Dasia & John Abramovich (4/8/14)
John and Dasia Abramovich are missionaries in Poland, using their gifts to teach the Bible to children and youth. John grew up near Pitman, and Dasia is from Poland.
John and Dasia are both very familiar to PUMC as they have visited us and taught Bible studies during their recent “furloughs” in the States. They recently sent the following update message…
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matthew 5:6).
Jesus taught us that when we seek God and His goodness, God will satisfy us with all that we need to serve Him and to minister to others.
As for our health, John’s left eye continues to heal after the surgery of January 31 to repair a detached retina. The doctors are pleased with the results. However, John has developed allergies in both eyes that are uncomfortable and cause a greater sensitivity to light. This sometimes happens after eye surgery. On May 8 the doctors removed some of the stitches from the surgery and this, along with medication, gave some relief. John’s next check-up is scheduled for July 17, at which time the doctors hope to remove the rest of the stitches and schedule a second surgery to remove the excess healing oil that was inserted into the eyeball during the first surgery. John’s right eye looks healthy and may not need any treatment. Until John is given a clean bill of health, he must avoid lifting and carrying heavy objects, bending at the waist, playing musical instruments, and driving. He also limits his reading and working on the computer. He was not able to attend his nephew Matthew’s high-school graduation in Memphis, Tennessee. John now walks to some of his meetings, which gives him some exercise. Our dear brother Olek from our church is willing to drive John to his meetings, and did so when Dasia was away doing teacher training in western Poland. We thank the Lord for these new blessings.
As for Dasia, she is experiencing pain in her digestive system. Tests revealed that she has gall stones and our family doctor prescribed medication and recommended some things she should not eat. Dasia is scheduled for surgery on September 3 to remove the stones. However, the doctor suspects that something else is causing the pain, so Dasia is scheduled to have a diagnostic colonoscopy on May 29. She does her best to endure the pain that makes it difficult for her to concentrate. Both of us continue with much of our ministry activities and have had to cut back on only a few things. John still preaches on Sunday mornings and enjoys meeting with students in the Czech Republic and the residents of the local Retirement Home. Dasia still directs the MED ministry and does teacher training. Praise the Lord, and keep praying with us for our health issues.
In March John met with middle school students in Brenna and Gorki-Wielki for three days of Easter Recollection meetings. John spoke about Walking in Darkness/Walking in the Light and MED co-worker Danuta spoke about Jesus being the bridge from darkness to light. Other MED workers conducted simultaneous meetings for the younger grade school students. We are thankful that Romek invited us to help with this evangelistic ministry among the students in the public schools. He is our good friend and the Lutheran pastor in these villages.
Our MED co-workers also led Easter Recollection meetings for public school students in Dziegielow and Drogomysl. MED recruited volunteers to help with the meetings that included Bible lessons, singing, games, and memorizing Bible verses. The volunteers did a great job and are enthusiastic about working with young people. Another Lutheran pastor called to ask MED to lead an Easter meeting in the public school in Szczyrk for a combined group of 150 students. Our MED president Andrzej, who is gifted in evangelism and uses a sketch-board in his presentations, conducted this meeting with the help of MED workers and volunteers. We do not know the impact of the meeting, but when it was over the teachers and the students applauded the presentation and the technology that Andrzej used to project his words and drawings to a large group of people! Please pray that we can follow up with the students who attended the Easter Recollection meetings and heard the Good News that Jesus Christ died and rose again to save sinners.
On the third weekend of April Dasia traveled 4 hours to the Baptist Church in Lwowek-Slaski to speak to 14 participants about the qualifications of a teacher, the power of using visual aids, and maintaining discipline in meetings. MED co-worker Lidia complemented the teacher training by speaking about leading a child to Christ, investing in the spiritual life of pre-school children, and a study of Matthew 18. One week later on Saturday Dasia taught 7 people who came to the MED Office in Ustron to learn about what you need to plan, prepare, and do for a Bible Camp, Vacation Bible School, and a Vacation Bible Club. It is good to share our experience with others who teach the great truths of God’s Word to young people in their churches and communities.
On the Polish holiday weekend of May 1-3 the Baptist Church in Katowice had a family retreat in nearby Wisla. On Friday John spoke to the parents and their children about how we should use our time, talents, and possessions in this life to build treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). We received a warm welcome, had a delicious lunch and supper, and John met with the pastor and the church youth leader to discuss other topics from the Bible. Dasia spent time with some of our other dear friends of the congregation. Some of their children have attended our Bible camps and are active in their church ministry. We enjoyed getting to know these families better and we receive much encouragement and words of appreciation for our regular ministry in this church.
We are trying to teach more at the youth meetings in our church here in Cieszyn. The youth group is small, but the potential is great. John teaches from the book of Revelation and is able to prepare these lessons by hand rather than straining his eyes with the computer. Sometimes the meetings are held in our home and include supper and table games. On Saturday, May 16 John spoke at the baptism of Michael, one of the teenagers from the group. (One other person was baptized as well). We are so happy with Michael’s commitment to Jesus Christ and His desire to know God’s Word. Please pray for the entire group of young people, that they will grow in their faith to become the next generation of leaders and teachers in our church.
Please pray for us and our MED co-workers as we continue to plan and prepare for our Summer Bible Camps. Dasia oversees the planning and operation of the camps. John will teach from the parables of Jesus and hopes that the situation with his eyes will not hinder his preparations and teaching at two of the camps. We must recruit (as God raises up) over 70 volunteers that are needed to run our camps. If you would like to provide scholarships to help some of the children and teenagers attend the camps, please let us know. Here is our Summer Camp schedule:
- MED Summer Bible Camp I for children (OMO I, ages 8-12) – July 12-18 (Dasia directs)
- MED Summer Bible Camp II for children (OMO II, ages 8-12) – July 19-25 (Bartek directs)
- MED Summer Bible Camp for mentally handicapped (SOMO, ages 8-15) – July 26-Aug 1 (Dasia directs)
- MED Summer Bible Camp North for children (POMO, ages 8-12) – August 1-8 (Bartek directs)
- MED Summer English Camp for teenagers (AM-EN, ages 13-16) – July 1-11 (John teaches)
- MED Summer Climbing Camp for teenagers (WIEC, ages 13-16) – July 15-25 (John teaches)
We continue to encourage Polish churches to get involved in community ministry and worldwide missions. Some churches are taking steps to help Christian refugees from the Middle East to settle in Poland. (We must be discreet with the details). There is additional interest to help our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine to minister to refugees, orphans, and those in need. Open Door Ministries and Voices of the Martyrs are also active in Polish churches.
Thank you for your interest in the Lord’s work in Poland, for your prayers, and for your financial support that are needed for our ministry with BCM International. We wish you a wonderful summer time that is filled with God’s blessings. We remain your servants to God and to others.
John and Dasia Abramovich
To learn more about the Abramovichs, Click Here.
