12/29/04

Dear Precious Partners in The Gospel,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! The Christmas 2004 rejoicing is behind us in North America, and the suffering of the Asian Tsunami tragedy is bombarding our senses and filling our prayers. In the former Soviet Union Christmas will be celebrated by most on January 7th, and, Ukraine has finally elected a new president. Christians there are rejoicing in their answered prayers and confident that President-elect Viktor Yushchenko is the man whom God has chosen to keep the door open for the Gospel, and the reaching of many more of the 20,000 communities still waiting for their first Bible-preaching church.

Thank you for praying for the election in Ukraine and for the tremendous opportunities for the Gospel in grief-stricken Beslan, Russia. In both regions, the Lord has been answering your prayers gloriously and blessing your material support. I will presently comment on the much progress in Beslan, and separately send you my perspective on the election in Ukraine.

December 7–10 — Beslan Youth Ministry Conference: At a facility built for communist leadership conferences in the town of Kislovodsk in the Stavropol Territory of Southern Russia a conference was held for the training of 28 youth workers for the Beslan Baptist church and the other Baptist churches of North Osetia and the Caucasus Region. Biblical youth ministry principles were affirmed and a unified strategic vision was adopted for the development of youth ministry in the region. Leading the conference were Eugene Bakhmutsky, assistant to the president of the UECB (Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists) of Russia for youth ministry, and Todd Provost, director of youth ministry for SGA.

December 17–18 — Beslan Grief Counseling Conference: At the Prokhladniy Baptist Church 400 pastors, church planters, youth ministers, Sunday School teachers, and church workers gathered for a Grief-Counseling Conference, The agenda was designed to equip them to be more effective in using God's Word in the counseling of family members who have lost loved ones. The key teachers were Pastor Jim Pile and Pastor Phil Manly of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. The response to the conference was overwhelmingly positive. Mrs. Raya Totieva, who lost four of their six children in the Beslan tragedy, commented to Pastors Jim and Phil, "Did you organize this conference just for me? Everything you both said was for me!" Participants received a MacArthur Study Bible and Dr. MacArthur's book entitled "The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness," both in the Russian language. A Russian version of "Safe in the Arms of God," Dr. MacArthur's book written especially for parents who have lost a child, is being printed and will be supplied, along with "The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness" to all the families of Beslan in January.

December 25 — Beslan Immanuel's Child Christmas Outreach: Louetta and I had gone to bed following a wonderful family Christmas and were in a deep sleep. At midnight the telephone rang. It was a call from Beslan, Russia. I was totally amazed to hear the voice of a rejoicing Pastor Taimuraz Totiev, Raya's husband. He was calling to thank SGA and all our partners who had been praying for them and who had contributed to the Immanuel's Child offering. They had just completed a wonderful Immanuel's Child Christmas celebration for their surviving Sunday School children along with many un-churched children from the grieving Beslan community, as well as many of their parents. He asked me to pass his deep gratitude on to you who made it all possible. And what a glorious testimony it is to the grace of God shed abroad in Pastor Totiev's heart! Four months ago the terrorists killed four of their six children. Ever since, he and Raya have been reaching out to the rest of the community who have lost loved ones.

January 3–10 — Beslan Winter Youth Camp: An evangelistic winter camp is scheduled for the teenagers of Beslan. 120 youth ages 15 to 17 are expected with many of them being survivors of the School No. 1 holocaust. It is being held at the Dimitrova Sanatorium in Kislovodsk. Leading the camp sessions will be Herman Dzheriev, the youth pastor of the Beslan Baptist Church. Please pray for the Lord to greatly bless this important ministry to the suffering youth of Beslan.

Thank you, again, for your vital prayers and support that are making all of these events possible. Efforts are also underway to help the Beslan Baptist Church expand their facility, and plans are in the making for a serious of evangelistic camps for the children and youth of Beslan to take place in the spring and summer of 2005. Substantial resources are needed both for the church building project and for all the planned camps. Please keep praying with us that from the ashes of Beslan School No. 1 the Lord will raise up a great church capable of training their own workers and sending them out to plant Bible-preaching churches all over North Osetia.

In His love and service,
Bob Provost
President Slavic Gospel Association