NEWS TUESDAY

TODAY IS STILL WET HERE, BUT I SEE THAT YA'LL ARE HAVING RAIN AS WELL. SO THERE.

WE HAD SMALL GROUP MEETING HERE LAST NIGHT AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD. LEONID AND HIS FAMILY, DEMA AND I, AND A COUPLE OF LADIES WHO HAVE BEEN ATTENDING BIBLE STUDY HERE IN LEONID'S HOME. IT WAS GOOD FOR LEONID, I COULD TELL. SOMETIMES IT GETS REALLY HEAVY AND LONELY IN THE WORK. ESPECIALLY OUT ON THE FRONT LINES. LEONID IS GOOD MAN. I AM GLAD TO PARTNER WITH HIM.

THE MEETING WITH ANGELA WENT WELL YESTERDAY. I SENSE THAT SHE IS NOT ABSOLUTELY REBELLING AGAINST GOD, SHE IS JUST MAKING A POOR DECISION. SHE PLANS TO CONTINUE TO ATTEND BIBLE STUDY AND STILL HAS A LOVE FOR GOD. I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT SHE IS IN HER LATE 30'S, NOT MARRIED, LONELY, ALONG COMES THIS GUY, OFFERS MARRIAGE, AND SHE LOOKS AT IT AS A LAST CHANCE. SHE'S AN ADULT AND CAN MAKE HER OWN DECISIONS. THERE WAS NO CONVINCING HER OTHERWISE. IT WAS A GOOD MEETING. NOBODY'S ANGRY OR BITTER. JUST A LOT OF CONCERN. THE GUY SHE IS MARRYING SIMPLY HAS NO INTEREST IN THE THINGS OF GOD AT ALL. AND SHE WILL NO LONGER CONTINUE IN THE WORK SHE STARTED. NOW IS THE TIME TO STRENGTHEN OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH HER AND PRAY. SHE WILL NEED IT.

SHE ACTUALLY IS GIVING THE CAR BACK TO US. IT IS HER DECISION. SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT IT WAS GIVEN FOR THE LORD'S WORK AND SHE HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH THAT. I, IN TURN, HAVE TOLD LEONID TO PUT IT IN HIS NAME AND USE IT IN THE MINISTRY. HIS PLAN IS TO LET SERGEI USE IT IN THE VILLAGES SINCE HE HAS NO VEHICLE AT THE MOMENT. SO, IT WILL STILL BE USED FOR WHAT WE FORESAW WHEN WE BOUGHT IT. IT'S ALL GOOD.

WE ARE PLANNING NOW TO DO SOME MINISTRY RIGHT NOW IN THE PLACES WHERE ANGELA HAS WORKED. IN FACT, SHE WILL GO WITH US AND BRING US ALL UP TO DATE WITH WHAT SHE HAS DONE. WE WILL VISIT THE VILLAGES TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY AND HAVE SERVICE IN SHEVCHNKO ON SUNDAY. MORE THAN ANYTHING, WE WILL TRY TO BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO LEONID. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS.

I AM SO MISSING HOME RIGHT NOW. IT'S LIKE DOROTHY SAID, "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME". I'M NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE. I AM COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS TILL I GET MY FEET BACK ON GEORGIA SOIL.

THIS WEEK WAS MARTIN LUTHER KINGS BIRTHDAY. I HONESTLY HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THE WHOLE MLK THING. HOWEVER, THE MAN KNEW HOW TO SPEAK, KNEW HOW TO INSPIRE, AND NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT HIM OR THE MOVEMENT, EVERYONE SHOULD AT LEAST LISTEN TO HIS "MOUNTAINTOP" AND "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECHES AT LEAST A FEW TIMES IN THEIR LIVES. FOR HISTORY'S SAKE, IF NOTHING ELSE. FOR THAT REASON, I POST THEM FOR YOU HERE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN.

REALLY MISSING YA'LL.

LOVE YA'LL. YA'LL LOVE EACH OTHER.