You have received, in broad strokes at least, already so much news about the CIS providence. We would like to put you in touch with just one aspect of the more local providence.

In the western district of Moscow we recently opened our third church center. These three centers are operated almost exclusively by the roughly two dozen Russian members who live there. This includes providing daily Divine Principle lecture programs as well as paying for all center expenses and outreach, themselves. In the CIS this district was the first to become fully self-sufficient. We want to extend this now by developing our own workshop education system. In the past we were able to rely on beautiful resorts in the Baltics and along the Black Sea coast. But now even places in the larger Moscow area have become impossibly expensive. It's going to be even worse by summertime. This is why we have decided to buy our own workshop place. Buying property in Russia, by American standards, is still quite cheap. So we do not want to miss a God-given opportunity before the window closes also in this respect.

Our members have, with additional vigor, been fundraising in sub-zero temperatures on Moscow's ice-laced streets in order to provide the needed funds. Taking the (lack of) value of the ruble into consideration, they have done surprisingly well. Some of our brothers and sisters have become familiar faces outside the entrance of the Tverskaya McDonald's! However, if we have to rely exclusively on the earnings from local fundraising activity, it may take longer than we can afford to wait, before we can acquire our own workshop center.

We know that all of you are making many sacrifices for the American providence and that many of you have assisted the work in this country as well, as staff in past seminars, often at your own expense. In many cases you were the ones through whom our members first received the love and truth of God. We would like to ask for your help once again, though, for this very important, very specific project. You can be sure that this is one of the most worthwhile programs that you could invest in, because it will directly benefit the Divine Principle education of Russia's second generation. You may even consider this as a home church/hometown witnessing and fundraising project and encourage your relatives, friends and contacts to donate towards this project.

People are genuinely well-disposed towards Russia and sympathetic towards its suffering population. They will be inspired that our church is making an efort to help this country. And if there is no way in which you can give support financially, we will always be grateful for your prayers. Please pray for all of our Marianas (3), our Irinas (4), Yelenas (3), Sashas (3), Sergeis (2), Pashas (2), and for Natasha, Kostya, Olga, Svetlana, Angelika, Tatiana, Anastasia, Anna, Dmitri, Marina, Ivan, Anton, Ilya, Volodya. They send you their love!

Please make your checks out to Maarten Meijer and write in the memo "Russia House." Mail to: Maureen Tardy, 38 Afterglow Ave., Verona NJ 07044. If you wish we can send you a financial statement. For information call Maureen Tardy (201)239-4404.

Maarten and Myra Meijer live with their children Renee and Ubbo in Russia. They worked for two years as district leaders of the Western Moscow area.

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