Update from the Jim and Laura Hutchinson family - missionaries to Russia

Dear Prayer Partners,

Please pray for Pastor Vladimir, our Russian pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Moscow. He recently suffered a mild stroke. Please be in prayer for his wife, Vera, and their children.

What do you do when only 2 people arrive at Tuesday evening Bible study? You preach the Work, of course! We had a great discussion about salvation and eternal life that night. I spoke with Nikolai about his need for a Savior. At the end of the evening he was ready to trust Christ as his personal Savior. but he was nervous about praying in public. I reminded him that prayer is simply a conversation between him and God. Then I told him that I had been there before, so I knew exactly how he felt and that there was nothing to be afraid of. The next thing I knew, Nilolai was praying the sweetest prayer expressing his faith in Christ and full reliance on Him. Talk about an exciting evening! Please pray for Nikolai as he deals with the temptations that abound in every day life.

We have just recently become aware of pending legislation that is being pushed through Russian congress. The following are some of the restrictions that would be imposed:

1. Children under the age of 14 would not be allowed to attend church without express written permission of parents.

2. Missionaries would be restricted to preach/teach only within Baptist church buildings with a letter of permission from sending and receiving organization for the specific dates he is to preach.

3. Baptist churches would not be allowed to offer English classes, VBS, or any other social work.

4. Even Baptist church members witnessing to someone inside a public building would become a crime.

Each year our church celebrates “Zhatva”, the Russian equivalent to thanksgiving. It was a wonderful evening of celebrating God’s blessings and provisions with our church members and several guests. Our theme for this year’s celebrations was “In Christ Alone”. I preached a message entitled “How Great Is Our God” highlighting some of the amazing ways that God shows His majesty while still being a very personal God.

Our family wishes you a Blessed Thanksgiving! We are thankful for you, our partners in ministry, who pray or us and enable us to continue to serve in Russia.

For His Glory,
Jim Hutchinson