Doug and Lila Groth
ECMI
Summer 2015
Dear Friends,
We hope you are having a good summer. Thank you for continuing to support us. We couldn’t do what God has called us to do here in Poland without your help. Much has happened since we last wrote. At the end of May we had a weekend away for the Rabka church. Half of the church members were able to travel with us for a 3 day visit to a village in southern Poland. We had a good time hiking, praying and just spending time together. We are so thankful that our son, Philip, was able to visit us for several weeks in May and June. Natalia hadn’t yet started work then and was able to spend that time with us, too. It was great to be able to do things together (all 4 of us) again. Philip has returned to Oregon where he is working at a YMCA camp until he begins his second year of university in September. Natalia began working for a pharmaceutical company in Warsaw in June. We don’t get to see her as often now but are grateful that everything is working out so well for her.
Good things have been happening in the Rabka church (not without difficulties as well). One woman from the church has left for a 2 month mission trip to the Middle East. For security reasons she can’t even say exactly where she is located. Her main ministry will be teaching English.
Please pray with us for the Kogut family. We got to know them through their son, also named Filip, who is our son, Philip’s best friend. They have come to the church several times and been to our home. Please pray that the whole family – Filip, his sister, Kaja, and her boyfriend, Kuba, and their parents – will come to know Him. Pray that we’ll be channels of God’s love and truth for them.
Not long ago we organized a get together for seniors in the Rabka church. A large group joined us from the Baptist church in Krakow. There were talks on the subjects of; anger, loneliness and caring for our bodies as we age. There was also lots of good conversation and laughter. People said they want to make it a yearly tradition.
We have also been able to do some “home improvements”. We had new outside stairs put in and, after 14 years, had our house painted (see attached pictures).
We are grateful to the Lord for the two weeks of vacation that Lila and I were able to spend recently in Slovakia. We stayed with people who care for full time Christian workers. They had lots of good books and DVDs. We visited several castles in the area. The food was fantastic. They spoiled us.
Lila and I are planning to spend a year in Oregon beginning in June 2017, Lord willing. Our home church has a house that they make available for missionaries to use and we’ve booked it for that time. We hope to be able to work, serve in our home church and spend time with our family. This will also give us time to decide about our future – whether we will return to Poland or stay in Oregon. During the two years from now till then we want to focus on two major goals. The first is to fully hand over leadership of the Rabka church to others. There are two young men in the Rabka church who are growing and developing as leaders. Please pray that they will continue to grow and take on more responsibility, as the Lord leads. Our other goal is to hand over leadership of ECM Poland to another, younger person. Please pray that God will also lead in this area.
We are planning to host a marriage conference in the Rabka church this fall. We want to strengthen marriages and also use this as an opportunity for evangelism. Please pray that the Lord will bring this together for His purposes.
With all the uncertainty and change going on around us we are grateful that we belong to the only true God Who is never changing and eternal. If we belong to Him nothing can ever separate us from His love. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb.13:8)
Please pray;
-for the woman from our church serving in the Middle East. Pray for protection. Pray that she’ll be able to deal with the heat and for wisdom to make the best use of her time.
-for the Kogut family
-for the marriage conference
-for Natalia and Philip
-that we’ll be able to hand over leadership of the Rabka church and ECM Poland in the next two years. Pray that the Lord will make His will for our future clear to us.
Thanks,
Doug and Lila Groth ECMI-USA
32-434 Skomielna Biala P.O. Box 2217
Nr. 623 Monument, CO
POLAND 80132-2279
douggroth@poczta.onet.pl george.brown@ecmi.org
