March 1996
When it was first announced that there were Ukrainian believers and some had come to the US, I was very excited. Strangely, I had taken two years of Russian in high school back in 1960-2. Stranger still, I had decided about six months before the Ukrainians that I would like to see if I could revive my Russian. The best and most useful way seemed to be to get a Russian bible; I could "kill two birds with one stone" reading already familiar passages.
At the pre-feast Sabbath in Florida in 1991, I met those from the Port St. Lucie congregation who introduced me to the Ukrainian brethren. After the feast in talking to them by phone from our home in North Carolina, they asked about jobs in North Carolina. They were interested in getting into a cooler climate. They later called and ask if they could visit us and look for jobs. They stayed with us on a forth of July week-end. The story of their getting jobs here in one day, temporarily moving in with us and finding a house in three days is humorous and interesting. My wife and I helped them, of course. I have spent many interesting hours with these "neat" people. Maybe you have read Mik-hi-el (Michael) Palchey, the patriarch’s autobiography that is very interesting. His wife died after they came here. His granddaughter and her husband are in their 20's, returned to Florida, are very Americanized, have two children. Four more have come to the US, one of the Palchey sons and his family.
Bill Hillebrenner