February 2, 2004

Dear Friends,

Greetings to all of you; let’s hope that the groundhog accurately predicts spring to be just around the corner! For much of December and January, we enjoyed spending time at home with our families and friends in Tennessee and Arkansas. Homecomings are always so much fun and exciting; can you imagine what a homecoming that will be when we get to heaven?

After a little over a month at home in the U.S., we returned to Ukraine on January 22, leaving Memphis on the 20^th. It was the smoothest, most pleasant trip we have made and we were thankful for that! We were met at the train station by several members of our congregation with a traditional Ukrainian welcome – salt and bread.

In Kiev, we had the opportunity to visit in the hospital with a young man named Sergei. He is 34 and was studying diligently at the Ukrainian Bible School and worshipping with the Proletarsky congregation. He had been having some health problems and in the fall was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Over the winter break, his conditioned worsened and early in January, it was discovered that he actually has cancer, which had metastasized extensively. The doctors offer no hope and he is now at home, taking injections 4 times a day, the last one being morphine to allow him to rest in the night.

Sergei’s brother Vitaly, whose wife is expecting a baby any day now, has come to live with and care for Sergei, while his wife’s parents take care of her. Sergei’s faith is strong, but it is a very trying time for this family. Please remember them in your prayers. If you would like to send a card to Sergei, it would be some good medicine for him and his family.

        Sergei Korkishko

        yl. Bytbipuha

        dom # 55, kb. # 86

        Kremenchyg 39600,

        Ukraine

Our dear sister Anna, the diabetic whose legs had been amputated, had a stroke last Sunday and passed from this world on Tuesday, January 27. The church sprang into action immediately and all the arrangements were made for burial on the following day. There will be some hard days ahead for her daughter Ira, whose life had revolved around caring for her mother, but we rejoice for Anna that her suffering is over and trust that she is in a better place.

On Wednesday, January 28, the Lord added a new brother to the church. Vasily is approximately 40 years old and had been attending services for a few months at the invitation of his co-worker, Oleg, who is a faithful member of the church. On Wednesday, Vasily made it known that he was ready to commit his life to Christ and was baptized. We congratulate him and pray for his growth and development as a Christian.

We are so proud of our teens and their energy and desire to serve in the Lord’s kingdom. While we were gone, the congregation was invited to start a "Sunday school" on Saturdays in a community where we had conducted a gospel meeting last summer. The teens stepped through this open door and began meeting with the young people in that neighborhood. We will be going with them each week and having Bible classes and fellowship with these young people.

Thank you all for your prayers and many expressions of encouragement for the work here in Ukraine. We love and miss you and pray that God will bless and keep you. In Christian Love,