- Lines for everything government related are still long, sometimes taking days, weeks and even months to get into an office. For some offices that takes weeks and months to get into, people sign a sheet and return each day to reaffirm that they are ‘in line’ until they are close enough to get into the office and then they wait in line.
- There are many demands of the new laws that people try to meet but offices often do not know what to do about the laws.
- Prices keep increasing, but salaries do not keep pace.
- 33 Rubles to one dollar one year ago; 54 rubles to one dollar today — has been even much higher some days.
- Prices have more than doubled; some food prices are 3 to 5 times higher than a year ago.
- Public transportation costs went down after Russia took over, but now they are the same and will be raised 50% in March.
- Pensions went up under Russia’s rule, but now some pensioners have had their pension drastically reduced.
- Various salaries went up under Russian’s benevolent takeover, but now some are lower than under Ukraine.
- Some school teachers have not been paid since December. [for those from Ukraine, this is school #7]
- School teachers now get “two times less” than in December — if and when they get their pay… [this is the case with the premier “Ukrainian language” school — which is not longer taught in the Ukrainian language]. Full time teachers half of what they got in December; now they get 15,000 rubles ($278) a month take home pay.
- Energy company nationalized. Upper level management replaced with people from Russia. Middle and lower management had their salaries reduced.
- Phone company nationalized. Some people lost their internet service if it was from this phone company.
- Government figures say cost of living the end of January was up 1,000 rubles ($19) since December!
- Confusion still reigns about some official matters as new laws come into effect or are enforced. Our House on the Hill now needs a “house book” … and that can take months of lines to get … There are people we have worked with that are asking if they can be legally registered at our House because they do not have a legal address from their landlord … but we cannot give them a legal address at our House without a House Book.
- The rise in costs to the Center is greater than what we can charge the students. Team Leader Olya and I discussed this on Skype this morning. But i expect that we will still manage it so that the income will cover operational expenses. We have some repairs needed for the garage — roof leak, plaster damaged by water, etc.
- We lost two students due to our raising the rent — they went to live with a Christian couple for less rent. But there is nothing as nice as what we offer for less than what we offer, except maybe a home like these girls found.
- Our temporary resident and RA – and French teacher – fell on the ice walking up the hill to the House and broke her arm. Ice was too bad for cars to get up the hill.
- I sure hope spring will not be far behind when I arrive March 4! Russia and Ukraine count spring from March 1, but we are doing well to have it by the third week of March when we mark spring in the western world. Just as it gets nice in Crimea I will be going further north, to Kiev, April 3.
- The student leaders of IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Ukraine, known as CCS [S.S.Ha]) have moved into the Center. We are storing their equipment (sleeping bags mostly!), giving them bookcase space for their library, a meeting room, etc. Two of their leaders are our residents. They have their planning and student meetings in our Center, adding life and laughter to the evenings at the House. (Most of our courses and events are in the late afternoon and evenings.)
- Natalka still has many lines to wait in and papers to submit, but she has been approved to establish residency in Crimea and thus get to stay.
- The staff is taking care of their ministries and whatever comes up unexpectedly. New classes are underway. Plans for student events are taking shape. Lives continue to touch lives.
- A new video has been completed! Please view it — about 7 minutes long. A five minute video for a supporting class was done just a few weeks earlier.
- We had a good TMI board meeting Feb 6. We have always had an emergency plan for TMI in case something happens to me; this year we will need a new succession plan for TMI, and have some good possibilities if and when that becomes necessary. We are always looking for some younger people to become part of the board — some have been on the board for 21 years.
- There is still hope for CIU getting something for the old building, but with the usual problems of registering the land and the interference of others who want it without buying it, and due to some other changes in the law concerning Ukrainian ownership, the opportunity could evaporate at any time after March 1.
- Andrei Taran is working through the obstacles to being able to settle his affairs in Crimea — first he has to get the rights and privileges of a Russian citizen!
Pray for the staff. Each has her own problems and opportunities due to the current situation, other personal issues, and the desire to glorify the Lord in their ministry. Natalka will be out part of the time I am in Crimea – – she has to manage her apartment in Western Ukraine, for the renters are moving out. Nastya will be involved in meetings on mainland Ukraine with two ministries that work with orphans and will be out one of the four weeks I am in Crimea.
Pray for me. I will have some legal matters to attend to when I am in Crimea, some repacking to do from the things we just stuck in my office before leaving, and some attention to the physical plant. I hope we can get some prospective buyers for our apartment in the spring! But one of the main things beyond giving attention to my staff and students is to prepare to teach in Kiev. I now have 13 days of teaching or preaching set up in April (out of 16 work week days) with some more days yet to be determined for teaching in the state universities. I am putting off till fall teaching in a seminary in Western Ukraine.
I have been invited to do some seminars in Prague and Berlin; maybe I will do Prague this year.
Pray for LaVerne — she is still being tested for various possible health issues. Please continue to pray for our niece, Sarah. And her husband,Michael Chardavoyne.
Praise the Lord that we have a home in Melbourne now — well, it is a house and it will take a while for it to become home after 20 years in Crimea.
We have been without a car for a week now. Hopefully it will be repaired “tomorrow.” (Head gasket leaked water outside the engine block – car was still running when LaVerne took it in while I was in GA. Did I ever tell you about the time I replaced a head on an old Audi in VA? Did it by myself using the spare head in the trunk, driving from DC to TN. Ah, that was ‘once upon a time.’)
Blessings!
Georges
