Permanent Impact May 2008
. . . a newsletter to keep you up-to-date with Sculley family adventures in Russia and beyond
We’re willing to go . . . are you willing to send us?
What’s the latest?
God is working
We write to you from Atlanta this time, one month into our 3 month required break from Russia (due to visa requirements). As difficult as it was to think about leaving Russia, God’s grace is sufficient and He always gives us everything we need, especially His strength! We’re having a wonderful time connecting with many friends and family here earlier than expected, and daily seeing God provide opportunities to serve others during this season when our schedules are not as full as usual.
One thing we’ve noticed is that it seems like everywhere we look, an inordinately large number of people seem to be experiencing extreme difficulties in life, more so than what seems “normal”. Certainly we can only see a small part of the picture, but it does seem that things are really tough for a lot of folks right now. I could list for you here dozens and dozens of situations that we personally know about that would break your heart to read about, and I’m sure you each are aware of multiple situations that are equally devastating, whether involving health, finances, relationships, or other life circumstances. But God is in the business of constantly reminding us that He is always working, always present, alive and active in the lives of His children. In times of crisis, we can lift our eyes to Him with the assurance that He does not change, He does not sleep, He does not take breaks – He is ALWAYS for us, ALWAYS with us, and ALWAYS working, even (maybe especially) when we can’t see. Our hope is that we can in some way encourage you by pointing you to who God is and what He’s doing.
I want to share with you an excerpt from my favorite devotional book, “Streams in the Desert” (known as “Streams in the Steppe” in Russian!) . . . “It is indeed extremely doubtful that a person’s soul can really know the love of God in its richness and in its comforting, satisfying completeness until the skies are dark and threatening. Light emerges from darkness, and morning is born from the womb of night . . . James Creelman once journeyed through the Balkans in search of Natalie, the exiled queen of Serbia. In one of his letters, he described his trip this way: During that memorable journey, I learned that the world’s supply of rose oil comes from the Balkan Mountains. The thing that interested me most was that the roses had to be gathered during the darkest hours, with the pickers starting at one o’clock and finishing by two. Initially this practice seemed to me to be a relic of superstition or tradition, but as I investigated further, I learned that actual scientific tests had proved that a full forty percent of the fragrance of the roses disappeared in the light of day. . . And it is also a real and unquestionable fact of human life and culture that a person’s character is strengthened most during the darkest days.“
We each choose whether our circumstances will make us bitter or better . . . difficulties and troubles WILL come, but take heart, Jesus said, because He has overcome the world (John 16:33)! As we take the things that weigh us down to Jesus, He removes our heavy burdens and gives us His peace and rest and joy and forgiveness and love, all of which are priceless treasures! He strengthens our hearts – we so need that, because all of us grow weary and afraid at times. But in God’s strength, we can do whatever He asks us to do. Our prayer for you is that you will lift your eyes and open your heart to the God who made you, knows you intimately, and loves you with an everlasting love. God is working, and we can each have full confidence in His word that says that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Here are some pictures from our last week in Nizhny Novgorod and our first few weeks back in the U.S. – enjoy!
Financial Partnership Opportunities:
We’d like to offer you a variety of opportunities each month . . . let us know if you’d like to partner with us in any of these ways. THANK YOU for your support!
* Sculley Family support
Our current support level is 63% of our 2008 financial needs – praise God!
* Resources for Russians
While in the U.S., we’re gathering English language resources that we can also purchase in Russian when we return to Russia. There are many available titles, and we are focusing on the areas closest to our hearts – prayer, relationships, discipleship. Let me know if you’d like to contribute towards the purchasing of resources for Russians! We envision the resources being used for church libraries, small groups, and on an individual basis – we love to connect people with resources!
We trust God to provide everything we need to do all that He wants us to do in and through us. If you would like to invest what God has given you in Kingdom activity, through financial partnership, here’s how (all financial contributions are 100% tax deductible in the U.S.A., and are processed through the Atlanta Vineyard, our sending church to whom we are accountable):
* automated giving (automatic monthly deductions from your checking or savings account – click here for the form – be sure to write “Sculley – Russia” in the space under “recommended giving”). Once you print out and fill in the form, please mail it to the address indicated at the bottom of the form.
* online giving via PayPal (http://www.atlantavineyard.com/resources/online_giving.html — just mention “Sculley – Russia” on the online giving comment line)
Praise Reports:
* The Vineyard National conference was a huge success, by all accounts – we have received many reports of healing, salvation, miracles, unity, and deliverance. Stronger bonds were forged between the churches in Russia and the other countries represented – God always blesses unity among His people! The Kingdom of God was proclaimed and welcomed. It’s a special joy for us to know that our friends in Atlanta and Russia are more closely connected now. All glory to God!
* Jesus has given us many opportunities to serve Him while we’re here, however we’re needed. It’s a daily adventure!
* Praise God for providing wonderful summer plans for each of the children. Even if we’d diligently planned for months, we couldn’t possibly have come up with what God tailor-made for each one – there’s no other way to explain what’s unfolding before our eyes. He’s amazing!
* We’re still inching along learning Russian language and culture at home, using itunes and tapes.
Please pray for us:
* Pray for our short-term and long-term visas to be issued – both are required (we have to be back in Russia in order to receive the long-term ones). We trust God for His timing, plans, and provision.
* Pray for us to make the best use of our time while we are in the U.S.A. We feel that God wants us to use this time to prepare more indepth for our continuing ministry in Russia, including developing prayer strategies, preparing resources, and receiving additional training. God is answering these prayers! Thanks for partnering with us!
We pray for you, too – please let us know your specific prayer requests. It’s such a joy to pray for one another! We have each of your names written on our prayer wall in the kitchen.
Our vision:
* mobilize prayer
* promote unity in the body of Christ
* raise up leaders
We appreciate your prayers so much! Thank you!
“The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” (1 Samuel 30:24)
Visit our blog (updated weekly):
In Russia with love,
Paul, Karen, P, J, M, C, E, & K Sculley
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8)
