UKRAINE NEWSLETTER

NEWSLETTER FOR AUGUST 2004

GENE AND MARY PARKER

DONETSK, UKRAINE

Dear Supporters, Friends, and Family,

August was a month of frustrations and surprises. We were surprised to have another pleasant month with pleasant weather. Frustrations again with delays in getting the necessary papers to do the front construction on the building. The architect doing our work went on vacation for over two weeks so we lost that time. We are including a picture of how the building will look when if ever we get to do it. But one thing we know now it will have to wait until next year. We do have the necessary approvals to do it like the picture. But now we have to have the architect do the working plans and get that approved. We were told that will take up to a month. So we will just put everything on hold until we come back nest year.

We found out yesterday that to change our airline tickets to stay longer would cost $900 for each of us. That would not give us time to do any more construction this year. We will just be thankful God has let us have a new roof. And we will be arriving back in Dallas on Sept 21.

School always starts here on Sept 1. So people are back from vacations and weekends at their doches (summer houses) settling down and our attendance shows it. All is looking well at Both the Budyonnevski and Proletarski congregations. Budyonnevski has made some changes that we think will be better for that congregation. They have begun a teen age class during the first hour with the new preacher teaching that and one of the men having a bible study with the adults. The teens are excited at both congregations as they are going to have a competition answering questions on Genesis. 

Natasha, the girl with the deformed face, is one step closer to getting to California where some doctors have agreed to do additional surgeries on her. The doctors here have agreed that she needs to go there to get the best treatment. She and her grandmother are excited about that and should soon be on their way.

We do have a very small addition to our church family. Svetlana, the young lady we helped support to go through nursing school, gave birth to a boy. She finished her schooling about two years ago and married a very nice young man. He’s not a Christian but we are hoping.

We are looking forward to seeing all of you soon and being able to tell you personally how much we appreciate your support and prayers.

In God’s service,

Gene and Mary