Saturday, October 18

Finally! The best night’s sleep since arriving in Ukraine. The problem however is this: Three nights and I go home – and face another adjustment! But that’s life in the overseas apostolic ministry. Maybe the success of it is found in “late to bed and late to rise” – well 12:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

I was able to finally determine the message for today, edit it, print it and then complete some other work. And eat another Ukrainian meal. Today it was: first course - soup (a mixture of various vegetables); fried potatoes and then trout. Before you jump up and down and say that sounds great, let me tell you that the trout was prepared during the week that we were in Chernivtsi, that’s two weeks ago. Well it was prepared to eat raw. Lena’s mother did it on her way through Kiev back to Moscow where she lives. I was told that it is very expensive and was done in a special way. What I do not know. So I did my best and ate two one inch wide by six inches long. Not bad, but I declined any more with the comment that I needed to treat my stomach carefully and not create a problem since I had to preach this afternoon and two times tomorrow.

O yes! I did my final load of laundry, put it in the dryer, took it out only to discover that I used the wrong settings and it was still very damp. I decided to put it back but the dryer rejected it saying that the drum was empty and it would not do any further drying. So I just took the clothes and spread them around my room to let them air dry.

The service at New Time Church was exciting. Why? Because I was the preacher! Why else? You should know that by now!

However, the exciting thing was two testimonies. Both are the result of what happened when I ministered there in April. A lady had severe back problems. Her back was in such bad condition that she could not stand for more than 20 minutes. And because of it she was bent over and always in pain. Her testimony is that God healed her and she now is able to stand, do her work and has no pain and is not bent over.

The second is from a young man (I say that but he is probably in his late twenties, I guess or early thirties. I remember the pastor asking me specifically to pray for him because he had just recently returned to Christ and was in bad financial situation. I’d forgotten exactly what I did until I heard his testimony of how I told him to get his wallet. I took it and prayed for God to fill it and to bless him and change his life.

He said that he went home and began to pray for money. But God told him to stop and pray for a change in his mind. Then he said that the Lord told him to go look in his wallet. He said, “There was money in it that I did not have before.” His story continues as he related that God also told him to use his mind to design. He was employed as a driver for a marble plant. So he began to design things that required marble. His boss, a believer, saw it and gave him a promotion and he is now a designer for the company and gives God the thanks for the financial blessings that have come his way.

These are just common people who have taken God at His Word, exercised their trust in Him and walk by faith, just like you and I.

The testimonies came just before I spoke. They were a confirmation of the message that God had laid on my heart: The Making of A Miracle or What Does It Require To Have A Miracle? I can hardly wait to hear what God has done through the people who were in the service. The challenge was to use their hands, as the hands of Christ and lay hands on the sick for their healing. If what happened at the conclusion is any way related to what will happen we should hear some more great testimonies.

Well it is time to finish this and say....

God Bless and thanks for your prayers,

Dr. D.