Dear family, church family, and friends,
 We just returned from our week-long trip with Vasili up the Vilyuy River and its tributaries to his home village of Ügülatsi; farthest northern village in the Vilyuisk region. It was a 13-hour trek upriver and 10-hours downstream back to Vilyuisk. Vasili showed us the tiny forest home of his childhood, and the 5-mile each way path he walked alone 300 days a year to go to school from the 4th to the 8th grade. We spent the whole day Thurs. on the river with Vasili fishing and picking fresh berries along the bank. Mike and I caught over 70 bass and pike with a branch, a string, swivel and lure—but threw back the 30 or so that were less than 16”. We feasted on fresh bass the next morning for breakfast.
Several timely gifts provided us the means to buy a new 40 HP Suzuki outboard motor and a larger used boat. We now have proven access to Ügülatsi and the other river villages for July to September each year. We’re so thankful to all who prayed and gave for this important project. In this part of the world, reliable river transportation is vital. There is only “road” access to Ügülatsi when the rivers and lakes freeze down 2-meters deep from late November to March. There is no access to Ugulatsi September to mid-November. Small bi-plane service to the village’s horse pasture was stopped, so now only in extreme medical emergencies or severe criminal conflict will there be a flight.
 God’s sovereign timing and plan is again perfect! In 1999 when we first moved our work from Yakutsk to Vilyuisk, we taught a summer English camp for the region’s 22 villages. One student we befriended was a beautiful and sharp 15 year-old Sakha girl, Nastya, whose father is Ügülatsi’s school principal. Today, Nastya has a teaching degree from Yakutsk State University, and she is married to Fedor, a university classmate. Nastya and Fedor now live in Ügülatsi with their daughter and teach Sakhalyy! Fedor also teaches English at the school in Ügülatsi with our close friend Alosha. We’ll be living with Alosha in Vasili’s home in Ügülatsi when (LORD willing) we return this November. Nastya, Fedor and Alosha are eager to teach us Sakhalyy. Nastya is also looking forward to helping us finish our Sakha-English Picture Dictionary for the Ministry of Education. Nastya’s mom and dad were so glad to have us in their home again. We spent a memorable evening with them, and her dad said that they’ve been waiting 7 years for us to come and live in their village. He and many others have numerous questions about the LORD and of faith.
We toured the village hospital and visited with the village doctor. All materials for an outpatient clinic are gathered and the main frame is built, but there are no funds to complete the project. The doctor also gave us a list of needed supplies and medicines. We’ll talk with US mission organizations that specialize in the donation of medical supplies.
 Twenty-five of Ügülatsi’s children were in a 2-week volunteer work camp. Wednesday, they treated us to a special music and dance concert, and asked us to be their guests of honor at an all-day sports competition. One race involved “speed-cleaning” fish. Contestants ran 50-paces to a table where they scaled live fish usingtheir teeth! Michael then taught the crowd some (less barbaric) US games and shared about our lives and work. We thoroughly enjoyed the children. Ügülatsi now has a population of 624 with 136 school-aged children. Mike hopes to bring new basketballs, hoop nets, surplus US school basketball uniforms, and other sports stuff for their indoor gymnasium.
Ügülatsi’s mayor, our dear friend Nickolay, met with us in his office for an hour to discuss our November plans. He shared more of the needs of his village, and pledged his full support. He told us that a natural gas line will finally be brought to Ügülatsi next month. This is a wonderful and long overdue step towards civilization for Ügülatsi. Like too many isolated villages throughout our world deemed insignificant by their governments, Ügülatsi has been forgotten. But God has not forgotten. He has a plan for Ügülatsi which includes for now two weak (2 Cor. 4:7-15) but available Americans who told Him 11 years ago that they’d go anywhere He asked. The physical and financial obstacles to ministry in Ügülatsi are huge; but God has placed right the people here and in the US to make it happen.
We go to Yakutsk tomorrow, with Vasili to visit Luda in the hospital, and begin our brief return to the US. We’ll report on Luda’s condition after we visit her on Monday. We’ve met all our financial obligations here since April, and we’re ticketed for Moscow to New York’s JFK. We need only the funds for Yakutsk to Moscow flight on August 4th. God has never forsaken us. Please pray with us, that this need too be met for the next leg of our journey. We thank you all for making our last 5 fruitful months in Russia possible. We’re preparing a full report for distribution on Sept.1st.
With our sincerest love and appreciation,
Diane & Michael Meagher
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