 
Opportunities do knock. And it’s precisely because opportunities are knocking on our door that I am writing to you this Christmas to ask you to make a special gift to DPM, so that we can seize the opportunities of 2009 for equipping believers in Russia.
Right now we have tremendous opportunities to help churches plant the seeds of the Gospel in the hearts of thousands of people searching for a spiritual dimension in their lives. You see, although the Russian economy is getting stronger, ordinary people are not benefiting from the growth.
The gap between the rich and the poor is widening. Unemployment is at an all-time high. Public services, including schools and hospitals, are poorly managed and largely dysfunctional. Divorce and family breakdown, sexually transmitted diseases, and drug and alcohol abuse are taking their toll among millions of Russians who live their lives in quiet desperation. 
Every time I visit this country, I speak to young people and believers who are struggling to survive economically. Many of them feel frustrated and disillusioned with politics and the media. But, as one pastor told me, today, more than ever before, Russian people are starting to search for a new source of hope, for something to anchor their lives to when everything is in turmoil. They are asking questions about God. They want to find out more about Him!
And this is where you and I can help—by equipping pastors and evangelists with discipleship materials they can use to lead people to Christ.
Thanks to your past generosity, the Baptist church in Dimitrovo has already become a beacon of God’s hope and love in their local community. Since they started using the Self-Study Bible Course and Foundations for Christian Living less than two years ago, their church membership has quadrupled!
Groups of young people, who once sat on the street corners looking bored, are now participating in community activities like cleaning up local parks and organizing fun activities for younger children. Older people, who were nominal Christians, have received a new lease on life in the Holy Spirit and set up a prayer ministry that is helping other believers experience freedom and blessings in Christ.
On another occasion, a free church in St. Petersburg is using Derek’s teaching on marriage and relationships as their main ministry tool for serving families, especially those who are on the verge of divorce.
Commenting on the impact of this ministry, Jelena, one of the pastors said: “Derek’s books like The Marriage Covenant and Husbands and Fathers, and his audio messages on marriage and relationships, are such a God-sent gift to us at this time. We use his teaching regularly with couples from our church on preparing for marriage and also with local families we are trying to reach. We have seen several couples get back together as a result of this teaching and we praise God for that!”
Our goal in 2009 is to provide 75,000 copies of Derek’s books for Russian pastors and believers who are seeking to engage with their local communities and let God’s hope and love shine through in desperate situations.
Also, we want to continue making Derek’s teaching available to prisoners in Russia and enable hundreds of them to experience God’s forgiveness as they surrender their lives to Christ. In fact, we are the only ministry in Russia that gives free books to prisoners helping them to realize that someone cares for them enough to offer them a lifeline.
Will you give the gifts of hope and faith to Russian believers and prisoners this Christmas?
I am hoping to raise £30,000 from friends like you in the UK before the end of January 2009 for printing and distributing 5,000 copies each of 15 titles by Derek Prince, including six that are newly translated. And, an additional £9,500 for purchasing a second-hand vehicle to transport books to churches, prisons and Christian shops.
I want to distribute as many DPM resource packs of evangelistic and ministry tools as we can to pastors like Jelena so they can minister effectively to those in their care.
I want to see more churches like the Baptist church in Dimitrovo growing in numbers and in helping local people see that Jesus is the source of real hope. And, I want to see prisoners realize that our heavenly Father is the God of new beginnings for those who surrender their lives to Him.
If you want the same for Russian believers and prisoners, will you pray about making a gift to DPM today? See what the Lord prompts you to do.
Here is what your gifts can make possible:
• £10 can offer a lifeline to prisoners receiving free books
• £25 can help provide a pack of 15 books for a church leader
• £50 can be a lifeline to 10 prisoners receiving free books
• £175 can be used to equip 130 believers with life-transforming Bible teaching
• £700 can help us get closer to the goal of raising £9,500 for a much needed second-hand vehicle in Russia
A gift of £10, £25, £50 or whatever you can share this Christmas, will make a huge difference in the lives of many seekers, believers and prisoners. Thousands of people across the former Soviet Union have benefited from your support in 2008, and my prayer is that thousands more will be blessed and strengthened by your future gifts and prayers.
Wishing you a blessed Christmas time!
In Christ,
Director, DPM–Russia/CIS
In recent weeks I have received several calls for help from Georgian pastors in Garbany, Gori and Rustavi who are looking after the refugees from the conflict zone still living in schools, tents and kindergartens.
These believers have done a great job looking after the refugees. But they are running out of money to buy food and basic supplies at a time when prices are soaring. As the winter approaches they need food, blankets, clothing and medical supplies to help refugees who have lost everything.
DPM does not generally send humanitarian aid, but in this case we would like to show God’s love in practical ways to these refugees especially since the pastors who have asked for help have strong connections with our ministry. Each pack of food and supplies will contain a copy of The Divine Exchange.
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