Beal Update March/April ‘09
Dear Brethren,
As I was reviewing our last “Beal Update” I was once again reminded how quickly time passes and how seemingly overnight spring seems to launch itself upon us every year.
Spring is here!!!
In just a few weeks the landscape has been transformed from heavy gray to the verdant carpet that’s now covering the fields around L’viv. About this time every spring I wish we could take our American friends on a mini-tour of the countryside. Colorful scarves of Ukrainian Babushkas brightly contrast against fresh black soil and green pastures. In spite of the warm spring sun, the “Babbas” are wrapped from head to toe in woolen stockings and bulky sweaters as their hard, thick hands work relentlessly to break up the dirt clods the plow left behind. Mothers, Fathers, Grandmas, Grandpas and children of all ages ride down the dirt roads in horse drawn wagons, their crude digging instruments sticking out the back. They’ll be hoeing, furrowing, and planting an entire field of potatoes by hand (or maybe I should say, by back). Last years cabbages are uncovered from straw beds, the black rotted leaves pealed away and left in great piles for further decomposition. Yards are swept, windows cleaned, streets are cleared, and babies of all species are born.
New little kittens at the neighbors.
The villagers are happy because it’s planting season and that’s the topic of everyone’s conversation when they ride with us to town. “So, what are you planting this year?” “Why don’t American’s plant more potatoes?” “We have too many tomato plants, we’ll give you some.” “Did you bring seeds from America?” “Here, I have ten extra raspberry bushes, find a place in your garden for them.” Oh yes, the season is upon us! Come Monday, we’ll be out in our own garden putting in the cukes and corn and carrots and ‘maters. Oh the things we do to keep the peace with the neighbors! :>)
On the ministry side of things, every Tuesday evening, we continue to meet together with Ukrainians for English Club and Audio Bible Study. (ABS) We call it that because every time Joshua or Jessie preaches from the Word of God, the messages are recorded in digital format so that multiple Ukrainians can have access to them over time. Although the first half of the evening is a focus on English, the preaching time is always done in Ukrainian so that the nationals can hear the Word of God clearly in their own language.
Jessie explains the New Testament Church
This ministry continues to grow and we are encouraged by how God has blessed it! New people often visit our group, and others have become regular attendees. Thank you to everyone who is consistently lifting this ministry up in prayer. Please pray with us that it would bear fruit unto salvation, and that people would be “turned from the error of their way” unto Christ, who is THE way.
The correspondence ministry also continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Even with our new teammates, Denise and Bryan, our team can hardly keep up with the constant influx of mail. I hope it will be an encouragement to know that we’ve just had to place an order for the following:
- Lesson 4 (50 copies)
- Lesson 5 (50 copies)
- Lesson 10 (50 copies)
- Lesson 13 (25 copies)
- Envelopes (500)
Denise recently calculated that as many as 55 of our correspondents have signed up due to “word of mouth”. We continue to have a very close ratio of men to women sign up, this is definitely not just a “Ladies Bible Study”. And, the CBC ministry has also begun to infiltrate a prison in our area. We’re not sure how it got there to begin with, but the lessons are spreading through the prisoners!
You may remember that we’ve also been sending out copies of the book, Good and Evil. As we send them, we’ve been surveying the recipients. The response has been overwhelmingly positive! Some have even written letters expressing how grateful they are to receive such a book. One man, a CBC student who enrolled in late 2007, wrote the following letter:
Peace to you, dear brothers and sisters!
I am immeasurably grateful to you for the book Good and Evil! The quality illustrations are helpful in visualizing major [Bible] events. Such an account of the Bible is a good guidebook not only for children, but also for people of the older generation. For example, my mother really liked your book. She’s 78 years old. She says that the illustrated format makes it much easier to understand.
Again, thank you so much for your wonderful gift! I wish you success in your very beneficial work. May God bless you generously.
Respectfully,
Sergiy…
The month of April marked two very special milestones in the Beal family.
Twenty Years!!!!
First, Jessie and I celebrated out 20th anniversary and spent a few days in Krakow, Poland to commemorate our landmark event. And, while we were there, the van spent a few days in the shop being overhauled.
Cassia after a piano competition.
Secondly, on April 11, thirteen years ago at 9:20 in the morning our first beautiful baby girl, Cassia Elisabeth was born, thereby making us the official parents of a….teenager. Yikes!!!! :>)
We’re counting down until the Carpathian Mountain Outreach begins this year. It’s about time to begin survey trips to the outlying villages, making contact with village heads and trying to book showings of The Light of the World for the upcoming summer. Please keep these efforts in prayer and please also pray for our old van, just another summer up and down those mountain roads… “Please Lord, just a few more miles!!!”
CMO Team 2008
May God bless your spring with many opportunities to serve Him!
Your Missionaries for Jesus’ Sake,
Jessie, Teresa, Cassia and Alexandria
