Hey everybody,

The outreach ended a couple days ago, it was amazing! We are in the middle of our follow up, and barely have time to send this email.

I'm sending to you guys an update I got from my friend Alex who was involved in this outreach. I thought you would all enjoy hearing about the time from another perspective. Attached are some pictures of Alex and three individuals that could use your prayers.

Also please pray for our meeting tonight we will be showing Mel Gibson's "Passion" (with Russian subtitles). I believe it will be a powerful time.

We will send you our own update later this week when things slow down.


Your Missionaries,

Dave, Rayma, and Elias + Sarah :)




---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: alex enfiedjian

Subject: Wow...russia update. Perm Church Plant!

Wow! I have so much to tell all you guys...i cant even describe how amazing this trip was. I will try not to make this letter too long, and bore you all to death, but i have so much to say...so bear with me.

Things started off kind of tough. We arrived at the airport three hours early, but the lines were so bad, and people were pushing so much that we couldnt even get through check in and missed our flight. They said that it is our fault, and we had to pay three thousand dollars! which we didnt have. So, somehow we paid, and had to totally re-arrange our budget for the whole trip... So we just trusted that God knew what was going on, and that He'd take care of us. Well, we arrived the next day, and got out on the streets and started passing out flyers. Some people from the team met a couple named Mark and Lena...they wanted to practice their English so they came to church that night. They werent Christians. I talked with Mark, and he said..."its so weird...just yesterday i was wishing with all my heart that i had some people to practice my english with...and now the next day you guys are here!". So, we talked, and spent time, and he started coming around everyday. He invited us to come to school and talk with the students there (actually, God opened up a TON of opportunities to go to schools an talk to people...like two schools a day). Well anyway, we went to his class, and played some music, talked with kids, shared why we were there. And then i went around asking everyone to tell us something about themselves...in english...and we went around the class and came to this girl. She was exactly like on of those girls in those 80's high school movies...you know...like the breakfast club. She was the "cool" girl; smacking her gum, rolling her eyes, with her cool clothes, and dred locks for hair. I got the feeling that she tried to look for love by "who she was": who she hung out with, how she dressed, what music she listened to...all these external variables. Well....we just loved on her...showed interest in what she was saying...and she said that she'd come to the concert. Well she came, and we just continued to love on her. Its amazing how the love of God breaks people completely down. She went from this hard girl, to this girl who was so open. Lets jump back to mark. It was maybe the third day...and he told me that somebody had just killed his friend. Of course he was really upset, so i prayed with him. The next day i sat down and talked with him. I told him that all these things that are happening (us coming, his friend dying, problems with his girlfriend)...they arent just accidents. God wants you. He is trying to get your attention (im just summing up the conversation). anyway, i asked him what he thought about everything we had been talking about so far, and if he thinks we're weird crazy christians or what....and he said, he's not sure yet, but when he knows, he will tell me. So...now we are at the Second to last concert. The message was really powerful...and Ksusha (the girl with the dred locks) and Mark both said "wow...im really touched, i have to think about this"....so the next night was the last concert and the holy spirit was just so strong there. After the message we invited people to come up if they wanted to and ask questions, or if they were ready to put thier faith in Christ. I remember looking down and seeing Ksusha crying. Some of the team members hugged her and prayed with her. I talked to her afterwards, and she said that she believes, and she wants to give her life to Christ and follow Him. Then i pulled mark up on stage while people were leaving, and asked him..."Mark...what did you think about what they said tonight?" He said..."i think after tonight, I believe. I believe in Christ".

Anyway...after the concerts they had a follow up day at the church. There were 20 non believers there asking questions, and seeking. Dave (the pastor there) spent three hours talking with Mark, and Ksusha went over to the girls from the church appartment and just spent time with them. It is so good that she is already connected with them and made friendships with people at the church.

Lena is still not sure what she believes, but she is definately feeling the love.

These three are just three of the people that i personally interacted with during the outreach. There were hundreds of people at the concert and on the streets that got to see the love of God through our team. And im sure there are many others who put their faith in Christ during this trip...i just didnt get to meet them personally.

The church in Perm is AMAZING! the church members are from 16 years old to 28...and they just serve serve serve with all their heart. They didnt have a pastor for 2 and a half years, yet they continued to meet, and study and tithe, and everything. Please pray for them, that they would be blessed. They deserve it more than anyone i know. Please pray for Dave that he would continue to BLESS them, and the new believers and the people who are seeking in that city. Please pray for Ksusha, and Mark, and all the others in that city that are new believers...and praise be to God for everything He did there....and is doing. :) it is so exciting.

Thank you for praying. the next trip is to Kirov, in one day! pray that God does a work there too. Feel free to write. I have more to say, but i'll spare you for now. God bless you all!

love,
alex





Note: Due to problems with the site, I was unable to post photos. I will keep trying and they should follow shortly. - Mark.

A plethora of photographs...

Greetings from Perm, Russia!

Praise God! We made it to our new home in Perm!

We have been waiting years for this time in our lives. We can sense the Holy Spirit with us, guiding us, blessing us.

It's been a little over a week since we left Moscow. We completed the work project at the dorm with just enough time, money, and workers. Thanks to your prayers, no one got seriously hurt and illness never became an issue. God gave us exactly what we needed when we needed it.

A couple days after finishing the project we said goodbye to our new friends at the dorm and set out for Perm. We squeezed all of our stuff into a small cabin on the train and settled in for our 22-hour ride. When we arrived the church was waiting, ready and willing to haul all of our stuff to our new flat (apartment). Their attitudes were awesome, we felt so loved. During our first church service I shared the story of how God led us to Perm. We were all excited to be reminded of the ways God called us to be here. The church was obviously encouraged to hear our stories.

Now that we are settled in we will set our focus on the upcoming outreach concerts. The team from Calvary Chapel McMinnville arrives in about a week. Our first concert (of 4) will be on the 19th of this month. Please keep our team in prayer as they head this direction. Pray for their safe travel good health and positive attitudes. Please continue to pray that people will come to Christ. Pray for protection. Pray that the word of God would be clearly preached.

We have several other pictures of our time in Moscow, that will soon be on our new web/blog site.

If you're here, then thanks for checking out www.DaveandRayma.com. Thank you Mark Armstrong!

We love you all!