One month in Kiev, I am not settled yet, I think it will take a while?
It is like a puzzle. When I work on a puzzle I like to dump all the pieces out of the box, then I begin to flip them all over so the right side is facing up, from there I like to locate all the outside pieces to make the frame of the puzzle, then I begin to fill in the whole picture.
Right now, I suppose I am trying to locate all the pieces to put together the puzzle frame. Where does each piece belong? I haven’t even looked at the big picture yet, maybe just a glimpse; however, I am not quite ready to put it all together yet. The frame must be built, prayer, support, a place to live, learn the language, build relationships, become familiar with new surroundings, learn the culture, etc…
I need to be accepting of the fact that this is a major change in life and it is okay that all the pieces of the puzzle are not in place just yet. I feel as if the frame is coming together and a few pieces of the inside structure are being placed together. Next week we will have a medical mission team here to see children from the district. This will allow the church an opportunity to reach out to many of the children. This will be the first major outreach opportunity towards the orphans since I have been here. It will serve as a building block, as these children will also be invited to attend VBS at the church only three weeks after. I am excited to see what other pieces God will put together with the children.
I need to remember it is only one piece at a time. All the pieces will come together in God’s perfect timing. All the pieces will create a beautiful picture when it is completed. As of today, I remain living outside the city, language school has been placed on hold one more week due to the medical missions and the orphans at the church next week, support is at approximately fifty percent, I am building relationships, becoming more familiar with the area and learning the culture every day. For now that will have to be enough.
May 27, 2008
May 21, 2008
Passion Kyiv 2008
It is my third Friday night in Kyiv and I am living 20 km outside the city, most individuals travel by public transportation however, I am a bit shy about traveling by myself due to my mishap one day earlier. I really want to attend Passion how do I get there and who do I go with? The people I do know are already busy and not attending Passion. I called Inna, she is getting married in one week and is not able to go, I called Ira and Tonya they are both sick and cannot go. So Ira took it upon herself to call a friend she knew spoke English thinking I needed an interpretor.
Vlad called me and I said there is this concert I really would like to attend tomorrow night, he said no problem what time does it begin, where should we meet and how should we travel there? WOW, I did not even think I said I will be at the church could you meet me there and we can travel by the metro to downtown. What did I just agree to? I am having a total stranger take me to a concert in a city of 5 million people? I did not think about in any longer, I must be at Passion somehow, some way I will attend. I did find out just before leaving for the concert he does know my pastor so I felt fine about it.
I am so glad I went. Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redmon, Charlie Hall all in one place at one time praising the Lord - in Kyiv - in ENGLISH! What a blessing, it was exactly what I needed to be refreshed. Shine your light, walk with God, be a blessing to others, there is nobody more famous than Jesus!
Vlad and his sister Oksana live in Bucha too so it was the metro to the train to Bucha after the concert that night. No problem when you trust in the Lord. Life is good.
Vlad called me and I said there is this concert I really would like to attend tomorrow night, he said no problem what time does it begin, where should we meet and how should we travel there? WOW, I did not even think I said I will be at the church could you meet me there and we can travel by the metro to downtown. What did I just agree to? I am having a total stranger take me to a concert in a city of 5 million people? I did not think about in any longer, I must be at Passion somehow, some way I will attend. I did find out just before leaving for the concert he does know my pastor so I felt fine about it.
I am so glad I went. Louie Giglio, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redmon, Charlie Hall all in one place at one time praising the Lord - in Kyiv - in ENGLISH! What a blessing, it was exactly what I needed to be refreshed. Shine your light, walk with God, be a blessing to others, there is nobody more famous than Jesus!
Vlad and his sister Oksana live in Bucha too so it was the metro to the train to Bucha after the concert that night. No problem when you trust in the Lord. Life is good.
Wednesday May 21, 2008
Another good day here in Ukraine. I received a ride to the office today to meet my new friend and co-worker Vovo. I asked Vovo to travel via metro with me to the language school so I would not get lost, he was happy to help. As we were traveling on the metro he reminded me that the work I desire to do as it say in James is very important and respectable. ( James 1:27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.) I also spoke with my new friend Aimee yesterday and she explained with mission work rarely is it ever what you expect!
I am one who likes to jump into my work head first and get started. I am reminded daily that God is in control. There are so many things that need to happen and be taken care of before I may begin my work directly with the orphan children. As that is my passion the Lord is telling me to wait on Him, in His timing. I am being molded more and more each day.
The sun is shining today and there is a gentle breeze to cool the warmth of the sun. How beautiful it is ! I love the fact that every where you walk there are vendors on the street selling produce or flowers, it is amazing you feel like an apple as you are walking or as you get off the metro you buy one it is as simple as that. Take time today to enjoy a walk, absorb the warmth of the sun that God has provided.
I am one who likes to jump into my work head first and get started. I am reminded daily that God is in control. There are so many things that need to happen and be taken care of before I may begin my work directly with the orphan children. As that is my passion the Lord is telling me to wait on Him, in His timing. I am being molded more and more each day.
The sun is shining today and there is a gentle breeze to cool the warmth of the sun. How beautiful it is ! I love the fact that every where you walk there are vendors on the street selling produce or flowers, it is amazing you feel like an apple as you are walking or as you get off the metro you buy one it is as simple as that. Take time today to enjoy a walk, absorb the warmth of the sun that God has provided.
May 16, 2008
Josh McDowell - Kiev, Ukraine
I went to listen to Josh McDowell speak yesterday and it was all about parenting so perhaps the message was intended for me to share, since I do not have any children of my own. :)
He said there are 3 things you can be certain of:
1) There is no guarantee to parenting
2) It is never too late to start where you are
3 ) You may just have a difficult child
He has 7 principles of parenting:
1) Affirmation - Affirm your childs emotions (Romans 12:15) When they are happy be happy when they weep weep with them!
2) Acceptance - provide unconditional acceptance (Romans 15:7) Accept as God accepts
3) Appreciation - expressing this to a child tells them they are important ( Matt 3:17)
4) Availability - Make yourself available to your children it tells them they are important to you (Matt 19:13-14)
5 ) Affection - Hug your child
6) Approach your child's world - (if they play barbies play with them)
7) Accountability - Owe it to your children to provide reasonable boundaries and rules
Josh said it is not biblical to discipline what a child is doing wrong instead praise and appreciate all they are doing right. Make your family your number one ministry, do not sacrifice your family for the ministry of church - family should be your first priority. Do your children feel they come after the church if so you are not in God's will. First the head of the household should be a great husband and a great father.
That about sums it up! He had to rush thru the last three so he did not provide the scripture that went with it.
He said there are 3 things you can be certain of:
1) There is no guarantee to parenting
2) It is never too late to start where you are
3 ) You may just have a difficult child
He has 7 principles of parenting:
1) Affirmation - Affirm your childs emotions (Romans 12:15) When they are happy be happy when they weep weep with them!
2) Acceptance - provide unconditional acceptance (Romans 15:7) Accept as God accepts
3) Appreciation - expressing this to a child tells them they are important ( Matt 3:17)
4) Availability - Make yourself available to your children it tells them they are important to you (Matt 19:13-14)
5 ) Affection - Hug your child
6) Approach your child's world - (if they play barbies play with them)
7) Accountability - Owe it to your children to provide reasonable boundaries and rules
Josh said it is not biblical to discipline what a child is doing wrong instead praise and appreciate all they are doing right. Make your family your number one ministry, do not sacrifice your family for the ministry of church - family should be your first priority. Do your children feel they come after the church if so you are not in God's will. First the head of the household should be a great husband and a great father.
That about sums it up! He had to rush thru the last three so he did not provide the scripture that went with it.
Imagine
Yesterday morning I woke up and decided it was time for me to branch out and try public transportation on my own! What was I thinking? I am currently living about 30 minutes outside the city so I must take the bus to the church each morning or find a ride. Well this particular morning I had to be at the church at 9:15 AM, I could either tell the group to go without me and not go at all, I would miss Josh McDowell speaking and stay in Bucha for the day or attempt to take the bus to the city on my own. As I left the house to walk to the bus stop, the family said see you later as I walked out the door. They informed me I need bus 381 CB - okay no problem I thought I can do that.
I watched at least 3 buses go by with 381 on them and I decided I need to get on a bus soon as I had to be at the church in 30 minutes so I boarded the bus paid the fare and down the road we went. About 1 km from my stop the bus took a left hand turn, OH NO this is not the way I need to go. Do I call somebody, but who, who would understand English well enough to understand what I am saying? I am in a small pickle, I am in the very back of the bus the only way out is in the front and it is standing room only. Are you getting the picture. I remained calm and continued on the bus for another 15 minutes or so. When I arrived at a metro station I pushed my way to the door so i could get off the bus before I broke down. At the metro station I recognized the street and new I was about two stops from the church, do I attempt another form of public transportation like the metro - under ground unable to see where I am traveling - okay maybe I can do better on the metro I thought. I walked through the tunnel people every where, I decided not to brave the metro I would rather see where I was traveling so above ground I went out of the tunnel and into the day light. By this time I have been traveling for about an hour already. No problem, I some what know where I am, I will just walk :) About 16 blocks later I am one block from the church and my friend Vilodi found me. We walked back to the metro station to travel to see Josh McDowell...
Live and learn try new things what is the worst that can happen you get lost, trial and error. Later that day I found out the bus made a left due to a traffic problem. So you see I was never lost to begin with, God was by my side the entire way.
I watched at least 3 buses go by with 381 on them and I decided I need to get on a bus soon as I had to be at the church in 30 minutes so I boarded the bus paid the fare and down the road we went. About 1 km from my stop the bus took a left hand turn, OH NO this is not the way I need to go. Do I call somebody, but who, who would understand English well enough to understand what I am saying? I am in a small pickle, I am in the very back of the bus the only way out is in the front and it is standing room only. Are you getting the picture. I remained calm and continued on the bus for another 15 minutes or so. When I arrived at a metro station I pushed my way to the door so i could get off the bus before I broke down. At the metro station I recognized the street and new I was about two stops from the church, do I attempt another form of public transportation like the metro - under ground unable to see where I am traveling - okay maybe I can do better on the metro I thought. I walked through the tunnel people every where, I decided not to brave the metro I would rather see where I was traveling so above ground I went out of the tunnel and into the day light. By this time I have been traveling for about an hour already. No problem, I some what know where I am, I will just walk :) About 16 blocks later I am one block from the church and my friend Vilodi found me. We walked back to the metro station to travel to see Josh McDowell...
Live and learn try new things what is the worst that can happen you get lost, trial and error. Later that day I found out the bus made a left due to a traffic problem. So you see I was never lost to begin with, God was by my side the entire way.
May 13, 2008
Three weeks in Ukraine, life is good!
All is well in Ukraine aside from not speaking the language most days are good. I have been working at the church and have jumped right in. We have a medical clinic taking place the first week in June for the orphans in the community, I have been working on that to schedule the families. That same week I will begin an intense language program to learn some Russian, I need to get past Good morning how are you? That will only take me so far. It is amazing just how much I do understand even though I do not speak the language.
I am also working on the VBS program for the end of June. We are inviting about 50 orphans from the area around the church. There is a group coming from Asheville to participate in the VBS program. I am very excited to be working on this program with the American group and the Ukrainian group together.
Yesterday I was asked to sublease an apartment about 4 blocks from the church it was a direct answer to prayer. The couple is and American couple headed back to the states for 8 months and asked if i would stay at their place, it was such a blessing. Most of the apartments I have looked at all three were very small and expensive!
I also have experienced all forms of public transportation: the trolley bus, the maschutka, the metro all are very crowded but what do you expect from a city of 7 million people, I would have to say I prefer the metro over the other two. It is a guessing game for me right now as far as where I am headed and what metro or trolley to take, I will learn soon enough. It is difficult when you cannot read the signs to know where you are headed :)
Last week we met with a mayor of a town about 120 km outside of Kiev, we plan to have another orphanage there. It would be nice to have a facility closer to where I am living.
The past two weeks I have spent one on one with an orphan named Gela. She is 11 and a beautiful young lady. My heart aches for her as she is being sent back to the orphanage tomorrow. I do not want her to go and it brings tears to my eyes to think of sending back there as she does not want to go either. The orphanage is 12 hours away so she will go by train in the morning. She is an amazing little girl, it is hard to understand why one would leave her. Her mother died a year ago and her father is in Russia somewhere. Her grandmother is around but very old - her older brother lives with the grandmother. He is a troubled child. Gela told me yesterday she used to buy alcohol for her mother before she went to live at the orphanage it is very sad. She came to stay with Nickolay and Luda for a bit where she and I have shared a room for the last two weeks. I have bonded with her and I hate to see her go back, I hope she will be adopted soon. She is such a smart beautiful girl. I cannot imagine being so young and so alone in this world. She loves affection, holding hands and hugs. She loves to eat too. She can speak a bit of english and plays any instrument she picks up. She loves to share and help around the house too. What a great girl she is, I will miss her more than I can express in words.
I am also working on the VBS program for the end of June. We are inviting about 50 orphans from the area around the church. There is a group coming from Asheville to participate in the VBS program. I am very excited to be working on this program with the American group and the Ukrainian group together.
Yesterday I was asked to sublease an apartment about 4 blocks from the church it was a direct answer to prayer. The couple is and American couple headed back to the states for 8 months and asked if i would stay at their place, it was such a blessing. Most of the apartments I have looked at all three were very small and expensive!
I also have experienced all forms of public transportation: the trolley bus, the maschutka, the metro all are very crowded but what do you expect from a city of 7 million people, I would have to say I prefer the metro over the other two. It is a guessing game for me right now as far as where I am headed and what metro or trolley to take, I will learn soon enough. It is difficult when you cannot read the signs to know where you are headed :)
Last week we met with a mayor of a town about 120 km outside of Kiev, we plan to have another orphanage there. It would be nice to have a facility closer to where I am living.
The past two weeks I have spent one on one with an orphan named Gela. She is 11 and a beautiful young lady. My heart aches for her as she is being sent back to the orphanage tomorrow. I do not want her to go and it brings tears to my eyes to think of sending back there as she does not want to go either. The orphanage is 12 hours away so she will go by train in the morning. She is an amazing little girl, it is hard to understand why one would leave her. Her mother died a year ago and her father is in Russia somewhere. Her grandmother is around but very old - her older brother lives with the grandmother. He is a troubled child. Gela told me yesterday she used to buy alcohol for her mother before she went to live at the orphanage it is very sad. She came to stay with Nickolay and Luda for a bit where she and I have shared a room for the last two weeks. I have bonded with her and I hate to see her go back, I hope she will be adopted soon. She is such a smart beautiful girl. I cannot imagine being so young and so alone in this world. She loves affection, holding hands and hugs. She loves to eat too. She can speak a bit of english and plays any instrument she picks up. She loves to share and help around the house too. What a great girl she is, I will miss her more than I can express in words.
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