In hindsight, it was easy to see that God had been preparing him for his call to the Soviet Union. That experience had put a hook in Rick’s heart to learn the Russian language. He bought a Russian textbook, and by the time he visited Latvia, Rick had memorized 800 words in Russian.
A short time after speaking in Latvia in the spring of 1991, Rick knew he had to break the news to Denise that they would be moving there.
“Honey,” he said, “God has asked us to move to the Soviet Union and live in Latvia.”
Denise grew quiet and still. The silence felt deafening as Rick waited for her response. Lifting her head, she met his gaze.
“Rick, I’m not excited about this right now, but I will be when we get on the plane.”
What more could anyone ask?
A New Life in a New Country
On Jan. 27, 1992, Rick, Denise, and their three sons, Paul, Philip and Joel, ages 8, 6 and 2 years old respectively, said goodbye to family and friends and their life in the U.S. Landing in Latvia, they knelt and kissed the ground, asking God to put His love for the people in their hearts.
* * * * continues on p. 16 * * * *
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