Dearest Friends,
TATIANA’S STORY
Tatiana is the cook at her church in Simferopol, but there is so much more to tell about this lady. While serving as a nurse in the Soviet army, she was wounded twice and shot down in a helicopter over Afghanistan. As the helicopter spun out of control, she called out to a God she did not know asking Him to save her, the helicopter at the last minute stopped spinning and crashed flat. Then she spent 8 years in a hospital recovering from her injuries and finally returned home paralyzed.
Unable to move, she never liked to sleep in the dark. She was not a believer and very fearful, but one night her husband was drunk and he turned off the light. She pleaded for him to turn on the light, but he passed out and never came. Suddenly, a bright light filled her room and a figure in a long robe stood in the light. He spoke, commanding her to take up her bed and walk. He said, "Follow me." She had never read a Bible and did not know the story of Jesus healing the man in Matthew 9:1-8.
She argued with the man in the light that she could not walk because she was paralyzed. Early the next morning, her neighbor came and told him what had happened. Immediately, he called his wife, and together they told her about Jesus. They read her the story from Matthew, she trusted Jesus Christ as her Savior, and was completely healed. After years of being paralyzed, she got out of her bed and walked.
Today, her husband has put his trust in Jesus and she says that I am the happiest of all women. Together, they work in a village sharing with very poor children who are hungry to hear about Jesus. She feeds them and loves them into the kingdom. More, they are busy encouraging the young people in their church and use their big yard to reach neighborhood children with the Gospel. I want to be like this wonderful woman! All of us were so happy that we were able to help with teaching materials and supplies for her village work.
THE MEMORY & SEPTEMBER 26, 2006
One year ago today, we buried Mike. As we spent more than 17 hours traveling today, I had a lot of opportunity to think and remember. So clearly, I remember your love and comfort at that time. I treasure they memory of my sons standing with me as I stood to speak at Mike’s funeral. I remember calling on Jesus at that moment and the deep peace that I experienced. My heart broke and today it breaks again.
So many children in Ukraine will live their lives in orphanages because their parents cannot or will not care for them. Their futures are often bleak because of lack of education and opportunity. Many will sell themselves turn to alcohol or crime to survive.
But none of these things are why heart breaks! I could not have survived this day a year ago or walked through the pain of this year without Jesus Christ. More orphans do not know Him and too many know nothing about him. I ache for them to hear about Jesus! Please pray that these 3 new ministries that we have planted will be blessed with opportunities, vision, wisdom, and strength. They all plan to target orphans and other unchurched children. Pray.
This has been as especially blessed trip to Ukraine and I think that that is God’s special mercy. Please continue to pray for my family and me. We need your prayers!
GERMANY
We are safely in Germany, despite some problems in Ukraine at the airport. The customs officials came and got Sam, told him they were concerned about knives in his suitcase (he juggles knives) and said that he might miss his flight. This was a checked bag, so we could not understand the problem, but they insisted that they might need to call the police. All of us prayed, they released Sam and he made the flight on time. Praise God!
Lufthansa overnights their Ukraine flight in Frankfurt, so we leave early in the morning for home.
In Jesus, Linda for
Sam Shaw & Assistant Director
Anna McIlwaine & French Puppet Director
Oksana Pyvovar & Ukrainian Puppet Director
Pastor Sasha
Hannah Sager
Katie Humfleet