Prayer requests for Rick and Beth on their Ukraine trip
May 16- June 2, 2023
In years past we have known more about what we would be doing on our trips to Ukraine. This time, however, we don’t have a schedule (except for a conference on May 24-25). This is because there is so much uncertainity in Ukraine and plans and schedules change constantly. Therefore, we go into this trip not knowing much. But we are okay with that, as we know that we are meant to go, and He is in control. We are going with this three-fold purpose: Listen, Encourage and Train. This is a list of things that we are asking you to pray for during our time there.
- Before the trip: Many times, this is a difficult time for us. We find that problems arise, or we are distracted. Please pray that we would be focused on what God wants us to do and that are minds are filled with His thoughts, so we leave prepared to do whatever He has for us. Since, we don’t have a defined schedule, we will be relying more on the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our words. Pray that we leave refreshed, focused, and ready to do whatever God has for us.
- Tuesday, May 16 – pray for safety in travel. We leave MN at 4:55 pm. We will fly to Amsterdam and then onto Warsaw, Poland. We will arrive in Poland @11:35 am (4:35 am CST) on Wednesday, May 17th. Some other things to pray for is that we would make our connecting flight in Amsterdam, with no delays. Pray that we would feel good and be able to sleep on the flights. We are planning on only checking one bag (ministry bag), so pray that we can fit it all in and not overweight.
- Wednesday, May 17 – a short day in Poland. Pray that we would be able to get an Uber to our hotel with no issues. Pray that we could stay awake to help with the jetlag. Our plan is to walk around the city a little and then go to bed early. Pray for a good night’s sleep (usually not a problem). Pray for an extra sense of peace and calm as we get ready to start ministry the next day.
- Thursday, May 18 – Vasily will pick us up in Poland between 11:00am-noon. It will be good to see him. We will probably not have a translator for the drive, so that will be interesting. We will begin our trek to Ukraine. Pray for safety in travel on the roads and pray for no issues as we go through customs at the border of Ukraine. We don’t know where we will be going in Ukraine. If we go to Irpin, Ukraine, that is a 10 hour and 15-minute drive, with no stops, so long day of travel.
- Friday, May 19-Tuesday, May 23 – These 5 days we don’t have an idea what we will be doing. We be at church on Sunday. Rick will probably be preaching. Pray for good sleep at night. These first nights are hard with jetlag. Pray for peace when we sleep. In the past, this is when missiles are shot, so pray for peace as we sleep and that we would get good sleep. Pray for safety on the roads and no missile attacks. Pray for wisdom as we will have many meeting with pastors. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give us what we need to encourage them and to listen to them. Pray that we would be healthy with no sicknesses. Pray for wisdom as Rick preaches on Sunday, that God would give him the words he needs. Pray for our translator, Ghenadi, that he would be able to translate us clearly and effectively during our time there.
- Wednesday, May 24 – Thursday, May 25 – We will be holding a conference for church planters and their wives. This will take place at a hotel in Kyiv. Potential Endeavors is sponsoring this, as we will pay for all expenses for the attendees. At the end of this document, there is a schedule of the conference and an overview of the content. Please pray that God would give us wisdom as we listen, encourage and train. There may be 20-30 couples attending.
- Friday, May 26 – Tuesday, May 30 – Again, we don’t know what we will be doing in these 5 days. Pray from the same list above from May 19-23.
- Wednesday, May 31 – travel from Ukraine to Warsaw, Poland. Pray for no difficulties at the border when we go through customs. This can take a very long time depending on what they decide at the border. Pray for a quick time through. Pray for safety on the road as it will be a long day of travel.
- Thursday, June 1 – A day in Warsaw, Poland. Vasily wanted us to return to Poland on the 31st in case there were delays getting through the border. So, that means a full day in Poland. Pray for a relaxing time as we will have a little time to debrief our trip. Pray that God would give us time to reflect, process and time to begin planning future trips to Ukraine.
- Friday, June 2 – Travel day home. We leave Warsaw at 6:00 am (11:00 pm – June 1 – CST). Pray for no issues getting to the airport in the middle of the night. Pray for smooth connections as we travel through Amsterdam to get home. Pray that we would feel good for the travel day home. We arrive in MN at 2:40 pm.
- After the trip: Pray that we can effectively summarize our trip and be able to communicate our time there. Pray that God would give up next steps as to what He wants us to do next after this trip.
Thank you in advance for praying us through this trip. We are very excited to go and have a great deal of anticipation. We know how important prayer is and view it as a vital part of our ministry. So, thank you for partnering with us by praying for us.
Beth & Rick
Schedule for conference in Kyiv for church planters and their wives
Wednesday, May 24
(All times are Ukraine time, which is 8 hours ahead of CST)
12:30- 4:30 pm – Arrival to hotel, lunch, and relaxation time.
4:30 – 6:30 pm – Meeting all together. We will get to know each couple, about their family and ministry. Rick will share a talk about vision, developing leaders and creating a “come and see” environment in their churches.
6:30 – 7:30pm – dinner
7:30- 9:00pm – Roman from the Baptist Union will present. His role at the Baptist union is to plant more churches. At the end, the pastors will take a test about church planting strategy. We will be meeting separately. Beth will meet with the women and have them share about their families and ministry. She will ask them questions and listen to them.
Thursday, May 25:
8:00-9:00am – Breakfast
9:00 -11:00 – Meet separately. The pastors will talk through the results of their test and share. Beth will talk with the women about the topic of Tips for your Physical, Spiritual and Emotional health as a pastor’s wife. Beth will also talk about the topic of conflict in the church and how to deal with that.
11:00-11:30 – Break to check out.
11:30-1:00pm – Meet together. Rick will have a prayer time with the pastors and again listen and encourage them.
1:00 – Lunch and goodbyes