“For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5)
Thankful for the Shelter of His Wings
“Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah” (Psalm 61:4)
There is a first time for everything, and this was a first for us. It was 5:30 AM, and though it was still dark outside, we were stirring to wake up when we heard a knock on the bedroom door. How could that be? And then we remembered that we were not home in Moldova, but in Odesa, Ukraine, in Holly’s apartment (Holly Friesen, ABWE Ukraine).
“You need to come out of the bedroom and shelter in the hallway.”
It took a minute to clear the morning fog out of our brains and realize that Russian drones and missiles were detected near the city. Thankfully, Holly got the coffee going as we sat in the hall waiting for the “all clear” signal to be transmitted via the official messaging service.
Well, it was Thanksgiving morning, and it was a great time to text our missionary colleagues (the Sukos - ABWE Ukraine) and wish them “Happy Thanksgiving!” After all, no one was sleeping with the air raid warnings! Our neighborhood had lights and power, but the Sukos sat in the dark at their apartment. How will we have Thanksgiving dinner at their house if the power is out?
This is the daily experience of the Ukrainian people, and it is not unusual to get shelter warnings more than once a day. Power is rationed during the day to give everyone light and energy for a few hours daily. Jo Ann and I had to remember back to the days as new missionaries in the 1970s when terrorist groups in Peru set off car bombs in the center of Lima and blew up power towers that brought electricity to the Peruvian coast from the Andes mountains. Yes, we have experienced some interesting times over the years, but this Thanksgiving was the first time sheltering from drones and missiles! Please remember Ukraine in prayer.
Thankful for Jesus
On Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving, we were fellowshipping with some wonderful Christian leaders in Odesa, and I was asked if I would preach to about 50 people the next morning. It was to be an evangelistic message, and I was thrilled for the opportunity. Holly was cooking pumpkin pies that morning, so one of the brothers came by and picked me up, and we went to the meeting.
People from the neighborhood come on Thursday mornings to sing praises, pray, and listen to God’s Word. Often, there are provisions or at least a loaf of bread for each person to take home. It’s not easy to describe doing ministry in a war zone, but even non-believers take God seriously. Prayer is greatly appreciated, and God’s Word is respected. Christian leaders are appreciated, loved, and respected; that morning's leadership team was terrific. There was much freedom to preach with my translator, God’s grace in sending Jesus. What a great beginning to Thanksgiving Day!
That afternoon, we celebrated with a traditional turkey, all the trimmings, and fellowship, including singing Christmas carols after dinner! The lights went out at about 7:00, but the singing did not stop as battery-powered lamps lit up the room. It was a fantastic day for Jo Ann and me to be with our faithful missionary friends serving the Lord in very challenging circumstances. All of us were thankful to be together and thankful for the privilege of serving our Lord in Eastern Europe.
Thankful for a Happy Heart
Before leaving for Odesa, we contacted my cardiologist to schedule the procedure to place the second stent in my blood vessel. We were surprised and happy to hear the doctor tell us that the second stent would not be necessary! The blockage of the affected vessel was not sufficient to warrant the procedure.
Like many of you, Jo Ann and I were praying about this next step. I felt it would have been great if the new stent had not been necessary. The Lord heard all these prayers, and we rejoiced at His answer. Thank you so much for praying!
Now, with rare exceptions (like Thanksgiving Day), Jo Ann and I eat a vegan diet to lower the risk of blood vessel blockage. We read Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.'s book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, which strongly recommends a diet free from all meats and dairy products. This is another first for us!
Thankful for the Cloud
The ABWE home office team is preparing for the mission's one-hundredth anniversary milestone in 2027. One of the innovative ideas was to create a “Cloud of Witnesses” website that would house the stories of many missionaries who served the Lord around the world with ABWE. In the summer of 2022, ABWE asked us to record our journey with the Lord over the years. We would appear at the ABWE home office to work in the recording studio for several hours over three or four days. The technical team at ABWE has edited and produced our story, which is available to hear online. To listen to how God transformed us from being lost in the Flower Children “Hippy” movement of the 60’s to serving the Lord all over the world, please click here:
A link at the bottom of this page takes you to another page where you can find a two-part podcast of our story. Find the page with “A Life Transformed: Rich and Jo Ann Davis (Part 1)” and when you are ready after hearing Part 1, click on “A Life Transformed: Rich and Jo Ann Davis (Part 2).”
Thankful for You
As we shared in our last update, we have reached the half-century mark in active service with ABWE. Many of you have been praying and financially supporting us as we follow the Lord’s leading. The milestone of 50 years in the foreign field is history because of a three-cord rope: the Lord, you, and us. We are thankful because many of you pray for us, and those prayers sustain us spiritually. Many of you pray and give regularly so that we might accomplish the Lord’s will in places outside the US, like Moldova.
Speaking of the Lord’s will, we are nearing the completion of the building project in the church plant we are helping to establish here in Moldova. The new church is growing as we train the national leadership in the Institute of Church Planting (ICP) and help with preaching, teaching, and many other ways.
Teen girls quartet plus friends!
We can almost complete the financial goal for the materials and labor invested in the building. We are asking the Lord to move among our supporters so that ten might take the challenge of giving $2,000 each. That would be one way to reach the $20,000 still needed to cover the cost of this beautiful building. Please pray with us as we seek to finish this project well. If the Lord makes it possible for you to help with this project, even if it is not $2,000, please click on this link: