Dear brethren, congregations and Christian families,
In my monthly report I'd like to update you with the news from the Bible Institute and the coronavirus situation in Ukraine.
The classes were started in September. Currently we have 4 second year students. The month of September was normal but in October the new wave of the coronavirus commenced and the government insisted on adoptive quarantine. Slowly but surely the educational institutions close their physical doors and most likely we won't be an exception. The numbers of infected are climbing up every day. The official statistics are lower than real life because the testing for covid is very pricey and even if one can afford it, there’s a long waiting list. The results usually come back in 7-8 days. The hospital system in Ukraine is not capable to deal with the pressure and many doctors quit.
Our students and teachers are not panicking, however. We monitor our students, especially since we are low in numbers. Many Gospel meetings and seminars are postponed or hosted online. And there's another major problem, common to all the congregations all over the world - decreasing attendance. Congregations of 30-40 Christians currently congregate 20-30 at best. Many people are still stressed out about the pandemic especially because the government is not helping any small and medium sized businesses financially. So many people literary can't find employment and they have to work on getting different skills and change trades.
This month our students had the books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Instructor Konstantin Kisilenko), Minor Prophets II (Dennis Sopelnik), Introduction to Greek (Valentin Tsopa), Leadership (Andrew Zhuravlev). In two weeks we are having the fall break followed by the week of personal evangelism. We decided to use the opportunity to help the local preachers to visit those who were missing the assemblies and encourage them to keep the faith.
It's quite difficult for me under the circumstances to work on recruitment for the next school year. I have to rethink my strategies. I used to personally visit different congregations and make presentations of our Bible Institute, meet potential students and keep in touch with them until their arrival to Bela Tserkva. Nowadays everything happens online and it's a new experience for me. If you have any suggestions on recruitment strategies during the pandemic period, please share with me your knowledge and experience.
May God keep you safe. The Bible Institute from Ukraine sends our love and many thanks for your financial support.
Your brother in Christ,
Dennis Sopelnik.