2004 prayer requests

So that we don't forget God's faithfulness, here are 2004 prayer requests and their answers.

Red text is answered prayers, praises.

December 11, 2004
Health - We've all had colds this week. Even though we're already starting to feel better, we would definitely appreciate your prayers for our health.
Gospelink - All is going well, but Will is still busy with this. We have both done a good bit of translating and there is more still. There are several loose ends that Will needs to wrap up before he can be done for this quarter.

November 20, 2004
Baby - By now you all know our exciting news! (If not, be sure to look at Jaan's announcement.) I'm doing quite well, but please pray for strength, energy, and no nausea.
Outreach - Keep praying for the new kids' program that has come from the outreach in the village of Sannikova.
Gospelink - This is the end of a quarter, so Will is very busy with coordinating everything. He'll be working on this and traveling a lot over the next week or so.

November 13, 2004
Sleep - Jaan's doing slightly better, but he's still waking up a whole lot during the night. Will stays up with him, so Will is pretty tired, too.
Outreach - Today they got together with the kids who had come to the children's film last week. Will said that it went really well. The kids were enthusiastically waiting for them when they arrived and really enjoyed the attention that they were shown. Pray that this can be an ongoing ministry.

November 6, 2004
Travel - We had a wonderful trip and visit with our families and friends! Thank you for your prayers!
Sleep - I said before our trip that Jaan was sleeping through the night. That ended when we left Russia. And now he's not adjusting back to our time zone. We are getting very little sleep and are exhausted. Please pray for Jaan to relearn how to sleep through the night and to adjust to local time!
Outreach - Yesterday and today Will and Pavel have gone to villages to show a Christian movie and make contacts. Please pray for them as they do this and follow-up on it, too. Pray for results.

September 4, 2004
Russia - Pray for this country. This week has been a bad one, with what seems like a huge outbreak of terrorist attacks. Pray for the officials in charge, for the families who have been hurt, and for peace.
Travel - So far, everything has gone well. Will has to go to Moscow for Gospelink again on Monday, then next Saturday we'll be starting on our big travels.
Jaan will turn one next week! We praise the Lord for him every day. Let's thank God for our first year with him, and pray that the year ahead will be just as wonderful and full of growth, health, and happy days of learning!

August 28, 2004
Travel - Will is going to be traveling to meet up with Gospelink preachers and to pick up our visas in Moscow. Please pray for safety and success in all he has to do.
Sleep - Jaan has started sleeping through the night! It's wonderful! Praise the Lord with us for this. Pray that our upcoming trip to the States won't upset his sleep patterns too much.

August 21, 2004
Visas - Our visas are being registered. Please pray that we won't have to pay a late fine.
Youth meeting - We are really enjoying having the youth meet here!
Gospelink - It's the end of a Gospelink quarter, so we're going to be busy with distributing funds, making phone calls, and translating.

August 14, 2004
Visas - We had a wonderful trip to Turkey! All that is left of the visa process is registration. There shouldn't be any complications with that, but you can still pray. The laws have changed recently, and we've never registered the way we have to now.
Youth meeting - We will be hosting the youth meeting again tonight. Last week went well. Thank you for your prayers!
Trip to the States - We're working on planning our fall trip to the States. Praise the Lord that we found a good deal on tickets!
Zhenya - We had asked for prayer a while ago for this young man. He has come back to the church!

August 7, 2004
Visas - We're leaving tomorrow night for Moscow, and then we'll fly to Turkey on Monday.
Sleep - Jaan is sleeping better, but he still really seems to be struggling with tooth #7.
Youth meeting - ...is here tonight, and right now Will is preparing what he is going to be sharing. Please pray for him to be clear as he leads the meeting.

August 2, 2004  Thank you for all your prayers over the time when we have been away from home and unable to update. We had a wonderful and challenging summer, and we can't wait to tell you all about it. For now, I'll just update the prayer requests, though. =)
Visas - Everything seems to be going well with processing our visas. We'll be flying to Turkey on Monday to renew them. Please keep praying for everything to go smoothly and for us to have a good trip.
Sleep! - Jaan is teething and going through a very tough time with sleeping. He doesn't want to take naps, and he cries a lot during the night. We are all tired!

June 10, 2004  Just an update: This is a very busy time. Dean's visit and the Gospelink meetings went well. The Motherwise study is getting ready to stop for the summer. Will's sister, Anna, is here visiting, and we're having a great time with her. We're in the middle of the local orphanage day camp now. Today is a break for us, because the kids are on a field trip. The American groups start arriving on Saturday. Sometime in the second half of next week we'll be going to the main camp. Please keep praying for us!  
May 29, 2004
Motherwise - The first meeting seemed to go quite well, although the ladies were a little quiet and shy. Please keep praying for this group!
Camp - Same as last week. . . Also, we're trying to work things out for the orphanage camp here.
Gospelink - Dean & Co. arrive today. Please pray for a profitable visit.

May 22, 2004
Motherwise - We couldn't start this week, but now we're planning on next week. And we have a wonderful problem! There are more moms interested than we had originally planned for, so we have to come up with some more books.
Camp - There's nothing specific or new here, but please keep praying. There is so much to do and so much being done right now!
School ministry - Will and Pavel went back yesterday to talk to the head teacher . . . or so they thought. She was actually ready for Will to go right into one of the older classes. He spent an hour and a half talking to the kids, introducing himself and discussing purpose in life with the class.

May 14, 2004
Motherwise - Next week we'll be starting a Motherwise Bible study group for the ladies in the church and at least one unsaved mother. It's a little daunting for me. Even though we'll mostly just be watching the videos and discussing the homework, I'll be leading!
Camp - The decision on buying the camp is a definite "no." Please pray now as everyone works to get the old camp fixed up. Also, pray for us as we look for translators.
School ministry - There is a possibility that some contacts this week will lead to a ministry in an English specialty school next year.
Gospelink - Dean Kershner and others from Gospelink will be coming to visit in a few weeks. Will is planning out the details for their trip now.

April 25, 2004
Church - We had a great trip last week. Even with some car trouble, God worked everything out for us. The fellowship was sweet, and Jaan was absolutely on his best behavior.
Camp - Please continue to pray about the purchase of the camp. Tomorrow Will is going to be translating for the negotiations with the property owners. Please pray for the meeting to go smoothly, and for Will to be able to speak clearly.

April 17, 2004
Church - The Easter service was wonderful! Thank you for praying. Tomorrow we will be going with a group to visit another church. It will be a long trip, so please pray for safe travel for all of us and good behavior for Jaan. =) Pray that we will be a blessing an encouragement to the missionary and church that we will be visiting.
Orphanage - Will is continuing to teach on his own this week. Last week one lesson went really well, and one was a bit harder.
Camp - Several people from the church in Minnesota are coming this week to look into buying a camp property. Pray for their travel and time here, and for those of us here who will be helping them. Please pray that they'll be able to get this camp, if it is the Lord's will. Also, we're starting to look for translators for the summer.
Zhenya - The one young, single guy who had been a part of the church here has stopped coming to church and fellowshipping with believers. Please pray that he will come back and be able to work through his problems.

April 10, 2004  Christ is Risen! Enjoy celebrating that tomorrow!
Church - Will and Pavel have been handing out New Testaments in different places. Please pray for this ministry. Also, pray that there will be many guests at church tomorrow.
Library - When Pavel went back to talk about the library again, the man had changed his mind. Please continue to pray that God will provide a place to set out the book table.
Hot water - We have hot water and heat! And they've been pretty reliable lately!
Orphanage - Will is going to be teaching the Bible lessons by himself for the first time this week.

March 20, 2004
Church - The building that Pavel was considering for the church didn't work out. Even though this is disappointing, it is also a relief for him. The negotiating was getting to be too much and we were just praying for a definite "yes" or "no." At least we have an answer now!
Library - Will and Pavel went around this week, trying to find a place to put out a table with a lending library of Christian books. It looks like they found a somewhere, so please pray for this ministry to get started.
Hot water - Right now we have hot water, but it has been off and on quite often lately. They seem to turn it on for the weekends. =) Also, the heat was off for several days this week. Please pray for us to be patient with this, and for us to have reliable hot water and heat.
Tomorrow - Will's preaching. Pray for him as he prepares and gives his message.

March 13, 2004
Church - Please continue to pray for a good meeting place. Keep this in mind as an ongoing prayer request, and I'll let you know when there is an update. (I want to be able to go to church! I get Christian fellowship throughout the week, but it's too cold to take Jaan on Sundays, so I stay home.)
Orphanage - One of the girls from church teaches Bible lessons at the local orphanage four times a week. Will is helping her and leading music. Jaan and I try to go at least once a week, too. Please pray for the kids and the outreach in this orphanage.
Ministry - We need prayer for wisdom and opportunities as we find our places in ministry here. For now we are helping kind of randomly in many areas. We hope to work into more definite and possibly new ministries as we get settled into the church here.
Gospelink - Pray for Will to be able to fulfill his responsibilities with sponsoring Russian missionaries through Gospelink. He has had a lot of work to do for this lately.

February 28, 2004
Moving - We are living in Kovrov now! PTL!
Church - The church here meets in a COLD auditorium. Right now there's a possibility of renting a building that we could use all through the week and that has heat. Please pray that the details could be worked out, if this building is right for the church here.
Sleep - Jaan is doing so much better at night! It's really nice to be well rested.
Pray for Will, as he is preaching tomorrow.

January 26, 2004
Moving - Hurrah! We found a place! Please praise God with us and pray for us as we get packed up to move in about two weeks.
I got to go to a wonderful retreat for mothers this past weekend, and I'm so thankful for the encouragement and refreshment of that. Thank the Lord with me for that, and pray that I will apply the teaching that I heard.
Lately Jaan has been sleeping pretty badly. It's starting to get better, but please pray for us to be able to cope with being so tired and for him to continue to sleep more at nights.

January 11, 2004  I have to get used to putting prayer requests up again, after such a long time of not being able to! =)
Moving - We've had some responses to the ad about an apartment, but nothing that seems right yet. Please keep praying.
Health - All three of us have just gotten over colds. You can praise God for that and pray that we don't get sick again!

If there's anything we can pray about for you, please let us know. You can email us at mayakovsky@willphyl.com. We will certainly pray!