Thursday, March 25, 2010
When was the last time you heard a really good testimony? When is the last time you heard things like "I knew i was a sinner", and "I repented and put my trust in Christ." I have to admit it his been awhile. Usually in America they are something like, "well...my parents went to church and i gave my heart to Jesus when i was 6 but then..you know i partied in high school, and then there was college, and then i had to party some more, but now I'm married and have a kid, so its time i recommit myself to the lord, because that's what responsible moral people do." How about these testimonies from a great group called the "tomorrow club" in the Ukraine. Get to know this organization, they are fantastic. I love to hear children being taught the TRUE gospel and not evangelical silliness that this country is so infatuated with.
You can read more about the tomorrow club right HERE
Rima Samicheva (Club Leader) Kushoogum Club, Zaporizhia Oblast
There is no greater joy in this world than to see a sinner repent! Recently the angels had many reasons to rejoice – four children from the Tomorrow Club in Kushoogum Village, Zaporizhia Oblast have repented.
Sasha Komarov made the most important decision in his life right at church after the pastor made the altar call. The leaders of Tomorrow Club noticed that Sasha had changed a lot since he first came to the club, he has become very hungry for the Bible, and he has been asking a lot of questions, exploring the Bible himself, memorizing a lot of Bible verses and praying. God was talking to Sasha, changing his heart and transforming his life completely. But still the leaders were just stunned when Sasha came up in front of the church bold enough to kneel down and pray for forgiveness. Now Sasha always prays during the services and his simple sincere prayers move everyone to tears. I wonder if the angels cry tears of joy listening to him!
On March 6th Zaporizhia City hosted a Healthy Life sports tournament for the Tomorrow Clubs in the area promoting a healthy way of life without smoking, drinking and drugs. The Tomorrow Club in Kushoogum took first place and the children were so excited that they decided to talk about the joy of repentance for their next club meeting. We talked about temporary joyful moments and how fast they pass. We also talked about temporary satisfaction and emptiness after it’s gone. Then we shared about the peace we have in Jesus Christ when we trust our lives to Him only. At the end of that meeting three children made decisions to repent and trust Jesus Christ: Vika, 11 years old, Sasha 11 years old and Vladik, 9 years old.
The next Sunday they came to church. They were very nervous, but they came up front and shared their joy with the congregation. I should mention that these four children come from unchurched, non-christian families.
Another exciting note is that recently Vika’s mother started coming to church with her daughter and we pray that the seed planted by this 11-year old girl would grow so that her mother would also repent and trust Christ. The Tomorrow Clubs leaders and the church in Kushoogum Village are praising the Lord for this fruit of the ministry! Rima Samicheva, Tomorrow Club leader
Alex, 15 years old ( Eastern Ukraine)
I never thought that my life would change, that I would become different. Before June 2009, my life was pretty much the same as that of many teenage boys living in a big city in Ukraine: school, home, friends, small fights with my parents, no desire to go to school, and the constant search for a way to make some money. Looking back, I can see now that I lived a purposeless, selfish life. I was acting recklessly and irresponsibly, even though at age fifteen my life had barely gotten started. I always thought, “I have plenty of time; I’m still young. I’ll go to church later in life after I try other things.”
Praise the Lord for placing wonderful people on this earth who commit their lives to sharing their faith and love with others. Only when I was around Christians did I realize that I could never be as good as I thought I was on my own, that they had something I didn’t—something greater, everlasting, never changing, and real.
Last summer I was visiting my grandmother in the small town of Novonikolayevka. One day I was handed an invitation to attend a Tomorrow Club, a Christian camp where Americans were teaching English. I immediately thought it would be something my younger sister would like. So Monday morning I brought her to the camp and ended up staying for the day. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed it until the end of the day. Our class was big, about 27 teenage boys and girls. It still amazes me how patient and kind our English and Bible teachers were with us for the whole camp, even when we misbehaved and disrupted the lessons. Every night after camp the Tomorrow Club leaders and the American team led small discussion groups for the unchurched youth. They shared testimonies, showed Christian movies, and discussed relevant issues to our lives. After the first two nights, I realized that I looked forward to that time every day. I listened, asked questions, opened up toward them, and made friends. God was changing my heart day by day, hour by hour. On Thursday night I knew God was talking to me through the speaker. I knew, and I accepted the call. I was ready for a change and prayed that night for forgiveness. It’s not been easy for me to change and to resist temptations. I was afraid that I would drop away from God after I came back home, back to my normal life, but the Lord is faithful. My neighbour turned out to be a Christian, and he invited me to his church. Now I go to church in Zaporozhye every Sunday and pray that God would use me to save many lives in Ukraine. I thank Him for sending that American team to Ukraine to do the English camp. Pray for me! -Alexey, 15 years old
Yulya Roman, 13 Years Old
My name is Yulya Roman. I grew up in Khmelnitskiy, Ukraine, in a family that had never even heard about God. When I was 8 years old, someone told me about a Tomorrow Club that met in the church on Saturdays. I began attending the club and became a member. There I learned that I am a sinner and that I need Jesus Christ to save me. Last summer when my pastor invited the congregation to repent, his words pierced my heart, and I felt they were meant for me. Despite my fears, I went up to the front of the church, knelt down, and cried to Jesus for forgiveness. Since that day God has been transforming me. My parents have noticed the change in me and are very happy.
I have been part of Tomorrow Clubs for four years now, and I love to come every Saturday to learn more and more about my God. This year I am an assistant with the four- and five-year-olds. Now I can share my love with other kids. I want God to use me because He makes me so happy!
Olena’s Story (Western Ukraine)
Olena's Story
For three years, 10-year-old Olena Volovin has been a champion of Tomorrow Clubs. She enthusiastically attends the club each week and brings many friends along with her. Though she is young, she has learned that prayer is powerful, and she spends significant time in prayer for her friends and invites them to pray alongside her. She recently volunteered to become an assistant to her Tomorrow Club leader, helping to organize games and some special events.
Just a few weeks ago, Olena arrived late to the club’s weekly meeting. Because she is always punctual and she lives quite close to the club, her leader curiously asked why she had been late. Olena sadly relayed that her parents are now separated and are planning to divorce after 10 years of marriage. Her mother had left Olena’s father and taken Olena to live far away with her grandmother. Though she now has to travel much farther, Olena continues to attend the club. Each week she smiles warmly, but leaders sense that she is struggling. Olena and the leaders have begun meeting together to pray for her family, pleading with the Lord to change her parents’ hearts and keep her family intact. Olena feels blessed to have somewhere to turn amidst the pain of her family’s separation and leaders are thankful to be part of Olena’s life at a time when she needs extra encouragement. Olena and the leaders know that it was God himself who orchestrated the bond between them. -Olena, 10 years old
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Wow! Now that is short-term missions if I ever saw it! How encouraging that the real gospel is going out amidst such deceptions and hopelessness.
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