July/August 1999
On the field at last!
It took all of the last three weeks of July to pack up our things. I try not to complain, but I hate to pack! The weather in northern Illinois was unusually hot and humid, even for July. I have a new appreciation for Gen. 3:19: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. Even in the midst of all the packing and perspiration, the Lord allowed me to preach a few times at home and in nearby churches. David and Cindy were able to attend a great week of teen camp in Iowa just before we had to leave the country. God is so good.
Pastor Anglea and Faith Baptist Church had a special service for us the night before we left. It was a time of farewell and a time of challenge as we go to bring the Gospel to a foreign land. We consider our ministry in Russia to be an extension of the ministry of our local church. A good group of our church folks gathered at the airport to see us off.
We had a safe and pleasant flight on Swissair – 8 hours to Switzerland, a short layover, then 2 hours to Kiev, Ukraine. Every piece of our luggage arrived safely. We had 21 footlocker-sized cases, and 15 carry-on bags. Our luggage was piled high on 8 big luggage carts. When we got to the customs check point, the guard told us to go right through. Nothing was searched or opened! Missionaries Matt Hudson and Daniel Irvin met us at the airport. They had a truck to bring all the things to our apartment. In a very short time, we were in our new home and ready to settle in.
We have been busy all during August getting unpacked and ready to start language school. The apartment needed some furniture and some minor remodeling, but now we feel at home. We have found Kiev to be a very pleasant place to live. I begin my language studies at the university in September.
We attend a church pastored by Missionary Matt Hudson. On Saturdays we go soulwinning with him and his church. We pass out lots of tracts and Bibles, and when somebody wants to know more, we bring them to Pastor Hudson or one of his people who can speak Russian. People are saved almost every week!
Please pray for our safety, for opportunities to give out the Gospel, and for successful language study. God confused the languages at Babel. I’m trusting Him to help me see through the confusion!
In the service of the King,
Don Ossewaarde
p.s. you can still use the same e-mail address, fax number, and voice mail number to contact us in Kiev!