Secondly, your prayers were heard-- the Lord brought together more seasoned pastors and ministers of the Gospel than we have seen since 1990.  Pastors Yuri, Ruslan, Costya, Kyril, and Eduard flew 10 hours from the far east of Russia.  Additionally there were pastors from Kazakhstan, Latvia, and European Russia.

The most amazing student was Zarik from Uzbekistan.  He left the Intensive course to become Uzbekistan's first known native evangelical preacher, an Uzbek for the Uzbeks. A humbling privilege to teach such a man!

Thirdly, the Lord heard your supplications for laborers for the harvest. He provided Brian Nolder, Jim Jordan and of course, Blake Purcell and me. I told my congregation that I am the poster boy for the CREC. If the LORD can use me in such an effective way, then He can use other CREC pastors.

Blake’s leadership and personal commitment to these men was inspiring. Many of these men did not have fathers and Blake is an effectual father providing the mentoring and training they did not receive in their childhood. In turn this enables these pastors to be become effective husbands and fathers and teach their congregations which are desperate for this kind of ministry.  

Six hours a day, six days a week were spent teaching from the book of Philippians, Genesis, the doctrine of the Word from the Westminster Confession of Faith, and biblical conflict resolution. The Lord filled our hearts daily through the robust singing of the Psalms.

I shared with you on our live webcast that meeting so many men of God, eager to study and apply the Word of God was life-changing.  If you did not see it—here is the link:

http://slavicreformationsociety.com/2011/04/Webinar-BTS-part_1

The men wrote final exams for two days, mostly passing with sound 80% averages. Ruslan commented, that Blake’s exam, requiring 6 hours of exegetical and problem-solving work, was the hardest but most rewarding test he had ever taken.

Prayer Requests

1. The Purcells’ summer in the US where they will visit churches, friends and family and leave Zachary as a freshman at the University of Texas. (If you would see them this summer email Blake at  blakepurcell2000@yahoo.com)

2. The CREC Eurasia Mission's first leadership meeting June 7-9 in Mississippi, led by pastor Eric Sauder.

3. For long-term sponsoring/mentoring churches for pastors and preachers Yuri, Ruslan, Eduard, Kiril, Jenya, Artyum, Timur and Zarik that will enable them to  join the CREC and travel to the CREC council meeting in Minneapolis, MN, in October 2011.

The fervent prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects,

Terry Tollefson, on behalf of the executive board of CREC Eurasia and SRS
May, 2011
Enterprise, Oregon