News from Alan and Alice Osborn

January 2024

First day in Estonia

An encouraging start

As we awoke on our first day as Elim’s newest missionaries, it seemed like an ordinary 31st October day, and we wondered if we were really in Estonia and what that would mean. A few hours later and Alice randomly bumped into someone at the local shop who recognised her from our TV program and also happened to lead a local Christian ministry that helps former convicts back into normal life. A new conversation about Freedom in Christ began. At the same time Alan was checking his inbox only to receive the very welcome news that the Elim church in Barking, of the East London Hub, had responded to a prompt from God and agreed to be our sending church.

Working with EKNK

Developing our role

Aside from regular preaching, our work with the EKNK Pentecostal Movement included attending a twice yearly Pastors and Leaders day for updates, teaching and ministry. We also attended one of their national Board meetings to discuss our role. We have put together a proposal for helping to establish their International Missions, and working on a second proposal to help newly formed and smaller churches. There are 11 such churches, as well as some other ideas for places to plant. We would really value prayer support in this area and we are excited to see how this unfolds. Next month, we have even been invited to the annual Pastors Ball!

Estonia for Jesus

Revive Estonia

The idea to work across denominations to reach Estonia with the gospel started last year and this is now known as Revive Estonia. Different church leaders and missionaries gathered together to make plans and announce 15 months of prayer and fasting leading up to a major event (hope festival) in 2025. Training on how to preach the gospel and do street evangelism will take place in every county.

Evangelist Tim Hall (Australia)

Within Revive Estonia we are already helping to prepare people for the biggest evangelistic event in April 2024, since 2009. A huge concert hall is booked in Tallinn for 3 evenings of gospel and healing services. We have many tasks from building the website to gathering and helping preparing the churches for this event across our own Pärnu County.

Christmas in England

Visiting our sending church in Barkingr

After wrapping the Christmas presents for family and dropping them off, we headed back to the UK on the 24th (Christmas Day in Estonia or Christmas Eve in England). This enabled us to spend time with family in both countries which was wonderful. During our trip home we were able to visit and share our story and preach at our sending church in Barking Elim – Be Church. We were also able to begin discussions with another church pastor and his wife who want to send a short-term team to Estonia later this year, which will be a first for them and for us as receiving missionaries. We felt truly blessed by both opportunities. On the flight home we met another Estonian Pastor and his wife who had seen our TV program and another seemingly random Freedom in Christ conversation began!

In Hungary

Long weekend with missionary friends

We took a week off for a planned road trip, driving 1,000 miles through Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech, Slovakia and into Hungary…to spend a long weekend with Roy and Lainey Hitchman. That was such a great trip away and where we had time with friends, to walk and talk and pray. We also helped clean up their ‘farmers house’ to host in it for the first time a group of foreign students from the local university, that they have been journeying Jesus with.

A personal loss

Uncle Vintsu left us

As we began to settle in and started to get things organised at home and in ministry, ‘Uncle Vintsu’ passed into glory. He first came to Alice’s church 10 years ago, then 70 years old, and she quickly became his friend and helper in so many ways. He called her ‘the daughter he never had’, Alan even met him before he met Alice’s own parents and Vintsu wanted to call Alan his son. As usual, Alice arranged most of the things necessary for him and in this case for his final send off. Being a missionary does not exempt us from any of life’s circumstances. We now miss his twice a day phone calls!

Learning Estonian

Language studies have begun

Learning an new language can be a daunting task but really is a must for overseas missionaries. Alan has now started his language lessons and is learning the basics of what is one of the most difficult languages. Please pray that these studies will go well and get him up to conversational level as soon as possible.

Resources

Learn and support at the same time

We are keen to make disciples and have written books on what we believe is the single most important aspect of Jesus’ teaching – his Kingdom.

Buying these resources will help to support us while you learn more about this either by yourself or with others in a group setting.

Worldwide at https://kingdomperspective.net
USA at https://amazon.com/author/alanjosborn
UK at https://amazon.co.uk

Partnering with us

How to help us to spread the gospel

We would love for you to partner with us in our calling and gospel mission to Estonia. Could you perhaps consider being part of a short-term mission team into this nation, or even lead a team from your church or region? Either way, we would be excited to help host and be part of arranging your trip. Do please contact us at alan.osborn@elim.org.uk for further details.

Prayer needs

Your prayers are needed! Estonia is one of the top ten most atheistic countries in the world, with both high alcoholism and suicide rates. Please pray for:

• The ongoing work with Vabadus Kristuses/EKNK
• New and growing relationships working with the UK Elim Churches
• Our health and to establish a really good work/life balance
• God to provide all the financial resources we need
• Alan`s language studies

 

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