I have been riding back and forth from the Borispol Airport with my pastor friend Sergei Orluk for about 8 or 10 years now and it was another sweet time this morning as I was preparing to leave Ukraine. The flight was delayed an hour but I really enjoyed my seat mates- a big ol' burly Soviet man with his grandson! Vasily was waiting at the Tel Aviv airport and it was a sweet reunion with him. As I mentioned I am staying with them for a couple days before Hank and Rolfe arrive.
Tomorrow morning about 9:30 our time I am supposed to meet with Israel, Eli and Ari will be on the phone to talk about the possibility of a Tel Aviv National Breakfast.
Doug called tonight and he was excited that I am going to Russia and especially Krasnodar. Things have been really messed up there and it looks like, by God's grace, He is bringing healing back into the fellowship. We are praying that God will use everything to keep that going... It was discouraging though to talk to Doug about the Prayer Breakfast spots. He said absolutely Albert shouldn't have any but it looks like my colleague on the D.C. Committee has basically turned them all over to him. It is good to know before our conversation tomorrow. We can't count on any spots from the D. C. Breakfast- it is just a helpful way to introduce people to the Breakfast format and the idea of bringing people from all different groups together. As I was praying though, God reminded me that the first Breakfast didn't need any of that and if it is His thing He can be fine without it! And behind everything I want this to be about Jesus and not a competition with Albert.
We could use prayer about this. Also the government capitulated on letting Pastor Israel's church building be a public meeting place- they can use it for the feeding program, community service projects immigrant orientation but not for any kind of worship service at this point. There is tremendous resistance from the Orthodox lobby and politicians are yielding to them.
Again at this point it looks like only prayer can break the spiritual strongholds put up by the enemy! I think the good part is people are thinking less about the world's weapons and more about God's (II Cor. 10:3-5)! Anyway, it feels like the warfare started right after we landed...