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Ray & Rebecca
Curran
Winter 2000 Newsletter
| CALVARY MISSION TO THE TAMBOV REGION OF
RUSSIA
"Then I will give you pastors after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding." Jeremiah 3:15
EARLY WINTER 2000 NEWSLETTER Hello again to our dear family and friends from Ray,
Rebecca, Elizabeth, Dara, and little Ray in
Tambov, Russia. FAMILY NEWS I included a recent family picture as an attachment in this letter. We are all well physically for the most part. Little Ray (16 months old) however is now again going through a series of winter colds and flus, much like he did last winter. They've not been serious, but he doesn't seem to be free from them for very long. He's not been outside hardly at all since October. Fortunately, there's a elderly woman across the hall from us that is always available to watch Ray when we go out. PLEASE PRAY for his health. Lizzy and Dara are doing OK. They often go outside to play in the snow. They also go to Russian pre-school a couple times a week. Rebecca homeschools Lizzy who is now in the 2nd grade. In September, we found a very nicely furnished 3 room apartment to rent in the center of town. Thank you for your prayers in that regard. KOTOVSK EVANGELICAL CHURCH As you know, in September I took over as pastor of an evangelical church in Kotovsk, a small city about 25 miles south of Tambov. We purchased a Russian-made 4 wheel drive minibus in September for transportation there. The church there is doing very well and slowly growing and the people really appreciate our style and the teaching of the Word of God. We tried to do English classes there using the Bible as a text, but they were not very well attended. We are now planning street outreaches after New Year. PLEASE PRAY for Kotovsk. The city is very steeped in the occult. A large percentage of the population there is involved in this kind of activity. I'm serious. It was a surprise to me when I discovered this. I've never experienced such a situation in a city. But we are praying and working to see more in this city turn to Christ. TAMBOV BIBLE COLLEGE The college opened here in October. I had planned to teach a lot at the college, but I've only taught there a few times. I much prefer teaching behind the pulpit at church anyway though. It's hard enough for me to write sermons and teachings in Russian for church services. But I'm able. It's quite another thing however to write and teach theology courses for a college in Russian. But I do what I can. They have other teachers anyway. TAMBOV CALVARY CHAPEL I have been desiring to start an affiliated Calvary Chapel in this area since the beginning of our time here. Though I essentially pastor the Kotovsk church like a Calvary Chapel, I cannot officially affiliate it with Calvary Chapel since it is legally under pastor Reuben's organization. We also desire to have a church in this larger city of Tambov. So we're in the process now of doing that. I found a movie theater to rent in the center of Tambov and this coming Friday we will start our evangelistic English classes using the Bible as a text there. We'll see what interest develops out of that and we plan to begin regular Sunday and mid-week church services there the beginning of February. Volodya and Tanya Kuznyetzov, leaders from Khabarovsk Calvary Chapel who came to Tambov with us, will assist us in Tambov Calvary Chapel. Volodya found a good job here as a university teacher. Tanya is expecting a child in May of next year. So thank you for your prayers for them. But PLEASE PRAY for this new church situation. Though we have permission for now to conduct English classes at this theater, we don't as of yet have permission to conduct actual church services there. But the director of the theater said he will try to get that permission. It's a difficult thing as the local government here is strongly against any new evangelical churches. This is a very Communist/atheist region. But by the power of the Holy Spirit and the call of God on our lives, we will prevail! So we covet your prayers in this regard. So in the long term, I'll be pastoring 2 churches! Needless to say, I'll be busy, but I love this. KHABAROVSK CALVARY CHAPEL I hear news from pastor Sergei Matyushenko as well as church members there that the Khabarovsk church is continuing and doing well. This is very gratifying for us as this church will always be very close to our hearts. We plan to visit Khabarovsk again April 5-10, 2001. PLEASE PRAY for pastor Sergei and the church there. Well, that's about all the news for now. Our ministry and family life here keeps us very busy, but we are very satisfied. It's such an incredible joy and fulfillment for us to be able to live and serve the Lord in this country, now in our 7th year here. We thank you all so much for your prayers and financial support that help enable us to fulfill this calling. Merry Christmas to you all and may the Lord richly bless you and yours in the coming year! Ray Curran ************************** Russian home address: 392000, Russia phone/fax: 0117-0752-71-90-83 |
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