Night churchI was WRONG! The Odessa church actually DID budget money for the exterior lighting! You can see in the picture on our front page just how beautiful it is at night -- especially after the recent repairs to the facade.

More pictures here: http://clayq.smugmug.com/Church 

Praise God! Let the light shine!

It is so great to see the ground floor of the church finally in use for the Lord’s service. After 100 years, the church is finally ministering in this space. However, it’s a MESS! Not only has it been neglected all these years, but it had to be used to store building materials for the fa?ade repairs this fall!

Nonetheless, church members have cleaned out some areas: church nursery, SS room, and activity room for youth (ping-pong!!) and WIC!!! The plans are to put church offices and library down there, too. But that will take some money!  [MTW Project: #95990 UKR - Odessa Church Building]

See pictures:  http://clayq.smugmug.com/Church/Ground-Floor/9871455_BHEiQ#671899137_rsFxy

After 10 years, the church fa?ade needed some attention, so the scaffolding went back up this summer. The work is nearly complete, and the scaffolding is mostly down. We had hoped to install lighting, but there weren't enough funds to show off this beauty and attract attention at night.

Vova, the leader of the youth group, is going off to the Army this month. Please pray for new leadership and the transition, since the youth group has been growing and very active in ministry, including orphanage and hospital visitation ministry, puppets, music, and drama.

Presbytery was held this fall in Kherson (near Crimea). It was exciting to meet and worship in the new church building there!! We dealt with significant issues in the life of the young churches, and it was good to see the Ukrainian leadership handling its own issues. But Clay was assigned to six committees! He also had to travel to Izmail with a commission this month. PTL for this fellowship of churches, and pray the Lord will strengthen and grow them further as a mature church. 

The Actor's Guild is finally OUT!! We heard from Odessa on June 11th that the church had helped them find a place, and had packed them up and gotten the keys to the ground floor of the Odessa church building!! Finally, after 12 years of our ownership of the building, we are free of these "renters"! Pray for the church as they decide how to remodel and use these rooms so greatly needed for offices and classrooms!

Click here for Pictures:

 http://clayq.smugmug.com/Church/Ground-Floor/9871455_BHEiQ#671899137_rsFxy 

In November, Clay & Darlene attended the GMC conference in Chattanooga where they promoted the seminary and joined in fellowship with missionaries and church representatives. There were some interesting seminars, and we capped it off with a reunion of Ukraine team members from the past 16 years. Oh how we have changed!

Ukraine Team Redux

         Dave Smith, Clay Quarterman, Dal Stanton & Doug Shepherd reunited

News of the squatters in the Odessa church building:

If "No News is Good News", then...

After YEARS of waiting….
                        … we are still waiting.

After 10 years of legal battles…
                        … we are still waiting.

After going all the way to the Supreme Court of Ukraine and WINNING…
                        … we are still waiting.

The local court has again defied the orders of the higher courts, and put off action for 3 more months, until May 6th. Then..., they have again done nothing. The church is praying, doing all it can, and waiting.

Please keep praying with us for God to be glorified in this building / squatter situation. God has been so faithful throughout the years. Pray that we would continue to be faithful with the heritage and resources God has granted us for the work. In this time of financial crunch, God is strengthening his Church.