An uncertain time

"Duma votes to restore Soviet Union" read the headlines of a Moscow newspaper. And it wasn't fooling. You may know that the Russian State Duma threw history and law to the winds March 15, voting overwhelmingly to declare null and void the 1991 Belovezhskaya Pushcha accords that dissolved the Soviet Union and brought an end to the Cold War. The Duma called on President Boris Yeltsin to take urgent steps to reintegrate the former Soviet republics.

President Yeltsin and leaders of other former republics denounced the vote by the Duma. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the Soviet Union and now a Russian presidential candidate, stated, "It might appear that in my position, I should applaud this return to the point of departure ... but to speak today about the restoration of the USSR, when the fate of the state is already decided-that is failing to face up to the new realities."

Nevertheless, many of those who spoke against the resolution would like closer integration among the former Soviet states. Uncertainty and ambiguity are what characterize "the new realities." Prices already are going up in anticipation of the ruble's plummeting after the June presidential elections. The conference center where we have scheduled an all-Eurasian staff meeting in August just doubled its charges to us for accommodations in fear of the ruble's decline.

A new office complex to house our area ministry, a Bible college, and other missions has been delayed in construction. We hoped to have it ready before the elections to pass inspection so it can be registered as our property. This, we thought, would reduce potential problems if there is a change in government. Now we must wait until August to move in, showing us the need to trust in the Lord for his timing.

But for now, it is May 1. Known as "May Day" to the rest of the world, it is billed in Moscow as the "Day of Labor, Goodness, and Peace." Almost all businesses are closed for four days, as well as schools, so our family heads for the dacha.

The dacha is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle and the headaches of city life. At the dacha, located about an hour outside the smoggy city, the air is fresh and clean. Kids can romp and roam in the woods, play in the yard, or read books. My wife Helen and I will plant a garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions, garlic, beans, peas, and beets.

Most Russians who have dachas spend a lot of time there only during the warmer seasons. By planting gardens they can grow a significant part of the food they need for their families. The dacha we are using is owned by friends who rarely use it but allow our family to use it instead. Our first visit to the dacha in April was cold and cloudy but we kept warm under blankets and comforters. Truly a Russian experience, the dacha is no place for those looking for comfort. It comes complete with outhouse, no hot water, no shower or bath, and no heat. But we plan to use it often this summer.

Humanly speaking many of our plans appear foolish. In light of the political instability, we must continue to trust the Lord for the future. When business leaders say society is split and the elections could lead to civil war or the breakup of Russia, we remember what the Bible means when it says, "for we walk by faith, not by sight."

Mr. Shaver serves with Campus Crusade for Christ and Mission to the World in Moscow.