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Cornerstone Communications
Ukraine
October 26, 2006

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Kiev, Ukraine! This letter has been long overdue! Finding an internet club is no small feat, and virtually no one has internet in their home, so it's a task to go online. Kiev is more glorious than ever right now! The trees are magnificently colorful with shimmering gold, fiery red, and brilliant orange leaves. There is a veritable leafy carpet under every step I take. The days are crisp and cold, and what a joy to be alive!

A Rocky Start

Friends, I need your prayers. Spiritual attacks abound whenever the work of the Lord is being done, but this has been an unusual two weeks. What I write in the following few paragraphs is not to complain, but to alert you on the situation here, so that you'll be better informed on how to pray for this current outreach.

When I arrived in Kiev, my luggage was lost. It would take me four days to get it. Do you know what it's like having nothing but the clothes on your back, and nothing else? I had to buy clothes everyday for 4 days plus toiletries. It finally arrived, but some items (as usual) were stolen from my luggage.

I've been here for over two weeks now, and regarding the production, have found myself "stuck in the mud". When I arrive in a country usually, the church has been hard at work preparing for my arrival. Through a series of miscommunications (which ex-Soviet countries are famous for) , virtually nothing was done. I found myself literally starting a production "from scratch" once I arrived. That's way too late to be starting a production! I had given the script and other information MONTHS earlier, but nothing was done with it.

Like my dancers, my world has been upside down for the last two weeks! Things are finally coming together!

The place I was given to live had nothing in it. I had to buy cups, saucers, silverware, towels, a heater, and hundreds of little items that a person needs just to exist everyday. It's far away from everything, so I am wasting valuable time walking to and walking back from the nearest mass transportation station. It takes me an hour or more to get anywhere. I have to buy my food blocks away and carry it all home by hand on foot.

None of the songs were translated when I arrived, even though the translator insisted everything was ready. When I finally pinned him down, he admitted nothing had begun. To date, the songs aren't even finished, and we're only two weeks from the show! The poor cast doesn't even have the script or the CD's yet! All because we're waiting for this one translator!

At auditions, there were no more than 2-3 people. The coordinator wasn't concerned. And I need 65 for this musical! HELP, LORD! I have been desperately trying to get a cast and a crew together, with a local interpreter who doesn't even care whether I'm here or not.

I met an incredible Christian artist who does work for films here. These beautiful Sphinxes are his gift to our production!

After many days of prayer, I started to see the wheels finally start to move. First of all, I was grateful when my interpreter, Stass, from Yalta, came in and agreed to help me. He's married, but is leaving his family in Yalta for a month to help me get things happening. Secondly, even though I didn't want the pastor here, Pastor Henry Madava of Pobeda Church, to think I'm complaining, I felt he needed to know. He was so embarrassed, as he had no idea I was being treated so badly, and immediately got others involved.

For the first time since I've arrived, things are now going right, and even though we're two weeks behind, I have a new staff helping me. Pastor Vera, Victor Byedni, and a team of others are making this production come alive! We have begun rehearsals, and even though we're horrifically behind, at least we're on the road towards Opening Night, which is two weeks away (and the cast STILL doesn't have a script!) I'm teaching them the dances to the English music, and they're learning dances nightly. Praise the Lord. I'm grateful to the Lord for answering my prayer through Pastor Henry who's helping to turn everything around! We're off to a rocky start, but at least the "big wheels are rolling"!

Joy 101

Recently a friend of mine said to me, "You're always so happy! How in the midst of so many things going wrong can you be so happy?" I didn't know I was! However, I did ponder on that, and as I thought about it, I wanted to share with you what the Lord told me about enjoying life.

At the end of a production meeting 2 days ago, Pastor Henry Madava of 10,000 member Pobeda (and dear friend), Stass-my interpreter and I share a light moment.

First of all, I look back at a time when it was just the opposite. I disliked myself so much: the way I looked, the way I dressed, my size, my nose, my hair, my smile, on and on. My background wasn't cool, my finances were non-existent… I could write several pages on all that I thought was wrong with me. That's not important.

Here's what's important: in the midst of all those problems, I went to the Lord and gave them to Him! I decided to leave all my problems with Him, and move forward and CHOOSE to enjoy life!

Okay, we've established that I'm not perfect. Many people feel that God can't use them because they're not perfect. Who is? It's okay to acknowledge that you can't do everything, but then stop worrying about all your flaws, and get on with life! II Cor. 4:7 says "We possess this precious treasure in vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves."

The beautiful churches and colorful buildings are what make Ukraine such a scenic place to be.

Choose to use your gifts and talents to encourage, make somebody happy and to boost them up. The kind of day you have primarily depends on what you're feeding your mind: negative or positive information. If we dwell on ourselves, our actions will reflect those thoughts. Yet, if you dwell on things that are godly, joyous, and positive, you'll reflect those things as well. But there's more than you can do than to just "think happy thoughts."

Another key is to be led by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." We now live under a new law. Some think that they can do whatever they want, and find happiness that way. No. True joy and happiness can only come when we are led by the Holy Spirit. How can you tell the difference? You can learn to recognize when its God's prompting by the tremendous peace that you'll feel.

Just remember that the devil is trying to do all he can to get you upset, and to lose your joy. When you lose your joy, you no longer can be in the presence of God, which is what the enemy's overall goal is. So be careful! You know what I do when I realize that "thing after thing" is going wrong? Once I realize it, then I go to the Throne Room and start to worship. To praise God. To lift high the name of Jesus. The devil hates it when you worship! If you insist on worshipping the Lord, the devil stops bothering you!

Taking the dancers through their motions, the cast has been hard at work trying to make up for lost time.

We know that Nehemiah 8:10 says, "the joy of the Lord is your strength…". I find I'm able to accomplish so much more when I'm not upset. When I'm happy, I can do most anything. Then, a wonderful cycle begins. I find that my choice to be happy (although I may not start by "feeling" that way) leads to worship, even though I don't mean it 100%. From that praise and worship, I notice my feelings start to come around, and then joy starts to fill me. Things automatically start to go right, and people start responding positively around me, and more things are accomplished. It's a great day to be alive!

How can one person be so happy and one be so miserable? It's a choice. So, which one are you going to choose? Once you've made the choice, the Holy Spirit takes over, and starts to lead you, and you're on your way to one glorious day after another. That, my friend, is how to enjoy life!

Bolshoi Spaceba!

That's Russian for "Thank you very much!" I'm so thankful to the Lord for allowing me the opportunity to serve Him in this capacity. I also thank you for your prayers and support. Where in the world would I be without you? I praise God for you, and please, please, please drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you! Please pray that the set, the lights and the sound will all be ready soon. Please pray that we'll be able to make an impact here in Kiev, and beyond! God bless you, my friend!

For the Kingdom,
Richard Montez