Prayer Requests

2008-05-26 Belarus
Foreign religious workers are concerned over the tightening of restrictions in Belarus. Decisions on whether their religious work is necessary now come from the top religious affairs official. According to Forum 18 News, the Plenipotentiary for Religious and Ethnic Affairs has the right not to give reasons for refusing a foreign religious worker's visit and to shorten a visit. Under the existing law, foreign workers must have an invitation from registered religious associations, but the process for registration is complicated, as is the new procedure for the invitation. In 2002, a new religion law came into effect. Despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, the law lumps many religious activities as illegal. Under it, all unregistered religious activity, communities with fewer than 20 members, and any religious activity in private homes go against the law. Religious organizations were required to be re-registered by November, 2004. However, registration is often a difficult process, and many organizations, including some with thousands of members, have been unable to register. Officials frequently use the media to insult religious minorities, insulting their beliefs, and attempting to incite hostility against them. For those religious communities that don't have a registered umbrella body, they can't invite foreign citizens for religious work. On top of that, all religious literature is subject to censorship. Pray for wisdom for Christians as they minister under these repressive conditions. Pray that they will rely on the Spirit of God for guidance.

2008-05-25 Belarus
The House of Mercy training of the Board of Directors is completed. There are 13 board members and some Americans are comng on board as advisors in the early stages. The House of Mercy opens in 2009 and has received $288,000 of the $500,000 goal for facilities and endowment. Dan Gremminger, Windsor Baptist Church, Imperial, MO, taught the construction crew how to texture sheet rock walls, a new aspect of Belarusian construction.

2008-05-10 Belarus
Minsk Theological Seminary desires to add two new badly-needed programs to train: 1) church planters, and 2) church consultants in pastoral counseling. Because of limited finances, they will attempt to start only one of them in late 2008 or 2009.

2008-05-10 Belarus
Minsk Theological Seminary desperately needs one person to become Dean of Students and an assistant in the Public Relations and Development. A graduate of the seminary is in the interim position for the Dean of Students.

2008-05-10 Belarus
The Lord has blessed with the library at Minks Theological Seminary. New books have been added to it. Unfortunately MTS still does not have enough finances to remodel and repair the library room which restricts its usage and enlargement. Classrooms, showers and toilets in the old seminary building also need some repair. MTS has been told to pay a tax for using their new building of $1,400 USD a month. In case MTS refuses to pay it, the government is going to fine MTS heavily. MTS is attempting to pay this money and at the same time try to find a way to avoid paying this tax as a religious organization. Please, pray to the Lord for the wisdom in this matter as MTS works with the state authorities. UPDATE: May is the last month that the seminary will pay the fine. This has been worked out with the government.

2008-03-23 Belarus
Minsk Theological Seminary started a new program at the end of 2007 that enrolled 27 students to study how to lead the Bible study. More then 20 additional persons would have joined if they could have. MTS will not have this again until the end of 2009 because of having only a part-time theological educator in this area.

2008-05-10 Kazahkstan
The lower chamber of Kazakhstan's parliament has passed new legislation that would impose severe new restrictions on foreign missionary activity and evangelical churches. According to Rev. Franz Tissen, president of the Kazakh Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, the bill contains a number of troubling provisions. It would: * Establish quotas of missionaries allowed in Kazakhstan's cities, capital, and regions. * Forbid missionary activity by foreign workers without registration; this also includes those who are not representatives of religious organizations. * Forbid distribution of religious objects, spiritual literature and other informational material with religious content to citizens in public places, public transportation, on the street or in private homes unless the person receiving the literature initiates the contact and agrees to receive the literature. * Forbid the acceptance of financial and other donations by religious organizations from anonymous or foreign citizens and organizations. * Forbid religious activities, meetings or gatherings with children under the age of 18 without written agreement from both parents or legal guardians. Pray for all evangelical Christians in Kazahkstan as their parliament makes decisions on the laws of religious freedom.

2008-03-28 Kyrgyzstan
A very restrictive religious law has been avoided at this time that would immobilize the freedom of religion in Kyrgystan. One of our partners writes, "It is a really hard situation in Kyrgyzstan with the human rights and religious freedom at the moment. So leaders of evangelical churches asked me in the past four months to help them with informational support. And, praise to God, the project of new religious law was stopped and now we praying to God for the next steps of this work. Please pray for us."

2008-06-07 Lithuania
Pray for Ramune Puckovas,wife of Pastor Arturas Puckovas, Good News Baptist Church, Kaunas, LT. She had breast cancer surgery in February and her chemotherapy has begun. She is on staff at one of the finest hospitals in Lithuania where she had her surgery. Update: She has just completed her 4th chemo treatment and the family stands in need of the world community of prayer on their behalf. UPDATE: On June 11-12 Ramune will have her 5th chemo treatment. After her 6th one in July, she will begin radiation therapy. Pray for their summer treatments and their courage through this journey.

2008-05-10 Lithuania
Pray for the Vilnius and Kaunas, Lithuania, area Baptist churches as a mission team of 9 persons from FBC, Jefferson City MO, partners with FLF for a prject. Ken Enloe and Melissa Hatfield are the Team Leaders. This team will provide construction work at New Testament BC and summer Bible camps for children, including those in orphanages. They also will do a youth event in Kaunas. Continue to pray for the construction needs of the New Testament church.

2008-05-10 Lithuania
Pray for the Good News Baptist Church and pastor Arturas Puckovas, Kaunas, Lithuania. He leads a planning team of pastors. A FLF team will be there in the fall 2008 for their leadership training. This will consist of pastoral training in lay-led ministry teams and starting a youth ministry in the churches. Preschool, children and youth Sunday School work will also be done for laypersons.

2008-03-23 Lithuania
John Jackson, FLF board member and Minister of Music, FBC, Farmington, and Ron Man, Greater Europe Mission, will be leading pastors in Lithuania in worship planning and development 24 - 27 April in the greater Kaunas area.

2008-05-10 Moldova
Pray for the 12 regional leaders and Union leadership of the Moldovan Baptist Union as they prepare for a FLF leadership retreat in October 2008. Pray also for Stas Ghlitechi, son of Baptist Union president Valeriu Ghlitechi. Stas is a student at Belmont University, Nashville.

2008-03-26 The Netherlands
Pray for Peter Briscoe, The Netherlands, who is heading up Crown Ministries in Europe and one of our strategic partners. For more about Peter, see http://www.crown.org/AboutCrown/Bios/PeterBriscoe.aspx.

2008-05-10 Ukraine
Our thanks to John Jackson, FLF Board Member, and to Ron Man, Greater Europe Mission; Steve Benham of Libery University; and Richard Mauney of Jubilate in Oradea, Romania who led the FLF Worship Summit meeting at Central Baptist Church, Kiev, Ukraine, 29 April - 1 May. Representatives from the following Eastern European countries participated: Belarus, Estonia, Kazahkstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine.

2008-05-10 USA
Pray for the Holy Spirit to go before the work of the FLF and open doors that God wants opened next for training and developing leaders in Eastern Europe.