Dearest Partners and Friends,
We are now celebrating the 12th birthday of SIBERIAN MISSION: our pioneer work among the Sakha Tribe. It is hard for us to believe that it has been a dozen years since God called Diane and I to leave EVERYTHING, EVERYONE, and our American homeland, and start this work with NOTHING but $5 and two Delta SkyMile tickets! Since our latest return from Siberia, in a blessed season of remarkable ministry fruitfulness, we continue facing deep internal and external conflicts and trials.
As we shared in our last update, Diane’s health and well-being has remained my first priority. Therefore during the months of June and July my Internet discipleship and writing for our Sakha leaders was cut back. In the last week of July, I once again renewed sending full weekly compliments of discipleship materials to our pastors and indigenous missionaries. We rejoice each week as hear stirring stories of growth and maturation of the fledgling Sakha churches.
As August begins, Diane and I are in San Diego, California with our nurse and US Navy officer daughter Jeanne. We are preparing to travel extensively across the US this month meeting with supporting churches and individuals who have been such a vital part of our work. From San Diego we plan to go to Colorado Springs, CO to visit our youngest daughter Bonnie who at 29 is pregnant with her first child (and our 5th grandchild). We next hope to arrive mid-month at the office of the Russian Consulate General in Washington DC to discuss our long-term visa to return to our beloved village and tribe. As we mentioned before: The Russian Consulate General in Washington DC still holds out to us an invitation to come and interview for a 3-5 year residence visa.
We are also taking this month through October to complete and have printed our autobiographical book about our life and work in Siberia, and of the years of preparation God used to make us ready for this work. PLEASE pray that our LORD continues to give us wisdom about how we can be faithful to tell HIS story in the most accurate accounting without jeopardizing the lives of those who have been so key in making our life and ministry in the “Black Hole” possible.
Thank you, all for your continued faithful prayers and support,
Dr. Michael |
