff workers. Many of the Russians who have been working with CCX (the student movement) for a number of years are now moving on to other things. There is a huge need for a new generation of leaders to be raised up to replace them. Please pray for this and the funds to support them.

Yura Mark

The main speaker at the national student conference was a man named Yuri Mark, a Ukrainian theological professor from Kherson, Ukraine. He talked about the difference between people on a journey - with clear goals, principles, and life perspective - and those who are simply wandering or stuck. He challanged all of us to think about our own journeys and how to shape our lives in light of the goals, principles and perspective that our faith gives us. He also gave some great seminars on contemporary evangelism.

Alyosha, the new General Secretary of CCX, interviewing
Dan and 2 others about their experiences in the student movement.

Thanks for your prayers! We're off to Chelyabinsk today for a week spent with some of these same friends - leaders from Heaven's Open church and CCX. Pray for Dan as he is speaking this weekend at church and for our time with some of the lay leaders of the church still recovering from deep wounds of sin in their recent past. Pray for energy and focus - we're both lagging a bit at this point in the summer.

Blessings,
Dan & Lucy