This will be my last report about the Voronezh work. (Others will be written by someone else). Indeed, this coming Friday, the 29 of March, I am flying alone to Fort Worth in order to prepare my move to the US. At the present, I just have a few addresses, some hope and a lot of faith. My goal is to find a great church where I will be able to learn and be usefull, and where I will be sent out for future missionary projects.

The plan is to find such a church during the months of April and May, and then fly back to Russia to bring my clan to their new territory.

This means I am leaving for good the very church I planted here in Voronezh. I have some sadness, no worry and a great joy in leaving this work. God gave me a little foretaste before my departure on of how the elders could be be leading their church in the future. Two problems came up in the last few weeks and I was quite intrigued to see how they would handle them.

The first one is that Volodia Karlinski, one of our two evangelists has officially decided to leave the work here. Now that the church has been established with elders and enough

maturity, he feels that God is calling him somewhere else. He is making arrangements to move out to Israel. I believe with him that as Israel is being influenced for Christ, so will the rest of the world. What a challenge and what a privilege to make the holy land really holy! Volodia and myself have built a deep friendship over the last 5 years and so I look forward telling him what Jews tell each other:" See you next year in Jerusalem!"

The elders allowed him to take a leave so he can prepare his departure, which has significantly increased their own responsibilities. So we had the two elders preaching,

something I had never "seen" here. And it was not bad! (this is the preacher speaking here). With both Volodia and myself leaving, the elders and Vladick (the other evangelist) have a bigger burden on them.

Now, if that was not enough work, another "problem" came that added even more to their work. There were 7 strong and active members in the church who had an openness toward charismatic convictions. Because of their zeal and growing influence, the elders asked a meeting with them during which they gently asked them to choose their doctrinal camp. Four of them left while the others three decided to stay.

What impressed me in this is not so much their desire to give a firm doctrinal direction to their church, but the fact that they handled this situation with such a sincere love and sensitivity that everyone feels OK. Their behaviour means a lot to me because I have often repeated here that when we have disagreements, our love and respect must be as strong as our convictions. In fact I believe that it is even possible to disagree and still remain good friends. In the past, I have not always had that conviction myself and so it gives me a great joy today to see it in them. If the world can see that we are His disciples by the love we have for one another, we will change it.

Since this is my last letter, I want to take the opportunity to express all my thankfulness for those who have supported us and prayed for us personally in all these years. God has blessed me and my family beyound everything I could ever dream. Thank you Jimmie Eaton, Red Bank and Kingston! Thank you especially Jan Dreaden-O'Neil and Margaret George! Thank you so much our Northland family !!!

but more than anybody else, I want to thank Frank and Betty Chappell. They have not only sacrified so much for us personally, but they have given their very lives to Russia. Frank has been visiting the Voronezh Church at least a dozen of times ! I wish every missionary had such an incredible support and friend like them. Unfortunatly, I have known too many missionaries who struggle with little moral support, hearing elders or supporting churches only when they have problems. They are a tremendous example of what supporting missionaries is all about. Thank you Frank and Betty !!!