| 2011 |
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Dear brethren,
Click
here to read an
update on the Somalia effort. In August
we were sent an urgent request asking for
help in the Somalia famine crisis. We sent
out emails and reports and was met with a
wonderful response. Many individuals and
congregations responded with the Lord's
compassion. We immediately sent two
containers with food and requested relief
items. In late November we sent anther
container with a food supplement designed
specifically for malnourished and famine
stricken populations.
The attached report was sent to me yesterday
(Thursday, 15 December 2011) informing me
that the first two containers have arrived
and pictures of the unloaded items are
included.
Please forward this email and report to
those you know assisted in this effort.
The totals thus far are impressive to me and
reflect how success is possible by
leveraging various options and partnerships.
Please remember that these containers are
being sent in the name of the Lord's Church
and official letters from the Somalia
government and recipients will be addressed
to the churches of Christ. We trust that the
Almighty will utilize these actions of
benevolence to open doors of opportunity for
preaching the gospel in the Islamic world
(Acts 14:27; Ephesians 3:20, 21).
Thanks to the cooperation of various
congregations and the total voluntary
position of the warehouse at LIFE RESOURCES
INTERNATIONAL (Judsonia, AR) and OPERATION
UKRAINE (Columbus, MS), EVERY CENT OF EVERY
DOLLAR went to the benevolence effort! All
of these efforts are coordinated through
local congregations and there is no
operating overhead. It is work done solely
through the local churches as they united in
harmony to fulfill the Lords commands.
After we have shipped three containers we
have this summary\u2026
Ü 45,000 pounds of rice was bought and
shipped
Ü 40,000 pounds of emergency assistance was
sent (hygiene items, basic kitchen items,
first aid items, tarpaulins, five-gallon
buckets, and other things)
Ü 40,000 pounds of a fortified rice and soy
protein meal package
Thank you for your assistance and help in
this effort\u2014may all glory and
recognition go to our Almighty God and
consequently may His Church receive the
recognition and respect!
Best wishes,
John
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Dear brethren,
Click
here to read the
November issue of UKRAINE MISSIONS NEWSLETTER.
I apologize for its tardy mailing but I have
just had no time to send it out. Upon
returning from the recent trip I have had a
number of travels and events that have
consumed my time and energy. All culminated
in the trip last week to speak at a DOS
conference in Washington and meeting Ivan
and Tanya there. Ivan and Tanya returned and
visited with us and they were to help load
out a container for Ukraine prior to
beginning a brief reporting trip to
supporters before returning to Ukraine.
Because of energies focused on the DC
conference we were unable to get the
container scheduled for Monday but we did
load it Wednesday.
In the November reports you will read Ivan's
communication about the registration of the
Church in Ivano-Frankovsk as an autonomous
body that follows on the New Testament
order. This is no small accomplishment and
ends an on-going 4 year battle against the
forces of Greek Catholicism in
Ivano-Frankovsk. It has been a draining
struggle but I am proud that Ivan and the
brethren did not relent and surrender to
convenience in compromises of principles of
the biblical Truth.
Our efforts to impact the entire world with
the gospel continue at an astonishing level.
I am trying to find time to put together a
summary of all supporters, expenses &
income, places impacted, and highlights of
the successes that the Lord has brought in
2011. I had hoped to have this compiled by
late November but it has not happened yet as
other paperwork has dictated my every
moment.
I would like to thank those that are
involved in financial support. Without your
finances the news that I bring to you every
month in these newsletters would not be
possible. Such efforts in which we are
involved require a walk by faith and the
confidence that the good results will be
recognized by brethren who are eager to
serve and support the Lord. There is the
constant temptation and devilish provoking
that "we have to look to ourselves first"
and thus curtail the worldwide obligation.
Thank you for your support and
involvement\u2014I believe that we are
involved in a work that is unique and we
have the reports that reflect amazing
results. Our efforts truly are worldwide.
The worldwide economic crisis continues to
impact our support and that negative element
cannot be helped. Consequently some have had
to cease or decrease their amount but
thankfully others have seen the good being
done and have indicated an interest to
increase or join with us in January. Of
course the actual amount is moot as it is
all in God's hands and He can take a little
and make it sufficient to accomplish His
will!
I am grateful for all who send financial
support, who offer emails of encouragement,
and who demonstrate their willingness to
offer first themselves to the Lord!
THANK YOU!
John
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Dear brethren,
Click
here to read the
November issue of IVAN SKOLEBA'S UKRAINE
MISSIONS Report. I apologize for its
tardy mailing but I have just had no time to
send it out. Ivan and Tanya were able to get
airline tickets paid by a group of Ukrainian
businessmen that sent them to the USA in
search of medical equipment. While they are
in the USA we are doing what we can to take
advantage of this "free" trip for brief
reporting trip to supporters before
returning to Ukraine.
In the November reports you will read Ivan's
communication about the registration of the
Church in Ivano-Frankovsk as an autonomous
body that follows on the New Testament
order. This is no small accomplishment and
ends an on-going 4 year battle against the
forces of Greek Catholicism in
Ivano-Frankovsk. It has been a draining
struggle but I am proud that Ivan and the
brethren did not relent and surrender to
convenience in compromises of principles of
the biblical Truth.
Our efforts to impact western Ukraine with
the gospel continue at an amazing level.
Ivan is doing a commendable job!
I would like to thank those that are
involved in financial support. Without your
finances the news that Ivan brings to you
every month in these newsletters would not
be possible. Thank you for your support and
involvement\u2014I believe that we are
involved in a work that is unique and we
have the reports that reflect amazing
results. The worldwide economic crisis
continues to impact our support and that
negative element cannot be helped. I am
grateful for all who send financial support,
who offer emails of encouragement, and who
demonstrate their willingness to offer first
themselves to the Lord!
THANK YOU for your support of our brother
Ivan Skoleba!
John
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Dear brethren,
Click here
to read the July UKRAINE MISSIONS
NEWSLETTER. Even though July 2011 will long
be remembered for the record breaking heat
wave and the Washington debt ceiling debacle
there were wonderful developments from a
number of regions where the Lord's Church
marches forward. The brethren in
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine continue to serve
the Lord and utilize opportunities to teach
the gospel's message. During the month Ivan
received a container that had been shipped
in response to a request to help 250+
children who struggle with tuberculosis.
Ivan's report observes that many orphanages
and children's homes in Ukraine are in dire
need but the tragic reality is that such
assistance is hindered because of callous
regard for humanity. Ivan reported, "According
to our authorities the society does not need
these imperfect children – the director of
one of orphanages said that when we were
talking with him. We were horrified to hear
that comment."
Our efforts in seeking to nurture the
receptive soil and plant the seed of the
gospel, continues to keep us busy. More and
more opportunities are developing and some
of these are truly amazing. Many of those
that communicate with me during the month
face seeming impossibilities. But they
persevere and their determination infuses a
similar resolve in us. Such resolve is
observed in this newsletter by our brother
Vijay in Ibrahimpatam, India as he reports, "(F)rom
two days there is a continuation of rain,
there is no daily work for us there is no
supply of drinking water. By the rains there
is a big electricity problem of we are in 19
hours darkness. The dangerous snakes are
also behind us. The orphan childrens and
poor widows are sick. One day we did not
have daily bread at this time. I am also
facing so many problems. Once again I
request you to kindly pray and do help to
the orphans and poor widows from month to
month and quench their hungriness in these
hard pressing days."
Your support and encouraging words provides
the strength for us to continue. We continue
to face absurd difficulties and obstinate
personalities. At times it is exhausting but
all efforts prove worthwhile when we see the
success that eventually comes and the Lord's
Church is highlighted. I have just received
a good report from Nigeria where two
containers have been delivered and
distribution has begun. I hope to email this
report out to you soon.
If you know of other congregations and
individuals that are interested in an
incredibly practical way of fulfilling the
Great Commission, please give them my
contact information.
Best wishes,
John
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Dear brethren,
Click here to read the May UKRAINE MISSIONS NEWSLETTER. During the last few weeks you have also received a number of supplemental reports on our efforts and the impact that is being made for the Lord's Church.
The opportunities continue to arise and the requests seem to multiply. Just this last week I was invited to speak at the Missouri Recycling Association's conference in Branson, MO. I was joined by sister Roene
Blankenship and together we discussed how
the Lord's Church was collecting and sending
medical equipment and other "used" items to
locations where they are desperately needed.
In that presentation were several
representatives of various corporations that
were eager to learn more (one was with the
organization representing Barnes/Jewish
Hospitals in St. Louis!). By the way...Roene
and Don returned home to host 7 workers who
were staying with them for cleanup efforts
in Joplin.
As you read through the report I
hope you rejoice in the wonderful zeal and
tireless commitment of our brethren in other
nations. They love the Lord and fervently
serve Him!
The efforts of our brethren in
Ivano-Frankivsk continue even though they
are faced with growing opposition by those
opposed to New Testament Christianity (this
evidences that our brethren are making an
impact!). In Ivan's report you will read
this sobering paragraph: "Please pray as well
for my family and our ministry because I
have heard threats from Orthodox fanatics
directed against me many times. They have
cut tires in my car twice already and I am
concerned for my family, because it weighs
upon us psychologically. Militia just does
not care. There are a lot of religious
fanatics here in the West and besides being
religious fanatics they belong to different
nationalistic parties. Please, pray for my
family and our ministry."
John
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Dear brethren,
Click here to read the April Newsletter for UKRAINE MISSIONS. It is also a written report on the mission trip from which I have just returned. In addition to this report on Ukraine I will soon send out two supplemental reports on actions in India and continuing actions in Gonaives, Haiti where the Lord’s Church is doing a wonderful job. I know this is late but there has just not been sufficient time for me to get it all
together after my return.
Supporters of the spring mission trip will
soon receive a DVD report of the mission
trip that will have this newsletter, the
daily reports, countless pictures, and video
from Ukraine. You are welcome to logon to
the www.kachelman.com site and look at the
materials from this recent trip.
I hope the reporting communicates just how
incredible the opportunities are for
preaching the gospel. I continue to be
amazed at the way opportunities continue to
open before us. Thanks to the willing and
generous response of many of you we are able
to seize these opportunities and use them to
bring glory to God and His Church.
Here are two excerpts from brethren in
Ukraine:
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Greetings, dear Brothers and Sisters! Love
and peace to you from our most generous and
loving Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that the
Lord is keeping you safe and healthy guiding
you and giving peace and comfort to your
kind hearts. We have heard here about
horrible tornadoes and floods that you have
had this year and have been praying for your
safety. Thank you so much for thinking about
other nations and helping them in spite of
those natural disasters that you have been
facing yourselves. It is a marvelous example
of Christianity to us…
-
On behalf of the all the members of the
Veterans Initiative Program and the members
of the Vietnam Veterans of America I want to
thank you for making this possible for
us…This International Band of Brothers (and
Sisters) has accomplished more good for more
people than the war could ever pretend to
do. While it is a relief to have finished
this promise, it is even more a feeling of
great satisfaction and comradeship to have
helped each other…Please convey our best
wishes to General Vorontsov and the All
Ukrainian Veterans for us.
Thank you for your support!
John
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| 2010 |
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