What a glorious season to join together in celebrating the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our American missionary team will gather on December 25. Then we will enjoy the festivities with our Ukrainian friends as they celebrate January 7, the Orthodox date for Christmas. I never fail to be amazed that our Almighty Creator would choose to leave heaven and take on the form of a human baby so that He could have fellowship with people and show them the way of salvation. He knew what He would suffer, but He loved us so much that He willingly sacrificed Himself. May our celebrations bring glory to Him and motivate unbelievers to seek Him.

We Americans did not forget Thanksgiving, even though Ukraine does not have such a national holiday. Our ABWE missionary family gathered for a feast of gratitude. I am very thankful for all of you who pray regularly for my ministry and who give financially to make it possible. With the recent economic problems around the world, your giving is a sacrifice of praise to the Lord.

Our Ukrainian churches celebrate Zhatva (Harvest), as each church chooses a Sunday in September or October for a special service of thanksgiving to God. This fall the Krasnosyolka Church celebrated on September 28, so the American medical team got to participate. This Zhatva was unusual as we also baptized one young lady in the Black Sea before the morning service. It was great to see Aleyona’s joy as she publicly identified with Jesus Christ in baptism. Pray for the salvation of her husband Oleg who faithfully attends worship services every Sunday.

A group from Krasnosyolka went to New Kubanka October 12 to share special music and preaching from God’s Word for Zhatva. A family from the Peresyp Church who sing together added zest to the occasion. I was glad to drive to Vasilivka to pick up Kolya and Maria for Zhatva. They are an elderly couple who come to New Kubanka for the clinic in their horse-drawn cart. Kolya delights in talking to Pastor Lonya about Jesus. This time Maria did not feel up to making the trip, but Kolya quickly changed clothes and joined me for the 15-minute drive. He loved the music and the festive environment. Pray for the salvation of Kolya and Maria.

The Makarovo and Sahanskoye churches also celebrated Zhatva in October. I was not able to go to these services since I was out of town. But they had many visitors who had been invited by the medical team during clinics. The Makarovo church baptized a mother and daughter in September. They had been saved as a result of clinic visits initiated by their husband/father a couple of years ago. He died last year of lung cancer, after making a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. So it was a joyous, albeit bittersweet, occasion as these ladies made a public statement of their own salvation.

The Sahanskoye Church baptized a young lady who had been running from God for some

time. Her mother had accepted Christ a few years ago. But she struggled with many issues in her life, as she is very hard of hearing, and has had difficulty finding work after her husband deserted her. I had talked to her many times in clinic, and could see the Holy Spirit working in her heart to break down barriers. It was wonderful to see her this fall, so joyful in her new faith!

Pray for the Sahanskoye and Makarovo churches as several of their members have moved to big cities to find jobs. Stopa, the leader of the Sahanskoye church, is working in Odessa during the week and coming home on weekends. This is difficult for the family and for his ministry. Pray that God will draw other people in these villages to Himself.

Pray for Volodya, the leader of the Makarovo church. He had some severe financial problems after losing his crops to the drought last year. He is thanking the Lord for a good harvest this year, but is still struggling to make ends meet. His farm keeps him so busy that he has trouble finding time to devote to the church. He would like to start a Bible study in the nearby village of Valentinovka, where we started a clinic last year. But so far he has not been able to make the time to do so.

Pray for the Valentinovka clinic. There are only two believers in that village: Volodya’s sister Nelya and a man named Valentin. Valentin’s wife was very antagonistic toward the gospel and refused to visit the Makarovo church with her husband after his salvation about 5 years ago. But she has been very helpful in providing a place for the clinic to meet as she is the librarian and has given us access to the village auditorium. When the medical team was there, she stood with us as we sang and prayed to start the day! And she went to Zhatva at Makarovo! It is exciting to watch the Lord gradually breaking down the barriers Satan had erected in her life to keep her from salvation. The nurse in Valentinovka is so glad that we have the clinic there. She had been frustrated by how little she could do for a number of the needy patients. She lets me use her office to examine patients. Sometimes she listens in as she is hungry to learn. Pray for the salvation of these two ladies.

You may remember that we lost our meeting place for the clinic in the village of Berdinovo. So we are transporting patients from Berdinovo to Makarovo. We have a service at every clinic since there is nothing available in their village. Valya is the only believer in this tiny village. Several other ladies are spiritually hungry and love to talk with me about the Bible during their clinic visit. Pray for their salvation. We will be having a special Christmas service and tea for them at clinic December 23. Praise the Lord for a Christian who drives our medical team in his van to the clinics in the Makarovo area that are 2-2½ hours from Odessa. Vlad has a beautiful voice so he adds to our ministry through his singing and preaching. He also spends time with individuals at every clinic to challenge them to consider salvation.

Praise the Lord also for my two clinic assistants, Natalia and Lena, who are such valuable assets to the medical ministry. They are eager to learn new things and have done a great job in learning how to check vital signs, do simple lab tests, and dispense the medicines I prescribe. It is such a blessing to hear them pray before we begin clinic each day, as they ask for the Lord’s strength and guidance to be good testimonies and to touch patients’ hearts with their spiritual needs. When I am sick with vertigo and cannot attend clinic, they still go and give out prescription refills and over-the-counter medicines like cough syrup and Tylenol. I am grateful that the clinic ministry continues even when I cannot be there!

Yes, the vertigo continues to bother me from time to time. In November, I had a number of episodes and had to miss 3 clinics. Thank you for praying for my health. God knows, and this ministry is His, to run according to His will. I am convinced He accomplishes His purpose in me every day, whether that includes suffering from vertigo or seeing patients or studying Russian or sending e-mail.

May the joy of the Lord gladden your hearts this Christmas season and as we enter the New Year. Thank you for partnering with me in praying for the Ukrainian people to be saved, develop existing churches and plant new churches. To God be the glory!

Leaning on The Rock,

Miriam