Go Forth Missions
"Saying to those who are bound, 'Go forth,'
To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.'" Isa 49:9
On arrival in Ukraine, Bill wrote in his journal: "If, in 2 months, we do not see fruit and results, I will inform our sponsors not to waste their money and we will go home."
In two months, the church had exploded into 200 new babies-in-Christ and our hall was bursting at its seams. That, I believe is real results; effort and labor and travail that brought visible Spiritual births.
Here is an update from the Lynch's most recent newsletter: Kharkov; November 2005
The Rehab Center is rescuing people from the lowest places. The Lord has so answered our prayers concerning both alchoholics and the homeless through this branch of the ministry. It was upon hearing about so many people freezing to death that we first came up with the idea of the homeless shelter. The biggest problem in this and all Slavic nations is alcoholism, close behind that are poverty and drug addiction. The statistics for these things are staggering. We heard recently that in many cities the adult male population is 70-90% alcoholic [Publisher's note: this is not an official statistic]. There are similar numbers in some places for drug addiction among the youth. Poverty is everywhere, and it is the reason for so many homeless. Our rehab center is rescuing people in all three categories, plus many of the wives and mothers of these men are coming to Christ as a result as well.
As I was going into the new building the other day, I noticed a new man cleaning; then I noticed that he only had a few fingers on his hand, and then I noticed that he only had a purple stump where the other hand belonged. So I inquired about how he came to Jesus. They said it is quite a story; I said go ahead and tell me. It all started with an argument with his wife when he was drinking and his mother-in-law and wife threw him out on the street. His family had all died - parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles - all but him, so he had nowhere to turn. He took a job on a farm. During the coldest part of the winter he was sent on an errand to another town. He had to walk, which is common here due to the poverty. Because of the bitter cold and inadequate clothing, he drank some vodka to stay warm. But it was some of the bad stuff and it poisoned him. He lost consciousness and lay on the frozen ground for six hours. His hands and feet froze. He said it was only God who kept him alive.... When he regained consciousness his feet and hands would not function so he walked on his knees to the hospital. It was several kilometers, so by the time he got there he had worn the skin on his knees down to the bone. Literally, he showed me the place on his knees, where, to this day, it has not healed. The doctors amputated; he lost one hand above the wrist and some fingers on the other hand.
When he got out of the hospital he no longer had a job, he had nowhere to go, and he had no money and he had lost the documents that one needs here to get a job or a place to live, so he came to Kharkov. But there was no place for him here, either. The hospital would not take him. He tried to get into prison but the police would not take him. He tried to return home but his mother-in-law owned the house and would not allow him in. Starving and freezing and realizing he could no longer work and that no one wanted him, he took a butcher's knife and went into the forest to end it all. Again, he said God would not let him die! I saw the huge gash on his arm; it is a miracle that he is alive. Someone found him and took him to the hospital. There, they patched the wound and cleaned the running infection on the place of his amputation and turned him out on the street again. At this point his wife started to bring him food, but he could not eat. For two weeks he did not eat, till he fainted in a field where he had been sleeping at night and lay there for many days unable to move. Someone found him and took him to the hospital. Again, God spared his life even though he wanted to die. This time the hospital kept him for a time and the director of the Christian Orphanage in town witnessed to him on a visit there. This man referred him to us.
Our rehab center is the place where this man came. He has already regained his health, but more importantly he has gained eternal life in Jesus Christ. When I met him he was working at the homeless shelter in spite of his handicap, and most of all, he says he wants to live. As he told me his story I wept, this is what Jesus died for, and this is worth giving our lives for. Thank God he led him to us, and we were able then to lead him to Jesus. Our petty struggles are nothing compared to the glory of seeing people who have been this oppressed, being rescued and delivered. I will thank God forever and ever for this privilege. Although his family has not yet been totally restored, his young son, who used to run and hide from him now runs to him and loves him and spends time with him. God is good. We have seen so many families restored that I have no doubts about the future of this one. Praise God!
Recently we have been observing wonderful impact that the Gospel is having on families. When we started there were very few children and families were all in a devastated condition. Recently we noticed that just about every couple that was married when they came to us has had a major restoration in their family life, both between husbands and wives and between parents and children. Nearly all the men were adulterous and abusive, or drunk and abusive. All were seriously neglectful of their families. Many of the women were adulterous too, but universally they hated their husbands, and were bitter, cruel and unhappy. They are becoming gentle, loving, wives and mothers. This is important because mothers here are often mean and cruel, and often neglectful and inept as mothers. Joanie did a lot of minstry just teaching mothers how to love and care for their children; this is something at which she excels. There was an awful lot of pain and heartache. There was also a lot of abuse and neglect of children, but fortunately so many of our couples were younger when they first came and began to have children after they came into the Kingdom of God. The changed attitudes toward children are another sign of the work of the Kingdom God in our midst. This month we are dedicating babies every Sunday, and the church is full of couples with children. Most people did not want to have children. They were afraid to for many reasons, besides the fact that they had been indoctrinated with the idea that it was bad to have more than one or two children. Many of the families we minister to have already had three or more children in spite of the fact that they are derided and criticized for it, especially by their parents. During these baby dedications, I noticed there was a high percentage of the parents this time were people who came to Jesus in our church or home groups as young people and now are grown and starting families of their own full of faith and love. These are happy days for me, seeing the kind of change that has been accomplished by the Holy Spirit working here. God is truly a God of restoration and redemption.
The plan right now is to see how God wants us to proceed in Bosnia and Afghanistan. From God's standpoint, the wars, crises, and conflicts have opened many hearts to hear the Good News. After what we experienced in Russia and Ukraine, by coming at the right time on God's timetable, it is exciting to think what could happen if we follow God's leading and arrive in the right place at the right time again. We have already done some research and it looks like we will be going back in time again, facing another situation in which people have little hope, little money, and little promise for the future: The comforts of life are few, and troubles and heartaches are many. If you have seen the news reports you can probably imagine the brokenness, pain and darkness that must fill the lives of these people. It is the nature of humankind, unfortunately, that this is the kind of situation that opens people to the Gospel.
Blessings, Grace and Love to you in Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Bill Lynch
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Bill and Joanie Lynch, U.S. Address:
Ukraine Go Forth Missions P.O. Box 26863 Salt Lake City, Utah 84126
Tel. no. USA: 1 (801) 964-9662
Ukraine Go Forth Missions, Kharkov 61068, P.O. Box 26863 Ul. Gallinskaya 2-A
Tel. no. Ukraine: 011 (38) (057) 771-4062
E-mail: gospel@kharkov.ua ; goforth@xmission.com
