BIEMs of Light June 2016

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In May, the church in Drogichin, Belarus, celebrated their 10-year anniversary by holding evangelistic tent meetings. Praise God, souls came forward to repent and get right with God. Afterward, each of them received the gift of a Bible.
   
• A believing soldier named Vanya is serving at the military base in Desna, Ukraine. He enlisted specifically to witness to other men in the army. Each Sunday he brings one or two new men to services where BIEM missionary Igor Fomichov preaches. Igor thanks God for Vanya and asks that we pray for God’s blessing on this man, through whom souls have found Christ!
   
• In the Republic of Georgia, BIEM missionary Vitaly Bilyak was able to visit a number of Georgian men who had once been alcoholics, but who found Christ during rehabilitation in Ukraine. Vitaly rejoices that all these men still attend church and live faithfully for the Lord. They have even begun their own Rehabilitation Center in their own country!
   
• Praise God for $40,000 matching funds made available to BIEM for church building programs underway in Ternopil and Bilogorodka, Ukraine as well as in Shahovskaya, Russia near Moscow.  This opportunity and the dollars strength in these areas makes this a great investment.  Please pray that these matching funds will come in.

Prayer – Pray with us!

• We are grateful that many of God’s people have responded to the need for summer camp funds and provided donations. However, this is still a matter for prayer, since we are $9,500 short, and the camping season is about to begin. Thanks for praying and for giving!
   
• Even as we prepare this sheet, another evangelistic expedition to the Far North of Russia is about to begin. Please pray for the salvation of souls and spiritual growth of believers who live in those hard-to-reach places. 
   
• In a Muslim land, a BIEM missionary named Sasha requests prayer for a number of people who have been attending services and listening with interest. However, at least a couple of young ladies openly doubt that it’s possible to live a holy life in modern Muslim society, which is so filled with sin. Pray for the Lord to touch their hearts and strengthen their fledgling faith.
   
• In Fedorivka, Ukraine, BIEM missionary Mikhail Titarenko requests prayer for a Christian woman named Galya and her non-believing husband. Although Galya sincerely loves the Lord, the husband drinks, is sometimes violent, and doesn’t even like for Galya to attend church, which leaves him alone to care for her elderly mother. Please pray for this husband’s salvation. 

Persecuted for Christ

This just in from one of BIEM's missionaries moving to a new location in Central Asia: "Please continue to pray for our brother, who was arrested by the KGB. Since that time he has had no other problems from them. He is humbled, shocked, and encouraged by the outpouring of prayers for him from those of you who have never met him, yet love him in the Lord. Thank you for your labor of love and godly example. We view our move to this country as very timely, as these men have not faced this type of persecution for quite some time. We have been helping their neighbors through these types of persecutions for years, so I am glad to get there on the ground and help these men to re-strategize and prepare as much as is possible for the storms to come."

BIEM's of Light - March 2016

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• After being delayed in Ukrainian customs, the container that BIEM shipped to Ternopil, Ukraine, has arrived, and the church is beginning distribution. We thank the Lord and you for your prayers and the donations of useful clothing, which is helping the church to open doors for the Gospel.

• BIEM church planters in Ukraine have located what seems to be an ideal property to purchase in Smolin, a town between existing church plants in Desna and Chernihiv. Please pray God will pave the way to purchase it.

• Praise the Lord for volunteers! Lord willing, a group of 9 construction workers from Calvary Baptist in York, Pennsylvania, will soon be working on the new church building in Bilogorodka, Ukraine. They will labor alongside Ukrainian workers and hope to finish much of the interior walls and ceilings. May the Lord bless the work of their hands!

• In Latin America, Segundo Rodriquez praises God for fruit from evangelism in Peru and Columbia, including summer camps. (Seasons south of the equator are reversed.) “Many teen boys and girls were reconciled to God and restored in their relationships with Him. During the first message a young lady gave her life to Christ with great conviction. The lady who counseled her was very excited by how God was working in this young lady. Praise be to God!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• In Central Asia, one of our pastors was picked up by the secret police and interrogated. The police seemed intent on knowing names of all who attend services. The pastor wouldn’t tell, so they ended up ordering him to stop teaching the Bible and released him. Please pray for him and other church leaders, that they will stand strong and faithful despite threats and intimidation.

• It’s time to start promoting the Christian summer camps for teens and for children. Please pray even now for the Christian brothers and sisters who will be working with these young people. Pray for God to prepare receptive hearts in the hearers. And pray for finances to sponsor the camps, as we now have $4,000 of the $40,000 needed by June.

• In St. Petersburg, Russia, BIEM missionary Vitaly Keller requests prayer for two unsaved men, Andrei and Kirill. Both have been attending Bible studies and seem to understand the Gospel and mentally accept it; yet both struggle with the idea of embracing Christ and following Him in baptism.

• One of our BIEM missionaries to a Muslim land resides in that country with legal permission, granted via a visa from the host country. But such visas need to be re-examined and renewed from time to time. Please pray that he will be granted an extension of his existing visa.

Fruit for the ministry!

Winter missionary trips in the far north of Russia can be hazardous. Nikolai Ryzhuk just returned from an evangelistic trip where snow-covered obstacles overturned their snowmobile. But along with the discomforts, God gives fruit for the ministry!

BIEM's of Light - February 2016

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In the village of Komarivka, Ukraine, missionary Igor Balashov rejoices that the Lord gave an opportunity to evangelize to a large room of students and teachers. This event is even more significant because there has been much opposition to the Gospel in this village. May God bless His Word!
• Last month’s BIEMs of Light shared a special request for theater-quality puppets. (Two churches in Ukraine are undertaking special children’s ministries.) Praise the Lord, BIEM has received a donation of 4 such puppets, and another donor has sent a financial gift to buy more. Praise the Lord!
• We praise the Lord that all of our Central Asian ministry couples were allowed to exit their home country and were able to attend our training Seminar in January. One family was also granted a passport for their newborn, which allowed both husband and wife to attend. This couple was in particular need of encouragement.
• The BIEM legal fund for national pastors has paid the fines for an evangelist fined 10 times the monthly wage for having religious materials in his home. Praise the Lord we can help!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• BIEM has a need to fill a Secretary/Office assistant position at our mission headquarters in Indiana. Please pray that the Lord would lead in this matter. Anyone interested should e-mail Sam Slobodian (DrSlobodian@BaptistInternational.org).
• In the busy and growing city of Cusco, Peru, missionary Javier Saavedra has teamed up with another brother to undertake a new church startup. Please pray for them and for the salvation of souls as they evangelize and make more acquaintances in the neighborhood. In another district of Cusco, missionary Churata Cristobal is considering planting a church, too, which would be his second there. Thank God for believers with a vision! Let’s uphold them in prayer.
• In Chernigiv, Ukraine, the Savchuks’ ministry introduces them to college students from various corners of that land. Some are taking an interest in hearing more about the Gospel and attending Sunday services. The Savchuks request prayer for Sveta and her friend Anton, two young ladies named Lena, two young men named Artyom and Bogdan, for Andrew and his wife Natalia.
• Please continue to pray for the upcoming move of one of BIEM’s missionary families to a Muslim country to help our national pastors. Also pray for a good transition, as this family will be facing many changes.

BIEM's of Light - January 2016

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• On December 16, BIEM bookkeeper Amy Slobodian underwent an operation to remove a myxoma tumor from inside her heart. The operation went smoothly. On December 20, Amy was allowed to go home. She now works part-time as recovery continues. Thank you to the many who prayed!
• Thanks for praying for coworkers attempting to receive visas to visit the U.S. In November we requested prayer for Katya Bilyak, who had been repeatedly denied. She has now received a visa. Plus, a BIEM missionary named Sasha who lives in a predominantly Muslim land has also received permission to come. Both will be blessings to supporting churches. Praise the Lord!
• In Peru, missionary Wilber Quispe and his family praise God for a venture by boat into the rainforest, where they found and contacted members of a primitive tribe who have no contact with outsiders. On this first trip, only a few tribe members were brave enough to approach and communicate with them. The missionaries’ goal was to establish friendship and to bestow a few gifts to demonstrate friendly intentions. They look forward to repeat trips in the future with an eventual goal of sharing Christ.
• In Chepen, Peru, Teodoro Rodriquez praises God that their relatively young church now has 23 attending. Teodoro says their ministry focuses on evangelism and discipleship: “We evangelize on the streets and in homes, and we disciple in three places.” Praise God for a vision for ministry!

Prayer – Pray with us!

• Although prayer requests here are normally related directly to BIEM, we have a special request to share. Through one of our missionaries we’ve learned of a new video that has gone live in the Uzbek language. It’s geared for Muslim viewers and explains who Jesus Christ is, why He came, and what He accomplished. The potential is huge, with a possible audience of 50 million Uzbeks. Our missionary has seen it and says it’s worthy of our prayers. Please pray for Uzbek-speaking people to watch with open minds and open hearts. May the Lord draw souls to Himself.
• Missionary Vitaly Yurchenko requests prayer for the puppet ministry organized by the church in Chervona Sloboda. They could use quality puppets and also a sound system so the audience can hear the voices of those working the puppets behind the scenes. Such a system would cost $500.
• “Sasha,” a BIEM missionary serving in a Muslim land, often talks about God with an acquaintance from Azerbaijan. They have many points of disagreement, but the man continues to come back for conversations. Please pray for the Lord to open this man’s eyes to his need of Christ.
• In 2016, the church in Drogichin, Belarus, will celebrate its 10-year anniversary. Missionary pastor Nikolai Ryzhuk is planning special activities, including a camp for children, a special conference for teens, and evangelistic outreaches to the community. He requests prayer for these outreaches.

Current BIEM Building Projects

This year BIEM has taken on a record number of building projects overseas. Currently we have seven building projects underway in 5 different countries —Ukraine, Russia, the Republic of Georgia, Peru, and an undisclosed location in Central Asia. Four of these projects are church-building programs, one is a Christian Drug and Rehabilitation Center for Men, and one is a Christian Shelter for Abused Women and Children.

We are amazed and thrilled as God has both opened the doors for each of these wonderful opportunities and provided the resources for these projects. Each one of these has great potential for reaching many souls for Christ and becoming a beacon of light and hope in the needy communities where they are located.

These current six projects bring us to a total of over 50 overseas building projects! Praise God!! It is amazing that God would lead BIEM in such an expansion of building projects when our economy here in the United States is so weak. When the economy of a support base is doing poorly, you would not expect such giving. However, God works in mysterious ways that we cannot comprehend. 

It is interesting that in the fields where BIEM is working the dollar has risen dramatically in comparison to local currency, despite our struggling economy here in the United States. The result of that is when it comes to purchasing building materials as well as labor in these areas, the dollar buys dramatically more than it did before. Therefore, Christians who invest in these building programs are getting a tremendous value for each dollar they are contributing.  Following are some pictures and information concerning these building programs.

Building Programs

1. Church in Bilogorodka, Ukraine

2. Church in Ternopil Ukraine

3. Church in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

4. Church in Shakhovskaya, Russia

5. Christian Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Center near Ternopil, Ukraine

6. Shelter for Women and Children in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia

Note:  This does not include a building project just starting in the Republic of Georgia by BIEM missionary Charles Hoblitz.

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BIEM's of Light Nov. 2015

Praises – Rejoice with us!

• In Bilogorodka, Ukraine, the church building under construction is affecting hearts even before completion. A neighbor, Vladimir, took an interest and started asking questions. He has accepted Christ, been baptized, and attends services at the church across town. Another neighbor, Viktor, has a heart open to the Gospel and even helps in construction. He wants to come to church, but his wife is opposed. (So, a combined praise and prayer request!)

• An evangelistic team from Ukraine has been traveling in Central Asia and assisting local churches with their evangelistic efforts. The Gospel has gone forth, and countless spiritual seeds have been planted in hearts. May the Lord water those seeds and receive a harvest for His glory!

• Five months ago, Wilber Sebastian and his wife planted a new church in Sepahua, Peru. This church planter is excited about these months “of trials and of blessings.” We praise the Lord for this fellow servant of Christ and this new church, but let us also uphold his family with prayer.

• This week BIEM has received donations of 2 pianos in good condition for shipping to churches in Eastern Europe. These will be huge blessings to churches that don’t have one. Praise God! (Bunk beds for the Rehabilitation Center are also needed, if anyone has some to donate.)

Prayer – Pray with us!

• On October 23, BIEM bookkeeper, Amy Slobodian, experienced a mild heart attack. It required a stent to relieve 80% blockage in an artery. During her hospitalization, an Echocardiogram discovered a totally separate problem in the making: a benign tumor called a Myxoma inside her heart. This problem often goes undetected until it grows and causes a heart attack or stroke. So we thank God for revealing this problem very early. Amy will need heart surgery, probably in December. Pray for a successful removal of that tumor.

• On October 31, a crew of volunteers loaded a 40-ft. container with aid donated by friends of BIEM. Please pray for a successful voyage as this shipment navigates both the ocean and official bureaucracy from Indiana to a new distribution point in Ternopil, Ukraine.

• On November 8, BIEM’s Board of Directors will hold their next meeting. Please pray for the Lord’s leading as these servants of God evaluate situations and possibilities and plan for the future.

• From time to time, BIEM invites coworkers from overseas to the U.S. to preach and to share their ministries. Vitaly Bilyak has come several times and been a huge blessing to churches. However, each time the USA has turned down his wife’s application to accompany him and thus expand their ministry here. Katya is reapplying in November. Please pray toward that goal. 

Fire in the Rehab Center

On September 30th, Vitaly Bilyak, BIEM’s missionary in Ternopil, Ukraine, received a call at 1:30 am. The Rehabilitation Center run by this new church was burning. Praise the Lord, neither the minister on duty nor the six rehabilitants living there were injured. However, since fire insurance is not a realistic option in Ukraine, there is an urgent need to do some rebuilding before winter sets in. Fortunately, the large, 2-story workshop recently built was untouched. Therefore the rehabilitants have been moved into this unfinished building to carry on that ministry. The rehabilitation work is crucial. It has successfully rescued lives from the bondage of drugs and alcohol. Even more critical, it has rescued souls from hell as former addicts repent and place their trust in Christ.

New Life Baptist church in the heart of Ternopil is certainly an urban location. Because some of this ministry’s first converts were drug addicts and alcoholics, the church saw and responded to the need for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. The program features Bible Study, personal counseling, and physical labor.

Since this rehabilitation center began in 2008, nearly forty men have successfully completed the program and are now living productive Christian lives. What a testimony of God’s great saving grace! However, an almost equal number quit the program, which of course is voluntary. Of those, 10 have already died as a result of their downward path. This gloomy fact highlights the shining victories in the lives of those who have concluded the program. The Rehabilitation Center has literally saved both the souls and the lives of dozens.

Because of the fire, there’s an emergency need of $10,000 to rebuild the exterior of the burned building and get it roofed before winter, and also to finish the portion of the workshop now being used for ministry. Certainly, more funds will be needed later, but the wonderful news is that some materials and all of the labor is being provided by Ukrainian believers. All of the windows and doors will be donated by a Ukrainian business owned by Christians. Volunteers from Ukrainian churches are already arriving to help.

Please consider helping with this urgent need. All gifts, no matter the amount, will be greatly appreciated. If you can help, please designate your gift “Rehabilitation Center" and send your donation to BIEM, 121 Commerce Drive, Suite 50, Danville, IN 46122. To make a donation online please click the red donate button at the top right of this page.

Following is a letter with photographs from Vitaly Bilyak.

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Letter from missionary Vitaly Bilyak about the fire

Greetings to you, dear friends,

As you probably realize, the past week has been hectic. Because of the fire at our Rehabilitation Center, we’ve had to change all our plans.

The fire started overnight between September 29 and 30. God saved all six rehabilitants and the minister in a miraculous way. One of rehabilitants dreamed that the house was on fire. It scared him, and he woke up to see the fire was real.Praise the Lord that nobody was hurt or killed. Everyone is all right.

This letter is a summary of the situation. Wehadtomakedecisions about the future of the center.

One idea was to send the rehabilitants away to other centers. We rejected it and decided to continue our ministry while renovating the building.

CURRENT STATUS

The house was destroyed so badly we had to remove the roof. We need to rebuild the upper part of all walls (about1.6 feet). The doors and windows (except for one) are totally destroyed. The recent kitchen addition is gone. The bedroom burned, too, along with all the beds and the men’s personal belongings.

Praise the Lord that we have a big workshop and a large room for the storage.

We moved the rehabilitants to the shop’s large storage room. We use an electric heater. The shop is the temporary living room, dining room, and storage for building materials. We’ve added a temporary shower and electric boiler to the shop rest room.The washing machine is also there.

Plans and needs

We need to act quickly! Since winter is coming and fall is a season of hard rains,we need quick, decisive action. The dirt road is really bad, so Step 1 is to buy and transport building supplies before the heavy rains.

Rehab Center – the house

Our plans are to fix all the walls in the building before winter. It is also important to rebuild the roof and attic.

We plan to create a higher roof than we had before. That way, we will gain a loft for center’s needs. (In the loft we want to build two-three rooms for fellowship and a library.)

While working on these immediate steps, we will plan the following stages.

Rehab Center – the workshop

In order to continue this ministry in wintertime, we must make bedrooms for the rehabilitants. It is much quicker to make rooms in our workshop than to wait for the burned house to be rebuilt. When we planned to make living quarters above the shop, our plan was to have several rooms for rehabilitants who have no place to go after they finish the program. The fire forced u

s to speed up this work. Such living quarters will allow the men to spend the winter relatively comfortable. Before and during the winter, the rehabilitants and we will reconstruct our building. After we complete the renovation, the men will move back to the house, and the dormitory over the shop will be used as we planned.

Here are the steps we need to take:

-       Finish the floor.We have wood for it; we only need some panels (OSB) for the rest room.

-       Mount the dry wall.

-       Do the electrical wiring (outlets, switches).

-       Install a water heater. Water is already there.

Most of this work we will do on our own or with the help of willing friends from other churches. We need at least $10,000 for building materials and transportation. We will be extremely grateful for your help in renovating the Rehabilitation Center for alcohol and drug addicts.

With all respect and prayers for God’s richest blessings upon you,

Yours in Christ,

Vitaliy Biliak

Mary Slobodian: 1931-2014

On July 22, Mary Slobodian, wife of BIEM founder, Peter Slobodian, passed into eternity. She went to join her husband, Peter, with the Lord, peacefully at her residence in Gladstone, Missouri. She was 83 and is survived by 3 children, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. Funeral services are as follows: Matthews Mortuary 690 East 56th Street Brownsburg, Indiana   46112 Phone: (317) 852-4296

Viewing at Noon on Saturday, July 26

Funeral Service at  1 PM Saturday, July 26

Interment at Lincoln Memory Gardens, Zionsville, IN

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. -Psalm 116:15

Special Prayer Needs for Ukraine

Special Prayer Needs for Ukraine

Special prayer needs Ukrainian believers asked us to convey.(Updated 3/19/2014)

1. Please pray for civil peace in that nation. Citizens in the West and in the East of Ukraine need to return to a state of living together peacefully and participating in one unified society.
2. As people see the failures of human political leaders, pray they would realize the need to put their hope in the Lord. This is a prayer for a revival that would turn Ukrainian people to God.
3. Pray that exterior powers would refrain from interfering with the internal affairs of the nation during this difficult time.
4. In light of the many changes in government offices, please pray for the country’s internal structure to be rebuilt and stabilized.
5. Another concern is the number of people who are carrying weapons. Criminal elements were operating during the unrest, taking advantage of the distractions. Pray for law and order to prevail.
6. Pray that this situation would result in opportunities for God’s people to evangelize. This would require being able to draw people’s focus off of politics—not easy to do these days.
7. Please pray that whatever government or leaders God allows to remain or come into power, that Ukraine would continue to have freedom to preach the Gospel and do missionary work.

Thank-you for joining us in praying for the people and the nation of Ukraine!

Kiev Seminary Sees Good Enrollment for Fall

Our seminary in Kiev, Ukraine, has seen a good enrollment of new students this fall, including 4from the country of Belarus. We praise the Lord for this ministry and for every student it trains!

Evangelistic Campaign being Planned in Peru

In Peru, new church-planter Jaime Ovalle requests prayer for an evangelistic campaign beingplanned for November. Pray for power in preaching and for the salvation of souls!

Young Orthodox Priest Causes Problems at Bible Meetings

In Komarivka, Ukraine, a young Orthodox priest has begun attending the Baptist churchservices and is causing problems. He accuses the locals of teaching heresy and refuses to stop coming until he converts them all to Orthodoxy. The missionary doesn’t want to throw him out physically, but requests prayer that God will open this young man’s eyes the same as He did to young Saul.

Young Believer Brutally Attacked for Christ

In one of the restricted lands where our missionaries work, a young woman was brutally attacked a week after her baptism. She had to flee her hometown. Please pray for her health, safety, and adjustment to the new area. A male new believer, Ali, has been threatened by family members. Please pray for these and others taking their first steps on the Christian path in these hostile lands.

Islamic police question neighbors of BIEM national pastor to accuse him

One of our active former Muslims in Central Asia is Pastor Eagle. He has seen good spiritual fruit with souls turning to Christ. However, the local police are questioning all the neighbors about him in their efforts to find any accusation against him. Pray for him and his wife. Meanwhile, Pastor River has 5 groups to which he ministers. They baptized 10 people this past summer! Read the full report in November's BIEM’s of Light

BIEM makes initial delivery of Bibles to Arab Christians

BIEM is excited to have made an initial delivery of Bibles and related materials to former Muslims in order to assist them in evangelizing a particularly restrictive nation. (Forgive the vagueness; we’re being elusive for a reason.) May the Lord use His Word to save souls! Read the full report in November's BIEM’s of Light

Central Asian Pastor chased through street by angry Imam

A Pastor in Central Asia reports that on the way town they met the village Imam in the street. He grabbed a club, and five other men with clubs chased them through the village. Laughing, River said, “They wanted to beat us to death; they ran really fast, but we praise God, we ran even faster. They did not catch us.” This Imam is the same one who was very angry at his daughter for being arrested with believers a while back. River said his rage stems from the fact that his entire family has left Islam and trusted Christ and been baptized. He is the only one left in the family to repent. Please pray for this man to recognize Jesus as the Son of God and repent. Read the full report in September's BIEM’s of Light

Goal: 30,000 Bibles by years end

Please pray for God’s blessings and empowerment on our project to distribute 30,000 copies of His Word before the end of this year. People need to know what Christ has done for them! Read the full report in September's BIEM’s of Light

Container of supplies is released by customs

Since last month, the 40-ft. shipping container of supplies for which we requested prayer has been released by customs. Distribution has begun.  Thank you to everyone who gave and prayed. Read the full report in September's BIEM’s of Light