Created for a Mission

I was wrong! I thought for sure the snow and ice would remain on the ground way into March. It began melting last week as temperatures rose into to 40’s. Now the sidewalks are a slushy mess and the only things you are guaranteed to come home with every time you go outside are cold, wet feet. The up side…spring is in the air, the days are getting longer, and the sun is shining more often. It may snow and freeze again but I am still hope filled. I have almost survived my first full winter in Ukraine where on the shortest day the sun rose at 7:56am and set at 3:56pm. It is 6:00pm now and just getting dark. Four more days until the first day of spring in Ukraine, March 1^st.

For me it has been long awaited. I have had so much to say to you but just have not found the time to articulate it in writing. Included in this post are a few brief events that have happened in my life recently. At the end is an overall update and a link for some more pictures.

Building Snow-people in the Park

The first weekend of January, I decided I wanted to go see the Christmas tree (in Ukraine it is the New Year tree) in the center of town. The family I was living with decided they wanted to go too. A friend of theirs was visiting and she joined us. One of the guys from our church who lives nearby also joined us. We loaded the two boys on the sled and headed out. It was a gorgeous evening for a walk. Our route took us through the park. As we began walking in the park, some other folks from church called and wanted to join us. So while we waited for them in the park, we had a snowball fight and began building a snowman. By the time they join us, we had an entire family.

My Very Own Holiday

The 25th of January was Tania’s Day. No, I’m not kidding. I’ve waited all my life for this! It is the celebration of all those named Tetiana (Tania). In celebration, gifts and greetings are often given. Almost all the Tanias from our church met in the evening for tea. I was great being included in the celebration and just getting to know the ladies better in an informal setting as these are the ladies I came here to serve and help to go deeper in their walk with Christ.

Socks on Boots

I was on the marshrutka (mini bus) one day and looked down to see a woman with socks on the outside of her boots. I was quite surprised and curious as to the reason for this. I began to think of all the possible options. First thought was that she was cold; we had about a week of temperatures about -27°C. No, that didn’t make sense; she could easily wear the socks on the inside. Second thought, she was wearing the socks to keep from slipping on the ice. You see, for the past month, most of the sidewalks in Rivne have been sheets of ice. It is not very smooth ice in most places but it is still really slippery. A friend confirmed later in the day that this was indeed the reason. It was very efficient, effective, creative but odd. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture.

Other Happenings

I have been living in Rivne since right after American Christmas. I was living with a family but on last Friday moved into my own flat. As I right I am sitting in the living room. It is great to have a place of my own so I can truly begin to feel settled in Ukraine. God is also beginning to open up opportunities to serve. I will be teaching English on Saturdays as an outreach for unbelievers, I have started going to the Bee House (a family style orphanage house) weekly, and I am now doing one-on-one discipleship with young woman from Salvation Church who speaks English fluently in preparation for the discipleship group. God has answered my pray and provided me with a new friend and English is the only language we currently have in common. I thank God for the opportunity to meet her and pray that the friendship will develop with time.

Here are some recent pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=145937&id=550104316&l=9db0ea7c91

Tonight candles will burn inside windows in remembrance of the millions (3.2 – 10 million) of people who died between 1932-1933 as a result of a great famine. The famine called The Holodomor (Ukrainian: Голодомор; translation: death by starvation) is used to refer to this famine because there were no natural causes for starvation. The Holodomor is considered one of the greatest calamities to affect the Ukrainian nation in modern history. Please pray for healing because 75 years later there is great anger, bitterness and dispute surrounding this famine.

Each month in the Ukrainian language has a specific meaning and October was (жовтень) which in derived from the word yellow. The reason for the Ukrainian word for October is because at the beginning of the month all the trees begin to turn yellow and by the end of the month all have turned. It was particularly remarkable for me to experience some of this beauty of the change of colors in the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukrainian. We were in a small village about 70 kilometers from the border of Slovakia. While we were there I had a chance, for the first time in my life, to gather mushrooms in the forest. Also, to tried to determine which were the good mushrooms and which ones were bad, as in poisonous. Ironically enough the ugly mushrooms were good and the more attractive ones were not. I was grateful I didn’t not have to venture this alone because I would still be lost in the mountains and I would have picked all the bad mushrooms because they were pretty, easy to spot and plentiful. Another first was an encounter poison ivy. It was all over the forest but especially in the places where the mushrooms were. I recognized this early and tried to stay away from it, but one time I ended up knee deep in some, so I just began to pray for the poison ivy not to have any effect on me. Thank God He answered my prayers.

 A Few Highlights from the Trip

 One highlight of the trip was walking through the small village alone and saying hello to all the people as I passed by their homes. It was funny, one man and woman were working in their yard up on a hill and as I walked by the man stopped what he was doing, ran down the hill and called to his mother to come outside and look. I just smiled and waved. Also I got the experience the dialect of Ukrainian that is called zacarpathian. This dialect is so different that at times other Ukrainians don’t understand what people speaking it are saying. The dialect even has two additional sounds in addition to the sounds in the Ukrainian language.

Another highlight was spending some time with the youth in the church there and worshiping with the believers on Sunday.

Just in case you were wondering November is Листопад – which means leaves falling.

 If you would like to see more pictures click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=121948&id=550104316&l=be17c6c364

In the past after spending time in Ukraine for summer, I would be home by now. This is my first autumn in Ukraine. So, I’m back to the big city where there is a chill in the air, the sweaters are out of storage, the leaves are already turning yellow and brown and littering the ground, there’s the roar of the metro (subway), the honking of horns, watermelons are at their sweetest, children are back in school and so am I. I have been energized by the summer. Most summers over the past few years have gone by without my being able to enjoy them. I truly enjoyed this summer.

Read more about my eventful summer in my most recent prayer letter.

http://www.scene3.org/content/view/8061/68/

Also, here are some photos.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=109365&id=550104316&l=8d5af551cb

Sorry for the delay in posting.  The summer has been moving very quickly…

Guess which picture has food in it!

One night, one of my friends and I were eating dinner together.  As we finished eating we both agreed that we were full.  We cleared the dishes from the table and she looked at me and said, “I will wash some sweet cherries.”  My response was, I thought we were full.  Her response? “Oh, cherries are not food.”  Naturally, my question was, if cherries are not food what are they? The answer? “They are for spending time together.”  She then went down a list of edible items that are not categorized as food.  Bananas, oranges, and most fruits, cakes, cookies, ice-cream, having tea are all for spending time together.  I know this is a big relief to anyone who is currently on a diet.  Her entire explanation started out as a joke but in the end it turned out to reveal an important truth about Ukrainian culture.  I exclaimed, “Oh, so now I understand why every time you visit someone you are served tea because it is a way to spend time together.  Even if you visit 10 houses in one day, chances are you will have tea 13 times (3 times at home).”  She said, yes, they are not feeding you, if you want to eat, you can eat at home.  A lot of things became clear after this conversation.

So, after packing my bag and heading to Rivne for the summer to practice my language, I spent a week in the woods at a Youth Festival.   From 6:00am until well after midnight 98 percent of the time I had to think and speak in Ukrainian.  One percent was spent asleep and the other on percent was getting clarification for important instructions and taking a mental break from time to time.   Here are a few pictures from my visa trip to Krakow, Poland http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94469&id=550104316&l=23363e9aef and the Youth Festival http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94475&id=550104316&l=29c11b2393.

With two slight differences from the movie… : 1) my roommate did not forget me, and 2) more importantly I was not fighting off two robbers who were trying to break in.  But I was living alone in Ukraine for the first time ever.  For a little over one week, my roommate was out of town and I was on my own.  In some ways it felt great because I could have some alone time.  For all those who know me well, you know these times are important for me to experience occasionally.  Ironically, in spite of my desire to be alone, I found that I truly missed the presence of my roommate.  Natasha, my roommate, knows five or six English words and very seldom uses them, so it’s not like we have lengthy conversations when we are both at home.  Nevertheless, I have a feeling of reassurance when she’s around, knowing that someone is there in case I need something.  As I reflect on this experience I know God gave me a snapshot of the future.  This summer I may have another opportunity to be living alone for a few weeks, rehearsing for the eventuality of living solo when I move to Rivne.  I love the way God prepares me for what He knows is to come.  And in the end, I know I am never truly alone, because God says He will never leave me nor forsake me.  I have added some new pictures to Facebook (facebook link) with a few highlights of spring and my life in Ukraine.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82587&id=550104316&l=5bb6883da2

The sky is blue!  The tulips are up!  The trees are in bloom!  First the apricot trees blossom, next the cherry trees followed by peach!  Soon fruit will abound.  The sun is bright and the days are getting longer!  Under the light of the sun everything looks better!  As I have walked around the city over the past two weeks, I noticed may workers busy applying fresh coats of paint to playground apparatuses, mailboxes, benches.  I also noticed that the white on the base of some of the tress was refreshed too.  I always thought it was curious that they painted the tress here.  Just this week I found out that it is not actually painted but a mixture of chalk and water that is applied to trees to protected then for certain animals and insects that can damage the trees.  I also learned that this is not just don’t in Ukraine but also in most of Eastern Europe it is a natural was for pest control.  Another thing that is fresh and new and indescribable amazing is the sunset here most days.  When the conditions are right and the sky is clear blue, the sun sets as a perfect orange ball of fire.  It is an amazing site!  It is inspiring to me to see the rhythm of life change here in sync with the natural rhythm.  Even in a large city, as the flowers appear so do many people for strolls and picnics in the park.  In the physical I have seen a city transform right before my eyes. With the good also comes evil.  I witness a very violent altercation in the park this week as well as I was watching and taking pictures of the sunset.  It was such a brutal display that it really shook me.  But I know that the Lord is my shield and my strong tower, in Him will I trust.  Please pray for Ukraine that God will transform the hearts of the people the way I have seen the physical transformation of the city.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve warmed up the city and now it’s ready for Obama’s visit.  Today was a beautiful, warm spring day.  You could actually venture outside with a light jacket.  I have not seen a day like this in Europe since arriving.  My trip to Prague and my experience while in Prague have been eventful.  Where should I begin?  Let’s see!  I decided to take the train for the adventure of sleeping on a train and seeing the countryside in Poland.  Well I got more adventure than I could hope for.  When I arrived at the Passport Control stop in Poland, the authorities there could not verify my passport and so I was taken off the train with all my things and was detained for a few hours while they sorted everything out.  I got to see Poland, up close and personal.  I got to ride in a minivan with six Polish Passport Control Officers and one other Ukrainian man who was taken from the train.  I was afraid that I would not make it to Prague at all but God!  He worked everything out and I was able to catch up with the original train I was on during its 6 hour layover in Krakow, Poland.  Here’s a picture at my in between train strain station somewhere near the border of Ukraine and Poland.

I arrived in Prague at my scheduled time and found my way to Talitha’s flat.  I enjoyed a week of touring the city as the uninformed tourist.  I enjoyed this posture because it was stress free, I could just walk around and look at what the tour groups were looking at, at my leisure.  It’s amazing because there were tour groups here from all over the world.  As I walked around I heard many different languages being spoken. 

Here are some pictures from the sites. 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71840&id=550104316&l=570d7340a9

I’m heading back to Ukraine tomorrow with many wonderful memories about my first time in Prague.  I also feel more rested than I have in a long time.  Thank you for your continued prayers.  Please pray for an uneventful return trip to Ukraine.