In Ukraine

I’m sitting in Alyosha Ostapenko’s home in Ukraine. This is usually where I land when I come to Novi. They have guests in the Lifestyle Center and until the guests vacate I live with Alyosha and Tanya. They have two beautiful children, Annia and Slavik. Beautiful, but not easy. You can see it on Tanya’s face. She is weary from having to deal with these two demanding, strong, little characters. I tease her, telling her she could have had five of them.

The trip across was pleasant. I read one third of a five-hundred page book. I highly recommend the book by Ron Duffield called the Return of the Latter Rain. If I had nothing else to do, I would spend the whole day reading it.

Last night, I attended a graduation of thirty pastors from one of the Russian Conferences. I invited myself thinking it would be formal affair. It turned out to be a supper and testimony meeting. I might have been embarrassed at having crashed their party except that I don’t embarrass that easily. Things were quiet while we were eating. Finally, one of the pastors singled me out and asked that I tell them where I come from and what I do. I told them about Eden Valley and especially about our cancer treatment program.

The interest was immediately palpable. One pastor has a seventeen year old daughter who has had cancer, and he was very solicitous on her behalf. I was afraid that my little interference was going to dominate the whole evening. Eventually, however, they turned to giving their personal testimonies. It appears to me that these Russian Conferences are ahead of our North American ones in recognizing that lay operated lifestyle centers actually have something to offer to even so-called professionals.

I left my wife to fend without me (as if she needs me), for the next three months. Shawn Boonstra will be living in our house during the next lifestyle session. I’m sorry to miss getting to know him. Janet, Christina and Caleb will get acquainted in my behalf for one week.

I’ll be preaching at least twenty-one times over the next ten days. Then I need to spend a week with Amazing Facts College of Evangelism here in the Ukraine. I’ll be preaching for them also. Then I go to Romania for an OCI Retreat. I only get to speak once there, but it may be my toughest assignment. The blessing, among others, is that Jason will be there.

The problem here, at Novi, is that there is only dial-up internet and Alyosha thinks he may be able to hook my up, but he’s made no move in that direction, so far. I hate to push him, he is very busy getting ready for the Camp Meeting. Alas, third world countries.

Till next time.