A Certain Woman in Eastern Europe

The Hope & Life Ministry Team in Uzghorod is a non-profit ministry affiliated with Grace Fellowship, Nashua, NH. Besides watching over the ministries reported about in Parts 1-4, Hope & Life also began an English School called "Life English". Their goal is to teach English with excellence and also to give opportunity to the students to "taste and see that the Lord is good!!"  Hope & Life offices - Mike & Volodya get ready for an English lesson. This semester more than 80 students are enrolled and 2 business classes are scheduled to begin in the mornings. God is good!!  New missionaries to Uzghorod since January is Mike and Annie Hollenbeck and their daughter, Solomiya. Mike & Annie have been sent from Changepoint Church in New York and this is Pastor Marlow's first visit to see them.  You can imagine all the oh's and ah's this little sweetie gets. Her mom also gets a lot of looks...and advice...seems Solomiya is never quit...

 Imre and Elizabeth (Our founders)  Robbie & Sitka  Kema board and staff Norbie (Our Managing Director) Elko from Switzerland, Robbie and Attila Szilvi, Marti, Zsuzsa We just had our annual board meeting for KEMA - EEO - Eastern European Outreach. What an amazing group of people managing this great humanitarian organization. More than 15 tons of humanitarian aid were given out last year. A very exciting project was providing wood stoves and wood to keep people in Hungary, Ukraine and Serbia from freezing this past winter with it's record cold.  We also sponsor many children is these nations, have a farm outreach where the sponsored children come to camp in the summer and also offer English camp to them. On site, we organize mission days and overnight outreaches and for years have done a summer outreach called "Barnabas Camp".  Also the mission helps direct "Amaro Del" the gypsy Christian band who performs all over Eastern and many cities ...

Marlow and Tonya in a "moment" on the streets of Europe The guys hanging out while the ladies looked around - close inspection - you know how the ladies are. Vince enjoying the sun - spring came in quickly and with a warm force, we are blessed! Jim and his youngest - Jenna Vince and Diedre enjoying their day off. Jacke & Deb - these Alaskan's really enjoyed the sun and freedom from snow! They are in Israel now. Some of  the Person family - David, Tanya, Jim and Jennifer. Bethany was home sick. and Tiana is all grown up and handling a job and university in Alaska. The team was rejuvenated enough after ministry in Ukraine and Poland to enjoy this day off and then minister at the International Church on Sunday, the men did a Men's meeting on Monday and the ladies held a Ladies Meeting on Tuesday. Then headed for home.                                     ...

 Jack and Vince busy at my new (old) place!! Most of the electrical problems I was having - totally solved! Lots of new fixtures in place!  The "chair contest" 2 kinds of Ikea chairs - Please guys - promise me you will at least "glance" at the directions! - No promises but the chairs are nice and they work!  Deb sorting out the light bulbs - how many different bases did we have - I think 3 - then the bulb varieties - endless!  Tonya in the kitchen with Bethany - keeping us well stocked with munchies.  Marlow and Jim catching up with ministry life  Diedre, encouraging us on!  Jack - adding a new beam to the loft, and sanding, and varnishing What a blessing this team was to me personally - I sure felt their love and care!! Pictures can not express adequately all they did. They dealt with the electrical problems, rewired, hung new, replaced old,  added a dimmer light to living room ceiling fixture (bliss!!) Secured connections ...

In 1992, I was sent out from my church in New York to the mission field of Scotland.  I had strongly felt the Lord had said my dates to leave where March 23-25 - huh? for one flight??? The Holy Spirit is so smart :-). My brother Tim offered me his free miles to London. We asked for a ticket on March 23 - none available but there was a flight on the 24th and I landed on the 25th!! So this past weekend I celebrated 20 years full-time on the mission field of Europe!  By that first March weekend, I knew I was exactly where God wanted me and just in the perfect timing of God!  and then - Yes, I lived in a castle in Scotland....and the relationships I made there were of silver and gold and yes, still treasured after all these years and still connected to many from those early years of mission. Imagine - it was so long ago - no cell phones, no Facebook, no internet access, no blogs, Twitter, FaceTime or Skype! How did we ever manage?  ....snail mail, transatlantic-onl...

Celebrating Shabbat in Uzghorod is one of my favorite things to do and bringing my friends to meet my other friends is always a blessing!!                                                           Special ladies, special friends  Nadya & her husband Myron are now leading "God's Pearl" for Rita and her husband Gena who now live in Israel                                                                 Lighting the candles                                                      Myron and Marlow deep in discussion       ...

March 7 was International Ladies Day and a National holiday in Ukraine. We celebrated with a Ladies Meeting at the New Testament Church in Ughorod. All the ladies received chocolate and many got flowers,too. The preaching, encouraging was rich with 4 ladies of our team sharing - Tonya, Deb, Diedre and myself. We also had a wonderful time of worship lead by Pastor Volodya's wife Lilliana who organized the meeting with her daughter Lilla on the keyboards. There were also beautiful performances by the worship dance team. After the preaching we prayed for every lady who wanted ministry. Around 75 ladies were there and we think almost everyone came for prayer!                                                        Ladies of the New Testament Church                             ...

Volodya our ministry partner, pastor & translator, Lola, Arkadi & some of the team. One of our first meetings was with Lola and her team. She ministers to more than 500 families bringing them food, wood and helping them with official paperwork. The families she helps are very poor and many are gypsies. Lola is on a special EU committee in Kiev that decides grants for Trans-Carpathia area. This year they received funding for a village to dig a well and now they have 2 social workers helping the village get the help they need. Shese social workers are part of Lola's team and are helping to do a transforming work in the village. Lola and her team were crying out to the Lord for help some year's ago and God sent Marlow. Lola says he is their "dad" in the Lord.   Praying for Lola's daughter Greta  Tonya & Deb praying  Lola & Arkadi - newlyweds - God has called Arkadi to the ministry,too Me and Julie (FIRE!!)  Certain Women!! I...