Praises :)

I think I mentioned in my email newsletter a girl by the name of Nadia? Nadia came to the youth outreach during our June VBS to play some sports. She just loves to play softball, a girl after my own heart. Anyway Nadia is 15 and tested to attend college this fall in Kiev, she was not a believer when she attended the youth outreach in June. Well God is smiling as Nadia has accepted His Son Jesus into her heart! She made several friends at the church and we all have stayed in touch with her. Inna and Kevin Bohn actually invited Nadia to come to camp with them and Nadia agreed, here is how Inna tells the story of Nadia's salvation.

We took her to camp with us and were praying for an opportunity to talk with her about Christ. Yet, she came up to me on the third day of the project and announced that she had received Christ. I asked her when and how it happened. I was quite surprised to learn that it happened on the train on the way to the project. She was going together with two Christian girls from Kiev university campus, and they asked her if she was a Christian. They shared Four Spiritual Laws with her and she prayed to receive Christ into her heart. It was quite amazing to see Nadia transform and grow right before our eyes.

After my lecture on fear Nadia confessed to me that there were some things in her life she was fearful to try because of what others might think about her. One of them was singing in front of other people. She decided to make a step of faith and sing a song with a couple of other students at the evening meeting. After that she kept singing and performing in skits at our meetings. Another fear she had was speaking to strangers. Interesting enough, Nadia shared her new faith during the evangelistic outreaches with more people than anyone else at the project.

There was a special prize for a student who would prove to be the most passionate evangelist – a pair of evangelist's shoes, and Nadia got the prize! The shoes were too big for her though and she gave them to an African guy. What amazed me even more was the fact that the second day (three days after she became a Christian herself) I saw her sharing the Gospel on her own with two young men at the beach, although she was supposed to be paired up with a more mature Christian since it was her first experience (see the picture). We were so happy to watch Nadia learn to spend her quiet time with the Lord, sing and pray to Him, share her faith and make new Christian friends with other students.

Nadia attend church this past Sunday and brought her mother with her, she will also join in a Bible study for girls her age. To God be the Glory!

running water what a blessing!

July was a very busy month for me. One team came in from America as another one left. I was asked to help with a camp outside Odessa in a village near the Black Sea, I had a friend coming to visit and stay with me for a week and my tourist visa was getting ready to expire. What's a girl to do.

Camping near the Black Sea was an absolute adventure I will never forget. A group of us traveled to the village by van from Kiev preparing to conduct a Vacation Bible School there, no problem. The plan was to host the VBS and then enjoy a bit of rest at the beach so we would camp for 12 days total.

We arrived at the camp site in the dark, again no problem we will shine the headlights so we can set up the tents right. Camping Ukrainian style - imagine weeds about two feet high we were told to begin packing them down, I am thinking are they for real why not locate an area that has already been cleared, seems logical to me? Nope it was no joke, so I begin packing down the weeds and setting up the tents. I really have camped before just never like this! This was the true down and dirty camping. We did not have a cleared camp site, there wasn't any running water to speak of except the sea, a toilet do we really need one, and shower well that is what the sea is for. I was in for a life changing experience and I knew it as soon as we arrived at the sea.

By day two I was ready to find the bus station or train station and call it quits. I was near the beautiful Black Sea with about 15 Ukrainian people and could not communicate for 12 days this would be a record for me. About two days into camping I had a mild break down and a girl named Ania began speaking in English to me! Thank you Lord! Ania was such a blessing, I was happy she was there. Needless to say I stayed at the camp for 10 days and took my first train ride back to Kiev Monday July 21. A city that is about an 8 hour drive by van took 14 hours by train.

The train is a unique way to travel as well. We departed Odessa at about 7 PM so we would have to sleep on the train. Getting on the train and walking to our seats was actually exciting. The train has open compartments with four beds in each section. While you are sleeping it is basically a slumber party on the train as you can see everybody as they sleep. I slept fairly well on the train, but I would not choose to travel by train if I had an option. I always thought a train would be faster than a car, but it is not, it actually takes longer. We arrived in Kiev the next morning about 9 AM on July 22.

I took the metro back to my apartment. I had to make one stop before I went home. I stopped at a local shop to purchase a razor, I was looking forward to getting home taking a nice long bath or shower and shaving my legs!! That is exactly what I did and I felt like a new women.

I had one day before my house guests would arrive so I had to get a few groceries items. July 23 at about noon I met my friends at the train station, this turned out to be a day of rest for all of us, as we were all so tired. Two days later July 26 I would depart and go to Budapest Hungary which was two fold: I had to renew my tourist visa and I was able to visit with another friend there. What a blessing it was to be able to do that.

I am back in Kiev now, my friends are all gone and I am preparing for a medical clinic in September. This past Thursday at the office I received communication that our bike outreach scheduled for August 10 has been cancelled. The region in Ukraine has been terribly damaged by flooding. Our church is trying to put together a team to go help with the relief efforts. As of right now you cannot get a vehicle to the villages, everything is being taken in and out by helicopter.

I am so thankful for running water and a toilet. It is the little things in life that make me happy. Through all of this I do feel as if I am able to relate better to the children living in the streets and the homeless population. The Lord is good and is always near.