Hamm's Headings

Hamm's Headings is a bi-monthly newsletter (mostly a summary of Hamm Prayer Points). Available online, in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format, or by email.

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Location: Portage la Prairie, MB, Canada

2007-07-29

Hamm's Headings - July 2007

Oh, Canada!

It's been a while since the last 'Headings! Here's a summary for those who've missed news of the past six months:

  • Our family underwent a colossal struggle to prepare to leave our home of seven years. We had to part with most of our material possessions (we had to get everything down to ten suitcases) and say goodbye to Nina, our ministry co-workers and our friends. Less than a month before our flight, Maya came down with chicken pox. Deena was next, followed by Sonia (on her 18th birthday, no less!). Thankfully we were all better when the time came to travel.
  • Sonia's first priority upon arrival was registration at Brandon University. She was accepted into the faculty of Fine Arts (four-year program), and was also provided with a home with friends in time for September classes. Sonia then got to work: she taught three jewellery classes at Michael's in Brandon, and was offered a full-time job at Portage MCC Thrift Store. She is enjoying her work, and is trying to save lots of kopecks pennies for university.
  • Maya arrived in time to participate in and graduate from the "ABC" program at Lighthouse Christian School in Southport (south of Portage la Prairie). She thoroughly enjoyed her two months of classes there, and is looking forward to being in school full-time in September when her Auntie Kim will be the Junior Learning Centre Supervisor! Another major happening in Maya's life was receiving eyeglasses for the first time. She will need to wear them in an attempt to correct an astigmatism in her right eye.
  • Deena is adjusting well to life in Canada (especially the first-time experience of running outside barefoot!), but has also been the recipient of something new: a puffer. Because Deena has some problems breathing normally, the doctor put her on a trial puffer to see if it will help (he suspects allergies are the cause of her woes).
  • Lena continues to work at the Graphic Bible translation project. Unfortunately, she hasn't had a lot of quiet time to work on it (it's hard to find a quiet place in a mobile home!). Otherwise Lena has been busy caring for the girls, volunteering at Portage MCC, cutting hair and continuing with the acclimatization process!
  • Kevin has a new job! Starting September 1st I will be the Vice-Principal/Senior Learning Centre Supervisor at Lighthouse Christian School. This is an administrative position, not a teaching one, but it will afford me the opportunity to continue to train young Christian leaders. I am looking forward to this new ministry opportunity!
  • Our new home is almost ready! Through an incredible series of blessings we were able to purchase a house in Portage la Prairie. While not new (it was built in 1906), it will be a wonderful home for our family, with a complete suite ready for Nina's anticipated visit. We take possession on August 12th, and would be very grateful for help in moving! Meanwhile, our apartment should be officially sold by the time you receive this, Praise the Lord!
What else have we been doing for the past three months, you ask? Besides the very needed time of adjustment and rest, we have been busy visiting government offices, filling out forms and getting doctor, dentist and optometrist visits out of the way. Our family puts in a lot of hours volunteering at Portage MCC, and we have also spent time meeting with supporters and preparing for what comes next. Starting this autumn we will be reporting to our supporting churches. More details to come.

Summer/Fall Ministry & Family Events

July

2 – Kevin teaching at Valley View Bible Camp
4 – Kevin, Lena, Maya & Deena head west
5-7 – Hanging out in Hinton AB
8 – Arrive and get settled in Abbotsford
9-12 – Meetings with MBMSI in Abbotsford
13-17 – Visiting in the Abbotsford area
17 – Departure for Edmonton
18-21 – Visiting in the Edmonton area
22 – Kevin, Lena, Maya & Deena return home to Portage la Prairie
29 – Kevin speaking at the Bible Baptist Church in Portage la Prairie, broadcast live from 7-8 p.m. on CFRY (AM 920 / FM 93.1)

August

9 – Kevin's birthday
12 – We take possession of our new home!

September

15 – Sharing at Froese family gathering
27 – Maya's 7th birthday
29 - Oct 5 – Camp Directors Institute (Moscow)
30 – Presentation in Lakeview Community Church (Killarney MB)

TBA

Church presentations in Newton, Selkirk & Winnipeg. See www.krhamm.com/calendar for up-to-date info.

Transitioning...

It is hard to describe what it is like for a family to make the move from the only home they've known to a such a completely different country as Canada is from Russia. Certainly the fact that we have only existed as a family in Russia means that this move will be less than straightforward. While friends and family around us are cruising along at top speed, we keep sputtering to a stop trying to figure out how to shop for groceries, pay bills, get medical care, schedule time and more. It is so hard to explain how this change is affecting our family, but it certainly does!

We appreciate it so very much when friends ask us if we need help, supplies or furnishings. We often don't know what exactly we need, but certainly do have needs! A huge thank you to all who have checked in on us to see how we're doing. It is easy for us to feel lost here! Time spent in fellowship with family & friends has been especially meaningful. Thank you for every effort you've made to help us make the transition. Following are a few more details about the changes in our lives:

  • Our temporary home has been a mobile home located just south of Portage, within easy walking distance of my parents' home. Since last autumn, when it first looked like we may be coming soon, my parents have been storing our ever-increasing stockpile of food, furnishings and clothing. Since we wouldn't be able to bring much, Mom & Dad and many relatives & friends began collecting essentials for us months in advance of our coming. Once it was clear when we were coming my parents turned the "warehouse" into a home. When we arrived in the wee hours of the morning after a long day of flying it was such a blessing to be able to walk into a ready-made home! Thank you to all who helped and gave!!!
  • The Portage MCC Thrift Store has been an amazing source of supplies for us for many years. The staff & volunteers there have blessed us with assistance and donated goods, and we have been able to find much of the clothing we've needed for our family. We happily joined the ranks of volunteers when we arrived, and we love to help out in whatever way we are able. Of course, being volunteers means being able to get first dibs on new "treasures"! :-)
  • Work on the Lion Graphic Bible has given Lena the opportunity to keep her translation skills honed. The project is a casual translation of the Bible in "comic book" format for youth. Lena hopes to continue with translation work once this project is completed. Please contact us if you learn of any work opportunities for her!
  • Lighthouse Christian School is the successor to the Christian school I attended near Portage. The school is located in Southport, a short drive from Portage. The opportunity to work there is a tremendous blessing. After facing months of uncertain answers to "what's next?" it's great to know that I will have a place in the ministry of Christian education. Since the school uses the A.C.E. program, I do not have to be an accredited teacher, as the curriculum itself is the teacher. As Vice-Principal I will take leadership in the Principal's absence and conduct chapels and Bible studies. And as the Senior Learning Centre Supervisor I will supervise the older students and assist them as needed in their planning and assignments. To top it off, across the room from me will be my sister Kim Otsuji, working as the new Junior Learning Centre Supervisor!

Blessings

  • Lena & Sonia's meeting with Canadian Immigration officials went extremely well. We were somewhat disappointed that the process wasn't more painful—we put a lot of effort into preparing for the interviews!
  • Our home church, Community Fellowship in Newton, hosted a food shower for us upon our arrival, providing us with needed food and household supplies. What a great blessing!
  • Lena was offered a part-time job at Reflections Cafe in Portage, part of Heritage Book & Gift Shoppe. She is excited to have the opportunity to be out and serve and meet new people.
  • Selling our apartment in St. Petersburg took a bit longer than we thought it would, but in the end it was well worth it! There are still a few minor details to be worked out, but Lord willing, by the middle of August the funds from the sale should make their way here. What an answer to prayer!
  • We had a wonderful trip to Alberta & BC by train (we set foot on Sask. soil for about 10 minutes). Okay, so the train wasn't a complete blessing, but at least the girls had room to run around and play and I didn't have to drive! We had some great visits with friends and relatives along the way, and a wonderful visit with MBMSI staff. A huge thank you to the MBMSI staff, especially Paul Dyck & Teresa Born, for making our debrief such a joy!
  • We are so very thankful for all the help my Mom & Dad have been to us over the years, especially as they prepared for our arrival. Over the past fifteen years they have been my/our "home office", keeping in close contact with our supporters and making sure all the t's got crossed and i's got dotted. Praise God for their faithfulness!!!

Petitions

  • Please pray for the staff of the CCI/Russia office in St. Petersburg as they carry on the ministry of leading the Christian camping ministry in the former Soviet Union.
  • Pray that the papers and money transfer from the apartment sale will be completed without problem.
  • It is our prayer that Lena will be able to travel to St. Petersburg in autumn to help Nina obtain a Canadian tourist visa. We would love to be able to bring Nina to stay with us over Christmas! Please pray that we will be able to afford the travel & visa costs.

CCI/Russia Ministry Update

Staff Training Workshops... CCIR's annual training workshops were held in four former Soviet states this past spring. Seven STWs were held in Belarus, Latvia, Russia and Uzbekistan. Praise God for hundreds of newly-trained leaders!

Keep informed about the Christian camping ministry in Russia and the former Soviet Union by visiting www.ccirussia.org/en.

3 Ways You Can Continue to Make a Difference

As we wrap up our formal ministry with MBMSI & CCI/Russia we would like to offer you ways to continue your life-impacting support:

You can help MBMSI... Though we will no longer be formally serving with MBMSI, we hope to assist in various ways, as we are able. Meanwhile, MBMSI continues in the ministry of holistic church planting that transforms communities among the least reached. There are many ways you can be involved: pray, go or give! For more information please visit www.mbmsi.org.

You can help CCI/Russia... As time permits, Lena & I will volunteer our services to assist the work of Christian camping in the former Soviet Union. If God provides the needed finances, we would love to be able to return to Russia to assist with future leadership training. In the meantime, CCI/Russia would benefit greatly from your prayers. There are also needs for materials and finances. For more information visit www.ccirussia.org/en or contact us directly. We would be happy to show you ways to impact the lives of children & youth in Russia & beyond.

You can help us... As we prepare to settle in Canada, we will continue to face challenges in our transition. Lena & Sonia especially will need your prayers as new immigrants adjusting to life in Canada. Please don't forget us! :-) We dearly appreciate your prayers! Since we are setting up a home in Canada for the first time, there are many things we need. Perhaps you can assist us in meeting our material needs. As mentioned above, Lena & I are interested in future service with MBMSI & CCI/Russia. If you would like to see us continue in this ministry, please let us know. If enabled, we would love to continue to serve in this and other ways. For more ways to help us, please visit www.krhamm.com/support.

Is This The End???

Hamm's Headings will continue to be published for the foreseeable future. We would like to update you on our autumn presentation schedule before summer is out. And we would of course like to keep you informed about our family & ministry happenings in the future! If you wish to remain on our mailing list, please do! If not, no problem.

flickr= Photos

View thousands of photos of our family, ministry and travel at www.flickr.com/photos/krhamm and at www.flickr.com/photos/sonique

More Questions (& Answers)

Here are some more frequently asked questions (with answers) we're facing as we prepare to wrap up our service with MBMSI and CCI/Russia:

Are you in Canada "for good"?

In order for Lena & Sonia to become fully (or at least more permanently) Canadian, they need to reside in Canada for at least two out of the next five years. With Sonia entering a four-year university course and with our little ones starting school (Maya already & Deena soon enough), it's not likely that we'll want to move anywhere else soon. We would love to return to Russia someday (and Lord-willing will), but for the foreseeable future we plan to make Canada our home.

Does this mean you're leaving the ministry?

Yes and no. Our term with MBMSI will end on August 31, 2007 by mutual agreement. As for CCI/Russia, I hope to be able to continue helping CCI with website work, technical editing and by providing consultation; all on personal time. We also hope to be able to return to Russia to do training in the future, if the Lord allows and the finances are in place.

Are you still in need of financial support?

Yes! The past year has been a very lean one for us financially. In August 2006 we took a 25% pay cut in order to pay off our deficit with MBMSI, but we currently receive only 75% of our needed monthly donations. As we come to the close of our service with MBMSI, the need to pay our bills (such as our flight to Canada) remains. We would be very grateful if your financial support would continue until the end of August. (Please remember to quote our project code on all donations sent to MBMSI: C0327)

Thank you all for your prayers, encouragement & support. We look forward to seeing many of you in the coming months!
– Kevin, Lena, Sonia, Maya & Deena

Our new contact info:

Mailing address (as of August 12):

Kevin & Lena Hamm
123 2nd Street NE
Portage la Prairie MB R1N 1R9 (not 1N9)

Telephone:

Kevin's cell: (204) 872-3802
Lena's cell: (204) 872-0325

Hamm's Headings...

  • A newsletter from Kevin & Lena Hamm, missionaries with MBMS International, serving with CCI/Russia (St. Petersburg).
  • Hamm’s Headings is written by Kevin Hamm except where noted. The material contained herein is personal, and is not necessarily reflective of MBMSI or CCI/Russia.
  • The print version of this newsletter was created using Scribus, a free desktop publishing program available at www.scribus.net.
  • We welcome your comments and questions.

Web sites:

posted by Kevin R. Hamm | 08:41

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