March/April 1999
So much good news! I’ll have to summarize.
1. Our support level has now reached 90%. Praise the Lord!
2. I just returned from a month in Kiev, Ukraine, where we are planning to study the Russian language. This was a very profitable trip.
A. The first two weeks of my trip was spent in making preparations for our family to move to Kiev (on July 29, 1999). I was able to do so many things
- opened a bank account
- met with the dean of the language school to arrange my classes
- rented an apartment, bought some furniture
- shopped in the stores and markets to learn what’s available
- learned how to use public transportation
- visited with several good missionaries that we will work with during our language
studies
- I even have a phone number! (Kiev, Ukraine - 412 8972 - call us after July
30!)
B. The second two weeks of the trip was a busy evangelistic campaign.
- I worked with Dr. C.W. Fisk of Oklahoma City and one of his college students.
- Several of the local Christians and pastors were also a part of our group.
- We preached in many small Ukrainian villages. In two weeks, we held 40 services.
- 478 people responded to the public invitations for salvation!
- Everyone who came to the services received a Bible and was directed to a local
church.
- About 150 of the converts signed up to receive a new convert’s Bible doctrine
study by mail.
- Every night, we preached revival services in a local church, encouraging the
Christians to win souls, live for God, and build their church.
3. When I returned from Kiev, my family and I took a few days off together. We flew to Minneapolis with a ridiculously low airfare. This was the first time most of the kids had ever been on an airplane. I wanted to know if any of them would have trouble flying. (It’s better to find out now on a one hour flight than on a ten hour flight in July.) Everybody enjoyed the trip, and we had a few good days of family time.
4. Since my return, I have preached in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. In June, we have one final “road trip” to the southern states. We will be starting in Florida and working our way over to Texas.
5. In early July, we plan to come home and start packing. On July 29, 1999, at 4:10 pm, we expect to leave O’Hare International Airport and go to Kiev. Anyone who will be in the Chicago area is welcome to come and see us off. We plan to spend the day in the restaurant area of the International terminal (terminal #5).
6. Other good news: The Russian government brought the Jehovah’s witnesses to court and tried to shut them down, but the Justice department allowed them to re-register as a legal religious organization. I don’t like what the JW’s teach, but if they have freedom to operate in Russia, I have hope that the truth will find freedom, too. This case tends to weaken the 1997 law against religious freedom, which has never been enforced.
Thank you for all of your prayers. We could not continue without them!
In the service of the King,
Don Ossewaarde