Prayer Update...prayer still needed!

From the word of Scott Runzo:

Well, like always there has been good news and some not-so-good/but not too bad-news. First, Kelly and Donna Hargan got the news today that they don't need residency to get their container out of port. This is big because when we arrived, we needed residency to get a container out of port. If that had been the case for them, after Saturday, it would have cost them 80$ a day, and with residency on hold that could really add up. So, this news is a huge positive for them. Praise God!

The situation with the residency for all the new missionaries is the same, only the time frames will look different, because of their different arrival dates.

We know now that the old system of getting Visas will no longer work, so we will be going through the Baptist Union. I think, although seemingly inconvenient right now, this is a real Godsend. It will bring the new missionaries and the local church closer together by needing each other. Already we have seen the local church that Mike Kelly has been working with really step up and want to help Mike get in the country. I think this will happen with all the missionaries, and it will cause an automatic tangible connection between each. We see that God is so good, and He is always mindful of the bigger picture!

The time frame is our biggest prayer request right now. As you may already know, you can only be in the country for 90 days without a visa. Otherwise, you are considered breaking the law and are forced to leave with a big, back stamp in your passport that forbids entrance back into the country for a year. As it stands, we know when they have to go, we're just not sure where yet! Before, we just went across the border only a couple of hours away and waited it out. But the EU and other European countries just signed an open border agreement (the "Shenga Treaty, if you want the terminology) which means there is no one at the borders to stamp your passport. We love this when it comes to traveling, but no one can tell us what it means to be out of the country. This is why we sent Mike to Ukraine, they are not part of the open border agreement.

As it looks right now all the missionaries will have to leave and head to a country outside of this area. It look like we will have additional places for them to go in Albania and Croatia. Lord-willing, they should only have to go for a week or so while their papers are being processed. Please keep this in your prayers. As you can imagine, for a new missionary who has already spent at least a year (sometimes more) preparing to go to his new country, to have to leave so soon, is very discouraging. Please pray that they will see (as we have already) the hand of God in all of it, and that, in the end, we will all be drawn to Him to a deeper trust and a strengthened faith for all He does in our lives and in the ministry. Also, please pray for Mike Kelly because he left the country on his 90th day, which leaves us a little confused as to how he will come back into the country to pick up his residency papers.

WOW! we will keep you up to date as we get more information.

Thanks for praying and keep on praying - it s so evident that many have lifted us up - we have felt such a peace which transcends all understanding - REALLY! We feel you lifting us up!! Thank you!!

Scott A. Runzo

Josiah Venture

Country Leader Latvia

Director JVLV Latvia

Urgent Prayer Request

I will just copy what Lisa Runzo has said concerning this. I really do not know what that means or me personally as i am one of the ones who looks as if i slipped by (at least for now) but please read this and pray!!!

We would like to ask that you pray this week very fervently, and possibly in the weeks to come for all of our new staff to receive their residency into the country of Latvia!!

Most of you know that we have only had one person not receive their residency in the past. And, in actuality have only heard of two cases (one of those being ours) where missionaries did not receive their residency in the past, out of literally hundreds who have come through Latvia to minister for some time.

Unfortunately, this pattern is about to change. The first of our five new missionaries was rejected on Friday. Mike Kelly left for the Ukraine (a non-EU country, as required) yesterday, and will have to reside there until this conflict is resolved. We fear that the other four will receive their bad news on Wednesday (although this is not for certain yet - prayer # 1!!!!!!!)

It seems that EU rules are changing things significantly. In fact, our family should have been rejected in October when we re-applied, as well as our other existing missionary, Jaycee Jensen, in November. How we "slipped through" we cannot say. We suspect that the five new people applying caused a red flag and further investigation. Apparently, the way we have been registered as a not-for-profit organization does not allow us to invite people into the country to live any longer. This is hugely significant because every other missions organization in the country is listed in the same way and goes through the same process to bring missionaries into the country.

Some people have suggested we pay for a lawyer, but, in fact, this would do no good (and, actually, we paid for a lawyer with our last missionary who was rejected, and he really couldn't help us). A lawyer cannot help us change the law, and they cannot change the minds of the people working in the government office. The EU is "cracking down" and making it more and more difficult for foreigners to receive residency, and in fact, they have to do this. With all the new Eastern block countries that have been accepted into the EU, they have to control it somehow if they do not want all of Russia and the Middle East to flood through their doors. The difficult part of all this is - we have very few other options.

Right now, we are praying that possibly not all of our new people have been rejected - Eastern Europe is still that way - it can change from day to day, depending who is working. We will know for sure on Wednesday whether or not they all have to leave. Mike will be applying for residency through the Baptist Union for a religious visa, and since he does have a certificate from a seminary, we don't see that he will be rejected again - but, again, nothing is ever for sure here. The down side of that kind of visa is that it is only given for one year, so every year you have to pay high fees and face the stress of being rejected. But, as said before, we don't have a lot of other options at this point.

Pray for Mike as he has to stay in Ukraine and wait - pray that the Lord will meet Him there and minister to him. Pray that he will receive welcome back into the country very soon.

Pray for our other missionaries - Kelly and Donna Hargon, Joe Brookes, and Nick Fletcher - as they wait until Wednesday. Pray that miraculously the news is good and they have been accepted!! Pray that if it is not good, we will find a good course of action for all of them - they can't all stay with the one couple who lives in Ukraine!

Pray that we find a solution to this very upsetting mess! As said before, this will affect every other mission agency in the country, and quite possibly all of the EU!! Pray for Scott, as country leader, that he would have wisdom and discernment. Pray for someone to come along side of us who can help us sort this out! Pray for the right people to be in the right offices as they make decisions regarding our people.

The bottom line of all this is - we are shocked and confused. The good news - God is not!!! He knew it all before any of it came to be. He is in control, and now we must petition Him to work His mighty hand in this! He can do this - we cannot! But we must come to Him and pray!!

Please commit to praying for this matter to be resolved, and for our faith to be strengthened as we see Him work!

Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God." - John 11:40

Thank you for standing with us in faith and belief!