Dear Friends,
Today is a red letter day for me.
I wanted to send a quick message that today I received my Permanent Resident Permit. This is an answer to several years of prayer; not to mention filing of documents, medical examinations, waiting in lines, fees, meetings, and visiting government offices. We give thanks to the Lord for this answer to prayer.
This means that I may continue to live in Russia without a visa (as long as I pay my taxes, obey the laws, etc.). The main limit is that that I may not be outside of Russia for more than six months out of a twelve month period, which will mean my furlough schedule will be different than the normal rotation. If I hadn't received it, I would have needed to start getting visas to Russia, which would require me to leave the country at least once every 90 days. So it will save us a lot of time and money. Since the rest of the family has Russian citizenship, they don't need to worry about getting this kind of document.
Anyway, we wanted to let you know that your prayers have been answered! We will write again soon.
Blessings,
Cecil
