You may have heard news of the current, intense political issue between Russia and Ukraine.  Russia has cut off the natural gas supply used to produce heat throughout Ukraine, claiming that a debt of $2 billion remains unpaid.  The Russian company Gazprom has initiated legal proceedings against the Ukrainian government, saying it is siphoning gas from the pipeline that serves much of Europe.  (This pipeline runs through Ukraine).  Ukraine’s reply is that it is not siphoning gas and has paid most of the outstanding debt, although this payment has not yet reached Moscow due to the “holiday season.”   It also protests a 100% price hike for Russian natural gas, from the previous year.

Today, as I write this, it is 10 degrees F. in Kiev.  Despite the freezing weather, our apartment and the seminary remain warm.  Ukraine has tapped “reserves” to supply heat to its 46 million citizens, but it is not clear how long these reserves will last.Political difficulties sometimes do make a difference in what missionaries accomplish.Will you pray that this situation will not escalate further, and be resolved soon?  Thank you so much.

Still toasty in Ukraine,

Rich and Cheri