Dan and Pris Gollan

Hello once again…

I’ve just got back from a Bible study in Baleko Shuchenko, the village about 5 km away from us. We really enjoyed our time together looking at Matthew 5 after scrapping our study from John 5. It was good. On the drive home, we exclaimed at the pleasure it was driving on roads cleared of snow after a long winter. It snows now as I type, but it isn’t settling.

The family is well. The three older children progress well with their school-work and are filing information away at an energetic youthful rate. Elle will start next year and is waiting in high anticipation. Oh, to read!

Jesse is beating me at chess! Someone trained him too well!! He and the lads who live nearby are often seen gallivanting around the neighborhood and he is going to be a killer table tennis player in a few years. (Lookout, Uncle Jono!) His love for the Lord is a delight - much more so than his sporting prowess!

Marie is, at 11, becoming quite independent. This morning, she baked muffins for breakfast! Perfect. She relished the chance to do some shopping for us this morning down-town before school. Oh! This last week, she has enjoyed the interaction through “Skype” with a couple of friends from America!

Angel is doing pretty well. She’s my masseuse. She has a surprising amount of strength and endurance for an 8-year old! Yesterday, she told me she might become a masseuse when she grows up. Her allergies are kept in check by creams and it seems to be working better just keeping her on a balanced diet.

Elle and I had a trip to the hospital yesterday. She hit her ear on the corner of the table leg - split it nicely. She held onto her soft ducky very tightly while they cleaned her and examined the split. The doc said that he wouldn’t stitch it and so we came home and put a home-made butterfly bandage on it to pull the wound together. She was a good kid.

I just returned from a lightning visit to the U.S. It was definitely fun! Bruce and I went to Texas for several days to promote a project that we believe the Lord would have us do – “The Lighthouse”. (We’ll probably settle on that as a name for it.) The mayor and his assistants love the idea but I think are somewhat skeptical that we’ll actually pull it off! : ) We are looking to buy a plot of land in the centre of town and build a large building there in which would be room for a coffee-house, an internet café, and a pizzeria, a room for large-group gatherings and roller-skating as well as two rooms with several beds. In Texas, we met with several people who were very interested in the idea. Several wanted to come over and help us build it if a “team” was going to be put together. It looks like I’ll be heading up the building project. The centre will be run by people in the church – foreigners and Ukrainians. We are moving ahead believing God will provide the finances when needed. We’ve had a desire to do this for the 2000+ students here since we first came nearly 6 years ago with the Clarke family. It is good to be moving on it. If you want to know more about it because this sort of thing interests you, write us an email and I’ll send you more specific info.

The economic crisis has made itself felt here very definitely in so many ways! Talking with this couple at the bazaar – they just started their “stall”. The difference in sales between December and now is scary. They don’t think they will be able to keep going if things don’t pick up. And there are a lot of indicators pointing to a much greater crisis hitting over the next few months. Politically, morally, AND economically, the country is basically bankrupt. Mix those in a pot!!!

What crazy times we get to experience! “Lord, guide the readers of this letter and show them mercy by giving wisdom and understanding. May each one know not only that they are yours, but that they are walking according to your will! Give vision!”

Gav and I were out at the farm this week putting in a hot water heating system into the greenhouse. It has been a wet winter and the ground is soaked with water. We dug a trench which was filling with water at a depth of 20cm! I talked with our neighbors who said that they weren’t going to even start on their garden for a few weeks. Too wet. Oh! It was good to see them together again after Sasha’s stint in jail. I thought their marriage was shot after Sasha threw an axe at Tamarra.

The leaders of the churches in Rzhyshchiv have met together and talked about the need for unity. I found it fascinating how ENORMOUSLY attractive “humility” is to me when I’m amongst a group of church leaders! We are going to meet together more often and get to know each other better in the hope that we will truly love each other and show that to Rzhyshchiv. I look forward to what God will do.

Priscilla!!!

This morning we awoke to a light blanket of snow covering the ground and sun! It is lovely. I remember how eagerly we looked forward to the first snow last autumn. Now we are eagerly watching for signs of spring, but I want to love each of these final days of wintery weather, too.

I feel excited at… well, just God, I guess, and what He is doing. It has been such a blessing to have a couple other men come alongside Dan to love the small part of the body here as well as seek to reach out into the town, men who desire unity, not at the cost of sharpening and enriching one another, but without that petty criticism that undermines. God has brought a number of foreigners here right now and I pray that this is part of His mercy on this town. For more than six years now we have been praying for Rzhyshchiv. There are so many souls living without hope. It makes my heart ache to think about it. There is a definite peace and joy though, when you put your hope in God, not in the way things look to you. So keep praying with us. Pray that we will walk in faithfulness and that God will be merciful to reveal Himself and His love to these people.

Either our furnace or our pump is not working efficiently, so our gas bill stays high while we stay cool. =) We have enjoyed some cozy times in front of the fireplace.

Jesse feels a concern for the souls of our neighbors recently and I pray that he will continue as he grows to choose to be near the heart of God. It sure makes my heart glad.

This week we are going to celebrate my sister’s birthday with her. She works with a mission 6-8 hours drive away. I am thankful to have her nearby.

I wanted to mention that we are blessed to have the helping hands of Cheryl. The whole body here is blessed by her willing hands and spirit, but perhaps especially us. She is happy to fix things/build them/watch the children, help in any and every way. I thank God for her!

May God bless you!

Love,

Daniel & Priscilla