Itinerating in the GREAT Northwest Ministry Net

Northwest Ministry Net

Thanks, Missionary Car Ministries, for the car provision this year! Founded by Darrell Beebe & based @ Cedar Park, this ministry provides vehicles to missionaries home on itineration. If you have a possible car or dollar donation, please contact Steve Bjorklund

@ 425-891-2792.

October Itinerating Kansas District

Thanks, Myron, Karen, Chuck & Deketa!

(Nicholson Ventures in Dodge City)

Thank you, Jeff & Angela for opening your home!

Thank you, Kansas District!

Calling YOU

April 2008 -- While renewing my Russian visa in Mongolia, I began calling YOU in the middle of Siberian night time, so I could connect with USA daytime hours . . . and I continue to call now that I'm Stateside . . .
As of September 2008 through Fall 2009, I am officially coming to you to tell about what God has been doing in Siberia these past 3 years. Let me know how best I can serve you -- whether thru a meeting, speaking engagement, drinking coffee, or whatever else suits. kara.cusic@agmd.org

Youth Travels # 5 - Mar 08 - Wk 2

ORLIK - this is a Buryat village in an absolutely gorgeous part of Siberia. Nina is the pastor here who has started from the beginning to develop relationship and is finding herself more and more received. Her life has been threatened by shamans, she has been offered large sums of money to leave, and she has walked through times of strange physical illnesses, but God has shown Himself more powerful and she has no intention of leaving. This is culturally a very tribal mentality, so if you reach the older people, then you reach the younger generation . . .

Totem Poles . . . Prayer Wheels . . .

Rags tied in trees to honor the gods . . .

It was supposed to take 8 hours - after 13 hours on a terribly slippery road with accidents all around, we arrived.

YUMMY POSIE (stuffed meat dumpling) and Blini (crepes) - after coming thru the checkpoint, Roza's mother fed us for free at her cafe.
We split and stacked a load of wood.

We hiked & prayed . . .

We spend time with the church members.

Youth Travels #4 - Mar 08 - Wk 1

TATAUROVA is only about an hour outside of Ulan Ude, where I live. The youth in the church are VERY few, and sisters Lena (17) and Tanya (15) say that students in their school spend their time translation satanist songs from German and English into Russia to publish in their school newspaper.

Tanya, Masha, Lena - trying to look thoughtful :)Tanya is 15 and knows she is called to ministry. There may not seem to be much going for an expanding youth ministry in this village, but this girl could be a serious contender for bringing on new things . . . enough "cool" to be received and enough guts to go after it.
Yup, teens in the villages live by their cell phones too.

1st Regional Youth Leader Meeting

Our first meeting of youth leaders in the region . . . they either currently serve or have a heart to begin so. Of all the places we've visited so far, this was a great showing . . . we talked vision and got to know one another . . . we'll begin meeting once a month for prayer, training, encouragement, and team building.

Youth Travels #3 Feb 08

Home for 2 days, and then off again to Kamensk, Oymr, Baikal Kudara, Selenginsk . . . Here's Masha & Valya in Baikal Kudara . . . this has been a tough place for Valya, but she stays tough and young people will seek her out to ask questions. Hey, Masha!

The Orthodox Church is the "norm" church in Russia . . . evangelical & protestant churches are viewed on as sects.

On to Tatayrova

The fad in Tatayrova is for teens to translate satanist songs from German or English and publish the words in their school paper.

Tanya is 15, wants to serve God, and is a spitfire whose style is respected by other teens.

Youth Travels #2 Feb 08

Our goal was to travel the region to seek out where we have teens and where we don't . . . and to see if we couldn't identify a key for that town or area. We went to hear the heart of existing youth; encourage pastors, leaders, and churches in general to tune into this culture; and try to identify future leaders with a desire to serve the youth culture . . .

. . . BUT 1st we got a FLAT w/ an expensive winter tire near the local Buddhist shrine . . .

Have you ever tried to change a tire reading an instruction manual in Russian???

So, the tire jack didn't work, or any of our other tools for that matter :) Finally some guys came along and helped us out. We were late for church, but we had a good prayer time in that area given to Buddhism, and Svieta had quite a talk with our helper "angels."

We finally got to Novokijinginsk . . . one of my favorite places! Someone gave them several (maybe 30 or 40?) sets of skis, and they are using them to hang out with the kids from the local orphanage . . . they are definitely in the relationship building mode.

They listened to our hearts & we to theirs.

Sergei is their new leader & a great guy . . . pray for he & his wife Katya.

Then on down the road to Ilka where even the church is currently non-existent, but there is thought that a tea cafe/hang out could be effective.

And finally to Garhone . . . Pastor Valody says he may be older than the typical youth leader, but as long as there's no one else, he's joining our ranks :) He really feels that what we are doing is not just talk . . . that something powerful is going to begin happening in our youth!!!

Pictured here w/ Sasha who committed his life to Jesus later that day.

Youth Travels #1 Jan/Feb 08

In January, Svieta and I prepared to begin travel to the youth of our churches in Buryatia. Sadly, there is little to no focus on the youth culture, and understandably many who come to church because their parents do are just counting the days until they can choose for themselves.

These 2 churches, Bethlehem & Way of Faith, are two of the largest in town and were part of our support team as we began our travels . . .

Getting ready for tea . . . tea time is vital to Russian culture!
A skit . . . showing some leg!Worship
Bethlehem Church invited the Presbyterian Church in town to join them for their youth service. They prayed, worshipped, ate, played games . . . and had a great time!

Way of Faith Church Youth helping me out w/ the Joseph story

This was a great Sunday . . . Way of Faith Church Youth surprised their leader and got serious about the month of fasting and praying called for in February for the youth of Buryatia. They didn't stop at month's end because God started to really "show up" for them . . . they were experiencing God . . . not just talking about Him. This Sunday, two guys came to the youth meeting . . . no one even invited them, but they came and gave their hearts to Jesus. The week before, 3 more teens had come at someone's invitation & gave their lives to Christ.

Cambodian Christmas Visa 07

December's Adventure . . . I started in Mongolia to get my visa, but they encouraged me to go on to Cambodia (my holiday stop w/ Paul, Larissa, & Ian Dobson) where I'd have more time.

Here's a letter I sent to a friend in Dec . . .

"Well, I flew in to Phnom Penh yesterday, got the tourist visa, went to the Russian consulate, met a REALLY kind, helpful guy that told me I must have a Cambodian visa that allows me to be in the country for 90 days to get any Russian visa. I simply had to go extend my Cambodian visa to 3 months and voila . . . but since I had a tourist visa, those can't be extended, and we couldn't switch to a business visa since it was already done (although you should have seen Larissa bowing and begging at the airport - I think they would have if they could have :)). So I hopped on the bus and crossed the border to Vietnam for $12 (plus $5 to come back). The Vietnamese visa cost like $35, and both Cambodia visas together comes to $45. The Russian visa will be $100, so I'm still ahead on the cost of my visa and saw some countryside too :) HAH!

Tomorrow I will submit my Cambodian visa for the 2 month extension, and then Monday I turn the whole ball of wax into the Russian embassy. Since I've already been to the consulate, the days it takes to get the Russian visa have already started ticking . . . he said I could have it within 5 or 6 days. The man actually gave me his cell phone number if I had any problems, so I was able to call and tell him about the extra days wait.

Beyond that, I'm nice and toasty - Cambodian winter isn't a bad deal - hallelujah it aint a Cambodian summer :) This is more my speed!"

Larissa & Ian in a Cycelo, and me too! Warm Christmas!

Heading for the consulate in a tuk-tuk . . . Boo is my faithful driver

. . . he even pulls over and stops before answering his cell phone!!!

Indian Ocean - my first look!Merry Christmas Dinner w/ Paul's missionary parents to Sri Lanka;

Sarah a missionary from Australia A/G; and Paul, Larissa, & Ian
Auntie Kara felt a responsiblity to aquaint Ian with a cooler climate!
From what I hear, he's still chewing on Mr. Polar Bear.