March 2023 Update from Brooke Bateman

This past week was one year since the war in Ukraine broke out. God continues to work in the lives of the Deaf refugees here. One just got a new job where the Deaf pastor works, at a factory. Please pray for his heart to see Christ and His love for him. Pray for the salvation of Lexe, and the other Deaf Ukrainians here. Another Ukrainian Deaf came to live in Oradea last week. He is 18 and jokingly calls me mom. I have known him before he moved here through his family who is already here. Please pray as I support him in finding a job and obtaining a passport. Pray for me to be able to interpret well. But mostly for me to be a light and to minister the love of Christ to this young man.

I recovered from a really brutal flu/cold last week and then yesterday became ill AGAIN. Please pray for complete healing. Would you pray that I learn what I need to when things like this happen, I get discouraged. I feel like I was just beginning to get my health back and then I was sick again. Please pray for me to press deeper into God in these trials and bouts of true weakness. I want to do so much and yet I am truly weak and limited in my own strength. 

Please pray for God to breathe new life and speak something fresh into my soul and heart. :)

Ministry is good and challenging in a good way!!! Please pray for my ability to prioritize and balance the different tasks, projects, languages to learn, and relationships I have been blessed with. Pray for language learning as I am picking up another sign language and still plugging away with spoken Romanian (and have ramped up my lessons now that I know I will be here long term). Please pray for the Deaf Bible translation projects and team members across the world that God would protect them from the enemy. That they would be supplied with every need. Many are first-generation believers so please pray for their spiritual growth and families. Pray for their work to be fruitful and life-giving! Pray for me to know how to encourage and support them in their contexts.

Next week many team members are flying into Oradea. Rebecca and I will be team interpreting for the week-long workshop/conference. Please pray for me to be mentally sharp, healthy and a great support to the Deaf and my team. :)

Lastly, pray for my family. That God would guide their steps and draw their hearts to Him. That I stay connected and encourage them. Pray for a life partner and husband for me. :)