Report from the Ukhta Church of Christ for May 2004

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the University Church of Christ:

I want to express to you my deep thankfulness for your love and support, for your prayers and charity. May God bless you for your kindness.

This month the members of the church have continued evangelical work by distributing the free book: "Bible Built Homes" by Thomas Dockery. This book was translated into Russian by my daughters (I will send
you several copies in English and Russian).

Almost all 1500 copies have already been delivered by mail in Ukhta. Praise the Lord! To tell the truth, I had concerns that these books might have been confiscated at the boarder or in customs in Russia.

I am planning, when I come to Ukhta in July, to go the university and four colleges in Ukhta to distribute this book. That is where most young people are who are in so much need to know the principles of constructing Christian families.

A very important task was completed in May - the legal completion of all the paperwork that enabled the church to have the private property right to own a one-room apartment besides the church building. The apartment was purchased in April 2004. This paperwork was completed by a Christian lawyer from our church Yulya Zhizherina. She first came to the church as a teenager about 12 years ago. (Yulya gave birth to a daughter this past December). Now, the members are planning on completely remodeling the apartment, as it is in bad condition.

In May, the members completed the repair of the apartment of our invalid Alexander Gubanov, where he lives together with his elderly father.

I will tell the story of Alexander Gubanov, a 32 year old invalid. I met him in the hospital in 2002, where he was in a coma for six months! When he awoke from the coma, I talked to him about God, the Bible, about the Church of Christ, and about baptism. The next day when the brothers and sisters and I came to visit him in the hospital, Alexander exclaimed: "You\ have come to baptize me?" His cerebellum functions are incapacitated, therefore he does not have coordination of movement. However, he has a very bright head and he is a devoted Christian. He values every hour of spending time in the church. After he was horribly beaten by bandits, his wife left him. Now, he lives together with his elderly father. Unfortunately, his father, although he listens to us talk and read the Bible, remains an atheist.

Another member of the church, Anatoli Kanashkov, 35 years old, was also attacked by bandits. He died eight days later having never awoken from a coma.

In May, Inna Vasilevna, had a stroke and is in serious condition now. Yullia Gregorevna and Marina Ivanovna had a hypertension crisis. Marina Kopeina, who is pregnant, has a cyst removed from her spinal cord. Nastya, the preacher's daughter, had a serious leg infection. Nadya and Lyonya Pahomov's newborn daughter was very sick. Sergei Koryakin, after eight months in remission, started to use drugs again. Nina Frolova and Nina Mynzul, both have difficulties at their work.

Please pray for all of them!

With Love,
Your brother in Christ
Vladimir