We give thanks to you, O God!

"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved." (Hebrews 10:39)

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations." (Psalm 67:1-2)

"We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds." (Psalm 75:1)

The three scriptures above are verses that I happened across in my quiet times on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Oh how appropriate they are considering what God did this weekend!

Praise God for how He worked in our midst this weekend! Thank you so much for your prayers for our Alpha Course weekend away. Eight of us -- three leaders, two pastors, and three Russian friends -- all traveled outside the city to a dacha for a quiet weekend away from the rushed life of Moscow. Over the course of three days, we had four talks, three focusing specifically on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Without a doubt, I can say that the Spirit of God was in our midst and was working in all of our lives!

All three of our Russian friends, Aigoul', Katya, and Gregory, were greatly interested in the topics we studied. They asked great questions, loved the times of singing, and enjoyed the time of fellowship. Last night Gregory (an IT expert who is 33 and who saw a bright light of God in a vision about 3-4 years ago) told me that this weekend is a big point of change for him in his life. He said that he senses God leading him in the right way to go. Gregory and Aigoul' both expressed interest in coming to church in the near future. All three Russian friends expressed this morning how grateful they are for the weekend and how they've learned so much!

Let's continue praying for the soil of their souls, that it would be fertile and receptive to the word that has been sown this weekend. I look forward with great anticipation to see what God will continue doing in the lives of these Russian friends and many others here in this metropolis!

By God's grace, another amazing month!

"How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the adundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart." -Psalm 36:7-10

I read these beautiful words on a trolleybus on the way to church this morning, and I was so struck by them! Recently I've done a lot of thinking about and meditating on God's unfailing love. In moments of temptation or doubt so far this school year, I've held onto verses like Psalm 36:7 or Psalm 119:41:

"May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise, then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word."

As time continues on here in Moscow, and God continues His love to me, I realize how wonderful that unfailing love is and how, as a child of God, I have constant access to the riches of heaven - the abundance of His house and His river of delights! While these days and months have been very full of activity (just like the past three years), I have seen that they are even fuller of God's grace and presence, for which I am overflowing with thankfulness! Allow me to share a bit of the past five weeks with you:

Middle school retreat: You were praying for the middle school retreat during the first weekend in October, and praise God - it went really well! The students really seemed to understand and respond well to the words God wanted me to share from Philippians. We looked at "Knowing Christ" and loving Him more than anything else. We examined three prepositional phrases: "Through Christ", "In Christ", and "For Christ". We had beautiful weather, great discussion, many fun and hilarious moments, and a deepening desire for God across the board. Thanks for all the prayers!

The excitement of salvation! As you could see from my previous post, one of my students gave his life to Christ two weeks ago, and I am thrilled for him! I have already seen a transformation happening in his attitudes, words, and demeanor. This is a direct answer to the prayers of many people. Please pray for me as I disciple him through these first steps of his Christian life in the remaining 2/3 of the school year.

Lies and Truth: One thing that has been very pivotal in my spiritual journey here in Moscow this semester took place a couple weekends ago during Fall Break. With the encouragement of a dear friend, I decided to write down a list of the most common lies Satan uses to attack my mind and heart. Then I wrote down the corresponding, but countering, truth for each lie. For each truth, I researched and wrote out numerous Bible verses that authoritatively shoot down every argument of falsehood that the enemy could use against me. This has been huge in battle for my mind, which can be quite intense here in Russia. Please pray for God's continued work in my heart and mind, that I would rest in the promises of God's word and not entertain any lies.

Lindsey and I continue to grow closer as a couple. She is such a blessing in my life, such a manifestation of God's grace! The kids in her and my classes continue to be interested in our story and relationship, and it's an honor to try our best to live before them an example of a God-centered relationship. By God's grace we are seeking Him with our whole hearts and keeping Him at the center of our relationship. Please pray for God's continued love and grace toward us as we pray together about our relationship and the future.

Students who are struggling: I just love my class this year! They are such a tight-knit group, and I have really grown to love each of the eleven kids (the twelfth is coming in January). However, 2-3 of my students are really struggling in school for a number of reasons. Please join me in praying for these students, that I would have the Holy Spirit's direction in how to best teach and love them.

English Cafe: The Cafe continues to boom, with many new faces each week. Last week's topic of "Dealing with Superstition" was a real hit, and we were able to share the "Jack-O-Lantern Gospel" at the end. Last night's Open Mic Night was a great blend of singing, improvisation, games, and conversation. We're looking forward to the Thanksgiving (November 21) and Gifts (December 12) cafes. I am still amazed at how God is opening the doors for this ministry, that we're able to share faith so openly, and that so many of our friends continue to come. God is faithful!

Alpha Course weekend away: one of the primary reasons we host the English Cafe is to allow for building relationships with many Russians. Our prayer is that through those relationships and through the environment and topics of the English Cafe, many of our Russian friends would be interested in learning about God and His love for us. That is why we started an Alpha Course, which meets once a week for dinner and discussion about God. So far this semester, we've had 4-5 young Russians (college students up through early thirties) coming regularly to the Alpha Course, and this coming weekend (November 13-15) we are hosting a "Weekend Away" at the Nazarene dacha outside of Moscow. We are praying that all five of our guests will want to join us for this wonderful opportunity to get outside the city, rest, hang out with friends, and explore the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Please join me in praying God's anointing over this coming weekend away - pray for the salvation of souls for those who come and that we would have wisdom for how to disciple those who come to faith in Christ. Pray for deepening friendships with our Russian friends who come.


If you would like to see over 100 pictures of the first two months of school and all the activities of my life here in Moscow, click on the links below, and they will take you to my Picasa Web page. Enjoy!

This first album is a pretty comprehensive look at a typical day in the life of Mr. Hays's 5th grade class at Hinkson Christian Academy:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lukedanielhays/Yura5thGrade?authkey=Gv1sRgCNqE7qrG55TSFQ#

This second album also includes pictures from school, but it also contains a mixture of pictures of Lindsey, the middle school retreat, English Cafe, and the 5th grade talent show!
http://picasaweb.google.com/lukedanielhays/102609?authkey=Gv1sRgCNLP4fa9h8fwugE#