A Boat Brings Good News

This December it's a boat--not a sleigh or a donkey--which is bringing joy at Christmas. 

Earlier this year Keith recorded the Jesus film in Lipovan. Several hundred years ago, this group of people disagreed with Tzar-sponsored changes in the Russian Orthodox Church. They split off a couple of hundred years ago and became known as "Old Believers" because they preferred the old forms of worship to the new changes. 

They moved to isolated corners of Europe like the Danube delta. They not only kept using old forms of worship. They also kept using an old version of Russian which developed into Lipovan.

Keith felt a bit at home, since much of the Danube Delta looks a lot like South Louisiana. Many Lipovan settlements, like traditional settlements in Louisiana, can only be reached by boat. 

So a Baptist pastor Keith met while he was recording had gotten together with a number of others to buy a 12-person boat.  Now all they needed to reach Lipovan people was a motor to go with the boat (note vacant space in back of boat for motor).

The pastor acted in faith. He took out a loan to buy the motor. The loan was due in December. Keith was able to connect the pastor with a donor who gave half the money to repay the loan. 

And that's how it's a boat bringing the Good News of Jesus' birth. Immanuel:  God is with us, on the water and on dry land.

 

"Darts without darts," Davar Math Game #19. 

A chance encounter at a meeting I didn’t want to go to enriched the lives of 15 Roma children this summer. I met Alice van Nimwegen from Stichting (Foundation) Aria at a gathering of Dutch missionaries. She was preparing a 3-week “summer school” for 15 children who needed extra attention, and not just educationally. I introduced her to Davar: Bridging to Literacy. Alice describes Davar as “games specially developed for children who are older but do not (yet) go to school. In a playful way, children learn the basics of addition, drawing, telling stories, writing letters, etc. These games turned out to be wonderful tools!”

If you or an organization you know would be interested in such a summer school, feel free to contact us. Alice van Nimwegen has given us permission to share the outline of their summer "school". 

Mary VanRheenen