We've Made A Decision!

Yeah!!!!! It is our pleasure to share with all of you the decision we have been working on for the last couple months.
After our extensive survey trip, much prayer, discussion within the team, and seeking counsel and approval from our sponsoring congregations, we have made the decision. We are moving to... (drumroll) Kharkov, Ukraine!
It was a hard decision to make because we saw a big need in all the cities we visited. But, we are all happy about the decision and the new location we are headed.

Here are some facts about Kharkov we thought we would share with you all:

• Kharkov is also spelled Kharkiv (Russian: Харьков). (The English spelling -ov is the Russian pronunciation and -iv is the Ukrainian pronunciation.)
• Kharkov is pronounced something like (but not exactly, of course): "HARkov."
• There are about 1.6 million people in Kharkov with 4 churches of Christ that we know of with around 100 members combined.
• It is the second largest city in Ukraine.
  
• Kharkov is known for it's universities-- there are 250,000+ students in Kharkov.
• The city is primarily Russian speaking.
• Kharkov is near the Russian border.
• The city was a former capital of Ukraine.
• Kharkov has a metro system with 28 stops and is continuing to build more.
• The climate is nice: average temperature in Jan: 44⁰ F and in June: 68⁰ F

As we find out more information, we'll try to let you know! Thank you all again for your prayers and support as we looked for another city after Moscow. We have truly been overwhelmed with the encouragement we have received. We are very excited about this new location and know we will grow to love it more and more. We are now officially the Kharkov Team!