Under Attack

We are finally all together in Ukraine after the kids and I spent 10 weeks with family and friends. The time was great! We were able to reconnect and make deeper relationship with people who we knew for years, but never really spent time with. We participated in James’, my brother’s, wedding. We had the opportunity to go to the Jones family 4th of July picnic in Oklahoma, which is like a family reunion each year. My siblings and I realized that it had been over 30 years since the last time we all drove together to Oklahoma and about 15 years that we were all together. The time was also filled with surprises. Mairam learned that we are expected our 4th child, due in January. We learned that because of our economic situation we could no longer afford to live in Kiev. We sold what we could to pay our bills. Now it seems like it has gone from bad to worst.

I’m not usually one who says that they are under spiritual attack, but I can’t explain what is going on with us any other way. I can point to an event that happened and ever since that time things has being going down the drain. I was invited with our pastor by a group of young guys from our church in Kiev to meet once a week with them, pray, fast, and seek God for what God wanted from them. Before that, things weren’t great, but it was all durable. Now we feel like all hell has broken out. We can use your prayers.

Today the apartment that we started moving in to has been taken from us. The owner called and said that she sold it. We have until the 15th to be in the one we are currently in. We need to fine a place and it has not been easy. Today we also got word that two of our three cooks are quitting on Monday with no advance warning. Our finances have been attacked. It cost us an extra $600 and 36 hours later for me and the kids to make it to Kiev. Everyone was outrageously tired. I am only started to feel like myself again. But this was money that we did not have to spend. I had a large sum of money taken out of my bank account that was not supposed to be taken out. That cost us bank fees and NSFs and more problems with our creditors. I’m still trying to get it straightened out.

Today was hard. Mairam was in tears asking what next. It took everything in me not to breakdown at the same time. Pray for us. We could really use them.

We have made some hard decisions. We will not raise our children in a state of need. We want them to understand that serving God is not a sentence of poverty. We don’t see it anywhere in scripture where it says that being impoverished is a requirement for serving him. We will wait until the end of October to finish with all our obligations. During this time, we will seek God for guidance. If by that time our financial status has changed, then that means he wants us to stay and serve him here in Ukraine. If things don’t get better, then we will leave the mission field after 10 years of service to God in this country, I will get a job in the States, and we will seek him on what to do next. This is a sad time for us, because our lives our here, but we know that God only has the BEST in store for us, so we will follow him even if it takes us away from our passion.

Pray that are basic needs will be covered: we will be able to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads.
Pray for wisdom, strength, and understanding. We are at a lost for what has been happening. There must be something wonderful at the end of this trial.
Pray we will be able to find money to fly to California (if it comes to that), around $5,000.

Blessings!

Announcing the birth of our son

Announcing the arrival of the latest addition to the Jones family. Ernest Simon was born November 15 at 8:50 weighting in at 3.6kg and 54cm. Attached is a picture of him when he was in the hospital. Mairam and Ernest are doing well. Eliza and Eric are loving having a new brother. Mairam’s mother, Rema, is here helping out and making the transition a little easier.

New Direction

It is not really a new direction, but it is more like moving forward and onward. I am taking a leave of absence from missions to concentrate more on family. One thing I was told when I started on the mission field was that "if I failed at raising my children then I failed at being a missionary." I took these words to heart and am trying to live by them.
I am not seeing clients, but I'm very active in our local church. I find that I'm preaching, teaching, and hanging out with the young more. This is great, because I can do it with my family. I feel that every time I turn around, God is presenting me with a new opportunity to minister to someone. I'm happy to experience this, because it was hard to step out of missions and not know how I would continue working at building God's kingdom.

Our Newest Addition

We are overjoyed to announce that we are expecting a boy this coming November. The ultrasound has confirmed that our third child will be a boy(check out the ultrasound picture on our blog). We are talking over names and so far Ernest Jaidon is in first place. Pray for his health and birth as the days are winding down. Pray also for Mairam as the third trimester can be the most difficult.

Opening Doors

It is amazing how God works. When one door closes, he opens another. What do I mean? Well, some of you may recall that I, Eric, am on family leave. I have stopped see clients and have not been involve in YWAM ministry, but that does not stop God from offering me opportunities to serve. There are two great types of service they have fallen into my laps.
One is teaching on Sundays at the Kiev Vineyard Church that we attend. The pastor has given me more and more time in the teaching schedule to share my heart with the congregation. I’m loving it. I enjoy the interaction and it is giving us a chance to plant roots in the church.
Two is mentoring young guys. It is funny how this has come about. I did not seek this ministry. It sought me. Through various interactions with different Christian young men, I find that I have a small group of people who I meet with on a regular base to share, pray, and encourage. I’m enjoying the new ministries God is bringing my way. They are filling in to my schedule with taking away from focusing on the family and business. God is amazing how he gives chances to serve him that are not taxing in anyway.

Our Latest Seminar

What a wonderful time our team had running “The Divine Plumb Line” Seminar for 50 people on Thursday, Friday, and all day Saturday of this past week. This was the first time our counseling team held this seminar outside of a training school or in cooperation of a church. It was a big stretch for us. We learned some good insights about what we can do as a team. This setting was fantastic. There were people from various church, denominations, and organizations. I liked this venue better, because I felt that we were about to impact a great number of people who have different spheres of influence. In short, their testimonies of what God did in their lives are farther reaching then anything our team of six can do. I immensely enjoyed putting on the seminar, because I was about to see again how God dramatically changes the lives of individuals who are open to receiving what he has for them.

The Divine Plumb Line teaching is about God’s desire to bring truth in a person’s life, so that the individual can be the person God created him to be. The fact is that most people hide the real person they are from the world and sometimes from themselves as a protective device against the pains and hurts they received from close people who were authority figures in their lives. Those authority figures gave incorrect messages that destroy the true person that God made them to be. God wants to heal and restore each person back to who he created them to be. This is what the teaching is about in a nutshell. I love it, because there is a great deal a time dedicated to allowing God to speak to each participate. I have seen many people come into revelation, except the truth about God, and then allow him to bring healing to their hearts and souls.

What a blessing to be part of this process. You are part of it too. So thank you for your support and prayers. You are helping in the process of bring the healing touch of God to this part of the world.

Starting up again

I’m starting up again to update my blog. I understand that it does not take that much time, I just to do it.

Today’s ministry time was fantastic. My client has a major breakthrough. Today, God help him make some connection between his heart and mind. I find that many people live disconnected for the heart they Jesus gave us. Because of this, these people live a life less then what God wants to them to have. It is amazing to see how God does this delicate surgery. The most vivid thing that stands out for me during this session was the picture God gave the client. He saw his heart as an orange marble stone, and then he saw God pick it up. He was terrified. God did not take it from him. But after taking about what he was experiencing. He decided to give his heart to God. And God gave him a fleshly heart in its place. The imagery was powerful for him. God was letting him know that he was about to feel and experience his range of emotions as he was created to do. Now he needs to learn how to use the heart God has given him and to live out of it. What a wonderful miracle of God’s ability to heal and change the heart of men.

A music project where I'm singing in Ukrainian