Lack of sunshine, lack of vitamins, poor diet and freezing temperatures for months on end soon take their toll of a person's health, particularly if they are unaccustomed to such conditions. We therefore need to help our missionaries with food and vitamins so that they can have the necessary health and strength to stay at their posts. The large new building was being used for services despite being incomplete. The building work was continuing but not fast enough to satisfy them. The building was ordered to be closed but they were eventually allowed to use it once a week on Sundays.
Smaller meetings have to be arranged secretly or in homes.
This has restricted the spiritual work somewhat, so we are praying that the necessary funds will be found to complete the outstanding items allowing the whole building to be used to the glory of God. At present they have about three hundred members. When all three of his elders left Siberia last year, we were asked to support the replacements the pastor had obtained from two Bible schools he had visited in other parts of Russia. They have proved themselves to be promising young servants of God, but one of them was having to stay with the pastor's family as he had no accommodation of his own. On the pastors recommendation we obtained a private room for him not far from the church where he can live and look after himself.