The First Missionary

I just returned from Lviv, Ukraine where we held our Every Nation Europe conference for the first time in Ukraine. It was a remarkable time where leaders from as far away as Spain joined us for our theme, “Build in the Holy Spirit.” One usually associates the Holy Spirit with empowerment, comfort, and holiness, but the summation of this is that we are ‘built up’ into something that we were not previously, and this is for a purpose that transcends our personal needs.

The Holy Spirit is the first missionary in any endeavor. He calls us to go, and he goes ahead to both convict people of their need and reveals the answer to that need – Jesus – through our Spirit-empowered, overflowing witness. Condensed theology! However, the goal of a conference is not more theology, and all such gatherings in the New Testament were to enable the church to better go and be a witness. Modern-­day versions of Acts 2 would have us go home until the next mountaintop, but ‘home’ is not where the Spirit is leading.

Please continue to pray and stand with us as we accelerate plans for new works in Romania this year as well as scout out some new opportunities in the Russian-­speaking world which include Eastern and Western Europe as well as Central Asia. However, our immediate big thing is Timisoara, Romania where we will serve the local team with a new university-­based church plant this fall. The Holy Spirit is already there, and we need to trust His leading.

We are in the US for two more weeks, and thanks to all who prayed for Myra’s health. She is almost 100%, and we look forward to getting back on the field. We also ask you to consider a special gift to help with medical costs and travel, and thanks for standing with us!

Mike and Myra