Dear brethren,
Greetings from Ukraine!
The winter months are finally over and the spring is here. Unfortunately, the spring has brought the third wave of coronavirus to Ukraine. The numbers of infected people are climbing up every day while the vaccination procedures are only very recently and very slow. Many parts of the country have to implement the strict quarantine measures again. The educational, stores and public places of entertainment as well as municipal buildings will be closed.
However, the classes at the Institute are taught the usual way, mostly in the classrooms. Majority of the Instructors were able to make the trip to Bila Tserkva, even though we have online studies as well. In February and the beginning of March the first year students had the following courses: Prison Epistles of Paul (Instructor Dennis Sopelnik), World Religions (Albert Bagdasaryan) and Hebrews (Stanislav Kuropyatnikov).
As of right now we have a few men willing to join the program of our Bible Institute. Two of them are married. This is a good opportunity to educate and train men with established Christian beliefs but at the same time it will require some additional funds to support these men and their families. It's a challenge always but God opens new doors and there's no hindrance for Him.
In May our students and I plan to attend a four days Christian seminar dedicated to the Church's growth. The idea was suggested by our Instructor Dmitry Galyuk and he is in charge of all organizational activities. It will be very beneficial for the leaders of the Ukrainian congregations, especially because the financial support of the event will be provided by our Ukrainian brethren. I consider it a stepping stone towards the maturity of the Lord's Church in Ukraine.
The books we were able to publish in partnership with Jim Mettenbrink are very popular among the congregations. From time to time the preachers request them not only for the personal studies but also for some members of their congregations. These books are easy to read and they are beneficial addition to the Bible studies.
Thank you all for your prayers and your support of our students and their families for the time of the study in our Institute.
God keep you always,
Your brother and coworker in His vineyard, Dennis Sopelnik